Against Media Censorship Essay Example for Free

Against Media Censorship Essay * On television, music, and most websites, they inform the user about the contents of their website, song, or show; but others (like YouTube) put on age restrictions on them. * I’m sure most of you have had to go through these at some point in your life and have gotten upset when you can’t hear the whole song or watch the whole movie. * I’d like to explain to you all how Media Censorship is in direct violation of the First Amendment and how it can make it harder for kids to learn about certain aspects of life. * The First Amendment is one of our most important Amendments because it allows us, the citizens of the United States, to speak our minds about anything without legal government penalty. * Freedom of speech is no longer considered important to the government. People should be able to express themselves, whether it’s through music, movies, or anything, but instead they have to bleep the cuss for their song to go on the radio and block the inappropriate parts on a movie which can possibly cause a loss in entertainment or power in the message * The morals of people that have been hidden information from and the morals of the people who haven’t been hidden from are completely different. If certain things are hidden from people, then that gives people a curiosity in the subject and may cause people the use of illegal actions to obtain it. * Education isn’t something for kids need to be censored from. * People are curious about life and feel they need to learn more about it, if everything was censored then this can cause parents to be in uncomfortable situations and cause kids to ask more questions. * The government shouldn’t have to tell people what they can and can’t watch or listen to; this should be up to the person or the parents of that particular person. * The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) monitors every radio station, Television broadcast, and music broadcast to make sure that nothing inappropriate is said on the broadcast that they think may ruin the mind of the listeners. * Most music is censored while there are few artists that refuse to censor their music, and nearly all movies are also censored. * The First Amendment states that you have a freedom of speech and the FCC shouldnt be able to take that away. People can be better educated on topics if nothing is censored. * The sound of music and the graphics of movies are some things you all would most likely want to keep. * In conclusion, The media should not be censored and should not be allowed to be censored.

Main Economic Features of Oligopolies and Price-fixing Theories Essay

Introduction Oligopoly, from the ancient Greek ÏÅ'ÃŽ »ÃŽ ¯ÃŽ ³ÃŽ ¿ÃŽ ¹ "a few" and πώÎ »ÃŽ ·Ãâ€š "seller" (Woodhouse, 2002), defines the market with a small number of large players. (Begg and Ward, 2009, B&W). To demonstrate a clear understanding of what it is and how it works, this essay will be tacitly divided in two sections. In the first section I will discuss oligopoly's definition, demand curve, main features and price-fixing. In the second, I will illustrate oligopoly by referencing the UK Beer Market, and the extent to which this industry could support price-fixing. Oligopoly: definition Under monopoly one firm has no rivals (Rittenberg and Tregarthen, 2009). On the contrary, in perfect competition many small firms co-exist, none with the power to influence price (Sloman and Sutcliffe, 2001). Equally important, as a combination of monopoly and competition, monopolistic competition represents the market with freedom to enter and many firms competing. However, each firm produces a differentiated product and therefore has some control over its price. Finally, oligopoly exists when few large firms can erect barriers against entry and share a large proportion of the industry. Moreover, firms are aware of their rivals and concerned about their response to competitive challenges (Allen, 1988). Consequently, oligopolies operate under imperfect competition. Demand Curve Oligopolies present kinked demand curves. These curves are downward-sloping, similar to traditional ones. However, they are distinguished by a convex bend at a discontinuity. This change in elasticity shows that price rises will not be match by competitors, yet prices reductions will (B&W). Therefore, firms will tend not to raise prices because a small increase will lose customers... ...n_law [Accessed on 21/11/2010]. Rittenberg, L. and Tregarthen, T. (2009). Principles of Microeconomics, 2nd edition. New York: Flat World Knowledge, Inc. Routledge, R.(2010). Bertrand competition with cost uncertainty. Economics Letters, no. 107, pp. 356–359. Sab-Miller Report. (2003). On-trade and off trade. Available at: http://www.sabmiller.com/files/presentations/2003/000503/may03_ontradeofftrade_slides.pdf [Accessed on 21/11/2010]. Sloman, J. and Sutcliffe, M. (2001). Economics for business, 2nd edition. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited. Vives, X. (2001). Oligopoly pricing: old ideas and new tools. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press. Woodhouse, S. (2002) English-Greek Dictionary: A Vocabulary Of The Attic Language. 10th edition. Padstow: TJI Digital. World Bank. (2010). Indicators by country. Available at: [Accessed on 16/11/2010].

Abortion: One of the Most Argumentative Topics

One of the most argumentative topics with our court today is the topic of abortion. Abortion has been practiced in the United States since the founding of the Republic according to You debate. It all began when married woman moved to lower their fertility rates after 1830. it became a widespread practice held in the United States. According to You debate, doctor’s estimated that in the 1960’s through the 1970’, there was at least one abortion every four birth’s. One common worry that congress had was the safety of the mother’s during the abortion progress. Before 1973, â€Å" abortions were preformed illegally, and in unskilled ways, many woman died from the awful infections and intense bleeding. Hangers and other sharp objects were one of many objects used for illegal abortions† (you debate, 2). There are numerous reasons as to why someone would be for abortions, or against abortions. In my own personal opinion, I believe that a woman has a right to decide what she would like to do. This essay will consist of both pro’s and con’s of abortion. Also, it will include certain cases that been brought to the congress’s attention. Abortion is a topic that several Americans have expressed their concerns with. People have the right to their own opinion whether they are pro or con for abortion. There are several reasons for pro-choice. One according to WCLA, is that â€Å" we support reproductive freedom† which means that an individual woman should be able to make her own choice whether or not she is going to give birth to the child. Also, laws have never stopped abortion. When illegal abortion was the leading killer of woman in the United States, there was no right to life choice. Most people in the United States believe that abortion may be the morally right choice under certain circumstances. Some of those circumstances are for example when a woman is rapped. If a woman gets rapped, I believe that is she is pregnant by the man, that she does have a right whether or not to birth the child because of the circumstances. According to WLCA, â€Å" Many people who are personally opposed to abortion for religious or moral reasons also believe that it’s wrong to impulse their values by civil law on everyone. You don’t have to like abortion to respect the right of choice. Another argument that congress has had to face is whether the baby is considered a alive, or is not. According to WLCA, â€Å"The fetus is totally dependent on the body of the woman for it’s life support. The health of the fetus is directly related to the health of the pregnant woman. Only at birth are they separated. † A woman named Margaret Sanger said, â€Å" No woman can call herself free who does not own and control her own body. † Almost all legislatures who oppose abortion rights also support the death penalty. One might ask if they think that people who are are convicted of murder are no longer human. According to the WLCA, The Constitution protects various rights that are not specifically mentioned. The constitutional right of privacy has been interpreted repeatedly to include matters of marriage, sex, and family, specifically â€Å"the right to be free from unwarranted governmental intrusion into matters so fundamentally affecting a person as the decision whether to bear a child or beget a child. † The agreement among the people of the United States has grown in support. In 1982, an NBC poll showed that 77% agreed to abortion should be between the woman and the doctor only. Another poll showed that 5. 4% of rape victims become pregnant. This poll proved that people are becoming more sympathetic towards women who are being rapped and getting pregnant. Also, most medications are not completely 100% effective for getting pregnant. Because of this, abortion should not be a problem because all medications are not 100% effective. Also, some people cannot afford to pay for medications. Therefore, abortion would be necessary. According to WLCA, â€Å"The increase in teen sex has complex society causes, including sexually orientated such as TV, movies, and ads. Birth control and abortion don’t cause sex. † The Supreme Court, in 1976, reaffirmed that the privacy allows woman to be free of governmental interference in decisions about childbearing. The court struck down the law that the father of the child does not have a say so in the decision of his unborn child. The court came to the conclusion that the person who is physically bearing the child is more affected by the pregnancy. Another reason for abortion is that most unwanted babies are usually battered or even killed by the immature parents are not ready to raise a child. The parents may not want the baby, so there fore they do not show or give the baby the love that he or she needs. Most abortions are done for health reason. When is a woman is with child, there are several cases in which the mother could in fact become in danger is the mother does decide to bear the child. In some cases, the babies that are being aborted are unhealthy babies. The parents can try again for a healthy baby. Also if we have abortion clinics, there will be a less percent of â€Å"abortion mills†. These are places in which woman have high risks of being hurt by the people actually doing the procedure. One last reason according to WLCA, why abortions should be accepted in the United States is that when a child is in the wound, the brain and sensory waves do not develop until the 30th week. Most abortions do not accrue usually after the 24th week. There are several reasons as to why people do not accept abortion in the Untied States. People believe that human life begins when there is conception of a child. Therefore, it would be calling abortion murder. According to WLCA, â€Å"abortion is morally wrong. † wrong. † They believe that if you think abortion is morally wrong, you are obligated to work to make abortion illegal. People also believe that it is a sense of â€Å"decay† towards Americans. People believe that the fetus is not just part of the mother, but actually another separate human being. The argument that argues a woman’s rights to her own body are argued with the statement, â€Å"The right of the unborn to live supersedes any right of a woman to control her own body† (WLCA, 1 ). Abortion could also be wrong because it is described as taking a human life. Also, if abortion is not mentioned in the Constitution, then why is it considered a constitutional right? People in the United States declare that we add an amendment that describes it as the human life amendment. This would consist of declaring a fetus a full person. Also, abortion should not be legal because of a rape situation. They believe this because the percent of woman who get pregnant after being rapped are very low. The question will always remain â€Å"If you are having sex, you should be able to pay for consequences. † Most Americans feel that if a woman is old enough to have sex, then she is able to take care of a child if she is aware of the idea of getting pregnant. According to DEBATE, â€Å"Teenagers are being les and less capable of saying no. Having the option of abortion increases the sexual experiences of teenagers. † People think that the teenager who is considering having an abortion, to consult their parents first. They believe that the parent will be able to help guide the teenager’s decision to a more moral outcome. Another argument is that most parents, who do not want the child at the time, want the child later on in life. There are several other negative effects of abortion such as woman who have died from legal abortion verses those who have died from illegal abortions. Study shows that if a woman has an abortion, then it could possibly affect her pregnancy later on in life. Adoption affects are also a strong case in congress with the subject of abortion. They want people to know that they could give birth to the child, and then give it up for adoption. There has also been a shortage is adoptive children because of the high numbers of abortion each year. In conclusion, there are several opinions on whether a woman has the right to carry her pregnancy to full term. There are several pros and cons about the topic abortion. In the United States, people battle with abortion everyday. This is a topic that may take several years to finally resolve with the Supreme Court. Is it that we are murdering a human being? Does a woman have the right whether to bear and have her child? Should the Supreme Court be for or against it? Both sides have very strong points of view about the positive and negative affects. With the case of Madsen V. Woman’s Health Center, the people protesting do have the right to their freedom of speech because it was not trespassing. But will it do any good or have any affect on the woman going in and out of the clinic? Who knows? This is a difficult decision that the Congress will have to decide. We may never be alive when this conflict is resolved.

Family Dilemma In Sonnys Blues - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1377 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2019/06/24 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: Sonny's Blues Essay Did you like this example? Sonnys Blues is a story written by James Baldwin about two brothers living in Harlem. The story starts when the narrator learns about his brothers imprisonment through a newspaper. His brother Sonny was caught using and selling heroin. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Family Dilemma In Sonnys Blues" essay for you Create order The narrator remembers his brother when he was young which makes him realize that his students may suffer the same fate. While in prison the narrator does not communicate with his younger brother until the death of his daughter. The two then remain in constant communication until Sonny leaves prison. Sonny then goes to live with the narrator. The narrator then remembers his childhood. He also remembers taking care of Sonny after their mother died. Their relationship is complicated as they disagree on Sonnys path in life. In the end, the narrator understands Sonnys struggles as he watches him on stage playing jazz. The primary dilemma facing the main character is if he whether to relate with his brother based on his own values or to respect his brothers perspective of life. This dilemma is related to the central theme of barriers in life caused by societal factors. At the beginning the protagonist decides to follow a paternalistic approach towards his brother which causes him conflict , he then chooses to listen to his brother after realizing that their environment was not conducive for success. The main character is the narrator of the story since the entire tale is about the life in Harlem and the actions of Sonny through his view and perspective. The narrators conflict involves raising his own brother so that he can be a great man. This conflict starts immediately he is forced into parenthood at an early age. While he is in the military, the narrator is told by his mother to take care of his brother after she dies. His mother insists that he should not leave his brother no matter what happens to him (Baldwin 108). He ignores her pleas as he believes that nothing wrong will happen. However, his mother dies while he still in the military. The main character begins to experience conflict as he does not know how to parent his younger sibling. Until this point, his interaction with his brother has been minimal. He even realizes that he has not been playing the role of a big brother effectively. The dilemma in the story is seen as the narrator is expected to make critical decisions about his brothers life. One crucial decision that the main character is supposed to make is about the career of Sonny. Sonny expresses his interest in being a jazz musician. The narrator, on the other hand, is influenced by the expectations of the society and his idea about how life should be. He believes that it is important for a person to finish high school first then he or she can proceed to follow his dreams. He also believes that a person needs to go to college. The narrator also prefers careers that look more serious. He then decides to persuade Sonny to finish high school first a decision that he is not sure of (Baldwin 112). The story shows that the narrator had a conflict with the decision he had made about the direction that Sonny should take. This is evident in the description of Sonnys life after his brother had returned to the military. Sonny was forced to live with his sister in law and her parents. At their house, Sonny was serious about his music and practiced the piano every day. He played the instrument immediately he came from school. Sonny also played the piano after dinner until everyone had gone to sleep. He also spent the weekends with the piano (Baldwin 112). This shows that Sonny was serious about his plans and willing to do anything to achieve his dream. The narrator, however, kept on using his values to judge his brother. This continued even after Sonny had stopped living with his sister in law and had joined the navy. It is expected that the protagonist would allow Sonny who is now an adult to make his own decisions. He, however, continues to disagree with his brother. The main character explains that he does not like Sonnys friends and his music career. He believes the music is an excuse to live an irresponsible life. Eventually, they have a serious fight, and Sonny tells the narrator that he should consider him dead (Baldwin 113). The author begins to doubt his methods of raising his brother as he fears that he is responsible for how his brother has turned. While his mother was alive, she put pressure on him by telling by telling the story of his father. His fathers brother who was hit by a vehicle and died immediately. This experience affected his father, and he never recovered (Baldwin 107). The main character remembers this story as his brother had become a drug addict. He feels as if he should have done better. The perception of failure by the main character is also seen as he describes his feeling after finding out that his brother was sentenced to prison. He compares his mood to a block of ice that is melting and also expanding in his stomach causing him pain. The narrator feels this way because he did not expect his brother to turn out the way he did. Sonny was once a young boy full of promise (Baldwin 99). The prison sentence adds more conflict on how he can integrate Sonny back to the society. He is worried that bringing him back home would lead to relapse since the area is the same environment which pushed Sonny to use drugs (Baldwin 105). This serves as the climax of the story as the author begins to focus on a different approach to their relationship. He starts to listen to Sonny so that he can understand his perspective and why he made the wrong choices. Sonny opens up and explains how the frustrations in life pushed him to drugs and a reckless lifestyle. The main character also accepts to go to Sonnys performance. Watching Sonny sing makes the narrator understand his brothers struggles and feel that they could repair their relationship (Baldwin 121). The primary dilemma of the protagonist is related to the central theme which is the impact of societal factors on the success of the individuals. Throughout the story, the narrator shows the influence of Harlem on his brothers behavior and their frustrations. He explains that it is normal for people living in the area to turn to criminals as they grow older. He attributes these frustrations to the lack of opportunities in the neighborhood. He provides an example of his students whose growth is likely to be stopped suddenly due to the low ceiling that is placed on their abilities (Baldwin 99). The protagonist also explains that the neighborhood has a permanent impact on someones life. He demonstrates that it is impossible to leave Harlem. If a person manages to get out, he has to leave a part of himself (Baldwin 105). This statement is evident as both Sonny and the narrator continue to live in the neighborhood several years later. Here the story shows that even though people take different paths in life, the outcome might still be the same due to the environmental factors. The protagonists dilemma could not be resolved at first since he believed that he could change the outcomes of their lives by following a different path. However, the central theme shows that he had to accept his brother first and accept the challenges that they both face. In conclusion, the primary dilemma facing the main character is if he whether to relate with his brother based on his own values or to respect his brothers perspective of life. At first, he forces Sonny to go to school and abandon music. This, however, fails as Sonny rebels and later on starts using drugs. Sonny is then sent to prison. The main character begins to believe that he is the cause of Sonnys failure. Later on, he starts listening to Sonny, and they improve their relationship. The protagonists primary dilemma is related to the central theme since it is evident that environmental factors beyond their control cause the failures of the main narrator and Sonny.