A Report on Reasons why Governments Prefer Financial Systems featuring Essay

A Report on Reasons why Governments Prefer Financial Systems featuring Fixed - Essay Example On the other hand, a floating rate of exchange is the one that is moving and received currency depends on exchange time.To maintain their local exchange rate, central banks of European Union members bought and sold their own currency in foreign exchange markets, and in return, they acquired their pegged currency. For example, if the value of a single local unit currency is US$4, the central bank ensures that those dollars can be supplied in market by the country. High foreign reserve levels are required so as to maintain the rates (Eichengreen & Ricardo, 1999). High foreign reserve levels also ensure that there is good money supply thus preventing inflation/ deflation. An exchange rate refers to the rate at which one currency is exchanged for another. Therefore, it is the value of a country’s currency in terms of another. From 1870 to 1914, the global exchange rate was fixed. During that time, currency was likened to gold, implying that a local currency’s value was set at a fixed exchange rate that was determined in terms of gold ounces, that is, the gold standard (Eichengreen & Ricardo, 1999). This allowed free capital mobility and global stability in trade and currencies. The gold standard was abandoned when World War II started, but the end of the Second World War, the Breton Woods conference sought for efforts to stabilize the global economy and increasing global trade by establishing basic regulations and rules that governed international exchange. This led to the establishment of International Monetary Fund (IMF) for foreign trade promotion and monetary stability maintenance of countries and hence of the global economy. It was agreed that the exchange rate would be fixed, in terms of the US dollars, which was then pegged to gold (US$35 per ounce) (Obstfeld & Kenneth, 1995). This means that a currency’s value was directly converted in terms of its value to the US dollar. For example, to buy a euro, the Euros had to be converted into US dollars, and then into gold value. This peg was maintained till 1971, US dollar could not hold the pegged rate value of US$ 35per gold ounce. Since then, many governments adopted the floating rate system and attempts of returning to gold like a peg together with a global peg were completely abandoned. Why Governments Prefer Fixed/ Pegged Exchange Rates Governments prefer fixed exchange rates because they ensure economic stability, especially in current developing nations, where a country can decide to fix its currency in order to stabilize the atmosphere thus ensuring foreign investment. This is because a peg gives the investors their investment value, thus relieving them from fluctuation worries unlike under a float (Calvo, 2002). A pegged currency also helps in lowering inflation rates and generating demand, which further increases a currency’s stability confidence. However, fixed regimes can cause serious financial crises because it is hard to maintain a peg in the long r un. This was experienced in 1995 in Mexico, 1997 in Asia and Russia. Therefore, the governments could not meet the demands of a high value for their currencies to the peg resulting into overvaluing of their currencies. With panic and speculations, investors quickly removed their money out of these countries, and convert it to foreign currencies before the local currency was devalued against the peg. Eventually, foreign currencies became depleted. In Mexico, the government devalued the peso by 29.98%. Eventually, in Thailand, the government eventually allowed floating of

Venue Management for Events. The Emirates Stadium Essay

Venue Management for Events. The Emirates Stadium - Essay Example This tier can carry a total of 2, 222 spectators in total. The box prices start at ?65,000 per year inclusive of V.A.T. and caters for all the home league games and any other played at the Emirates stadium. The Emirates Stadium (Picture courtesy of Arsenal.com) The Diamond Club is the next tier and represents the most exclusive area in the stadium. This is a place that hosts only invited guests and the ticket prices are ?25,000 in advance plus an additional ?25,000 a year. The high demand for tickets in London coupled with the fact that the people living in London are relatively wealthy implies that the ticket sales from the premium seating and the corporate boxes are very high (Chung, & Hwang, 2010). The picture measures 105 by 68 meters with a total grass area of 113 by 76 meters running from north to south. The players’ tunnel and the dugouts are placed on the western side of the pitch just below the main television camera. The away fans are placed in the south- eastern cor ner of the lower tier. The configuration of the away fans can however be expanded from the current 1,500 seats to about 4,500 depending on the demand. This extension has been provided for by the lower and the upper tiers. This stadium has enough space for the travelling fans as required by the Football Association (FA). An aerial view of the Emirates Stadium (Picture courtesy of Arsenal.com) The upper tier has been contoured in order to leave some open space in the ground corners and the roof is equally inward canted. These features are meant to facilitate the flow of air and sunlight to the pitch. These are very vital elements because both players and fans need a good supply of both light and fresh air. The... The paper tells that Emirates Stadium also inbuilt conference holes that accommodates various events like music shows, wedding ceremonies and big meetings. The stadium also well structured roofs that provide shade and shelter to the fans with the centre part left open to allow penetration of sunlight into the pitch. The environment surrounding the stadium is well ventilated as depicted by the contoured walls to provide goods circulation of air. The regions surrounding the stadium are highly secured with security inspection starting at the railway stations before journeying towards the pitch. Entrance of fans is high controlled as the technology system at the gates only allows individuals with smartcards to get access of the stadium during matches. The interior of the Emirates Stadium is highly beautified with green coloured grasses on the pitch and conspicuous red colours dominating the stadium. In addition, the stadium is installed with high tech cameras and big television screens t hat offer exemplary view for distant fans within the stadium. The stadium also has inbuilt catering section and food shop that provide easy meal to fans at very affordable prices. Accessing the stadium is somehow very easy as can be evidenced by good network of roads and railway lines just passing near the stadium. In order to ensure further security, parking is never allowed around or near the stadium and vehicles is usually parked at residential streets that are meters away from the stadium thereby compelling fans to walk for few minutes to the stadium.

American Sign Language As A Language Education Essay

American Sign Language As A Language Education Essay In this chapter, a review of the literature that serves as a foundation for this study is presented. The literature review addresses the theoretical basis of considering American Sign Language as a language, issues in the administration of modern/foreign language programs that parallel the concerns of sign language program administrators, national language program standards, the history of the teaching and administration of post-secondary sign language programs including information on the academic acceptance of sign language in higher education. Concluding this chapter will be a discussion on the state of the literature. American Sign Language as a Language The discussion of ASL and its membership as a language did not occur before William Stokoe, of Gallaudet University in Washington D.C., breached the topic in 1955. Many educators believed sign language was a system of pantomime or broken English. This belief was also held by the deaf individuals themselves (Miller, 2008). Stokoe believed that ASL was indeed a naturally occurring and distinct language ustilized by deaf people and could be studied as a language (Stokoe, 1960 ). Stokoes research spanned from 1955 to 1965 and covered signing as a linguistic system and signs as a part of the system. The first American Sign Language Dictionary was published in 1965 at the conclusion of the first part of Stokoes research. The focus part of Stokeoes continued research focused on the syntax of the language and its importance to teaching English to deaf children. Dr Stokoe asserts he was in constant contact with the Center for Applied Linguistics, the Georgetown University School of Language a nd Linguistics, and the Washington Linguistics Club, laying the foundation and belief that parts of sign language grammar paralleled parts of the languages they were studying (Stokoe, 1990). Stokoe believed signs could be taken apart and analyzed into parts allowing researchers and linguists to study how the language works, how they evolved, and how they could be taught. The work of William Stokoe was not widely accepted among all professionals. Since the 1970s many have argued against the language classification for ASL and especially that of foreign language (Stokoe, 1960; Wilcox, 1990). ASL was studied and analyzed without further evidence that it was a full blown language. Questions have been raised regarding ASLs legitimacy as a foreign language. The following are a set of questions that are common among critics of ASL. (a) Isnt ASL indigenous to the United States and therefore not foreign? (b) Isnt ASL a derivative of English which would disqualify it as a separate language? (c) Is ASL naturally occurring and evolving? (d) If ASL is not written, how can it have a culture? (e) Is there a body of literature to support ASL and its culture? All of these questions have been asked over the decades and have been the major road blocks to ASL being recognized as a language. William Stokoe effectively answered these questions over several years which have been supported by several other scholars in linguistics and culture. In response to the questions regarding whether or not ASL is a language, Stokoe explains in detail with books and dictionaries the morphology, phonology, syntax, as well as semantics and pragmatics and how it differs from that of English or other spoken languages (Stokoe, 1960). Wilcox Peyton (1999) state, ASL is a fully developed language, one of hundreds of naturally occurring sign languages in the world. Conover (1997) states that one is not likely to find much opposition to ASL as a language form linguists, however the most resistance comes from colleges and universities who do not believe ASL should be taught as a foreign language (Miller, 2008). There is a great deal of research, according to Wilcox Peyton (1999), which demonstrates that ASL grammar is radically different from English grammar; it contains structures and process es which English lacks (Wilcox, 1999; Vigoda, 1993). When comparing American Sign Language to other accepted foreign languages one must take in to account that Navajo and several other Native American languages are widely accepted as foreign languages, being even more indigenous to America than ASL. A language need not be foreign to be considered a foreign language (Wilcox, S. Wilcox, P., 1991). In response to the literature question, researchers have found a vast body of literature among deaf people (Cooper et al, 2008; Armstrong, 1988). The literature is not in a written traditional form but, like Native American languages, through story telling passed from generation to generation. With modern technology these very old stories can now be viewed on the internet and on DVDs. The widespread use of storytelling in deaf culture has become more and more available to the general population. ASL continues to be a topic of research at numerous universities and has evolved to be the lead topic in language acquisition, eurolinguistics, psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics, anthropology, cognitive studies, teaching methods, and assessment of sign language skills (Jacobowitz, 2005; Miller, 2008). Empirical research on language in the human brain has provided support for Stokoes initial findings. Studies focused on neural processing of signed language found the same areas of the brain are used to process spoken language (Hickok et al., 2001). The New York Times in 1992 argues ASL is a language because it uses the same elements of spoken language and is organized like any other spoken language (Hickok et al., 2001; Stokoe, 2005). Two linguists from the Salk Institute, Klima and Bellugi (1979) began studying sign language in the 1960s, they wondered whether ASL was an language as other linguists understand that concept. The findings of Klima and Bellugi (1979) supported the linguistic components of ASL, which they called a complexly structured language with a highly articulated grammar, a language that exhibits many of the fundamental properties linguists have posited for all languages (p. 4). Definitions of ASL continued in 1980 with Baker and Cokely indicating ASL is a visual-gestural language created by deaf people (p. 47). They defined the language as a system of relatively arbitrary symbols and grammatical signals that change across time and that members of a community share and use for several purposes: to interact with each other, to communicate their ideas, emotions, intentions, and to transmit their culture from generation to generation (p. 31). Issues of Administration Administrators of LOTE programs often face issues that are not unique to their program. Instructors of American Sign Language often rely on the philosophies, policies, theories, and strategies used in other programs that teach LOTE. Concerns faced by ASL administrators often face similar concerns of LOTE Administrators. A study conducted by the MLA in 1989 showed that language requirements varied depending on the type of language program, and type of institution. More than half of the institutions surveyed (58.5% public, 41.5% private) viewed language study as essential to a well-rounded education (Cooper, 1997, p.29; Huber, 1989). Additionally the MLA study indicated that 87% of the institutions housed all languages within one divisional unit. Of those institutions the languages were housed with other non-language courses and in departments outside of the language emphasis such as philosophy and Humanities. Essentially, the study finds that administrative decisions regarding language instruction was made by departments and administrators with no experience in LOTE. Huber (1989) suggests foreign language instruction may take a secondary role to English when both are offered in the same department. Over half (56%) that offered a degree in English did not offer a degree in LOTE, and those that offered a MA in English only offered a BA in some of the other languages. Huber (1989) also suggests that language programs may be housed in non-language departments because of resource restraints or low student interest. A study of 1000 foreign language department chairs done by Cardenas (1988) indicated over seventy percent (73.7%) of the respondents found one of the most frustrating pieces of administration of the language departments was the lack of momentum with their own research and teaching. Much of the frustration was motivating unproductive faculty (60.2%), faculty evaluations (54.3%), managing the budget (51.7%), and recruiting part-time faculty (48.3%). National Language Program Standards The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) states as part of their philosophy that Language and communication are at the heart of the human experience (ACTFL).   The organization goes on to say they envision a future in which ALL students will develop and maintain proficiency in English and at least one other language, modern or classical (ACTFL). In essence these statements open the door for all forms of communication that meet the standards of language learning. The Standards for Foreign Language Learning; Preparing for the 21st Century has been a mainstay for guidance of foreign language instruction. These standards, according to the ACTFL, are called the 5 Cs (Communicate, Culture, Connect, Compare, and Community). According to Lear and Abbott (2008) To comply with these standards, the successful student will use language to communicate for real purposes, understand multicultural and global issues, connect with other disciplines and acquire new knowledge, make comparisons with their own language and culture, and participate in multilingual communities(Lear Abbott, 2008, p. 77) (Table 1). A language program should attempt as much of the 5 Cs as possible, however little discussion is found to what extent each must be accomplished (Lear Abbott, 2008). It is widely accepted that goal 5 is difficult to accomplish in a closed classroom setting. In a position paper by the ACTFL in 2011 ASL was recognized as a LOTE when it stated, Communication for a classical language refers to an emphasis on reading ability and for American Sign Language (ASL) to signed communicative ability (ACTFL Position Statements, 2011). The publication of Standards became known as the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¢genericà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬- version of standards in that it addressed issues and delineated standards common to all second-language learning yet contained examples in many languages (Phillips, J. Abbott, M. 2011, p.1). From 2005 to 2010, the American Sign Language Teachers Association (ASLTA) and the National Consortium of Interpreter Education Centers (NCIEC) collaborated on Table 1. A complete listing of ACTFLs Standards for Foreign Language Learning. Communication Communicate in Language Other Than English Standard 1.1: Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions. Standard 1.2: Students understand and interpret written and spoken language on a variety of topics. Standard 1.3: Students present information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics. Cultures Gain Knowledge and Understanding of Other Cultures Standard 2.1: Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the practices and perspectives of the culture studied. Standard 2.2: Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the products and perspectives of the culture studied. Connections Connect with Other Disciplines and Acquire Information Standard 3.1: Students reinforce and further their knowledge of other disciplines through the foreign language. Standard 3.2: Students acquire information and recognize the distinctive viewpoints that are only available through the foreign language and its cultures. Comparisons Develop Insight in the Nature of Language and Culture Standard 4.1: Students demonstrate understanding of the nature of language through comparisons of the language studied and their own. Standard 4.2: Students demonstrate understanding of the concept of culture through comparisons of the cultures studied and their own. Communities Participate in Multilingual Communities at Home and Around the World Standard 5.1: Students use the language both within and beyond the school setting. Standard 5.2: Students show evidence of becoming life-long learners by using the language for personal enjoyment and enrichment. the development of standards for ASL instruction as a guide to teachers and administrators of sign language programs. These standards utilized the ACTFLs Standards for Foreign Language Learning framework. The standards use the same 5 Cs of language instruction and are printed as part of the 2012 ACTFL Standards for Foreign Language Learning (Phillips, J. Abbott, M. 2011). Originally the standards were written with nine languages being considered: Chinese, Classical Languages, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish the Standards have expanded to include languages other than the original nine. Standards for learning Arabic are now in the printed version; they have also been developed for Hindi, Swahili, Korean and American Sign Language (Phillips, J. Abbott, M. 2011). History of Academic Acceptance of Sign Language Sign Language appeared as a language for the first time beginning in the mid-1960s when Stoke, Casterline, and Croneberg published the Dictionary of American Sign Language on Linguistic Principles. This event gave linguistic recognition to ASL for the first time in its history, although very few people recognized the event as significant (Wilcox, S. Wilcox, P, 1991). Depaul University has been recognized as the first university in the United States to offer sign language classes in 1965 (Shroyer Holmes, 1980). The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) built a Communication Skills Program in 1967 in an attempt to spur language acquisition in schools, universities and programs who serve deaf people by offering sign language classes (Newel, 1995a). During the same period of time several sign systems were invented to assist in teaching deaf children English. The most popular systems used were Seeing Essential English (SEE I), Linguistics of Visual English (LOVE), and Signing Exact English (SEE II) (Cooper, 1997). The purpose of these sign systems was to simplify the process of teaching English to deaf children; however, over time they became recognized as sign systems and were taught as varying sign language classed in colleges and universities (Cooper 1997). Other events in the 1960s and 1970s contributed to the increased availability of sign language classes in schools and higher education. Research and publications by Stoke (1966 1990), Klimba and Bellugi (1979), Wilbur (1979, 1987), and Cokely and Baker (1980) added support for the general acceptance of ASL as a language (Cooper, 1997). Legislation also played an important role for sign language in the schools as the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and PL94-142 of 1975 expanded the requirement to provide Sign Language Interpreters in the classroom as a service for deaf students. The caused an increased need for skilled hearing individuals to learn sign language so that interpreters may be available in the schools when required. Interpreter training programs gained federal funding in an effort to relieve the pressure for skilled interpreters (Newell, 1995b). Implications for Future Research Additional and ongoing research regarding individual views regarding sign language is needed including tracking the growth of programs nationally would be beneficial. Future research in development of ASL programs regionally is essential particularly as it partners with LOTE programs. Current data on institutions that recognize ASL as a LOTE and houses it with other languages is important. Particular interest regarding institutions that discontinue their programs and the reasons behind it would be valued. This study did not address certifications of teachers currently working as ASL instructors however data regarding the fact is needed to assess future needs in training instructors in the language. The correlation of signing and non-signing administrators was not examined. Neither was the ethnicity or gender discussed although this would be interesting to research for further influence among minorities and genders. Evaluation of the State of the Literature Regarding current research the surveys administered should be shorter in length to increase the participation rate of responders. Additional information regarding majors, minors, and other university requirements would be helpful including where the sign language program is housed. For example, knowing if the program is a stand-alone program, part of another language department, or listed for credit as an elective would assist institutions in making decisions on language administration. The research to this point in history has focused mainly on which schools accept ASL for credit and the overarching reasons why some may not accept it. Not a lot of research has been done to discuss the programs reasons for acceptance or the process of approval if they were able to secure approval. This research attempts to answer the question many researchers failed to answer, which is a more detailed understanding of personal views of ASL by administrators of languages other than English. Past research has been able to list categories of rejection or acceptance and attempted to list which institutions have been able to recognize sign language for credit on par with other languages at the institutions. The question left unanswered are at what level does ASL receive the most support or resistance in the process of gaining recognition as a language at the institutions. This is important for future organizations who seek approval at various colleges and universities. Additionally, the overall acceptance of sign language in various countries would also be valued to find the international point of view of sign language as it is compared to the United States.

Essay --

458 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC, 20510 12/9/2013 Dear Senator Bennet, Being a senator of Colorado, and a representative of the people, you have the duty to listen to what people have to say. There are many concerns that should be taken more seriously than others and should be brought to the Senates attention. Most people are concerned about the unfair and convoluted income tax laws in our country that can be easily eliminated with the application of a flat tax on income. With the tax rate that is in effect right now, there are so many flaws and loop holes that the system is easily manipulated. The rich do not pay their fair share of taxes, because they have found ways to avoid them. The middle class looks for ways around paying taxes through things like tax breaks. And the poor ends up paying fewer taxes then what they wind up getting back in the end, giving them no incentive to make a lot of money. If a person works hard and gets a raise that will put him in a higher tax bracket, he could actually be making less money with the raise. Also, the government constantly looks for new ways to tax in order to pay for education, military, health care, and more. To consider what's right and what's wrong, compare sales tax and income tax. Say the sales tax in your state is 10%. Your "taxable amount" is the total of all that you purchase. You go to the store and by something for $20, you will pay 10%, or $2 tax. Say you buy 2 of the same thing, $40 total; you pay $4 in tax. Then you buy a candy bar for a $1, and use a dime to pay the tax. Nobody likes the 10% sales tax, but nobody complains they all paid their fair share. This is how flat tax works, everyone pays the same rate. If sales tax were like income tax, first, ... ... "This reform will decrease tax evasion, and encourage people to meet their obligations to the state." Flat tax has been proven many times over to be fair, and should be implemented. Simplifying the tax code is beneficial to people and government. So why are our litigators avoiding this solution? Please consider this proposal, it is what this country needs. Sincerely, Evan Hunchar Citations "Debating the Pros and Cons of a Flat Tax." US News. U.S.News & World Report, 03 May 2010. Web. 9 Dec. 2013. Mitchell, Daniel. "Eliminate Tax Brackets and Complicated Forms With a Flat Tax." US News. U.S.News & World Report, 12 Apr. 2010. Web. 8 Dec. 2013. "Tax Day 2011 -- We Need a Flat Tax More Than Ever." Fox News. FOX News Network, n.d. Web. 8 Dec. 2013. Ulbrich, Holley. "Flat Tax Is Class Warfare." US News. U.S.News & World Report, 12 Apr. 2010. Web. 9 Dec. 2013.

Citizens United: the Death Knell of Democracy Essay

In 2010, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled on the Federal Elections Commission v. Citizens United, a case that will have drastic effects on our political system. Large corporations and labor unions will now have unprecedented influence over America’s national, state, and local elections. If Congress does not overturn the Supreme Court ruling on Citizens United then, as a result, the decision has the potential to lead to political corruption, the increase of voter apathy, and the drowning out of third party ideas. Soon our country’s political system will no longer work for the good of its citizens, but rather be beholden to whomever has the most money to contribute. The Supreme Court decision on the Citizens United case is one of the most devastating court decisions in our country’s history, but many people know little to nothing about the landmark case. Citizens United is a conservative non-profit organization, and in 2008 they attempted to violate federal campaign laws by distributing a documentary critical of Sen. Hillary Clinton. The law Citizens Untied violated was the part of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act that prohibits, â€Å"Broadcast advertisements mentioning a candidate within 30 days before a primary or 60 days before a general election† (par. 19). As a result, the Federal Election Commission blocked the film and Citizens United sued on the grounds that it violated their first amendment right to free speech; however, Citizens United lost the case in Federal Court, but they appealed and the case went before the Supreme Court. The question proposed before the court was whether Citizens United should have been allowed to show the Clinton documentary. According to Adam Liptak, a political columnist for The New York Times, â€Å"Instead, the court addressed the questions it proposed to the parties in June when it set down the case for an unusual second argument in September, those of whether Austin and McConnell should be overruled† (par. 26). The court ruled 5-4 that Citizens United had the right to show the Clinton film, but in the process they also overturned Austin and McConnell, two cases that had previously banned corporate and union contributions to political campaigns . Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in the majority opinion, â€Å"By definition, an independent expenditure is political speech presented to the electorate that is not coordinated with a candidate† (par. 17). Justice Kennedy’s opinion equates money to free speech as long as the money is not directly given to a candidate’s campaign. Justice Kennedy went on to state that, â€Å"Political speech is indispensable to decision making in a democracy, and this is no less true because the speech comes from a corporation rather than an individual† (par. 20). Justice Kennedy believes that corporations are entitled to the same rights as human beings. The Supreme Court’s decision on Citizens United has now enabled corporations and unions to pour exorbitant amounts of money into America’s electoral landscape. First, endless negative campaign advertisements bombarded Americans for nearly two years before the presidential election, and a vast amount were paid for by Super PACs. These immense political action committees are a direct byproduct of the Citizens United decision, and are funded by corporations, wealthy individuals, and labor unions. There are no laws limiting how much one can donate to these Super PACs, and they are allowed to spend millions of dollars towards the victory or defeat of a candidate. As long as Super PACs do not directly contribute to a candidate’s campaign, they are allowed to spend as much money as they please. Most of the advertisements sponsored by Super PACs mirror the views of the candidate they support. One realizes that Super PACs cannot contribute fiscally to a candidate; however, that candidate directly benefits from the millions of dollars spent on political ads by a Super PAC. Second, with the seemingly endless amounts of money Super PACs can raise, they possess a vast amount of political influence. Super PACs have the potential to cause political corruption on a level not seen since the Water Gate Scandal during the Nixon administration. For example, Super PACs can use their political war chests to defeat nearly any candidate that does not support their agenda by flooding every media source with scathing attack ads. As a result, politicians will feel compelled to vote in favor of the bills that would benefit the donors of a Super PAC. Politicians will be extremely reluctant to go up against a Super PAC that has an almost endless supply of money that could be used to support a challenger. It may only be a prediction for the future, but many Americans already believe Super PACs will cause corruption. For example, a survey of 1,015 adults conducted by the Brennan Center For Justice discovered, â€Å"69% of respondents agreed that new rules that let corporat ions, unions and people give unlimited money to Super PACs will lead to corruption† (par. 7). The American public is noticing the effects of the Super PACs and they foresee a bleak political future. Third, voter apathy is on the rise and Super PACs are the main contributor; for example, a survey of 1,015 adults by the Brennan Center For Justice found, â€Å"One in four Americans — 26% — say that they are less likely to vote because big donors to Super PACs have so much more influence over elected officials than average Americans† (par. 14). The Brennan Centers survey shows that a significant amount of Americans believe that their vote is worthless. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens wrote in the minority opinion for FEC v. Citizens United, â€Å"A democracy cannot function effectively when its constituents believe laws are being bought and sold† (qtd. in Dionne, par. 7). Justice Stevens believes the unlimited amount of money labor unions, the wealthy, and corporations can spend on political campaigns in order to meet their own agendas will cau se Americans to lose trust in their government, and when our government loses the trust of its citizens our democracy will dissolve only to be replaced by an authoritarian state. Fourth, Citizens United will officially end the third party system, but the most tragic will be the end of third party ideas. Some of the most important legislation in our country’s history started out as third party ideas. For example, abolition of slavery, child labor laws, workers compensation, direct election of Senators, global warming, and women’s suffrage were once the basis of the third party political platform. Super PACs have the resources to pay exorbitant amounts to spread their messages through advertisements, but third parties do not possess the resources to fiscally compete with them. Super PACs have the fiscal ability to monopolize every media source in order to drown any ideas that do not coincide with their own. The first amendment protects the right to communicate one’s opinion and ideas, but the Supreme Court has stripped that right away from our third party system. It is abundantly clear that the Citizens United decision has unleashed a scourge on the American political landscape in the form of Super PACs. As a result, our federal representatives must pass a constitutional amendment overturning the Citizens United decision, and pass new campaign finance legislation requiring campaigns to only be funded by the government. The benefit of having campaigns paid for by the government is every candidate will get the same amount of money, and politicians will no longer have to feel beholden to wealthy donors and corporate interests, but rather work for the good of their constituents. In conclusion, our country has been through many crises and it has always overcame them. One has to believe that our government will make the right decision and overturn the Citizens United decision, thus restoring our trust in government by taking the power away from the labor unions, millionaires, and corporations, and putting the power back where it rightfully belongs with the American people.

Auto Immune Disease

Autoimmune Disease: Lupus HCA/240 Lupus is a lifelong dangerous disease that causes the human body to intrude on one's immune system. Even our very own, latest superstar Michael Jackson had the autoimmune disease lupus. This disease causes tissue to be eaten, brain cells to stop working, organs to be destroyed, and so much more. As we all know, the body will shut down if all parts are not working properly. It is safe to say that the organs go hand and hand with one another. In other words, one can't work correctly without the others help.Usually, the immune system protects these things, but because the isease lupus has taken over it prevents the system from working properly. As the disease begins to spread across the body, it gives a domino effect whenever the organs stop working. The most common types of lupus are systemic lupus, discoid lupus, and subacute cutaneous lupus. â€Å"Systemic lupus may affect Joints, skin, kidneys, lungs, hear, blood vessels, nervous system, blood, and brain. Discoid lupus erthyematosus (DLE) causes a skin rash that doesn't go away.Subacute cutaneous lupus causes skin sores on parts of the body exposed to the sun† (Corbett, 2013). There are many different ways to tell whether or not one has developed lupus. â€Å"One way to tell whether or not you have lupus is the common symptoms including: achy joints (arthralgia), frequent fevers of more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit, arthritis (swollen Joints), prolonged or extreme fatigue, skin rashes and anemia† (Quinn). Not to say that if you are experiencing one of these symptoms you have lupus, but if it appears to be continuous it would definitely be something I recommend getting checked out.For example, IVe experienced fatigue, achy Joints and a few more ymptoms that were mentioned above but I come to realize that I also have these symptoms whenever my iron is low or whenever IVe had a long major workout. Lupus is a disease that shows no petty to man. This disease can develo p amongst any age group, male or female. However, statistics show that the targeted individuals are adult females and adult males. Parker- Pope (2009) states that lupus affects more women than men, and is more common among blacks and Asians. Therefore, we can conclude that it is very rare for children to be our targeted audience with this disease.Still to this day, scientists have not discovered exactly what causes lupus though. â€Å"Because many lupus symptoms mimic other illnesses, are sometimes vague, and may come and go, lupus can be difficult to diagnose. Diagnosis is usually made by a careful review of a person's entire medical history and a physical examination, coupled with an analysis of the results obtained in routine laboratory tests and some specialized tests related to immune status† (Quinn, n. d. ). There are several treatments tor lupus but untortunately no one nas come up witn a cure tor the disease.Treatments such as antimalarial drugs, corticosteroids, immu nosuppressive agents/chemotherapy are all used to help fight lupus. These treatments help to reduce pain and swelling, calm the immune system, reduce headaches, rashes, and prevent or reduce flares. â€Å"The hardest thing about lupus is that it's an invisible disease,† says Carolyn Sayre, 24, of Manhattan. â€Å"It doesn't necessarily confine you to a wheelchair or make you walk with a cane, but it makes you tired and achy and swollen and sort of makes you feel like every day you're waking up with a bad case of he flu† (Parker- Pope, 2009, ).With that being said, I can truly see how these types of diseases can be hard to diagnose or find warning signs of such harmful disease. I'm certain that each of us have at some point encountered more than one of the symptoms at the same time. Again, it is my advice to seek a doctor if one is having continuous symptoms as listed above earlier. Sayre is a prime example of exactly how horribly it affects one's body. l, myself have n ever had the flu, therefore I couldn't even begin to imagine the pain she suffered during this time.