Apocalypse Now Analysis Essay

The line â€Å"Mistah Kurtz – he dead† from T. S. Elliot’s poem ‘The Hollow Men’ refers to one of the movie’s main characters: Mr. Kurtz, a European trader who had gone into â€Å"the heart of darkness† ie the middle of the vast Vietnamese jungle with European standards of life and behavior. Because he’s alienated from the morals and spiritual strengths he cannot maintain his sanity and soon turns into a barbarian. â€Å"Eyes they dare not meet in dreams† – in my mind, these are the eyes of the innocent Vietnamese whose death they ordered. They’ being the American soldiers who, throughout the duration of their journey through the jungle lost their sanity and were brainwashed because of the weapons they were given. What I was particularly fascinated by in the film ‘Apocalypse Now’ was the way the good can somehow turn into the evil, not on their own, but because of their surroundings. â€Å"[.. ] We were in the jungle, there were too many of us, we had access to too much money, too much equipment and little by little we went insane† –said by director and producer, Coppola at the Cannes film festival in 1979. Even the director had, little by little, gone insane being exposed to the Vietnamese jungle for so many years. The making of the film had taken more than 10 years and $30million to create which had brought Coppola to attempted suicide a couple of times. The film is based on the novella ‘Heart of Darkness’ which took place during the Vietnam War, where the American and the Vietnamese soldiers showed no mercy when it came to a matter of life and death. Throughout the film, I realized that the main character, Captain Willard, sent to assassinate Colonel Kurtz, began to be more and more captivated by Kurtz’s achievements and was beginning to think like him as he was exposed to immoral atrocities of the Great War. When General Corman described Willard’s mission to him he told him â€Å"In this war, things get confused out there, power, ideals, the old morality, and practical military necessity. Out there with these natives it must be a temptation to be god. Because there’s a conflict in every human heart between the rational and the irrational, between good and evil. The good does not always triumph. Sometimes the dark side overcomes what Lincoln called the better angels of our nature. Every man has got a breaking point. You and I have. Walter Kurtz has reached his. And very obviously, he has gone insane. † This quote reminds me of Dante’s Inferno mentioned in the poem â€Å"The Hollow Men† – a journey through the different circles of hell depending on the type of person one was and the type of crime they had committed during their lifetime. The man is clear in his mind but his soul is mad. † Like Alberto Giacometti, Kurtz and Willard develop two faces during the time of the war. The only difference is that Giacometti didn’t need a war to show this, his dual personality was natural in criticizing himself, his paintings and his sculptures. Whilst watching the film I found it mainly disturbing how these men, men with families, men who had peaceful souls, could casually blow off the head of a Vietnamese person without feeling just a tiny bit of hurt in their hearts. They could â€Å"kill without feeling†¦ without passion†¦ without judgment†¦ without judgment! Because it’s judgement that defeats us. † The fact that these characters, sent out on mission through the rivers of a foreign place, were simple men, one a chef, the other a surfer, and the other a sailor gives the audience the feeling that this could happen to anyone. Being placed in the jungles of Vietnam with nothing but weapons would turn us into these animalistic beings with only one instinct: kill to survive. Do you know that ‘if’ is the middle word in life? If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you, if you can trust yourself when all men doubt you† This film is, in fact, all about losing one’s mind, being brainwashed by the immoralities of society, to be converted into an emotionless killer. It’s about the delusion of what an evil man is in the normal person’s eyes compared to what an evil man is in the brainwashed person’s eyes.

Ethnocentrism Hinders Effective Cross-Cultural Dialogue and Common Understanding Essay

As human beings, we are inherently biased in our judgment of issues and others- by others I mean those who do not belong in the same socio-cultural group we ascribe to. Our inborn predilection to take a subjective view of reality leads to the common-and equally incorrect- assumption that we are right in our ways, while ‘others’ are wrong in theirs. This tendency of biased notions of cultural superiority in relation to other cultures is what political scientist William G. Sumner (1906) summed up with the coinage of the term ‘ethnocentrism. ’ By definition, ethnocentrism is the tendency by individuals to believe, unconsciously and through false assumptions, that their culture is better than that of others. Notably, there is a running thread of collective concurrence among whites that ‘we westerners’, with our western civilization and attendant lifestyles, are superior to the backward races of Africa, which we conveniently label a jungle of savagery. The negative effects of ethnocentrism are manifest in international relations, where effective intercultural communication is hampered by cultural differences and culture transitional challenges (Moran, Harris and Moran, 2007, 265). Nonetheless, to avoid collective generalizations by claiming that it is ‘we westerners’ rather than ‘I, me and myself,’ who suffers this cultural prejudice- a claim by which I unwittingly admit my ethnocentric conditioning to include fellow tribesmen in my narrow worldview corner- I hereby set out to examine how I have severally paid homage to this populist bandwagon of cultural subjectivity in judgment. Finally, I will outline the course of remedy I have chartered to liberate myself from the blinding ignorance of ethnocentrism. Was it me, really, now that I’m thinking from a relatively wider perspective? Late last year, I accompanied a close friend of mine from Saudi Arabia (whom I will not disclose for the pang of guilt that gnaws at my conscience) to pick some forms from our embassy. Well, it seems that since September 11, a kind of phobia for our Muslim brothers has eaten into our national psych. At a personal level, I always change lanes every time I meet one donning a flowing white garb and†¦. err, an unusually long beard. Anyway, the security man at the embassy just ran the metal detector over my body and patted me on the back. But when it was my friend’s turn, the security guy, perhaps seeing Osama’s ghosts, took a deep breath and started what was the most rigorous personal search I had ever witnessed. He yanked the garb from the underside and ran the detector inch by inch, grinned with relief upon finding nothing (read bombs) and then allowed him to pass through. However, the issue here is not the security man’s exaggerated fears, but the fact that I took it as normal, without bothering to question why it wasn’t. The culture I grew up in had taught me to regard some religions as being synonymous with terrorism, and to dismiss others as pagan idolatry and pure superstition. In my evaluation of world religions, I’m often tempted to associate Islam with terrorism, a belief that is largely fed by media stereotyping in relation to incidences of suicide bombings. As for most traditional African religions, customs and rituals, I always found ‘evidence’ to dismiss them as the demonic chants of a pagan charlatan. Their polygamy I considered the ways of an uncivilized society that still harbors the wild caveman’s genes. On this score, my blindness was informed by the western glorification of the nuclear family unit, which greatly contrasts with other cultures’ recognition of the unifying aspect of extended families and kinship systems (Moran, Harris and Moran, 2007, 11). In regard to religious convictions, the only true Supreme Being I believed existed is the Christian God I worship, whom I assumed held in contempt the ungodly ways of unchristian religions. For such a long time, I erroneously believed that with the exception of Christians, all other believers are doomed for hell. This ethnic and cultural belief that the religion in which one belongs is centrally important (Andersen, 2006) is one of the sub-divisions that promote ethnocentrism. Personally, it was my honest conviction until I realized that every believer thinks likewise of other religions. Remarkable is my said friend’s vehement assertion that Jesse the son of Mary (Christ) was an imposter whose legend deceived people that he was the son of God. Instead, he argues that Mohamed is the true messenger of Allah, the creator of everything. Nonetheless, it will be a self-contradiction for me to consider my system of beliefs as not being the right one and the most appropriate. It is an inconsistence and admission of its falseness, which I consider the height of ideological hypocrisy. I recognize the reality that I belong to a particular culture; and the fact that to fit in my society I must conform to its cultural beliefs and value systems. However, to reconcile my cultural beliefs with other cultural worldviews, I find insight in the principle of cultural relativism by Franz Boas, who argued that â€Å"civilization is not something absolute, but is relative, and our ideas and conceptions are true only so far as our civilization goes† (Degler, 1992 p 67). Accordingly, people’s behaviors, customs and beliefs should be understood in the context of their cultures. When we use the lens of our cultures to understand other cultures, there is always the risk of prejudice and biasness. The problem of ethnocentrism leads to failure of constructive communication and misunderstandings, which in turn causes cultural differences and conflicts (Moran, Harris and Moran, 2007, p 4). Similarly, the theory of functionalism by Bronislaw Malinowski posits that cultures are systems of structures by which different societies function. Each society, therefore, has unique needs which can only be served by its own culture. As such, we can only understand the behavior of other cultures when we take that culture’s viewpoint, to avoid the misconceptions created by our experiences within our own culture. References Andersen, M. L. (2006). Sociology: understanding a diverse society. New York: Thomson/Wadsworth. Degler, C. N. (1992). In Search of Human Nature: The Decline and Revival of Darwinism in American Social Thought. US: Oxford University Press. Moran, T. R. , Harris, P. R. , Moran, S. V. (2007). Managing cultural differences: global leadership strategies for the 21st century, 7th Edition. New York: Butterworth-Heinemann Sumner, W. G. (1906). â€Å"Folkways. † In McCann, C. R. (2004). Individualism and the social order: the social element in liberal thought. New York: Routledge.

Obesity evolved from a private matter to a political issue Essay

Obesity evolved from a private matter to a political issue - Essay Example Also, obesity has been associated with low self-esteem levels, and higher levels of anxiety, depression, and measures associated with impaired quality of life. The debate as to whether the obesity problem is personal or environmental or both will continue as long as the public attention lasts, and the prospect of public policy depends on continuation of publicity of the problem. The complex nature of attribution of responsibility has made it difficult for policy makers to assign blame or develop remedial policies. Even though pressure for action has been growing, the interaction of such factors has made it difficult to predict the future course of policy related to obesity. Policies to address issues surrounding obesity have all failed to pass Congress. Definition of the problem, response from Congress, administrative agencies, courts, and cultural consequences of policy debate is a familiar route for obesity as observed in tobacco and patient’s rights measure. Among all industrial countries, the United States has the highest occurrence of overweight condition, and obesity has become a pandemic problem with over half the population being obese. Diets, eating behaviour and lack of activity have been attributed for the rise of obesity. There has been little examination of the contribution of public policies in agriculture and economics resulting in the current agricultural and food environment. Obesity has been accelerating in the recent decades, suggesting that environmental conditions could be contributing factors in addition to individual eating behaviours and evolving lifestyles (Tillotson, 2004). A study has been conducted to review and understand the relevant history of the issue surrounding the emergence of obesity from a private matter to a political issue. The study has been conducted by review of relevant literature on the matter. The study serves to identify the direction of the issue based on the prevailing debate. Industrialization

1.Currency derivatives can be classified into instruments with Essay

1.Currency derivatives can be classified into instruments with symmetrical(fixed)and asymmetrical(open) outcomes.Define their respective characteristics, and use examples to illustrate your answer - Essay Example futures are symmetrical: if one can enter into a forward at a particular price, the price might either go up or come down, and so, one can make either profit or a loss. Forwards are quite common in commodities, and can be used either for speculation or for hedging. Eg: If a person has an order to ship 10000 tons of steel for a period of 6 months at a prefixed price of $1000 per ton. And the person is expecting the price of steel to increase. So, to hedge against the price risk, the person enters into a forward purchase agreement, for 10000 tons 6 months hence. The person position is now fully hedged: if the price of steel increases as expected, person will either claim a delivery from the forward seller, or a net settlement. If the price comes down, person will be obliged to settle by making a payment for the price difference to the forward seller, but will be fully compensated by the pre-fixed price it gets from its own forward sale contract. 2. Options have an asymmetric return profile: an option is an option with one party. The option will be exercised only when the purchaser of the option is in-the-money. Therefore, the only loss in an option is the cost of writing and carrying the option. Hence, options have an asymmetric return profile. On the other hand, the option-seller only makes returns by way of fees or premium for selling the option, against which the person takes the risk of being out-of-money. If the option is not exercised, person makes fees, but if the option is exercised, considerably, the person may lose. For example, if one person is holding a security of $1000 buys an option to put the security at its current price with some other person. Now if the price of the security goes down to $900. The person may exercise to sell the option of the security to some other person at the agreed price of $1000 to protect against the loss of account of turn down in the market value. If, on the other hand, the price of the security is increased to $1100,

Iraq Memo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Iraq Memo - Essay Example Katrina victims, requiring nothing more than 2.5% of the total cost of the war to date, in relief aid, have not been granted those funds due to the unavailability of resources (Becker and Posner, 2004). In other words, the economic cost of the war is such that it is adversely affecting the quality of life in the country and capacity of federal and state governments to extend much need services to their populations. Iraq war has incited anti-American sentiments across the world, including in Europe. As Albrechtsen (2007) quotes a European thinker and writer, Markovitz as saying: "European anti-Americanism is becoming an unprecedented Europe-wide lingua franca †¦ key mobilizing agent for a common European identity.† Defense analysts maintain that troop levels in Iraq and Afghanistan are â€Å"sapping’ American military power and undermining its capacity to effectively defend the mainland (Conetta, Knight and Murphy, 2004); and Apart from the political implications of the economic and the national security concerns cited in the above, the argument for a phased withdrawal from Iraq is further predicated on a set of domestic political concerns. Central to these concerns is the divisive nature of the war. The war in Iraq has divided the American people and, in so doing, has transformed the very concept of political debate and differences of opinion in this country, into conflict. While divisions and disagreements are not new to American society, they have only reached their present heights in very few instances, such as the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War (Black and Black, 2007). This means that the very concept of national unity and cohesion, such as which make nations strong and ensure social stability, are being undermined by the Iraq War. This, in itself, is a strong and powerful indicator of the

305T, Process Description Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

305T, Process Description - Essay Example Blair maintains in his paper that trying to manage time begins with ‘the three Eff words’. â€Å"The three "Eff" words are Effective - having a definite or desired effect; Efficient - productive with minimum waste or effort; Effortless - seemingly without effort; natural, easy.† (Blair) If any company embraces this and passes it on to its workers, then a culture of time management can be inculcated effortlessly. Clemmer lays emphasis on personal organization. True to his work, time management is greatly affected by personal prioritization and scheduling. Lack of these two on personal levels could lead to a highly disorganized work area hence more inefficiency. He has a customized approach abbreviated as PODS. P reflects prioritization, O for organization, D for disciplines and S for systems (Clemmer). The approach he advices, is bound to run only if there are set goals and targets. Organization just like multitasking is not common for many. Therefore one needs dis cipline to manage time and systemization of tasks. Downs holds it that time management is a five step process. â€Å"It generally involves a five-step process: setting priorities, analyzing, filtering, scheduling, and executing† (Downs 1). The suggestion by Downs is interlinked with that of Clemmer. They are all about planning. Both scholars give a step by step rationale for time management hence the notion that time management is all about planning creeps in. This is further supported by another author; Hellsten whose rationale has seven important steps. According to Hellsten, â€Å"Time management is most commonly defined by: (a) time analysis, (b) planning, (c) goal setting, (d) prioritizing, (e) scheduling, (f) organizing, and (g) establishing new and improved time habits†( Hellsten 21). Hellstens approach is broader but it culminates to the same school of thought. In light of all these scholarly contributions, institutions should put in place measures that aim at time management and focus on

ISMG Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

ISMG - Essay Example Atkins, and many others in the MDCM IT department were already aware of this. MDCM, Inc. Strategic IT Portfolio Management, Page 2. During the meeting there were many options made available to the IT department. The IT department would implement new strategies in an effort to cut costs, and save the company money. McMullen has found blame for the companies loss of revenue in the previous five quarters on the IT department. McMullen hired Atkins to begin an assessment of the IT department, and to help the company begin posting profits again as soon as possible. Atkins began his position with an internal audit of the IT department. Some of the options discussed in the meeting were to create a company email. Every personnel who needed to communicate would be given their own email address. With a just one email address for everyone in the company this will filter out possible important information being filtered to the junk folder by the recipients email provider. The company was going t o an overhaul the computer system within the organization. The company was going to update all computers throughout. Every computer would then operate with the same operating system. With the computers operate with the same operating system the computer would be compatible with each other. Currently there are computers with four types of operating systems. The computers are not compatible with each other. ... The company will also create a website. The website will allow customers to order products directly from the site with no need to contact a representative in the organization. The website will allow a customer to leave an email message, and to contact the company if necessary. The company will implement new strategies for the different offices too effectively, and efficiently communicate with one another. The company will cut some of the labor force. The United States division of the company currently has the largest work force. The company will begin to eliminate some of the jobs. Every position the company eliminates will help the company save money. The company wanted to assess the situation, and develop the most effective solution to the company’s current situation. The company will use the savings of cutting some of the positions and appropriate the funds to the Information Technology department. Atkins requested an increase in the budget for the IT department. The compan y found they could not increase the current budget of the IT department without cutting costs elsewhere. The company, Atkins, and the leaders of the IT department have developed the strategy to cut some of the positions and re appropriate the funds to the IT department budget. With the extra funds available to the IT department the company will be permitted to implement the strategies, and recommendations made by Atkins, and other leaders of the IT department. When the company implements one network, this will be beneficial to the company. There can possibly be a strong financial gain to incorporating one network. In having only one network, the associates in France will communicate more efficiently, and effectively. The network will be one, so there will be no compatibility

Andrew Landers Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Andrew Landers Project - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that music is the air we breathe and the water in our rivers. Listening to music that is different then what we would normally listen to is important to expand our knowledge and to learn appreciation. The researcher states that Andrew Landers is a musician who writes his own music and practices a mixture of folk and blues with a percussive approach that leads one into the music and works hard to keep them from leaving. On his website, he writes that he loves hot wings and his â€Å"hot† wife. He goes on to describe his family of 5 boys and one Cinderella and then partially describes his playing style and what he uses to play. In this case, he works specifically with acoustic guitars and depending on the venue or his mood he will use one of three that he has. (Landers) Influences for his music range from Johnny Cash to Jack Johnson and his music does have a very Jack Johnson vibe to it. This essay discusses that this group the Andrew Landers Project also includes a talented pianist Matt Podschweit. A little more background would be nice, however, given what he sings about and how he approaches the audience says as much or more than a bio ever could. The concert had more than just these two involved though this is their normal retinue. Unfortunately, I do not recall the other names involved at the concert as the musical experience made it easy to forget the introductions. Music Type Folksy blues music is not always easily understood. Folk music can be defined as music from the mouth, singing music. And is a popular approach to music around the world. With some musical accompaniment the individuals sing stories and tales. Blues is a music form that originated with the African Americans in the United States, it is a form of music used to convey the hardships and passion experienced by them and is commonly seen as an evolution of the West African musical approach. (The blues 1) The mixture of folk and blues brings an earthy sense to the drifting, haunting musical qualities that make blues popular. The Andrew Landers project does a very good job of bringing the music together with the message and ensures a pleasurable experience and with a true blues approach. With every new song it becomes apparent that his musical styling’s are very much influenced by the popular Jack Johnson who is also a master at using music to tell a story we can all relate to. Location and time of concert The concert itself was February the 4th 2011 at the Redstone Room in Davenport Iowa. This venue is located on the second floor of the not-for-profit River Music Experience building and allows seating of 250 persons. (Redstone Room 1) The Redstone Room allows a very intimate approach to music and is a perfect venue for a folk/blues musician such as the Andrew Landers experience. The concert itself was a great mix of intimacy and tonal qualities that made it difficult to leave when it was over. In looking back it seems that if he was in a larger venue it may be easy to lose the genuine feeling his music and approach allows in this much smaller yet still classy environment. If you are a music lover and have a chance to stop in Davenport Iowa make sure you check out one of the acts at the Redstone Room, it is an experience that cannot be duplicated regardless of your experience. With a great coffee shop in the ground floor and some refreshments available it made it an all-around beautiful experience. Personal observations and opinions The song â€Å"A son of a preacher man which I resemble† was played and it immediately garnered my attention. As he sings through the tonal lyrics the accompanying guitar work makes it difficult to turn away. The lyrics themselves were light enough to easily enjoy and still put a deep message across,

Ethnic Groups and Discrimination Essay Example for Free

Ethnic Groups and Discrimination Essay As a Caucasian American, I did not miss wondering how I became the person who I am or how I even got here. Of course, there is history to tell us the whole tale of battles and cries. But only a few can truly admit that tracing their past became their passion. Today, history is retold and reshaped, depending on the many historic discoveries. One of the many concerns evolved in these escapades is finding the root of discrimination when man is still man despite his many colors. With that, I read along articles and observed many things to find where my white skin came from, and why this seemingly superior color gets to be discriminated against as well. History declares white people to be colonizers from Europe. In search for their spices, land, and money, they came to rest on American soil that was truly promising. There were red-skinned natives at that time when the foreigners began building their forts. They imposed their culture and nature to the simple lives of the natives. From their point of view, they were superior and the Indians were savages. On the other hand, from the perspective of the natives, these foreigners should not act as if they own the world. Simply saying, they also had thoughts against the migrants. They were simply bending to the changes, as long as they were fair. It seems that the white people were not forced to be segregated from the natives, but they were still treated differently, as they were. There was also racism. Little did the natives know how the white people think, and simply based this on their actions. One could say that the entire dilemma rooted from little misunderstanding that went out of hand. A lot of people then were closed minded against everything else that was not like their own. As a white individual in this multinational environment, I could say and believe that people of my color likewise experience a combination of all three forms of discrimination despite all arguments. Caucasian people have also experienced Affirmative Action, Reverse Discrimination and Double Jeopardy. Affirmative Action is, according to Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (2005), a set of positive procedures in assisting minorities in fields of education, employment, and business. One might wonder how we, as Caucasians, can be inflicted upon by this positive reinforcement. The answer is rather simple. Since the minorities, which includes women and other ethnic groups, are given priority in the different fields, there are white people who are not given the just treatment that is due them. For example, in schools, minorities and ethnic groups are given priorities as given to them by law. However, categorizes as such does not mean they are more qualified. They are just given more attention. This may inevitably end by having qualified white individuals denied of education. Such is also the case in the workplace. Since minorities will be given priority by law, despite their qualifications they will have more chances of employment. With that, one could say that there is imminent Reverse Discrimination. An online dictionary defined the case as the exclusion of an individual who belongs to a majority class in compensation for the idea of traditional discrimination. Although early history might paint the white man to be violent and inhumane, it does not mean that the time today declares to have tables turned. White people today should not be punished for what their ancestors have done and failed to understand. In this age of knowledge, technology, and globalization people are expected to be more understanding. Unfortunately, there are people who took advantage of these changing times into their accounts and tried to rise above the other people, including the whites. It is sad that there are still individuals who fail to realize that it is better to rise with other people. There is also the form of Double Jeopardy. According to Lectric Law Library, this simply states being tried more than once for the same offense. In line to discrimination, this offense means being a white individual in the community. Being a white individual does not only call being approached differently, but likewise have the same treatment again and again. It is not a person’s fault on having that color of skin. However, they are still seen color first before the inner being. White Man is construed with different stereotypes. There are also other cases in line to Double Jeopardy. Jennifer Berdhal and Celia Moore (2006) mentioned that Double Jeopardy also exists in the work place. On behalf of the women in the workplace, they are being tried for being women, and for being women of minority groups. Simultaneously, white men are being discriminated against because they are white men. Likewise, they are being discriminated against because they are white men in the work place. They are assumed to have a common personality and perspective across their people. This hinders other people from realizing that in every race, there will also be a bad apple. In conclusion, Caucasian people might be considered as a majority ethnic group in the United States, but in their very own country, they are also being discriminated against. Seemingly superior, there are also cases wherein they are victims of Affirmative Action, Reverse Discrimination and Double Jeopardy. Despite these times of positive change and reinforcement of globalization, it is often still a sad reality that there are more things that change too slowly. Although literature, politics, and other events in the lives of human race, the battle cry to have all men equal and strong is still a whisper. It is not heard, much less practiced, regardless of what a lot of people have long been campaigning. There will always be a striking difference across different races. But the question relies on where the similarities would overpower their differences and finally live harmoniously. References Fullinwider, R. (2005 March 4). Affirmative action.Retrieved January 15, 2009 from http://plato. stanford. edu/entries/affirmative-action/. (2008). Reverse discrimination. Retrieved January 15, 2009 from http://www. yourdictionary. com/reverse-discrimination. (n. d. ). Double jeopardy. Retrieved January 15, 2009 from http://www. lectlaw. com/def/d075. htm. Berdahl, J. Moore, C. (2006). Workplace harassment: Double jeopardy for minority women. Retrieved January 15, 2009 from http://www. rotman. utoronto. ca/facBios/file/Berdahl%20%20Moore%202006. pdf.

Privacy and HIV Essay Example for Free

Privacy and HIV Essay I. Introduction The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was enacted on August 21, 1996.   It was primarily designed to protect the privacy, confidentiality, and security of health information.   The Privacy Rule, which took effect in 2003, regulates the use and/or disclosure of protected health information.   The information contained within this paper, regarding HIV patient privacy, will discuss the subjects of the HIPAA and Privacy Rule.   This paper will also discuss patient care and rights. II. Rights of Patients: Right to Life and Right to Privacy Many HIV clinicians, both national and international, adhere to a Patient Bill of Rights that list the general rights that an HIV patient has, in regards to their treatment and privacy.    Included in this section, are the basic 17 most important rights.   Also included, as part of the Patient Bill of Rights, are 10 of the most important responsibilities of an HIV patient (Wilder, 2000). First, an HIV patient has the right to respectful care, free from discrimination of any kind, including sources of payments.   Second, an HIV patient has the right to research anything regarding any diagnosis or treatment they have received or will receive.   Many clinicians often suggest that patients should conduct their own research so that they   may better understand any events taking place (Wilder, 2000). Third, an HIV patient has the right to know exactly who is involved in their medical care, at every level.   This includes students, trainees, and volunteers as well as doctors and nurses.   Fourth, an HIV patient has the right to be involved in the establishment of their care.   An HIV patient has the right to refuse any treatment that may be recommended (Wilder, 2000). Fifth, an HIV patient has the right to privacy.   This is one of the most important rights.   Sixth, under the right to privacy, an HIV patient has the right to assume that all records and any communication, written or verbal, are confidential, except in abuse cases.   Seventh, an HIV patient has the right to examine and receive copies of their medical records (Wilder, 2000). Eighth, an HIV patient has the right to assume that any advance directive they may have will be respected by any medical staff involved in their care.   Ninth, an HIV patient has the right to timely notification of changes regarding billing.   This also applies to changes in service fees (Wilder, 2000). Tenth, an HIV patient has the right to an adequate amount of time allotted during medical visits for discussion and questions.   Eleventh, an HIV patient has the right to assume that any medical staff involved in their care will take all necessary precautions.   This can be used two ways: precaution against infection from HIV and precaution against infecting an HIV patient with other illnesses (Wilder, 2000). Twelfth, an HIV patient has the right to make complaints or ask questions about their care.   They also have the right to expect a quick response to such complaints or questions.   Thirteenth, an HIV patient has the right to assume that any medical staff involved in their care will provide the best health care possible.   If a referral to other medical facilities is necessary, such as a referral to other medical facilities is necessary, such as a referral to an oncologist to treat an opportunistic cancer, the patient has the right to be informed of the disadvantages, as well as other alternatives (Wilder, 2000). Fourteenth, an HIV patient has the right to inquire about any third party relationships the medical facility has that could have an influence treatment.   Fifteenth, an HIV patient has the right to informed alternatives to treatments if a current treatment fails to have an effect.   This also applies to treatments that are still being discussed as a possibility (Wilder, 2000). Sixteenth, an HIV patient has the right to expect assistance to help with any handicaps that cause barriers.   This includes language, culture, physical, and communication.   Finally, an HIV patient has the right to timely visits with medical staff.   If a delay occurs, an HIV patient has the right to an explanation and apology (Wilder, 2000). The HIV patient’s responsibilities are not quite as detailed as the Bill of Rights, but coincide.   According to Wilder (2000), there are 10 main responsibilities an HIV patient has: 1) Provide medical staff with accurate information when possible.   Also, an HIV patient is expected to understand what role they play in their own treatment. 2) An HIV patient must take care of financial obligations as soon as possible. 3) An HIV patient must be considerate of other patients and staff, and also respect facility property. 4) An HIV patient must understand that both medicine and humans have limitations, and are not perfect.   There are always risks to consider and discuss with physicians. 5) An HIV patient must understand that the medical staff also has other patients under their care.   They have to divide their time and services as equally and efficiently as possible. 6) An HIV patient must understand as much as possible about their health insurance plan. 7) An HIV patient has the responsibility to report suspicions of fraud or illegal activity to the proper authorities. 8) An HIV patient must keep all appointment.   Whenever possible, an HIV patient must notify the medical staff if an appointment cannot be kept. 9) An HIV patient has the responsibility to notify medical staff immediately, if health conditions or medical care situations change. III. HIPAA Privacy Rule The HIPAA Privacy Rule, enacted on April 14, 2003, was designed to establish regulations regarding the use and disclosure of Protected Health Information (PHI).   This includes health status, health care payments, or any provisions for health care.   The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is responsible for enforcement of the Privacy Rule, by issuing compliance activities or monetary penalty fees against violations.   In simple terms, the Privacy Rule is meant to protect a patient’s medical history, in its entirety, including payment histories, from being disclosed by covered entities.   According to the OCR (2003), covered entities are defined as health plans, health care clearinghouses, and any health care provider who uses an electronic means to transmit health information related to transactions. Health plans are one group of covered entities.   Health plans include health maintenance organizations (HMOs), Medicare, Medicaid, Medicare supplement issuers, Medicare + Choice, long-term care insurers, and health, dental, vision, and prescription drug insurers.   Health plans also include government, church, and employer sponsored health plans, and multi-employer health plans (OCR, 2003). Although they are few in number, there are exceptions in covered entities.   Insurance companies that only provide automobile insurance, workers’ compensation, and casualty and property insurance are exceptions.   In addition, group health plans with less than 50 members that is employer-administered and maintained is also an exception (OCR, 2003). Health care providers, regardless of their size, are a covered entity if it uses electronic transaction transmission.   These transactions include referral authorizations and claims.   However, an electronic transmission has to be connected to a standard transaction.   The Privacy Rule covers these providers even if they use an outside service to handle electronic transactions.   Health care providers include all providers of services, such as hospitals, and all providers of any medical and health services, such as dentists, physicians, and optometrists (OCR, 2003). Health acre clearinghouses are another group of covered entities.   These groups process â€Å"nonstandard information they receive from another entity into a standard (i.e., standard format or data content), or vice versa† (OCR, 2003).   Health care clearinghouses only receive specific health information that can be used to identify someone, when processing information to a health care provider or health plan as a business associate.   Health care clearinghouses include health management information systems, billing services, and repricing companies (OCR, 2003). The Privacy Rule protects all â€Å"individually identifiable health information,† called Protected Health Information (PHI).   Identifiable information includes any data related to a patient’s physical or mental health, provisions of health care to the patient, and any payments made for health care provided to the patient.   This information usually includes a patient’s social security number, address, name, age, and birthdate.

Evidence Based Nursing in Primary Healthcare Team

Evidence Based Nursing in Primary Healthcare Team 189691 Title: Evidence Based Nursing is developing in primary health care . Critically discuss the applications to your practice. (District Nursing) Undergraduate Degree Level Essay 3,250 words Essay The evolution of the nursing profession has witnessed a great many changes of both emphasis and direction in both the delivery and the content of patient care as well as accompanying changes in both the philosophy and the theory of that care. Arguably the nursing profession has historically based its activities and also its philosophies, on tradition and the perpetuation of currently accepted practices which have not been firmly rooted in a general scientifically tested framework.(Roper N 1977). This can be verified by the fact that the nursing literature of the 1970s and 80s has many references from writers and commentators who were arguing for nursing to evolve into a research based profession and highlighting the fact that there was a demonstrable absence of a significant amount of good quality research-based fact which dictated the current practices throughout the profession in general. (Gortner SR 1976). An impartial observer, considering this situation over the intervening years, would probably agree that there has been a clear and marked swing in both the published literature and the actual practice of nursing, towards the underpinning of practice with strong scientific research. Evidence based nursing has emerged as being one of the dominant driving forces in nursing evolution and the advent of evidence based practice has become apparent to the point where it is now and this could be considered to be the â€Å"gold standard† and essential basis for the majority of professional nursing care (Yura H et al 1998) If we look at the issues and considerations that could support this statement, we could point to Hunt’s tour de force on the subject in his seminal paper of 1981 (Hunt J 1981), in which he sums up his belief that each nurse must care enough about her own practice to want to make sure it is based on the best possible information. This plea seemed to strike a chord in the nursing profession to the extent that, over the following few years, there was a noticeable increase in the published papers that both echoed these sentiments and also defined the various barriers to progress in this respect. These were largely quantified as including time constraints, limited access to the literature, a lack of training in critical skills of appraisal and, most fundamentally, a professional ethos and ideology that placed a great emphasis on the practical rather than the intellectual component of knowledge, together with a work environment that did not actively encourage the seeking out, resear ching and recording of new information (after Royle J et al 1996). One could be forgiven for observing that such comments are still relevant to a degree today. In order to present a balanced argument, we can observe that there is not a blind and uniform acceptance of evidence based nursing procedures. There are some who actively criticise evidence base procedures. Haynes (R B et al 1996) points to the fact that a blind following of evidence based practice can promote a concept of a â€Å"cookbook† of procedures that have to be dogmatically followed and it can stifle the holistic consideration of what may be best for each individual patient. We shall return to this point later. White (S 1997) counters this argument with the suggestion that a nurses’ professional training includes both learning the basic pathophysiology and anatomy and acquiring experience. She suggests that it is actually the â€Å"effective application of this experience that requires a sound evidence base.† Research evidence can aid the professional decision making process, but cannot either do the clinical examination or collate the vast amount of sni ppets of information that pass between patient and nurse. White suggests that it is this clinical expertise (derived from learning and experience), that is the crucial element in the application of the evidence based knowledge which separates true evidence based nursing practice from the â€Å"cookbook† approach with Haynes’ vision of the mindless and unquestioning application of â€Å"both guidelines and rules† (White S 1997). Before we leave the general issues relating to evidence based nursing, we shall also cite the analytical work of Pearson (A 2000) who produced an influential treatise on the role of the nurse and nursing in evidence based research. In his paper Pearson makes a fundamental and significant delineation between lay nursing and professional nursing which is defined by the application of research based practices and procedures. He suggests that the evolution of evidence based nursing had its origins in the days of the reforms pushed through by Florence Nightingale, became commonly accepted practice in the 70s and 80s when the â€Å"theoretical constructs of practice began to evolve and be adopted†, and has currently culminated in the advent and emergence of the nurse practitioner and nurse specialist whose professional structure, training and practice is essentially evidence based. This essay is primarily about how evidence based nursing is developing in primary healthcare team with specific reference to personal practice. This is a potentially a vast topic and therefore we will use illustrative examples of specific areas of development. A great deal of a primary healthcare team’s time (particularly that of the nurse) is taken up with the treatment of pressure sores and ulcers. It is instructive to consider the evolution of the evidence base for the treatment of this condition and then to extrapolate the process to other conditions frequently seen in primary care. We can cite the work of Sir James Paget who made the observation in 1862:- Elderly patients with femoral neck fractures and other high risk groups develop them (pressure sores) early, chiefly in the first week, and then made the observation â€Å"They often appear on the day of operation. It is not just the patient, but every part of his or her body, that must survive the operation†. (Bliss MR 1992). The rationale for citing this statement is that it illustrates a comment and observation that may be factually correct, but has no evidence based weight whatsoever other than being a reflection of the author’s opinion. It has no foundation in statistically verifiable fact and may be subject to all forms of objective bias. It obviously was never produced as a result of a randomised controlled trial but, like many other â€Å"pronouncements† by prominent practitioners, it has both influenced and been accepted by generations of healthcare professionals over the years. This exemplifies Roper’s point, cited earlier, relating to the tradition of previous practice being perpetuated by successive generations. The point can be tracked further still by considering a more recent paper by Vohra (Vohra R K et al. 1986). On the face of it, this paper gives a comprehensive overview of the (then) current practices in the treatment of ulceration and pressure sores. It goes into great detail relating to the aetiology, pathophysiology and trends in management of the ulcer patient and has an extensive and current reference section in the paper. The problem form the perspective of this essay is that, although the paper is undoubtedly comprehensive in its approach, virtually the entire paper together with virtually all of the cited references, is opinion based with not a single reference to a good quality randomised controlled trial. (MacLean DS 2003). The paper does make use of comparative studies where one treatment is compared with another, but this in turn exemplifies yet another shortcoming and that is that such trials are good if a healthcare professional has only these two options at their dispo sal for treatment, (which is seldom the case). Modern philosophy would dictate that in good evidence based practice, the nurse would need to be able to cite evidence that one treatment is demonstrably superior to all others for a given set of clinical circumstances and that this evidence is from a repeatable and unbiased source. To give an illustration of this point, MacLean makes the comment:- It is clearly of minimal value to a patient to be able to say to them that a comparison of rubbing a pressure sore with honey has been found more beneficial than rubbing it with butter when the use of a ripple mattress is clearly superior to both of them. If we contrast this paper with another, more recent paper (Bliss et al. 1999), there are a number of very significant differences. This paper is also an overview of the current trends in treatment of ulcers and pressure sores. Firstly the author is a nurse. Secondly, it only cites 12 references (as opposed to over 70 in the Vohra paper) but each is a randomised controlled trial selected to support the various statements made in the paper. This represents a major and fundamental change in presentation, philosophy and practice. It could be suggested by the cynic that such observations are a chance finding in two randomly selected papers. We would suggest that an examination of the literature of the periods involved would support the view that they represent a true reflection of the genuine change in both style and expectation that now pervades the nursing professions and more fundamentally, it also reflects the criteria by which papers are now judged and accepted for publication in the major peer reviewed journals. It is not appropriate to discuss the content of the paper in detail other than to observe the fact that the paper concludes with a description of the classic Gebhardt trial (Gebhardt KS et al 1994) which compared the results of bed rest with intermittent chair nursing on the development of ulceration and in the words of Morris (A 2002):- In many respects, the Gebhardt trial is a reflection of both the calls noted in the previous paper for proper scientific scrutiny to be brought to bear on the subject and the evolution of the expectation of the healthcare professions into the requirement for a firm evidence base for their continued work. In terms of direct impingement on the practical aspects of primary healthcare nursing, the move towards evidence based procedures can be illustrated in the development of scales such as the Waterlow scale (PN 1991). This was developed as a direct recognition of the need for an evidence based tool which would both directly help the nurse assess and quantify the degree of risk together with helping them predict just which was the most effective treatment modality for any individual patient. This was accomplished by allowing a reproducible measurement of ulceration and thereby rendering this area of clinical practice amenable to proper scientific scrutiny and testing. The result of this scale development is that the nurse can identify a treatment that has not only been suggested by previous practice or experience, but one that can be shown to be the most appropriate for a given set of clinical circumstances with the most likely clinical benefit (NT 1996). It is a logical step from this position to the situation where new scales are developed based on evidence based assessments and treatments, to predict the likelihood of healing of ulcers. Such a situation has resulted in the development of tools such as the PUSH scale (Gardener S et al 2005). This represents the currently accepted end-point of a logical progression that we have traced and quantified from the type of opinion based pronouncements of Sir James Paget, past the experience based observations and comparative trials such as those of Vohra, through to the completely evidence based practices of today where a clinically defined situation is identified, a solution is hypothesised and then subjected to validation by appropriate double blinded and unbiased scientific techniques in a randomly controlled clinical setting. It allows the authors (Gardener S et al 2005) to conclude their paper with the comment The PUSH tool provides a valid measure of pressure ulcer healing over time and accurately differentiates a healing from a non-healing ulcer. It is a clinically practical, evidence-based tool for tracking changes in pressure ulcer status when applied at weekly intervals. Such a comment is virtually unchallengeable because of the weight of valid recorded evidence behind it. If we consider new and current moves to examine the evidence base of activities in the primary healthcare team, we can also consider the advent of screening clinics which are commonly nurse-led. (Califf R M et al. 2002). We could consider the current trend for hypertension screening. It is commonly accepted that treating hypertension is of value in preventing both morbidity and mortality, (Cooper R et al. 2000), but a less frequently asked question is â€Å"What is the rationale and the evidence base for providing a screening programme for patients?â€Å" (HTT 2005). Curiously, the evidence base for the screening programmes that have been run has been rather insecure. The main reason for this has been the comparative paucity of definitive information relating to the levels of effective treatment and, as the treatment can realistically only be assessed as effective over a long time span, such studies take many years to yield substantive information. It therefore follows that the evi dence base for screening can only realistically be determined once a rational an proven evidence base for treatment has been established. (Brotons C et al. 2003). This is the position set out in the comprehensive paper by The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Working Group (HTT 2005). A pragmatic view would also have to observe that the position is further complicated by the constant evolution of new drugs and methods of measuring blood pressure which render previous data on the subject out of date by the time that it is assimilated. (Appel L J et al. 2003). This paper is very detailed in its assessment of the situation and it is not practical to consider all of its findings in any depth, but it provides a comprehensive overview of the evidence base for the promotion of hypertensive screening together with the evidence to support the use of different levels of hypertension as the endpoint of the screening process. Perhaps we can conclude this essay about the relevance of evidence base nursing practice to primary health care with the excellent and though-provoking article by Frances Griffiths. (Griffiths F et al. 2005). Although we have been arguing for the use of evidence based practice in modern nursing care, there is one commonly overlooked aspect of this practice which is the subject of the Griffiths paper. As the wealth of good quality information relating to the effectiveness of many clinical interventions and practices increases, this fact alone presents healthcare professionals in general with the increasing dilemma of how to apply the information obtained to the individual patient. The evidence base for a procedure will generally inform clinicians of the likelihood of it being successful in the general population. It will not give any indication, other than a probability, of its chance of success in the individual patient. This is a problem for the nurse (and other healthcare professio nals), as the bulk of current medical practice is on a face-to-face basis with individual patients, rather than dealing with populations. (Fox R C 2002) To illustrate this point, Griffiths points to the fact that it is commonly accepted that epidemiology tells us that smoking is an independent risk factor in the population for myocardial infarction, yet there is no evidence base to tell us which particular individuals will be affected. Similarly there are a multitude of good quality trials which show that there is an increased risk of breast cancer that is linked with hormone replacement therapy but there is nothing that will tell us which individuals are at specific risk. (Willis J 1995) This dilemma is central to the proper understanding of the place of evidence based practice as the balance between good practice based on proper evidence and individual patient care is central to the history of nursing and will not disappear however good the evidence base for a particular treatment becomes. In the words of Haynes (R B et al. 2002):- Diseases always manifest themselves in patients bodies and minds, and in seeking to understand, treat, and predict the outcome of disease, clinicians need to move their focus from the individual to more generalised research. To this end, the nurse would do well to reflect on the fact that assimilation of evidence is central to her practice, but communicating that evidence to patients is a key part of clinical consultations, with a growing evidence base of how it is best achieved. References Appel L J, Champagne C M, Harsha D W, Cooper L S, Obarzanek E, Elmer P J, Stevens V J, Vollmer W M, Lin P H, Svetkey L P, Stedman S W, Young D R; for the Writing Group of the PREMIER Collaborative Research Group. 2003 Effects of comprehensive lifestyle modification on blood pressure control: main results of the PREMIER clinical trial. J Am Med Assoc. 2003 ; 289 : 2083–2093. Bliss M and Bruno Simini 1999 When are the seeds of postoperative pressure sores sown? BMJ, Oct 1999 ; 319 : 863 864 Brotons C, Godycki-Cwirko M, Sammut M R. 2003 New European guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practice. Eur J Gen Pract. 2003 ; 9 : 124–125 Califf R M, DeMets D L. 2002 Principles from clinical trials relevant to clinical practice: part I. Circulation. 2002 ; 106 : 1015–1021 Cooper R, Cutler J, Desvigne-Nickens P, Fortmann S P, Friedman L, Havlik R, Hogelin G, Marler J, McGovern P, Morosco G, Mosca L, Pearson T, Stamler J, Stryer D, Thom T. 2000 Trends and disparities in coronary heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases in the United States: findings of the national conference on cardiovascular disease prevention. Circulation. 2000 ; 102 : 3137–3147. Fox R C. 2002 Medical uncertainty revisited. In: Bendelow G, Carpenter M, Vautier C, Williams S, eds. Gender, health and healing: the public/private divide. London : Routledge, 2002 : 236-53. Gardner S, Rita A. Frantz, Sandra Bergquist, and Chingwei D. Shin 2005 A Prospective Study of the Pressure Ulcer Scale for Healing (PUSH) J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci., Jan 2005 ; 60 : 93 97. Gebhardt KS, Bliss MR. 1994 Preventing pressure sores in orthopaedic patients. Is prolonged chair nursing detrimental? J Tissue Viability 1994 ; 4 : 51-54. Gortner S R, Bloch D, Phillips T P. 1976 Contributions of nursing research to patient care. J Adv Nurs 1976 ; 1 : 507–18. Griffiths F, Eileen Green, and Maria Tsouroufli 2005 The nature of medical evidence and its inherent uncertainty for the clinical consultation: qualitative study BMJ, Mar 2005 ; 330 : 511 ; Haynes R B, Sackett D L, Gray J A M, et al. 1996 Transferring evidence from research into practice.-The role of clinical care research evidence in clinical decisions ACP Journal Club 1996 Nov-Dec ; 125 : A14–6. Haynes R B, Devereaux P J, Guyatt G H. 2002 Physicians and patients choices in evidence based practice. BMJ 2002 ; 324 : 1350 HTT 2005 The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Working Group on Future Directions in Hypertension Treatment Trials Major Clinical Trials of Hypertension: What Should Be Done Next? Hypertension, Jul 2005 ; 46 : 1 6. Hunt J. 1981 Indicators for nursing practice: the use of research findings. J Adv Nurs 1981 ; 6 : 189–94 MacLean D S 2003 Preventing Managing Pressure Sores Caring for the Aged March 2003 Morris A H 2002 Decision support and safety of clinical environments Qual. Saf. Health Care, March 1, 2002 ; 11 (1) : 69 75. NT 1996 Pressure sore assessments Uses and limitations of standard pressure sore classification and risk assessment systems. Nursing Times July 17 1996 Vol 92 No.29 Pearson A 2000 Nursing Practice and Nursing Science: Building on the Past and Looking to the Future Joan Durdin Oration Paper Series Number 6 2000 PN 1991 A policy that protects The Waterlow pressure sore prevention/treatment policy. Professional Nurse February 1991 Roper N. 1977 Justification and use of research in nursing. J Adv Nurs 1977 ; 2 : 365–71. Royle J A, Blythe J, Ingram C, et al. 1996 The research utilisation process: the use of guided imagery to reduce anxiety. Canadian Oncology Nursing Journal 1996 ; 6 : 20–5. Vohra R K and C N McCollum 1986 Fortnightly Review: Pressure sores BMJ, Oct 1986 ; 309 : 853 – 857 White S. 1997 Evidence-based practice and nursing: the new panacea? British Journal of Nursing 1997 ; 6 :175–7 Willis J. 1995 The paradox of progress. Oxford: Radcliffe Medical Press, 1995. Yura H, Walsh M. 1998 The nursing process. Assessing, planning, implementing, evaluating. 5th edition. Norwalk, CT : Appleton Lange, 1998. ################################################################ 11.9.06 PDG Word count 3,454

Granting Time Its Passage :: Endurantism Philosophy Papers

Granting Time Its Passage Many philosophers who support a four-dimensionalist metaphysics of things also conceive of experience as a state of a mind having temporal extension or existing as a momentary feature of the dimension of time. This essay shows that such a strict four-dimensionalism — suggested in works by D. M. Armstrong, Mark Heller, and David Lewis — cannot be correct, since it cannot allow for the passing of time that is essential to awareness. The argument demonstrates that the positing of any temporal process at all must compromise the strict four-dimensionalist view of the temporality of experience. This is not to say that the traditional endurantist view is left wholeheartedly endorsed. As I point out, this traditional view makes several questionable claims of its own that must be carefully scrutinized. Still, the criticism of the strict four-dimensionalist ontology indicates a direction to be followed in developing a successful metaphysics of experience. This essay presents a critique of what I call strict four-dimensionalism, a metaphysical view supported by David Armstrong, Mark Heller, and David Lewis.(1) Strict four-dimensionalism includes "things experiential" in the group of things that are temporal only insofar as they either have temporal extension or exist at some point upon the axis of time. I argue that experience cannot exist in this way. Its temporality must be of a different order. For experience must involve the passing of time,(2) and this is something that strict four-dimensionalism must exclude. This does not, however, disprove that ontology in toto. It does not venture beyond the theme of experience's temporal nature. What is at stake here is simply the securing of experience's temporality from a misleading metaphysical interpretation. The issue is simply the metaphysics of the seemingly non-thing-like entity of temporal experience. Four-dimensionalism maintains that, strictly speaking, physical objects existing for more than an instant so exist only by being extended along the axis of time, just as common objects existing at more than one point in space exist in this way only by being extended along the three spatial axes.(3) As Lewis puts it: "Enduring things are timelike streaks" laid out across the fourth dimension, "wholes composed of temporal parts, or stages, located at various times and places" (Lewis 1976, 145). For a thing that lasts from one time to another, say from t1 to t2, it is thus not the case that the same thing once existing entirely at t1 exists later entirely at t2.

Purpose And History Of SWAT Essay -- SWAT team S.W.A.T.

The History and Purpose of S.W.A.T. SWAT. The acronym invokes so many thoughts - danger, fighting crime, shootings, heavily artillery, TV, movies and more. The reality of SWAT is that it is all of that and more. When the acronym is fully expanded it translates to "special weapons and tactics" or as it was originally developed, "special weapons assault team". SWAT is a specialized, elite police unit trained to execute dangerous and specific operations that basic and even intermediate police training is not intended to handle. Commonly, many assume from knowledge gained from TV and movies about SWAT. These assumptions are often skewed because what happens on real missions is not always as entertaining as what is seen on the silver screen. The history, purpose, requirements, training, equipment, and tactics used during missions are all separate and important aspects in understanding SWAT. To completely understand why SWAT teams were developed, one must look at this history of swat, where it began, why it began, and how it progressed to be where modern teams are today. The first SWAT squad was established in Delano, California, where the local department was having difficulties containing the uprisings of local farm workers. This squad was established by training the entire department in crowd control along with sniper and anti-sniper tactics. At the same time, Los Angeles police units were experiencing difficulties in handling situations in which riots and snipers were terrorizing basic police units. In response to these difficulties, LAPD officer John Nelson presented the concept of a squad which was specially trained to handle such situations to Inspector Darryl F. Gates. Gates approved the concept of a "highly disciplined" ... ....). About the SORT Unit. Delaware State Police Special Operations Response Team. Retrieved April 1, 2006. From http://www.state.de.us/dsp/sort.htm. 2. (n.d.). SWAT/Tactical Teams. SWAT/Tactical Teams. Retrieved March 29, 2006. http://www.fema.gov/preparedness/resources/law_enforcement/swat_tactical_teams.htm 3. (n.d.). History of S.W.A.T. Official Website of the Los Angeles Police Department. Retrieved April 3, 2006. http://www.lapdonline.org/metropolitan_division/content_basic_view/849 4. (n.d.). S.W.A.T. Team Ââ€" Overview and History. The Albeline Police Department. Retrieved April 4, 2006. http://www.abilenepolice.com/swat/history.html 5. (n.d.). SWAT. Wickpedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved April 5, 2006. From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SWAT 6. (n.d.). SWAT Team. Bay County's Sheriff's Department. Retrieved April 2, 2006. http://www.bayso.org/swat.htm.