Morality Essay Essay

In 1994 Kevin Carter won the Pulitzer Prize for Photography thanks to a photograph that he took in the village of Ayod in Sudan of a child crawling towards a feeding center. Whether it was morally right for him to have captured that moment instead of helping the child is a debate with many people. Some people believe that it was right because it helped stop the famine in Africa, others believe it was wrong because he did not aid the child after taking the picture. It is understood that there was thousands of refugees walking and crawling towards the food center, so was he suppose to help everyone or just that child? In philosophy class we have been talking about Morality in Kant’s point of view which is the Categorical Imperative and also about the Morality point of view based on Consequentialism. I believe that it was not morally permissible for Kevin Carter to leave the child because of Kant’s point of view on Morality, and that he should have not won the Pulitzer Prize for Photography based on this photo and I will explain why in this essay. According to Kant we should base morality on the Universal Law which means we should universalize our actions. This law is the same as the Golden Rule; Treat others the way you want to be treated. What Kant established basically was that we should respect all persons morally equal. The Consequentialism point of view on morality on the other hand is that we should base it on the principle of utilitarianism which means that for an action to be moral it must produce â€Å"The Greatest amount of Good for the Greatest amount of people†. Even though I agree with the consquentialism point of view on morality I do not agree with it this time. Why? Because I believe that at all times we should treat others the way we want to be treated and that all humans are equal. This is why when answering our question I based my answer on Kant’s point of view based on morality. I believe that it was not morally permissible for Kevin Carter to leave the child after he took the picture. First of all I believe that Kevin should have not taken the picture period, he should have right away went to aid the child. Like Kant said we should treat others the way we want to be treated, if Carter was in a position like that he would have not liked to be left there to his own luck. I understand that Carter had a professional obligation where he is only an observer not a participant, which means he was only there to observe and take pictures of the whole situation. I also understand that he was there illegally and that he did not want to get caught yet he had a personal responsibility to help the child. In passage given to us by Professor Jordan it is said that Carter was with a group of photojournalist called â€Å"the Bang-Bang Club† by a Johannesburg magazine. These people wanted to make the world aware of all the issues of injustice. There is where I believe that Carter’s personal responsibility plays role. Carter wanted the world do be aware of all the issues going around the world and for them to help. They were there because they wanted other countries all around the world to stop the famine, yet he did not help a child when it was in his hands to help that child and just left. Carter here was contradicting his believes to start with. Carter did not only just take the picture but waited several minutes for the vulture to spread his wings so he could get a more dramatic shot. Carter did not only use the child to get a picture but waited patiently to get a better picture instead of scaring the vulture right away from the child and helping him or her. There were more pictures that could have impacted us, and I am sure that if he looked around he would have found this is why I do not believe he should have taken the picture. I do not believe that he should have won the Pulitzer Prize for Photography based on that photo. I think that it was wrong to win a prize by using other people. Carter used the child and did not even aid the child. Considering that I believe that it was wrong for Carter to have even taken that picture I strongly do not believe that he should have won that prize. Carter could have used any other photograph to get his point across yet he decided to use that one and take his sweet time to take it anyways, he used the child and did not help her. I honestly do no believe that he should have one that prize. In Conclusion I believe that Carter should have not used the child to take that picture, and he shouldn’t have won the prize. I believe that Carter had the responsibility to help the child because he saw the child suffering and in danger of getting attacked by the vulture. Given the fact that he was the only one there he had the responsibility to help the child. We should do unto others what we would like to be done to us. If I was in that child’s position I would have liked to be helped like I am sure Carter would have too. I think that if Carter would have helped the child he would have not been depressed and committer suicide because he would have known he did something good by helping the child. Like I said before I am pretty sure he could have chosen another photograph to get his point across to have people help stop the famine. Besides he wanted people to help yet it was in his reach to help this child and he did not? He was going against his own believes in my opinion. I believe that it was morally wrong for Carter to not help the child get to the food bank or at least a safer place, closer to were that child could get the help needed.

Do It Yourself Medical Tests: The Real Story Essay

In the past decade or so, the advancement of technology has resulted in the boom of gadgets such as cellular phones, handheld computers, flat screen television sets and the like. However, this progression is not only evident in entertainment and information devices. In fact, these vast technological developments have also made an impact in the field of medicine and healthcare. Through the years, the introduction and use of highly sophisticated equipment has significantly improved the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, such as cancer. Most of the time, doctors merely have to evaluate their patients and make them undergo a series of machine-based tests to further diagnose the disease or complications. However, more than hospital-based technology, the introduction devices or kits have made it possible for patients to undergo medical tests in the convenience of their own homes. Before, a woman who suspects that she is pregnant had to visit her physician, give him a urine sample and wait for days for the results of the pregnancy tests. Possibly, the only test that could be done at home back then was checking your temperature using a thermometer. Now, however, simple tests like pregnancy tests and blood sugar tests for diabetes can be bought over the counter, which means that patients no longer have to see their doctor often just to undergo these tests. According to the Detroit Medical Center’s online article, Do-It-Yourself Medical Testing Makes Inroads, other do-it-yourself test kits that have been made available for the past years include tests for hepatitis, cholesterol, colon cancer, urinary tract infections and HIV. Impact and Cost of Do-It-yourself Kits  Based on the Detroit Medical Center’s journal, do-it-yourself medical test kits have made a significant impact on patients’ lives, in particular, the amount of time they spend visiting their doctors and the length of availability of the test results. For example, in the past, diabetic patients had to check whether or not there was sugar in their urine to monitor their blood glucose. However, the introduction of testing strips and blood glucose meters, which were usually strapped to a patient’s wrist, made that procedure archaic and provided greater convenience to diabetic patients. The patients can actually measure the changes in their blood sugar without checking their urine and adjust their food intake and medication according to the results of the blood glucose meter. Moreover, based on the article, these meters can monitor blood glucose levels up to six times an hour, decreasing the need to use painful finger pricks, which is one reason why patients hesitate to undergo the test before. In addition, the development of finer lancets and improved meters used for pricking require less of the patient’s blood. Another home test kit that is currently available and commonly used at home is the cholesterol monitoring tests. While this test does not provide an amount of all the cholesterol fractions such as the good cholesterol and the bad cholesterol, it gives a patient a fairly simple overview of his or her cholesterol count. Similarly, home-test kits such as tests for ovulation, fecal occult blood, colon cancer, hepatitis, urinary tract infections, HIV as well as blood pressure monitoring machines, have provided patients with the convenience of diagnosing themselves at home. However, while the do-it-yourself home test kit is a significant addition to society, it also comes with a high price. Based on Walton Crocker’s article, Do’s and Don’ts for Do-It-Yourself Home Medical Testing, which was published in the Associated Content’s website, home medical test kits like cholesterol tests, prostate cancer tests, drug tests, HIV tests, hepatitis C tests, test for blood in the stool, and home monitoring machines, such as blood pressure monitoring machines, have a combined cost of more or less $6. 2 billion a year. Moreover, home blood glucose monitoring alone costs about $5. 7 billion a year. The original blood glucose monitoring machine was enormous in size and had to be strapped to a person’s back. Now, in contrast, this machine is only the size of a key chain. In comparison, a patient spends about $75 to $150 dollars on a regular visit to his or her doctor. However, more often than not, a consultation with the doctor regarding a certain disease also includes a large amount of time spent and possible inconveniences as compared to using home test kits which similarly provide diagnosis of a disease. Furthermore, do-it-yourself genetic testing kits have also been developed. Patients use the kits to scrape cells from the inside cheeks and send it for testing. The results are released through e-mail. Risks and Issues of Do-It-Yourself Tests While modern society has warmly welcomed these vast developments in health and diagnosing certain diseases, there have been a lot of questions regarding their accuracy and reliability. For example, the results of the home testing for blood cholesterol levels only gives patients the over-all amount of cholesterol and not the exact breakdown. According to the Detroit Medical Center, tests cholesterol levels should at least include High Density Lipoprotein, the good cholesterol and Low Density Lipoprotein, the bad cholesterol. Usually, the area of concern in this test is the exact amount of bad cholesterol as it more or less determines how unhealthy a patient is and what dietary adjustments a patient should make to control his or her cholesterol levels. Do-it-yourself genetic testing also has major flaws especially in the validation of results. Based on a report cited by Dr. Andrew Weil in his website, a congressional investigation found out that certain firms who are selling home genetic testing kits were produced clinically invalid results. These results, if not checked, can lead to false assumptions of a patient regarding his or her suspected disease. For example, a false positive result of a home genetic test which shows that a woman has a genetic mutation that can lead to breast cancer can make her feel overly worried even though she the results are not factual. On the other hand, a false negative home genetic test result may cause a patient to ignore a potential disease he or she has contracted since he or she believed the test results which are, in fact, invalid. However, despite these issues and controversies however, both the demand and popularity of home test kits are significantly growing. One reason for this popularity, according to Walton Crocker’s article, is that these home test kits provide privacy for patients with possible diseases. People who suspect that they have illnesses or diseases, such as Hepatitis and HIV, would rather want to confirm their suspicions at home through the use of do-it-yourself test kits than go to a doctor and risk other people finding out about their possible disease. The greater convenience and the less time spent are also major factors that contribute to the popularity of home test kits. Furthermore, while doctors and health care professionals are pleased that the diagnosis of certain diseases can be done at home, a major cause of concern is that some patients do not consult a doctor even if they exhibit symptoms of a particular disease mainly because they tested negative in the home test kit. The Detroit Medical Center also raised another concern that patients who use home testing kits think of themselves more as â€Å"consumers† than patients as they can purchase these kits from pharmacies and other drug companies. This basically defeats the primary role of the doctor which is to evaluate a patient’s health condition, diagnose his or her possible diseases, and prescribe a treatment that would eventually cure him or her. Moreover, some companies, especially those accessible online, claim that they are licensed by the government to operate but they are really not. Basically, all the issues, inaccuracies, and flaws of do-it-yourself kits suggest that patients who use them don’t always get the whole story regarding their health condition. The results that patients obtain from these kits are merely bits and pieces of the possible disease or condition that they may have. Doctors still know best  Generally, despite the accessibility of the home testing kits and the convenience that they provide, it is best to consult a doctor first before making conclusions regarding a disease. A patient may test negative for a certain home test kit but the symptoms he or she exhibits may prove otherwise only if he or she consults a doctor, who is the best person to evaluate your health condition. The results of a cholesterol do-it-yourself kit may provide a patient with the amount of cholesterol in his or her body, but it does not say which type of cholesterol he or she has in excess. The patient may have more of the bad cholesterol than the good cholesterol or vice versa, but he or she will never know unless his or her blood is tested in an actual laboratory. Although do-it-yourself kits can give patients an idea about the status of their health, according to the Detroit Medical Center, the tests done on an actual laboratory with certified and experienced professionals is still the best, safest, and most accurate way to diagnose any disease or medical condition. In his article, Walton Crocker suggests that before buying any home test kit, it is best to first consult a doctor to first assess the accuracy and reliability of the home test kit and also evaluate the condition of the patient. Furthermore, patients should also inform a pharmacist of the medications they are taking as some medications can give false negative or false positive results in home test kits.

Godfather Death

Salman Kay Mr. Jackson English 1302 10 February 2013 Godfather Death Summary In Godfather Death by the Grimm Brothers, there is a poor man looking for a person to become the godfather for his son. The poor man comes across both God and the devil who both offer to take care of the son. Instead the man makes Death the godfather because he believes Death is equal. The poor man says â€Å"You take away the rich as well as the poor, without distinction. (Grimm, secs. 210, 211) Death then makes the son a wealthy and famous physician with the ability to heal anyone if Death chooses to let them live, but if the physician does defies Death he shall face consequences. The physician is the protagonist whose overall goal is to heal the king and his daughter to reach nobility and gain respect from the king. On the other hand the antagonist is the physician’s godfather, Death.Death does not choose to let the king live, but the physician takes a chance and heals the king. Death gives the ph ysician one more chance because the physician is his godson but warns him not to do it again. The conflict between death and the physician is Human vs. Supernatural because Death is a supernatural force who is controlling of peoples life, and the physician is struggling to overcome Death’s force.While trying to overcome Death, the physician is going through a psychological journey. He is playing with fate and seeing what is going to happen next while thinking he can outsmart Death. When an another situation arises the king’s daughter is dying and the king offers her hand in marriage to her savior while Death is ready to take her. The physician thinks he can overcome death once more but in the end Death outsmarts the physician and takes him instead.

Gender and crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Gender and crime - Essay Example This stereotype and discrimination has gone as far as to the criminals who do not consider women cops in the same bracket of authority as male cops and hence undermine their authority as well as openly defy them. This has led to many policewomen contemplating to quit the force (BBC News, 2012). There is widespread failure by policemen to protect women from gender-based violence. Research indicates numerous cases of rapes that either go unsolved, take a long time to solve as well as the rapists having a lower conviction rate as the years advance. This is also the case with domestic violence cases where the voices of the violated women are not heard and the policemen are not doing much about the situation (Guardian, 2010). Maybe the situation can change if women cops are given more authority power and respect to handle such cases. The criminal justice system has the mandate to make policies regarding crimes and criminal behavior and the people it directly affects which in this case are the policemen and policewomen. The justice system should enforce the policies that are related to equal jobs distribution and upholding of ethics of conduct for both men and women officers serving in the police force. If there are no existing policies on the issue, they should formulate and pass such a policy (Barton & Johns, 2013). This will ensure to protect the women officers from discrimination and harassment in the workplace as well as provide them with equality status and respect from the fellow officer and the criminals as well as to all the civilians. On the issue of domestic violence and rape cases conviction cases, the criminal justice system should enhance its policies on conviction from the moment of investigation to the prosecution. It is the slow process of investigation that leads to destruction of evidence which is crucial in these cases. The