Capital Punishment Essay Example for Free

Capital Punishment Essay Capital punishment is viewed by the law as the act of deterring a person from performing a certain crime that poses threat to the lives of human being. Through capital punishment, life is lost and this method in a way makes sure that a particular crime isn’t repeated by a particular person thus completely deterring the person from repeating the crime. It should be noted that though death penalty is practiced, in some instances it is discriminatory and it may not award justice to the accused party. In many instances, innocent peoples have been subjected to capital punishment when in actual since they have been innocent. In other cases, the guilty have been freed because of insufficient evidence. This therefore leaves the question as to whether it is viable for death penalty to be encouraged. The cost incurred when putting a person to death, the trials and sometimes the effects have led to many countries thinking otherwise about the issue and many are drafting the bills that are intended to abolish the act. My personal view on capital punishment is that the law should be abolished as it does not achieve the expected results and does not give the accused party the room to change behavior and in some cases, the innocent are subjected to the sentence though they didn’t perform the crime. To support this, the following facts can be made. Status of Using the Death Penalty In the U. S. Various positions have been taken concerning death penalty or capital punishment globally. Some countries have been in favor of capital punishment while others abolished the act and still others have never passed such a law. In some countries mostly in the African continent, countries have this law in place but anybody sentenced to death is not subjected to the capital punishment but they are jailed for life. In America, there are mixed reactions as some countries and state do exercise the punishment while others do not. Still, others have abolished the law concerning capital punishment. To be specific, the number of countries or states that have favored and practiced this law 37 states while 13 of the states do not favor capital punishment. Many presidents have indicated that death penalty does not work or rather doe not achieve the intended purpose. What is the Purpose of the Death Penalty Advantages/benefits of the Death Penalty There are various benefits that are associated with death penalty/ though it may not be real that they are real benefits, capital punishment is entitled to Deter a person accused of doing a certain crime from repeating the same crime or similar again. This being the case, capital punishmen6t should be advocated as it would reduce the number of capital offenders in society. At the same time, capital punishment may serve as a warning to others who may have been involved in the act to desist from committing crimes that may lead to capital punishment. Still, those who may be starting the act may fear and desist from committing these crimes for fear of the consequences. Because of the various options given to an accused person, to some extent it is difficult to kill an innocent person. This therefore being the case, capital punishment is important as it eliminates those people who are likely to disturb the societal peace. It shoed be noted that various chances are given to the accused to prove their innocent. The judges do not rule in favor of capital punishment unless they are sure that the provided evidence justifies a person to be sentenced to capital punishment. It is also sometimes to credit death penalty on the bases of an eye for an eye. If a person is therefore accused and convicted of murder or killing, why shouldn’t they be given the same fate so that it can act as a way of retribution. Many people fear death and killing a person as a sentence may forbid others who may be planning to kill others as they would think that they will also be killed if caught. A convicted [person may also kill others in prison if they know that the only possible penalty they ,may receive is fine or life imprisonment. This being the case, they should be killed to avoid killing others. Therefore death penalty is an important war to incapacitate a person. Disadvantages/disbenefits of the Death Penalty Death penalty has a lot of disadvantages and these include the fact that there may be a possibility of false conviction. This being the case, an innocent person may be killed because of may be shoddy witnesses, bribery or if there was a grudge between the parties involved. There have been mane cases where a person is convicted to be killed but just before the act takes place, new evidence delinks the person from the act. Still others were killed only new evidence obtained that de alienated the already killed person. This therefore indicated that death penalty has a lot of flaws. At the same time, the costs involved before a person I convicted of cap[ital punishment are many. A lot of time is also consumed to try the accused. It should be noted that some people because of the various trials may have repented. The system may be biased. Since we have seen that there are a lot of cost implications that are involved in the process, those who don’t have the financial capabilities may not be able to afford the required lawyers, or money required to sustain the accused. At the same time, social status and racial backgrounds play a big hand in determining who will be hanged. What are the Alternatives to the Death Penalty Advantages/benefits of the Alternatives There are various alternatives to death penalty. One of the alternatives would be to sentence the accused person to life imprisonment. This would ensure that the accused is not part of the society or rather he or she is not dealing with the society in a direct way. This therefore would deter and incapacitate the person from commuting the crime. At the same time, some people do kill unintentionally and they are not able to prove this fact in court. They may therefore feel remorse and change their behavior thus becoming good members of the society.

Cloning More Ethically Acceptable than Global Warming Essay -- Climate

Cloning More Ethically Acceptable than Global Warming One day soon, human clones will walk among us. Does the thought send a shiver up your spine? How about the notion of eating french fries from a potato engineered with jellyfish genes to make its leaves bioluminescent? We should consider our responses to both issues now, before reality comes knocking at the door. Several groups have announced intentions to clone humans, and the bioluminescence gene has already been successfully incorporated into potato plants. If those prospects make you squirm, you're not alone. The public's emotional response to the issues of human cloning and biotechnology far outstrips its response to global warming and widespread species extinction. When Dolly the sheep was first cloned by Scottish scientists, political leaders around the world sensed the negative reactions among their constituents and moved to pass legislation banning the new technology in humans. Any new developments in the area stir up fresh controversy, such that the cloning issue is frequently featured on the front page of major newspapers. These articles seem to suggest that apart from a few mad scientists, most everyone agrees that cloning humans is wrong. But why is it so wrong? Consider the Monitor's quotes from the experts. Professor Chen, vice-president of Beijing University, says about human cloning, "There isn't a controversy. There's no real discussion. We know it's wrong and not natural." John White, who is secretary for science policy at the Australian Academy of Science, is equally willing to speak authoritatively on the issue: "We clearly oppose cloning whole human beings. There are too many troubling ethical and moral issues." &nbs... ...oss of biodiversity, humans are playing God to the extreme and are seriously harming the organisms themselves, as well as existing and future generations of humans. If tinkering with the genes of God/Nature's creations is wrong, then surely the complete extinction of thousands of species - of God/Nature's creation - and the complete transformation of His/Her planet is the ultimate evil. For the sake of consistency and morality, we must get passionate about these issues. Since Dolly the sheep hit the headlines in 1997, many people think of cloning whenever they think broadly of "ethical issues." Genetic engineering conjures the same reaction for similar reasons. But cloning and genetic engineering are nothing but small moral peanuts in relation to our negligent treatment of the organisms that grace this planet and render it habitable for humanity.

Comprehensive Mental Health Assessment Essay

I: Identifying Data. Ashley K. is a 23-year old white female who was admitted to Warner Transitional Services on 11/21/12. II: Chief Complaint. â€Å" I am a little anxious and upset right now. IDTC in Lafayette could not do anything for me†. III: Informants. Assessment information was provided by patient. Interview was conducted in a private room along with psychiatrist, and lead clinician. Other sources used for this evaluation included documents from her previous two placements. IV: Reason for Consultation. Client was referred to Warner Transitional Services by Indiana Developmental Training Center of Lafayette. She became a candidate for Warner’s program due to her progression through treatment, improved behaviors, and being able to function at a higher level than most patients at her previous placement. Patient was discharged from state hospital and transferred to facility. Patient will most likely remain at Warner until she can be transitioned into a group home. The treatment team believes that Warner’s program can improve her overall functioning. The team also believes that she can benefit from a more group orientated, and less restrictive environment. V: History of Present Illness. The information obtained in the assessment, and previous records leads me to assume the patient has had a very complex history. Documents obtained paint Ashley as being known for manipulation, and making up stories. During the interview she was often vivid and graphic when she began to describe details. Also, as she told her story redirection was often needed to stay focused on the question discussed. She tends to want to answer questions with questions, and seemed to prefer elaborating on certain topics, rather than progress and complete the interview. Ashley was forthcoming with information stating â€Å" I usually mess up by hurting myself when I talk, or hear from my family†. She then rolled up her shirt and showed me a bunch of superficial cuts on her right arm. Patient seems to be a good story teller, but a poor historian. During the assessment process the treatment team was somewhat confused as to if some of the historical details provided were derived from Ashley herself, previous documents, or family members. VI: Psychiatric History. Ashley has historical diagnoses of PTSD and major depression, made at the age of seven. St. Joseph County DCS became involved with her in 1999 due to substantiated physical abuse by her father. The very next year she was seen in the emergency room for a 25 pound weight loss sustained in one month. At this time Ashley reported sexual abuse by her father. The patient’s father previously had been investigated for molesting a neighbor’s child. As a result, the patient and her siblings were removed from the home, and made wards of the state. At some point they were returned to the home then Ashley’s sisters made allegations that she had been â€Å"humping† them. In 2004 Ashley was once again declared a Child In Need Of Services. Since then, patient behavior has been difficult to manage. She has a documented history of defiance, property destruction, aggression, and self-harm. As a result, Ashley has had multiple psychiatric hospitalizations in various locations throughout the state of Indiana. VII: Medical History. Patient has no known drug allergies, no surgical history, and achieved developmental milestones on time. Patient currently suffers from hypertension, GERD, and obesity. She is prescribed Toprol XL 25mg for HTN, and Zantac 150mg for GERD management. Upon admission she was given a TB skin test, ordered a CBC with diff, CMP, and TSH. All results were unremarkable. Patient is scheduled to have vision testing, and her wisdom teeth removed bilaterally sometime in December 2012. VIII: Social History and Premorbid Personality. As mentioned above the patient experienced significant trauma, and was removed from the home at very early age. Most of her social interactions have been in an institutional setting. Previous records indicate she has a history of poor relationships with peers and staff at various placements. She is described as unable to tolerate having other peers receive attention from staff. When questioned, Ashley admitted that she would physically intrude, make up stories, and fake illnesses so people would pay attention to her. She also admits to belittling, and taking advantage of lower functioning peers while in various placements. A review of education documents show that she has received special education services for many years for a learning disability, and emotional handicap. Ashley stated she graduated from special education classes while at Madison State Hospital, but was often escorted back to unit for being aggressive, and using profanity. Also, while at IDTC-Lafayette she completed the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale III. This yielded a full scale IQ of 69; verbal, 77; and performance,63. The patient has no children, has never been employed, and she verbalized a sexual preference of both men and women. When I asked her about any substance abuse she began to tell stories about eating a half of pound of marijuana, and â€Å"sniffing† crack-cocaine daily. She also stated that she drinks â€Å"a lot†, but she was unable to describe the type of alcohol, or quantify the amount. IX: Family History The patient has two younger sisters, and their whereabouts are unknown at this time. Ashley’s biological parents are reported to have a history of â€Å"significant substance abuse†. Her father has a history of legal issues including charges of molestation, and drug trafficking. Her mother reportedly is a babysitter. In 2010 Ashley’s judge ordered that the family no longer have contact due to constantly attempting to sabotage treatment, telling her not to comply, and making her promises that never materialized. During the interview the patient looked down at the ground as she spoke slowly about her family, and it seemed to be uncomfortable for her. She stated that she has not spoken with, or seen anyone in her family since 2009. X: Mental Status Exam The patient is overweight with light brown hair that was pulled back in a pony tail. She had a bright affect, and was rather intrusive socially. She had no tics or abnormal movements, and made good eye contact. Ashley denied any current suicidal/homicidal ideation, but endorsed psychosis. She stated that she hears, and has visions of a staff from her previous placement during the day and night, but has not seen her as of today. She identified her mood as depressed and agitated due to a new placement. Patient cognitive functioning seemed to be impaired. She was orientated to the month, but thinks it is still 2011. She stated the current president was George Bush, refused to count from five backwards, and did not seem to know the difference between a tomato and apple. She did not appear to give much effort in answering cognitive questions, and told me she has a bad memory. Also, the patient’s insight and judgment appear to be poor at the time of assessment. . X1: Dynamic Formation Ashley has suffered from a lot of trauma due to very early physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Also, she basically became an adult behind institution walls. Over the last several years she has been in various residential programs, and has struggled with this process. Ashley’s past and present all indicate that she will need psychiatric services for a very long time, possibly the remainder of her life. Hopefully, Warner Transitional Services can and improve her overall functioning, so that she can move on to an independent living program. XII Assets and Strengths/ Holistic Nursing Assessment. Ashley is a healthy young adult with the capacity to change. If somehow over time she can learn to use the services provided to her advantage, she could very well possibly return to the community one day. XIII: Multiaxial Psychiatric Diagnoses. Axis I: Mood Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (296.90) . Rule out PTSD . Intermittent Explosive Disorder (312.34) Axis II: Mild Mental Retardation (317) Axis III: Hypertension, GERD, and Obesity. Axis IV: Placement issues and no family contact per court. Axis V: GAF was 35 upon admission. XIV: Nursing Diagnoses. I: Risk for Violence Self –Directed Or Other-Directed. Diagnosis is related to history of self –harm, aggressive behaviors, cognitive impairment, and emotional problems ( Varcarolis, 2011). Although she has only been at Warner for a week, staff reported that she has attempted to destroy furniture on the unit. Staff also reported that she punched herself in the stomach yesterday while in the cafeteria. II: Ineffective Coping. Diagnosis is related to historically deficient family/peer support system, and poor impulse control (Varcarolis, 2011). Staff on the unit reports that she becomes negative with any re-direction, especially completing morning ADL’s. III: Chronic Low Self-Esteem. This diagnosis is related to her perceived lack of belonging and a history of disturbed relationships with family, peers, and staff in previous placements (Varcarolis, 2011). During her initial psychiatric evaluation she seemed depressed, and did not verbalize anything positive about h erself. XV: Treatment Plan. I: Give routine psychotropic and PRN medications as ordered by DR. Osman. The patient is currently prescribed Lexapro, Lamictal, and Trazodone daily. Vistaril and Haldol were ordered as needed for agitation/anxiety. II: Inform nurses on duty to complete Suicide Assessment Tool daily until patient is able to process off suicide precautions. Physician/APN on-call is to be notified within 30 minutes if patient is placed in a therapeutic physical hold. III: Educate staff about patients Transition Behavioral Support Plan. Encourage staff to use pro-active, encouraging, and preventative strategies while working with patients. Emergency medication and physical restraint are used only if patient become a danger to self/others. IV: Encourage patient to participate in all associated milieu groups while in treatment. Patient can improve her overall independent, social, and coping skills with consistent positive reinforcement. V: Continue with current antihypertensive and GERD medications as ordered by medical physician. Refer patient to physician for issues/problems related to diagnoses of hypertension and GERD. Refer patient to dietitian for weight, and dietary management. References. Varcarolis, E. (2011 – 4th). Manual of Psychiatric Nursing Care Plans. New York: Elsevier/ 9781437717822 American Psychiatric Association DSM-TR (Text Revision) (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Association

Rape Culture It Is Believable Or Not - 1537 Words

Maggie Brown Mrs.Gallos English 3 24 April 17 Rape Culture Whether it is believable or not, rape culture exists in our everyday life, our society, our schools, our colleges, in our country, and anywhere on Earth. It is a problem that has always been around, but it just was not given a name. Rape culture is defined as, â€Å"A society or environment whose prevailing social attitudes have the effect of normalizing or trivializing sexual assault and abuse.† (â€Å"Rape) An example of how this would play out in our society, for those who do not believe that it exists, would be if a male got raped and no one believed him because men can not be raped, or if a young male comes forward and people tell him, â€Å"You should be happy you scored while you’re so†¦show more content†¦Another thing that is an example of rape culture is when you tell little kids that when someone is chasing them, picking on them, or being mean to them it is because they like them. Parents teach little boys that when a girl says no, she means yes, and when the girl runs away, society tells them that it means to chase after her. It is the little habits like these that stick with a child for the rest of their lives. Parents teach little girls to cross their legs and ankles so little boys can not see up their skirt. Sure, it does not seem like that big of a deal, but wait until that child grows up with those beliefs. While the child grows up believing the mentioned beliefs, they still go by those. Women are taught not to go out at night, and to always have pepper spray and a buddy with them. Men are taught that no means no and yes means yes. Women are taught that a woman’s place is in the kitchen , having babies, and to please their man. The children grow up with this mindset from watching their parents who were taught the same thing, and then they go off to college. In college, there is a lot of drinking and partying, which is someone s choice to go to. 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