Ask Me free essay sample

An Explication of William Stafford’s â€Å"Ask Me† The poem â€Å"Ask Me† is not as it may seem the first time you read it, you have to read through it a second maybe even a third time in order to take notes about the true meaning that Stafford is trying to get across. William Stafford gives us a paraphrase of his own poem â€Å"Ask Me†, giving the reader a look into what the poem means to him. By giving us the reader a more in depth explanation of his work it allows us to understand the meaning within the poem itself and the life lessons Stafford may have intended to reveal to the readers. So now let’s take a look at it and see what his thoughts were. To understand this poem we must first get an understanding of the poet himself. William Stafford was born in Hutchinson, Kansas in 1914, and grew up during the Great Depression (Brehm). We will write a custom essay sample on Ask Me or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Due to the hardships of his childhood he began to work early on in life finding and doing odd jobs to help support his family, but within all the work and struggles Stafford managed to find time to have fun and explore nature. He developed a love for nature that was to sustain him in the years ahead (Brehm). This love is often reflecting within his work in which je has been highly honored for. Stafford has won awards in Literature for his poetry and many books during his lifetime. When once asked what made him start writing poetry, Stafford replied, â€Å"What made you stop? † This rather cagey answer reveals several of his most basic assumptions about poetry (Brehm). William Stafford wrote his poem â€Å"Ask Me† in 1975, in which he himself later paraphrased in 1977. Stafford stated that he thinks his poem can be paraphrased (Stafford). Stafford’s poem is like no other of his work. Ask Me† is about as close as Stafford comes in his best poems to a formal sonnet of fourteen lines† (Anderson). The first part of the fourteen lines are asked by the (I) or the person who is speaking, in which I believe Stafford is talking to the reader. The second half would usually answer the questions asked within the first half, but Stafford does not for (I) is the one ask ing the questions. At first the poem doesn’t seem to have any of the traditional flow and rhymes at the end of the lines, but Stafford does show internal rhyming within the lines. Stafford often gives objects in nature humanized characteristics and feeling to get his point and meaning across (Brehm). Stafford’s work is often filled with hidden meaning and life lessons in which he is trying to get across to the reader. Stafford is a poet who does not follow traditional formatting within is work. Stafford’s work is full of surprises for writer and reader alike; when Stafford starts a poem you can never be sure how it will end (Brehm). Let’s take the time to break down and understand the meaning of Stafford’s oem, so that we can get the full meaning behind his intended work. The title of the poem is â€Å"Ask Me,† any reader may think â€Å"Ask Me what? † But the title speaks for itself as you read on. Stafford starts his poem off with many questions pointed towards the reader. But the question is are they being asked to us, or are we the reader supposed to ask them of ourselves? His poem at first is a little unclean on w hat is really being asked and to whom. So let’s begin form the first line in which Stafford says â€Å"Some time when the river is ice ask me mistakes I have made† (Stafford). Stafford paraphrases this line as â€Å"When it’s quiet and cold and we have some chance to interchange without hurry, confront me if you like with a challenge about weather I think I have made mistakes in my life† (Stafford). Stafford is asking if the decisions one chooses in life are mistakes, or how life is meant to be? He follows with asking if the events he has following his life are what others would see. But what you do in your life is your decision, are Stafford’s choices made really mistakes made or could he have changed things if he choose to do something differently? In lines 4-7 Stafford says â€Å"Others have come in their slow way into my thought, and some have tried to help or to hurt-ask me what the difference their strongest love or hate has made (Stafford). Stafford is stating that no matter what one choose to do in life there will always others around to either help you or hurt you. He asks if their (others) intentions have helped or hurt him? (Stafford). But why should you allow others to influence your life, for everyone lives their own individual one. Nobody is perfect and the people around you have no right to judge you on that. The questions deferred in the first line of â€Å"Ask Me† seem to show some ultimate judgment about the speaker (I) (Anderson). Stafford repeats â€Å"Ask Me† three times within the first stance giving the reader (you) time to think and answer. Is he really asking for answers from somebody or just simply speaking to himself? He starts his second stance off by stating â€Å"I will listen to what you have to say† (Stafford). Stafford is asking (you) to answer to his life; do you think that what we do in life are mistakes of just life itself? Stafford takes the time to let the reader think and analyze the questions asked in the first seven lines. In lines 9 and 10 he says that â€Å"You and I can turn and look at the silent river and wait† (Stafford). But if you remember in the first line the river is ice so it’s not only silent but calm, it’s not moving at all. â€Å"The speaker in the poem chooses not to discuss â€Å"whether/ what I have done is my life† until the river is ice† (Anderson). I think that he uses the time of winter to wait for the river to freeze so share his thoughts. For if the river is frozen it cannot pass on and judge his life. He follows in lines 11-13 that the river is silent but there are still currents and movement hidden under the ice. Stafford paraphrases these lines â€Å"That river, and that world-and our lives-all share the depth and stillness of much more significance then our talk, or intentions† (Stafford). I believe that he trying to tell (you) the reader that no matter what you do in life or who has something to say about it the actions in which we choose to make have more significance than we may see. In the last line Stafford says â€Å"What the river says, that is what I say† (Stafford). Stafford uses the â€Å"ice as a protective mask within the poem† (Anderson), not allowing any final judgment to be passed. Starting with the frozen river in the first line Stafford gives us the ultimate life lesson hidden within life’s â€Å"mistakes† that the choices we make in life are our own and there are people around us that will either help or hurt. We all ask ourselves and others as well if our decisions are a mistake. But in actuality no decision in life is a mistake, but a lesson in which we learn from. You will always have people within your life that are there to hurt you or help you, but in the end what is done is your choice. Stafford’s use of the frozen river allows us to take the time and â€Å"freeze†, to think on what we are or have done. We as humans are not perfect and shouldn’t hide behind â€Å"the ice† for the â€Å"mistakes† we have made, for our life is already planned out for us it’s our decision on what road to take. Stafford gives us encouragement within his poem, allowing us to see ourselves for who we are and not what we do. Bibliography: Anderson, Erland G. Staffords Ask Me. Stories That Could Be True. New York, 1996. Article. Anderson gives a very good explanation of how he views the poems Ask Me By William Stafford, but its only one persons point of view, so his understanding of the poem is very controversy. Brehm, John. William Stafford. United States, September 2006. Author Biography. One of the most prolific and imaginative poets of his time, Stafford produced many poems of enduring value and greatly contributed to his readers understanding of the creative process. Stafford, William. Ask Me. Gioia, X. J. Kennedy and Dana. Literature. New York: Pearson, 2010. 643. Book. Staffords poem is followed by his own paraphrase of how he believes his own poem should be interptied. By doing so he allows us into his inner toughts behind the making of Ask Me. Works Cited: Anderson, Erland G. Staffords Ask Me. Stories That Could Be True. New York, 1996. Article. Brehm, John. William Stafford. United States, September 2006. Author Biography. Staf ford, William. Ask Me. Gioia, X. J. Kennedy and Dana. Literature. New York: Pearson, 2010. 643. Book.

Race issues essays

Race issues essays We live in a society that draws lines and builds boxes. These creations function as a means to place people in categories to describe, identify, and imprison individuals into certain groups. One means of classification that we have is race. It is a simple way to create boxes and stereotypes about people based on their skin color. The majority of prejudices that occur in the world are based off of peoples perceptions of judgments made clearly off of what they see. Another way that classifications are made is gender. This again can create boxes based only on perception. The wave of racism and sexism has permeated the infrastructure of American culture. It has shown its face in government, corporate, sports, and religious arenas just to name a few. Classifications based on race are not a new occurrence. You would probably be able to find many times in history where Kings, Pharaohs etc... Felt the need to conquer another group of people. Why? It has been said that one of the grea test fears is the fear of the unknown. An example of this is why many people fear death, because no one truly knows what happens when you die. Americas history of leaders involves white men who were afraid of what they didnt understand. The result was that they either tried to conquer it, or destroy it. The Europeans did this to the Native Americans, Asians, and African Americans just to name a few. It seems as though fear is one of the main reasons that oppression occurs. The one problem with classification is that it does not cure the fear it just perpetuates more of it. Classification by race or gender is a limiting way of growing fear in our society. The offspring of fear is hate. Hate is a powerful thing because it can not only lead to the harm of others; it also causes harm to the person that hates. For as long as people have been of different ethnic backgrounds, there has always been a desire to classify people accor...

The Brand Promotion of Tesco in Beijing City, Based on the Program of Essay - 1

The Brand Promotion of Tesco in Beijing City, Based on the Program of Sales Promotion of Tescos Products to housewives in Beijing - Essay Example Tesco is involved in below the line activities to keep the housewives attracted but it needs to focus more on such activities. The main problem that the firm is facing is that it cannot establish itself as a low priced retailer. This is because the housewives are knowledgeable about the market and know where to get the best price from. Thus Tesco needs to improve upon its promotional tools to face local competition and to alter the image the consumers have of the brand. The Chinese market is very different and has a lot of cultures. Thus Tesco has to adapt to the preferences of the different types of people. The firm uses all types of brand and sales promotion mediums, the rational modes of advertisements are still dominating the market. Television is overpowering other communication mediums like print medium and the internet. However, the firm should not only focus on the traditional mode of communication. Rather they should expand their horizon and try to use other mediums the internet and technology based marketing tools. Zhen (2007) explains that this is because it is a futuristic view and at some point such technological advances will become an eminent part of the market. At the same time, to reach the consumers currently Tesco has to focus more on television as it is a more reliable mode of communication with the consumers. The consumers truest the television and thus it will help Tesco get the message across. Print media is another option like magazines to reach particular target markets, especially house wives. Moreover, fliers, word of mouth and below the line activities can also be looked into. Below the line activities may have a greater impact on women and help promote the brand. To encourage sales promotion, in store promotions may also work well with women and help influence their decision m aking. As per Zhen (2007) Tesco is facing a challenging market in China as it is finding it difficult to

Poverty related issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Poverty related issues - Essay Example This scheme allows and asks all the citizens across all the states irrespective of their residence to participate in the charity, because poverty and charity are both indiscriminate disregarding time and space. In this process one may not think that pro rata contribution of a few dollars by him/her is the job done. One may contribute as much as he can comfortably afford. Here comfortable affordability means the amount, which can alleviate a suffering of a poor without causing a suffering for you. And one should never sit back to see what others have contributed. If all of the citizens think like that then the charity may go empty and poor may die. While drawing a thin line between charity and duty one must be very careful. A man who gives regular and enough charity should not consider himself generous. Bread left over from one's meal always belongs to the poor. Here it is never meant that a citizen is required either to give away half of his income into charity, or all that he himself does not need. The beauty of helping others lies in a feeling for those who suffer from poverty. Utilitarian point of view is very clear about this. One should work enough to have enough to give away in charity. Keeping oneself underutilize is not good. And one should never think that since government is responsible for the social spending on poor, he/she is absolved of this responsibility. Other point which may stop a person from charity is that poor are always over populated and they do not follow the population control programs. Coercive application of these programs never works. A conducive environment comes from enough purpose oriented recreational and educational programs. Poverty is also a state... Poverty is the name of a situation and process. This is a situation when an individual, family or a community can not provide for bare minimum needs of food, clothing, shelter and heath. It is the process when this situation causes, hunger, disease, and death. Historically poverty and affluence have coexisted in the human society (Peter singer 1972). The solutions to the poverty always existed in human morality. When the human conscience is rightly jerked, it is hoped that poverty would no more be seen in the human societies. State the general occurrence of poverty in Unite States (the most affluent society) In United States of America only about 32 million people live below the line of poverty. This number is distributed unevenly amongst different socio-economic groups of the states. 25%Afro-American, 22% Hispanics, 10%Asian American, 8% non-Hispanic whites respectively live in the perpetual poverty. Income inequalities and racial discrimination is the worst producer of poverty in the American Society. The worst hit groups in the ethno-racial groups are the poor children, women and disabled. These marginalized people are vulnerable to homelessness, street crimes, malnourishment, neglect in the health care, domestic violence and discriminate educational facilities. What are the social problems emanating from poverty? Different social problems emanate from this marginalized group of American society that directly hit the American society. Poverty is badly impacting the health of women and children. The burden on health facilities and health insurance is increasing many folds in these poverty stricken communities. When the parents cannot afford the children’s feeding costs.

Impairments of intangible (including goodwill) Research Paper

Impairments of intangible (including goodwill) - Research Paper Example Under the USA GAAP principle, the methodology used for the determination of the impairment of long lived assets is based on the two step approach. In the two steps approach, the first step requires test of recoverability. In this test, the comparison of the carrying amount and future amount of discounted cash flows from the using and disposing. In case, the assets are determined to be not recoverable than impairment testing conduct becomes mandatory. Contrary to this, in the IFRS system one step approach is employed. Under this system, the existence of the impairment indicators makes it mandatory for the application of the impairment testing (EY, a). The second major difference in the treatment of intangible assets in US GAAP and IFRS exist in calculation of the loss in the impairment of long lived assets. Under the system of US GAAP using FAS 157 entitled Fair Value Measurement is employed and the loss calculation is difference between the carrying amounts to the fair value amount. On the other hand, the IFRS system of financial reporting, the calculation of the loss is conducted by measuring the difference between the carrying amount and the recoverable amount. The recoverable amount is measured as either the fair value net of cost of selling or value in use or value indicating future value of discounted cash flow including the amount received after disposal. ... Additionally, the reporting unit can also be accounted in the level under operating segment or the component. In the IFRS financial reporting of corporate accounts, the allocation of goodwill is conducted differently. Goodwill in the IFRS system is allocated either in the group of Cash Generation Unit (CGU) or CGU itself. Allocation of the Goodwill in the group of CGU represents lowest level from which the internal management monitors goodwill for internal assessment IAS 36.6. Importantly, this group, by law of IFRS 8 (Operating Segment) cannot larger than operating segments (EY, a). In addition to the goodwill allocation carrying differences in the two internationally followed systems of reporting of corporate accounts, methodology for the determination of impairment of goodwill also varies. Corporate accountants using US GAAP system of reporting has to imply the two step approach or methodology for the determining the requisite impairment. Under two-step approach requires performin g the recoverability test at the level of reporting unit in which the allocation of goodwill is conducted. In this initial test, the net amount of difference of the reporting unit’s carrying value to the reporting unit’s fair values is conducted. Positive difference between the carrying value and the fair value of the reporting unit makes it mandatory to perform the impairment test for the goodwill. Companies using IFRS system of developing the financial accounts apply the one step approach. Under the IFRS system it is simply mandated to conduct the impairment test. The impairment test of goodwill is conducted at CGU unit. Under this approach, the comparison of the carrying amount at CGU level with recoverable amount is conducted while carrying amount

Discrimination In The English Language

Discrimination In The English Language There exists national and racial discrimination in the English language. Such kind of discrimination can be reflected by words, expressions and also proverbs. This linguistic phenomenon has profound historical and cultural background, reflects national bias, conflicts and hatred, and thus provides us information about historical relationships among nations. This paper analyses causes and connotations of national and racial slurs, and shows the potential negative effects of the slurs on international contacts. It also deals with the current state of linguistic discrimination in modern society and the efforts people make to eliminate the phenomenon. Language primarily functions as the communication tool and information transmitter, and is closely linked to ethnic. Every ethnic group in this world has its own language which may be either slightly or totally different from other groups. Language is the carrier of ethnic history and social culture, and evolves together with the society where it is used. So to speak, the development of the ethnic is the fundamental cause and basic condition of the development of the language. Since language and ethnic are so profoundly interrelated, it is no wonder that language is influenced by ethnic feelings and the latter are fully embodied in the former. 1.2 National and racial discrimination in the English language As a common social phenomenon, national and racial discrimination against other ethnic groups would inevitably exert influence on languages. Thus, slurs come into being in almost every language in the world. Among these languages, English is a particularly striking example which contains many national and racial slurs. It is clearly seen that in the English language, part of its large vocabulary is concerned with nations and races. Unpleasantly, this part often carries a connotation of national and racial discrimination. We can readily find slurs with various forms such as vocabulary, phrase, address, proverb, etc. Take the Dutch idioms for example. If a person says to you, you do beat the Dutch (Liu, 2003:131), he intends to mean that you are excellent. When people use the Dutch idioms, they may wonder how those idioms originate. In fact, the slurs in the English language have profound historical background. Though causes of slurs are rather complicated ¼Ã…’yet we can still sort out them. Among these complex causes, ethnocentrism, wars and racial differences are the most important ones. 1.3 Objectives of the study The study focuses on the phenomenon of national and racial discrimination in the English language. We will look into the reason why the slurs come into being and the connotations that they carry. Once we get a better idea of their connotations, we can know whether it is proper to use them in public. Hence, we can try to avoid misunderstandings in cross-cultural communication and improve our competence. Since there are so many slurs in English, we have to be very careful about them. We may wonder about the following questions. What consequence would they cause when used improperly? Are they still used frequently in daily life? Or are they going to fade out from the English language? 2. Causes of national and racial slurs in the English language 2.1 Obsession of ethnocentrism in the United Kingdom and United States In Oxford Advanced Learners English-Chinese Dictionary, ethnocentrism is based on the ideas and beliefs of one particular culture and using these to judge other cultures. (Hornby Wehmeier, 2004:580) Strong sense of national pride is one of the main causes of national discrimination. A nation with ethnocentrism believes in the superiority of its own culture including values, norms, languages, etc., and considers other nations as inferior to it. Since National feelings are closely interlinked with national language, national discrimination finds expression in the latter. The USA and the UK are considered to be very proud nations. We can tell ethnocentrism from the two countries names. (Jiao, 2009:57) The USA is short for the United States of America. Despite the fact that the word America stands for the whole continent including Canada and Mexico, the USA employs it as a component of its country name. When people say Americans today, they generally refer to the people of the USA and exclude Canadian and Mexican. The British is no less proud than the Americans. They used to claim their country to be the empire on which the sun never sets and the mistress of the seas (Mao, 2003:141) The full name of its nation is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The British prefer to call their country Great Britain. The UK is actually a small country but it is the only country around the world using great in its countrys name. Some proverbs in English are the authentic portrayal of the excessively proud mind of the British. For instance, the English are a nation of shop-keepers; all countries stand in need of Britain, and Britain of none; one Englishman can beat three Frenchmen. (Mao, 2003:143) From these proverbs, we can see this island country is completely indulged in self-admiration. It assumes that whatever in its country is good and useful while those in other countries are odd. More often than not, it despises other countries especially those once at war with it such as France and the Netherlands. Even two of the world major powers, Russia and the United States cannot escape the fate of being derided. As the proverb says, An American will go to hell for a bag of coffee. Scratch a Russian, and you will find a tarter. (Jiao, 2009:59) Ethnocentrism endows the English language with a predilection towards the UK and the USA, and a bias against other nations or races. An excess of national pride glorifies a country while shows contempt for the virtues of other countries. In reality, it is fair to say that any ethnic group in the world is likely to show undue pride of nationalism of various degrees, consciously or not. Nonetheless ¼Ã…’ethnocentrism negatively affects international relations and goes against peaceful coexistence. 2.2 National resentment caused by wars Historical events have undoubtedly made their contribution to the development of English lexicology. New expressions often emerge from times of war when national emotion is running high. In most cases, they continue to stay in the language in the process of social development even if hundreds of years have passed. The French and Dutch expressions and proverbs are the classic examples. From a geographical perspective, France faces the United Kingdom across the English Channel. From 1377 to 1453, France and England were engaged in wars over territory and economic benefit. (Dai, 2003) The hundred-year war ended in a victory for France. This certainly gave rise to resentment from Englishmen toward France. English people found expression for their hatred in the English vocabulary. They considered the word French as a derogatory one and created many terms containing the word. Even today, we can still see the French expressions usually used as pejorative in the English language. For instance, the proverb one Englishman can beat three Frenchmen means defeating enemy troops with a force inferior in number. Some French phrases are connected with sex and eroticism. A French postcard/novel (Hou, 2009:64) is a pornographic photo/book. French gout (Hou, 2009:64) is syphilis. Not only the term French but also Dutch fall into this category. Dated back to 16th century, England had been friendly with the Netherlands. It was not until the 17th century that the Netherlands became one of the largest colonial empires in the world and a strong competitor of England for maritime trade. (Dai, 2003) It was inevitable that growing commercial rivalry between England and the United Netherlands led to the outbreak of wars. There were three Anglo-Dutch Wars fought in the 17th century. After the wars, the United Kingdom of Great Britain achieved maritime supremacy. Due to the wars, hostility persisted for years between the two countries. Many Dutch expressions and proverbs represent English feelings toward the Dutch. For instance, Dutch comfort/consolation (Liu, 2003:131) means no comfort/consolation at all. If something is double Dutch (Liu, 2003:131) to a person, he can hardly understand it. 2.3 Racial differences The majority of Native English speakers are white people. White racists consider their ancestry is sacred and of higher quality than others. They believe that their race possesses absolute and remarkable superiority when compared to others. As a consequence, they disparage other races in the world. This kind of emotion can be called racial discrimination and is sufficiently reflected in the English language. People can name racial slurs, many of which are related with African Americans, Native Americans and Asians. Expressions and proverbs containing such words as Negro, nigger and Indian often carry a connotation of contempt. Particularly in the American English, we can recognize the serious racial discrimination phenomenon. The United States is described to be a big melting pot, into which immigrants from all around the world have come together and blended their cultures and traditions. People of different nationalities, races, colors and faiths inhabit in the same community, contacting, influencing and integrating mutually. Altogether, they create a dynamic, multi-ethnic, and multi-cultural society, and make their specific contribution to the American history. Yet ¼Ã…’this predominantly white country has been faced with racial contradictions and conflicts throughout its history. Strong hostility and prejudice between different racial groups, mostly the white and the colored, has resulted in racism in the English language and led to a rapid increase of discriminatory vocabulary. 2.4 National traits From the micro point of view, it is a common practice among people to remark on others physiological features, and make fun of them about their looks, shapes, and dressing. In a broad perspective, one ethnic group may tease another about its distinctive physiological feature which appears to be strange. It is conceivable that national traits (physiological features and characters) can also be a source of slurs in the English language. It is not surprising that Japanese, smaller in stature than the westerner ¼Ã…’get the nickname little-yellow-man (Liu, 2003:129) from the Americans. The Russians are nicknamed polar bears (Liu, 2003:129) because on one side part of Russia is located in the cold Arctic Circle, where polar bears often haunt, and on the other the Russians had a reputation for being strong and aggressive. Although these make sense, making fun of others about their distinctive traits is improper ¼Ã…’inconsiderate and even cruel after all. From the perspective of nation, every ethnic group is unique in its traits due to the interactions of heredity, environment and other factors. A nation is inclined to discriminate others on condition that it assumes its traits are better than any other nations. It is unfair and wrong to measure other nations by the standard of ones own nation. 2.5 Spatiotemporal differences Owing to spatiotemporal differences, countries face different environments which affect their knowledge about others. Therefore, the lack of knowledge of other areas would give rise to wrong interpretations and misunderstandings of people in those areas. Sometimes a countrys geographical backgrounds can become a popular topic and laughingstock to other countries. We may have heard the saying, Finland is the devils country (Mao, 2003:143) and wondered about its origin. As is known, Finland is situated at high latitudes of northern hemisphere with cold climatic conditions. The special geographical location leaves an impression on the English-speaking people that Finland is uninhabitable and only devils dare live there. In the English language, Chinese puzzle (Mao, 2003:142) refers to a complicated thing or problem. The phrase stems from the history when America and China had little contact. The Americans felt confused about China and had a poor understanding of the country. Hence, it is imaginable that they attached a sense of complexity to the word Chinese. 3.Words ¼Ã…’expressions and proverbs mirroring ethical prejudice In what way can words, expressions and proverbs reflect national and racial discrimination? From the point of modern English lexicology, there are four common tendencies of semantic change in words: restriction of meaning (specialization), extension of meaning (generalization), degeneration of meaning (pejoration), and elevation of meaning (amelioration). (Zhang, 1987:269) Among these four, degeneration of meaning refers to the condition that words once respectable or neutral may shift to a less respectable or even derogatory meaning. (Zhang, 1987:277) This is the most common method used in linguistic discrimination. For instance, the Dutch idioms in Chapter 3.1.1 have derogatory meanings because the word Dutch is degraded into negative sense. In English, there are so many idioms concerned about ethical prejudice that it would be difficult to cover all of them. Let us have a look at some of them from two broad categories. 3.1 Reflection of national discrimination Before moving on, I would like to state that all the idioms in the following paragraphs come from On National Prejudice in Language by Liu Baojun except those with special interlinear notes. 3.1.1 The Dutch idioms There are many Dutch expressions in English. We probably have heard or said them in daily life. However, we may have little idea about when they were first used and how they came into being. Dutch is explained by the unpleasant associations of certain historical events, namely, the Anglo-Dutch wars and rivalry at sea in the seventeenth century. Many of the Dutch expressions were first used in England at that time, during fierce naval competition between England and the Netherlands. British people used Dutch to refer to something bad. Now, of course, the British and the Dutch have a friendly relation. But the word Dutch is still used in almost the same way as it once was long time ago. The Dutch idioms can be classified into several types. First of all, some of the Dutch expressions are related to wine because the Dutch were regarded as bibber. The phrase Dutch courage is a slang term for courage gained after drinking alcohol. It is synonymous with liquid courage. The term is purported to have its origin in the battles of the seas. (Liu, 2003:131) It is said that the Dutch navy feared all other navies especially the English navy. It was rationalized that they must have drunk alcohol before battle to relieve their fear. A Dutch bargain or Dutch agreement, which is made between men who have drunk too much alcohol, is an uneven, one-sided deal. When the host is the first to get drunk in the party, it can be called a Dutch feast. Second, the British used to consider the Dutch very stingy about money. The Dutch always split the bill when whey went out for dinner. Based on this conception, Dutch treat referred to a dinner at which the invited guests should pay for their own share of food and drinks. A Dutch party is a party to which each guest contributes some food and drink. Today, Dutch treat has a slightly different meaning from that. When friends go out to have fun, each person pays his own share if they agree to Dutch treat or go Dutch. Third, in the eyes of the British, the Dutch were rude, irritable and weird. To get ones Dutch up is to flare up. To do a Dutch act means to commit suicide. If a person talks to you in a very severe way, he is talking like a Dutch uncle. This phrase emerges for the reason that the Dutch had a reputation for raising their children in a firm way. (Li, 2009:52) Not only expressions but also proverbs can convey national slurs. The Dutch has taken Holland can be interpreted as follows: a man who has seen little regards many things as strange and comment excitedly on a commonplace thing out of inexperience. However, people using these expressions may not be well aware that they are hurting the Netherlands national pride. Almost all the Dutch phrases contain negative connotation. The situation makes the Netherlands feel uncomfortable and low national respect. Thus, in 1934, Netherlands government commanded that officials should avoid use the word Dutch. (Hou, 2009:65) In spite of the effort, today the derogatory sense of the word still exists and people continue using it to refer to something negative. 3.1.2 The French idioms In the modern history of the world, France and the Great Britain rival each other in political, economic, cultural and military competition. Many British idioms have recorded the countrys discord with the French. French leave is an abrupt and unannounced departure without saying farewell to the host. The phrase can be traced back to 18th century. (Wang, 1999:45) From the view of character, the French were amiable and easygoing by nature. It was their custom that guests invited to dinner would depart without giving thanks or saying farewell to their host. To the British, in particular the English, whose reputed quality is reserved, leaving without saying goodbye is ill-mannered, discourteous and shows no respect for others. There goes the proverb when the Ethiopian is white, the French will love the English. In reality, The Ethiopians are dark-skinned and it is impossible that their skin will turn white. By using this logic analysis, neither is it possible that the French will love the English. The proverb implies that the state of hostility between the two countries would not end. Another proverb goes, The Italians are wise before the deed, the Germans in the deed, the French after the deed. (Jiao, 2009:59) By comparing France with another two countries, the idiom carries a message that the French are wooden-headed and witless. Historically, it was suggested by the Americans that some of the French expressions should be changed. Yet ¼Ã…’it was too early to be cheerful for the French. Here goes the story. In the first half of the year 2003, France opposed the plan shock and awe adopted by the American-led United Nations forces toward Iraq. This stirred up American disgust toward the French. A television host of FOX news, one of the American news media, called for a boycott of French goods. It was demanded that in the English language French toast and French fry should be changed into freedom toast and freedom fry while French leave should be reserved. (Du, 2005:23) Very interestingly, it seemed that the Americans wanted to keep the French expressions with derogatory sense and meanwhile discard others with neutral meaning. In such case, The French could do nothing but sulk. 3.1.3 The Chinaman/Chinese idioms In modern times, China cut off itself from the outside world. As a result of a seclusion policy in foreign relations, China lost an opportunity for development and fell behind. Thus, the western countries showed contempt to this poor and backward nation with weak comprehensive power. Chink and Chinaman have long been used as disparaging terms for the Chinese. Many figures of speech in the English reflected a history of Chinese being insulted. Chinamans chance essentially means an extremely slim chance or no chance at all for someone to accomplish his goal or successfully do an action. In 1978, American publisher Scribner published the novel Chinamans chance by Ross Thomas. Regardless of the content of the novel, people sought the origin of the title Chinamans chance. The historical context of the phrase dates from the goldrush days of California in the middle of the 19th century when many Chinese came here to work as laborers. (Jiao, 2009:58) Their job was demanding and very dangerous but lower-paying. The Chinese faced higher taxes, denial of citizenship and equal rights to white man. Chinamans chance truly depicts the hard life of Chinese in that city. Another expression occurred in the same period. To play someone for a Chinaman is to treat him as a fool. Many of the Chinese expressions heard in English are used as pejorative. A Chinese copy is an exact copy of an original. Chinese slavery means virtual slavery. Chinese compliment is used to describe a man who speaks one way and thinks another. Chinese fire drill refers to confusional and chaotic state, large but ineffective exercise, or the act of a group of individuals achieving nothing. If someone has Chinese restaurant syndrome (Wang, 1999:43), he may feel headache, vomiting, swirl or sweating caused by eating Chinese food that contains monosodium glutamate. Research suggests that there is no evidence of the so-called Chinese restaurant syndrome and it is nothing more than urban legend. 3.1.4 The Irishman and Irish idioms The United Kingdom is made up of four nations England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Of these four nations, the English people account for the majority of the population and feel most British. They have a strong sense of national pride and ridicule the rest of the kingdom. They would verbally attack Scotland, Wales, and in particular Ireland. We can take a look at some of the Irishman and Irish phrases. Irishmans dinner/feast actually means apastia. Irishmans promotion represents demotion. Irish diamond is not diamond at all. It is just crystal or stone. Irish evidence is seen as perjury. Irish compliment is backhanded compliment. If someone makes an Irish bull, he provides a paradoxical statement. To get ones Irish up (Hou,2009:64) means to lose ones temper. A similar expression is to get ones Dutch up. There are also Irish proverbs with offensive implications: Englands difficulty is Irelands opportunity; Put an Irishman on the spit, and you can always get another to baste him. (Mao, 2003:143) 3.1.5 The Welsh idioms The word Welsh shares the same fate of Irish. To Welsh is to repudiate a debt. According to English people, the phrase originates from 19th century when many Welsh people made a living by betting on horse racing. (Liu, 1999:79) They were said to have been extremely cunning because they always tried to get out of paying money when they lost the bet. Thus, in the eyes of English people, they became notorious for such a bad quality. Therefore, to Welsh on somebody is to go back on ones word. To Welsh on ones debt is to rat on ones debt As we know, England is a relatively rich nation when compared with Wales. Phrases like Welsh comb and Welsh carpet are used by the English people to mock at Welsh poverty. 3.1.6 The Greek idioms The word Greek is associated with trick, cattiness, and danger. Greek gift can not be interpreted literally. If a person receives a Greek gift, he should be cautious because the gift is given with the intention of tricking the recipient and causing harm to him. A proverb derives from this expression, I fear the Greeks, even when they come with the gifts. Greek trust indicates unreliability. When Greek meets Greek, and then comes the tug of war. It means that when enemies face each other, their eyes blaze with hate. Fires are rekindled between the two sides and old wounds opened up again. When people encounter something incomprehensible, they would say it is all Greek to me to show that they dont understand at all. 3.2 Reflection of racial discrimination 3.2.1 Discrimination against Native American Before starting this part, I want to make it clear that all the idioms below come from On English Language against Non-English Nationalities by Mao Fasheng except those with special notes. An Indian giver refers to a person who gives a gift but require something in return later. This expression originates from around 1765 and the American colonial days. (Li, 2009:57) To the early American Indians, gifts were simply form of trade goods. A person gave a gift in hope of something of equivalent in return. However, to the European settlers, such kind of custom appeared to be insulting. In their minds, gifts were freely given rather than for trade practices. The original meaning of the expression was only the expectation of a gift in return. By the late 1800s, its sense shifted to describe someone who demands return while giving. Indian giving is a similar terms used to satirize the giver. We should handle an Indian gift with caution as well as Greek gift. The present is given by someone with expectation of receiving another from us. An Indian sign is a magic spell cast on a person to control him or bring him bad luck. If a girl is able to put or have an Indian sign on a boy, then she fascinates him perhaps with her dazzling loveliness. Americans regarded the Indians as dumb, irritable and evil-minded. Terms like cigar-store Indian, dumb Indian, wooden Indian portray a negative image for the Indians as boring and foolish. To get ones Indian up is to get mad or be inflamed with rage. It shares the same meaning as two other figures of speech get ones Dutch up and get ones Irish up. The proverb The only good Indian is a dead Indian (Liu, 2003:131) characterizes the American relationship with Indians. 3.2.2 Discrimination against African-American In American history ¼Ã…’African-Americans were subject to discrimination and their life were sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation. They were faced with poor living conditions and harsh working environments. Being despised, hated, disgraced and oppressed by racists, they lived in misery and suffering. Even today, in the society of more advanced civilization, the phenomenon of racial discrimination still exists. Racism is still a sensitive and serious issue that the world seeks to solve. From the view of language, racial slurs are to be found everywhere. Nigger, niggra, niggruh and Negro (Jiao, 2009:57) are common slavery-imposed epithets with evident insult to the black. They remind people the bitter period of slavery when African-Americans struggled for freedom. To work like a negro/nigger refers to somebody who works or is forced to work very hard just like a slave. Even in literature, we can see racial slurs in world-famous works. For example, some African-Americans complained about the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. They claimed that the writer should not have used the word nigger in the book. The following dialogue, in particular, stirs up strong discontent amongst African-Americans. Good gracious. Anybody hurt? Nom killed a nigger. Well, its lucky because sometimes people do get hurt.  [1]   We should try not to get involved in the issue of racial discrimination; otherwise we may place ourselves in criticism and trouble. In 1999, David Howard, the aide of Washington, DC mayor Anthony Williams resigned after being accused of using a racial slur.  [2]  Mr. Howard, head of the Office of Public Advocate, used the word niggardly when delivering the budget report in one of the regular meetings by municipal government. As a matter of fact, niggardly is defined as stingy or ungenerous and does not have any racial connotations. Yet, staff members present which was made up of two blacks and another white were offended by the word. Soon after the meeting, the rumor began to spread that Howard had used the racial slur nigger. Howard said such rumor has severely compromised my effectiveness as the Districts Public Advocate and in the best interest of my office, I resigned.  [3]  Howard was innocent in this issue. The real problem is that niggardly has a similar pronunciation with nigger. An important lesson we can learn out of this is that people especially government officials should avoid using not only racial slurs but also words sounding similar to them. 4. Negative effects of linguistic discrimination 4.1 Verbal counterback in other languages against English slurs Linguistic discrimination in English would surely result in verbal attack from those countries that have been insulted by English-speaking countries. It is normal to find ethnic slurs in other languages than English. For instance, in the French language, les sombikes (Liu, 1999:81), which has the same meaning as son of a bitch in the English language, is used as a disparaging term for an American. The phrase dates from the First World War when American soldiers liked to shout the expletive son of a bitch. As a matter of fact, almost any language contains ethnic slurs. It may be just to say that any ethnic in the world is apt to glorify its own group and meanwhile look down upon others. This sense of national superiority, more or less, is reflected in the language. 4.2 Negative impact on international relations Based on numerous historical events, linguistic discrimination against other nations and races mirrors barriers, conflicts, and hatred between different ethnic groups. It is a social problem that cannot be neglected. The usage of slurs can be detrimental to international relations. It exerts negative impact on social equity, stability and harmony. History teaches us that it has clearly influenced national unity and integrity in such a country of great ethnic complexity as America. As long as inter-ethnic inequality and contractions exist in human society, they would find expression in the language. Conversely ¼Ã…’linguistic discrimination would trigger hostility and conflicts between ethnics. They together initiate a vicious cycle and people get trapped in it. 5. State of English linguistic discrimination in modern society 5.1 Common existence of English linguistic discrimination It is undeniable that the phenomenon of English linguistic discrimination is still very common in modern society. People use those idioms in daily life, consciously or not. They may say a slur without recognizing that it is offensive and may cause them trouble. Why are discriminatory language still used today even if hostilities ended hundreds of years ago? As is discussed in chapter 1.1, language develops and evolves with society. Once words are given derogatory meanings, it would be difficult to change or eliminate them. It often happens that language is more conservative than civilization, material as well as moral. Objects, institutions, ideas, scientific concepts change in the course of time; yet in many cases the name is retained and thus helps to ensure a sense of tradition and continuity. (Ullmann 1977:198) 5.2 Sign of improvements on the phenomenon Fortunately, we have seen evidence of improvements on the phenomenon of national and racial discrimination in the English language. For example, In the September of 2001, the mountain Chinks Peak in the Pocatello Range in Idaho State got its new official name Chinese Peak from the United States Board of Geographic Names. The original name Chinks Peak was deemed offensive and racist. Some people especially Chinese Americans strongly requested th

Alices Adventures in Darwinism and the Realm of Child Versus Adult Ess

Alice in Wonderland, the most famous work of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, better known as Lewis Carroll, is the enduring tale of one girl’s journey into a world of whimsy and imagination. The story was written for the enjoyment of all children, as Carroll had a strong love and attachment to them, especially little girls. It was however, written more specifically for a dear, close child-friend of his by the name of Alice Liddell, who was the inspiration for the title character. Alice in Wonderland has been, throughout the years since it’s publication in 1865, endlessly deconstructed, analyzed, and studied for underlying meaning in the text (as in Martin Gardner‘s The Annotated Alice). One of the most noticeable and famous facets of the story is the many changes in size that Alice goes through. Alice changes size eleven times to fit her changing predicament in the tale. This can be easily seen in the animated Disney interpretation of the story that came out years ago. Throughout the book, Alice is given the opportunity to change size numerous times, this aiding her in getting in and out of different situations and places in Wonderland. Alice accomplishes this through eating and drinking different tonics and mushroom pieces. It is interesting to note that the time period in which Carroll wrote and published Alice was the same time at which Charles Darwin was writing and publishing his historic book The Origin of Species in which he puts forth the now universally known ideas of evolution and survival of the fittest. Darwin developed these ideas while he served as naturalist on the ship the Beagle from 1831-1836. During this time, he studied wildlife on the Galapagos Islands, and was amazed by the great diversity of life. He was especially interested in the birds of the island, which had highly adapted beaks that fit their particular eating habits and lifestyle. (Coincidentally, in one of the first scenes in Wonderland, Alice arrives on shore with a group of different birds.) Carroll may have been inspired to have his title character change si ze according to her needs and predicament by the emerging science of the time. Alice also seems to get better at, and becomes more comfortable with changing her size as time goes on, and a parallel between evolution and Alice can be drawn on that point, in that as evolution progresses, it becomes more refined. Lewis Carroll... ...bsp; Alice in Wonderland, the work of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, better known as Lewis Carroll, has been the enduring tale of one girl’s journey into a world of whimsy and imagination because of the multi-layered meaning that exists within. The story was written for the enjoyment of all children, but as Carroll once wrote himself, "we (adults) are but older children, dear."(499). Inspired by a dear, close child-friend of his by the name of Alice Liddell, the Alice of Alice in Wonderland has been the mediator between childhood and adulthood, and staying innocent and becoming experienced for over a hundred years. One of the most noticeable and famous facets of the story is the many changes in size that Alice undergoes, a phenomenon of evolution that was brought to the forefront of scientific and everyday Victorian life by the revolutionary thinker and naturalist Darwin. Charles Darwin wrote and published his historic book The Origin of Species at the same time Carroll’s arguably equally famed book was written and published, a coincidence that can not be overlooked when we observe the clear links between Darwin’s theories and Dodgson’s themes.  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Social Policy – Discipline or Area of Study?

Social Policy is that part of public policy that focuses on improving human conditions i. e. well-being of the public. Social Policy, therefore, is about welfare. It concentrates on social problems such especially issues of education, health, housing, social security and income support. According to Beveridge’s report that was published in 1942 and included in the Labour Party’s 1945 manifesto, Five Giant Social Evils had undermined the British society before the war: ignorance, disease, squalor, idleness and want. These are the five main evils that Social Policy centers on. In my view, Social Policy is interdisciplinary as it draws on many social science subjects but it is a distinct academic discipline in its own right, both in terms of its points of concentration and its methods of analysis. The development of Social Policy as a ‘policy’ and its development as a discipline are closely linked. Formed in 1884, the Fabian Society, which was influenced by the work of labour MP Sidney Webb and that of Booth and Rowntree, challenged the conservative political assumption that economic markets could meet the welfare needs of all was challenged and argued that policy intervention by the state was needed to provide those forms of support and protection which the markets failed to provide. Social Policy was then recognized as an academic discipline of importance when The Webbs – Sidney Webb and his wife Beatrice Webb, both prominent Fabians – established the London School of Economics (LSE). Within it, they incorporated the Charity Organization Society’s School of Sociology to form a new Department of Social Sciences and Administration in 1912. Its first lecturer was Clement Attlee, who became Prime Minister of the UK after the Second World War, and in 1950, Richard Titmuss was appointed as the first Professor of Social Administration in the UK. Until 1987, Social Administration and Social Policy were used interchangeably, but later the name was changed to Social Policy as it was felt that social administration focused largely on analyzing the operation of existing welfare services where as what was now known as Social Policy also analyzed the political and ideological bases of welfare provision. Social Policy is a broad but distinct academic discipline as it is closely elated to many social science disciplines, four of the more important ones being Sociology, Economics, Political Economy and Political Science, but it only draws on them to achieve what are believed to be the objectives of a successful social policy: equality, social justice, liberty and the rights of a citizen. Sociology helps one understand the causes and effects of social divisions such as those on the basis of race, gender or class. Its subject matter ranges from the micro level of face-to-face interaction to the macro level of societies at large, and traditionally, sociologists have focused on topics such as social relations, social stratification, social interaction, culture and deviance. Social Policy, on the other hand, is about provision of welfare to these various people and draws on Sociology to become aware of the various social divisions in order to better understand the needs of each particular group and how welfare can be provided to them. Economics explores the concepts of scarcity and resource allocation. In his 1932 essay, British economist Lionel Robbins described economics as the â€Å"science which studies human behaviour as a relationship between ends and scarce means which have alternative uses†. It also provides insight into the concepts of equity and efficiency. These concepts are central to the study of Social Policy as it is the scarce resources that policy-makers work to allocate in a way that ensures the greatest well-being of the people. They must also be able to prove that their policies are both efficient – i. e. they are the least costly and of most benefit to those intended – and equitable or fair – i. e. those in similar categories are considered in similar ways. Political Economy originally was the term for studying production, buying and selling, and their relations with law, custom, and government. However, in the eighteenth century, it developed as the study of the economies of states — polities, hence political economy. It is the study of political ideologies and economic management. For a policy-maker, an awareness of these various political ideologies is indispensable as many of these arguments govern the process of making social and economic policies. Political Science focuses on the interaction between institutions and human behavior and studies the way in which institutions shape choices and how humans change institutional frameworks. It provides an understanding of constitutional arrangements in different countries and their impact on policy formulation. Political Science introduces the student of Social Policy to concepts of equality, social justice, liberty and citizenship.

Order Professional Help Annotated Bibliography Examples

Order Professional Help Annotated Bibliography Examples Annotated bibliography is a combination of the research materials citations and their summaries. It is one of the elements of a good APA, MLA or Chicago style paper. If you are searching for the examples of annotated bibliography here is a collection of samples of annotated bibliography: Chicago Style, MLA, APA. If you dont have time to write it on your own, you may read: HOW TO BUY ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY ONLINE What is an Annotated Bibliography? An annotated bibliography is a list of research materials - books, articles, and documents  - presented both as citations  and as a summary of their value. The description acts to evaluate the source as a credible document. The purpose of the annotated bibliography is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited. Annotated bibliographies are different from abstracts, the latter being purely descriptive summaries found at the beginning of scholarly journal articles, while annotations are descriptive and require critical thinking. They may take into account the authors point of view, authority, and the place and time of their piece. How to Write an Annotated Bibliography Step 1.  Choose works that provide a balanced perspective on your topic. Step 2.  Locate and cite the books, periodicals, and documents about your topic. Step 3.  Cite the source using the appropriate style for your paper: MLA, APA or Chicago Manual Style. Step 4.  Write a concise annotation that summarizes the central theme and scope of the book or article. Include one or more sentences that accomplish one of the following: qualify the authority of the author; comment on who might gain from reading this source; compare the work to other work being cited; or, explain how this work enlightened you on your topic. Step 5.  Sign up today for the annotated bibliography writing service that will change the way you finish your school assignments. Sample MLA Annotation Greene, Robert. The 48 Laws of Power. Penguin Books, 2000. Greene offers honest advice on how to conduct ones life, according to the lessons we have learned from history, its rulers and their failures. Taking a sometimes fantastical approach to the realities of societal rules and norms, the chapters in Greenes book are wry and anecdotal and offer advice on everything from avoid the unhappy and the unlucky and mastering the art of timing. In the process, Greene includes interpretations of each law and examples of when the law was carried out in reverse to someones detriment. Greene offers sober, although harsh, advice for those struggling with ones imperfect journey with flawed peers, unfair laws, and conniving rivals. Rather than a practical handbook to how to live ones life, this text takes an honest perspective with advice that only those who truly need power will end up being able to implement in their life. However, there is still some useful tips that us every man and every woman can take. Chapters in this text lend themselves to being studied out of order, or as they become necessary in the readers life. Some of the chapters would even do well as part of a history course, or a section of a course, where students were learning about the human spirit and human folly. See also: MLA Essay Format with Example Sample APA Annotation Camron, J. (1992). The Artists Way. New York: Tarcher Putnam. In this workbook of nonfiction based on the writers creative journey, Cameron attempts to guide readers through the stages of reclaiming their inner artist and bringing more art into their lives. She does so by implementing the discipline of writing morning pages each day and by answering open-ended questions throughout to help the reader gauge where and why they may be stuck creatively. An experienced writer, Cameron is aware of the limitations of her experiment, and thats why she uses this book in tandem with live talks and workshops and encouraging fans of her work to meet where they live and help each other operate more like artists. The author is forthcoming about her past struggles with alcohol and the frustrations in her shortcomings as a poet to help ease the pretense that artists are artists and those who are not yet artists are on the outside looking in. Camerons book is completely inclusive and seems to embrace all who dare to discover their dormant inner artist. See also: APA Citation Machine Referencing Format Tool Sample Chicago Style Annotated Bibliography Schwabs book provides a thorough examination of the current state of Africas countries, communities, wars, resources, and leaders and how things came to be, from colonization until the new millennium. The author discusses relevant topics, such as war, cross-border conflict, ethnic conflict, despotic leadership, predatory regimes, and economic health. The book includes chapters on the slave trade, AIDS and poverty, globalization, and a question that asks if the continent will survive. This book could be read as part of a course but it appears the intention of the writer was to create a book for the interested layman to get a brief and terrifying history lesson. See also: Chicago Style Format with Example We hope, youve found these annotated bibliography samples helpful. Use them as the examples when composing your annotated bibliography. If you have no time for writing your APA annotated bibliography or MLA annotated bibliography, etc., you may order it online.  Place an order for annotated bibliography writing help, saying write me annotated bibliography, and we will deliver to you an expertly-presented piece. If you need any other writing services, feel free to contact our writers for assistance.

Reframing the Abortion Issue

Reframing the Abortion Issue Free Online Research Papers Abstract One of the most volatile social issues facing our country today is abortion. There have been approximately 45 million abortions performed in the United States since the Roe vs. Wade decision in 1973. Nearly one billion pregnancies were terminated worldwide in the last fifty years. Abortion finds itself afloat on the murky waters of social, political, moral, and personal agendas all fighting for consideration. The institutional and non-institutional construct of abortion policy development has spawned numerous debates and growing division. This paper examines the social construction of this problem and its ability to drive creative framing techniques to support agenda-setting motives; specifically in redefining the abortion issue. Motive is always a question and reality is confined to situational and individual ecosystems that are sometimes miles apart in ideologies, moral tenets and belief systems. Perhaps this latest effort by the State of North Dakota will dash all hopes of gainin g mutual support for accurate problem identification and solution solidarity. The perpetual struggle between social work and social reform is like the ultimate game of tug-of-war being fought across a great abyss. The distance between the participants is miles and the cost of failure is considered certain death; and yet the battle rages. In certain ways, this tension is reflective of the perpetual battle between policy makers, practitioners and the general public. This tension does not negate mutual respect, but cohesion and potential synergy become casualties as individual purposes collide. As social workers we generally agree that we are in the field to improve the human condition, pursue social justice and work to eliminate inequality. But our field is so vast, so complex, that it becomes apparent that we must part company at some point in our journey. Practitioners become street-level bureaucrats and policy-makers become administrators; and then there is the politics that seems to forever impede the effort to move from problem identification to effective s olution development and implementation. Abramovitz ((Abramovitz, 1998) discusses the pressures between containment and change and how they have plagued social work since its inception and the accusation that the profession has been the â€Å"handmaiden of the status quo† (p.512). How can social work effectively advocate for social reform when these struggles exist? Is it possible to navigate the deep waters of social reform when social workers are so intimately connected to multiple, diverse individual causes? If there is no thread running from the microsystemic realities of the practitioners and the public they serve to the macrosystemic world of the policy-makers can genuine reform ever really be accomplished? Nelson (1984) did a superb job of asking a very important question, â€Å"Which issue, or issues should I choose (p. ix) (Nelson, 1984)?† In an attempt to better define and understand the breadth of these questions, the abortion issue is taken to task. There is little doubt that the move toward multiplicity and integrative perspectives in practice will enhance the field. Borden’s (2009) insight that there is scant discussion of integrating differing concepts, procedures and empirical data concerning the life of a given intervention is noteworthy. There is a dilemma on the administrative side that could benefit from the idea that supports taking multiplicity seriously. This dilemma is more precisely the lack of integration of fact and usable ideas from thinkers outside of our political, moral or religious base. Perhaps taking some of the insights Lipsky (1980) presented that brought to light the power-structure mere mortals hold at the street level can at least help us to better understand the tension that exists between the needs of the general population, the distribution of public goods and services, and the politics that holds it all together (Lipsky, 1980). Abortion is the shot heard around the modern world and there ap pears to be no middle ground on the issue. One of the criticisms of integration of therapeutic models is the idea that there are contrasting perspectives of reality (Messer Winokur, 1980) and nowhere is this more prevalent in the realm of social reform than it is in the abortion debate. Ignoring the fundamental reality that compromise and convolution lessen the impact of ground-floor policy initiatives as they make their way through the approval, funding and implementation mechanisms, ignores the fact that different worldviews create chaos. If the individual cannot be changed, can society still be changed? How does the social worker bridge individual differences to enhance societal reform initiatives? Taking a closer look at the complex issue of abortion may provide some valuable insight into bridging these gaps. There are three primary areas of focus and contention surrounding the abortion subject. First, there is the rights issue; second, the privacy consideration; and third, the volatile question about the presence of life viability. These three areas of contention yield further complications depending on worldviews, or conceptual realities. The complexities of the Supreme Court decision rendered in Roe vs. Wade severely complicated the political, social and moral landscapes by focusing more on medically approved autonomy than on the constitutionally based sexual equality issue. This invited a great deal of academic, legislative and public resistance to the ruling (Ginsburg, 1984), but was perhaps necessary to get the ruling – a classic example of reframing an issue to further the cause of legislative rhetoric and the approval process. This is of vital importance because what is seen in the aftermath of Roe vs. Wade is simply the clash of worldviews – the frontline of a perpe tual battle of individual opposing realities. Simply taking sides and charging into the arena of social reform will not solve the abortion issue. Likewise, cheapening our professional competence by total disregard and disgust of opposing worldviews would only highlight a professional hypocrisy. Social workers cannot devalue any individual beliefs, moral values, or religion simply because we do not agree. Doing so would only ignore the history of the profession and the ethical considerations and responsibility toward the individual. However, in the effort to heal and to promote wellness, empowerment and equality, we have a responsibility to find the common ground that will allow the productive discussion of volatile issues like abortion, capital punishment and assisted suicide. These issues must be re-framed. We have a professional and moral obligation to move in the direction of the practice sector and to look for the truth, the facts, and to boldly proclaim an initiative that is no t self-centered, self-based, or biased by our personal realities. To do so would only foster shortsightedness and ineffective persuasion. Abortion is correctly classified as a social problem, but how that problem is defined and what solutions are identified to address it are critical questions in understanding how the larger context, the ecological construct, can manipulate the process (Linders, 1998) of change. Claims-makers want to persuade, but their motives must be addressed. Simply making the claim that women have the right to terminate a pregnancy because their body is their own does not negate the viability of the argument that if life begins at any point prior to the abortion, the rights of the fetus are equal and therefore infringed upon. Likewise, simply disbelieving the possibility of motives embracing population control, eugenics, and welfare costs, does not negate their influence in policy direction and legislative decision-making. Dismissing the Christian worldview without dismissing the Muslim, Jewish, Hindi, or other worldviews embracing fetal life preservation is dishonest and duplicitous. Exercising the right to abort based on individual rights of ownership and privacy does not extend equal rights to the father who may share ownership of the fetus. Claims-makers work to convince others that a specific problem exists, that a particular solution is necessary, and that a certa in policy should be adopted that utilizes the proposed solution to correct the problem (Best, 1987). However, if the problem is inaccurately identified, the proposed solution and policies are useless; and even worse, potentially incendiary. Any attempt to remove ourselves from the role of subjects, or observers, and to pretend that our perceptions of the object, or problem are personally non-motivating does nothing but reinforce the dualism we must move beyond; especially if social workers are going to effectively bridge the gap between social problems and social reform. The complicated interactions we share with the individuals in their microsystemic realities are only one ingredient in the larger social construct, and this construct is filled with opposing worldviews and personal realities. If we take sides, we only add to an opposing argument. If we fail to act, we reinforce the status quo. However, if we desire social reform and change, something must change. The pro-life Evang elical Christian is never going to accept the worldview of the Agnostic pro-choice feminist; and vice versa; and why should they? Both realities and worldviews are just as valid in their own ecological sphere. Attempting to change mindsets for the sole purpose of propagating our own personal worldviews is not social reform; it is an attempt to get everyone to agree with our reality to the exclusion of their own. The critical thinking mandate demands a non-biased, selfless approach to healing. Dismissing the opposing viewpoint simply because it is not our own dismisses on average, fifty-percent of the potential input to effective problem-identification and solution-building; it castigates holistic synergism and grows strong negative emotions and sometimes hatred. Leaving ourselves behind we must pursue a reality that transcends the opposing worldviews and work, empirically, to find the thread that makes its way through both camps. Stephen Toulmin (1958) presented a basic structure for logical argument that has contributed greatly to the field of critical thinking and rhetoric as potent weapons in helping claims-makers persuade more effectively (Toulmin, 1958). Toulmin drew a distinction between the claim or conclusion that we are trying to justify, and the facts that we use to build our position (Best, 1987), but he also acknowledged the necessity to understand the â€Å"constellation of int erests and resources held by the various constituencies in the process, the way claims are articulated also affects whether they persuade and move the audiences to which they are addressed† (Best, 1987 p. 102). This process is the key to effective interventions on the practice side and it is welcomed in the move toward multiplicity, critical thinking, and pluralism. When Hacking says that some evil actions are public and discusses the constructing of the child abuse issue he definitively states that child abuse is the worst of private evils, he has the ear of an entire nation, if not the entire world (Hacking, 1991). Interestingly enough, if one were to rewrite his article switching the term â€Å"child abuse† with â€Å"abortion,† he would split his receptive audience in two while simultaneously making a great deal of enemies. If everyone believed that life began at conception perhaps abortion would be considered child abuse. But everyone does not share this bel ief and this causes two specific framing elements, or objectives to take form; and they are mutually opposing. The difference here is not that one term is more evil than the other; the difference is simply the amount of people who share your interpretation of the definition you are choosing to utilize. The practice side sees merit in numerous theoretical perspectives and strives to improve their scholarship through mastery of these theoretical frameworks so that their clinical skills can be more effective; they can become better healers. On the policy side there is tension between differing political camps, religious affiliation and morality. These typical tenets of separation contain the very worldviews and ecosystems we need to explore, accept as valid and embrace if we are to effectively reform society. There is a bridge to be built and maintained between the data we have and the claims we are making. What Toulmin called the warrant, the link between the data and the claim, is a third type of proposition that authorizes â€Å"the sort of step to which our particular argument commits us† (Toulmin, 1958. p.98). Can the abortion issue be restated in a way that will garner open ears and consideration from both sides of the debate? Historically, abortion was not condemned; during the classical period the ancient Greeks actually advocated abortion to regulate population and stabilize economic conditions. Much like today, clinical urgency and socio-political origin were the two predominant criteria employed in the abortion decision. Possibly the earliest recorded account of abortion use as a population control measure was a recommendation of Aristotle to ensure an ideal size of a city, but specifically in cases where couples already had †sufficient† children (Farr, 1980). Throughout the ages the three areas of constraint legal, religious, and medical were always present but in differing capacities. English law allowed a woman to have an abortion at will from 1307 to 1803 as long as the first movements of the fetus had not yet occurred (generally around 16 to 18 weeks); an abortion performed after the fetus started to move was considered a criminal offense though only a misdemeanor (David, 1992). How ever, beginning in 1803 with the reign of George III, the Lord Ellenborough’s Act made abortion before fetal movements could be felt, a felony, and any abortions after fetal movements could be felt, murder, punishable by death (David, 1992). During the remainder of the 19th and 20th centuries, abortion was very restrictive in most cultures. The legislative trends that began in the 1920’s were felt worldwide, were extremely complex, and resulted in numerous challenges to restrictive abortion laws and opened a divisive dialogue between opponents and proponents. Since the 1960’s there has been a tremendous movement toward lessening the restrictions placed on induced abortions worldwide, and specifically in the United States with the finding of the Supreme Court in the Roe vs. Wade decision. The legislative footprint surrounding the abortion issue is extremely diverse, and perpetual legislative manipulation wrought by the dynamic political processes associated with many newer abortion laws have attributed to a growing divide among supporters and non-supporters. The social revolution that has occurred over the past fifty years regarding abortion legislation has been enormous. As of today, Europe, which in 1954 had only three countries where abortion was not legally restricted (Sweden, Denmark and Iceland), has completely reversed their position (David, 1992). The multicultural expansion of the pro-abortion movement can likely be attributed to one of the following four interrelated causes according to David (1992): The general recognition of the threat to public health of legally restricted abortion; support for a woman’s right to terminate an unwanted pregnancy under safe conditions and an early stage of gestation; liberalization of legislation concerning the availability of modern contraceptives; and provision of equal access to all methods of fertility regulation for woman of all strata of society. These considerations were benchmark defenses for loosening many of the previously restrictive abortion laws. However, these very defenses are also the foundation for much opposition and though it is probably a safe assumption to say that abortions, at least in some sense, are here to stay, the bridge between opposing sides of the issues has yet to be built. Regardless of stance, both sides have to acknowledge certain, irrefutable facts. In the United States an estimated 44.6 million abortions were performed between 1973 and 2005, or slightly more than one in five pregnancies resulted in abortion (Jones, Zolna, Henshaw, Finer, 2008). And though the abortion rate in the United States has seen a decline in abortions since 1992, the latest numbers still reflect an annual rate in excess of 1.2 million abortions. One of the most common medical procedures undergone by women in the United States is abortion (Owings Kozak, 1998). The maternal death rate from induced abortions has declined from 4.1/100,000 to less than one percent per hundred-thousand over the past 35 years (Bartlett et al., 2004) but still remain disproportionately high for women receiving abortions after eight weeks of gestation. It may be assumed that the rise in use of medical abortions using Mifepristone may have lead to a decrease in abortion related deaths, however, rese arch shows that the mortality rates from medical abortions are statistically equal to the mortality rates of induced and spontaneous abortions, and therefore the reduction in the mortality rate cannot be directly attributed to a reduction in surgical abortions (Grimes, 2005). Furthermore, even with the addition of the medical abortion regime, abortion is still considered to be one of the safest medical procedures in contemporary practice in the United States (Grimes Creinin, 2004). David (1992) said that â€Å"Abortion is a social reality that can no more be legislated out of existence than the controversy surrounding it can be stilled. No matter how effective family planning services and practices become, there will always be a need for access to safe abortion services† (p.1). This quote came from an article written following the keynote address at a conference in Tbilisi, Georgia, USSR in October of 1990 titled, From Abortion to Contraception: Public Health Approaches to Reducing Unwanted Pregnancy and Abortion through Improved Family Planning Services. This brings us to our second irrefutable fact; there is a universal effort to stem the flow of unwanted pregnancies, and therefore abortions. Considering the fact that one of the most common medical procedures in the United States and Europe is abortion (David, 1992; Owings Kozak, 1998) and that most medical professionals do not advocate unnecessary medical procedures, especially surgical procedures, one must consider the cause. A global snapshot of total abortions, legal and illegal, worldwide in 1995 tallied an estimated 46 million abortions in one year; citing that 26 million were legal and 20 million were illegal, abortion accounted for the termination of 26% of all pregnancies worldwide in 1995 (Henshaw, Singh, Haas, 1999). Henshaw concluded that, â€Å"Both developed and developing countries can have low abortion rates. Most countries, however, have moderate to high abortion rates, reflecting lower prevalence and effectiveness of contraceptive use. Stringent legal restrictions do not guarantee a low abortion rate† (p.1). Again, the consensus is to look for better contraceptives, family practice services, and a global reduction of abortion practice. Looking at global rates of abortion over the past 25 years shows a staggering estimate of nearly 800 million abortions (David, 1992; Finer Henshaw, 2006; Henshaw et al., 1999; Jones et al., 2008; Sedgh, Henshaw, Singh, Ã…hman, Shah, 2007; Shain, 1986; Ventura, Abma, Mosher, Henshaw, 2006; Wilkinson et al., 2006). This number of aborted fetuses is equal to the entire United States and European Union populations combined. The third indisputable fact is that abortion is a world-wide concern on many different levels. To summarize, we have determined that there are to this point, three discernable facts surrounding the abortion issues: First, that in the United States alone there have been an estimated 46 million abortions since the passing of Roe vs. Wade; second, there is a universal effort to stem the flow of unwanted pregnancies, and therefore abortions; and third, that abortion is a world-wide problem. But what are we to do with the issues of women’s reproductive rights; the question of when life begins; the rights of the unborn; the moral obligation to personal responsibility; and the population questions? Fighting the abortion issue on these levels will never bring about cohesion and healing on both sides of the issues. The determinant of any perpetual social problem is the viability of the fight between two or more opposing sides. If both sides can acknowledge the claims of the opposition and demonstrate a willingness to find common ground the fighting can stop and progress can be m ade. However, when any of the negotiating parties are incapable of either accepting the opposition’s claims as valid, or unwilling to refocus their efforts on a larger, nobler cause, the problem will continue forever. What needs to be done in the case of the abortion issue is to begin to reframe it into a more palatable issue. We must shift lenses, share lenses and find a unified focal point. There is little doubt that abortion is a universal phenomenon, but attitudes toward abortion have been changing. In the years following the historic Roe vs. Wade decision over 80% of Americans approved of abortion in cases of rape, serious birth defects and health issues, and over 40% approved of abortion under most circumstances (Shain, 1986). The political debate has grown over the past twenty years as new methods are tested and employed that are medical alternatives to surgical abortions. Politically, an interesting correlation was found in a clinical trial of medical abortion using Mifepristone-Misoprostol demonstrated medical abortion choice as a political support consideration that increased with education level (Clark, Ellertson, Winikoff, 2000). Another claim states that women who disapprove of abortion tend to have achieved lower educational levels (Shain, 1986) Sociodemographically, there are numerous claims and accusations being made on both sides of the issue. Petchesky (1998) makes several claims regarding the increase in the abortion rates among adolescent teenagers stating that the increase should be viewed as positive, demonstrating that teenagers now have a choice whether to marry or not marry. She goes on to make the claim that abortion is a necessary good and that the rise in abortion rates indirectly indicates that women have gained power (R. Petchesky Judd, 1998; R. P. Petchesky, 1990a). Presently, the issues are broad and complex. What makes this social problem so important is its volatility, the propensity for fierce emotion, and the extent to which either side will go to enforce their views. The passing of House Bill 1572 by the sixty-first Legislative Assemble of North Dakota was a bold stroke at reframing the entire abortion issue from a reproductive rights campaign to a campaign for human rights; they simply defined human life (Davey, 2008; Johnson, 2007; Koch, 2008; Richardson Times, 2009): b.Human being means any organism, including the single-cell human embryo, irrespective of the method of reproduction, who possesses a genome specific for and consistent with an individual member of the human species. c. Human embryo means all human beings from the beginning of the embryonic period of their biological development through eight weeks, irrespective of age, health, function, physical dependency, or method of reproduction, whether in vivo or in vitro. d. Human fetus means all human beings from the beginning of the fetal period of their biological development, which begins at nine weeks gestation through birth, irrespective of age, health, function, physical dependency, or method of reproduction, whether in vivo or in vitro. e. Human genome means the total amount of nuclear and extra-nuclear DNA genetic material that constitutes an organism as an individual member of the human species, including the single-cell human embryo. f. Person or individual means the legal recognition of a human beings full status as a human person that applies to all human beings, irrespective of age, health, function, physical dependency, or method of reproduction, including their preborn offspring at every stage of their biological development. Simply by refocusing the issues, the State Legislature of North Dakota undermined the entire â€Å"rights† agenda simply by redefining and advocating for these very rights. It was a broad-stroke of political magic that will eventually see its way to the United States Supreme Court. It was masterfully done, considering the new â€Å"issue† of defining the beginning of human life, because this will be very dangerous political ground. Who will step up to the plate and actually proclaim when human life actually begins? North Dakota was the first to act on this human-life interpretation, and in this case, being first may prove to have been the greatest asset to claims-making and agenda-setting in our recent history. Perhaps, taking into consideration political self-survival, the abortion issues may finally be remanded back to State control. In any case, it will be interesting to see how this plays out over the next several years. Abortion cannot be globally defended as a stand-alone issue aside from some obvious serious medical issues such as rape, incest, or serious birth defects. In these cases, even in the United States following Roe vs. Wade, 80% of the people thought abortion was a viable consideration in these types of cases (Shain, 1986). However, when we activate mutually exclusive ideologies and begin to provide radical demonstrations of opposing moral, medical, and gender equality concerns we may find ourselves in the middle of political, social and religious minefields. Even bringing the issue of parental notification into the arena causes a watershed of debate and hostilities even though some research claims it to be effective in reducing abortion rates (Joyce, Kaestner, Colman, 2006). The downside of this type of front is that it drives division and rhetoric that fans the flames of strife rather than quells the heat and advocates for cooler heads and progress. Many times we become more radicals than advocates when we take sides at the exclusion of the rights and consideration of those who oppose us. Diversity is a wide, two-way street. And though there are times for fighting and self preservation, the first response should always be mutual recognition and support. There are many voices speaking in the fields of social reform, but anything less than perfection in navigating the treacherous waters of rhetoric, politics, and research will leave many facts unusable and distorted. Perhaps a warning can be found in the study looking at the disposition toward critical thinking when we find that â€Å"Entering college freshman students showed strengths in open-mindedness and inquisitiveness, [but] weaknesses in systematicity and opposition to truth-seeking† (Facione, Sanchez, Facione, Gainen, 1995). Truth-seeking is a selfless character trait and open-mindedness is not an indication of one’s ability to see, find, apprehend, embrace, or simply acknowledge fact, which is the gateway to many truths. Redefining the abortion issue is a key component to solving this volatile social problem. In finding middle ground we must side-step issues that some embrace as their holy grail, such as fetal right to life and women’s right to reproductive ownership. These are sizable, interesting and valid issues, but a closer look at their foundations leads to a skewed reality of the problem. Abortion is simply a means to terminating unwanted pregnancy. Even taking into consideration the number of abortions performed because of incest, rape, or because of vital health concerns of the mother, the numbers are statistically insignificant when compared to the total numbers of abortions performed world-wide on a yearly basis. Forming an argument incorrectly can produce some unwanted resistance as well as to reinvent, or even worse, shift problem focus. Even considering what some may consider positive attributes of pro-abortion legislation, such as higher college graduation rates among women (Ananat, Gruber, Levine, Staiger, 2006), are nullified by the voices condemning the practice because of the moral repercussions. New research might confirm that most people who have been educated about the decrease in maternal mortality in countries where abortion has been legalized would find that a positive outcome, but weighing that outcome within the framework of their personal moral beliefs would have little effect on their acceptance of legalized abortion as an advanced method of birth control. Looking at abortion and defining it differently would be to conclude that in the vast majority of instances it is simply an advanced method of terminating unwanted pregnancies. There are those who hear the women’s rights issues about privacy and right to reproductive sovereignty but would conclude that those rights are no different than those exercised by an obese person who cannot control their physical urges to get surgical or medical relief from their unwanted pounds. Some see the voices of women calling out for the right to abort as waving a white flag of surrender to sexual irresponsibility. When looking at the abortion issue from the moral perspective of most conservative groups they do not simply see the lives of nearly 45 million babies destroyed on a yearly basis, they see it as more than 5000 lives terminated against their will every hour, every day of the year. Regardless of the issue live-viability, the liberal cannot concede to anything less than would allow them to get their abortions on demand, and the right will equally resist the demand to concede to their beliefs. A careful look at the Roe vs. Wade case will show the complexities of the social, legal and political construct necessary to move this country to legalizing abortion (Ginsburg, 1984). The Annulla Linders study was a monumental progressive work toward understanding the social, political and moral dynamics that drive policy and decision-making on the institutional and non-institutional fronts (Linders, 1998; Linders, 2004): The question of social movement outcomes is obviously a pressing concern to movements themselves, and increasingly so to social movement scholars. The question is not only, or at least not simply, to what extent a particular movement succeeds in accomplishing its goals, but also what the larger social consequences are of movement activity-for movement constituents, for other movements, for the political process, and for the organization of social life more generally. Movements certainly do make a difference in contemporary democracies, but in order to understand exactly how and why movements matter, we need to reach beyond them and examine the larger social and historical context in which movements formulate their demands and press for change. In conclusion, if we want to understand what happens to movements and their goals in the long term, and why, the findings of this paper suggest that our explanations of social movement outcomes need to be sensitive to the dynamic interplay of protest, targets, institutions, and other environmental constraints in distinct historical locations. This approach not only bridges movement- and policy-oriented approaches to the study of movement out- comes, but also has implications for how we think about and conceptualize social movements. While the abortion challenge in the United States clearly looks like a social movement, comprised as it did a wide range of loosely connected national and local grass-roots organizations and groups, the Swedish challenge is more difficult to distinguish from institutional politics, or politics as usual. And yet, in both Sweden and the United States the efforts to liberalize the abortion law amounted to a major challenge of institutionally protected forms of privilege and an entrenched system of gender inequality. Thus, comparisons across different nations (or other con- texts) provide opportunities for extending our understanding of the origins and organization of social protest in such a way that both institutional and non-institutional politics get incorporated into the analysis of what Zald calls ideologically structured action (Linders, 2004). Restructuring a social problem to make it more palatable to opposing sides is a challenging venture but in the course of productive social change and reform advocacy without consideration of the global impact of choosing sides, it could be catastrophic. Refocusing, or realigning ourselves with a new problem identification agenda will further establish mutual acceptance of opposing ideologies with concessions, not compromise. Advocacy is different than social reform, and in some cases where it demands taking a position simply because we believe in it as opposed to because it the right thing to do, it can discourage open and honest communication and work against a cultural and national realignment. Abortion, in all its definitions is rarely described as something good. Most reiterations of the abortion term are negative, which constitutes support of its distastefulness in naked terms. There are physical (Bartlett et al., 2004; Grimes, 2005; Grimes et al., 2006), psychological (Coleman, Reardon, Rue, Cougle, 2002; Fergusson, John Horwood, Ridder, 2006; Najman, Morrison, Williams, Andersen, Keeping, 1991), social (Hansen, 1980; Linders, 1998), moral and personal (Correa Petchesky, 1994; Joyce et al., 2006; R. Petchesky Judd, 1998; R. P. Petchesky, 1990b) considerations to be navigated. As social work professionals we may find that we are short-selling the larger social reform agenda by grasping too tightly to any one of these multiple, interrelated issues surrounding the abortion problem. Advocating for any one position over another may inadvertently set us at odds with each other and lesson the greater hope and cause of simply working together to lessen the occurrences of unwanted pregnancies and thereby reducing the incidence of abortion without even addressing abortion. Working together to reduce unwanted pregnancies is a cause everyone can get behind, abortion will never be an issue that everyone can support. As social workers, our hope may be to open a few minds to the potential of solving one mutually-agreed upon problem – unwanted pregnancies – and inadvertently reducing the incidence of abortion without ever addressing the abortion issue, a global and irreconcilable social issue. Abortion is a symptom, it is a reciprocatory action taken only when a very specific set of circumstances comes into play. It is interesting to note that regardless of the dynamic banner we stand under gender equality, equal rights, woman’s rights, reproductive rights, right to life, right to choose, conservative, liberal or independent abortion and it’s very construct and purpose are forever static. Nonetheless there are numerous political, social and moral holes to fall into to distract us from the real problem of unwanted pregnancies. There are fewer and more hopeful solutions to reducing pregnancy on all sides of this social problem than there will ever be to calm the tumultuo us seas of numerous personal agendas. Finally, the fourth and probably most indisputable fact is that every abortion is at the very least a termination of a potential life. Considering that the world has aborted nearly one billion fetuses over the past fifty years, the potential of having destroyed millions of possible writers, artists, musicians, sculptors, mathematicians, teachers, and others is a sobering fact. In our practices we have collectively met millions of people, most in dire straits or going through hard times, but how many have actually said and believe that they wish that they were never born? Every human being alive today is alive only because their mother decided to give birth to them, regardless of circumstance. 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Research Papers on Reframing the Abortion IssueInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyTwilight of the UAWComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoPETSTEL analysis of IndiaMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesUnreasonable Searches and SeizuresOpen Architechture a white paperRiordan Manufacturing Production Plan