Inter Textual Synthesis Essay Essay Example for Free

Inter Textual Synthesis Essay Essay Kate Chopin’s novel, The Awakening, centers around the theme of discovering oneself. The book shows readers the world of Edna Pontellier and gives them a window into her numerous insecurities and hesitations. Throughout the book, Edna attempts to become the opposite of the stereotypical women of her time. She chooses to be herself instead of the socially acceptable role she is expected to be. Additionally, Natasha Tretheway’s poem â€Å"Domestic Work† and Bobby Coles’ poem â€Å"Finding Yourself† attack the issues of independence, relationships, and gender. These two poems in combination with The Awakening strive to challenge the status quo of women everywhere. In the 19th century, women were expected to be domestic goddesses. As a married woman, it was important to be a positive influence on her husband and children, but was still expected to address to her husband as the head of the household. These restrictions had many women, including Edna in The Awakening, feeling trapped. Some women felt the need to become their own person, as opposed to the woman they were expected to become. In the poem, â€Å"Domestic Work†, the reader is given a preview of a typical woman in the 1930’s: â€Å"She beats time on the rugs, blows dust from the broom like dandelion spores, each one a wish for something better. † (Trethewey 23-26). The poem displays the monotonous life of women in the 19th century, and how some women desired something more. Edna, from The Awakening, is included in the category of women who longed for a life beyond household chores. In both The Awakening and â€Å"Domestic Work†, independence and a woman’s relationships are subjects of choice. Edna feels that she should be able to be free and independent. She wants to make her own choices about men and decide on her own who she loves without anyone else’s opinion influencing her choice. When Edna starts to lose the feelings she once had for her husband, she falls for Robert Lebrun. In fact, Edna had no intention to marry Leonce to begin with; â€Å"Her marriage to Leonce Pontellier was purely an accident, in this respect resembling many other marriages which masquerade as the decrees of Fate† (Chopin 23). Edna desires to have freedom. Robert wants a marriage with Edna, which conflicts with what she wants. Her feelings for Robert are strong but Robert has mature feelings for Edna, eyond what she feels for him. Though Edna wishes she could say the same, her love for him is more an infatuation-not true love. â€Å"As Edna walked along the street she was thinking of Robert. She was still under the spell of her infatuation. She had tried to forget him, realizing the inutility of remembering. But the thought of him was like an obsession† (Chopin 71). In the end, Edna realizes she cannot have both independence and true love. She decides to keep Robert out of her life and ends up drowning herself because of the internal conflict she has endured. In the poem â€Å"Finding Yourself†, author Bobby Coles explains that a person has to reach inside himself/herself in order to discover who he/she is. Similarly, Edna and the woman in â€Å"Domestic Work† are enduring their own journey. In Coles’ poem, he intentionally writes without specificity of gender, therefore making the poem easily relatable to readers of any gender. Coles uses descriptive language to create an image of what it is like to go through the process of finding yourself like Edna and the woman in Domestic Work did. â€Å"When are you most comfortable? Are you being true to yourself? You are in there somewhere. Judge on your own. Listen not to others. Look in the mirror. See beyond the image† (Coles 35-41). Coles encourages readers to not be influenced by the opinions of others, and instead, judge for themselves. In each text, the idea of taking your life in your own hands is present. Each of the poems and The Awakening displays themes of gender, relationships and independence. These themes help shape the stories and give the reader a greater understanding of the messages, as well as make connections to each of the characters.

Innovation in strategy

Innovation in strategy This essay evaluates the role of innovation in strategy, and explores the ways management can promote it in organisations. It first looks at the nature of innovation, and examines its importance in current economic and social conditions. It then sets strategy in context, defining it primarily in terms of competitive advantage that is, as a search for capabilities which allow allows an organisation to meet consumers needs better than its rivals. It then investigates why, exactly, innovation is often seen as a key component of strategy. It comes up with two key reasons: its capacity to generate a sustainable competitive advantage for business organisations; and its ability to aid organisations in preventing strategic drift. As a result of these benefits, strategies which are centred upon innovation can add real value to an organisations value proposition, and consequently can substantially improve business performance. The essay then turns to look at the ways that management can promo te innovation in organisations. For this, it turns to the worlds most famous management thinker Peter Drucker and the worlds most innovative company Apple Inc. for guidance on theory and practice respectively. Having thus established the importance of the role of innovation for strategy, and the ways in which management can promote it in organisations, the essay then considers some limitations. In particular, it looks at the possible advantages of strategic drift; and also the other aspects of strategy beyond innovation which must be considered by an organisation. The essay thus concludes that innovation is a necessary component of a successful strategy in that it is able to generate a sustainable competitive advantage for a business but that it is not sufficient in and of itself: an organisation must consider more than innovation if it is to develop an effective strategy. Innovation is usually defined as ‘the successful commercial exploitation of new ideas or simply as ‘the successful implementation of new ideas. This encompasses ideas that are ‘new to the world, ‘new to an industry or merely ‘new to a particular firm (Gabriel, 2008, p. 146). The prominence given to the role of innovation in strategy is to a large extent the result of the prevailing social and economic conditions. In what Peter Drucker the most influential management thinker of the second-half of the twentieth century termed the ‘knowledge economy that has emerged due to the rise of the service industry and decline of manufacturing since the end of the Second World War, business organisations have increasingly had to react to change more rapidly if they wish to succeed in the marketplace (Drucker, 1992, p. 263). Indeed, so important is the successful implementation of new ideas that Drucker famously reflected that: ‘Business has only two bas ic functions marketing and innovation (Kotler Armstrong, 2008, p. 40). In other words, a business organisation must first create a customer, but consequently that business must constantly adapt to provide the necessary goods and services to keep them making a profit: they must pursue innovation both to survive and to thrive. Having explored the nature of innovation, it is useful now to define what is meant by ‘strategy, and examine briefly why it matters. The nature of strategy has traditionally been a contentious issue. A helpful starting point for understanding the concept is found in Anthony Henrys (2008) Understanding Strategic Management, where he provides a synopsis of forty years of heated debate on the issue. He first outlines that, ‘there is agreement that the role of strategy is to achieve competitive advantage for an organisation. He then continues: ‘Competitive advantage may usefully be thought of as that which allows an organisation to meet consumers needs better than its rivals . . . [and] its source may derive from a number of factors including its products or services, its culture, its technological know-how, and its processes (Henry, 2008, p. 4). It is an important issue for a business because a strategy which can enable a sustainable competitive advantage will allow an organisation to generate super-normal returns, and will have a distinct impact on overall organisational performance: an effective strategy can add value (Kay, 1995). Herein lies the essence of the role of innovation in strategy it is often a key component of a sustainable competitive advantage. For instance, Grant (2005, p. 513) has observed from empirical evidence based on such successful companies as 3M, Wal-Mart, and Toyota that, ‘ultimately, the only sustainable competitive advantage is the ability to create new sources of competitive advantage. Firms with a fixed commitment to innovation seem to prosper in the modern ‘knowledge economy. For instance, Apple a company which this essay examines in more depth below has become synonymous with strategic innovation. In Fortunes Americas Most Admired Companies 2008, Apple topped the chart. A senior commentator reflected on this development with the following remark: Apple not only takes the No. 1 slot on this years list of Americas Most Admired Companies but also tops the global survey and wins the highest marks for innovation too. Thats probably no coincidence. In an industry that changes every nanosecond, the 32-year-old company has time and again innovated its way out of the doldrums. Rivals always seem to be playing catch-up. (Fisher, 2008) Moreover, innovation can be key to preventing ‘strategic drift. Strategic drift is the tendency for strategies to develop incrementally on the basis of historical and cultural influences but to fail to keep pace with a changing environment (Johnson, Scholes, Whittington, 2008, p. 179). This is what happened to Sainsburys who were one of the most successful food retailers in the world until the early 1990s, using a tried-and-tested formula of selling high quality food at reasonable prices. Its strategy consisted of gradually extending its product lines, enlarging its stores, and expanding its geographical coverage; but under no circumstances would it deviate from its traditional ways of doing business (Johnson, Scholes, Whittington, 2008, p. 179). However, during Sainsburys period of strategic drift, its rival Tesco followed a policy of ruthless innovation developing Club-Card marketing, building a successful on-line retailing capability, and implementing new ideas to radica lly reduce its distribution costs (IMD, 2008). By having a strategy centred on innovation, therefore, Tesco was able to both establish a competitive advantage and avoid strategic drift. It was, in short, able to develop a strategy which added value, and which made the business organisation much more profitable. So where can business organisations look for innovation how can they promote it more effectively? Peter Drucker has suggested that there are seven areas where companies should look for such opportunities. These have been expertly surmised by Hindle (2008, p. 105), as being: ‘the unexpected success that is rarely dissected to see how it has occurred; any incongruity between what actually happens and what was expected to happen; any inadequacy in a business process that is taken for granted; a change in industry or market structure that takes everyone by surprise; demographic changes caused by things like wars, migrations or medical developments (such as the birth-control pill); changes in perception and fashion brought about by changes in the economy; and changes in awareness caused by new knowledge. Moreover, although it is often the case that ‘innovation has been used interchangeably with the term â€Å"creativity† (Forrester 1993, p. 3; cited in Thompson McHugh , 2002, p. 255), Drucker insists that this ought never to limit a business, claiming that: ‘There are more ideas in any organization, including businesses, than can possibly be put to use (Drucker, 1964, p. 188). Across the literature on innovation, there seems to be a general agreement with this approach set out above: that the opportunities for innovation are multitudinous, and that by paying attention to such factors organisations can develop strategies which can lead to a sustainable competitive advantage and prevent strategic drift. A brief case-study of Apple will help demonstrate how this theory outlined above works in practice, and help us to better understand the ways management can promote innovation in organisations. First, Apple appreciates that innovation is an inexact science: as the CEO and cofounder of Apple, Steve Jobs, puts it: ‘You cant ask people what they want if its around the next corner rather you have to simply provide what you think they might want (Morris, 2008). To guide them, Apple looks to the areas mentioned by Drucker above to gain insights into such potential needs and wants. Apple employees in particular focus on the inadequacies in every-day technology processes that are currently taken for granted, and innovate in these areas. New-product development, according to Apple sources, occurs as a result of conversations such as: ‘What do we hate? (Our cellphones.) What do we have the technology to make? (A cellphone with a Mac inside.) What would we like to own? (You guessed it, an iPhone) (Morris, 2008). Moreover, at Apple, innovation is centred on producing technology the employees really want: as Jobs says, ‘One of the keys to [innovation at] Apple is that we build products that really turn us on (Morris, 2008). This results in an organisation thoroughly committed to the successful commercial exploitation of new ideas at a strategic, operational and tactical level. Indeed Morris (2008), observing the culture of innovation at Apple, has pointed out that: ‘You wont find that word on a placard or a piece of propaganda at One Infinite Loop, Apples headquarters . . . there innovation is a way of life. It is this culture that ‘provides the push to overcome design and engineering obstacles, [and] to bring projects in on time (Morris, 2008). Thus a commitment to a strategy of innovation should foster a culture which reflects this aim of management, as this can lead to the organisation innovating more effectively. Finally, it is important to note the impact of a strategy centred on innovation upon the performance of Apple. It has astounded commentators with one perplexed writer asking: ‘who knew [Apple] could build a . . . [successful] company on the strength of a portable jukebox and a computer with a single-digit market share? (Elmer-DeWitt, 2008). Indeed, the company has been monetarily hugely successful as a result of the innovation it has pioneered. In the 5 years ending in March 2008, sales of Apple wares tripled to $24 billion; and profits rose to $3.5 billion, from a mere $42 million only five years before. Morris (2008) sums up the position of Apple thus: [It] set the gold standard for corporate America with an entirely new business model: creating a brand, morphing it, and reincarnating it to thrive in a disruptive age. . . Apple has demonstrated how to create real, breathtaking growth by dreaming up products so new and ingenious that they have upended one industry after another: consumer electronics, the record industry, the movie industry, video and music production. Thus innovation can play a key role in an organisations strategy, and it can often be effectively promoted by following the theory of Drucker and the practices of Apple. Nevertheless, it is important to note that there are limitations on the role of innovation in strategy. First, ‘strategic drift may not be such a bad thing after all. This is a view outlined by John Kay (2009) in his article History vindicates the science of muddling through. He contrasts the views of the American political scientist Charles Lindblom (published in 1959) with those of Dr H. Igor Ansoff. Lindblom supported a view of incremental adaptation by organisations to changes in their environment; Ansoff proposed a design-orientated, purposive approach to strategy. However, Kay then points that in terms of the organisational case-studies used to support each view Saint-Gobain for Lindbolm; the US conglomerates TRW and Litton for Ansoff the clear winner emerges as Saint-Gobain, a company which adopted a q uasi-strategic drift approach to their strategy, which is still going strong while the other companies have suffered catastrophic failure. Thus, it seems that sometimes simply ‘muddling through can constitute an effective strategy perhaps a firm commitment to innovation is not necessary after all. Moreover, innovation is not the sole component of an effective strategy, and it never can be. Organisations must consider a range of other issues. For instance, business organisations ought to consider issues highlighted by Michael Porters ‘Five Forces model. This shows how the strategic situation of a company can be established by investigating the power of suppliers, the power of buyers, the threat of substitution, the threat of new entrants, as well as the degree of competitive rivalry between the industrys firms. An organisation must consider innovation if it is to ensure that it continues to have an effective strategy in the medium to long term, but it must also pay attention to these other aspects of strategy innovation is necessary, but it is not sufficient. Thus innovation is a necessary component of a successful strategy in that it is able to generate a sustainable competitive advantage for a business. However, it is not sufficient: an organisation must consider other issues as well as innovation if it is to develop an effective strategy. Nevertheless, by following the theory of Drucker and learning from the practices of Apple, management can promote innovation in organisations. And if this is done effectively, innovation can play a key role in what every business organisation seeks: a competitive strategy which adds real value. References: Drucker, P. (1964). Managing for results: economic tasks and risk-taking decisions. California: Harper Row. Drucker, P. (1992). The age of discontinuity: guidelines to our changing society. 2nd ed. New Jersey: Transaction Publishers. Elmer-DeWitt, P. (2008, March 3). Americas Most Admired Companies 2008. Retrieved November 24, 2009, from Fortune Web site: http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/fortune/0802/gallery.mostadmired_top20.fortune/index.html Fisher, A. (2008, March 3 ). Innovation Rules. Retrieved November 24, 2009, from Fortune Web site: http://money.cnn.com/2008/02/29/news/companies/fisher_amac.fortune/index.htm 2008 Gabriel, Y. (2008). Organizing Words: A Critical Thesaurus for Social and Organization Studies. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Grant, R. M. (2005). Contemporary strategy analysis. 5th ed. London: Wiley-Blackwell. Henry, A. (2008). Understanding Strategic Management. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Hindle, T. (2008). Guide to Management Ideas and Gurus. London: Profile Books. IMD. (2008). Tesco: Keeping the Hard Discounters at Bay? Switzerland: IMD International. Johnson, G., Scholes, K., Whittington, R. (2008). Exploring corporate strategy: text cases. 8th ed. Harlow: Pearson Education. Kay, J. (1995). Foundations of corporate success: how business strategies add value. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Kay, J. (2009, March 15). History vindicates the science of muddling through. Retrieved December 13, 2009, from John Kay Web sit: http://www.johnkay.com/in_action/604 Kotler, P., Armstrong, G. (2008). Principles of Marketing. 13th ed. London: Pearson Education Ltd. Morris, B. (2008, March 17). What makes Apple Golden? Retrieved October 27, 2009, from Fortune Web site: http://money.cnn.com/2008/02/29/news/companies/amac_apple.fortune/index.htm?postversion=2008030309 Thompson, P., McHugh, D. (2002). Work Organisations. 3rd ed. London: Palgrave.

International Warfare Essay -- American History Essays

International Warfare International warfare has always been a topic of debate and that debate increased greatly throughout the 1990s. The conduct of individual states, previously regarded as an exclusively domestic matter, is now of international concern. That international concern has spread to encompass several areas within the domain of international warfare, from the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty to the Genocide Convention to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction. It is this last treaty that has been the subject of much international attention in the last few years. That attention was generated through a multitude of causes including: the joint awarding of the 1997 Nobel Peace Price to Jody Williams and the International Campaign to Ban Landmines; the involvement of the late Princess Diana with the cause; the awareness efforts of organizations such as Amnesty International to publicize the effects of mines; and , last but not least, the drafting and signing into effect of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction. The resulting media coverage and public awareness has resulted in increased initiatives to ban land mines and public outcry over the effect of landmines on affected areas. It is those effects and initiatives that provide the motivation for the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Landmines and on their Destruction and some of the controversy surrounding it. According to the Mine Action Information Center at James Madison University, eighty nations and territories thro... ... mines are impressive and the educational initiatives helpful, but the realities remain. The United States needed to provide an example back in 1997 of how a country maintains a humanitarian focus while refining the rules of war. Instead, the United States hid behind President Clinton’s pleas on the behalf of American troops and the limited aid efforts it provided. 2002 places the United States at a precipice and the time to choose is now. Currently engaged in a war without an end in sight, the United States is focused on the now and the methods of warfare. Reform efforts are far from the top of the list, but they should be right up there. There is no better time to send the message that although America is pursuing victory at what seems all costs, the U.S. still realizes that â€Å"at all costs† is not just for now but that the effects reach far into the future.

Death Penalty :: essays research papers fc

Death Penalty In 1972, the Supreme Court declared that under then existing laws "the imposition and carrying out of the death penalty ... constitutes cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments." The majority of the Court concentrated its objections on the way death-penalty laws had been applied, finding the result so "harsh and freakish" as to be constitutionally unacceptable. In 1976 more than 600 people had been sentenced to death under new capital-punishment statutes that provided guidance for the jury's sentencing decision. These statutes typically require a two-stage trial procedure, in which the jury first determines guilt or innocence and then chooses imprisonment or death in the light of aggravating or relieve circumstances. Executions proceeded throughout 1977 and in the early 1990s nearly 3000 people were sentenced to that death penalty and more then 180 had been executed. The death penalty does not arise from misplaced sympathy for convicted murderers. Murder demonstrates a lack of respect for human life. For this very reason, murder is despicable, and any policy of state-authorized killings is immoral. The death penalty could also be a good thing. If crazy people out there realize what the high consequences are for killing someone they may think twice before acting on hurting someone. Most people don't know which side to go on when it comes to the death penalty. Of course if it has to do with your family or close friends you will have no question about whether or not you should spare someones life that didn't spare your family member or close friends. People should suffer the way they made their victims suffer to see what it feels like to know they're going to die. To feel the pain the victim went through the moment they acted on their rage of having to hurt someone. Capital punishment does not stop crime, and the death penalty is uncivilized in theory and unfair. I do not think it is right no matter what the person did to sentence them to death.

Smokng in Bars :: essays research papers fc

Smoking in Bars   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Within the last several years, health issues toward smoking have become a very popular issue. All over the nation, college students are having to deal with secondhand smoke any time they want to go out and socialize with their friends in a bar. Secondhand smoke can be very detrimental to anybody that it encounters. It is associated with an increased risk for lung cancer and coronary heart disease in nonsmoking adults (TIPS). For years communities have been working to get smoking out of their workplaces, restaurants, and now they are pushing to ban smoking from bars. If you are a non-smoker, this is a very positive movement. It is never very much fun when you go into a bar to hang out with some friends and the whole place is covered with smoke. The whole next day, on top of maybe having a slight hangover, you will probably be coughing up a lung. Where is the fun in that? This law has already been passed in many places all over the United States. Only a select few are against what is trying to be done. When these laws were being debated at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, some bar and restaurant owners showed up to voice their opinions. They called it extremist, draconian and overly broad, saying it would cause the loss of jobs and the loss of city liquor taxes. They also said the law would set an uneven playing field because it allows smoking at restaurants with outdoor patios (Cooper). Of course, you might upset a few customers, but are people going to quit coming? Troja, a manager at Johnny’s Tavern in Lawrence, does not foresee the ordinance chasing customers away. â€Å"When it comes down to it,† he said, â€Å"they’re not going to stop going to their favorite tavern just because they can’t smoke there† (Cooper, par.7). An estimated 1,700 cities across the country restrict smoking, but only 74 have smoking bans that, like in Lawrence, include the workplace as well as restaurants and bars. (Cooper) This is great. Why can’t more people follow suit? An estimated 3,000 lung cancer deaths and 35,000 heart disease deaths occur annually among adult nonsmokers in the United States as a result of exposure to secondhand smoke (TIPS). College students do not realize that they are putting themselves at risk every time they step foot into these bars.

Genetically Modified Food Essay

Did you know that 62 countries have strict laws against genetically modified foods? 30 of those 62 have eliminated or almost completely banned genetically modified foods from their market (Partovi). All of Europe has almost completely done away with these altered forms of comestibles and requires labeling for anything with even a trace of modified content. GMOs (genetically modified organisms) are in nearly 80 percent of the United States processed foods (Lowery). These genetically modified foods have been linked to several serious health conditions. Among these threats are: obesity, ADHD, and cancer. These foods should be restricted from our American markets. Obesity now kills more people than starvation and malnutrition (Barrow). In America, 63 percent of Americans are overweight (Fox). In places such as Europe, where GMO foods are highly restricted, there are lower rates. America has the highest number of obese people in the world (Fox). Places where GMOs are not present or are harder to find and labeled, there is a lower percentage of overweight people. Monsanto, the world’s largest GMO producer, conducted 3 separate studies of GMO foods affect on animals (Tencer). These findings were published in the International Journal of Biological Sciences. Their test concluded overall increases in the animal’s body weight as compared to the animals starting weight, and the control group. It also showed that â€Å"GM maize varieties induce a state of hepatorenal [i. e. kidney and liver] toxicity. † († Does Genetically Modified (GM) Food Increase the Incidence of Obesity, 2012). Another link to GMO foods has been ADD, and ADHD. I myself have ADD and have done very extensive research on it. I do my best to eat natural foods and do not touch fast foods or soda and a majority of most sweets and junk foods. In animals fed GMO foods, studies have shown that there are similar patterns of behavior and similar physiological issues that plague people with ADD and ADHD. These problems are signs that exhibit quick irritation, aggressiveness and hyperactivity (Daniels). One scientist commented on this study and said, â€Å"They have all of the severe allergy responses, the inflammation and the reddening†¦ the intestinal lining is deteriorating. † (Daniels). This is reflected in people with autism, a mental disability that many psychologists believe umbrellas the ADD and ADHD disability. Another factor driving more children to develop ADD and ADHD are the pesticides used on GMO foods. A study discovered that pesticide by-products were found in the urine of the 1,140 children sampled. â€Å"Children with substantially higher levels of a breakdown product of neurotoxic organophosphate pesticides were twice as likely to be diagnosed with ADHD. † (Zerbe). These pesticides are designed to attack the neurological system of pest, but have been linked to harming humans as well. One of GMO foods worst problems is its link to cancer. In a 2 year study done with rats (yes, done with more animals), the results of GMO foods were shocking. The control group was fed only clean foods, while the test group was fed only GMOs. The test showed that 50 percent more of the test rats died prematurely and 50 percent more of the females developed large tumors and cancer. The tumors in the test group were two to three times larger than the control group and developed in half the time it took the control group (Poulter). Quite of few GMO foods have been linked to cancer through carcinogens. These foods contain small trace amounts of carcinogens. Milk containing rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone) is the more notable of these foods; containing higher amounts of carcinogens than most other GMO foods (Collier). Very few studies of the long term effects of GMO foods have been done in America. Short term studies show GMO foods don’t harm us in anyway because they only contain slight amounts of pesticide, poisons, toxins, or carcinogens. 62 countries have strictly regulated or banned these foods because of the possible effects and long term studies of GMO foods. The problems and medical conditions these foods have been linked to are very serious and affect our entire nation. Most of our food has some sort of genetically modified content. Monsanto itself has concluded that GMO foods are harmful to animals, yet they continue to produce and distribute the genetically modified foods anyway. In fact, the Monsanto Protection Act (officially named Section 735) actually â€Å"effectively bars federal courts from being able to halt the sale or planting of controversial genetically modified (aka GMO) or genetically engineered (GE) seeds, no matter what health issues may arise concerning†¦. † (Connor). This basically means we can be fed poison and our own government could not stop them. We should stop the process of all GMO foods until we have researched enough about them to develop safe, poison free foods. Partovi, Ali. â€Å"Are Un-Labeled Genetically Modified Foods Already in Circulation? † The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost. com, 08 Jan. 2013. Web. 28 Apr. 2013. Lowery, Kate. â€Å"Studies Show GMOs in Majority of U. S. Processed Foods, 58 Percent of Americans Unaware of Issue. † Studies Show GMOs in Majority of U. S. Processed Foods, 58 Percent of Americans†¦ Whole Foods Market, 07 Oct. 2012. Web. 26 Apr. 2013. Barrow, Martin. â€Å"Obesity Kills More than Hunger in March of ‘progress'† The Times. The Times, 14 Dec. 2012. Web. 26 Apr. 2013. Fox, Elizabeth. â€Å"Obesity in America Compared to Europe. † LIVESTRONG. COM. Live Strong, 21 Dec. 2010. Web. 26 Apr. 2013. Tencer, Daniel. â€Å"Monsanto, World’s Largest Genetically Modified Food Producer, To Be Charged With Biopiracy In India (VIDEO). † The Huffington Post. The Huffington Post, 10 Mar. 2011. Web. 26 Apr. 2013. â€Å"Global Research. † Does Genetically Modified (GM) Food Increase the Incidence of Obesity? Washingtons Blog, 20 Mar. 2012. Web. 26 Apr. 2013. Daniels, Diane. â€Å"Are Genetically Modified Foods Contributing to the Rise in Autism? † Brain Works. Brain Worls, 14 May 2012. Web. 26 Apr. 2013. Zerbe, Leah. â€Å"Pesticides in food linked to ADHD in kids† Msnbc. com. Rodale, 09 Nov. 2011. Web. 27 Apr. 2013. Poulter, Sean. â€Å"Cancer Row over GM Foods as Study Says It Did THIS to Rats†¦and Can Cause Organ Damage and Early Death in Humans. † Mail Online. Daily Mail UK, 19 Sept. 2012. Web. 27 Apr. 2013. Collier, Richard. â€Å"Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH)/Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin (rBST). † Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH)/Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin (rBST). Breast Cancer Fund, n. d. Web. 28 Apr. 2013. Sheets, Connor. â€Å"‘Monsanto Protection Act’: 5 Terrifying Things To Know About The HR 933 Provision. † International Business Times. International Business Times, 27 Mar. 2013. Web. 28 Apr. 2013.

Practicing the Democracy in the Philippines

How does People Power became a bad habit? How does Edsa 3 fail? Where does President Marcos fall short when there are many people tell that he was a good leader in terms of economic development? Was he corrupt? Why Benigno Aquino focuses on â€Å"assassination† on his interviews? Why was Benigno Aquino be the first to get off to the airplane? Why there was no bodyguard to take care of him? Did Ninoy know that he will soon die? Was it sacrifice? Why does he need to do that so? When people don’t like the operation of the government, they just go out to the office and shout. Rebellion against the government is what will happen. This is what we call People Power. When thousands and even millions of people grouped together to commit one common goal – a big changes can happen, Changes in the government, administration, community and also â€Å"position†. All can change but not the attitude of every Filipino. Honestly, For me, We Filipino are lazy, We only think is ourselves. We don’t know how to cooperate with the leaders. We don’t give our trust. Instead, We are â€Å"Juan Tamad† waiting for the guava fell from the hand of our leader. We don’t know how to work for ourselves. We always want help from the government and that is what the government is offering to us but we don’t give any help in return. Why do we always put our anger to the president? The president could not monitor each one of us that is why we have a respected leader in our respected place. We can be a leader in ourselves. All we need is discipline and the word of God to govern us. While I was walking in gastambide Street last night, I saw some student throwing garbage in the street. I felt madness. Our leader will not go there to pick it up and put it to the garbage can for them. Laziness. I heard the one said, â€Å"sus! May magwawalis naman jan. † I got angry, but I can’t speak. Don’t they have discipline? Don’t they have an ethics class? Do they know about ethics? Yes, they have freedom to throw it there but they must not forget that there is a rule. Democracy was granted to us with the help of the Aquinos but we must not forget our responsibility. A â€Å"lack of help† turns to anger, making people march out to Edsa. Laziness. Let us differentiate Filipino from Chinese. The answer is already there. Poor become more poorer and richer become more richer. We Filipino give so much dependence to the government where in fact, we can do it alone and share it with others. All because of laziness. This attitude makes People Power a bad habit. It’s like saying, â€Å"Ang gusto ko ibigay mo, kung hindi paalisin ka namin dyan sa pwesto mo. † It is saddening to note that it is a wrong practice of democracy. People Power is not Rebellion and not even rally. Nowadays, It is used to commit power and it is so sad. While doing this report, a news in a television got my attention. It was about the killing of the journalists. They were asking, where is democracy? I look for the meaning in my dictionary, it says,†Democracy is a form of government by the people through elected representatives. † A certain site from the Internet says â€Å"Democracy is a political government either carried out by the people (direct democracy), or the power to govern is granted to elected representatives†. Simply for me, it means freedom, the power is for people. Now, I understand. Former President Ferdinand Marcos took his responsibility carefully. He was an intelligent man. He knows how to speak to the different kinds of people in the society from elite to the poor. He had many plan to put this country to the top. But this plan turned him to a greedy one. But what was the problem? FM forgot about democracy. He forgot to appreciate the capabilities of others to lead and instead he depended on his own knowledge and skills. He forgot the rights of the people and instead he became a dictator. That was a big problem for a country that practices democracy. Even the right to vote – the simplest form to practice democracy in this country was taken. Because of that, A brave man named â€Å"Ninoy Aquino† decided to make change. This man sacrifices his self to open the eyes of every Filipino to fight for their rights. He said that â€Å"Filipino is worth dying for†. A dramatic quote which make me feel proud of being a Filipino. Why wonder I typed â€Å"I am proud of being a Filipino† in my friendster, facebook and multiply account. Every Filipino knows what â€Å"L† signs mean, Yellow Ribbon, Ninoy eyeglasses, yellow shirt. I hope that these are not only a trend to Filipino Fashion but rather I hope that every Filipino will use it to hold and to preserve the good things that Ninoy and Cory did. I am not forcing everyone to vote for Noynoy but I am hoping that if Noynoy wins, Nonoy will do the same to promote democracy for I believe Like father, like son. He grew up to the family who fights for democracy and I am hoping he will do the same. Looking back to the Edsa People Power days, I was really amazed to see millions of people fight for freedom. I am wishing that millions of people will work also for the benefit of our country and I hope our leaders will cooperate. It is so dramatic to watch the part where people and the soldier joined together. I Thanked God for having Cory and Ninoy for our country. If only I was born back then, I will also march up to Edsa to fight for democracy. There is a feeling of patriotism in me while watching that documentary. I really appreciate what Ninoy, Cory and the rest did. God granted democracy to us with the help of these people. We have to use it wisely. We must practice it rightly and we must not forget our duty and responsibility. We must not forget the people behind this movement. From Rizal to Ninoy to Cory and to the future hero. Let us not forget what democracy means hoping to preserve these people and Edsa not only to a page in history books but also within our hearts and warriors will lead that.