AMERICANS GETTING TOUGH :: essays research papers

In a time that Americans are feeling very unsure about our safety, I fully agree with the Patriot act, which was passed only six weeks after September eleventh. It is time we start protecting America. The patriot act is crucial to national security.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I do not feel that the war on terror has opened the doors to abuse of civil rights of the prisoners being held at Guantanamo Bay Naval base in Cuba. I feel that we need to be more cautious of who we let walk our streets. We have to remember the visions of September eleventh, they were not pretty and many innocent people died. Had we been more cautious then on who we let into our country, we would not have been as vulnerable and the incident of September eleventh might not have happened. If we detained some of these prisoners for a long period of time, until we can be completely sure that they are not a threat to us Americans, than so be it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to CNN.com prisoners at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base which is referred to as â€Å"Camp x-ray† are provided with an eight-by-eight foot outdoor cell with a concrete floor, roof and surrounded by a chain linked fence. On arrival they are given a mat to sleep on, a towel for showers and a towel for praying . They are given soap, toothpaste, a toothbrush and they are able to take a shower each day. They get served three meals a day with water. Two meals are hot and one meal meets the Muslim religious requirements. On entry they are provided with medical care. According to US Attorney General John Ashcroft, â€Å"They have the right food, shelter and the right environment to avoid injury†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I think we are providing these prisoners more comfort than the many homeless people living in the United States. It is sad that we worry more about the prisoners who are a potential threat to all Americans than we do for our own people who have been American citizens all of their life. We need to get a grip on reality... this is war!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  According to Eugene Fidell, these detainees who are labeled enemy combatants will be able to have what is called a revue tribunal. The purpose of this will decide whether the detainees qualify for this label. The board who will decide this is made up of three military officers, people who had no prior involvement in the decision to label enemy combatants.

To his Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell and The Flea by John Donne Essay

To his Coy Mistress by Andrew Marvell and The Flea by John Donne Two of the poems in Best Words are seduction poems, rather than love poems. These are To his coy mistress by Andrew Marvell and The Flea by John Donne. Compare these two poems by analysing: -  · Each poets intention  · Form of the poem  · Language used in the poem  · Your reaction to the unromantic poems. ‘Let me not to the marriage of true minders/Admit impediments, love is not love’, is one of many famous love sonnets written by William Shakespeare. He had examined different parts of love and descried to explain them in a sonnet; where as other poets have written poems with different forms and structure on their points of views about relationships and seduction. In my essay I intend to compare the similarities and differences in two different poems. They are, ‘To his coy mistress’ by Andrew Marvell which is about time and ‘The Flea’ by John Donne, to answer, ‘Are these poems really dominant with seduction?’ Firstly one similarity between Marvell’s ‘To his coy mistress’ and Donne’s ‘The Flea’ is how they both have the same intention of seducing their mistress. This is shown by ‘oh stay, thee lives in one flea spare’ and ‘and now, like amorous birds of prey. It is evident that love is not a key feature of the poet’s relationship. It’s more like a balancing act of power between them. However their mistress refuses to succumb to their master’s advantages, which lets the women be in control. This is seen by how in the 17th century, men had the say for everything that happened, so the two versifier try to seduce their mistress. It is evident that the two authors go about it in different ways. In ‘To his coy mistress’ by Marvell he... ...and Donne had generally similar ideas, on how to bed their mistress. This is shown by sharing the same, aim of the poem, through their very own mistress. The similarities can be seen by the structure and language that are also. However if that was me in that position, I would tried to out wit Donne, by showing how his intellectual powers, wouldn’t out mind me; because I would try and impersonate what the poet was trying to do, so that the poet’s intentions wouldn’t of happened, as I would make sure I was in control of the relationship. Now I will let you think of something and that is†¦What would you have done back in the 17th century? And what do you think of the poet’s back then now in the 21st century? I’ll leave that to you to think about that and how women were treated for the use of sex and not treated for their personality within that time period.

North Korea and the Nuclear Crisis: The Awkward US-DPRK-ROK Relations E

The recent turn of events in North Korea with its alleged admission to possessing nuclear weapon has created nervous tension in the Far East region. Specifically, North Korea has recently transformed the existing bilateral U.S.-ROK alliance into an awkward triangular ROK-U.S.-DPRK dynamic, significantly complicating the previous bilateral relationships amongst the three as well as making these relationships more difficult to manage. We will trace the development of these relations, to gain a better insight into this long standing conflict and to assess better the future implications surrounding these tensions. Background History of Korea At the turn of the century, Korea was annexed by the neighboring Japan, ending the rule of Korean dynasty and independence. Korea was under Japanese control for 35 years from 1910-1945 and the colonial rule was highly repressive and exploitative. Freedom of speech and press was non-existent, human rights were completely disregarded, farm lands were confiscated under various pretexts, economic and educational opportunities were extremely limited, and Korean workers and peasants alike were exploited under the repressive rule of the Japanese. Japanese surrendered to the Allies on August 15 1945, and the Cairo Declaration of December 1943 issued by the British and US leaders stated that "in due course Korea shall become free and independent". The USSR accepted the Cairo agreement, but proposals made by the USA in 1945 led to the division of Korea into two military zones: the area south of the 38th parallel line under US occupation and the northern area under the Soviet control. In 1948, after some quarrels over the type of state to be established in the Korean Peninsula, the two ... ...na.rpo.at/dprk.html Bibliography Cordesman, Anthony H. â€Å"Is There a Crisis in US and North Korean Relations?† http://www.csis.org/features/cord_nkorea.pdf 30 December 2002. Feffer, John. â€Å"Bush Policy Undermines Progress on Korean Peninsula.† Public Policy in Focus. March 2002. Oh, Kongdan. â€Å"Terroism Eclipses the Sunshine Policy: Inter-Korean Relations and the United States.† Asia Society, 2002. Robertson, Jeffrey. â€Å"New Dynamics in U.S.-Korean Relations.† Global Affairs Commentary. 7 January 2003. Robertson, Jeffrey. â€Å"The Anti-American Blowback from Bush’s Korea Policy.† Global Affairs Commentary. January 2003. Shorrock, Tim. â€Å"Roh’s Election Victory and the Widening Gap Between the U.S. and South Korea.† Global Affairs Commentary. 7 January 2003. The Europa world year book. London, England: Europa Publications Limited, 1989. 30th ed.

Abuse of Prescription Drugs on College Campuses

Abuse of Drugs on College Campuses Today on college campuses, it is not possible to make it through college without knowing someone who has at least tried a prescription drug or recreational drug for either party uses, to help them study and keep up in school, or simply to help them get by day-to-day essay writer toronto. Maybe you have tried them yourself? College students all across the nation are abusing substances such as Adderall, Vicodin, Oxycontin, marijuana, cocaine, heroin, etc. Those students who drink alcohol are more likely to use prescription drugs for non-medical uses than non-drinkers.The number one way students are getting their hands on these different drugs is from the help of their peers. As for prescriptions, others steal it from their family members in their medicine cabinets at home if it is available. Like any drug, your body will build up a tolerance when you take it regularly resulting in dependence of that drug and/or need of higher dosages. Some people even fake symptoms to get prescribed the drug needed. For example, there are multiple websites on how to fake ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) so your doctor will prescribe you Adderall.Prescription Drugs All this talk and we do not know what Adderall even is. Adderall (amphetamine, dextroamphetamine mixed salts) is a prescription drug that is generally prescribed to treat people with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) or ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Some side effects are euphoria, restlessness, headache, dryness of mouth, insomnia, and even anorexia because of loss of appetite. Adderall is a central nervous system stimulant which can result in stroke or even death if the proper precautions are not met.This stimulant causes an increase in average heart rate about 3-6 beats per minute and an increase of average blood pressure about 2-4 mmHg (millimeters of mercury) (â€Å"Adderall†). As for Adderall’s contribution to college students, it is known as â€Å"Brain Steroids. † Some street names for it are addy, beans, black beauties, speed, double trouble, and Christmas trees. It is also known as cheap cocaine. Many students use it for late-night studying because the drug keeps you awake and alert for long periods of time. The problem is many students will do nything to get their hands on it in fear that they cannot do work without it. On the other hand, Adderall is also used as an all-night party drug. In the party scene, this is where Adderall is known as cheap cocaine. It is either taken orally or snorted before or while drinking alcohol, allowing the user to stay awake and drink for a longer period of time causing their BAL (Blood Alcohol Level) to continue to rise without the user falling asleep. This can not only lead to hospitalization but it can also lead to death. Adderall is being so widely used that the prescription is currently on a manufacturer backorder.The reason is because more and more people are be ing diagnosed with ADD and ADHD and in most cases I believe it is because people are faking the symptoms and doctors are too willingly writing out prescriptions. The DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) only releases a certain amount of the drug at a time in an attempt to prevent illegal abuse. With the demand of Adderall being so high at this time, its presence in the market is currently scarce. A story told in Texas showed that a man drove about 80 miles away from home to fill his prescription and paid $417 for the name brand Adderall (Keith).This story comes to show how addictive this drug can be. The central nervous system stimulant Adderall is not the only form of prescription drugs being abused. Pain killers are also being abused by students, Vicodin being one example. It is used to treat mild to severe pain with side effects of nausea, sedation, shallow breathing, slow heartbeat, confusion, and possible seizure (â€Å"Vicodin†). The abuse may begin when you break a bo ne and are in return prescribed Vicodin for the pain. You continue to take the drug until the pain goes away and may continue to take it after the pain is gone.I have personally seen this happen with a friend who recently broke his leg. This particular person has no more pain from the injury, but continues to take the Vicodin for recreational purposes and sometimes drinks alcohol while taking them. When mixing alcohol and Vicodin it causes an enhanced sedated feeling and/or respiratory depression making the effects life threatening. In addition to Vicodin, the pain killer Oxycontin is also widely abused. It is used to treat severe pain that is expected to last a prolonged amount of time.Oxycontin has many similar side effects of Vicodin along with sweating, itching, loss of appetite, and severe weakness. It works by blocking the brain from receiving pain messages. The reason Oxycontin is so dangerous is because it is highly addictive and is a central nervous system depressant. It is believed that a younger healthier college student is more likely to become addicted to the drug rather than an older adult taking it for pain reasons. This is because taking Oxycontin to get high has a completely different effect on the body (â€Å"Oxycontin†). Like most drugs, Oxycontin can be abused in many different forms.It can be taken orally, crushed up and snorted, or dissolved and injected. By crushing it up or injecting it, it causes an instant feeling of euphoria when it enters the body. Oxycontin is often called â€Å"poor man’s heroin† due to the fact that they both have comparable effects. When the user is exposed to constant amounts of high doses, dependence of the drug is nearly inevitable. College students do not understand the dangerous and deadly outcomes of abusing Oxycontin. There are many cases where young adults in college have died from abusing it as a party drug.One case at the University of California, a student was not so lucky. Daniel Ashkenazy, a pre-law student was found dead at the age of 20 the morning after a fraternity rush party after taking Oxycontin while drinking alcohol. The shocking part is that a lot of times there are no signs of drug abuse and you do not have to be addicted to the drug for it to kill you. Daniel was a junior at the college with a 3. 8 grade-point average and frequently spoke with his mother. Another case at Colorado State University, 20 year old John Hunter-Hauck was found dead by his roommates the day after an off-campus party.His autopsy revealed traces of Oxycontin and alcohol in his system which resulted in his death. Moving away from pain killers, Xanax is a highly abused prescription drug used to treat anxiety and panic disorders. Common street names for the drug are bars, blues, peaches, and handlebars. Xanax has a calming effect that controls the chemicals in your brain that cause anxiety. Some side effects may include drowsiness, depression, dry mouth, constipation, and h eadache. Students turn to this drug because it has similar effects of alcohol. Also, it is used to help take the edge off the constant stresses and demands that college puts on a student.When taking it in ‘bar’ form rather than the smaller dosage pill, the effects are so intense that you lose your ability to reason and think. When Xanax is mixed with alcohol, the effects are either intensified or reversed causing even greater anxiety because they are both central nervous system depressants (â€Å"Xanax†). Like Xanax, the prescription drug Valium is taken to reduce anxiety but it also used to treat muscle spasms and alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Some side effects may include dizziness, fatigue, and muscle weakness. When mixing Valium with alcohol you may experience difficulty breathing and it may cause you to pass out.If too much Valium or alcohol is taken, it could lead to a coma. The effects of alcohol are stronger and you are unable to drink a much as you normal ly do. After long term use, dependence may form. Insomnia, panic attacks, tremors, and/or depression may occur after a sudden stoppage from taking Valium (â€Å"Valium†). Prescription drug abuse among college students has become so rampant that there are parties specifically intended for exchanging these drugs. They are known as â€Å"pharm parties. † The basis of a â€Å"pharm party† is that everyone who attends brings their own prescription drugs and freely exchanges these drugs for other drugs.They sometimes even put all the pills into a large bowl and ingest whatever pills they pick out. Being that many of these individuals are willing to try anything new, they do not always know what prescription they are taking which results in different forms of potentially dangerous highs (Alexander). Even places one would believe to be a safe route for help are not always so safe. Recently in Indiana County, PA, a doctor at the Indiana Walk-in Clinic was arrested and ac cused of exchanging powerful pain medications for sexual favors. This just shows what extremes people will go through to get the drugs that they need.The doctor was providing prescriptions of Oxycodone to the patient despite the fact that he was aware she previously failed drug screenings at the clinic (â€Å"Indiana Co. Doctor†). So what happens when a college student is caught selling their prescription medication in the library during finals week or in the hallway of a school building? The consequence is that of a felony offense, although different states have different laws regarding the selling of a controlled substance. In some states you could be sentenced prison time or you could be let off on easier charges if you are a first time offender.The same ramification is in effect if you are caught purchasing the drug as well. Recreational Drugs Prescription drugs are not the only substances where abuse is a problem. On college campuses, alcohol is by far the most serious i ssue. Almost half of college students drink to the point of binge drinking or drink in greater excess. Binge drinking means a person’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) reaches 0. 08 grams percent or higher. The BAC generally reaches this after a man consumes 5 or more drinks or a woman consumes 4 or more drinks within 2 hours.This kind of drinking is what effects students the most. When under this influence, students are more likely to fall behind with school work, skip their classes, engage is risky or illegal activities, or be injured. The issue of binge drinking is not easily controlled due to the fact that alcohol fits within a student’s budget and it is very easy to access(â€Å"Alcohol’s Damaging Effects†).. Alcohol is used in many social situations in college such as fraternity/sorority parties, house parties, tailgating for sporting events, or just going to the bar.In these social settings, students are more likely to drink more in a short period of time resulting in a blackout. A blackout is where you are intoxicated to the point where you cannot remember specific events that take place or you may not remember anything from a certain point on (â€Å"Alcohol’s Damaging Effects†). This stage in consuming alcohol is the most dangerous because the person may have little or no memory of risky actions like driving under the influence, engaging in unprotected sex, or committing illegal acts (â€Å"Binge Drinking†). Some students are less fortunate nd instead of blacking out, the consequence is death. Samantha Spady, a sophomore at Colorado State University, was found dead at a fraternity house at the age of only 19. The cause of death being binge drinking. Binge drinking also leads to a high risk for sexual assault, where women are mostly the victims. After consuming over 10 drinks in one sitting, about 60% of young women are sexually assaulted after their first semester of college (â€Å"Freshman women†™s binge drinking†). Sexual assault can range anywhere from unwilling sexual interaction or even worse, rape.Since alcohol is the most frequently abused substance, marijuana is the runner-up (Boyum). Marijuana, also known as pot or weed, is usually smoked either like a cigarette (joint), blunt/cigar form, or from a pipe. It can also be ingested by cooking it into food or brewed into tea (â€Å"NIDA InfoFacts†). Marijuana is considered a gateway drug that opens up users to even harder and more dangerous drugs. The effects of smoking weed can include paranoia, random thinking, short term memory, anxiety, and distorted sense of time (â€Å"Marijuana Uses†).College students often turn to marijuana use because it helps to take the edge off of everyday college demands and responsibilities. Weed smokers are more likely to spend more time engaging in party-like activities rather than studying due to difficulty concentrating (Ray). Results from continued use will more t han likely result in poorer grades, possible changes in personal relationships, inability to retain new information, or difficulty comprehending information (Ray). Some say marijuana is addictive yet some say it is not. So what is an abused drug that is addictive?Cocaine. We have already found that Adderall is a central nervous system stimulant, and so is cocaine but highly more addictive and powerful. Cocaine (coke) is usually snorted but it can also be mixed into water and injected. Regardless the way it is used, it enters the bloodstream quickly and the effects only take seconds. The results are similar to that of Adderall yet much stronger causing very high levels of mental alertness and energy. It works by increasing the levels of dopamine in the brain which is a chemical associated with pleasure.Long term usage can cause addiction because it is disrupting the brain’s reward system and will not produce dopamine in a normal fashion as it did prior to using the drug. It ma y sound like an amazing drug that causes it’s user to have a feeling of euphoria each time it is used, but the problem is it is very easy to overdose. Over time, a tolerance may build up causing the user to take more and more of the drug attempting to achieve the euphoric feeling they had the first time they tried it. Needless to say, this can ultimately result in overdose and death (â€Å"NIDA InfoFacts†).Cocaine can even effect life decisions as serious as what college to attend. Paige, a student at the University of Miami made her decision to attend there because she found that coke was cheap and very easy to get. Luckily for Paige, she stopped using the drug after her first year attending the college because it stopped being a fun thing for her to do (Shepherd). Another case was that of a former student of the University of Miami, who was identified by her middle name Xavier. She stated that using coke not only affected her grades, but also her relationships with f riends.Her grades were so bad that she was unable to continue attending the university. Another effect of coke is loss of appetite, and Xavier even admitted that was one of the reasons she continued to use it. â€Å"It’s so addictive that your life revolves around coke,† she said. â€Å"I was failing school, and I wasn’t going to class because you don’t really have the desire for anything [while] on coke. † After leaving the university, she stopped using the drug and her grades have improved as she now attends Miami Dade in hopes to re-enroll at the University of Miami (Shepherd).In Andria Ziegler’s case, she was found dead at her Paradise Valley Community College professor’s home. The autopsy revealed the 19-year-old’s death was caused by an accidental cocaine overdose (â€Å"College Student Dies†). Another popular drug among college students has a completely different effect than any of the previous drugs. These drugs are called hallucinogens. A common form is LSD (Lysergic Acid Diathylamide), also known as acid. It most often comes in the form of blotter papers, which are small paper squares that are dipped in LSD. Other forms include powder, liquid, pills, and capsules.Taking the drug results in a â€Å"trip† lasting around 12 hours with feelings of mind-altering changes in thought and mood, distorted perceptions of reality, and can cause hallucinations (â€Å"LSD†). College students are attracted to acid because of its easy availability, cheap prices, and mind-altering perceptions (Loglisci). A user can either have a very pleasurable experience or have a very terrifying â€Å"bad trip†. Each time acid is taken the results are different and have extremely unpredictable outcomes. Not only does the trip affect you when you take it, but it may also result in flashbacks of the experience weeks or even months later.These recurrences are also unpredictable and will lessen over ti me(Hallucinogens). Another similar hallucinogenic drug linked to LSD is mushrooms. They are also known as magic mushrooms or shrooms which contain psilocybin (a hallucinogenic principle). Shrooms can either be orally ingested or brewed into tea and drank. They have very similar effects of acid being that they cause trips that can either be pleasant or terrifying but they also cause altered perceptions of sight, touch, and taste. The long term effects are the same and can cause horrific flashbacks that can occur long after taking the drug (â€Å"Mushrooms†).The scariest aspect of this drug is that when you are around the students taking it, you do not know what is going to happen, depending on the outcome of the trip. I have personally experienced a friend â€Å"tripping† on shrooms and it was not a pleasant experience. It happened to be a bad trip and he was severely depressed and talking about life in a very serious manner. It was quite a frightening experience. Altho ugh I have never seen anyone take acid, I was told a story from another friend who tried it. They were two students at IUP who were bored one night and decided to try the drug.My friend explained to me that the two of them sat in a room all night until morning writing their thoughts on post-it notes and sticking them all over the wall until it was covered. She said that the next day they read the notes and had not one clue as to what any of them meant because they did not remember what was going through their heads at the time of the trip. A case in New York showed that Michael Simmons, a 19-year-old student at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts was found dead after an 8-story fall from his dorm window.Nothing was posted about the autopsy, but friends said that it happened after Michael and a few others consumed hallucinogenic mushrooms (Feeney, Gendar, and Lauinger). It is a scary thought to think that if you take a hallucinogenic drug you could possibly have a terrifying experience, jump out of an 8-story window to your death, or possibly not remember anything at all. In conclusion, it is clear from the sources displayed in this article that recreational drugs and prescription drugs will always be in demand for certain users.As a responsible and sovereign society it is one’s personal responsibility to understand the threats and consequences of these substances. Recreational drugs and prescription drugs alike all have potentially harmful and sometimes fatal effect on the human body. The sad truth is that these drugs are all addictive and are easy to miss use in the wrong hands. Unfortunately this is a real and unfortunate fact of the world we live. Different individuals and personalities handle and make with decisions their own way. Drug use to some is a personal choice.With new knowledge in drug awareness it is our responsibility as a society and individuals to educate, influence, and prevent the harmful and potentially fatal effects of drug abuse. To avoid potentially harmful or life threatening situations please consider the data and message displayed in this paper. Works Cited â€Å"Adderall. † Rxlist. com. Rxlist, N. p. , Web 20 Oct. 2011. â€Å"Alcohol’s Damaging Effects On The Brain. † Nih. gov. National Institute On Alcohol Abuse And Alcoholism, Oct. 2004. Web. 23 Nov. 2011. Alexander, Deborah, â€Å"Pharm-Raised Teens Oxycontin Abuse Prevalent Among Adolescents,† alexanderlawoffice. om. N. p. , Web. 13 Oct. 2011. â€Å"Binge Drinking on College Campuses. † Cspinet. org. Center For Science In The Public Interest, Dec. 2008. Web. 23 Nov. 2011. Boyum, Richard. â€Å"A Two Edged Sword: Marijuana Use and College Students. † Selfcounseling. com. N. p. Web. 23 Nov. 2011. â€Å"College Student Dies After Overdosing on Cocaine at Home of Professor, Her Alleged Lover. † Foxnews. com. FOX News Network, 5 June 2008. Web. 23 Nov. 2011. â€Å"Coroner: Alcohol Poisoning Killed CSU Student. † Thedenverchannel. com. Denver News, 17 Sept. 2004. Web. 5 Dec. 2011. Feeney, Michael J. Alison Gendar, and John Lauinger. â€Å"Friends say mushrooms contributed to Brooklyn College student's fatal fall. † NY Daily Times. 10 Nov. 2010. Web. 23 Nov. 2011. â€Å"Freshman women’s binge drinking tied to sexual assault risk. † Jsad. com. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, Jan. 2012. Web. 5 Dec. 2011. â€Å"Hallucinogens. † Justive. gov. United States Drug Enforcement Administration, N. p. Web. 23 Nov. 2011. â€Å"Indiana Co. Doctor Charged With Trading Drugs for Sex. † Wpxi. com. 12 Oct 2011. Web. 20 Oct. 2011. Jacobs, Andrew, â€Å"The Adderall Advantage. † Nytimes. com. The New York Times, 31 July 2005.Web. 24 Oct. 2011. Keith, Damali, â€Å"Adderall Shortage Has Many Worried. † Myfoxhouston. com. 30 Aug. 2011. Loglisci, Caroline A. , â€Å"LSD popular for college students. † Dailycampus. com. The Daily Campus, 25 Apr. 2001. Web. 23 Nov. 2011. â€Å"LSD (Acid). † Drugabuse. com. National Institute on Drug Abuse, N. p. Web. 23 Nov 2011. â€Å"Marijuana Use and Its Effects. † Webmd. com. WebMD, N. p. Web. 23 Nov. 2011. â€Å"Mushrooms. † Drugfree. org. The Partnership at Drugfree. org, N. p. Web. 23 Nov. 2011. â€Å"NIDA InfoFacts: Cocaine. † Drugabuse. com. National Institute on Drug Abuse, N. p. Web. 23 Nov. 011. â€Å"NIDA InfoFacts: Marijuana. † Drugabuse. com. National Institute on Drug Abuse, N. p. Web. 23 Nov. 2011. â€Å"Oxycontin. † RxList. com. Rxlist, N. p. , Web. 13 Oct. 2011 Ray, Linda. â€Å"What Are the Effects of Marijuana Use on College Students? † Livestrong. com. 17 May 2011. Web. 23 Nov. 2011. Shepherd, Lauren. â€Å"Cocaine used by college students. † UPIU. com. UPIU, 19 Dec. 2008. Web. 23 Nov. 2011. â€Å"Vicodin. † RxList. com. Rxlist, N. p. , Web. 13 Oct. 2011 Williams, Eni, â€Å"Valium. † Rxlist. com. Rxlist, N. p. , Web. 13 Oct. 2011. â€Å"Xanax. † RxList. com. Rxlist, N. p. , Web. 13 Oct. 2011.

China a Threat to Indian Industry? Essay

1) Are Japanese products a threat to US industries? Â  Are Eastern EU products a threat to Western EU industries? 2) Is the Chinese Auto industries a threat to India? Dont know. Is the Chinese Food Product better than India? Dont think so. Is the Chinese Manga Books better than India? Dont think so. Is the Chinese textile industries a threat to India? Yes. Is the Indian software industries a threat to China? Yes. 3) As a wide range of cheap Chinese products flooded the Indian market, some local industries were adversely affected, while others benefitted by using these products as raw materials. 4) One-hour technology’ products from China started entering Indian households some years ago. Even though the majority of these products did not succeed in the Indian market due to their ‘inferior’ quality, the Chinese ‘invasion’ of our market is still continuing. The dumping of Chinese-made fans, locks, watches, bicycles, radios, batteries etc is slowly repl acing our own products and has become a threat to Indian industry. 5) China herself is one of the victims of the counterfeit products they produce; in the year 2001, fake and low-quality medicines produced in China killed about 192,000 people. 6) Many Indian companies have already shifted their production bases from small Indian towns and villages to China. This has resulted in unemployment for lakhs of workers, pushing them to the brink of starvation. China’s steady entry into our textile, food, information-technology, pharmaceutical, automobile and other sectors may result in the collapse of many Indian industries — in both organised and unorganised sectors. 7) The low rate comes due to the fact that the Chinese Government lends a subsidy ranging from 30 per cent to 100 per cent. The Chinese made goods, of better quality and low rate, have flooded the Indian market in hordes encompassing all types of products – chocolates, toys, garments, computer hardware, and so on, and are finding ready and eager takers among the Indian con sumers and this is the factor which has caused a great sense of uneasiness among the Indian industry community. 8) Cheap bulk drug imports from China may soon post a threat to the Rs 20,000 crore domestic bulk drug industry.Ind-Swift Laboratories, a pharmaceutical major based in Chandigarh, halted the production of roxycomycin and arithromycin last month. It is not Ind-Swift alone. Companies like Alembic, Kopran and Torrent are all bearing the brunt of Chinese imports. The consequences are severe on firms producing bulk drugs like azithromicin, clarithromycin, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, roxycomycin, cephalosporins and anti-quinolones. As a result, the pharma industry is losing business worth Rs 2,500 crore a year. 9) The price of a battery-operated Chinese car has fallen from Rs 300 two years ago to Rs 60. The fall in prices has caught the fancy of low-income families. There is no threat to our companies from cheap products imported from China 1) whatever products imported from China unfortunately are mostly below any standards or quality criteria. So the consumer is not very keen to purchase Chinese products in India except for the toys. But if you talk about the fluorescent lamps or electronic products nobody is buying them. 2) In the year 2000, Indian motorcycle makers were a worried lot. A number of them had announced plans to launch dirt-cheap Chinese bikes, fearing that such dumped motorcycles would swamp the Indian market. Today, the fear of Chinese motorcycles no longer stalks manufacturers. 3) Only one company, Monto Motors, launched Chinese motorcycles in the country. In a market, which sells over 2.5 million units a year, the firm claims to have sold around 15,000 bikes so far. 4) Dhoot and other Indian producers did face an initial challenge from Chinese brands like Konka and TCL, but these names failed to make headway. China has always been compared to India in terms of population and technological advancements. China undoubtedly has a humongous software market, but is definitely not a threat. * India has its own unique power and intelligence. * Indian IT companies have captured Asia and Japan as well. * India is becoming one of the world’s largest internet and mobile user’s country. * India’s mobile market is growing by leaps and bounds. * Most countries prefer employees from India rather than China because of communication barrier. English is spoken by almost all IT industries in India. * India has a large consumer and industrial market, all thirsting for products, with great brands and distribution networks.ForThere is no doubt that India may take many years to have a market like China. * China has a huge population. Moreover people there are advancing each passing day. * China launches new mobiles, technologies, automobiles almost everyday. * China’s automobile industry is much bigger than India’s. it can therefore serve quality products at lower cost. * China has a string support from the government. Indian IT industries have negligible support. * China launches many products like gadgets etc everyday. Because of this they can sell them at a cheaper rate.China’s market cannot be a thread untie India considers and works on each opportunity that comes its way. It should efficiently make use all possible resources and infrastructure to welcome foreign investment and manpower hiring. Write your comment – Share Knowledge and Experience Discussion Board| Group Discussion- China market – a threat to Indian market China market is a threat to Indian market as they provide very cheap products with good quality as compared to Indian products. The kind of technologies China uses is much better than the technologies which India uses. Every year huge amount of Chinese items are being imported to India and lot of people are using these items. The industries in china are much bigger and growing everyday. The inventions which is being done in china is much more advanced and then selling of those technology at cheaper rates is what affecting Indian markets.

Buddhism history

There are various religions in the world which people follow for their spiritual quest. Buddhism is one of the religions and disciplines that some groups of people adhere. Buddhism branched out from Hinduism that is considered as the reformation movement of the religion. The founder of Buddhism is Siddharta Gautama who was born in the warrior caste of India known as the Shakya clan (â€Å"Background of Gautama and Buddhism†, 2008). Born in leisure and luxury, Siddharta was shielded from the harsh realities of life and the suffering in life.One day when Siddharta made his rare trips outside the palace, he saw an old man, a sick man and a dead man which was his first encounter and witness personally the suffering of human life (Burns, 2009). After the mentioned experience, he decided to seek the truth that was hidden from him his whole life. He tried to attain the truth through the supervision of the Brahmin priests but he was disillusioned by the teachings of Hinduism. His self -mortification brought him closer to death instead of enlightenment (â€Å"Background of Gautama and Buddhism†, 2008).He decided to take a new path in search of enlightenment. He dedicated his life in meditation as he sat under a fig tree known as the Bodhi tree or the tree of wisdom. Through this, he attained the highest degree of consciousness referred to as Nirvana. Siddharta surpass the challenges and temptations and attained enlightenment. He was known to have found the way to escape the cruel causality of samsara or the cycle of rebirths. He also discovered the Four Noble Truths or the wisdom of Realization.Siddharta Gautama was known as the â€Å"enlightened one† as he found the answers on various life’s questions and why there is the existence of pain and suffering (â€Å"Background of Gautama and Buddhism†, 2008). One of the teachings of Buddhism is the samsara or the cycle of rebirths and the never-ending journey. It is described as the process of continuous birth, growing old, suffering and death (Buddhism Teacher, 2008). Samsara is a Sanskrit word for â€Å"journeying†. In Buddhism, as well as in other religions such as Hinduism and Jainism, samsara is defined as the cycle of birth, death and rebirth.Samsara is sometimes depicted as the opposite of Nirvana. However, in Mahayana school of Buddhism, Nirvana and Samsara are viewed as mental representations that a person appreciates the true nature of the world (O’Brien, 2009). Many people perceive samsara as a place, instead, it is a process to keep creating worlds and how people will move into the world. The worlds we create are associated with suffering from the date of our birth up to our adulthood (Bhikku, 2002). Samsara is the continuous life cycle of a person. It is believed that people are being born again as another person or entity.In India, some people are believed to be born in another caste or in another life situation. Samsara is also associated w ith Karma which is also another teaching in Buddhism wherein the life situation or the present existence of a person is based on the past life events. Karma explains to us the concept of cause and effect and helps us understand the idea of samsara. It explains to us in understanding interdependency, interconnectedness and unity (Buddhism Teacher, 2008). Karma is also taught in other religions like Hinduism that explains the punishment on the sins committed on the past life.It explains why some people are born in better life situations that the others. Some people believed that when they have done good in their present life, they will be rewarded in their future life. Buddhism is one of the religions that attempt to explain the worldly views and questions that concerns life’s sufferings and reincarnation. Buddhism incorporates the attainment of enlightenment or realization of the truth in life that will enable us to fully understand the ongoing events and our current life†™s situation.Buddhism relates to the people of various social classes who follow an esteemed and righteous path for spiritual wellness. References Background of Gautama and Buddhism. (2008). Let Us Reason Ministries. Retrieved May 22, 2009, from Bhikku, T. (2002). Samsara. Esolibris. Retrieved May 22, 2009, from Burns, M. G. (2009). Archangels Wisdom. Retrieved May 22, 2009, from Buddhism Teacher. (2008). Samsara. Retrieved May 22, 2009, from O’Brien, B. (2009). Samsara. About. com. Retrieved May 22, 2009, from

Impact of Culture on the Spread of Hiv/Aids in Kenya

bdalla A. Bafagih Professor Trent Newmeyer Sociology of AIDS Soc 309Y1F June 21, 2004 Impact of Culture on the Spread of HIV/AIDS in Kenya a national culture is not a folklore, nor an abstract populism that believes it can discover the people’s true nature†¦. a national culture is the whole body of the efforts made by a people in the sphere of thought to describe, justify and praise the action through which that people has created itself and keeps itself in existence (Fanon, Frantz). Introduction Culture, even in the twenty first century, has numerous denotations.In various parts of the world, it has been and is still considered to be important for the development of civilization and of people’s minds; a particular society or civilization is considered in relation to its beliefs, ways of life and values. In short, culture plays a crucial role in a groups’ quest for identity and is therefore at the centre of the socio-cultural development of a people, region or even county in terms of identity and politics-it serves as a code of life that must be followed under any circumstances even with an HIV/AIDS epidemic.These observations help illuminate responses to our central thesis: that cultural barriers and the ensuing gender bias have not only perpetuated the spread of HIV/AIDS among women, but are also hindering an effective HIV/AIDS prevention campaign in Kenya. Our position is that HIV/AIDS prevalence is a gendered issue because women in most parts of the developing world, due to the repressive cultural practices women have no power. Furthermore women continue to be betrayed by outdated traditional norms such as widow inheritance, widow cleansing, polygamy and gender inequality, as is the case in parts of Kenya.When these issues may seem to differ, in reality they are intertwined and date back to generations. To make matters worse those infected with HIV, both women and men blame witchcraft as the source of death (McGeary, J. Time Magazi ne, p, 30). Moreover as Madhu Bala Nath states â€Å"myths are also rooted in the nature of denial that is associated with HIV/AIDS. Because HV/AIDS is so frightening, there is a temptation to deny the existence of the disease (2001, p, 32). Such denial plays a large part in sustaining such outdated practices.We should point out from the outset that the current risky practices were at one time seen as strength (pre HIV/AIDS era) since they were really helpful and appropriate for their communities. Among the merits of such traditional practices were, among others, the widow’s security within the household was guaranteed and the orphaned children were guaranteed the extended family support and therefore survival within the community. It was meant to ensure the widow and children never became homeless.According to the Washington Post, In Western Kenya, the custom known as wife inheritance once held an honorable promise: A community would take care of a widow and her children. S he did not remarry. Her husband's family simply took responsibility for her. If a brother-in-law could not care for her, then a cousin or a respected outsider would. The inheritor made sure that the widow and her children were fed, clothed, sheltered, educated, protected, kept (Buckley, Stephen.Washington Post, November 8, 1997). For the purpose of this paper, we take a position that the spread of HIV/AIDS has rendered what were once cultural assets into deadly liabilities particularly towards women and children. That is why there is a need to be creative and embrace alternative rituals that do not involve risky sexual behavior. Our position is that inheritance per se is not bad, but widow inheritance and cleansing that endanger the lives of the widow and the inheritor/cleanser should be discarded.Wife inheritance or wife cleansing involves an inheritor who has his own family. As reported by the Washington Post â€Å"he infects his first wife and the widow he has inherited. Then he dies, and two other men inherit the women he leaves behind. Those men die. And then their widows are inherited† (ibid. ). It is this vicious circle that explains the rising HIV rates in Kenya. Kenya has vibrant and diverse cultural groups but some groups elevate ethnicity above nationalism.This makes it sometimes problematic to deal with intra and inter cultural norms or to undertake reforms of certain entrenched traditions. On one hand you have believers in Christianity who are more willing to abandon certain outdated traditions such as those discussed in this paper. For instance, a Kenyan bishop, called on widows to take a stand against wife inheritance (Gonza, Sam. 2000, p, 1). On the other hand you have the rigid traditionalists who are not open to any reforms or changes within traditions.There is usually no middle ground and unfortunately it cuts across class lines. We agree with the position put forward by Human Rights Watch in their report entitled Double Standards: Wo men’s Property Rights Violations in Kenya that â€Å"as important as cultural diversity and respecting customs may be, if customs are a source of discrimination against women, they like any other norm-must evolve† (2003, p, 2). Kenya has approximately forty tribes, which are co-related to the four greater ethnic groups (Buckley, Stephen.Washington Post, November 8, 1997): Bantu, Nilo-Hamitic, Nilotic and Hamitic (see figure i). Because of it’s neighboring, cultures are related to each other within Kenya and in the border countries such as Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Sudan. [pic] Figure: i Source: http://www. lib. utexas. edu/maps/kenya. html It will be imperative for this paper to provide short historical events in Kenya so as to provide a proper understanding of both the internal and external dynamics of this country.Kenya attained its independence from Britain in 1963 and has a population of thirty two million (32 million). [1] Kenya like other Sub-Saharan countries is a creation of European scramble for Africa. [2] As a result same ethnic groups are presently dispersed across different countries. The boundaries are like artificial divisions in a way that the people cannot be checked at all border-crossing zones. [pic] Figure: ii Source: http://www. lib. utexas. edu/maps/kenya. html The point, which we want to discuss, is that it is difficult to try to onvince these communities to abandon some of their practices, because they feel that at the end, abandoning their customs, would completely wipe out their culture and eventually loose their identity. In some African countries, various ethnic groups are the minorities and would want to keep intact their culture for the purpose of their own identity, so as to enable them to negotiate any political power in the government (Kanyiga, Karuti. 1998, p, 7)). On the other hand the ethnic groups, which are the majority, would want to maintain their hegemony and are not ready to change their tradi tions (ibid).Thus why dealing with health issues such as HIV/AIDS creates profound consequences. Current HIV/AIDS Situation in Kenya The synopsis about Kenya is not good at all. United Nations AIDS (UNAIDS) reports that over 2 million out of a total population of 29. 5 million (2000) were infected with HIV and a cumulative number of 1. 5 million people had died due to AIDS. The high prevalence rates of HIV/AIDS have negatively impacted life expectancy to the extent that it has dropped by approximately 13 years to 51 years (1998); while GDP reduced by -0. in 2000 and is expected to worsen in coming years. The average literacy rate is estimated at 78% (1995) and total fertility rate in Kenya is about 4. 4 (1998). Approximately 30% of the population lives in urban areas and more than half of the population live under the poverty line, women constituting the majority. UNAIDS estimates that about 500 persons died of AIDS each day in the country in 1999. (www. unaids. org/Unaids/EN/geogra phical+area/by+country/kenya. asp).According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the estimated number of adults and children living with HIV/AIDS, in Kenya end of 2001 stands as follows: Adults and children 2,500,000, Adults (15-49) 2,300,000, Women (15-49) 1,400,000 and Children 220,000, current living orphans, 890, 000, estimated number of death due to AIDS (2001), 190, 000 and the current adult rate of 15. 0 percent (www. who. int/hiv/pub/epidemiology/pubfacts/en/). Furthermore, the Human Rights Watch Report (2001) indicates that an estimated 2. million adults and children live with HIV/AIDS, representing about 14 percent of the sexually active population. The scary statistic is that Kenya has the ninth highest HIV prevalence rate in the world to the extent that the U. S. Census Bureau projections indicate that by 2005, there will be about 820 deaths per day from AIDS in Kenya. (http://www. hrw. org/reports/2001/kenya/kenya0701-03. htm#P144_18884). Factors behind the Gendered HIV/AIDS rates in Kenya. Through culture and society, we are able to transmit skills and other systems of social relations to modify our environment.But that has not been possible with women in Kenyan in both rural and urban areas even in the event of a HIV/AIDS epidemic with no cure in sight. Since our beliefs and ways of life are inseparable from our particular cultures, it is common for people to reject a behavior if it is not signified in their culture’s social code. It is however much harder for the marginalized groups like women and girls to reject what is supposedly part of their culture as is the case among the Luo and Luhya[3] of Kenya where they practice their culture to a fault.In such cases, individual behavior patterns alone are not responsible for the observed high-risk activities that cause HIV/AIDS. Needless to say, HIV/AIDS transmission in parts in Kenya is mostly through heterosexual relations. Because of [blind] loyalty to their culture, many within the gr oup (most educated women with the economic means to support themselves are now increasingly defiant against certain regressive policies like widow inheritance) in a society which has its own subculture, often face social risks, such as wife (widow) inheritance, to the extent that failure can result in exclusion from participating in communal events.For example, women who refuse to be inherited among the Luo and Luhya automatically lose their right to remain within their households, because their behavior is considered odd. Consequently women are frequently subject to violence, abuse, scorn and ridicule and other expressions of hate (HRW, 2003, pp, 16-21). Similarly, when it comes to apportioning blame as to who is the responsible party for bringing HIV/AIDS among married couples; it is usually women who are blamed even though in most cases, it is the men who have multiple partners.That goes to show that in the name of culture, women in Kenya find themselves in subordinate positions to men and are socially, culturally, and economically dependent on them. Because of the cultural biases, women are largely excluded from decision making, have limited access to and control over resources, are restricted in their mobility, and are often under threat of violence from male relatives (that is why many women have no choice when it comes to certain oppressive rituals, because they have no where else to return to should they be evicted from their late husband’s property) (ibid).In many cases, women in many parts of Kenya are perpetual minors subject to the guardianship of their male relatives and husbands. As a result, not only are their statuses lower than that of men, but also their condition is also dependent on that of their men folk. This subordination of women is connected to the distribution of power in society. In Kenya, economic, social and political power accrued to men partially as a result of their control of women, even though the thinking was and still is that a prosperous homestead depended on female reproduction and production.This keeps such oppressive rituals like widow inheritance in practice. Additionally, the gendered HIV/AIDS prevalence rates illuminate how gender as a constitutive element of social relationships. The Human Rights Watch of 2003, stated that of the 1. 4 million were women and girls with HIV positive, between the ages of fifteen and forty nine, this clearly shows how differences between sexes-power relationship within and between different women, urban versus rural and single versus married is very much embedded within society.Furthermore, the violation of fundamental human rights, and especially reproductive rights of women, plays an important part in perpetuating gender inequity and the observed HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in Kenya. As discussed in some parts of Kenya certain groups have taken Fanon’s dictum above about culture to new levels (p, 42), which have resulted in the discrimination, violati on of women’s rights and have placed women at great risk of contacting HIV. The impact has been traumatic on women as members of a community that continues to marginalize them in alls aspects of life.Yet women continue to provide care as wives, mothers, daughters, nurses, teachers, and grandmothers towards the sick, the dying and the orphaned children, many of whom are traumatized by the loss of their loved ones from AIDS. Unfortunately, in most parts of Kenya as evident elsewhere in Sub-Saharan Africa, as Fanon further argued, societies have not acknowledged the totality of culture and its vital role within the context of culture and history (p, 43).What we know and will be shown in this essay is that an examination of cultural practices allow us to know the nature and extent of the imbalance and conflicts (economic, social and cultural) which characterize the evolution of a society: culture allows us to know the dynamic synthesis which have been developed and established by social conscie nce to resolve these conflicts at each stage of its evolution in search for survival and progress (ibid).In the case of Kenya, and elsewhere as it was made clearer in this course, the quest for in Kenya such attitudes pervade all aspects of social life to the detriment of girls in particular and women in general. Evidently, the recurring theme in Kenya is the conflict between modernity and tradition that is often treated in terms of its relevance to women and men, rural versus urban or what it means to belong to a particular ethnic group. This goes to the heart of gender equity, property rights, agrarian reform and its problematic impact on women.In parts of Kenya, those who believe that culture is stagnant rather than vibrant to the extent that oppressions against women are presented in terms of cultural harmony and the survival of entire ethnicities have hindered the process of social liberation by women. Some of the cultural traditions discussed include wife (wido w) inheritance, widow cleansing and polygamy all of which contributed to the lack of secure property rights that result into the violation of human rights for women, and the observed disparity in HIV/AIDS rates between men and women in Kenya. 4] Unfortunately westerners including many of our classmates sometimes do not seem to understand that countries like Kenya have very poor laws that govern human freedoms and rights like the Canadian Charter of Freedoms and Rights. Women in Kenya are routinely discriminated against in most cases with the connivance of the state. [5] While personal freedom and choice have certainly played a role in the rapid spread of HIV/AIDS elsewhere, where laws are enforced, in the case of Kenya, the interplay of culture and gender roles is to a great extent responsible for the statistics cited above in this essay.Although awareness of HIV/AIDS is reasonably high in Kenya this is not reflected in sexual behavioral changes, given the high prevalence and incide nce of HIV/AIDS (Rosenvard, C and T. Campbell, 1996, p, 11). This finding reflects our thesis; the entrenched cultural biases against women and girls can explain such behavior to the extent where awareness is high yet infections rates are also rising. It is not that Kenyans in general or women in particular are not rational, they are but they have become victims of outdated cultural traditions and gender biases.What this rather contradictory finding shows is the need to view the HIV/AIDS pandemic through, multiple lenses but most importantly through the lens of power inequality in society that are rooted in gender. Gender norms pervade all aspects of Kenyan culture and society to the extent that culture dominates anything else among the Luo and Luhya of Western Kenya. The marginalized status of women plays a key role in the spread of HIV/AIDS in Kenya as reflected in the UNAIDS and WHO figures.It is thus important to recognize the complex underlying factors influencing the role of w omen and how such roles affect African societies and behavior. In the traditional Kenyan society, women are expected to be submissive and to provide for their household at all times (Caldwell, 1989, p, 185). In Kenya especially in the rural setting, the woman’s marital status does not end when the person who married her dies; she is by all accounts married to the clan in the sense that under certain ‘invented’ customary traditions, the clan has the right to inherit her.Traditionally, Luo or Luhya women have little or no say in such matters of inheritance including the retention or sharing of resources such as land and property. According to Human Rights Watch: Widows are often evicted from their homes as in-laws rob them of their possessions and invade their homes and lands. These unlawful appropriations happen even more readily when the husband died of AIDS†¦ In some places, widows are forced to undergo customary, sexual practices such as â€Å"wife inheri tance† or ritual â€Å"cleansing† in order to keep their property. Wife inheritance† is where a male relative of the dead husband takes over the widow as a wife, often in a polygamous family. â€Å"Cleansing† usually involves sex with a social outcast who is paid by the dead husband's family, supposedly to cleanse the woman of her dead husband's evil spirits. In both of these rituals, safer sex is seldom practiced and sex is often coerced.Women who fight back are routinely beaten, raped, or ostracized (Double Standards: Women's Property Rights Violations in Kenya) (http://www. hrw. rg/reports/2001/kenya/TopOfPage). While the quotation above tells us sufficient story about the problems facing Kenyan women, Human Rights Watch report entitled, Double Standards: Women's Property Rights Violations in Kenya captures the agony of Kenyan women in their own voices. It is thus important to reproduce just three of their experiences below to capture what Human Right Wa tch calls â€Å"the heinous nature of women's property rights violations: through personal interview. Human Rights Watch of 2001, reports, â€Å"AIDS exacerbates those hardships†. †¢ Jiwa, a fifty-five-year-old widow from western Kenya, said that after her husband died, her brother-in-law brought a â€Å"cleanser† to her home to have sex with her. She objected, saying: â€Å"I don't know this man's HIV status, and if I die my children will suffer. † Her brother-in-law and four cousins pushed the cleanser into Jiwa's hut and he raped her. She screamed but the cleanser covered her mouth and the in-laws stood guard outside. The brother-in-law paid the cleanser with a cow, chickens, and clothing. Jiwa was then forced out of her home and into a shoddy, makeshift hut. Her brother-in-law took over her land and furniture.She reported this to the village elder, who did nothing. Jiwa now has a persistent cough and has lost much weight. She fears she contracted HIV f rom the cleanser but has not been tested and cannot afford medical treatment. †¢ Adhiambo, a thirty-year-old widow from Nairobi, said that when her husband died of AIDS in 1998 he left her HIV-positive with five children. She quickly went from being relatively affluent to destitute after her husband's family took her property. Her in-laws grabbed household items from her Nairobi home and took over a rural home, land, and livestock even though Adhiambo helped pay to construct the house.Her father-in-law called a family meeting, told her to choose an in-law as an inheritor, and ordered her to be cleansed by having sex with a fisherman. Adhiambo refused, and fled when her in-laws threatened her. She now struggles to meet her children's basic needs, and her slum landlord has threatened to evict her. †¢ Imelda, a twenty-five-year-old widow with AIDS, lost her home, land, and other property in Kenya when her husband died in 2002. She told her in-laws that she had AIDS and wanted to stay in the house. They snatched her property anyway and wanted her to be â€Å"inherited. She recalled: â€Å"I told my in-laws I'm sick . . . but they took everything. I had to start over . . .. They took sofa sets, household materials, cows, a goat, and land. I said, ‘Why are you taking these things when you know my condition? ‘ They said, ‘You'll go look for another husband. ‘ My in-laws do not believe in AIDS. They said that witchcraft killed my husband. (http://www. hrw. org/reports/2001/kenya/TopOfPage). The above tribulations capture the victims in their own words and show how widow’s inheritance and cleansing devalues the dignity of women.While case law establishes that family property may be evenly divided upon separation or divorce in practice, the captured words of the three widows above, seems to differ. But above all, as has been our point of argument throughout this paper, under the very oppressive and discriminatory customary laws that are extremely influential in Kenya, it is the men who are accorded greater property rights than women. Other discriminatory practices are usually sexist customary tradition that obstruct women's equal rights to property and also prevent women from seeking redress for violations of these rights.Additionally, the problem is made worse by unresponsive authorities that ignore women’s woes regarding property violations, and ineffective courts that are biased against women. However the greatest setback is the fact that many Kenyan women and men too have land problems where squatters are routinely evicted even though they have lived on such land for generations. The other is low level of awareness of their rights, the time and expense of pursuing claims, violence, and the social stigma of being considered greedy or cultural traitors if they assert their rights. www. hrw. org/campaigns/women/property/factsheet. htm). Evidently, what the discussion above illustrates is that in K enya, women’s rights violations must be understood and combated in the context of Africa's AIDS epidemic.In Kenya, 15 percent of the population between the ages of fifteen and forty-nine is infected with HIV, more than half of whom are women, and one out of eight adults in rural Kenya and one out of five adults in urban areas is infected, though most do not know it. AIDS has reduced life expectancy from sixty-five to forty-six years ((http://www. rw. org/reports/2001/kenya/TopOfPage). These figures are quite telling in that in Kenya, HIV/AIDS is worse among urban dwellers than is the case among rural dwellers. According to Dyson, the higher urban incidence rates are due to â€Å"relatively high rates of social interaction and crowded urban living conditions and squalid living conditions† (p, 427). Similar results for Sub-Saharan African in general, has been documented by Caldwell who found that â€Å"urban levels of HIV infection rates are typically four to ten times those of rural areas† (p, 44).In countries with a substantial level of urbanization, and home to some of the largest slum areas in Africa, the numbers are certainly depressing. Moreover as noted by Bollinger et al, Sometimes traditional practices that occur in Kenya, particularly in the rural areas, can contribute to the spread of HIV. For example, a director of the Kenyan governments AIDS efforts attributed the high prevalence rate in some parts of western Kenya to the practice of wife inheritance that exist there (5-6). These findings do illuminate our thesis.Furthermore given the feminization of poverty due to Structural Adjustment Program (SAP) policies (Cooper, 2002, 87), women in urban areas and also in rural areas find themselves on the economic margins where they are forced to engage in risky behaviors like prostitution. Moreover, because of SAP polices and the introduction of user fee in hospitals; women are disadvantaged with regard to health and health care (ibid), a clear indication that gender inequalities have led to a systematic neglect of women’s health and the gendered incidence of HV/AIDS in Kenya. It is not our intention to call such traditions as ‘uncivilized’ or extreme.It would be naive to make this assumption and one has also to try to understand the dynamics of Africa and its communities at earlier times. Caldwell captures the reality that â€Å"it is clear that lifestyle plays a dominant role in determining individuals’ chances of infection, and it seems probable that level of the disease over the coming decades is more likely to be decided by changing lifestyles than by medical breakthroughs. Those changes will be more successful, and least damaging to the society, if behavioral factors in the spread of the disease are well understood† (p, 186).Conclusion This essay has outlined and argued that the disparity in HIV/AIDS prevalence rates between men and women are rooted in the cultural biases aga inst women and girls such as widow inheritance in parts of Kenya. Our position in this essay has been that the cultural barriers and the ensuing gender bias have not only perpetuated the spread of HIV/AIDS among women, but are also hindering an effective HIV/AIDS prevention campaign in Kenya. We have shown the linkages between cultural biases against women and girls and the spread of HIV/AIDS.The challenge has been to decouple the notion that addressing women rights in Kenya is a western value or that concerns of equity must take a back seat in the struggle against HIV/AIDS epidemic. We recognize that eliminating all forms of discrimination against women in Kenya will take time, but the government must start to enforce existing laws to protect women against repressive cultural practices like widow inheritance. The people must be told that culture is not static but rather dynamic, and should be encouraged to discard risky cultural traditions and activities that expose women to HIV/AI DS and thus endanger their lives.From this course (Sociology 309), we know the relationship between safe and improved reproductive rights such as increased condom use and the health status of women are crucial in fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS. As shown in this paper there is a positive correlation between women’s precarious health status and their susceptibility to HIV/AIDS particularly in urban areas, inequitable gender relations and women’s poverty and powerlessness in society especially in rural areas.Finally, the Kenyan stakeholders – politicians, church leaders, civil society, NGOs, women leaders, youth groups, cultural and traditional leaders, must deal urgently with the existing power inequality among the sexes, that accounts for the excessive burden of HIV/AIDS transmission and the consequences on women in general who have so far been hit most by the spread of HIV/AIDS. That trend needs to be reversed if Kenya is to stem the devastating impact of HIV/A IDS epidemic and its distressing impact on the Kenyan society at large.