Interventions for Smoking Cessation

Interventions for Smoking Cessation Introduction Health literacy is the â€Å"capacity to obtain, communicate, process, and understand basic health information and services to make appropriate health decisions† (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). Smoking is a common addictive behavior and is bad for health status in many ways. According to World Health Organization (2014) tobacco kills nearly six million people per year. Therefore, it is important to promote people’s health literacy of smoking through effective intervention to improve health condition. Brief intervention is an effective method to deliver suitable information and increase the motivation of clients to change the substance use (Substance abuse and mental health service, 2014). Nurses can make good use of brief intervention to improve the health literacy among clients with resultant better health outcomes. This essay will firstly describe the potential health impacts of smoking on individual in Australia and globally. Secondly, it will use a case to analyze the smoking through stage of change model and discuss three approaches to change the behavior. Thirdly, it will choose the most sustainable strategy to provide health literacy to the client. Lastly, I will discuss how changing a singles person’s behavior can contribute to global health. Overview of smoking Cigarette contains more than 7,000 chemical substances and most of them are harmful to our body. Once inhaled into the lung, these chemical compounds will be carried to all the tissues of our body through blood (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). Smoking will impair the normal growth and function of the cells and result in cancer tumor growth. Research showed that smoking can cause many kinds of cancers in our body such as larynx, lung, mouth, nose, and throat cancer (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2010). For the cardiovascular system, smoking will damage our blood vessels with plaque formation and produce thicker vessel walls and narrower lumen. Therefore, smoking is a major risk factor for stroke and coronary heart disease (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2010). Smoking also causes damage to the respiratory system, especially the airway and alveoli. The research showed that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease including emphysema and ch ronic bronchitis are most commonly related to smoking. In addition, smoking will also affect the fertility and immune system and increase the chance to have type 2 diabetes (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). Last but not least, secondhand smoke causes adverse effects such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases to the peers, family and community. In conclusion, smoking might impact the whole body and result in serious health problem. According to World Health Organization (2014), smoking is related to more than 6 million people’s death; 5 million die directly due to tobacco use and 600,000 people die from exposure to secondhand smoke. In Australia, around 3.1 million people (19.5%) are current smokers aged over 18 years old and among them 20.4% male and 16.3% female are daily smokers (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2011). Smoking was responsible for 20% of cancer death in Australia and around 45,000 hospitalisations in New South Wales were related to smoking (Cancer Council NSW, 2013). In addition, nearly 600,000 people (3.6%) reported at risk of having heart disease and other chronic conditions due to using tobacco products (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2013). Smoking is a common unhealthy behavior not only in Australia but all over the world and contributes to many diseases and death. Incident of smoking Mr. C is a 55 year old man who comes from Taiwan and works as an accountant in a computer company. He had a history of smoking around 30 years since graduated from senior high school. He usually smokes 10-12 cigarettes a day. Mr. C has the medical history of type 2 diabetes. He believes that smoking can help him release the stress and anxiety. He really enjoys the moment of smoking and states that smoking can stimulate thinking. However, Mr. C developed productive cough recently and had shortness of breath when climbing the stairs. He went to see a general practitioner and the physician informed him that the productive cough and shortness of breath are related to smoking. Therefore, the general practitioner gave Mr. C a handbook about the information of smoking and suggested him to quit smoking. After seeing the general practitioner, Mr. C read through the handbook and tried to search the internet for relevant information. He also discussed with his family and all of his family suppo rted him to quit smoking. Mr. C hesitated about stopping smoking. Because he thought that smoking was a good method for him to relieve the stress and serve as a social skill to maintain the relationship with friends and colleagues. In addition, he also considers that to quit smoking will be a long process and takes a lot of time to give up smoking and will incur a lot of physical discomfort. Mr. C is now feeling ambivalent about quitting smoking but he wants the symptoms such as productive cough and shortness of breath to go away. Therefore, he still considers smoking to be an enjoyable hobbit and cannot really give up smoking. Stage of change model Stage of change model (Transtheoretical model) is a theory of behavior change which was developed by Prochaska and DiClemente. It contains 5 stages of changes: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action and maintenance (Australia government Department of health, 2004; Prochaska, DiClemente Norcross, 1992, p. 1103). Stage of change model is a good method to assess the readiness of clients to change the additive behavior such as smoking (Mallin, 2002, p. 1107). According to Prochaska, DiClemente and Norcross (1992, p.1103), contemplation is the stage that clients are aware the adverse effects due to the behavior and consider to change, however have not determined to establish a plan of action. In this incident, Mr. C has some physical discomfort such as productive cough and shortness of breath during the activity. Therefore, Mr. C went to a general practitioner for the assessment and found out that smoking was the root cause of the symptoms. Mr. C started to search the infor mation about smoking and also discussed with his family. However, Mr. C did not make a promise to quit smoking. Due to these features, Mr. C is at the stage of contemplation. Another concept of the contemplation stage is that patient is ambivalent about the advantage and disadvantage of the behavior (Prochaska, DiClemente Norcross, 1992, p. 1103). The client realizes the behavior will be harmful to the health condition but still considers the behavior to be with value (Australia government Department of health, 2004). In this case, Mr. C states that smoking is a good method for him to relieve the stress and a social tool to maintain the relationship with friends and colleagues. He did not want to give up this 30 years hobbit. However, Mr. C also wanted to improve the symptoms. Mr. C is hesitated in making the decision to quit smoking. Therefore, it is obvious that Mr. C is at the stage of contemplation. Multiple approaches to change smoking Motivational interviewing is a counseling technique which can assist clients to increase the motivation to change the addictive behavior (Miller, 2010, p. 247; Ridner, Cloud, Ostapchuk, Myers, Jorayeva Ling, 2014, p. 314). Clients can be explored and their ambivalence could be resolved about quitting smoking through motivational interviewing (Lai, Cahill, Qin Tang, 2010). The four principles of motivational interviewing are expression of empathy, develop discrepancy, roll with resistance and support self-efficacy (Miller, 2010, p. 248). During the motivational interviewing, nurses can understand the ambivalent feelings of the clients, the difficulties of changing and discuss the advantage and disadvantage of quitting smoking with clients. In addition, it might enhance the client’s desire to change. Nurses might use the reflective listening, open-ended questions, affirmation and summarization techniques to understand the clients’ position and have good communication (M iller, 2010, p. 249; New South Wales Department of Health, 2005). A research (Ridner, Cloud, Myers, Jorayeva Ling, 2014) found out that after the motivational interviewing, the patients smoked less cigarettes, had a higher score of self-efficacy and lower nicotine dependence. Soria, Legido, Escolano, Lopez Yeste and Montoya (2006) pointed out that motivational interviewing group has higher success rate compared to anti-smoking advice group. In addition, the article also showed that motivational interviewing could help clients move to the next stage of change model. The above evidence showed that motivational interviewing is an effective brief intervention to increase the motivation of clients to seek the health information of smoking and its treatment, and therefore, increase the willingness of quitting. 5As (ask, assess, advice, assist and arrange) is a brief intervention to increase the motivation of the patient with addictive behavior (DiClemente, Delahanty, Kofeldt, Dixon, Goldberg Lucksted, 2011, p. 261). The first step is to ask the client’s smoking behavior and obtain the basic information about the client. Secondly, the readiness and motivation of clients to quit smoking will be assessed. In this step, stages of change model is a good tool to assess the motivation of client. Then, nurses can deliver the advice to the clients about the pros and cons of health on smoking followed by provision of the effective tips for clients to quit smoking. Fourthly, assist the clients to increase the motivation about quitting smoking and encourage patient to quit smoking. Lastly, the nurses should arrange the follow-up program to provide further support (Dawson, Noller Skinner, 2013, p. 132; Scanlon, 2006, p. 25 26). A study conducted 5As intervention at the mental health community center to the patients with smoking behavior in the community. They found following the implementation of 5As, the rate of tobacco use decreased and more people quit smoking (Dixon et al., 2009). Therefore, 5As is an effective brief intervention to assist clients to quit smoking through enhancing their motivations and providing necessary support. Nurses are the most important health education provider, who delivers education to the clients. The research showed that good health education program can increase the smoking caseation rate. Health education can provide the impacts on health and lead to the change the attitude of using cigarette (Salaudeen, Musa, Akande Bolarinwa, 2011, p. 217). Internet is a very useful tool to enhance the effectiveness of health education and promotion. According to Dijk, Nooijer, Heinrich and Vries (2007, p. 122), they found out that the knowledge of tobacco cessation will be delivered better through the internet to the clients. The internet is the preferred education method of adolescents and teenagers. The interviewer indicated that the web site contains the colorful pictures and interesting animation which will increase the motivation to learn and understand information of quitting smoking and also stimulate the client to take action. Therefore, the health education delivery through the inter net is a good intervention to spread the health information and increase the health literacy of the clients. The sustainable strategy to the incident In this incident, motivational interviewing is the most sustainable brief intervention for Mr. C to improve health literacy and result in quitting smoking. Mr. C had noticed that he has some symptoms such as shortness of breath and productive cough which impact his health condition. However, he is still considering the benefits that he gets from smoking including relieve the stress and anxiety and the social tool to maintain the relationship with peers and collogues. He is ambivalence about take action to change. Therefore, nurses can use motivational interviewing to assist client to evaluate the pons and cons of quitting smoking. Encourage patient to express his idea and identify the barrier of quitting smoking. In addition, nurses can assist the client to resolve the ambivalence and difficulties which lead to higher motivation to quit smoking. In this stage, there is no apparent health problem on Mr. C, therefore, he did not seriously consider that quitting smoking is an urgent matter for him. During the motivational interviewing, the nurses can provide adverse effects on health to the patient and assist patient to image the healthier future without smoking. Thus, he may seek the related information actively. Motivational interviewing may enhance the client’s motivation to obtain the health information and make the correct decision. Therefore, motivational interviewing is an effective brief intervention which can increase the health literacy and more willing to quit smoking. Global Health Dijk, Nooijer, Heinrich and Vries (2007, p. 115) indicated that the clients have smoking behavior will easily influence others’ attitude of smoking. The smoking cessation rate is higher in the family whose member has already quit smoking. Accordingly, the concept of stop smoking can be delivered from individuals to their peers, family even the whole community. When the concept of quit smoking can be deeply installed in everyone’s thought, as a result the occurrence of smoking-related disease will be decrease. The World Health Assembly (2013) pointed out that if the tobacco cessation rate decrease 30%, it will decrease 200 million death related to smoking in 2050. In addition, secondhand smoke can also be decreased. As the result, the overall health of population in the world can be improved. Therefore a single persons behavior change can be a big contribution of the improvement of the global health. Conclusion Smoking is a common unhealthy behavior which will cause adverse effects not only to the individual but also the whole society. Therefore, it is important for nurses to use different approaches to encourage clients to quit smoking. Motivational intervention is a counseling technique which can increase the motivation of the client to take action to give up smoking. 5As is an evidence-based intervention that can help clients to quit smoking through increase willingness and provide essential support. In addition, using internet can increase the effeteness of health education delivery. The incident in this essay is at the contemplation of the stage of change models. Motivational intervention is a sustainable brief intervention for this case which can improve the health literacy and encourage him to stop smoking. The concepts of quitting smoking can delivery from individual to family, peers and community. Consequently, these approaches can improve the health literacy and result in increasi ng the tobacco cessation rate and improve the health status of global.

Folklore, Womens Issues, and Morals in Toni Morrisons Sula Essay

The Themes of Folklore, Women's Issues, and Morals in Sula    Toni Morrison has asserted that she likes to write the kind of books that she would like to read (Harris 52). By this we can assume she favors black folklore, women's issues, and discussions of accepted moral standards. These are some major themes in Sula. Folktales are a type of oral prose that is passed from one person to another. Listeners may chose to add or subtract from the main story lines, embellishing with experiences and wisdom from their own lives. It then takes on the collective morals, or conscienceness, of that culture. From those individuals who we normally would not consider cultured, great gems of knowledge and wisdom are passed down through folktales. This is done without the traditional use of written language or use of proper organizational style. Yet these oral traditions are not without power; they reach into the very heart of what it is to be human. Typically, folktales are set in believable surroundings with extraordinary people. We see the same in Sula. The setting is in a common Negro village called the "Bottom" where it is said that it is "the bottom of heaven" (Morrison 6). The wider historical settings are kept intact in the novel as the events of World War I swirl around and capture some of the residents of Bottom. It is people, however, that makes up the surreal in Sula. Eva is a tireless grandmother who controls her domain of a large boarding house; Shadrach is a war-shocked veteran who invents an amnesty day for people to kill each other; Hanna and her daughter Sula are shameless adulteresses. In this tale, Toni Morrison takes liberty to change the style of folklore (Harris 53). Instead of happy endings, violent ... ...net.10 September 2001. <<http://www.viconet.com/~ejb/bio.htm>> Harris, Trudier Fiction and Folklore: The Novels of Toni Morrison. Knoxville: The University of Tennessee Press, 1991. Hedge, Holly.   "Toni Morrison."   Empire Zine <http://www.empirezine.com/spotlight/toni-morrison/toni-morrison.htm>   (accessed on September 6, 2001) Morrison, Toni Sula. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. 1973. "Morrison, Toni." Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2000.   <http://encarta.msn.com> 1997-2000 Microsoft Corporation. (accessed on September 26, 2001) O'Neill, Cynthia.   Goddesses, Heroes and Shamans.   New York: Larousse Kingfisher Chambers Inc., 1994. "Toni Morrison."   Contemporary Authors, Gale Research, 1993; abstracted at <http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~mmaynard/morrison/biograph.htm>   (accessed on September 26, 2001)   

King’s Ghost In “Hamlet” Essay

During Shakespeare’s lifetime people were, in general, more religiously devout and more likely to believe in spirits and ghosts. Spirits could be messengers from heaven or evil in nature. This is one reason Hamlet so readily believed his friends when they told him they had seen his father’s ghost; he was also more likely to believe their story because his friend Horatio told it, and he is an intellectual. However, when Hamlet is all too willing to follow his father’s ghost, his friends, Marcellus and Horatio, are very reluctant to follow. Marcellus is reluctant to follow because he is afraid of the ghost. Most people are afraid of the unknown; this would include soldiers, who are used to fighting until the enemy is killed. Marcellus is dealing with a ghost, which he cannot defeat it with his partisan (though he hopelessly offers it), and this scares him. Marcellus is a soldier who is guarding Elsinore, and the ghost is wearing the armor that he wore to defend his land against Fortinbras, the old king of Norway. Another soldier, Bernardo, says, â€Å"This portentous figure comes armed through our watch like the king that was and is the question of these wars.† (Act I, p. 8) When Horatio speaks to the ghost he says, â€Å"If thou art privy to thy country’s fate, Which, happily, foreknowing may avoid, O, speak!† (Act I, p. 9) Marcellus and Bernardo believe it is an ominous sign and that perhaps the ghost has come with a warning about an imminent invasion; one that they would have to defend the castle against. Hamlet also thinks something must be wrong if his father’s ghost is in armor. Marcellus is also afraid of the ghost because it leaves just as the cock crows to signal sunrise. He knows that spirits, including evil ones, cannot bewitch during the day time and he is unsure yet weather the ghost’s intentions are good or evil, so he does not want anyone to follow it. Marcellus goes so far as to restrain Hamlet when he tries to follow his father’s ghost. Horatio is also reluctant to follow the ghost because he is unsure of its intentions. He is especially weary because he tried twice to speak with the ghost and it would not answer him, it apparently only wants to speak with Hamlet alone. He warns Hamlet that the ghost might convince him to act  without reason and drive him mad. He tells Hamlet not to follow the ghost because it could lead him off a cliff into the ocean. Despite his friend’s warnings, Hamlet decides to follow his father’s ghost and receive its message. Though Marcellus and Horatio were reluctant, they eventually follow, catching up to Hamlet after he has spoken with the ghost.

An Introduction to Inti and the Inca Sun God

An Introduction to Inti and the Inca Sun God The Inca culture of Western South America had a complex religion and one of their most important deities was Inti, the Sun. There were many temples to Inti and Sun worship affected many aspects of life for the Inca, including architecture, festivals and the semi-divine status of the royal family. The Inca Empire The Inca Empire stretched from present-day Colombia to Chile and included most of Peru and Ecuador. The Inca were an advanced, wealthy culture with sophisticated record-keeping, astronomy and art. Originally from the Lake Titicaca area, the Inca were once one tribe of many in the high Andes, but they began a systematic program of conquest and assimilation and by the time of their first contact with Europeans their Empire was vast and complex. Spanish conquistadors under Francisco Pizarro first encountered the Inca in 1533 and swiftly conquered the Empire. Inca Religion Inca religion was complicated and incorporated many aspects of the sky and nature. The Inca had a pantheon of sorts: major Gods who had individual personalities and duties. The Inca also venerated countless huacas: these were minor spirits that inhabited places, things and sometimes people. A huaca could be anything that stood out from its surroundings: a large tree, a waterfall, or even a person with a curious birthmark. The Inca also venerated their dead and considered the royal family to be semi-divine, descended from the Sun. Inti, the Sun God Of the major gods, Inti, the Sun God, was second only to Viracocha, the creator god, in importance. Inti was higher-ranking than other gods such as the Thunder God and Pachamama, the Earth Mother. The Inca visualized Inti as a man: his wife was the Moon. Inti was the Sun and controlled all that implies: the Sun brings warmth, light and sunshine necessary for agriculture. The Sun (in conjunction with the Earth) had the power over all food: it was by his will that crops grew and animals thrived. The Sun God and the Royal Family The Inca royal family believed they were directly descended from Apu Inti (Lord Sun) through the first great Inca ruler, Manco Capac. The Inca royal family was therefore considered semi-divine by the people. The Inca himself - the word Inca actually means King or Emperor although it now refers to the entire culture - was considered very special and subject to certain rules and privileges. Atahualpa, the last true Emperor of the Inca, was the only one observed by the Spaniards. As the descendant of the Sun, his every whim was fulfilled. Anything he touched was stored away, later to be burned: these included everything from half-eaten ears of corn to sumptuous cloaks and clothing. Because the Inca royal family identified themselves with the Sun, it is no accident that the greatest temples in the Empire were dedicated to Inti. The Temple of Cuzco The greatest temple in the Inca Empire was the temple of the Sun in Cuzco. The Inca people were rich in gold, and this temple was unrivalled in its magnificence. It was known as Coricancha (Golden Temple) or Inti Cancha or Inti Wasi (Temple of the Sun or House of the Sun). The temple complex was massive, and included quarters for the priests and servants. There was a special building for the mamaconas, women who served the Sun and even slept in the same room as one of the Sun idols: they were said to be his wives. The Incas were master stonemasons and the temple represented the pinnacle of Inca stonework: parts of the temple are still visible today (the Spanish built a Dominican church and convent on the site). The temple was full of golden objects: some walls were covered in gold. Much of this gold was sent to Cajamarca as part of Atahualpas Ransom. Sun Worship Much Inca architecture was designed and built to assist in the worship of the Sun, Moon and stars. The Inca often built pillars which marked the position of the Sun at the solstices, which were celebrated by grand festivals. The Inca lords would preside at such festivals. In the great temple of the Sun, a high-ranking Inca woman – generally the sister of the reigning Inca, if one were available – was in charge of the cloistered women who served as the Sun’s â€Å"wives.† The priests observed holy days such as solstices and prepared the appropriate sacrifices and offerings. Eclipses The Inca could not predict solar eclipses, and when one occurred, it tended to trouble them greatly. The diviners would attempt to figure out why Inti was displeased, and sacrifices would be offered. The Inca rarely practiced human sacrifice, but an eclipse sometimes was considered cause to do so. The reigning Inca would often fast for days after an eclipse and withdraw from public duties. Inti Raymi One of the most important religious events of the Inca was Inti Ramyi, the annual festival of the sun. It took place in the seventh month of the Inca Calendar on June 20 or 21, the date of the Summer Solstice. Inti Raymi was celebrated all over the Empire, but the main celebration took place in Cuzco, where the reigning Inca would preside over the ceremonies and festivities. It opened with the sacrifice of 100 llamas selected for brown fur. The festival lasted for several days. Statues of the Sun God and other gods were brought out, dressed up and paraded around and sacrifices were made to them. There was much drinking, singing and dancing. Special statues were made of wood, representing certain gods: these were burned at the end of the festival. After the festival, the ashes of the statues and sacrifices were brought to a special place on a hillside: only those disposing of these ashes were ever allowed to go there. Inca Sun Worship The Inca Sun god was relatively benign: he was not destructive or violent like some Aztec Sun Gods like Tonatiuh or Tezcatlipoca. He only showed his wrath when there was an eclipse, at which point the Inca priests would sacrifice people and animals to appease him. The Spanish priests considered Sun Worship to be pagan at best (and thinly-disguised Devil worship at worst) and went to great lengths to stamp it out. Temples were destroyed, idols burned, festivals forbade. It is a grim testament to their zeal that very few Andeans practice any sort of traditional religion today. Most of the great Inca goldwork at the Cuzco Temple of the Sun and elsewhere found its way into the melting fires of the Spanish conquistadors - countless artistic and cultural treasures were melted down and shipped to Spain. Father Bernabà © Cobo tells the story of one Spanish soldier named Manso Serra who was awarded a massive Inca sun idol as his share of Atahualpas Ransom. Serra lost the idol gambling and its eventual fate is unknown. Inti is enjoying a bit of a comeback lately. After centuries of being forgotten, Inti Raymi is once more being celebrated in Cuzco and other parts of the former Inca Empire. The festival is popular among native Andeans, who see it as a way to reclaim their lost heritage, and tourists, who enjoy the colorful dancers. Sources De Betanzos, Juan. (translated and edited by Roland Hamilton and Dana Buchanan) Narrative of the Incas. Austin: the University of Texas Press, 2006 (1996). Cobo, Father Bernabe. Inca Religion and Customs. Roland Hamilton (Translator), Paperback, New Ed edition, University of Texas Press, May 1, 1990. Sarmiento de Gamboa, Pedro. (translated by Sir Clement Markham). History of the Incas. 1907. Mineola: Dover Publications, 1999.

Right of Revolution essays

Right of Revolution essays As John Locke believed, I too believe the right of revolution has but one meaning and that is; that the people in a society have the right to choose who will represent them in government. They have the right to elect another government or leader when the one originally in control is not doing what is in the peoples best interest. We call this right democracy. A recent example which best illustrates this is the election in Serbia where President Slobodan Milosevic has allegedly lost the election but is refusing to turn over power to the newly elected official, violating every principle of the right of revolution or democratic selection process. In order to fully understand what is happening we must examine historically the event leading up to the election. Reporters and politicians have touted the Serbia-Kosovo problem as being the result of ancient ethnic hatred but that is not the case. The people of this region lived together peacefully for centuries and any conflicts that have arisen amongst them were based not on ethnic origin but on other things like class and ruling party, just to name a few. In the late 1980s, Slobodan Milosevic came into power in Serbia. His first actions were directed against Kosovo Albanian dominance in the province. He removed virtually all of the Albanians rights, their leadership role in government, their party, and their parliament. He further removed their control of their Albanian-language library and the administration of their school system. This was the classic case of human rights violations. Milosevic took away their right to govern themselves and as a result, he gained the att ention of the United States Congress under the interest of human rights. Annual human rights reports submitted to the White House by the Department of State read like a prison record when it came to Serbian abuses of the people of Kosovo. ...

Using web based research, find an environmental-based ethical dilemma Essay

Using web based research, find an environmental-based ethical dilemma from the past five years online - Essay Example At the Severn tidal estuary, sea water rises up the river during high tide. The proposed barrage would allow the high tide to flow in through the sluice gates of the barrage, when the tide is at its highest, gates would be closed, when the tide starts to fall the water would be released driving two hundred and fourteen 40 MW turbines. The project could generate as much as 17 billion kilowatt hours of electricity per year. This project could generate up to 5% of the UK’s energy needs (Black & Veatch, 2007). A large part of the Severn estuary has been marked as a protected wetland. The estuary is the habitat of tens of thousands of birds and other aquatic wildlife. If the proposed barrage is built, 35,000 hectares of protected wetland would be inundated by water potentially endangering the wildlife that depends on it for survival (Turnpenny, 2001). Great numbers of migratory fish including critically threatened or declining species such as Atlantic salmon, sea trout, shads and eels also pass through the Severn estuary. Fish passing through the hydroelectric turbines are likely to suffer injury or death (Turnpenny, 2001). According to Kant’s categorical imperative, the ends do not justify the means, a person’s acts are morally correct if and only if it were correct for every other person to act in the same way, for the same reasons. Another aspect of the categorical imperative involves the treatment of human beings. Kantian morality is concerned mostly with the rights of humans, Kant considered non-human creatures to be mere ‘things’ which could be used and disposed of by humans at their will. Kant advocated kindness to animals, but only because he believed that those who are cruel to animals inevitably become cruel in their dealings with other humans as well (Gruen, 2010). According to Kant, humans are intrinsically valuable and they must not be used as a merely a means to an end but

Eleanor Roosevelt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Eleanor Roosevelt - Essay Example During 40 years of public service Eleanor Roosevelt was able to change America's viewpoint on gender, race, and our integral part of a global society. To begin to understand Eleanor Roosevelt's contribution to America demands that we evaluate her commitment to Franklin Roosevelt and his desire for a more equal America. After serving a short stint with the American Red Cross and volunteer work in Navy hospitals during World War I, FDR was stricken with polio in 1921 ("Eleanor Roosevelt: First lady of the World" (1)). This propelled Eleanor into the life of politics, as she became a staunch supporter of FDR. It has often been said that she was the eyes and ears of FDR as she traveled the country and the world to report to FDR and offer her advice. These initial actions by Ms. Roosevelt laid the groundwork for one of the most influential figures in American history. One of the first, and certainly the most public, activities that Eleanor Roosevelt undertook was advocating for the poor in the face of Hoover's vision of America. She worked to get FDR elected and then changed her focus to the poor and minorities of America. She traveled the country insuring that the programs of the New Deal were being implemented fairly in regards to women and minorities. According to a recent article in Human Quest, a liberal Episcopalian publication, Ms. Roosevelt, "...gathered evidence and pressured the President to sign a series of Executive Orders to stop the discrimination in the New Deal projects. That was effective, and the share of blacks in New Deal work projects expanded" ("Eleanor Roosevelt, 'First Lady of the World'" (2)). This commitment to civil rights would be carried forward and later influence the desegregation of the armed forces under President Truman. Eleanor Roosevelt's political activism expanded to include women's rights and brought about the public's awareness that gender should be treated as a minority component. As a US Delegate to the United Nations she was instrumental in the writing and advocacy for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. The Declaration begins with article 1 stating, "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood" ("Universal Declaration of Human Rights"). Eleanor campaigned to have the wording of this important passage changed from "all men" to its current form ("Eleanor Roosevelt: The World's First Lady."(3)). This was one of the most influential documents regarding women's rights to date and was vital to securing the future of women's rights (Bunch 488). Eleanor was making her influence felt 60 years ago in the arena of women's rights on the international stage. Her pr ogressive thinking continues to reverberate through the vision where women are afforded equality in the workplace and within the law. Ms. Roosevelt's activities did not end with the most visible minority groups of race and gender but extended themselves to the area of the children most affected by the discrimination. In this area, Eleanor Roosevelt was instrumental in forming the African-American voting bloc as a key component of Democratic politics. Her support of the 'Black Cabinet' assured black politicians and administrators access to the president to push for favorable legislation that affected equal employment for women and blacks