Seatbelts Laws Are Beneficial- Disagree Essay Example for Free

Seatbelts Laws Are Beneficial- Disagree Essay The article that is being critique is called â€Å"Primary Seat belt Enforcement Laws Are Beneficial.† The author of this article is Kathyrn O’Leary Higgins. She explains on the reasoning behind why seatbelt laws are very beneficial to wear. Her main reasoning of this article is to explain and commend you for considering this measure that will so easily save many motor vehicle occupants from crash-related deaths and injuries. She strongly believes that people who do not wear there seatbelt are more likely to get in to car accidents. She did a great job putting this article together with all the good information and great points to each idea. The author Kathyrn does give good credibility throughout her article. Her vocabulary was good aimed toward college students. She did not however look in the direction on how seatbelt laws can be unbeneficial. Although her topic is very debatable many do not agree with the idea that seatbelt enforcement laws are beneficial. â€Å"Seatbelt laws may be the number one defense against motor vehicle injuries and fatalities†. The author also mentions that,† These drivers, who choose not to buckle up, tend to exhibit multiple high risk behaviors and are more frequently involved in crashes.† Yet, that idea can be very debatable. Many people would highly disagree, just because you aren’t wearing your seatbelt doesn’t many you are more likely to drive crazy. In addition, Many people believe that it should be your own decision if you want to wear a seatbelt or not. Yes there may be many cases where a seatbelt has saved individuals lives. But there are also many accidents where a seatbelt has killed a person’s life or seriously injured the individual. For an example on how a seatbelt killed an individual, there was one accident wear the car caught on fire and the individual could not get the seatbelt unattached which kept him trapped in the car and died from the fire. Also many people get injured from seatbelts. They get bad chest and shoulder injuries. There was one paper that mentioned on how the mother left her daughter in the car while she was having a conversation with a friend. She had a bad feeling and deceided to stop and check on her daughter. She knew something was not right when seen that her daughter wasn’t moving around. She opened the door to see her daughter with two seatbelts wrapped around her neck. She was strangling there and as they tried to un wrap the seatbelts they got tighter, until they finally got something to cut the seatbelts and get her loose. That’s another great example on how seatbelts aren’t always there for just safety. Some people even believe that they can drive faster if wearing their seatbelt, they believe if they crash they are safe due to the seatbelt, which is ridiculous. †If this just sounds absolutely absurd, ask yourself: would you drive with greater care if – one fine day- you woke and discovered that someone cut away your seatbelt? If the answer is yes, then it means you aren’t driving as safely as you can, right now with your seatbelt on† (Kumar, Navin. 1). Yes in many cases seatbelts reduce the amount of accidents that happen, and they decrease the number of deaths. But they cause people to drive faster and more recklessly, causing more accidents and increasing the number of people who die. Seatbelt laws are also hypocritical. The author mentions, â€Å"Although opponents to primary enforcement seat belt laws claim that nonuse is a personal choice and affects only the individual, the fact is that motor vehicle injuries and fatalities have a significant societal cost.† Why is it that a person in a vehicle has to wear a seatbelt yet a motorcyclist doesn’t have to wear a helmet? The beneficial law is a violation of a person’s freedom. Seatbelts are there if a person chooses to wear one, and those who want to can wear their seatbelt, but those who don’t want to shouldn’t be forced to wear one. If some people think others are risking their life because they aren’t wearing their seatbelt then that’s their opinion. Our belief is that it’s up to you to make your own decisions. The government shouldn’t be forcing anyone to do anything for their own good. In a free society, if someone is injured or killed because they freely choose to use or not use their seatbelt, that is a person’s tragedy, as it is with other freely chosen risks in life. It’s not at all reasonable. Citations Higgins, Kathyrn OLeary. Primary Seat Belt Enforcement Laws Are Beneficial. Cars in America. Ed. Andrea C. Nakaya. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2006. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from Testimony of Honorable Kathryn OLeary Higgins, Board Member, National Transportation Safety Board. 2009. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 4 Feb. 2013. http://ic.galegroup.com.gary.libproxy.ivytech.edu.allstate.libproxy.ivytech.edu/ic/ovic/ViewpointsDetailsPage/ViewpointsDetailsWindow?failOverType=query=prodId=OVICwindowstate=normalcontentModules=mode=viewdisplayGroupName=Viewpointslimiter=currPage=disableHighlighting=truedisplayGroups=sortBy=source=search_within_results=action=ecatId=activityType=scanId=documentId=GALE%7CEJ3010429245 Kumar, Navin. â€Å"Can safety regulations kill you? How safe are seatbelts and seatbelt laws? Digital Bits Skeptic. Copyright. 2012. Web 4 Feb 2013. http://www.dbskeptic.com/2009/06/21/can-safety-regulations-kill-you-how-safe-are-seabelts-and-seatbelt-laws/ http://www.sallycphotography.com/archives/2005

Demand Management and Fiscal Policy Essay examples -- Fiscal Policy In

Demand Management and Fiscal Policy Fiscal policy is the manipulation of aggregate demand using taxation and or government spending. The government tends to make most of its fiscal decisions in the annual budget, usually announced in March of each year. However, there are a number of problems in using fiscal policy to control aggregate demand - one of the most significant is the problem of time-lags. 1. Time Lags Many aspects of fiscal policy have a delayed effect on aggregate demand. Changing the fiscal stance can take some time to achieve. For example switching to an expansionary fiscal policy through increased government spending can take some time before the full multiplied effects are felt on the economy. If the government announced increased health service spending, there could be considerable delays, as various committees decide how best to allocate the new funding. Then, if some extra construction work is planned, contracts need negotiating and awarding, all before actual spending takes place. On top of all these delays, major capital projects such as new hospital extensions could themselves take some time to complete. The net effect is that there may be months if not years before the planned increased in government spending actually has its full effect on the economy. This scenario is equally appropriate if the government is intending to build more roads, employ more teachers, invest more in the military etc. Admittedly, a tax change is probably quicker to introduce, although often businesses need some advanced warning so they can accommodate any change - again building-in some delay. Question: So what is his the problem of this for demand management ? The danger is that if the government was attempting to reflate the economy ( ie boost AD ) because of a lack of demand and economic activity, by the time the expansionary fiscal policy takes effect - the economy could have entered an upswing. Thus the economy might end up being stimulated at exactly the most inappropriate time. This time lag in fiscal policy could lead to exaggerated swings in the trade cycle - increasing volatility and hence inducing more uncertainty. 2. Fine Tuning -------------- Fine tuning is difficult when using fiscal policy. This refers to the ability to manipulate taxes and spending plans to bring abo... ...there any benefits ? Alternatively, an interest rate decrease is likely to lead to some capital outflows and hence a weakening of the currency. 2. Interest rates and time lags There can be some delays before the full effects of interest rates change are felt on the economy. When the Bank of England push up rates for example, it will take some time for the full effects to filter through the economy. Some estimates put this delay as being as long as 18 months. This is because, some banks eg HSBC, NatWest may not immediately adjust their rates straight away. Even if they do, some individuals may have fixed rate loans or mortgages, or they have some period of fixed rate ( eg for the first 3 years of a mortgage). Therefore, these individuals will not have their discretionary income changed for some time. Individuals with outstanding amounts on credit cards may also benefit from a couple of months delay before they start to notice that their interest payments have started to rise. Nevertheless, interest rate changes are thought to be much faster acting that fiscal policy changes, as at least an interest change will have some immediate impact straight away.

General Muslim Religion Essay

Islam is the world’s second great monotheistic religion (Armstrong, 2002). Islam, an Arabic word, comes from a root word meaning commitment or surrender: hence the foundation of Islam is submission to the will of the Only God, Allah. The word ‘Muslim’ also itself means ‘one who lives his life according to Allah’s will (Esposito, 2002). Allah also has laid down the five pillars of foundations of Islam which are: 1. Confession of faith (shahada): the basic idea of Islam which is submission to Allah’s will 2. Prayer (salat): An exercise done five times daily to remember Allah’s influence in a Muslim’s life 3. Fasting (Roza): In the month of Ramadan for a month 4. Almsgiving (Zakat): Annually by rich Muslims at the rate of 21/2% of wealth 5. Pilgrimage (hajj): Once in a lifetime What holidays or events are important to your religion and why? The Muslims follow the Islamic calendar which is based on the position of the moon and their holidays fall accordingly to it. This includes 1. New Year which for them is the first day of Hijra (migration) when we celebrate Prophet Muhammad’s departure from Mecca to Medina in AD622 2. 12th Rabi-ul-awwal that is the birthday of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) 3. Shab-e-Baraat (night of forgiveness): In preparation of Ramadan, Muslims seek to forgive old grievances against each other and beg for mercy from their Lord 4. Lailat-ul-Qadr (night of power) when the Holy Quran was revealed to the Holy Prophet. It takes place on the 27th of Ramadan. 5. Eid-ul-Fitr which takes place after Ramadan and is like Christmas to the Muslims 6. Hajj: The pilgrimage which constitutes the fifth pillar of Islam is one of the most important events in the Muslim calendar and takes place in the month of Hajj 7. Eid-ul-Azha: Another Christmas type celebration which celebrates the end of the Meccan pilgrimage and animal sacrifices are made during the three days How does your group handle conflict? What are some examples of conflict? If there are criminal or family conflicts, they can be resolved through Islamic courts which decide the cases according to Shariah or the Islamic law. These are practiced in almost al Muslim countries though such Shariah courts are disallowed in western countries and over there Muslims must follow the law of the country they are residents of. One of Britain’s MPs recently suggested that Shariah courts be allowed in Britain also but this created uproar by non-Muslims who were afraid of Islamization. Other then that, if the solution of an issue is not mentioned in the Quran or its explanation is murky, knowledgeable Islamic scholars gather together to find an answer to a certain problem and it then becomes a rule of the Shariah. This practice has been prescribed by Allah to keep Islam updated with emerging problems in this fast changing world. What is the focus of your religion? The focus of Islam for Muslims is again submission to Allah’s will. This can be done through reading, understanding and following the word of God, which Muslims believe to be the Holy Quran. They should also follow the teachings of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) called the Sunnah and only then can they live the life of a true and complete Muslim. For the Western world though, the focus of Islam has always been its fascist beliefs and what they consider to be its outdated traditions, not understanding that there is only a minority of Muslims who distort the name of Islam by interpreting it so harshly. Who are your current leaders? Who are leaders of the past? Like most religions, Muslims have also had pious men of God lead them by example. There have been a total of 124000 prophets sent by Allah though the Quran only mentions 25 of them. The first prophet was Hazrat Adam and the final and undoubtedly the greatest prophet was our last prophet, Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH). Allah revealed in the Quran that no more prophets shall come after the Holy Prophet (PBUH). After the prophets, came numerous Caliphs or religious leaders. Currently, tough there are learned Islamic scholars in the Muslim world; there are no leader as such. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) in the words of Allah was the Seal of the Prophets. How do your members participate and what is expected? All Muslim males are required to congregate in a mosque for the five daily prayers, especially the afternoon Friday prayers (Clark, 2003). For Muslim women, assembly in mosques is not mandatory. Other then that, all Muslims are required to uphold the basic principles of Islam by fulfilling all their obligations. Are there any special requirements, such as fasting, personal sacrifice? Fasting is the third pillar of Islam and without fasting, a Muslim is incomplete. It is prescribed for Muslims in the form of a month long abstinence from food and drink, accompanied by intense devotional activity. Physical relations and swear words are also prohibited to be performed or uttered. Similarly, smoking, losing temper, telling lies and all negative activities are also discouraged. Fasting, as is made clear by Allah, is not to be taken as self torture but mainly a way for Muslims to learn about patience, fortitude and self sacrifice and also to realize the plight of the needy and poor. During Eid-ul-Azha, Muslims are also required to sacrifice goats in God’s way and share the meat with the poor. Where do you see your religion in 25 years? What changes have occurred recently? Keeping in mind the fast growing popularity of Islam, I see Islam in 25 years, as the world’s largest religion. This is because as the concept of religion is dying in the west and more churches are being converted to museums and restaurants, Muslims, now more than ever are embracing their faith with a greater fervency and non-Muslims are also converting to Islam which they accept as a complete way of life and not just a religion. Muslims have now grown more receptive to Western ideas and Ijtehad or consensus helps keep Islam updated with the modern world. How has the modern world changed the direction and or movement of your religion? The recent of War on Terror, which often tends to depict Islam as a rigid and extremist religion has resulted in more Muslims delving deeper to understand their religion (Lewis, 2004). This has led to increased knowledge of Islam and a growing number of Muslims defending their faith as actually a very flexible one. My religion’s name has been besmirched by a few misguided individuals who believe suicide bombings and terrorist activities are completely acceptable in the eyes of God which is not at all the case. Islam’s very basis is peace. Are there any other validated forms of the religion practiced? What are some of the factors that have contributed to changes in ideas or customs? The Muslim sect is predominantly divided into Sunnis (around 80%) and Shiahs. The major difference between them is the way in which divine guidance is discovered. Sunni Muslims take their stand on the consensus of the community making known the Sunna (Holy Prophet’s example) of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). Shiah Muslims look instead to inspired teachers and Imams who are descendents of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). Other sects include the Aghakhanis who are followers of the Aga Khan who considers himself a spiritual leader sent by God. His followers believe the five pillars of Islam to be non-mandatory, preferring to give charity to the poor instead. They don’t share the Muslim taboo associated with drinking. Many believe theses changes have occurred due to undue influence of the West. Other sects are the Qadianis and Bohris. Conclusion Muslims all over the world follows a religion known as Islam which is a monotheistic religion. The word Islam means to submit oneself to god. There are almost 2 billion Muslims around the world practicing the teaching of Islam making it the second largest religion of the world. The follows the teachings of Prophet Mohammad on whom a holy book Quran was revealed. The faith of a Muslim is based on five pillars of Islam that are tauheed, salaat, zakat, hajj, and fasting. References Book Armstrong. (2002). Islam: A Short History. Esposito, J. L. (2002). What everyone needs to Know about Islam. Clark. (2003). Islam for Dummies. Lewis. (2004). The Crisis of Islam.

Solving the Foreclosure Crisis - 1101 Words

Many American families are being forced into a foreclosure on their houses. Families are unable to pay their bills that are due to their mortgage lenders, so the lending institution decides to initiate a foreclosure on the property. When a foreclosure reaches completion, the family loses its right to the property and the lending institution assumes ownership of the house. The family or current resident is evicted as a result of not being able to make payments in the amounts that were agreed upon at the signing of the mortgage loan. As frightening as losing a house is, and considering the impact a foreclosure will have on a family’s financial future, I believe there are ways that a foreclosure epidemic can and could have been avoided.†¦show more content†¦Requirements of a lender might be that the home and land is in a location and physical condition that meets the mortgage company’s criteria for a positive investment, suggesting that the property may apprec iate in value. Through meeting the requirements and in the event of a foreclosure, the mortgage company will own a property that they have an interest in. Also, they will have minimized the risk of owning a property that will decline in value. There is another advantage of the mortgage company agreeing to limit their loans to agreeable properties. If thorough analysis is done on the condition of the property and the mortgage company agrees to invest in the loan, a mortgage company may turnaround and benefit from foreclosing on the property and selling it for a higher price. Property value makes people doubt the reality of ever actually owning a piece of land and/or the property that is set upon it. Real Estate prices boggle the mind and intimidate the average American’s wallet. These stunning prices evoke a few seemingly facile questions to the average American earner. Why is the cost of property so high? Why does it take 30 years, a third of a healthy person’s life, to actually own their land/house? Has the valuation of real estate exceeded what is fair? I agree that the valuation of real estate has exceeded what is fair. Not because my income falls below the median level, but because the average AmericanShow MoreRelatedSolving the Foreclosure Crisis 1107 Words   |  5 PagesSolving the foreclosure crisis is not an easy quest. In order to solve the crisis, it will take everyone getting involved. The banks and other lenders need to be willing to work with people who have been in their homes and need to have their loans restructured or refinanced. There should not be any more QUICK FIXES. Too many of the lending institutions are trying to put a bandage on an open wound. Instead of working with the homeowners, they are willing to put the residents out of the homes and thinkRead MoreSolving the Foreclosure Crisis 972 Words   |  4 PagesIn order to solve the foreclosure crisis, first we must identify and examine the reasons why people are going into foreclosure. The unstable economy which has led to the loss of thousands of jobs is the most obvious reason that people are foreclosing their homes. Without a stable and sufficient source of income, it is virtually impossible to pay back mortgage lenders. The first step we should take to solve the foreclosure crises is to create more jobs so that people can pay their mortgages on timeRead MoreSolving The Foreclosure Crisis Essay985 Words   |  4 PagesHome foreclosures have been a hot topic in recent months as the economy has been in a serious downfall with a very slow recovery process. There are many different philosophies and many people truly feel that we can recover from this. We can alter the foreclosure status by giving serious consideration to the economic times and the types of mortgages that are available. Buyers must become more educated on the additional costs when getting a mortgage such as taxes, insurance, etc. The governmentRead MoreSolving the Foreclosure Crisis 1156 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Foreclosure filings were reported on 336,173 U.S. properties in June, the fourth straight monthly total exceeding 300,000†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Brooklyn, NY – December 30, 2009 Foreclosures continue to rise drastically across the United States due to the recession, and have effected, and continue to affect thousands of families and individuals every day. One aspect we must take into consideration is that most people are not informed of what foreclosure means, or the process, even those who are homeowners.Read MoreSolving The Foreclosure Crisis1012 Words   |  5 PagesThe current foreclosure crisis is affecting everyone in this nation. If people are not experiencing the crisis firsthand, they hear about it through family, friends, and their other social networks. Nonetheless, it is impossible to escape because the media is constantly showing coverage about it. People are becoming more aware and seeing how expansive the impact is through television, internet, print, and radio. Americans are quickly realizing the impact the foreclosure crisis is having on theRead MoreSolving the Foreclosure Crisis 979 Words    |  4 PagesOne way to solve the foreclosure crisis is to actually foreclose on every homeowner’s home loan, including the homeowners in bankruptcy, pre-foreclosure and post-foreclosure. The credit report of these homeowners should read as a recession in 2009 and it should not lower their credit scores. The banks should then match the previous interest rates to the interest rates of today and appraise each home and property at the value that it was assigned by its local tax assessor. By doing this it willRead MoreSolving the Foreclosure Crisis 1578 Words   |  7 Pagespotential loss breaks down as follows: Loss from sales price: $200,000.00 5% Commission: $10,000.00 3% closing cost credit: $6,000.00 Repair credits: $1,000.00 Foreclosure fees: $50,000.00 Total loss $267,000.00 Case number one: For those whose income has not had any major variations from the time they initiated their mortgage, but are finding themselves unable to continue their payments because of anRead MoreSolving the Foreclosure Crisis Essay1092 Words   |  5 PagesThe foreclosure crisis was one of the harbingers of the coming economic recession. This was the issue that shifted the focus of the 2008 presidential election from the Iraq War to the economy. As one can imagine, many individuals and families are currently hurting as a result of this foreclosure crisis. High unemployment rates and lack of job creation leave very few options for already struggling homeowners. Because the housing industry composes such a large part of the American economy and affectsRead MoreEssay on Solving the Foreclosure Crisis 969 Words   |  4 PagesThe current foreclosure crisis that our nation is experiencing has become a great hardship on many people in America. People that have lost their jobs due to cut backs, people with families for whom they need to provide shelter, people who are otherwise very responsible but have been put in a position from which they cannot escape, these are the people that are suffering. Normally if one could not afford to make payments on their mortgage, there would be ways for them to refinance their mortgageRead MoreThe Solving The Foreclosure Crisis933 Words   |  4 Pages The foreclosure crisis, which tragically happened several years ago, stole away the homes from countless Americans and left them high and dry. These Americans were not even neglecting to pay for their mortgage on purpose; the economy took a drastic downfall and took all of those unshielded Americans with it. Now, these Americans are left with many questions that are unanswered – until now. They still have the chance to improve their credit, test out their dream home, and thrive in the current reasonable