Against Stem Cell Research Prohibition
(1484 Words)
Stem cell research has fast become a hugely debatable subject because of the controversies it has evoked, albeit through taking major strides in advancement in the biomedical research field. The potential is vast for stem cells, and it creates the hope that the medical world can not only repair but also regenerate the damaged and impaired bodily tissues of patients to restore their function. The ongoing controversy has arisen from the medical research which involves using cells from human embryos. This leads the debate about stem cells to many aspects of humans on earth. Those arguments are mainly regarding ethical and moral issues. One such branch of stem cell research, which has sparked the debates, concerns therapeutic purposes. This research area is a fascinating field because it can hold possible cures for a wide range of serious medical problems. Within this paper, I will argue on the benefits of stem cell research, and how the benefits may overshadow whether research should be prohibited.
Therapeutic cloning involves the use of cells to mend damaged tissue in the body, such that is found after Parkinson’s disease, a stroke, and spinal injuries. There is support for the effectiveness of therapeutic cloning as shown by work involving the introduction of stem cells into the brain of patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease, of which about 1 million Americans live with. Parkinson’s disease occurs as a result of a gradual loss of a specific type of nerve cell located in an area of the brain. Although not yet routine clinical procedure, and more information is needed, trials offer the proof-of-principle for the approach that once the cells which have been added to the brain, differentiate to form nerve cells. They can in turn then lead to a recovery of the lost function. Moreover, at this time, there is no real treatment to stop or slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease, so stem cell research cannot be ignored. On the other hand, there are various treatments and methods, such as medicines and sometimes surgery which help alleviate Parkinson’s symptoms. Moreover, mice treated for Parkinson’s with embryonic stem cells have died from brain tumors. Some would also argue that there is such a high risk associated with brain surgery. This being said people with the debilitating symptoms of the disease would still feel positive that with the news given by EuroStemCell. They unite more than 90 European stem cell and regenerative medicine research labs. Recent trials with stem cells, major and long-lasting improvements were seen in some patients which alleviated them from their awful disease.
A love of diversity
(583 Words)
There have been noticeable effects on language that have come about due to explorers and the like that journeyed from their motherland many years ago. The journey of Christopher Columbus in 1492 was one that would herald the changing of the times for world languages. Such were these countries, a la, Great Britain with its English language and the colonies, and Spain with its Spanish in South America, that they spread their voice over many continents. This being said, there is still an emphasis that language existed long before the arrival of these powerful empires to far away lands. Languages such Chinese, Hindu and Arabic are still spoken by many millions of people around the world. We also have to recognise that many indigenous people still use their native language. In many respects, any of these rarer languages, relatively speaking, could have spread through the world as much as English and Spanish as we are all homo sapiens and have remained one species.
So, what do languages distinguish? Some of the aspects of many languages that although they evolved generally on their own, there is a general likeness found; for example the use of singular and plural nouns. English, French and Spanish retain in their language the distinction of one or more of something. However, in these languages, there is sometimes not a clear distinction as to what we are talking about, as with ‘I have some flowers’. There could be an array of different types of flowers and no actual number. This is opposed to Chinese which can use the same word for one or more than one. There are also other languages that will distinguish between the flowers being all of one kind or a mixed bunch.
Moreover, looking at world speech, it shows some languages make the clear distinction with a sentence to show that an object can be seen as the speaker speaks or not in eye sight. Visibility is central to their language. One example is of a woman with her arm in a sling, and how would an English speaker refer to this picture. English people could say ‘she has broken her arm’, but there is no certainty. English people can report the evidence and assume. Other languages have to make it clear how they know the information and not let a statement be glossed over.
Furthermore, over the world within languages, related words may take on different meanings. The sentences the ‘The colours are nice’ and the ‘The curtains are red’ have the same structure and relate to the same word types; nouns, verbs and adjectives but they are not the same in meaning. Other languages do not see the same as an English speaker sees, and end up putting the same sentences into other grammatical orders to explain the same sentence such that it may end up as ‘it is nice in colours’. This can also cross over to objects in space and the angle that people see objects in the world. All people look at a picture differently and can only give a subjective view. Also, some languages do not have words like the English ‘inside’ or ‘between’ thus their explanation is different for spatial objects. What’s more, some speakers only see an object from their exact position in the world. English speakers may not need to be so accurate.
To conclude, this essay highlights the diversity of language throughout the world, and the myriad of approaches to explain any situation where language is used.
Sense and Sensibility: A summary
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austin
(909 words)
Set around 1800 in England, this story tells of propriety and the appropriateness of people in that period of romanticism and sensibility. The story starts off with the rich Henry Dashwood on his deathbed, decreeing all his worldly goods to his son as was the rule at that time. This is very well for the son, but Henry’s two daughters Elinor and Marianne are left to make do with a humble five hundred pounds a year for their family. Their fate is worsened still by having to vacate their mansion to a smaller residence thus feelings become low as they have to lower their level of custom. Their fate is further troubled by the gentlemen that they fall for.
One such person comes into Elinor’s life before she leaves the mansion. A certain Edward Ferris, of a noble family, he spends time with Elinor, in a time when she is down. She is a little confused by his intentions, as he is not so disposed to pursue a lady even though he feels this way. Elinor still wishes them to be together although she is a lady and would not show her love so openly. Edward is also to be married off but must choose a lady of money as is the case, even though, he, as a simple man believes love does cross boundaries. The only difficulty comes when Edward is called to London just as the relationship strengthens leaving Elinor alone and confused.
Protest Songs: A look at ‘Strange Fruit’ and ‘Brother, can you spare a dime?’
(659 Words)
The 1920s and 30s in America was a time of racial discrimination for the black people while economically it was a time of the Great Depression. Times were not only hard but also scary with hatred and desperation flowing across the cities and plains of America. Like prisoners in shackles, the unfortunate ones at the bottom rung of life did not have a voice and ways of expressing how they felt inarticulate terms. This is why protest songs grew in prominence as they had a purpose, sentiment, and specific issues while invoking the reader to be shocked and angry. This is notwithstanding that these songs were meant to inspire the reader to acknowledge and change the situation. For this essay I have chosen two protest songs that epitomize the era of discrimination and depression; ‘Strange Fruit’ and ‘Brother, can you spare a dime?’ I will highlight their literary merits and social criticism.
Initially, the reader is struck by the titles of these songs. ‘Strange fruit’ asks why fruit that hangs off trees would be so strange. What must the fruit be a metaphor for? Horror upon horror the fruit is the black man lynched; no wonder the fruit looks strange. On the other hand ‘Brother, can you spare a dime?’ is plain to see as we recognize someone destitute and begging. In both cases, there are images of victims, and those victims are persecuted in different ways. One is for being non-white, and the other for being a hard-working man, both are innocent citizens who have landed in a bad place where there seems no exit.
Moreover, as the reader reads on the full reality of the themes of these two songs highlighting lynching in all of its brutality and the fall out of the Crash of 1929 are exposed. ‘Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze’ cannot get more real, as the true horror of lynching is laid bare. While ‘the bulging eyes and twisted mouth’ show the gravity of the spectacle as these poor black men hung up for all to see and for no reason at all. The protagonist in the ‘Brother, can you spare me a dime’ is left bearing his soul too, as he is ‘just waiting for bread’ instead of ‘building a dream’, and asking ‘can you spare a dime’ instead of building a railroad. Society has been criticized that has left this man and the black man fighting for their lives, notwithstanding that they could well be an upstanding member of society. The reader asks what have they done wrong to deserve this!
Here now lies the haunting social impact of the songs. The man who ‘made it run’ the railroad that is, and ‘made it run against time’ and who also ‘was building a dream’ with ‘peace and glory ahead’ now invokes a sad legacy that in all that he did and all he was asked to do, he is now discarded for society to forget. Furthermore, as much as is the case for the black man whose hanging body is ‘for the wind to suck’ and ‘for the sun to rot’. In both cases, the reader carries away the thought of life taken away. Nevertheless, for ‘Strange Fruit’ this was the first loud cries against racism. This was the way to move the black man’s story into the white man’s consciousness and Billie Holiday, the singer of Strange Fruit, her most successful song at that time. Contrastingly, Brother can you Spare a Dime still resonates in the modern-day world as the world come out of another economic collapse.
To conclude, these two songs send powerful messages that are meant to get into the readers’ awareness of society and for them to feel abhorred by the situation. The reader is meant to feel sad but on the whole optimistic that times can change so that today those times are a distant memory forever banished to the history books but never forgotten.
To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar: A journey through American Society
To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything
(861 Words)
At first glance, the main actors in this movie viewers would not expect the roles they have taken on. These relatively famous actors are Wesley Snipes and Patrick Swayze. Who? You say. They were famous in the nineties. So the surprise is, this movie has them dressed up in drag in a Thelma and Louise type road movie, of sorts. The fact about this movie is that they are not just transvestites; they go the whole hog to near on transsexual status where their persona and characters take on distinct female movements and nature. The movie begins by Vida aka Swayze and Noxema aka Snipes winning a New York drag queen competition and as a result, having a chance to win a national drag queen competition in Hollywood. Before they leave for Los Angeles, they bump into one of the losers, a certain South American transvestite named Chi Chi who is asked to join them. Here starts their road trip, at least until they realize they have no money, thus they sell their flight tickets to purchase a cheap beat-up Cadillac for their adventure.
