Time Reflection Essay Example for Free

Time Reflection Essay Time and time again, the old adage, ‘time is gold’, is validated by experiences.   Take the case of the fictional time machine.   We see them in movies, a device that allows a person to travel through time and space; a machine that allows a person to traverse different time dimensions.   But, however amazing the concept of time machine is, it is never true.   This only reinforces the conviction that time is so essential that whenever lost, can no longer be regained.    With men’s aim to discover this new dimension of time, technology has brought about changes that affected how people view time.   This is discussed in Anwar Accawi’s essay entitled, ‘The Telephone’.   In his essay, Accawi showed how technology changed and intruded into the timeless culture of the villagers in the village of Magdaluna.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the early times, life has been so simple.   People rarely care about the time.   Water clocks were used to track time merely for purposes of counting the days and nights.   In Anwar Accawi’s essay, â€Å"The Telephone†, it can be observed that the traditional villages were so simple that they never realized the need for such technologies as clocks and calendars to measure time.   People then were contented for what they have. They merely recall time by the events natural to human existence like birth and death. However, when the telephone was introduced, the villagers were amazed by such new device and the changes that come with it.   This started all the complexities that can now be reflected in the present day societies.   Time has become a commercial term instead of a natural cycle of human existence.   The measure of time has become so important that time already dictated what, how and when people should do things.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With the new technology, people’s lives revolved around it.   Ã‚  In Magdaluna, the new technology brought about occasion and the people rejoiced for how much telephone injected new values in the community.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In today’s American society, a typical American adult would complain that they do not have much time to complete the pile of work lined up for each day.   One reason for this perception about the lack of time is how people view time as an integral part of human existence.   How people value time and their perceived sense of time can be reflected on how they make use of such limited resource.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   With people complaining of having not enough time, they have resorted to certain practices and adopted specific values in order to maximize the use of time.   For example, in the work place, many employees would prefer flexible time and part –time work set ups.   In addition, some are torn by long travels, which is time consuming (Robinson Godbey 18). Some opted to put on retirement homes aged relatives and parents and rely on care givers so that their time can be freed to do other things they believe to be more important. Moreover, time use, according to Godbey’s earlier article, can be affected by new technologies.   As a result, people tend to customize time by using customized products (Robinson Godbey 18).   Technologies taught people to be dependent on machines and new devices just to save on what is believed as ‘more precious time’.   This sense of time reveals of how people can be so insensitive and how poor family ties could be.   Quantity time and quality has become a passà ©.   With societies become more industrialized, more advanced, there has become a variety of activities that people can choose from.   People tend to allocate time to aspects like work, business and commerce; discounting the more important human aspects like leisure; quality and quantity time with family; and personal relationships. Works Cited Robinson, John, and Geoffrey Godbey. Time in Our Hands: Most People in Industrialized Societies Feel Time-Pressured. the Problem Isnt How Much Time We Have, but Rather How We Use It. The Futurist Sept.-Oct. 2005: 18+. Questia. 20 Sept. 2007 http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=5010862325.

The IMF, World Bank and the Washington Consensus

The IMF, World Bank and the Washington Consensus The Washington Consensus was created in 1989 by John Williamson; it was used to describe the 10 policy prescriptions. The Washington Consensus was made to be the baseline of directions for countries, who are in need of assistance from international economic entities, for example the international Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Washington Consensus has been referenced many times; this has made it a general term of disparagement to those who go against the free market fundamentalism. (Williamson 1989) The ten points of the Washington Consensus were rather vague because they were to represent a baseline. The points included were, liberalizing foreign investment opportunities, keeping competitive exchange rates within the nation, privatizing enterprises run by the state, letting interest rates be handled by the market and remaining positive and moderate, strong legal guarantees for property rights, spending away from subsidies and to direct investments in infrastructure, education and health care, deregulation and reduce competition, except for consumer safety, environmental health and financial institutional stability. The last point raised is reforming the tax system to a broader tax base. (Williamson 1989) The Washington Consensus has resulted in limited success when it has been applied in nations which are suffering economic crisis. It has come under some criticism for a number of destabilisations for example the Argentinean crisis. John Williamson himself noted that the results have been disappointing upon implementation and how it could be improved and noted some of the flaws. John Williamson pointed out that the reason for failed results were that the Washington Consensus did not place any special measures on mechanisms for avoiding economic crisis. (Williamson 1989) People who opposed the ideas of the Washington Consensus believe that it represents exploitation of developing countries by developed countries. Some nations in Latin America have implemented policies which go directly against the Washington Consensus which resulted in good results in some occasions. Some socialist leaders like Evo Morales, Hugo Chavez and Nestor Kirchner have all spoken out against the Washington Consensus and implemented policies which have taken their nations to very different directions. (Reed 2007) Though other Latin American counties with governments of the left wing have in practice adopted the bulk of the policies included in Williamsons list but they often criticize the principles of market fundamentalism that they are often associated with. These policies have been promoted by the International Monetary Fund but have come under some criticism by US economists like Rodrik and Joseph Stiglitz. They have both challenged the fundamental policies of the IMF (International Monetary Fund) and the US treasury, Stiglitz called this a one size fits all action for individual economies. Joseph Stiglitz stated that the treatment that was suggested by the IMF is far too basic; he said the policies did not prioritise or look for side effects. (Reed 2007) The policies for the Washington Consensus were originally created as a response to the crisis that was happening in Latin America. In 2010, several nations from the area are now being led by socialists or other left wing governments. Some of the countries are campaigning for and have adopted some policies which are opposite to the Washington Consensus policies. Even though some nations in Latin America have left wing governments such as Chile, Peru and Brazil, they have still adopted most of the policies that are in the Washington Consensus, even though they go against the principle of market fundamentalism that on such occasions are associated with. (Reed 2007) There has been a lot of criticism about the Washington Consensus. Most of the criticism has been focused on the elimination of subsidies and on trade liberalisation. The criticism has been rather harsh towards the agriculture sector. Countries which have a substantial amount of natural resources, they have criticised the privatisation of industries exploiting these resources. Neo-Keynesian and post-Keynesian have both been very critical of the consensus and they have argued that the core policies were wrongly been laid out and are too inflexible to be successful. An example of this would be flexible labour laws were supposedly meant to create new job opportunities; economic evidence from Latin America has been largely inconclusive. Some critics have criticised that the policies do not take into account of the cultural and economic differences between the nations. They believe that these policies should be only implemented at times of economic growth and should not be implemented during economic crisis. (Naim 1999) Foreign Policy chief editor, Moises Naim, argued that there was no such consensus in the first place. Moises Naim had argued that there was and still is important differences between economists over what is the best and correct economic policy. This is the reason the idea of there being a consensus was also flawed. (Naim 1999) SOURCE: WORLD BANK and ECLAC As you can see from the chart above, it shows that Brazil and Latin America who have implemented the Washington Consensus from 1990-2004 have showed that the Economic Growth has dropped by more than half. East Asia economic growth has gone up and they have not implemented the Washington Consensus. This has shown that the Washington Consensus has had a considerable impact on the growth. East Asia did not follow the Washington Consensus policies in some important respects. They adopted strong industrial and government policies, as well as creating successful government enterprises. They were also slow to liberalise capital markets and trade. Such difference accounted for the performances between East Asia and Latin America, because of this there was faster and increased growth in East Asia. They also benefited from growth that was widely shared and became more stable except for the 1997 crisis where all the countries recovered quickly expect for Indonesia. (Franko 2007) SOURCE: ECLAC SOURCE: ECLAC The adoption of the Washington Consensus has had an immense impact on GDP per Capita. The GDP per Capita at the end of 2003 is -0.3 % and in the 1960s it was 2.6% The Washington Consensus policies had only produced very limited growth, but when growth occurred it was not equitably share. The Washington Consensus was at best indifferent, and at worst hostile, to specific ideas and policies that would have promoted equality. Unemployment rates have steadily been rising and the Washington Consensus has no impact on reducing unemployement rates. Critics of trade liberalisation such as Tariq Ali and Susan George, see that the Washington Consensus is a way to open up labour markets of underdeveloped economies so companies from developed nations can exploit this. Washington Consensus allows free movement of items across the borders, however labour is not allowed to move freely there are requirements like a work permit or a visa. This then creates a scenario which goods are manufactured by cheap labour in developing nations and then these good are exported to developed nations for a big mark-up. The criticism of this is that the underdeveloped economies workers remain poor, any pay rises that the workers may receive over the money they made before the trade liberalisation are then offset by inflation. Developed nations workers become unemployed because of work being moved offshore and the owners of the businesses become richer. (Reed 2007) Joseph Stiglitz believed that the Washington Consensus had proved that it was neither sufficient nor necessary to be successful for development. He believed that even if each of its policies made sense for specific nations at specific times it was still unsuccessful. Joseph Stiglitz said that any future consensus cannot be made just in Washington and that any new framework should provide tailored adaptation to particular circumstances that the nations are involved in. (Change, 2001) There has been a lot of criticism of the Washington Consensus policies; there has been evidence of their impact on health, which has led to the development of the post-Washington Consensus. The ideas and policies of the post-Washington Consensus aimed to: Create vertical and horizontal policy coherence Include the creation of enforceable codes and standards, and concessions to social welfare through targeted social safety nets Manage liberalized trade, finance and monetary systems Include firms and businesses in a Global Compact for Development and the PRSP process. Many supporters of the post-Washington Consensus believe it differs from the original ideas and fundamentals of the Washington Consensus. The main goal for the Washington Consensus was to make economic growth in development. The new post-Washington Consensus differed from this and moved away from the neo-liberal, market-friendly approach and places sustainable, egalitarian and democratic development at the heart of the agenda. The post-Washington Consensus is more focused on poverty, which supports and protects the poor and aims towards social spending on health and education. Some still argue that the original ideas of the Washington Consensus neo-liberal agenda still underpins the new ideas and policies of the post-Washington Consensus, referring to the social safety net aspects of the new policies are there to be an add-on to cope with market failures. (World Health Organisation 2010) Joseph Stiglitz believed that new framework was needed to guide us to stable, democratic, sustainable and equitable development. He also believed the framework should reform global economic architecture to promote efficiency, developing countries to focus on their goals and objectives, stability and equity among nations. The post-Washington Consensus looks at the importance of employment, and balanced roles of the government and markets. This would be completed by promoting and regulating markets, providing physical and institutional infrastructure and also by endorsing innovation, technology and education. (Change 2001) The Post-Washington Consensus recognises the importance of the a nation in open markets as well as more liberal policy environment. This approach sees the importance of avoiding state failure which needs institutional innovation and democratic governance. The Post-Washington Consensus sees the need to tackle inequality as well as poverty as their main objectives looking away from efficiency and growth objectives. An example would be that markets, themselves do not produce efficient outcomes when there is a changing of technology or the learning about markets. These processes are important in development and East Asian countries recognised this but the Washington consensus did not. In respect to all these points the Post-Washington Consensus is a more progressive approach to development compare to the Washington Consensus. (Onis and Senses, 2005) There has been criticism of the Post-Washington Consensus that it adopts a technocratic and narrow approach to markets in both a global and at national level. The Post-Washington Consensus sees existing power structures as pre-determined. This is the reason why it fails to tackle the asymmetries of power and the fundamental power relations that are between the classes at level of nation state, and also the powerful versus less strong nations in the economy. These issues would need to be tackled in order to get over development issues. (Onis and Senses, 2005) The IMF and the World bank have not welcomed the Post-Washington Consensus policies. The IMF went through a crisis with their identity straight after the Asian crisis and they have been trying to reform themselves. However the IMF has a restrictive understanding and viewpoint of what should be the foundations for the Post-Washington Consensus. This has had vital consequences because the IMF is an important player for crisis nations and emerging nations. (Onis and Senses, 2005) The criticisms that was given to the Washington Consensus by the newly designed Post-Washington Consensus has fallen short in terms of dealing with the main issues but the Post-Washington Consensus still has cracked the neoliberal approach, which may lead to new and fresh viable alternative. The jury is still out for the Post-Washington Consensus as a definitive viable alternative but together with flourishing other globalisation movements and alongside the background of growing distributional imbalances at every level, this would bring such a change to be an alternative option.

The Problems of Facebook :: Social Networking, Pro Con Essays

The popular site, Facebook.com, has amassed more than one billion registrants since it started in February 2004. It is another social networking site, just like MySpace.com and Xanga.com, which is common to High School and College students. But this is no ordinary site; people’s lives literally revolve around Facebook. I have a Facebook account and log in at least once a day. I personally believe that Facebook is a fun and interactive site. However, some students may not feel that same way because they have encountered some negative aspects, aside from Facebook’s legal problems. Students who want to find jobs may regret posting private pictures and comments on Facebook. Employers not only screen resumes and conduct interviews, but also view job candidates’ Facebook profiles. The boss wants to know if the applicant is actually a â€Å"professional.† Pictures may show the person drinking, smoking, or doing other unprofessional activities. Offensive comments can also hurt an applicant’s chances of getting the job. Not many Colleges check up on their students through Facebook, but Oxford University is an expert at doing just that. Any picture or comment pertaining to illegal activities will lead to a student being charged with a fine. Since I am about to head off to college soon, I would disapprove of this invasion of privacy. Nonetheless, other colleges may soon pick up this way to spy on their students. Just as MySpace has online predators, Facebook may have some too. Some Facebook users have profiles with personal information that are visible to everyone. AOL screen names, phone numbers, and even addresses are posted on the site. Police are now looking into Facebook because a few convicted sex offenders have registered on the site. The entire Facebook company is being sued by three owners of ConnectU, which is another social networking site.

Essay --

Text A is a comic strip entitled â€Å"CATHY†, created by Cathy Guisewite and published in 1986. The text talks about gender stereotypes and the fact that people become ignorant when it comes to gender. Text B is an extract from a memoir by Shusha Guppy, â€Å"The Blindfold Horse, Memories of a Persian Childhood†, and is published in 1988. This text is about gender inequality but as well refers to destiny and determinism vs. free will. Both texts deal with the common theme of gender stereotypes, but each one approaches the theme from a different point of view. The comic mainly focuses on the physical and behavioral characteristics that identify each gender, whether the extract focuses on gender stereotypes from a different view, gender inequality, and also talks about determinism and destiny in life. In Text A, Cathy supports her ideas with a series of sketches and the use of visual images by adding facial expressions to the characters. In contrast, Text B has a more na rrative style and passes the message to the audience without the use of direct images. A similarity between the two texts is the date of publication and thus the reader can understand that they have a similar contextual background. However text B, as an extract from a memoir, talks about events that occurred years before the publication. ​Text A has the purpose of showing how people viewed specific characteristics as masculine or feminine and sensitizes people that sex stereotyping is compulsory. From the first image we can see that the mother of the baby is not saying yet the baby’s sex in order for it to have the ability to meet people, continue living free, away from stereotypical characteristics that may affect its life. The reaction of the nurse, â€Å"I’ll bet it’s a boy†, r... ...traditional Persian ways and shows that the narrator stands up for the sex equality. The veil is also literally used as a symbol to hide women’s beauty and highlight their feeling of being less towards the society. At both texts there has been carefully selected word choice to relay the message. This word choice is basically feminized for the description of the women and hence, we can understand that both writers are feminists and they have the similar target audience. To conclude, women nowadays have a more advanced and sophisticated role in society although the sex stereotypes continue to exist and societies’ attitudes change towards gender roles. The contrast between a comic with an extract from a memoir which share a common theme, provides us with information about the different attitudes that cultures have towards gender stereotypes and especially towards women.

Michael Anthony is the writer of Enchanted Alley and Drunkard of the ri

Michael Anthony is the writer of Enchanted Alley and Drunkard of the river Michael Anthony is the writer of 'Enchanted Alley' and 'Drunkard of the river'. He was born in Mayaro in 1932, in Trinidad. He claims, ' My desire was to write about something I knew and experienced'. The Short story 'The Drunkard of the river' is based on the lives of a family that he knew though the tragic ending is made up. 'Enchanted Alley' is one of two stories set in San Fernando by Michael Anthony, it is based on a young boy and the people he encounters during the early hours of the morning on his way to school. Michael Anthony spent a childhood year and many of his adolescent years in San Fernando. There are rational differences in, 'The Drunkard of the River' and 'Enchanted Alley'. 'The Drunkard of the river' has a depressing atmosphere and feel. The main character is insulted and not taken into consideration; eventually it makes him feel insignificant and ends up murdering his father. Characters in the story are referred to animal characteristics; "The lion in him had changed into ...

Analyse the policies of the Japanese towards Essay

Analyse the policies of the Japanese towards the civilians in East and Southeast Asia between 1937 and 1945, including their implementation and impacts. Evaluate two sources in your answer. Identify components and the relationship between them; draw out and relate implications Hashimoto once said ‘Japan’s national structure is the highest principle of mankind. All the countries must form an organic unity, with Japan as brains, growing and developing as a living being under the supreme guidance of His Excellency the Emperor’ This quote best summarises the policy of the Japanese during this period of time. Japanese expansionist policies and how they were implemented and impacted upon civilians will be further explained throughout the essay. The two sources that will be evaluated are ‘Higher than Heaven’ by Rick Tanaka and Tony Barrel and Group Psychology of the Japanese in War Time, by Iritani. The official Japanese policy was to â€Å"ensure self preservation and self defence of the Empire and to create a new world order. † This was outlined in the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere which aimed to create an Asian society with Japan being the leader. They wished to see the countries revolt against their colonial powers and hoped to fill the void left by the colonial power. However, when this did not happen the Japanese military leaders decided to impose their ideology by force. Japanese domination would only be possible if the other nations embraced and eventually assimilated into Japanese culture. Hence, most of Japanese policy was directed towards the assimilation of cultures. Official policies outlined in the ‘The Japanese blueprint for South East Asia, instructions of the Japanese military’ published in August 1942, include guiding the civilians so that they accept the empires policies. If civilians were not accepting the policies then political and economic pressures were to be applied to the various governments to ensure the execution of Japanese policies under strict supervision, as was done in China. Cultural assimilation was to be ensured through control over customs, religions and education. A broad aim with these was to create an atmosphere respectful of labour and to spread the Japanese culture through the empire. Eventually symbols of significance and geographical sites were to assume Japanese names (as was done by Manchuria being changed into Manchunko), a true symbol of Japanese imperialism. However, Japan lacked in raw materials so some of their policies were aimed at getting resources such as oil so that they could continue the war. Policies were aimed at rapidly securing resources of the southern areas so that the war potential of the empire would be strengthened. This caused some adverse policies towards civilians. Although the official line for the treatment of civilians was to be neither â€Å"too lenient nor too harsh†, which was supported by a document called ‘Read this and the war is already won’ which outlined that Japanese soldiers were to be humane to civilians as they were fighting the war to liberate the Asian people from colonial rule, a document called ‘Lessons for the Battlefield’ explained the treatment of civilians that occurred during the period of 1937-1945. Westerners are attacked for surrendering and it warns that death is preferable to surrender, it outlines that civilians who surrender are to be treated as below human as only lowly creatures surrender. It also calls for the Japanese soldiers to be single minded in achieving their aims. Japan had ratified the Hague Treaty but did not comply with it, instead they followed government instructions outlined in ‘Lessons for the Battlefield’. The implementation and impacts of Japanese policies caused tsunamis of shock to flow all around the world, American media reports of the atrocities caused anti-Japanese feelings to develop all over the world. In China policies were implemented with the policy of â€Å"kill all, burn all, destroy all’ to gain control. This was especially true in Nanking as outlined by ‘The rape of Nanking. ‘ Here buildings were burnt, women were raped and innocent citizens were murdered in various gruesome ways including ripping the stomachs, digging out the heart, boiling people and beheading victims. Iritani believes that this occurred due to the incredibly harsh fighting conditions in China which elevated the abnormal psychological state of the soldiers. Other historians believe that it was done in order to gain control and create a puppet regime in Nanking where Japanese assimilation could begin. In Nanking alone the impact of this policy caused the deaths of approximately 300,000 people in just six weeks. Women were captured and sent to ‘comfort stations’ to act as sex slaves although geisha houses were banned in Japan. As the war in China became longer and supply lines became inefficient Japanese soldiers began to confiscate crops and other agricultural goods, which led to food shortages and ultimately a failing of the economy. Manchunko, formerly Manchuria, became the centre of Japanese military and economic power, however the ultimate failure of Japanese economic policies caused the downfall of the Manchurian economy by 1945. The implementation of policies in Korea was the epitome of the attempt at Japanese civilisation. The Japanese language was to be used in schools and all were required to attend Shinto services although the population was mostly Buddhist. Forced labour was implemented to help achieve the aims of the Japanese, usually worked in factories making ammunition for the Japanese. Forced conscription was enforced and Koreans filled the lowest positions of the Japanese army to â€Å"show their patriotism. † Here too, women were forced to become comfort women. Nationalist movements were suppressed to ensure Japanese control. The impacts on Korea, apart from the large amounts of deaths that occurred to civilians that opposed the regime was the ultimate division of Korea along the 38th parallel. The USA and USSR government divided Korea for the purpose of accepting the surrender of Japanese troops. It was the harsh Japanese policies and their implementation that caused opposition forces to rise, including the rising of the communist anti-Japanese guerrillas in Dongbei. The conflict between North and South Korea still continues today, showing the lasting impact of the implementation of Japanese policies. The Japanese invasion of the Philippines in 1941 brought with it the implementation of Japanese policies including the â€Å"three all† policies brought widespread destruction to the Island, especially in Manilla where many civilians were killed. Although a ‘co-operative government’ was established in 1943, the failure of Japanese economic policies caused such devastation to the Philippines that several hundred million dollars were needed to recover the economy at the end of the war. In French Indo-China rice paddies were converted to jute for the war effort and forced labour was imposed. In Burma workers were forced to work on the Burma-Thailand railway, conditions were so harsh that 90,000 workers were killed. These harsh conditions caused the formation of the Anti-Fascist People’s Freedom League which resisted the weak Japanese installed government. In Malaya and Singapore all Chinese civilians were arrested immediately as they were suspected of supporting Chiang Kai-shek, implementation of the Japanese policy of total control. The Japanese saw the importance of Singapore as a military base and maintained strict control of it by the Japanese military and secret policy. Malay workers were also forced to work on the Burma-Thai railway. The worsening of working conditions and the extremely harsh requisitioning of men and materials caused the eventual rise of opposition including the group led by Lim Bo Seng. The Dutch East Indies was seen as a ‘jewel’ by the Japanese as it contained oil, and hence the control of this was particularly important. Assimilation attempts included the forced study of the Japanese language and the forced singing of the Japanese national anthem to show patriotism. Impacts have included the death of up to four million people and Japanese training of young military men formed the nucleus of the post war independence army. Japanese policies also caused economic hardships. All countries occupied by Japan during the war had similar impacts such the mistreatment and subsequent death of civilians and adverse economic impacts. All nations also suffered a substantial psychological impacts from the years of harsh oppression, as described by Lai Yeo, who was a comfort woman to the Japanese. â€Å"The impact of Japanese policies did not end with their rule, the emotional scars will be something I will have to bear forever†¦ † Source Evaluation Wantanabe Shoichi – claimed that the harsh treatment of Japanese did not occur, the Nanking massacres were fictional A Japanese nationalist Doesn’t match other sources Saburo Inega – Campaigned against the censorship of Japanese textbooks that omitted out the atrocities Book written to show the Japanese policies the nake realities of the pacific war More reliable Iritani – 3rd generation Japanese American Useful as provides both perspectives and reasons for acts of atrocities Delves into the psyche Matches with other sources Lai Yeo – article on the internet First hand experience of Japanese brutality Matches with other sources although it seems to be a bit exaggerated Psychological state seems fragile, memories may be disrupted.

Animal abuse Essay

When Richard Acton was young he had a neighbor. The neighbor was on the small side. It always seemed as if he was getting bullied. He was so shy, he always stayed in his house. He was seldom seen in the yard playing or anything. And if he appeared in the yard, he would not stay out long. One day Richard asked his parents about him, and what they thought. They told Richard to sit down that they needed to explain something to him. They said â€Å"there are people out there in our world that do things to others just to hurt them. They do it because they are sick or maybe enjoy it. Some just do it because that is all they know. People will really never fully understand why it happens, but it does.† The situation is termed abuse. The definition of abuse is â€Å"to use ill; to maltreat; to misuse; to use with bad motives or to wrong purposes; as, to abuse rights or privileges† (Webster, N/A). see more:types of animal cruelty The fact is this occurs all around the world. â€Å"Animal cruelty or abuse can be either deliberate abuse or simply the failure to take care of an animal. Either way, and whether the animal is a pet, a farm animal, or wildlife, the victim can suffer terribly† (Humane Society of The United States, 2011). Animal abuse is a growing problem in today’s society, and it needs to be stopped. As humankind has progressed, there has been an increase in governance and rules and regulations of everyday life. These rules and regulations are implemented as a result of various situation that occur around the world. One such rapidly growing concern is the concept of animal cruelty. Animal abuse is cruel unwarranted treatment of animals. Such treatment has one focus to subject animals and sometimes pets to unnecessary harm and pain. The increasing number of cruelty cases reported daily in the media is only the beginning of reported animal abuse. Most cases are never reported, and most animal suffering goes unrecognized and unabated. Although there is no national reporting system for animal abuse, media reports suggest that it is common in rural and urban areas. Cruelty and neglect can also cross socio-economic boundaries. While many people would like to think animal cruelty no longer exist, what people fail to realize is that it is still happening all over the world today. The treatment of animals is completely unethical. Ethics is defined as, â€Å"A system of moral principles; a system of rules for regulating the actions and manners of men in society† (ethics. 2014. In Noah Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language. , n.d.). We live in a world governed by ethics and the concept or right and wrong. This is why animal cruelty in today society is so unreal. The fact animals are still regarded as a product rather than living breathing creatures is morally wrong. Unfortunately our morals don’t extend to animals. Although many people claim that they are against animal cruelty they still see animals as forms of entertainment, clothing, and experiments which is complete unethical. Animals are not ours to use. Some may argue that because animals do not think and act like a human being, that they should not be treated like them; therefore, animals should not have rights, or be treated as fairly as a human. â€Å"The concept of rights to animals on the grounds that they have similar  physiological and mental capacities as infants or disabled human beings† (Wilson, N/A). They are wrong because animals are living, breathing creatures that were placed on Earth for a reason, the same as humans. Does an innocent animal feel the need to abuse, beat, and kill a human being because the human is not an animal, like itself? No. Therefore, it should not be okay for any human to beat and kill an animal because the animal is not human. So in an ideal world, animal cruelty would not exist. But, this is not an ideal world, and animals, domesticated and wild, are abused and beaten every single day. Should animals have rights? Yes, they should. All animals have nervous systems; they can feel, both physically and emotionally, therefore, it should be illegal to abuse any animal, not just  domesticated ones. Every day in the United States animals are beaten, neglected, or forced to struggle for survival. Left in unsanitary conditions with no food or water, they have little hope as they live out their days without the compassion they deserve. â€Å"It’s even more so when we realize that the everyday choices we make—such as what we eat for lunch and the kind of shampoo we buy—may be directly supporting some of this abuse† (People for the treatment of animals, N/A). Some are found and rescued, given the chance to experience how great life and humans can be; others are not so lucky. To grow as a nation, we must fight for these abused animals’ rights and severely punish heartless owners. It is up to us to speak for these creatures who lack a voice, for who will if we don’t? One of the first steps in protecting animals and  ­creating effective cruelty laws is knowing what animal cruelty actually is. There are two categories: passive cruelty and active cruelty. First  ­involves acts of omission, meaning the abuse happens as a result of neglect or lack of action. Passive cruelty might seem less serious, but that is not the case; it can lead to terrible pain and suffering, and ultimat ely death. Examples include starvation, dehydration, and untreated parasite infestations, inadequate shelter in extreme weather conditions, and the failure to get medical care. Passive cruelty is sometimes due to the owner’s ignorance, so many animal control officers will first try to educate neglectful owners on how to properly care for animals before giving them a citation or placing them under arrest. Active cruelty, on the other hand, is more well-known and disturbing. Sometimes referred to as non-accidental injury, this type of abuse involves purposefully inflicting harm on an animal in order to feel more powerful or gain control. Active cruelty against animals should be taken very seriously, since it can be a sign that a person has serious psychological issues and may commit more acts of violence – possibly against humans. It’s not only up to the legal system to ensure that communities across the country are aware and educated about animal cruelty. There are plenty of things everyday citizens can do. The simplest action is for people to take care of their own pets and learn the facts so they can educate others on proper animal care. Another easy way to help is by donating to or volunteering at a local animal shelter. Contrary  to popular belief, volunteering doesn’t require a lot of time; simply going in a few hours a week helps. Finally, by writing letters you can remind your local lawmakers that animal abuse is a real problem that needs to be addressed. â€Å"In media-reported animal cruelty cases, dogs–and pit bull-type dogs, in particular are the most common victims of animal cruelty. Of 1,880 cruelty cases reported in the media, 64 percent involved dogs, 18 percent involved cats and 25 percent involved other animals† (Humane Society of The United States, 2011). â€Å"More American households have pets than children. More money is spent on pet food than on baby food. There are more dogs in the U.S. than people in most countries in Europe-and more cats and dogs. A child growing up in the U.S. is more likely to have a pet than a live in father† (American Humane Association para 2,3, 2013). Know who to call to report animal abuse. If unsure who to contact. Contact your local police department at 618-826-5000 or call 911 if it is an emergency. Get to know and look out for the animals in your neighborhood. Start a Neighborhood Watch Program. Fight for strong anti-cruelty laws on federal, state and the local level. Set a good example for others to follow. Talk to your kids about how to treat animals with kindness and respect. And what is believed to be the most important, support your local shelter or animal rescue organization. It is a wonderful way to make a difference. Funding is an important issue when it comes to animal abuse. Most agencies that handle the calls for animal abuse are very understaffed. They also rely on support from others. Some agencies rely on grants to fund their operation to help rescue abused animal. Grants can be obtained from agencies such as the Animal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). The ASPCA Anti-Cruelty grant program supports private organizations and public  agencies dedicated to the prevention and elimination of animal cruelty throughout the United States. Every state in the United States and the District of Columbia has a law prohibiting cruelty to animals. These laws  do not give animals rights, but do afford some legal protection. The purposes of these laws is to deter violence by humans in any form as well as to protect animals from mistreatment and cruelty by imposing a penalty for those acts. Most of these laws fall under the purpose of morality, meaning the purpose is not to protect the animals, but to keep people on the straight and narrow. Whatever the reason, many more states are recognizing that animal cruelty, neglect and abuse are serious issues. There are now 41 states plus the District of Columbia with felony provisions for animal cruelty 32 plus DC with â€Å"Felony† specifically stated in the statute, 8 with felony punishments attached, but the status of the crime is not specifically defined. Animal abuse comes in all forms, from physical abuse to simple neglect. Both intentional/malicious abuse and neglect or passive abuse may be tough to spot as laws defining what constitutes animal abuse can be vague and differ from municipality to municipality. Before reporting abuse, one must evaluate the entire situation to determine whether or not abuse is actually occurring. Make sure all the facts are in order. One of the best solution in order to stop the awful trend is to teach a child while they are still young on how to treat an animals. Keeping in mind that they are the future, teaching a young child can help reduce the problem. Many agree on the educational value that owning a pet could have on a child. People aren’t always able to relate to animal, as humans, were not born with the ability to know how to treat animals. A recent statistic shows that kids who partake in animal abuse, may, as they get older abuse others and their belongings. This is not necessary saying that your child is the next serial killer or murderer but helping them understand early on the rights and wrongs when having contact with an animal could help. Showing children what a happy pet looks like, so they care more for their pet’s emotions. Parents often don’t take the time to teach the child rights and wrongs when caring for an animal. They need to make sure they set limitations when a child and pet are left alone. Teach your child early on and they will be able to help stop animal abuse. Another great solution is, educating ourselves on proper pet care, we also educate others by sharing the knowledge. In most situations, people have the right idea in  mind when it comes to pets, but they are not always well educated in proper pet care, and sometimes don’t notice the risk they put their animals in. Pet education is key. If planning on stopping animal abuse it is needed to identify early what is the cause of the abuse and also help the abusers. â€Å"Studies show that males are 94% more likely to commit the abuse towards animals. Minors, under the age of 18, were 31% likely to abuse animals.  Also, animal abuse is 21% more likely in families that involve family violence† (Andrea, 1999). Every living thing has a heart and feelings, God put animals on earth for us to enjoy, not to abuse. We all need someone to love and to care for. Why not a pet? With a pet, the key is to educate our young on how to treat them. With this education it can be passed on where one day animal abuse will be stopped. References American Humane Association para 2,3. (2013). Retrieved from American Humane Association: http://www.americanhumane.org/interaction/support-the-bond/fact-sheets/animal-abuse-domestic-violence.html Andrea, L. (1999, Feburay). We Speak For Them para5. Retrieved from http://animalabuseitneedstostop.weebly.com/index.html ethics. 2014. In Noah Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language. . (n.d.). Retrieved from ethics. 2014. In Noah Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language. : ethics. 2014. In Noah Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language. Humane Society of The United States. (2011). Retrieved from Humane Society of The United States para 4: http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/abuse_neglect/facts/animal_cruelty_facts_statistics.html People for the treatment of animals. (N/A, Para 2). Retrieved from PETA: http://www.peta.org/issues/ Webster. (N/A). abuse,1828 Webster Dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.1828.mshaffer. com/ Wilson, S. (N/A). Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved from IEP para 4: http://www.iep.utm.edu/anim-eth/