Twelve †Imam Shīʿism

Introduction Twelve – Imam ShÄ «ÃŠ ¿ism is rated second among Muslim denominations, the followers are inspired by Prophet Mohammed who was among the twelve Imams in ShÄ «ÃŠ ¿ism. Needless to say, Imams are considered the only authoritative interpreters of the Quran and Sunnah, (Jafri p161).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Twelve – Imam ShÄ «ÃŠ ¿ism specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In addition, it is believed that religious guidance is derived from the prophet’s descendants; therefore prophets are mainly concerned with ensuring that God’s favor is upon them. As a result, they are in a position to provide guidance to many; Mohammed is believed to have originated from Abraham’s family, whereby Abraham is known as the founder of the Ka’bah, (Jafri p162). In addition, Mohammed is known as God’s last messenger, whose mission was to deliver God’s message to peop le. An imam is a leader, chosen by God to provide guidance to mankind, therefore acts as a spiritual guide and a leader of the Muslim community. Therefore, through obeying the Imams, one portrays his obedience to the almighty, (Jafri p166). Law is also important to the Muslims, shariah law being the most common law. Muslims are required to recognize God as the forgiving and merciful creator, through worshiping God alone, and adhering to certain practices such as fasting and praying, (Jafri p176). Important point â€Å"There are seven religious duties that have to be observed as obligatory acts of worship of God,† (Jafri p167). This is one of the most important point in the readings, these practices include; praying five times a day, fasting during Ramadan, making pilgrimage known as hajj, which involves travelling to Ka’bah, and giving alms referred to as zakat which comprises of one- tenth of annual commodity. In addition Muslims are required to give khums, which are one-fifth of an individual’s annual income, practicing jihad, known as the holy war, which is applicable only when under attack, and encouraging others to engage in only good activities, and avoid evil. A positive influence by Twelve – Imam ShÄ «ÃŠ ¿ism Muslim denomination on its followers is vital; therefore the seven religious duties encourage ethical practices among Muslims. As a result, discipline can be maintained, by encouraging good deeds and discouraging the evil, by exercising the seven religious duties. Praying five times a day is vital as it increases one’s faith, while fasting encourages an individual to avoid evil, hence drawing them close to their creator. Therefore these practices are essential in promoting Twelve – Imam ShÄ «ÃŠ ¿ism denomination, by fostering ethical behaviors. Needless to say, individuals are likely to be attracted by a denomination that encourages good, rather than evil. According to Jafri (177), prayers and supplicati ons represents a Muslim’s will to dedicate his life to the will of God; the purity of Imams souls and ethical morals were signs of high level of spirituality, which have been passed on to generations.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Conclusion The fostering of good and avoidance of evil is essential in any religion, Twelve – Imam ShÄ «ÃŠ ¿ism, being the second largest Muslim denomination, consists of many members. Therefore, the religious duties mentioned above are obligatory, and were formed with an aim of avoiding evil, as well as adhering to the law, promoting compassion, justice and love, which are among the Islamic concepts. In addition, the imams are seen as leaders and spiritual guides, who assist members in sustaining their faith. As a result Muslims are required to obey the Imams, as a symbol of their love and respect for their creator. In addition, re cognizing God as the only creator is essential among the Muslims and can be practiced, through worshiping him alone. Works Cited Jafri, Syed. Chapter Nine, â€Å"Twelve-Imam ShÄ «ÃŠ ¿ism,† N.d. Print. Attached document This essay on Twelve – Imam ShÄ «ÃŠ ¿ism was written and submitted by user Elle Q. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Effects of the Internet on Human Cognition

Effects of the Internet on Human Cognition Many theorists have come up with different definitions of cognition. Whether it is in education or psychology, the word cognition has continued to elicit much attention from people seeking to understand the working of the human brain. While trying to examine the effects that the internet has on human cognition, I sought to know the real meaning of cognition from a psychological point of view.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Effects of the Internet on Human Cognition specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More From the many definitions that I encountered, the one that I found most intriguing was one by psychologist Kendra Cherry who describes cognition as â€Å"the mental processes involved in gaining knowledge and comprehension, including thinking, knowing, remembering, judging and problem solving.† (Cherry) According to Cherry, these are â€Å"higher-level functions of the brain† and they include speech, thoughts , observations and even planning. (Cherry) The definition might sound complicated to most people but what Cherry and other psychologists are trying to say is that cognition from a psychological point of view deals with the information processing part of the mind. This processing of information can also be extended to include how the mind applies knowledge and how our preferences can change owing to the knowledge that the mind possesses. The reason why I am saying that acquiring knowledge can lead to change of preferences is because the cognitive processes can be innate or artificial, and it can even be cognizant or unconscious. This is in accordance with Cherry’s observation who states that the cognition process incorporates â€Å"higher-level functions of the brain.† By higher, what is being insinuated here is that the cognitive process can lead a person to make â€Å"unconscious† decisions that they would otherwise not have made without an outside influence. I f we ignore the natural part of the cognitive process, we are left with the artificial aspect, which is my main area of concern. In short, what I am trying to say is that the information that we gather from various sources can affect the way we understand, think, remember, judge, or even the way we solve problems. In order to understand this point in a deeper way, I would like to look at the internet and its effects on human cognition. (Wilson Keil 201) In order to understand how the internet affects human cognition, I sought the help of two renowned authors Clay Shirky and Nicholas Carr.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In their respective books titled Cognitive Surplus: Creativity and Generosity in a Connected Age and The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains, both authors seem to dwell on cognition although they arrive at different conclusions. In his book t itled The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains, Carr claims that each one of us has a reason to be worried for constantly wanting to â€Å"Google† something up simply because we could not remember it off head. Carr claims that our constant desire to check out our e-mail, send some â€Å"tweets† or even check out our favorite blog instead of reading a book is a reason for concern. Well, Carr does not claim that the reason why this has to get us worried is because we waste our precious time doing so but instead he claims that the constant deluge with the electronic media is apparently changing the way our brain is wired. (Carr 23) In short, what Carr is trying to politely say is that every time we are trying to decide which Web page to settle on, respond to those flashy online advertisements, or even try to check what is latest on Facebook, we are actually depleting our neurological ability to memorize facts or concentrate long enough to completely assimila te what we read. According to Carr, the older generation who lived before Google revolutionized our lives paid more attention to their fellow men. What is shocking is Carr’s observation that this same generation, which has now been overtaken by Goggle, has changed and now it finds it hard to concentrate on the interests of their fellow men. Throughout The Shallows, Carr cites enough academic research to dispel any doubts in the minds of those who think that he is anti-technology. (Carr 26) A study that Carr quoted showed that the more links an editorial has, the lower the understanding of the reader. As though this is not intriguing enough, the author quotes another study showing that our brains tend to place much value on information simply because it is latest. What is even more shocking is the finding of a research presented by Carr, which shows that the brain of a person who has been surfing the internet takes a longer time to register traces of caring on a neurological s can. (Carr 32) What Carr concludes on this study is that The more distracted we become, the less able we are to experience the subtlest, most distinctly human forms of empathy, compassion, and emotion. (Carr 35) I strongly believe that Carr’s observation is the same artificial aspect of the cognitive process that Cherry presents in her definition. This is because I cannot possibly get a plausible way to explain Carr’s observation other than in Cherry’s words that these are â€Å"higher-level functions of the brain.† (Cherry) Carr claims that the internet has rather obliterated people’s working memory and now they have to rely on the website to select the information that is incorporated into their long-term memory and approaches.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Effects of the Internet on Human Cognition specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More While the mind of a person reading a book refl ects on what is important at its own speed, the â€Å"Netizens brain† as Carr puts it has to choose in a rapid and random manner. As a result, this diminishes our aptitude to maximize the input, and we become monotonous â€Å"consumers of data.† This clearly explains why on occasion it becomes hard to keep concentration after spending much time browsing the Web. (Carr 46) In order to give us something we can relate to, Carr gives us the example of Twitter whose very motto â€Å"Discover what’s happening right now† is an indirect ad for a â€Å"neurological heroin† that coaches ones brain to be distracted further. Well, let us forget Twitter for a moment, which after all has not caught up with each one of us and think about Google. According to Carr, while Google’s initiators may actually believe in their avowed goal to organize the worlds information and make it universally accessible and useful, (Carr 48) what they are actually doing is to literally bring distraction in to people’s lives. Although Carr believes the Internet has revolutionized how we find information, he cautions us that it might become a potentially dangerous drive to groupthink. In arriving at this conclusion, he relies on the findings of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders Stroke, which suggests that sampling different Websites makes people more likely to rely on conventional ideas and solutions rather than challenging them with original lines of thought. (Carr 58) I believe this fits the description of cognition outlined by psychologist Kendra Cherry in that the internet has affected the way we speak, think, observe or even plan our daily lives. (Cherry) Another author who addresses the issue of the internet and its effect on human cognition is Clay Shirky. In his book titled, Cognitive Surplus, Shirky introduces a new perspective on the link of social change and the internet. In an explanation that almost fits the book’ s topic, Shirky begins by claiming that Americans have experienced a â€Å"surplus of time† in the recent past. According to Shirky, this surplus time has always been in existence but it took the emergence of new technology and the social media for Americans to use the spare time in a more innovative and helpful approach.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Indeed, Shirky equates this surplus time to the 1700s Gina Craze where people did away with the consumption of beer and wine and instead concentrated with the consumption of gin. Further, the author claims that in the recent past people have been concentrating on watching sitcoms to fill in their free time. Currently, young people according to Shirky are spending most of their free time in interactive sources of media such as You Tube, Facebook, Twitter and My Space. (Shirky 21) Well, may be this does not appear to any of us as an issue of cognition. However, Shirky changes the whole scenario when he claims that the internet has made the â€Å"unpredictable events to become predictable† (Shirky 24) In essence, what Shirky is trying to tell us is that the internet makes us to begin behaving in a predictable way. To reinforce his argument, the author gives us an example of a case where people are in a rush to buy surplus pizza simply because someone said that all the pizza woul d be gone. In short, the internet has transformed the way we do things and how we respond to every day issues. (Shirky 28) According to Shirky, the social media is creating cognitive innovative solutions for man’s problems where television had previously failed. In order to keep confusion at bay, Shirky gives an example of a situation where a drunk can decide to buy beer and drink it at home or simply go to a pub and enjoy his favorite beer with other patrons. According to the author, this is what happens with social media since one can decide to watch television at home or decide to interact with other â€Å"viewers† via You Tube. (Shirky 31) In summary, Nicholas Carr’s new book tries to prove that human thinking changes with the technology we use and the technology we use changes our thinking and consequently our lifestyle. In fact, the essence of the book can be summed up in this quote â€Å"Every intellectual technology embodies a intellectual ethic, a set of assumptions about how the human mind works or should work.† (Carr 39) On the other hand, Clay Shirky’s book argues that the internet has turned us from â€Å"passive users in to active producers† thus transforming the world in to a democracy. Unlike television that produces little results, Shirky claims that the internet as a medium has brought positive meaning to people’s â€Å"surplus time.† (Shirky 41) If we match what Shirky is trying to say with the views expressed by Carr in The Shallows, we tend to get different meanings but in essence, both authors are presenting the same argument but in different reporting. I believe that Shirky’s observation largely denotes a paradigm of the social building of technology. Although there are relics created for specific social groups, most of these relics according to Shirky are apparatus for social change. With the innovations of publications, it is now possible to obtain the press at any place an d the public can participate in any ongoing debate. While Shirky agrees that the social media provides an avenue for social change, he disputes claims that the media is something that we consume but rather tries to prove that it is something we use. (Shirky 51) In their books, both Nicholas Carr and Clay Shirky have addressed the issue of the internet and its effect on human cognition in different ways. In The Shallows, Carr is of the opinion that the Web has interfered with the thinking pattern of people. Instead of relying on their minds to make conclusions, Nicholas Carr alleges that today’s society tend to turn to the media for a solution to their problems. (Carr 61) On his part, Clay Shirky agrees with Carr that the internet has interfered with the way we do things but quickly adds that this change has been for better and not for worse as Carr concludes. In order to prove his point, Shirky gives examples of previous happenings to prove that what is happening with social sites is nothing but a kind of â€Å"new surplus.† (Shirky 12) Personally, I tend to agree more with Nicholas Carr opinion since he goes to great pain to prove his points by citing credible researches done on the subject. Additionally, Carr gives a step-to-step analysis of how the internet ends up affecting our cognitive process in the end. Unlike Shirky who only tries to prove why the internet is a new â€Å"form of surplus† in our lives, Carr uses the book to show how the different tools that we use affect our brains. At the end of everything, Carr ends up bringing out the true meaning of cognition as outlined by Cherry. Conclusion Both Nicholas Carr and Clay Shirky’s books fit the description of cognition as outlined by psychologist Kendra Cherry. Although the authors give different conclusions on their findings, they all agree that the internet ultimately interferes with the mental processes involved in the manner in which people gain knowledge. In staying i n line with Cherry, both authors agree that in light of the internet people now look at things in a different perspective and they are now more informed. Even to a skeptic like Clay Shirky who does not entirely agree with Nicholas Carr that the internet has changed the way people think, his observations fall in line with Cherry’s description when it comes to making judgments and solving problems. The issue of cognition is not a new theory in the society. Throughout history, people have tried to come up with different definitions for this word. With the emergence of technology, psychologists have tried to come up with new definitions to match the people’s changed status. According to these new definitions, cognition is described as the mental processes involved with how man reacts and addresses the issues surrounding him. Most authors have emerged trying to prove that the internet, which has become the new way of life, has greatly interfered with the way people react an d address issues around them. However, other theorists have also come up trying to prove that what is happening with the internet is nothing but another big break in people’s life. However, these opposers have failed to provide tangible evidence to prove their point thus making their observations invalid. Carr, Nicholas. The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains, 2010. W.W. Norton, 2-100. Print. Cherry, Kendra. What is Cognition?, 2011. Web. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-cognition-2794982 Shirky, Clay. Cognitive Surplus: Creativity and Generosity in a Connected Age, 2010. Penguin Press, 3-72. Print Wilson, Robert Keil, Frank. The MIT encyclopedia of the cognitive sciences, 2001. MIT Press, 201-202. Print.

The Top 5 Major Industry Jobs in the Southeast

The Top 5 Major Industry Jobs in the Southeast If you’re looking for a career change (or a change of scenery!), here are some of the fastest-growing jobs for 2016 in the southeastern part of the United States. This includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. The southeast is poised for booming job growth in 2016, buoyed by industries like manufacturing, healthcare, and construction, as many Americans flee rough winters for warm southern charm and legendary food.1. Tech Job Outlook: Computer Systems AnalystMove over, Silicon Valley: the fastest-growing tech hubs are mid-sized cities which are capitalizing on nearby universities and large companies to attract talent. Cities like Nashville, TN, and Raleigh, NC, are leading the way here. Computer systems analysts will be a high-demand position as this industry grows.Systems analysts take current computer systems and processes and design solutions to make them run more effectively. This role, which typically requires a bachelor’s degree, has a median salary of $82,710 per year, and is expected to grow like gangbusters- 21% per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.2. Administrative Job Outlook: Market Research AnalystWith the population getting more diverse all the time, identifying trends and helping companies refine their outreach and branding is a key role. This is where market research analysts come in. They take consumer data and turn it into sales leads, marketing promotions, or market forecasts for companies. The field is expected to grown approximately 19%, and offers a median salary of $61,290.3. Logistics Job Outlook: MachinistsMany companies are relocating their manufacturing plants to the southeast. For example, Mercedes-Benz USA announced in 2015 that it would be moving its headquarters to Atlanta, GA, and bringing with it more than 1,000 jobs. Machinists are a large part of this industrial workforce, operating tools to produce and modify parts. The median salary for machinist s is $41,510, and the field is open to those with a high school diploma- or equivalent vocational training or experience.4. Healthcare Job Outlook: Home Health AideThe southeast has always been a popular retirement spot for Americans, and that trend is not slowing anytime soon. With an aging population comes very specific healthcare needs- many of which are addressed by home health aides. These aides provide in-home care for clients who have disabilities, chronic illnesses, or other impairments that interfere with the ability to carry out with daily tasks. In addition to helping with chores around the home, aides may also be responsible for monitoring vital signs and ensuring that clients take medication.There is no formal education requirement for home health aides, but some states may require additional certification. The median salary for this job is $21,380, and the field is expected to grow by 38%- much faster than average.5. Service Job Outlook: Medical Equipment RepairersGoin g hand in hand with the extreme growth in healthcare needs, professionals who maintain and repair medical equipment will also be in high demand. Medical equipment repairers install, maintain, and repair equipment used in diagnosis and patient care.The median salary for this job is $45,660, and employers generally prefer candidates with an Associate’s degree in engineering or biomedical technology.The southeast is on the upswing- and not just because you can sit  on a beach in December without freezing. People of all demographics are seeking opportunities in the region, and many industries are gearing up to accommodate that growth.

Global Marketing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Global Marketing - Assignment Example y than others and this means that for a nation to acquire certain commodities from such nations then they have to pay relatively higher prices (Weithers, 2011:44). The report above shows for a period of four years where the value for U.S Dollar has been steadily increasing. The figures show that more than 80% of the currencies studied have lowered in value as compared to the U.S Dollar. There are several reasons why the U.S Dollar has had an increase in value for the past four years. One of the reasons is the high demand of the dollar in the international market. With increased production and active participation in the international market, the U.S supplied the world with products and services and this increased the ‘attachment’ it has had through trade. To make their commodities valuable, an increase in currency value would occur. Market forces in the international trade are critical in determining the currency value of a country. Looking at those countries that U.S majorly supply, it is obvious that their currency is less valuable compared to the U.S Dollars. However, Britain and Switzerland have currencies that are much higher in value than the U.S dollar because of their control of the market in terms of supply (Towbin and Weber, 2011: 177). Among the things that the U.S government probably did was to regulate the interest rates so as to increase value for its currency. This might have been done through restricting and controlling the money that runs in the international framework. When the currency is not easily found yet it is on great demand, its value normally go up automatically. The U.S government might have also deliberately set certain elastic rates that change with time. For instance, within a period of 48 hours, the currency’s value goes up by some figure. Since the international traders need this currency to help them trade with other partners, they would still buy it at those ‘expensive’ prices making the value to progressively

Book review over Auschwitz A History by Sybille Steinbacher Essay

Book review over Auschwitz A History by Sybille Steinbacher - Essay Example Toxic gas, forced labor and starvation were a major cause of many deaths to those who opposed the Nazis rule or regime leading to the biggest graveyard in human history. This work seeks to review and assess SteinBacher’s historic on the origin of the concentration camps in the Germany. According to Steinbacher (7), he argues that Auschwitz was not a single camp but added up to 39 camps. This being a few weeks after the Nazis started ruling, the local civilian and the police created several camps all over Germany to detain those who opposed the ruling. There were numerous camps including Oranienburg, Esterwegen in Harmburg, Dachau in the northwest of Munich and Lichtenburg. These camps operated as an extermination center and industries which used slave forced labor with the Jews being inflicted with all forms of atrocities. It had never occurred before in a European nation such inhuman atrocities of entire people. Hitler the Nazi leader ordered the extermination of all Jews wit hout any favor even to the newborns. Estimates of 1.1 million people were believed to have suffered and died before the closure of the camps. The first concentration camp was constructed to confine Polish prisoners who started arriving in Germany from May 1940 with the first extermination taking place in September 1941. The camps were staffed by 6,500 – 7,000 Germans in the course of war and about 15% of them were later convicted of war crimes. On 27th January, 1944 the prisoners remaining in the camps were liberated (Steinbacher 32); it is believed and agreed by most historians that Auschwitz was as a result of the worst murderers legislative known to the history of Europe. According to Nuremberg Laws of 1935, the Jews were turned into biological vermin to be eradicated from the state of Aryan. Steinbacher (54) makes it clear that Stalinist Russia never had equivalent wretched servile and in his self explanatory memoir of Kommandant Hoss in Auschwitz remembers disturbing eve nts that evolved in the Auschwitz gas chambers. He continues to elaborate that the fact became so refined under Hoss that the condemned remained cheated until they were shut behind the doors of the fake shower rooms. According to Steinbacher, once people were dictated upon and deprived of their humanity it would become easy to kill them, a fact that modern dictators have known. The Jews who were enclosed in cattle trucks were very worn out by their journey that they were not considered as humans but as slaughter animals. Auschwitz personnel feigned their innocence about the moral consequences of their work by confining to their competence in their jobs of maintaining accurate arrivals records and train departure. Rees (Para. 5) believes that this is a powerful historical coverage by finding Steinbacher information relevant to what happened in Auschwitz. Steinbacher continues to win applause from most historians who agree that Auschwitz was as a result of most murderous legislative d ocument recorded in the history of Europe. This makes it clear that Steinbacher work is proved beyond reasonable doubt to be true. In conclusion, Steinbacher gives the chronological origin of concentration camps in Germany with the majority of those suffering the atrocities being Jews. He shows how the concentration camps came into being, how people suffered and those concentration camp's staff personnel pretending not to recognize the pain they were causing to

Marketing Mix Essay Example for Free

Marketing Mix Essay ABSTRACT You will read why you should purchase the product Xtra laundry detergent over Gain laundry detergent. By learning about the 4P’s in the marketing. I chose to do my marketing report on Xtra laundry detergent. It is interesting to me because maybe people don’t really pay attention to how much money they spend on laundry detergent. Today I will explain to you in my own words the four characteristics of each element of the marketing mix price, product, place and promotion. First is my product is called Xtra laundry detergent. I use all the time it cleans our clothes very well it gets out stains. I know this because my twins played baseball in their pants would always get grass stains and ground into in them an Xtra laundry detergent would get it out. Not only does it clean your clothes well but it comes in all different kinds of sense like the newest one warm vanilla comfort plus they have tropical passion, Mountain rain, Calypso fresh, summer fiesta, spring sunshine that’s my favorite, plus they have more freshness in every load with sent sations plus it’s safe for all washing machines including H*E and from other detergents have oxi clean in them or they come with color safe bleach. I would recommend this detergent to everyone to try and it won’t cost you an arm and a leg. So now that brings us to the price of Xtra laundry detergent. I could also include place into this I went to Wal-Mart and they have Xtra laundry detergent and the cost for it depends on the amount you are wanting you could get 75 fluid ounces for $2.73 and that could wash 50 loads of laundry or hundred and 175 fluid ounces for $5.96 and that could wash 116 loads of laundry or 250 fluid ounces for $7.98 and that washes 166 loads of laundry. Where I live we don’t have a Wal-Mart I usually by my laundry detergent at the Dollar General store in there Xtra laundry detergent cost about the same it is two dollars for 45 fluid ounces of detergent and that will wash 30 loads of laundry and 125 fluid ounces is five dollars and that’s 80 loads of laundry and 250 fluid ounces at the Dollar General store is two cents more than Wal-Mart  it’s eight dollars the same with 75 flui d ounces is $2.75 at the Dollar General it’s two cents more than Wal-Mart, but I will pay the two cents more because I do would pay more than that and gas to drive to go and buy at Wal-Mart. I compared prices with Gain laundry detergent and their prices were $9.97 for 100 fluid ounces that washes 64 loads of laundry but for five dollars you get 125 fluid ounces of the Xtra laundry detergent and it washes 80 loads of laundry sound like a better deal to me. You can also get 150 fluid ounces of Gain for $14.97 and that’s 96 loads of laundry also 50 fluid ounces is $5.97 and that washes 32 loads of laundry anyway want to look at it Xtra is a lot cheaper, but just because it’s cheaper doesn’t mean it does not do a good job that brings us to the last P promotion and even though Xtra laundry detergent doesn’t advertise on TV like Gain they still put coupons or sale promotions in selected stores. They also self-advertise on the bottles of laundry detergent. It says on the 75 fluid ounce detergent 50% more loads versus 50 ounce detergent. It is important for me to be able to find this product at local stores so that it is convenient. Laundry detergent is a product that we will always need to use because it is important to be clean. The price is very important to me because I am a single mother and every penny I have counts and matters, so where ever I can get a good deal really counts and promotion I really listen to people for their opinion on things because I think that you really can trust a real person over a commercial that might be altered to look better than it is.

Female Genital Mutilation Essay -- essays research papers fc

Female Genital Mutilation: Barbaric Custom or Cultural Rite â€Å"I was shaking out of my skin with fear. I sat at Netsent’s head so she couldn’t cry out. The circumciser began to cut with a razor blade. She cut everything: the clitoris, the inner and outer labia. There was so much blood!† This is an excerpt from an article that appeared in Marie Claire in April 2003. The speaker is a girl by the name of Genet Girma, an Ethiopian, describing the conditions under which her sister Netsent was forced to have her genitalia removed. Each year, two million girls undergo the devastating and disfiguring practice of genital cutting (Goodwin 157). Genital cutting, widely known as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), is the practice of cutting away parts of the external female genitalia. Although many people may see FGM as barbaric and dangerous, most of those who practice it see FGM as a religious rite and as a deeply rooted cultural practice. The three broad categories of FGM are clitoridectomy, excision and infibulation. The mildest form of FGM, clitoridectomy, is the removal of all or part of the clitoris. Excision includes the removal of the clitoris and the cutting of the labia minora. The most extreme form of FGM is infibulation, the removal of the clitoris, labia minora, and the stitching together of the labia majora. Infibulation leaves just a small opening in the vagina for the passage of urine and menstrual fluid, and requires binding together of the legs until stitches adhere. Often the removal of the stitches is part of a wedding night ritual (Taylor 31). If the terrifying nature of the procedure were not enough, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reports that FGM is â€Å"normally performed by traditional practitioners with crude instruments, such as knives, razor blades and broken glass, usually without anesthetics.† The invasive characteristics of FGM and the unsanitary conditions under which it is usually performed can have serious consequences. Pediatric Nursing writes â€Å"FGM may cause numerous physical complications, including hemorrhage and severe pain, which can cause shock, even death.† It also writes â€Å"FGM may create long-term complications resulting from scarring and interference with the drainage of urine and menstrual blood, such as chronic pelvic infections, which may cause pelvic and back pain, dysmenorrhea, infertility, chronic urinary tract infe... ...ce (Ahmad). As WHO has stated, â€Å"We have to realize that female genital mutilation is a deeply-rooted traditional practice. As such, it can only be abolished completely when attitudes have been changed† (Taylor 31). As this statement suggests, there has to be a line drawn in the sand when discussing the practice of FGM. On one side, there are Western idealists who believe that FGM is barbaric and should be abolished, with their own hands if necessary. On the other side, there are the people who believe FGM is a tradition and a cultural rite, one that should be continued for centuries to come. And somewhere in the middle there are those that believe that change must come, but must come only when the countries involved are ready. Change cannot be put upon them. Works Cited Ahmad, Imad-ad-Dean. â€Å"Female Genital Mutilation: An Islamic Perspective.† Minaret. 1 May 2003 . English, Veronica. â€Å"Female Genital Mutilation.† Journal of Medical Ethics 27.3 (2001): 203-205. Goodwin, Jan. â€Å"I Said No to Female Genital Mutilation.† Marie Claire 10.4 (2003): 157-159. Taylor, Vivienne. â€Å"Female Genital Mutilation: Cultural Practice or Child Abuse?† Pediatric Nursing 15.1 (2003): 31-34.