AIDS: The Search for a Cure
788,400 minutes
In 1999 the New York health department released figures indicating that after diagnosis of full blown AIDS, patients had an average of 19 months left to live: 788,400 minutes. These figures with only about 20 years of knowledge to work with: the AIDS virus didn’t start appearing in the United States until the late seventies, and was unacknowledged until the 80’s, making AIDS research a relatively new field. First stigmatized and associated with unsafe homosexual sex and then mainstreamed when professional basketball player Magic Johnson announced he was infected, AIDS awareness has come a long way. AIDS education through schools, public service announcements, and government organizations has informed the populace of the various ways the disease is spread. Media attention in the mid-90s promoted research and drug development for HIV and AIDS, but in more recent years it seems to have been dropped from public consciousness. With over 800,000 people living with AIDS in the United States today it is our public amenability to provide adequate care for patients and to study the virus, that we might work towards education and a cure.
The Facts
Although there may never be a definitive cure for AIDS, the chances are very good that a vaccine will be developed for HIV, saving the lives of millions and eventually also saving our citizens billions and billions of dollars in health care. However, it takes a long time for drugs to be researched and made available on the market. Teams of highly trained and educated scientists spend many hours in the laboratory to develop medicine capable of combating the AIDS virus. All of this requires money. Experienced scientists must be paid accordingly, and it can take 20 years of research to test one drug. This time is precious to those suffering from disease and patients sometimes take dangerous risks, buying drugs from other countries before they have been approved in the U.S. or taking completely untested drugs. Plus, even when millions are already spent, if the product is ineffective or has counterproductive side effects the work is started all over again. In the private sector, the money for drug research comes from investors who hope to make a profit once the medication is on the market. Drug companies have to make enough money to cover the costs of production and their investors, this is one reason prescription drugs are so expensive for consumers.
History has proven the use of chemical weapons ranging back for decades. From the Greeks in ancient Europe using Greek fire to South American tribes using a form of tear gas made of grounded up hot chili peppers to scare away enemy tribes. As well as dipping the tips of spear heads with a poisonous toxin. Poisonous toxins used from live reptiles like frogs and venom from the snakes found from whichever region had enough potency venom to exterminate. The past has proven, that in order for Armies to survive and win, it relied on out smarting the enemy. New technologies and the evolution of weaponry were left to the brightest minds from those eras to develop.
The purpose of this essay is to deal with the fact that chemical warfare should be brought back to modern warfare strategies. As Warren Rudman said, “And they will tell you unequivocally that if we have a chemical or biological attack or a nuclear attack anywhere in this country, they are unprepared to deal with it today, and that is of high urgency.” Rudman’s words are true in what they say and that we should do everything to counter-act his statement. Biological weapons are a key to outstanding success in war and therefore, I strongly suggest that chemical warfare is an effective and producible weapon tactic that can be used on today’s battlefield.
Since the U.S. Congress passed the No Child Left Behind program, standardized testing has become the norm for American schools. Under this system, each child attending a school is required to take a standardized test at specific grade points to assess their level of comprehension. Parents, scholars and all stakeholders involved take part in constant discussions over its effectiveness in evaluating students’ comprehension, teachers’ competency and the effects of the test on the education system. Though these tests were put in place to create equality, experts note that they have created more inequality in the classroom. In efforts to explore this issue further, this essay reviews two articles on standardized testing. This essay reviews the sentiments of the authors and their insight into standardized examination. The articles provide sufficient evidence to demonstrate that standardized tests are not effective at measuring a teacher’s competency because they do not take into account the school environment and its effect on the students.
Chemical warfare is the use of chemical agents to injure, incapacitate, or kill enemy combatants. First seen during World War I (WWI), the devastating effects of widespread chemical warfare were eventually deemed inhumane by an international consensus and chemical agents were subsequently banned from use. Still, despite the tendency of the modern warrior to overlook antiquated tactics, the threat of chemical agents in the theater of war cannot be entirely discounted by today's Soldier. By analyzing the application, evolution, and overall legacy of chemical weapons in the Great War we can work to minimize the danger they pose in current conflicts and those of the near future. For it is only by understanding the past that we can understand the present and shape tomorrow.
The utilization of chemical weapons during war has been in use since the beginning of time. The first time chemical warfare was use dates back to 600 B.C where Greek soldiers would poison the water reservoirs of their enemies. During 423 B.C. the Spartan soldiers used sulfur to attack Greece. Later on, in 673 C.E. the Greek navy was infamous for using burning chemical in the open sea, creating a floating fire wall allowing them to earn maneuver superiority. The use of chemical warfare continued throughout the middle ages where the Mongolian army used catapults to throw burning sulfur to their enemies. Chemical warfare became weapons of mass destruction during WWI, during the war, over one million casualties were reported and over 90 thousand were killed (Fitzgerald, 2008). Since WW I chemical weapons have been utilized in the battlefield, most noticeable during the Iraq and Iran war in 1980. World Powers have realized that chemical warfare, even though it provides an enormous advantage in the battlefield, it also comes with years of secondary effects and could become an immense financial burden.
There are many virus’ and diseases known to mankind that have existed for many centuries. Some have cures whereas others sadly do not. Some may show symptoms and again others may not.
Magic Johnson once stated, “You can’t get AIDS from a hug or a handshake or a meal with a friend.” AIDS and HIV is not something you can receive by touching someone’s outer skin. AIDS and HIV can only be transmitted when an infected persons; fluids meets with another person. AIDS and HIV is one of the most deadliest disease in the world that already has killed 1.6 million civilians. People need to understand the facts behind AIDS and HIV so people do not treat others who are infected like they are going to kill them. Everyone has possibility of contracting AIDS and HIV; it can change one’s world in a heart beat.
AIDS is a very complicated infection. It is not only infecting individuals, but it also infecting our society. Until a cure is reach it will continue to plague human society. No person will ever be truly safe. Our government needs to keep spending money on research to develop a cure for AIDS.
Chemical Warfare, the surprise attack, no one saw it coming. Started by the Germans attacking Belgium, and it created a deadly beast. Ranging from large bomb-like objects, to tear gas, many lives were lost from this mass destruction. Chemical weapons can have benefits, but so many effects are negative. To understand how deadly chemical warfare is, at the end of World War I over 1.3 million people died due to chemical weapons. April 22, 1915, the Germans launched their first large scale chemical weapon in Belgium, therefore causing more than 1,000 deaths and over 7,000 injuries. This kind of warfare changed how people viewed conflict. War became very inhumane, it
Collin Powell once stated that, "The commander in the field is always right, unless proved otherwise." in this situation I don't stand with our commander of this school on that extracurricular activity should be mandatory. As a student of Elizabeth Davis Middle School, making extracurricular activities mandatory for students to do isn't probable because of some of the challenges the students may face by participating, such as students with responsibilities at home, a student may be uncooperative, and there grades. Students who attend school are there to choose there own path and make decisions on how they see themselves in the distant future, they shouldn't have to choose an extracurricular activity if he or she does not feel like that
When there are less kids, there is a greater opportunity for kids to be involved. They can be in several sports, performing arts, or any group they desire. I was involved in volleyball, football managing, basketball, track, cheerleading, softball, choir, and student council. I was always busy with projects or practices “promotes an overall feeling of unity and social solidarity (Schaefer 2016:18). Activities and “sports serve as a safety value for other participants and spectators, who are allowed to shed tension and aggressive energy in a socially acceptable way” (Schaefer 2016:18). At big schools, not every kids has a chance to be involved and so they have to get their anger out some other way, which can lead to bad things. Since I have been involved in many activities and had ways to relieve my anger I do not need another way; therefore, I have not gotten into bad situations. I am satisfied that I haven’t missed out on an activity that I have wanted to do because of my school. Sadly, this does not happen in all schools. Many large schools do not give the students the same chances because there is more competition. At these schools, kids have to compete to be on an extracurricular team. They really have to specialize in the organization or else they do not have the opportunity to be a part of the activity. Many have to specialize in this extracurricular activity
The state’s new evaluation system was in response to administrators who produced, “superficial and capricious teacher evaluation systems that often don't even directly address the quality of instruction, much less measure students' learning” (Toch, 2008). Too often, the “good-ol-boy” attitude would insure mediocre educators would remain employed. Realizing this was often more the rule then the exception, the governor created educational mandates to focus, “on supporting and training effective teachers to drive student achievement” (Marzano Center, 2013). Initially, they expected the school districts and the teachers would have issues and experience growing pains, but in the end the goal was, “to improve teacher performance, year by year, with a corresponding rise in student achievement” (Marzano Center, 2013).
In order to understand how teacher evaluations can be positive, we need to look at their purpose and how districts do teachers evaluations. According to different articles written by Education Leadership, reformers many times neglect teacher evaluations as a tool to improve student learning, this is because most schools lack credible systems of measuring the quality of
Extracurricular activities can benefit students greatly through their personal lives and well being. According to Justin Coulson in his article on kidspot.com, students that are involved in extracurricular activities, such as sports or clubs, are generally healthier than those who do not participate. Extracurricular activities can help raise student’s self esteem and self awareness as stated by Joy Burgess in her article, “Extracurricular School Activities and the Benefits” at more4kids.info. Being involved allows the student to learn about the skills and talents they already have and can teach them new ones such as time management, organization, and prioritizing skills. It also allows the students to realize what they are good at or enjoy doing (Burgess). As similarly described by the College Board staff at collegeboard.org, extracurriculars can enable you to learn your personal talents, interests, ...
While most evidence in the literature proves that extra curricular activities improve academic performances, Solanco School District has no program supporting or promoting the link between the two. This study will examine the effects of participation in extra curricular activities on student academic performance at Solanco High School. Findings from this study could be examined by Solanco High School and similar school districts to support and promote programs of extra curricular activities at...