The Price of Freedom
In one’s lifetime they will see millions of advertisements claiming “this is free or that is free”, yet by the age of ten one can tell it’s all normally just a gimmick to get someone to buy more than they really need. In reality nothing is truly free, even the water that is drank everyday is not free. What is really strange is that all of this is experienced within “The Land of the Free”. Nothing in America is free, from what we buy in the stores all the way to how religions are practiced. Even worse than that, basic freedoms are stripped from American citizens on a daily basis by those corrupt political leaders and various other people in power. The worst of all is when innocent people are hurt by a system that is meant to protect them; when what is supposed to help them be free or enjoy freedoms for a short time is taken away. In both The Terminal a movie directed by Steven Spielberg and “The Border Patrol State” by Leslie Marmon Silko basic freedoms are infringed upon by a society that is supposed to be protective and free for all to enjoy. Both works use personal experiences, paralleled with the society’s responses to demonstrate that freedom does not always happen in the land of he free to foreigners and citizens alike.
In The Terminal, a man (Viktor Navorski) is not simply stuck in the airport, but rather is faced with the hardships of a cruel society that is unwelcoming or even unsupportive to someone who has just endured the loss of his own country and the privileges to enter the United States. Although this movie contains various subplots, the work focuses mainly on Viktor Navorski, an immigrant from Eastern Europe, as he struggles to get out of New York City’s airport. As his adventure unfo...
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...o things as they once they could. The desire to move freely within the United States is held by all, but not necessarily something that all can do. This is demonstrated through the participant’s eagerness and willingness to follow the laws, yet desire to find a change within a country that is supposed to be “The land of the free”. For Viktor Navorski and Leslie Silko this became all too real as they tried their hands at enjoying what we all take for granted in our everyday lives. Being American is having your freedom and traveling into America should encompass the same, freedoms. Yet, it is hard when even those who are free or wish to experience freedom can’t actually do that, sad but true. Just a child learns the truth behind the gimmick of buy this and get that free, those in American are all learning that there are freedoms, but they certainly come at a price.
In Eric Foner’s book, The Story of American Freedom, he writes a historical monograph about how liberty came to be. In the book, his argument does not focus on one fixed definition of freedom like others are tempted to do. Unlike others, Foner describes liberty as an ever changing entity; its definition is fluid and does not change in a linear progress. While others portray liberty as a pre-determined concept and gradually getting better, Foner argues the very history of liberty is constantly reshaping the definition of liberty, itself. Essentially, the multiple and conflicting views on liberty has always been a “terrain of conflict” and has changed in time (Foner xv).
Our nation seems as if it is in a constant battle between freedom and safety. Freedom and security are two integral parts that keep our nation running smoothly, yet they are often seen conflicting with one another. “Tragedies such as Pearl Harbor, 9/11 and the Boston Marathon bombings may invoke feelings of patriotism and a call for unity, but the nation also becomes divided, and vulnerable populations become targets,” (Wootton 1). “After each attack a different group or population would become targets. “The attack on Pearl Harbor notoriously lead to Japanese Americans being imprisoned in internment camps, the attacks on 9/11 sparked hate crimes against those who appeared to be Muslim or Middle Eastern,” (Wootton 1). Often times people wind up taking sides, whether it be for personal freedoms or for national security, and as a nation trying to recover from these disasters we should be leaning on each other for support. Due to these past events the government has launched a series of antiterrorist measures – from ethnic profiling to going through your personal e-mail (Begley 1). Although there are times when personal freedoms are sacrificed for the safety of others, under certain circumstances the government could be doing more harm than good.
"Pandemic Flu History." Home. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, n.d. Web. 23 Mar.
The influenza virus is most commonly spread from person to person by coughing or sneezing. The virus can also be spread by touching an object that was recently contaminated. Then accidently touching their mouth or
Since the beginning of American history, citizens who resided the country lacked the basic civil rights and liberties that humans deserved. Different races and ethnicities were treated unfairly. Voting rights were denied to anyone who was not a rich, white male. Women were harassed by their bosses and expected to take care of everything household related. Life was not all that pretty throughout America’s past, but thankfully overtime American citizens’ civil liberties and rights expanded – granting Americans true freedom.
It is necessary in order to understand Avian Flu's impacts on society to first understand what H5N1 influenza is. Like any virus, influenza viruses cannot reproduce on their own the way bacteria can. Technically, viruses aren’t even alive because in order for them to reproduce, they must take over the living cell of another organism. This makes all viral diseases notoriously hard to cure because modern research has yet to reveal a medication or procedure that can kill a virus without killing its host. The best medications that we currently have available to treat viruses can only prevent the virus fro...
...influenza pandemic in one way or another; the use of quarantines were extremely prevalent among them. Also, the pandemic is directly responsible for the creation of many health organizations across the globe. The organizations help track and research illnesses across the globe. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) for example, strive to prevent epidemics and pandemics. They also provide a governing body with directives to follow in case an outbreak does occur, and if one shall occur the efforts of organizations across the globe will be crucial for its containment. It is amazing that with modern medicine and proper organization that influenza still manages to make its appearance across the globe annually.
Throughout 1918 and 1919, influenza spread quickly in three waves killing an estimated 50 million to 100 million people worldwide. With the best-recorded first case having occurred in Fort Riley, the contagious flu spread across military camps around the United States. Due to the world war, the influenza virus was brought over to Europe where it infected people in nearly every country. This disease would end up causing one of the greatest pandemics in human history, but would also catalyze great advancements in science and medicine.
A few years before 1918, in the height of the First World War, a calamity occurred that stripped the globe of at least 50 million lives. (Taubenberger, 1918) This calamity was not the death toll of the war; albeit, some individuals may argue the globalization associated with the First World War perpetuated the persistence of this calamity. This calamity was referred to the Spanish Flu of 1918, but calling this devastating pestilence the “Spanish Flu” may be a historical inaccuracy, as research and historians suggest that the likelihood of this disease originating in Spain seams greatly improbable. Despite it’s misnomer, the Spanish Flu, or its virus name H1N1, still swept across the globe passing from human to human by exhaled drops of water that contained a deadly strand of RNA wrapped with a protein casing. Individuals who were unfortunate enough to come in contact with the contents of the protein casing generally developed severe respiratory inflammation, as the Immune system’s own response towards the infected lung cells would destroy much of the lungs, thus causing the lungs to flood with fluids. Due to this flooding, pneumonia was a common cause of death for those infected with Spanish Flu. Due its genetic similarity with Avian Flu, the Spanish Flu is thought to be descended from Avian Flu which is commonly known as “Bird Flu.” (Billings,1997) The Spanish Flu of 1918 has had a larger impact in terms of global significance than any other disease has had because it was the most deadly, easily transmitted across the entire globe, and occurred in an ideal time period for a disease to happen.
Throughout history freedom has had many different meanings and definitions; based on race, gender, and ethnicity. According to the dictionary freedom means the state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint (“freedom” def. 1). Freedom may seem like something given to everyone however it was something workers had to fight for. Not everyone believed that workers’ rights needed to be changed, which led to a long battle between workers, employers and the government. To the working class people freedom meant making higher wages, having regulated hours, workable conditions and the right to free speech.
...e flu are very similar to those of the regular flu. However concern arises, because the possibility of the virus creating greater complications is likely. To prevent one from contracting the swine flu, he or she should get vaccinated. The main difference between the regular flu vaccine and the H1N1 flu vaccine is the components of which these vaccines are composed of. One should make the decision to get the swine flu vaccine based on one’s age and current medical condition. It is highly recommended that children and people to the age of twenty-four years-old receive the swine flu vaccine, because they have weaker immunity levels. It is best to ask a doctor which decision is preferred. The goal of health professionals is to eliminate the H1N1 virus as a global health threat, and to allow it to become a mere virus that can be prevented by proper vaccinations.
America is not the sanctuary it claims to be. The values of the U.S do not coincide with its history of oppression, slavery, racism and sexism. Langston Hughes’ poem “ Let America be America Again” eloquently exposes a trap disguised as a haven. America is not America yet because it is not true to its values, it 's reoccurring problems in different forms and the fact that 1% of the population actually achieve the “American Dream”.
David Grayson once said that "Commandment Number One of any truly civilized society is this: Let people be different". Difference, or individuality, however, may not be possible under a dictatorial government. Aldous Huxley's satirical novel Brave New World shows that a government-controlled society often places restraints upon its citizens, which results in a loss of social and mental freedom. These methods of limiting human behavior are carried out by the conditioning of the citizens, the categorical division of society, and the censorship of art and religion.
Influenza is an acute respiratory illness caused by infection of influenza A and B viruses. The disease can affect both the upper and lower respiratory tract and is often followed by systemic signs and symptoms, such as: sudden onset of fever, chills, non-productive cough, myalgias (muscle pain), headache, nasal congestion, sore throat, and fatigue. (Cox et al.1998). Influenza viruses evolve continuously, challenging mammalian and avian hosts with new variants and causing complex epidemic patterns with regard to age, place, and time. Human influenza viruses cause disease through a variety of direct and indirect pathological effects. The direct effects include destruction of infected cells, damage to respiratory epithelium, and immunological responses that cause general malaise and pneumonia. Indirect effects of infection include secondary bacterial infections due to the tissue damage and other disease such as cardiovascular disease, renal disease, diabetes or chronic pulmonary disease (Schoenbaum S.1996). In the USA, clinical illness affects 5–20% of the population and asymptomatically infects a larger number (Noble G.1982). Infants, who are exposed to influenza epidemics as a novel antigenic challenge after maternal antibodies decline, may have attack rates as high as 30–50% in their first year of life, depending on the frequency of contacts with older siblings (Glezen et al.1997). For reasons, influenza viruses cause epidemics in the northern and southern hemisphere during their respective winters. In the tropics, the timing of activity is less defined, with sometimes year-round circulation or bi-seasonal peaks during the year (Viboud et al.2006).
Avian Influenza is also known as the bird flu. The deadly form was first discovered in Italy in 1878. It is a Type A virus that occurs among wild aquatic birds and can infest domestic poultry and other birds and animal species. Although the virus does not normally infect human beings, there have been rare cases where humans have been infected with the virus. The disease is spread by contact with an infected bird’s feces, or secretion from its nose, mouth, or eyes. (Commission)