Prayer should be allowed in Public Schools Essay Example for Free

Prayer should be allowed in Public Schools Essay The issue regarding the constitutionality of mandatory school prayer in schools in hinged on the separation between the church and the state that has been decreed by the constitution. On one side, there are those who argue that prayer in public school classrooms should be declared unconstitutional because it involves â€Å"excessive entanglement,† which is prohibited under the doctrine of separation of church and state (Clark 35). The other view is based more on the argument that such act is permissible because even the Pledge of allegiance contains the phrase â€Å"under God. (Clark 35)† It is humbly submitted in this position paper, however, that the more correct view remains to be that prayer in classrooms should be tolerated as long as it is not mandatory. In arriving at a better understanding of this issue, it is first important to define the constitutional issue at hand. The phrase, â€Å"separation of Church and State†, is actually from a letter that was written by one of the founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson, to a group that called themselves the Danbury Baptists (Busher 13). In the letter, Thomas Jefferson wrote that, â€Å"I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, thus building a wall of separation between Church and State. † This was of course in reference to the First Amendment of the United States Constitution (Whitsitt 186). The basic precept of this doctrine is founded on a firm belief that religion and state should be separate. It covers a very wide spectrum, as mentioned in the previous sections of this discussion, ranging from the secularization or elimination of the church to theocracy wherein the state works in tandem with a religion in order to govern over the acts of people (Bradley 199) The problem is that while the church and state do maintain that there is indeed a necessity to abide by the doctrine of the separation of church and state there is no clear way of delineating the boundaries between the spheres of these two institutions (Bradley 199). There are still certain acts that require entanglement between the church and the state because of the duty of the government to cater to the welfare of its people who invariably belong to some form of religion, in most cases. One of these instances is when prayer is allowed in public school classrooms. To argue that prayer is unconstitutional would be to deny the people the right to their rich American history. The first settlers were Pilgrims and even the first thanksgiving meal, though not seemingly a prayer by conventional means, was actually an act of thanking the almighty God for all the blessings (Bradley 199). If prayer is to be considered as a religious affirmation that is offensive to the constitution then other forms such as the pledge of allegiance and the â€Å"In God We Trust† declaration on the dollar bill must also be struck down (Bradley 199). It cannot therefore be argued prayer in public school classrooms is a clear violation of the establishment clause when even the humble dollar bill has the sign â€Å"in God we trust† written on it. If it is to be argued that prayer is a violation of the establishment clause then so must the dollar bill be struck down as a violation (Bradley 199). Yet time and again the almighty dollar has prevailed. The reason for this is because such a declaration is not an endorsement of a single religion, which is exactly what the establishment clause prohibits, but rather it is a declaration by the American people of their belief in a superior being. This argument is not limited to a single God but to all Gods of whatever beliefs. The beauty of the American democracy is that it empowers instead of stifles. It encourages instead of denies. To argue that prayer should not be allowed is unpatriotic, it is un-American. A prayer is a sign of thanks for everything that has been given to everyone. A single word or phrase isolated and taken out of context does much to remove the original intent from it. Reciting a prayer in public school classrooms does not further the cause of any single religion. Instead, it serves to show the rest of the world the pride that Americans have for their great nation. It shows unity. It shows strength. It shows the American way. References: Clark, James R. (1965). Messages of the First Presidency. Brigham Young University, Department of Educational Leadership Foundations. Retrieved on 2007-1-30. Fighting the Establishment (Clause). Bradley, Jennifer, The American Prospect, September 1, 1996. Available at: http://www. prospect. org/print/V7/28/bradley-j. html Religion in the Public Schools: A Joint Statement of Current Law. The American Civil Liberties Union, 1996. Available at: http://aclu. org/issues/religion/relig7. html West Encyclopedia of American Law. West Group, 1998. Busher, Leonard (1614). Religious Peace: or, a Plea for Liberty of Conscience. Whitsitt, Dr. William (1896). A Question in Baptist History: Whether the Anabaptists in England Practiced Immersion Before the Year 1641?. C. T. Dearing, pp. 69-70.

Early Onset Anorexia Essay -- Eating Disorders Health Nutrition Essays

Early Onset Anorexia In recent years, it seems that the public has begun to pay more attention to eating disorders. This trend could be a consequence of the heightened nutrition and fitness craze that the 1990's has brought about, or possibly a result of more intense and conclusive research studies. More clearly defined definitions of anorexia and bulimia in the DSM-IV may also have contributed to better diagnosis of eating disorders. Anorexia nervosa is a disorder that in the majority of cases will start when the patient is a teenager. The mean age at onset is figured to be about 17 years of age. The distribution of cases appears 'to be asymmetrical with a skewness towards the higher ages (Theander, 1996). Recently, child psychiatrists have begun to recognize increasing cases beginning in childhood (McCune & Walford, 1991). While refusal to eat and loss of weight are common symptoms in child psychiatric practices, similarities between these anoretic states and the syndrome of anorexia nervosa are slight (Hawley, 1985). While severity of illness is usually associated with worse outcome, age of onset for anorexia can play a critical role in future outcome. Premenarcheal anorexia nervosa has serious implications for the progress of puberty which may in turn, have detrimental effects on the youngsters (Bryant-Waugh, Fosson, Knibbs, & Lask, 1987). It is important that pediatricians, psychiatrists, educators, and parents are able to identify this disorder at early ages. The purpose of the following sections of this paper are to help familiarize readers with signs and symptoms which may aid in identification of anorexia leading to an early diagnosis. Symptoms Associated with Anorexia Girls with anorexia nervosa may d... ...Age and Menstrual Status on Psychological Variables. Journal of -the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiary, 34, 378-382. Hawley, Richard. (1985). The Outcome of Anorexia Nervosa in Younger Subjects. British Journal of Psychiatry, 146, 657660. McCune, Noel & Walford, Geraldine. (1991). Long-Term outcome in Early-Onset Anorexia Nervosa. British Journal of Psychiatry, 159, 383-389. Rastam, Maria. (1992). lmdrexia in 51 Swedish Adolescents: Premorbid Problems and Comorbidity. Journal of the American Academy of Chlld and Adolescent Psychiatry, 11, 819-827. Romeo, Felicia.(1996). Educators and the Onset of AnorexiaNervosa in Young. Education, 117, 55-60. Theander, Sten. (1996). Anorexia Nervosa with an Early Onset: Selection, Gender, Outcome, and Results of a Long-Term Follow-Up Study. Journal of Youth and Adolescencg, 25, 419428.

Deception Point Page 20

â€Å"This first sample here,† Corky said, pointing to a shiny, jet-black stone, â€Å"is an iron-core meteorite. Very heavy. This little guy landed in Antarctica a few years back.† Rachel studied the meteorite. It most certainly looked otherworldly-a blob of heavy grayish iron whose outer crust was burned and blackened. â€Å"That charred outer layer is called a fusion crust,† Corky said. â€Å"It's the result of extreme heating as the meteor falls through our atmosphere. All meteorites exhibit that charring.† Corky moved quickly to the next sample. â€Å"This next one is what we call a stony-iron meteorite.† Rachel studied the sample, noting that it too was charred on the outside. This sample, however, had a light-greenish tint, and the cross section looked like a collage of colorful angular fragments resembling a kaleidoscopic puzzle. â€Å"Pretty,† Rachel said. â€Å"Are you kidding, it's gorgeous!† Corky talked for a minute about the high olivine content causing the green luster, and then he reached dramatically for the third and final sample, handing it to Rachel. Rachel held the final meteorite in her palm. This one was grayish brown in color, resembling granite. It felt heavier than a terrestrial stone, but not substantially. The only indication suggesting it was anything other than a normal rock was its fusion crust-the scorched outer surface. â€Å"This,† Corky said with finality, â€Å"is called a stony meteorite. It's the most common class of meteorite. More than ninety percent of meteorites found on earth are of this category.† Rachel was surprised. She had always pictured meteorites more like the first sample-metallic, alien-looking blobs. The meteorite in her hand looked anything but extraterrestrial. Aside from the charred exterior, it looked like something she might step over on the beach. Corky's eyes were bulging now with excitement. â€Å"The meteorite buried in the ice here at Milne is a stony meteorite-a lot like the one in your hand. Stony meteorites appear almost identical to our terrestrial igneous rocks, which makes them tough to spot. Usually a blend of lightweight silicates-feldspar, olivine, pyroxene. Nothing too exciting.† I'll say, Rachel thought, handing the sample back to him. â€Å"This one looks like a rock someone left in a fireplace and burned.† Corky burst out laughing. â€Å"One hell of a fireplace! The meanest blast furnace ever built doesn't come close to reproducing the heat a meteoroid feels when it hits our atmosphere. They get ravaged!† Tolland gave Rachel an empathetic smile. â€Å"This is the good part.† â€Å"Picture this,† Corky said, taking the meteorite sample from Rachel. â€Å"Let's imagine this little fella is the size of a house.† He held the sample high over his head. â€Å"Okay†¦ it's in space†¦ floating across our solar system†¦ cold-soaked from the temperature of space to minus one hundred degrees Celsius.† Tolland was chuckling to himself, apparently already having seen Corky's reenactment of the meteorite's arrival on Ellesmere Island. Corky began lowering the sample. â€Å"Our meteorite is moving toward earth†¦ and as it's getting very close, our gravity locks on†¦ accelerating†¦ accelerating†¦ â€Å" Rachel watched as Corky sped up the sample's trajectory, mimicking the acceleration of gravity. â€Å"Now it's moving fast,† Corky exclaimed. â€Å"Over ten miles per second-thirty-six thousand miles per hour! At 135 kilometers above the earth's surface, the meteorite begins to encounter friction with the atmosphere.† Corky shook the sample violently as he lowered it toward the ice. â€Å"Falling below one hundred kilometers, it's starting to glow! Now the atmospheric density is increasing, and the friction is incredible! The air around the meteoroid is becoming incandescent as the surface material melts from the heat.† Corky started making burning and sizzling sound effects. â€Å"Now it's falling past the eighty-kilometer mark, and the exterior becomes heated to over eighteen hundred degrees Celsius!† Rachel watched in disbelief as the presidential award-winning astrophysicist shook the meteorite more fiercely, sputtering out juvenile sound effects. â€Å"Sixty kilometers!† Corky was shouting now. â€Å"Our meteoroid encounters the atmospheric wall. The air is too dense! It violently decelerates at more than three hundred times the force of gravity!† Corky made a screeching braking sound and slowed his descent dramatically. â€Å"Instantly, the meteorite cools and stops glowing. We've hit dark flight! The meteoroid's surface hardens from its molten stage to a charred fusion crust.† Rachel heard Tolland groan as Corky knelt on the ice to perform the coup de grace-earth impact. â€Å"Now,† Corky said, â€Å"our huge meteorite is skipping across our lower atmosphere†¦ † On his knees, he arched the meteorite toward the ground on a shallow slant. â€Å"It's headed toward the Arctic Ocean†¦ on an oblique angle†¦ falling†¦ looking almost like it will skip off the ocean†¦ falling†¦ and†¦ † He touched the sample to the ice. â€Å"BAM!† Rachel jumped. â€Å"The impact is cataclysmic! The meteorite explodes. Fragments fly off, skipping and spinning across the ocean.† Corky went into slow motion now, rolling and tumbling the sample across the invisible ocean toward Rachel's feet. â€Å"One piece keeps skimming, tumbling toward Ellesmere Island†¦ † He brought it right up to her toe. â€Å"It skips off the ocean, bouncing up onto land†¦ † He moved it up and over the tongue of her shoe and rolled it to a stop on top of her foot near her ankle. â€Å"And finally comes to rest high on the Milne Glacier, where snow and ice quickly cover it, protecting it from atmospheric erosion.† Corky stood up with a smile. Rachel's mouth fell slack. She gave an impressed laugh. â€Å"Well, Dr. Marlinson, that explanation was exceptionally†¦ â€Å" â€Å"Lucid?† Corky offered. Rachel smiled. â€Å"In a word.† Corky handed the sample back to her. â€Å"Look at the cross section.† Rachel studied the rock's interior a moment, seeing nothing. â€Å"Tilt it into the light,† Tolland prompted, his voice warm and kind. â€Å"And look closely.† Rachel brought the rock close to her eyes and tilted it against the dazzling halogens reflecting overhead. Now she saw it-tiny metallic globules glistening in the stone. Dozens of them were peppered throughout the cross section like minuscule droplets of mercury, each only about a millimeter across. â€Å"Those little bubbles are called ‘chondrules,'† Corky said. â€Å"And they occur only in meteorites.† Rachel squinted at the droplets. â€Å"Granted, I've never seen anything like this in an earth rock.† â€Å"Nor will you!† Corky declared. â€Å"Chondrules are one geologic structure we simply do not have on earth. Some chondrules are exceptionally old-perhaps madeup of the earliest materials in the universe. Other chondrules are much younger, like the ones in your hand. The chondrules in that meteorite date only about 190 million years old.† â€Å"One hundred ninety million years is young?† â€Å"Heck, yes! In cosmological terms, that's yesterday. The point here, though, is that this sample contains chondrules-conclusive meteoric evidence.† â€Å"Okay,† Rachel said. â€Å"Chondrules are conclusive. Got it.† â€Å"And finally,† Corky said, heaving a sigh, â€Å"if the fusion crust and chondrules don't convince you, we astronomers have a foolproof method to confirm meteoric origin.† â€Å"Being?† Corky gave a casual shrug. â€Å"We simply use a petrographic polarizing microscope, an x-ray fluorescence spectrometer, a neutron activation analyzer, or an induction-coupled plasma spectrometer to measure ferromagnetic ratios.†

Juvenile Delinquency - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 1 Words: 292 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2019/10/10 Did you like this example? On Sunday, Officers learned that a 31-year old man named Antonio had attacked two women and began pursuing him (KPLC Digital Staff, 2017). The police encountered Antonio on Wednesday who led them on a high-speed chase before he lost control of his car and crashed into a residence. Antonio then fled on foot leaving an infant child behind. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Juvenile Delinquency" essay for you Create order Antonio ran into a 56-year-old woman’s residence and held her for an hour before fleeing and leaving the woman unharmed. Police later learned that Antonio was at one of his family members named Katrina residence. Katrina is believed to have helped Antonio escape. Katrina was arrested on the same day and charged with contributing to juvenile delinquency, and obstruction of justice (KPLC Digital Staff, 2017). Another friend and a family member by the name of Jessica was also arrested and charged with the same. The above is an example of the Rational choice theory. The theory states that people always make logical and prudent decisions. They make these choices to get the greatest satisfaction or benefit.   The motives behind Antonio actions are unknown. However, the two family members and friend broke the law to protect Antonino. They made a choice to commit a crime based on their need to protect their friend and family member. Although they did not attain any money, sex, or status, they benefited from the satisfaction of helping a friend and family member. According to them helping a family member was greater than the consequences of breaking the law. The family members and friend failed to weigh the legal consequences involved with committing these crimes. They did not want Antonio to be convicted because this would mean a loss for them. A free Antonio would give them more satisfaction and pleasure.