Should the Morning-After Pill be Available Over-the-Counter? Essay

Should the Morning-After Pill be Available Over-the-Counter? Last Tuesday, advisors to the Food and Drug administration voted to make the "morning-after" pill available over-the-counter (1). The FDA has not yet acted on this recommendation (1). The morning-after pill is the vernacular term for emergency contraception, specifically, two pills with the commercial name, "Plan B", which have the ability to inhibit and, depending on one's perspective, possibly to terminate unwanted pregnancies. The FDA approved the first version of the morning-after pill for prescription use in 1998 (1). The issue today is whether it should be available without a prescription. The morning-after pill is essentially a high dosage of the birth control pill (2). It can contain progesterone, estrogen, or both (2). . It can prevent fertilization in the fallopian tubes by altering sperm and egg transport or by preventing or delaying ovulation, and it can prevent fertilized eggs, or zygotes, from implanting in the uterus by thickening the uterine lining (1). It is not effective if the process of implantation has already begun (5). The morning-after pill is not to be confused with RU-486, the so-called abortion pill, which terminates a zygote implanted in the uterine lining (1). All three mechanisms of the morning-after pill do not necessarily all take place every time it is used and it is impossible to determine which, if any, of them prevented implantation in any successful case (3). One controversial ethical issue surrounding the morning-after pill is whether it is tantamount to abortion. The debate concerns whether pregnancy and life begin with a fertilized egg or with its implantation. If conditions in the uterus are ideal, a zygote will be... ...ommission of the FDA has recommended making the morning-after pill available over-the-counter in the United States as it is in other countries. One can only hope that the FDA will follow suit. Internet Sources: 1) http://www.cnn.com/2003/HEALTH/12/16/morning.after.pill/index.html 2) http://www.morningafterpill.org/ 3) http://www.nccbuscc.org/prolife/publicat/lifeinsight/sept98.htm 4) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/286429.stm 5) http://www.mckinley.uiuc.edu/health-info/womenhlt/planb.html 6)http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/06/25/earlyshow/contributors/tracysmith/main560355.shtml 7) http://www.citypages.com/databank/24/1179/article11371.asp 8) http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/06/27/1056683908357.html?oneclick=true 9) The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language: Third Edition. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1996.

Marriage in Pride and Prejudice

Marriage: The Foundation of Happiness or Misery In today’s world, 50 percent of marriages end in divorce. Although the other 50 percent of marriages don’t end in divorce, not all those marriages are considered an ideal marriage. The concept of an ideal marriage has changed as time has progressed. An ideal marriage in our time is a marriage based on love and family. Most societies have always had the same perspective of an ideal marriage during their time periods. However, in Jane Austen’ Pride and Prejudice, the author defies the view of the ideal marriage of her society by giving her own perspective on an ideal marriage.In the time period of Pride and Prejudice, society viewed ideal marriage as one based on financial stability and social equality. Although Jane Austen’s view of an ideal marriage includes financial and social stability, love was a major factor as well. In the novel, Jane Austen writes about suitable marriages and unsuitable marriages. Alth ough the marriages based on wealth and social class seems suitable through society’s eyes, Jane Austen suggests those marriages to be unsuitable because of their lack of love and happiness.In the novel, many of the marriages reflect society’s view of marriage as a business affair and these marriages are quite unsuitable. Although Mr. and Mrs. Bennet have been married for 23 years, there is no mutual affection between them. Mr. Bennet married Mrs. Bennet because he was â€Å"captivated by [her] youth and beauty†¦ he married a woman whose weak understanding and illiberal mind had very early in their marriage put an end to all real affection for her† (202). Mr. Bennet practically never communicates with his wife and when he does, he teases her for his own enjoyment.Their marriage was solely based on physical attraction which has now faded away. Both of these characters were mismatched in personality and in social class. However, this couple isn’t the on ly unsuitable marriage through Austen’s eyes. Mr. Collins and Charlotte are a couple that exhibits everything Jane Austen is against, which is a marriage solely based on financial and social security. Mr. Collins and Charlotte Lucas married each other just for their own personal gain. When Mr. Collins proposed, â€Å"Miss Lucas, accepted him solely from the pure and disinterested desire of an establishment† (106).Charlotte was 27 and single, her future didn’t look great so marrying Mr. Collins was the best thing that could have happened. She is now set â€Å"considering Mr. Collins’ character, connection and situation in life, [she was] convinced that [her] chance of happiness with him [was] as fair as most can boast on entering the marriage state† (109). Mr. and Mrs. Collins aren’t really a couple based on love and happiness which is what Jane Austen considered suitable. She marries a man who is richer and socially higher than her. Although Mr. and Mrs.Collins’ marriage was considered ideal by society, Jane Austen thought it to be unsuitable. Jane Austen’s ideal marriage is a marriage based on love and happiness but also the aspects of society’s ideal marriage which includes financial and social stability. Mr. Bingley and Jane Bennet and Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy all exhibit the qualities of marriage that are considered suitable by Jane Austen. Mr. Bingley is an extremely wealthy modest man who never judges anyone and Jane is a quiet gentle woman who never thinks badly of anyone.Both these characters are matched perfectly and are one of the rare couples in the novel who genuinely love each other though their love seems very superficial. Although Jane and Mr. Bingley exhibit an ideal marriage, their love has no depth. Mr. Bingley doesn’t seem to care about marrying a woman based on her social class or wealth. He believes love is more important than the match of social class in a marriag e. This is seen when Mr. Darcy convinces Mr. Bingley that Jane doesn’t actually love him and Bingley abandons Jane.Since love matters he doesn’t want to be with someone who doesn’t love him back. However, they had an instant connection: â€Å"it was generally evident whenever they met he did admire her; and to her it was equally evident that Jane was yielding to the preference which she had begun to entertain for him from the first, and was in a way to be very much in love†(16). They are both in love, both happy, and are both financially secure, exhibiting an ideal marriage for Jane Austen. However there was a couple that was more ideal through Jane Austen’s eyes.Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet epitomize the ideal marriage for Jane Austen. At first, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth disliked each other and had no initial attraction towards one another. However, as the novel progresses, their attraction for each other grows and soon they fall in love. Elizabet h isn’t a woman who doesn’t want to marry just for financial security or to be higher within the social class. Her view of marriage is different than her friends; Elizabeth â€Å"had always felt that Charlotte’s opinion of matrimony was not exactly like er own, but she could not have supposed it possible that when called into action, she would have sacrificed every better feeling to worldly advantage† (110). Charlotte represents society’s view of marriage in her time period which regarded marriage as a business affair. However, Elizabeth is one of the few characters to believe that marriage is based on love. Mr. Darcy is the wealthiest man in the novel and with that kind of wealth, he could marry anyone.However, he chooses Elizabeth who is part of a lower class than him proving that he wants to marry Elizabeth because he is in love with her. Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth are both physically attractive, intelligent, and they both love each other dearly. T hey are the ideal couple in Jane Austen’s eyes. Jane Austen suggests the marriages that are based on social class and wealth to be unsuitable although they seem ideal through society’s eyes. Austen believed that a suitable marriage had to include love and happiness on top of financial security and social class.However, through society’s eyes â€Å"happiness in marriage [was] entirely a matter of chance† (18). Although in today’s world there are arranged marriages based on social class and wealth, most people in today’s society believe marriage to be based on a foundation of love which links back to Austen’s belief of marriage. Although Jane believed that a suitable marriage had to include love, financial security and physical attraction, today’s society believes a suitable marriage can be solely based on love for one another.

Life Lessons In The Kite Runner - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 971 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2019/06/10 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: The Kite Runner Essay Did you like this example? The Kite Runner tells the story of Amir, a boy living in Afghanistan, and his journey throughout life. He experiences periods of happiness, sorrow, and confusion as he matures. Amir is shocked by atrocities and blessed by beneficial relationships both in his homeland and the United States. To know if anyone will read the book, we think about various quesions. Is it a book that offers enjoyment? Is it a book that is thought provoking? Is it one that can be applied to any age? Kite runner is a story that can easily be related to every generation and enjoyed by all types of readers. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Life Lessons In The Kite Runner" essay for you Create order The powerful story engages the reader by reminding them of freedom and the fight to achieve it. The readers, with the assistance of news channels, get a live look at situations and consequences similar to those that Amir faces in the novel. Readers are reminded that freedom does not come freely and they are captivated by a novel which shows them a world they have never seen. Americans have not experienced their freedom being taken away from them and that is why they become so riveted by The Kite Runner. They are reading about a circumstance that they know little about and they want to learn about it. The book offers glimpses and answers to questions, and that is what has led to its success. Success was not reached solely based on the informative nature; it is also backed by the easily relatable conflicts and life situations. Throughout life everyone experiences friends that come and go, decisions that are difficult, and situations that may end in heartbreak or joy. The closeness t hat can be applied to the events in the novel allow for a deeper connection to the characters and the storyline. The connection allows for an ability to really feel what Amir is experiencing and this connection urges the reader to continue reading. The novel is so affective because it describes a story which involves relationships and situations that people deal with on an everyday basis. Everyone has friends and sometimes there are struggles with them, other times there is extreme happiness. Families are a part of every personrs life and young boys always experience the pressure to make their fatherrs proud. Loyalty and betrayal are two situations that do not occur everyday but they play a huge role in life. There are points in life when people have been betrayed or have betrayed and have been loyal or have had someone be loyal to them. The focus on these four key aspects of life helps an easy connection to form between Amir and the readers. The readerrs flash back to events that took the same course as the ones Amir has to deal with and they can understand the pressures he experiences. The story comes to life because the emotions are real, the pressures are easily understandable, and the decisions are ones that readers have had to make themselves. In the end the success of the storyline, character development, and level of readability makes the novel classic. A fresh change for the reader; as the plot is unique, characters are fully developed, and every aspect of life is detailed. Learning about Amirrs experiences as he matures allows understanding of the many details of his life. From the first page the main characters and minor characters are explained in great detail, so the relationships are easily understood. Once the story falls into place, the descriptions allow for easy comprehension. Full of meaning and emotion each character is developed substantially. Hosseini is not just an author when he describes his characters, he is an artist. He does not just describe the characters with words; he paints their pictures without images. He allows the characters to come to life by describing their most intimate details which may seem insignificant but in the long run offer a more in-depth glimpse into the characters lives. The writing style lends itself to easily understood messages that flow from the pages. The flow of the writing draws the readers into the story. Along with keeping the culture and characters traditional Hosseini is able to do creative things with witty and unexpected plot turns. He is also able to develop characters and add traits to them that were not imagined. The book helps to teach readers how to deal with situations and how to make changes to prevent future atrocities from occurring. This story has been a reverberating theme through history: oppression, cruelty, and dominance over innocent races are situations that have occurred numerous times. This book may be fiction, but it offers a chance to learn about the impact of atrocities and make changes to avoid them. Many people do not read about these troubling problems in boring history textbooks. This story is engaging, interesting, and vivid in the eyes of the beholder. The Kite Runner offers lessons that can be applied to every life. The book simplifies the events of friendship and family in a way that young and old readers alike can understand. The young readers can learn about their relationship with their fathers and they can learn about the importance of friends. Older readers can learn about the importance of doing the right thing and demonstrating that one decision can define a p erson proves a point about reality in life. However, this also demonstrates a lesson that learning from the mistakes and triumphs of the characters; readers become emotionally attached and stimulated to read until the conclusion. Characters, plot, emotional appeal, and easily relatable situations are too strong for this book to crumble. Internal characteristics have provided a strong base to withstand the petty attacks on underdeveloped metaphors and transparent descriptions. Reality of the many life lessons learned, makes this novel a staple for reading in all circles.