Oak is the Official U.S. National Tree

The mighty oak tree was  voted  the United States favorite tree in a National Arbor Day Foundation poll taken in 2001.  Nearly five years later, a  Congressional passage and a presidential signing of a historic bill made it the official  national tree of the United States in late 2004. Americas national tree is the mighty oak. The Congressional Passage of the Official National Tree Having oak as our national tree is in keeping with the wishes of the hundreds of thousands of people who helped choose this striking symbol of our nation’s great strength, said John Rosenow, the  president of The National Arbor Day Foundation. The oak was selected during a four-month-long open voting process hosted by the Arbor Day Foundation. From the first day of voting, oak was the people’s clear choice, finishing with more than 101,000 votes, compared to almost 81,000 for the magnificent runner-up, the redwood. Rounding out the top five were the dogwood, maple, and pine. The Voting Process People were invited to vote for one of 21 candidate trees, based on broad tree categories (general) that included the state trees of all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Each voter also had the option to write in any other tree selection they preferred. Advocates of the oak praised its diversity, with more than 60 species growing in the United States, making oaks America’s most widespread hardwood tree. There is an oak species that grows naturally in nearly every state in the continental U.S.   Why Oak Trees Are so Important Individual oaks have long played a part in many important American historical events, from Abraham Lincoln’s use of the Salt River Ford Oak as a marker in crossing a river near Homer, Illinois, to Andrew Jackson taking shelter under Louisiana’s Sunnybrook Oaks on his way to the Battle of New Orleans. In the annals of military history, Old Ironsides, the USS Constitution, took its nickname from the strength of its live oak hull, famous for repelling British cannonballs. Uses for oak tree wood are of major importance and in high demand as a commercially harvested tree species. Oak has an extremely dense wood and resists insects and fungal attacks because of its high tannic acid content. It saws even and true with beautiful grain desired for building the best furniture and cabinets along with the durability necessary for fine flooring. It is a perfect wood for long-lasting timbers for building, perfect planking for shipbuilding and the barrel staves used for storing and aging fine whiskey spirits.

Vaccine and Immunity Essay Example

Essays on Vaccine and Immunity Essay The paper "Vaccine and Immunity" is a worthy example of an essay on medical science. Immunity refers to the ability of the human body to tolerate the invasion of the pathogen and finally eliminate it from the body. Antibodies are the main basic unit that carries out the function of fighting and naturally eliminating the pathogen from the body. Antibodies detect the pathogens through foreign molecules on the pathogens’ surface. After this, antibodies attach to pathogens surface to execute actions against the pathogen. Antibodies act against pathogen invasion through various processes including the opsonization, neutralization, complement activation, and receptor-mediated cell activation (Long, Larry and Charles 617). Through these actions, the antibodies eliminate pathogens and neutralize pathogen toxins. The action is important in protecting the body from diseases that a person may have had before. Antibodies protect the body through passive or active immunity. The formation of vaccines involves the attenuation of pathogens. Vaccine formation may involve the use of the whole organism like influenza or part of the organism like tetanus bacteria (MacPherson and Jon 95). The introduction of these attenuated or killed pathogens causes antibodies to react against them. However, the production of the most effective immune system depends on live antigens. At this point, the weakened pathogens cannot cause any disease hence function only to cause activation of the immune system. They can trigger the immune system because they contain antigens that activate B and T cells (Chiras 46). Memory cells then store futures of the pathogen for future reference. If a live pathogen causing the disease invades in the future, the body reacts by fast mobilization specific antibodies against the pathogen through the help of memory cells. The elimination of the pathogen in real infection becomes fast after the previous encounter. The action of the immune system ens ures elimination of pathogens from the body without much replication. Through this mechanism, vaccines induce active immunity against pathogens such as measles and poliomyelitis viruses.

Does media violence effect society Essay Example For Students

Does media violence effect society Essay Media is undoubtedly the greatest medium of communication in our society, but how does medias portrayal of violence affect us as a whole? Is musics explicit lyrics and televisions raunchy and violent content the cause of our downfall, or is it merely an accurate depiction of todays society? Two young males were fatally shot with multiple gun wounds to the head and chest, how many times have we all heard these words on the evening news? Although the news is a media to educate us on the goings on in the world, much of America chooses not to view these daily programs due to the fact that most of it concentrates on violence. Though, violence is not only limited the local news which merely exposes us to what actually takes place, but what about the many violent television programs that frequent our airwaves. With the eruption of professional wrestling, our children now view beating each other up, breaking chairs, choke holding and the various other violent gimmicks used by these wrestlers as an exciting norm. Hasta La Vista Baby, the famous words of Arnold Schwarzenegger as he as he literally annihilates a mall full of shoppers. These are the types of gruesome acts that moviegoers pay millions of dollars a year to see. Do the R ratings attract us? Is it the gore that we view on the TV previews? Or, is it the mentality that society has cultivated towards violence? The more gruesome the movie, the more likely we are to run out to see it on opening night. Our society is such that we tend to put on a pedestal the actors and actresses that use profanity, expose themselves and are more violent on the silver screen. Ultimately sex and violence sells, and in this society the almighty dollar is of utmost importance. Parents cannot stop children from witnessing the harsh realities of society, violence, sex and crime. However, it is their role as parents to enforce a strong sense of morality. What a cruel world we live in when even the cartoons viewed by our youth are plagued with murder and violence. How can we fight the cruelties portrayed on TV and in the movies, when it has become a true part of our society? People are not born with the inept ability to know right from wrong. A wide variety of factors determine a persons moral. Religion, culture, environment and society all play important roles in how a person will develop. Though ultimately, it is the family and the parents in particular, that instills the moral fiber of an individual. However, in this society we have witnessed many incidents where although a person may have the proper upbringing, the negative effects of TV and media, has manifest itself into violence, criminal behavior and other unacceptable conduct. Although as stated previously, violent movies and TV shows produce high ratings, highly paid actors, and a forum for us to escape the so called realities of life, but what are the long term consequences? Can it be that after many years of producing and viewing violence, we are cultivating a society of criminal minded individuals? If we could compare the way that society was prior to television, would we be able to see a difference in social behavior? Can we then venture to say that although technology has been a positive attribute, to what extent has it affected society negatively? Nevertheless, television and media quenches our societies thirst for adventure and danger and allows us to witness firsthand the violence that is among us. But the question is how far is too far. Media is undoubtedly the greatest medium of communication in our society, but how does medias portrayal of violence affect us as a whole? Is musics explicit lyrics and televisions raunchy and violent content the cause of our downfall, or is it merely an accurate depiction of todays society? Two young males were fatally shot with multiple gun wounds to the head and chest, how many times have we all heard these words on the evening news? Although the news is a media to educate us on the goings on in the world, much of America .

Criminal Justice Argumentative Essay Example For Students

Criminal Justice Argumentative Essay Before the sixteenth century children were considered either property tobe traded or small adults, when by the age 5 or 6 were expected to assumethe roll of an adult. As the centuries moved forward the views of childrenchanged, children were seen not as miniature adults but as having adistinct personality, that they were easily corrupted and needed to becorrected to become morale and productive members of society. In the colonial era of America the family was the basic unit of economicproduction and the main outlet for social interaction also religion was amain staple that held a community together and is where families turned towhen they had trouble in the home. As the country grew so did the need for some type of institutions foryouth offenders. These places were called houses of refuge The youth inthese places were reformed into hard working productive members of society. The stay in one of these places were in determined time or until theyreached the age of 18 or 21 depending on their crime and the willingness ofthe youth to reform and become a responsible citizen. By the end of the 1800s different types institutions and mechanisms weredeveloped to respond to the difficult children. Still, the problemspresented by the children who were believed to be in need of so type ofcorrection were the homeless, the neglected, abused and wayward as well asthe ones with criminal behavior. A new group of reformers called the thechild savers, advocated a new institution to deal with these youthproblems. Thus began the juvenile courts. By the late 1800s the legal mechanism was in place for treating of youthdifferent from adults Examplesof this were that in some jurisdictions had set minimum age to which ajuvenile could be charged as an adult and placed in adult penitentiaries. The legal philosophy justifying states intervening in the lives ofchildren is the doctrine of parens patriae(the state as parent) was giventhe judicial endorsement in the case of Mary Ann Crouse who had beencommitted to the Philadelphia House of Refuge by her mother as a punishmentand against her fathers wishes,. the Commonwealth Supreme Court ofPennsylvania stated that it wasnt a punishment but a benevolence, no dueprocess claim could be made by the father, and that the father had nostanding anyway because the commonwealth had the legal responsibility tostep in as to were the parents were irresponsible in their obligations totheir children. An interesting question came up in the 1905 case of the Commonwealth vs. Fisher where the Pennsylvania supreme court ruled that parens patriaealways trumps due process in the juvenile justice. When the Commonwealthacts on parens patriae no due process protection is necessary. Notreatment plans are needed it is assumed that anything the Commonwealthdoes to a child in its custody is better than what the parents couldprovide. The Fisher case set the tone for juvenile justice up until the1960s. An activist United States Supreme Court in the 1960s significantlyaltered the juvenile justice system. That sets the tone for todayscourts. Three cases that are worth looking at are Kent vs. the US (1966)This is the first full scale examination of the juvenile justice systembrought on by the case of a 16 year old rapist who was transferred to adultcourt. The justices ruled that such waivers or transfers should beaccompanied by a special hearing, the assistance of counsel, access torecords by such counsel, and a written statement of reasons for suchtransfer. .ub1aa03e5c46ba409f5e805505707d82e , .ub1aa03e5c46ba409f5e805505707d82e .postImageUrl , .ub1aa03e5c46ba409f5e805505707d82e .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ub1aa03e5c46ba409f5e805505707d82e , .ub1aa03e5c46ba409f5e805505707d82e:hover , .ub1aa03e5c46ba409f5e805505707d82e:visited , .ub1aa03e5c46ba409f5e805505707d82e:active { border:0!important; } .ub1aa03e5c46ba409f5e805505707d82e .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ub1aa03e5c46ba409f5e805505707d82e { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ub1aa03e5c46ba409f5e805505707d82e:active , .ub1aa03e5c46ba409f5e805505707d82e:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ub1aa03e5c46ba409f5e805505707d82e .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ub1aa03e5c46ba409f5e805505707d82e .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ub1aa03e5c46ba409f5e805505707d82e .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ub1aa03e5c46ba409f5e805505707d82e .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ub1aa03e5c46ba409f5e805505707d82e:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ub1aa03e5c46ba409f5e805505707d82e .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ub1aa03e5c46ba409f5e805505707d82e .ub1aa03e5c46ba409f5e805505707d82e-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ub1aa03e5c46ba409f5e805505707d82e:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Trail Of Tears Essay In re Gault (1967) A landmark case on the failure of the juvenilejustice system involving a 15 year old adjudicated delinquent on the wordof an Arizona sheriffs deputy sentenced to 6 years for an offense(telephone harassment) that carried a two month penalty if committed as anadult. The Justices ruled that the juveniles deserve the right againstself incrimination (Miranda Rights) adequate notice of charge, the rightconfront and cross examine accusers, assistance of counsel, and he rightsof sworn testimony and appeal. With this the juvenile courts became moreformal and adversarial. The Third case is McKeiver v. Pennsylvania (1971) a seminal case thatslowed down the granting of due process rights to juveniles by denying thema trial by jury. The Justices thought that the bench trials were adequateand that America wasnt yet ready to abandon the philosophy of juvenilejustice as a less than fully adversarial process. The fundamental difference of the adult court vs. the juvenile court arethat the juveniles are given a little more latitude when the judge isconsidering the sentence for the offender and the guidelines are differ inthe length of time and where the sentence is carried out. word 810

Does God Really Exist Essays - Religion, Conceptions Of God

Does God Really Exist? 3-1-00 3'rd Quarter Essay I do not believe God exists. I have many reasons why I think that there is no God. One of my many reasons is that there is no way that one man could have created the earth that we are living in today. The Bible is just one big made up story, and who created God if there is a God? If you think about it, ?God? did not create this earth. How can one man create this earth that we are living on today? That is impossible. Then there is the Bible. The Bible is just one big book with a bunch of stories that are totally bunk. Someone had to sat down and make up all those stories, because how could anybody keep up on the Bible for thousands and thousands of years? The stories in there had to have gotten mixed up. My last theory on why I think that God does not exist is if there is a God, then who created God? There had to have been some other God or something like that to make him the chosen one. Think about it. All in all, I hope that all of my thoughts on whether God exists or not got you to think about whether he does or does not. My three points are: about creating this earth, the Bible being just one big made up story, and if there is a God then who created God gave me the opinion that I have today. Word Count = 274 Religion

Why Women Put Up With Spousal Abuse †Sociology Essay Paper

Why Women Put Up With Spousal Abuse – Sociology Essay Paper Free Online Research Papers Question: Write a well-reasoned essay in which you set forth seven reasons abused wives â€Å"put up with† wife abuse. If you list the reasons, be sure that for each you include enough information to make it clear that you are thoroughly familiar with the â€Å"reason why.† Answer: Women who are abused as wives put up with the abuse for many reasons. One such reason is the fear they have for their husband. Women may be afraid their husband will kill them if they try to leave the marriage. According to the textbook â€Å"An estimated 75 percent of murders of women by their male partners occurred in response to the woman’s attempt to leave.† This means there is a very good reason for this fear, because the facts prove that the terror exists. Another reason women put up with abusive marriages is the cultured norm or norms that exist in our society. The textbook states â€Å"our cultural tradition historically has encouraged women to put up with abuse.† It also states that by English common law a man’s wife is his property and he could physically keep her in line if she stepped out. While these laws no longer exist, the ideas do still exist and even though the laws have changed, the tradition continues to live and be practiced to some extent. Women also stay in physically abusive marriages because of love and hopes for reform. A wife may think she can change her husband’s behavior if she loves him enough or gives him enough support. She also may feel that if she really loves him she should stay with him. By staying with a husband who is abusive, a wife may feel she is showing her true love for him. It’s easy to sit back and see how this is a crazy idea but loves makes the people involved do strange things. Economic dependence is in my opinion the strongest reason women stay with abusive husbands. I think this because all of the other reasons involve a mental aspect that could be overcome with counseling and other support, but if a woman cannot support herself and especially her children, then all the counseling or support in the world won’t do much good. A wife may feel she cannot support herself and her children without her husband. In many situations, this feeling may be unfortunately true. So the wife decides that staying with her abusive husband is an equitable exchange for the monetary support he provides her and/or her children. Another reason for a woman staying with an abusive husband is her childhood experience. The textbook reads â€Å"Research suggests that people who experience violence in the parents’ home while growing up may have an increased tolerance for violence and regard beatings as part of married life.† The textbook also says that women who were abused as children have a higher tendency to attach themselves to abusive men. This eludes to the idea of the never ending cycle of abuse, which reminds me of song lyrics written by Maynard James Keenan from a song that is about the cycles of abuse. The lyrics go like this: â€Å"Thought I could make it end Thought I could take the pain away Thought I could break the circle if I Slipped right into your skin So sweet was your surrender We have become one I have become my terror And you my precious lamb and martyr† Gender roles set up by society, or gendered socialization also can provide reasons for an abused wife staying with her husband. The textbook describes this by saying â€Å"women accept the cultural mandate that it is primarily their responsibility to keep their marriage from failing.† By believing this, a wife feels that she is responsible for the relationship, both her actions and her husband’s. It is this belief that leads her to think she should be able to fix the situation. If she cannot then in societies mind and possibly her own she is a failure. So she might stay and give it her best shot, which almost never works out. Low self-esteem, which seems to be a cause for so many problems, also contributes a cause to the problem of abused wives remaining with their husbands. This causes a woman to place the blame for her husband’s actions on herself. When combined with fear, depression, confusion, anxiety, and other negative emotions, low self-esteem in an abusive relationship helps create the battered woman syndrome. According to the textbook, the battered woman syndrome makes the wife feel â€Å"incapable of making any change.† Of course if a person thinks there can be no change, there won’t be, especially if you consider another quote from the textbook that is especially disturbing. The textbook says that â€Å"heterosexual men go in (to get help or counseling for their abuse) because they’re court-mandated,† not on their own will or want to change. So if the woman doesn’t force the change, it won’t happen, and the battered woman syndrome defeats a lmost all hope for change. Research Papers on Why Women Put Up With Spousal Abuse - Sociology Essay PaperPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenThe Fifth HorsemanAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementHonest Iagos Truth through Deception19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraHip-Hop is ArtCapital Punishment

Religious Tolerance and Hindu Rituals Assignment

Religious Tolerance and Hindu Rituals - Assignment Example This is often not the road that is taken and misconceptions are often allowed to turn people against certain religions and beliefs. Ignorance regarding religions is most often the reason for people’s antagonistic attitudes in relation to people of other faiths. This paper shall look at a religious ceremony of Hinduism and reassess a few ideas about the religion that were proven to be misconceptions after it. Religions like Hinduism are often considered to be similar to or even perceived as variations of Satanism. This is the result of various misconceptions that arise out of religious intolerance in people of other religions (Robinson, 2006). People of other religions tend to think of Hinduism as a religion where idols are worshipped in a very simple manner. This is however, not true. According to the ceremony that I attended, which was to worship the Goddess Durga, an idol is what the Goddess reveals herself as to the devotee. The goddess assumes the form that the true devote e wishes to see her in and this becomes a symbol of the love that God holds for the true devotee. The importance of this can be seen in the care and devotion with which the statue of Durga is made before the festival of Durga Puja begins (Durga Puja Preparation, n.d.). Apart from the philosophical and theological reasons that are offered for this form of worship, it also allows the devotees to converge at a particular spot. It enables people to understand the fact that Hinduism is not a religion but a culture that is a part of a society of people. It is not a compendium of rules regarding conduct and worship. This is evident from the fact that there is no single text that is considered to be the most important one. No person is considered to have laid the foundations of this religion either (Das, n.d.). All of these factors combine to transform Hinduism into a culture of a society rather than a conventional religion. The worship of idols and the use of music are factors that cause p eople to conceptualize of Hinduism as a religion that is a mystic one that is similar to orientalist conceptions that Western Civilization holds about the Indian subcontinent. This is however, not true. The music and the idol, apart from being symbols of social togetherness and a shared culture, also enable people to concentrate their minds on the idea of god. This can be done through an immersion into the atmosphere that is created by the combination of the different aspects of the festival. The ritual turns the festival into an opportunity for people to connect with god. A large part of Indian music is non-secular and this results in the fact that it is a part of the Durga Puja. Investing all of one’s attention in the idol of Durga enables the devotee to dissolve his existence into a union with the Goddess. The idol thus serves the practical purpose of giving the devotee an object to focus his or her attention on (Jayaram, n.d.). My understanding of Hinduism was radically a ltered after the ceremony as many of the common misconceptions concerning the religion were proven to be false following it. The deep philosophical tenets and the practical side of the religion were exposed during the ceremony and this led to a change in the perceptions regarding the religion and its practices. The social aspect of the religion also changed my perception regarding it as it enabled me to place it in a context where it is a part of everyday life. Misconceptions regarding