Human mortality rate and the resilience of women in the abortion case study Essay Example for Free

Human mortality rate and the resilience of women in the abortion case study Essay In 2014, the abortion rate in the United States was 14.6 abortions per 1,000 women. It is the lowest abortion rate recorded since Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion in the United States in 1973. One of the fears of the decision was that it would lead to an increase in abortions and the termination of pregnancies could have a detrimental effect on the women receiving the abortions. While the increase in legal abortion access did see a rise in abortions, a study published in JAMA Psychiatry found that legal abortions did not cause a significant increase in mental health issues among women that have experienced abortions. With a long history of trauma and disease that caused premature deaths at extraordinary rates, humans have evolved to overcome trauma. Humans are inherently resilient, largely due to the high amount of traumatic experiences our ancestors experienced and the genes dedicated to survival that were passed generation after generation. It is not an unreasonable to believe that abortions could have a severe impact on women’s mental health. Terminating a pregnancy and losing an unborn child has high potential of being a traumatic experience that could potentially have long-standing mental health effects. A study published in JAMA Psychiatry, followed 1,000 women who sought out consultation on potentially getting an abortion. The study followed these women for five years after they received or were denied an abortion. The researchers found that those who received abortions were no more likely than those that were denied abortions to have experienced anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, or feelings of life dissatisfaction. Only those that were denied abortions due to being too far along in their pregnancies experienced negative mental health problems, but the study noted that after six months, the negative mental health effects returned to the range observed in other groups in the study. The study shows that humans are extremely resilient and that we often overcome even the most difficult events that can occur in our lives. Modern life is far more safer and less fraught with trauma that our past, where mortality rates across the board were much higher. In evolutionary terms, it makes sense that we are as resilient as we are, considering we would not exist otherwise. For obvious reasons, there are no concrete statistics on mortality rates from our ancient past, but it is believed to be extraordinarily high compared to today, where the worldwide average life expectancy is 71 years. The infant mortality rate in particular is believed to have been very high in prehistoric times. Even in recent times before the advent of standard hygienic norms in hospitals, infant mortality rates were much higher they are today. Hungarian physician Ignaz Semmelweis observed in 1846 that the neonatal mortality rate was five times lower when women   gave birth at a midwives’ clini c, compared to births that took place in hospitals by male doctors. He figured out that the doctors were performing autopsies in the hospitals and the midwives were not. Semmelweis hypothesized that harmful microbes were being transferred from the autopsy bodies to the women giving birth. When Semmelweis advised the doctors to sterilized their hands and tools before delivering babies, the neonatal mortality rate dropped dramatically. Today, it is very rare for a baby to be lost during childbirth, but even within he past century, neonatal deaths would not have been all that uncommon. Modern medicine has drastically cut down on mortality rates for various diseases and medical conditions. It is estimated that approximately 300 million have died due to smallpox. English physician Edward Jenner is credited with the discovery of the smallpox vaccine, which has been successfully deployed worldwide. As a result, smallpox is the only infectious disease that has been fully eradicated globally, with the last World Health Organization declaring it officially eradicated in 1979. Before this time, it wouldn’t of been uncommon to have known members of your own family who had died from smallpox. Other deadly diseases like polio and measles have also been eradicated in the developed world due to vaccines. Infectious diseases caused by bacteria have been largely controlled by the invention of antibiotics. Before Alexander Fleming isolated a mold called Penicillium notatum to be used as the world’s first antibiotic, it wouldn’t have been uncommon for people to die due to an infected cut. The Oxford Constable, Albert Alexander cut his face while gardening and an infection caused by staphylococci and streptococci spread to his scalp and eyes. He was treated with pencillin for five days, but eventually doctors ran out of penicillin and Alexander succumbed to the infection. The world offers many dangers to our mortality and humans have faced these dangers for hundreds of thousands of years. Trauma and disease are in a constant battle with our mortality and only those that could overcome adversity would pass their genes to the next generation. In that evolutionary context, it is not surprising that we often overcome even the darkest of traumas. It will be interesting to see where the evolutionary direction that resiliency will go in our modern world where we are far less likely to face the same dangers that our ancestors faced on a daily basis.

King Lear :: essays research papers

King Lear is widely regarded as Shakespeare's crowning artistic achievement. The scenes in which a mad Lear rages naked on a stormy heath against his deceitful daughters and nature itself are considered by many scholars to be the finest example of tragic lyricism in the English language. Shakespeare took his main plot line of an aged monarch abused by his children from a folk tale that appeared first in written form in the 12th century and was based on spoken stories that originated much further into the Middle Ages. In several written versions of "Lear," the king does not go mad, his "good" daughter does not die, and the tale has a happy ending. This is not the case with Shakespeare's Lear, a tragedy of such consuming force that audiences and readers are left to wonder whether there is any meaning to the physical and moral carnage with which King Lear concludes. Like the noble Kent, seeing a mad, pathetic Lear with the murdered Cordelia in his arms, the profound brutality of the tale compels us to wonder, "Is this the promised end?" (V.iii.264). That very question stands at the divide between traditional critics of King Lear who find a heroic pattern in the story and modern readers who see no redeeming or purgative dimension to the play at all, the message being the bare futility of the human condition with Lear as Everyman. As in Macbeth terror reaches its utmost height, in King Lear the sense of compassion is exhausted. The principal characters here are not those who act, but those who suffer. We have not in this, as in most tragedies, the picture of a calamity in which the sudden blows of fate seem still to honor the head which they strike, and where the loss is always accompanied by some flattering consolation in the memory of the former possession; but a fall from the highest elevation into the deepest abyss of misery, where humanity is stripped of all external and internal advantages, and given up a prey to naked helplessness. The threefold dignity of a king, an old man, and a father, is dishonored by the cruel ingratitude of his unnatural daughters; the old king, who out of a foolish tenderness has given away everything, is driven out into the world a homeless beggar; the childish imbecility to which he was fast advancing changes into the wildest insanity, and when he is rescued from the destitution to which he was abandoned, it is too late.

Just the Unjust for Martin Luther King Jr.

When Martin Luther King Jr. was detained for having organized peaceful protests for the Negro community in Birmingham, he felt compelled to write the white clergymen who criticized the protesters instead of defending them from the immorality of segregation.   His letter accused the white clergy of not only ignoring the moral laws of God but also enacting against it because of their own prejudicial principles.   He explained the difference of just and unjust laws to show that he was merely giving his highest accordance to what is morally right. First, he said that any law that degrades human personality is just but one that degrades human personality is unjust. Western civilization created laws to put order and respect to humanity.   However, segregation, according to King, distorts the soul and damages the human character because it gives the white people a false sense of superiority to degrade the dignity of Negroes. He argues that segregation makes whites treat blacks as objects instead of considering them as people with feelings and rights like their own. Considering other people as inferior and not worthy of having the voice to speak out their needs is immoral because Christians are supposed to treat each other as brothers and not objects. In today’s American society, the woman’s right to abort her baby, I believe, is also a law that degrades the human personality.   Although women are given property over their bodies and have the right to protect their lives from problems, this does not mean that they can degrade another person – the fetus inside of them. Like the blacks that King was defending, babies have yet to find their voice in society.   It is even more inhumane to kill these babies because doing so murders the right they could have had to give their own opinion someday. Another clarification made by King on the subject of just and unjust laws refers to the implementation of a majority group’s rules over a minority.   King believes that is unfair if a majority group forces a minority to obey but does not make the rules binding on itself. Western, specifically American laws, provided that each man must have the right to vote. However, during his time, blacks were not considered as part of the American society with legal rights and therefore had no privilege to elect nor implement and revise the legal system. King believes that this is totally wrong because the laws that were being executed stepped on the human dignity and rights of the Negroes.   What the whites wanted, they got – even if it was hurtful to the lives of colored people. The law protected the white people but did not take the plight of the blacks in consideration. This still happens in America today, although it does not necessarily just encompass the Negro community.   After the fatal attack on the World Trade Center, the Bush administration has decided to go full force against terrorism without enough consideration for the human rights of the Iraqi people. The American military operations in Iraq have caused grievous insults to the dignity of the Iraqi civilians and even death.   Being the democratic majority globally, the American government has led other nations to invade another country and decided to impose its presence to â€Å"prevent† terrorism.   However, the cultural identity and traditional beliefs of the Iraqi people have been ignored greatly which I feel is very unjust. King also pointed out that sometimes a law is just on its face and unjust in its application. He cited that the clergy and government were one-sided in enacting the First Amendment especially when it came to the parades and peaceful assemblies King’s organization was organizing.   He reminds the readers that all citizens must have the right to freedom of expression even if it means going against the government’s policies. He believed that legally binding laws do not always protect what is morally right.   He also mentioned that Hitler did everything legally but the results were terribly wrong and unjust to the Jews. Laws, like most things, have advantages and disadvantages. Great care and analysis must be taken to understand what can be appropriately done for the gray areas.   American immigration laws, for example, can also be hurtful in its application if simply implemented without enough thought. U.S. deportation policies have become hurtful to many illegal immigrants who have lost their rights because they were not given enough consideration. There are many illegal immigrants who desired that better democratic life that Americans have.   Many of these do not know how to speak English well and are victims of wrong criminal accusations causing their deportment. Many of these were not able to defend themselves properly and have had to carry the burden of being separated from their children who were already born in the U.S. King’s Birmingham letter addresses the clouded and prejudiced vision of the white clergy but his clarifications on the justice of laws are classical principles that should guide every good citizen who wishes to follow any legal system.   In truth, laws are structures that help keep peace and order but one must consider everything from the view point of what is morally right and wrong.   Laws are merely man-made but the rule of God and nature should always be everyone’s primary guide.   

Oedipus the King a Tragic Hero - 936 Words

Marietta Shaw English 1302-6504 Mrs.Weatherford 21 November 2011 A Tragic Hero Indeed! In Sophocles tragedy Oedipus the King, King Oedipus swears to solve the murder of former King Laios in order to free the city from the plague. The plague taunts the city destroying crops and livestock and making the women unable to bear children. A seer, Teirsias tells Oedipus that he himself is Thebes’s pollution for killing his father and marrying his mother. Oedipus ignores his words and is blind to the truth until he discovers that it is he who corrupts the city. In order to illustrate Oedipus as the perfect Aristotelian tragic hero, the reader must examine his noble stature that gives him authority, his hamartia resulting in his downfall,†¦show more content†¦Now Oedipus has to live the rest of his life in vein because he was running from something that was destined to happen. Aristotle also believes that the punishment exceeds the crime (â€Å"Tragedy and Comedy† 1212). When Oedipus finds his mother and wife Iocaste dead from hanging herself he takes his takes his own sight, Choragos sees Oedipus and asks â€Å"what daemon leaped on your life with heavier punishment than a mortal man can bear† (Exodos 75-77). Choragos sees the pain and agony the Oedipus has to endure for the rest of his life and acknowledges the fact that Oedipus is strong to have been through so much. He sees that Oedipus has wronged because he didn’t know but he still has to suffer the consequences which is more in his eyes than a man can take. Aristotle’s theory of a tragic hero seems to have come directly from viewing Sophocles tragedy Oedipus the King. Oedipus is the perfect example of an Aristotelian tragic hero. Oedipus possesses all of the attributes mentioned in Aristotle’s theory he was a king who has it all and is the cause of his tragicShow MoreRelatedThe Tragic Hero Of Oedipus The King1528 Words   |  7 Pagesdescribes the tragic hero as having three components which should be present in order to infl uence the audience. The audience must become involved emotionally with the hero so they become fearful for his welfare or well-being. The concluding suffering of the hero draws pity from the audience. Aristotle describes this emotional transition as â€Å"catharsis† which refers to the purging or releasing of emotions. This is what Aristotle believes entices audiences to watch tragedies. The hero must also beRead MoreOedipus The King : A Tragic Hero1541 Words   |  7 PagesAristotle (384-322 B.C.) defines a tragic hero as one who possesses the characteristics of hamartia, peripeteia, anagnorisis, and that the characters fate must be greater than deserved (Else). Since the main character in Sophocles’ classic tragedy Oedipus Rex or Oedipus the King matches up to Aristotle’s definition, Oedipus certainly exemplifies what it is to be a â€Å"tragic hero.† The play’s protagonist Oedipus is revered as a good man and intelligent ruler who acts quickly to support Thebes- a cityRead MoreThe Tragic Hero Of Oedipus The King987 Words   |  4 PagesWhile exemplifying the high estate, noble character, and flawed nature of Aristotle’s tragic hero, Oedipus fails to have a personal mistake become his undoing, hence denying him the status of Aristotle’s tragic hero. A key criteria of Aristotle’s tragic hero is that he or she comes from high estate, such as a royal family. Aristotle’s definition of the tragic hero is well thought out in this manner. High status is important as it gives the character a long way to fall (Kennedy Gioia, 2013). ThisRead MoreTragic Hero In Oedipus The King1502 Words   |  7 PagesThe idea of a tragic hero was first thought of by the philosopher Aristotle in his work, â€Å"Poetics†. In article discussing the philosopher’s ideology of a tragic hero, with emphasis on hamartia, the author states: The function of a tragedy is to arouse the emotions of pity and fear and Aristotle deduces the qualities of his hero from this function. He should be good, but not perfect, for the fall of a perfect man from happiness into misery, would be unfair and repellent and will not arouse pity. SimilarlyRead MoreOedipus The King : A Tragic Hero987 Words   |  4 PagesLike most greek tragedies, Oedipus the King had a tragic hero whose downfall was the result of a tragic flaw. Oedipus, like other greek characters, did not see his errors until his reign was coming to an end. Oedipus, the man who saved Thebes did not understand that every good thing must come to an end. A tragic hero defined by Aristotle has five characteristics that lead to their downfall and their understanding of why the situation happened. Oedipus is the ideal tragic hero because his downfall followedRead MoreThe Tragic Hero Of Oedipus The King1156 Words   |  5 Pages The topic I chose is the tragic hero topic. There exists a number of parameters that describe a tragic hero and thus it was my desire to get to understand these parameters. It was also my desire to be in position to give the difference between normal heroes and a tragic hero and give see the main dimensions of the two figures. I preferred to work with the book by Sophocles Oedipus, the king, in order to portray the attributes of a tragic hero. The book contains adequate information concerning theRead MoreThe Tragic Hero Of Oedipus And King1060 Words   |  5 Pageshowever, Oedipus and Dido lost much more than that. These were two great leaders that both, suffered by losing their reputations, their sanity, and their kingdoms. These are two great examples of what a tragic character displays, according to Aristotle’s conception. Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero is a distinguished person occupying a high position, living in prosperous circumstances and falling into misfortune because of an error in judgment. King Oedipus and Queen Dido are tragic charactersRead MoreOedipus The King : A Tragic Hero870 Words   |  4 Pagestragedies and his most famous being performed there. While only seven of his plays have survived, many, like Oedipus the King, are still prevalent today. It definitely meets the five main criteria for a tragedy: a tragic hero of noble birth, a tragic flaw, a fall from grace, a moment of remorse, and catharsis. Oedipus the King is seen as a perfect tragedy. It features a hero with a tragic flaw, Oedipus, and highlights many common themes in Greek tragedy such as fate or destiny, love, pride, loss, the abuseRead MoreOedipus : The King Of Thebes And Tragic Hero Essay728 Words   |  3 PagesOedipus: The King of Thebes and Tragic Hero Ancient Greek Literature encompasses an assortment of poetry and drama to include the great masterpieces of tragedy. In Classic Literature, tragedies were commonly known for their elaboration of a protagonist fitting the classification of a tragic hero. This type of a tragic hero often collectively described as a character of noble birth, facing an adversity of some nature and a fate of great suffering. The characteristics of what encompassed a tragic heroRead MoreThe Tragic Hero Of Sophocles Oedipus The King1518 Words   |  7 Pagesaudiences so well. A tragic hero plays the most essential role in this. Tragic heroes can be defined differently for whoever is trying to force a character into the tragic hero mold. However Aristotle, the great Greek philosopher, established an outline of the requirements a tragic hero has to meet in order to be considered one. These requirements include a downfall, a hamartia, and recognition of said tragic hero’s condition. Oedipus, the prot agonist of Sophocles’ play Oedipus The King fits the mold.