Thursday, January 23, 2020
Prefrontal Cortex Lesions from Neurosurgeon and Patient Perspective :: Surgery Surgical Health Essays
Prefrontal Cortex Lesions from Neurosurgeon and Patient Perspective In this paper, I will discuss lesions of the prefrontal cortex from the perspective of the practice of neurosurgery (in particular, the sub-field of psychosurgery) and then I will consider some studies that look at the implications of lesions to the prefrontal cortex to the brain and behavior, from the perspective of the patient with the lesion. Initially, I will start with the history and explanation of psychosurgery. Psychosurgery is the branch of neurosurgery that involves severing or otherwise disabling areas of the brain to treat a personality disorder, behavior disorder, or other mental illness (Rodgers 1992). Modern psychosurgical techniques target the pathways between the limbic system (the portion of the brain on the inner edge of the cerebral cortex) that is believed to regulate emotions, and the frontal cortex, where thought processes are seated. The field of neurosurgery as a specialty was not defined until the end of the 19th century. In earlier days, surgeries had to be tailored to poor lighting and lack of magnification (Valenstein 1986). The development and implementation of the operating microscope in the 1960s allowed surgeons to operate through a narrow tunnel to resect deep-seated lesions (Valenstein 1986). Psychosurgery, and lobotomy in particular, reached the height of use just after World War II. Between 1946 and 1949, the use of the lobotomy grew from 500 to 5,000 annual procedures in the United States (Valenstein 1986). Lobotomy is a psychosurgical procedure involving selective destruction of connective nerve fibers or tissue. It is performed on the frontal lobe of the brain and its purpose is to alleviate mental illness and chronic pain symptoms (Valenstein 1986). At that time, the procedure was viewed as a possible solution to the overcrowded and understaffed conditions in state-run mental hospitals and asylums. Known as prefrontal or transorbital lobotomy, depending on the surgical technique used and area of the brain targeted, these early operations were performed with surgical knives, electrodes, suction, or ice picks, to cut or sweep out portions of the frontal lobe. Today's psychosurgical techniques are much more refined. These technological advances include the use of computer- assisted stereotaxis, intra-operative ultrasound, brain mapping and endoscopy. Minimally invasive surgery is a major advance in neurosurgery and refers not only to a more limited skin incision
Wednesday, January 15, 2020
Examine some of the ways in which Marxists explain crime Essay
One way in which Marxists examine crime is the idea that they feel crime is inevitable in capitalism because capitalism in itself is criminogenic. Due to capitalism being based on exploiting the working class by using them as a means of making profit, this is therefore damaging to the working class and arguably explains why crime is committed. Due to the exploitation of the working class, which may lead to poverty and in some cases the only way to survive poverty, is by using crime in order to feed and clothe families. Crime may also be the only way the working class can compete in this world of consumer goods, encouraged by capitalist advertising, resulting in theft and robbery. Lastly the lack of control the working class have on their lives due to being controlled by their capitalist bosses and government can lead to frustration in the working class which in some situations can only be vented through violent crimes and vandalism. However this theory is floored as not all crime is committed by the working class and this theory does not take into account white collared crime such as tax fraud, therefore Gordon argues that crime is a rational response to the capitalist system and is therefore found in all social classes, even if the statistics say otherwise. Another Marxist idea that helps explain crime is Selective Enforcement. This is the idea that some Marxist do except that crime is widespread over all classes but the way in which the criminal justice system is applied, is unfair against those in working class and ethnic minorities. Whereas crime committed by the elite is ignored and treated with less severity. This is shown in Reimanââ¬â¢s book ââ¬Å"The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Prisonâ⬠the book shows that there is a disproportionally high rate of prosecutions against crime associated with the working class such a burglary and assault whereas crime typically committed by the rich such as tax evasion is treated with a more forgiving view in the justice system. This is could be argued to be due to the fact that people whom are more likely to commit tax fraud are affluent and therefore may have links in the justice system and can afford top lawyers. Neo Marxists are sociologist whom have been influenced by many ideas of traditional Marxists. Taylor agrees with agrees with the following Marxists theories on crime such as, the idea that capitalism exploits the working class, that the state enforces laws to benefit the higher classes and that capitalism should be replaced with a classless state in order for crime rates to decrease. However Taylor feels that that traditional Marxists are deterministic , for example traditional Marxists feel that workers commit crimes out of economic necessity. Whereas neo Marxists such as Taylor are anti-determinism and therefore feel that the reason why many of the working class commit crime is due to external factors such as anomie, subcultures and labelling. Due to this voluntarism view of the causes of crime, Taylor feels the working class arenââ¬â¢t just crime committing puppets and takes a micro approach to causes and looks at individual cases and argues whether external factors such as abu se at young age have taken on effect as to why crime is committed.
Tuesday, January 7, 2020
Harriet Tubmanrs Life - Free Essay Example
Sample details Pages: 1 Words: 434 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2019/06/14 Category History Essay Level High school Topics: Harriet Tubman Essay Did you like this example? Author Catherine Clinton has an astounding way of giving a brief history on Harriet Tubman, the woman we call Moses in the book called The Road To Freedom. In reviewing the two book reviews written by History Professors John W. Quist and Oscar Cole-Arnal, I will be discussing the similarities about their views regarding this particular book and how she made an impact during the Civil War, and the Underground Railroad. Donââ¬â¢t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Harriet Tubmanrs Life" essay for you Create order Better known as Araminta Ross, which is her slave name, was born into bondage in Maryland. (Clinton, p. 4) She eventually changes her name to Harriet Tubman when she marries John Tubman who was a free slave. She assumed the name Harriet from her mother. In 1849, Harriet decided that she would escape slavery by traveling north to accept a new life of freedom. For over a decade, it is estimated that Harriet Tubman has assisted over 300 slaves obtain their freedom, many of which included family members. She saved her money by doing seasonal jobs to help fund her trips. During the Civil War, Harriet also became a nurse to aid wounded soldiers and refugees from slavery. As I continued to read the book reviews by these two professors, they both agreed that even though Harriet Tubman was illiterate, she knew how to communicate well with the slaves by singing melodies and words which involved secret codes that only the slaves would understand, (Quist, 2005 and Cole-Arnal, 2004) for which I found to be astonishing. Even though she depicted herself as an old woman, Harriet was in her 20s when she first started her expedition to help freed slaves. The author sets the tone that gives us just enough historical information about Harriet Tubmanrs private life as a unique and inspirational figure who fought for the rights of free slavery through her trials and tribulations as she faced being once a slave herself. It is also well documented that she had never lost a slave during her travels through the Underground Railroad to freedom. Clintonrs interpretation on slavery in her book recognizes the rise of the civil rights movement for both African-American men and women. Harriet Tubman played a vital role for feminism, as well as racism. Both authors mainly emphasized on the positive and negatives of slavery of this courageous and mythological figure in history. We have come to know that Harriet Tubmanrs life was a struggle for cultural and political awareness of the mistreatment of slaves. Her book made it easy to read and understand how much she was a phenomenal woman with great bravery and power to overcome these obstacles both mentally and spiritually.
Monday, December 30, 2019
Essay on Drug, Alcohol, and Tobacco Testing in Schools
ââ¬Å"Drugs, Alcohol, and Tobacco Testingâ⬠nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The procedure of testing student for drugs, alcohol and tobacco before every school day should be allowed. The fact that the subject of drug testing has even been brought up is a sign that illegal substances have become troublesome in high school environments. Therefore, school officials should be allowed to use any means necessary to discourage the use of these illegal substances, even if it means that the school officials could become dangerously close to violating the studentsââ¬â¢ constitutional rights. A student under the influence of drugs or alcohol could endanger his or her fellow students or faculty and that student should not be allowed to attend that school. Schoolâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦Any one of these illegal substances could affect the performance of the student, and, therefore, affect the overall outward appearance of the school. Parents would not be interested in sending their children to schools with horrible athletic programs due to drugs, alcohol or tobacco. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Secondly, a school environment that does not allow students to be under the influence of illegal substances will have higher grades. Higher grades would make the school look better to prospective students, and would, therefore, increase the enrollment. The school would be expelling the troublesome students while enrolling students that would raise the schoolââ¬â¢s reputation due to improved sports teams and standardized test scores. With the new enrollments, small private schools would earn more money and would then be able to spend more money on thing that would benefit the school, such as new books, desks, and sports equipment. So, all in all, by expelling students that have been proven to be under the influence of drugs, alcohol or tobacco, schools can improve the school environment in many ways. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Thirdly, when students attend a high school that does not allow its students to do illegal substances of any kind, those students are less likely to have drug or alcohol-related problems in their future. Because people, as teens, were never allowed to try drugs it is unlikely that those people would choose to try drugs when theyShow MoreRelatedThe Case Of Marci A 22 Year Old Female College Student1477 Words à |à 6 Pagesseveral significant psychological, biological, social, and spiritual issues. The most significant issue being Alcohol Use Disorder of which Marci meets four criteria in the DSM-5. Although Marci drinks four or more alcoholic beverages three to four times a week, and binges on weekends she is in the pre-contemplation stage of change. The case study does not mention the length of her alcohol use, although her parents incorporated drinking wine when she was thirteen. Furthermore, the case study statesRead MoreSubstance Abuse At The Pennsylvania National Guard888 Words à |à 4 Pagesindividuals need help before things could potentially become fatal. In the article, Greenagel discusses how one of the major addictions in the military are prescription drugs and how he helps soldiers through the recovery process. His main goal is to spread awareness and to make military officials understand how big of an issue drugs really are and how they can work towards a resolution. He is currently working at the Pennsylvania National Guard as a behavioral health officer to help soldiers withRead MoreTeenage Drug Use Of Drugs1560 Words à |à 7 PagesElizabeth Onyiego 9/27/2014 Sociology 100 Professor Victoria Hoverman Teenage Drug Use In todayââ¬â¢s society, one of the common problems among teenagers is the use of drugs. Teen age is probably one of the most challenging periods in life. It is a stage of self identity crisis that leads to great confusion amongst the teens. Belonging and being accepted in a group is very important in the minds of the teens; where many regard the act as cool. During these years of growth, teenagers encounter their shareRead MoreSubstance Use Disorder Within Mental Health Patients1297 Words à |à 6 Pagesseverity that must be met to best guide care services of the patient with a substance use or polysubstance use disorder. Identification of High-Risk Population Definition of Substance Use Disorder and Etiology The word substance can describe a drug of abuse, a medication or a toxin that produces psycho activation and alters cognitive, behavioral, and affective perception; furthermore, addiction has been conceptualized as a disease, yet little is known about the underlying pathophysiology (JohnsonRead MoreSupport Marijuana Legalization Now! Essay1676 Words à |à 7 Pagesof medical marijuana legalization address that marijuana is an addictive substance, causes harm to mental cognition and behavior of the users, and has many other harmful side effects as well; thus, legal or illegal marijuana is still a dangerous drug. However, medical marijuana should be legalized in the United States because it actually has many medical benefits, it could raise a good amount of money from taxes for the government, and it is not as dangerous as other legal products. First, opponentsRead MoreSubstance Abuse1662 Words à |à 7 PagesGroenewald and Bhana conducted a study on the view and impact of being a mother of a child who has substance abuse problems. It is without question drugs cause diverse issues in the substance users life, however the individuals in the usersââ¬â¢ life can have just as many issues as a result. In this article it focuses on mothers who go through this struggle in silence, to not disclose the difficulties they are having. This study included five mothers who have a child with substance abuse issues. TheyRead MoreMarijuan Why Not Even Once?935 Words à |à 4 PagesMarijuana: Why Not Even Once? Treatment Admissions The National Institute on Drug Abuse writes that an estimated 9% of marijuana users will eventually become dependent on marijuana (National Institute, 2014). The American Society of Addiction Medicine defines addiction as ââ¬Å"a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry. Dysfunction in these circuits leads to characteristic biological, psychological, social and spiritual manifestations. This is reflected in anRead MoreCode Of Ethics Is Absolutely Essential For Every Education Major1297 Words à |à 6 PagesCompliance. This code states that an educator must abide by state, federal, and local laws and includes but is not limited to the conviction of a felony, crimes involving moral turpitude; including anything having to do with the sale or possession of drugs, and sexual crimes such as trafficking or assault. If educators fail to follow the law, they are at risk of losing their certificate and will most likely have to be proven guilty or not guilty in order to determine the status of his or her certificateRead MoreThis is sample treatment plan and assessment based on a fictional case study.1006 Words à |à 5 Pagesuntil drunk. Client states that he uses alcohol 5-7 days a week, with consumption ranging from 6-24 beers per occasion. Client also has a history of heavy drug use. Client states that alcohol is the present drug of choice, but admits to occasional marijuana and cocaine use. Marijuana usage is approximately once a month, cocaine use is approximately 3-4 times a year, and amounts used are unknown. Client is a 2 pack a day tobacco smoker. Because of client s alcohol use, client was recently convicted ofRead MoreThe Effects Of Substance Abuse On Children1364 Words à |à 6 Pagesconsequences of bullying, but studies have shown that students who are bullied at school in grades 7-12 are 50% more likely to abuse substances (Promises Treatment Center). Bullying is the act of physical or verbal tormenting over a se t amount of time, usually targeted at one person or a group of people. Bullying is an international issue that ruins the victim s emotional well-being. Those who are victims of bullying can turn to drugs or other substances as a form of coping; people who bully can be shown to
Saturday, December 21, 2019
The Effects Of Fracking On The Environment Essay - 1782 Words
Itââ¬â¢s Time to Quit Frackinââ¬â¢ Around In this research paper we will cuss and discuss the effects that ââ¬Å"Hydraulic Fracturingâ⬠has had on the environment, the economy, and human life in general. This will be essential in rationalizing the overall effects it has had on the planet Earth, and those therein. This paper will also examine how ââ¬Å"Frackingâ⬠works, and it will bring to light the good, the bad, and the ugly. The truth about fracking is that it is quickly becoming a nightmare for both the environment and humans alike, because there arenââ¬â¢t enough state or federal policies to help monitor and reduce the pollution it creates. We are currently in the second decade of this twenty-first century, and the United States has discovered a new type of energy. It is affordable, it burns somewhat cleaner than the other fossil fuels, and thereââ¬â¢s so much of it that it could possibly last us over one-hundred years. Only a decade earlier, just the sma llest sliver of the United States citizens had ever heard of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. Presently, it is easily one of the most explosive environmental topics alight. Previously, wells that were built for this type of shale gas extraction have quickly spread through various areas of the country. This expansion, many argue, outpaces the science available to fully understand its potential impacts. Whether or not fracking is allowed to continue spreading without vast harm to the environment is one of the many questions researchersShow MoreRelatedFracking : Fracking And Its Effects On The Environment1286 Words à |à 6 Pagesfracturing, commonly referred to as fracking, is a widespread practice in the United States. Fracking is a method used to extract oil and natural gas. Scientists and citizens report detrimental side effects of hydraulic drilling. New York and Vermont have banned fracking statewide. Maryland has set a two year moratorium on fracking, so that more research ca n be done to show the impacts of fracking on the environment. Nationwide, many other cities and counties have banned fracking as well. All states shouldRead MoreFracking And Its Effects On The Environment856 Words à |à 4 PagesFracking is one the most recent and efficient methods to create energy. In order to obtain this controversial natural gas, new jobs are created in rural areas, and as expected, electric bills decreased. Furthermore, Fracking creates enormous amounts of gas at an inexpensive price making the production of any other form of energy practically obsolete. Although not all countries or states in the United States think alike, some of them dispute the claim that fracking negatively affects the environmentRead MoreFracking And Its Effects On The Environment1443 Words à |à 6 Pageswhat experts and passionate amateurs alike have been debating about fracking, also known as hydraulic fracturing.. Although it has the potential to be a very lucrative process, presently fracking is far too detrimental to the environment, for example Southern Illinoisââ¬â¢ Shawnee National Forest, for any environmentally conscious human being to be supportive of until there is a large change in the way the process affects the environment. Hydraulic fracturing is ââ¬Å"the process of injecting liquid at highRead MoreThe Effects Of Fracking On The Environment1267 Words à |à 6 Pagespeople arguing for the good and bad of it. This paper will examine views from both sides, its effects on the environment, review journal entries, and then show the conclusion reached about this process. The process you might have guessed that I am referring to is that of hydraulic fracturing or otherwise known as fracking by most people. First let me explain what this process involves and how it works. Fracking involves using a 99.5% sand, water, and special chemical additive to help bore through rockRead More Fracking and its Effect on the Environment Essay1464 Words à |à 6 Pagesknown as fracking. Natural gas is a flammable gas mixture consisting of methane and several other hydrocarbons that occur naturally underground. Natural gas is used as fuel for heating, cooking, and even in some automobiles like the ââ¬Å"RideOnâ⬠buses. This technique has only recently become economically feasible with the rising prices of fossil fuels, and there is much potential for recovering natural gas through fracking. However, fracking has many waste products and unusual side effects caused byRead MoreThe Effects Of Fracking On The Environment And Citizens1715 Words à |à 7 PagesAs Americans search for alternatives to purchasing oil and gas from overseas, the increase of fracking to extract compressed natural gas has risen dramatically. Remarkably, the public can only access limited research from independent scientists who list both the negative and the positive effects fracking is having on the environment and citizensââ¬â¢ health (Rosenberg, Phartiyal, Goldman, Branscomb, 2014, p. 75). Moreover, the American public and their elected officials are denied the chance to makeRead MoreThe Effects of Fracking on the Environment Essay913 Words à |à 4 Pages While it is true ââ¬Å"frackingâ⬠, a procedure to obtain natural gas removal from shale formations, it is also true there have been infrastructure security issues associated with this practice. Furthermore, there have been ecological considerations from fracking brought to the forefront by countless environmentalists. Indeed, hydraulic fracturing, as it is referred to, is a process by which shale gas and oil is uprooted from a depth far below the earthââ¬â¢s exterior. The process of extracting shale gasRead MoreEffects Of Frac king On The Environment And Human Health1208 Words à |à 5 PagesAustralia to supply all of Australia at current levels for more than 6130 years. Fracking extracts hydrocarbons from previously inaccessible sources of oil and gas using hydraulically pressurised liquid to fracture rock and release gas trapped in coal seams (Hester, R Harrison, R). This gas was once unprofitable because it was expensive and difficult to extract. The benefits and also the side effects of fracking need to be considered including whether the economic benefits outweigh the environmentalRead MoreThe Effects Of Fracking On Environmental Impacts On The Environment1094 Words à |à 5 PagesSubstantial societal concerns regarding fracking s environmental impacts have been raised. Firstly, the water requirements are significant, with an average of 20 million litres used per well. This is 50-100 times more water than in conventional natural gas extraction. An increase in fracking may exacerbate current global water stress due to pollution, climate change and population growth (Kim 2014). In addition to this, the water mixtures used in fracking contain an average of 200 000 litres ofRead MoreThe Effect Of Fracking On The United States Economy And Leaving A Harmful Footprint Behind The Environment2007 Words à |à 9 Pagesthe need without ever reaching satisfaction (Erich Fromm). Introduction Fracking is a complex political topic; nonetheless, fracking is showing a positive impact on the United States economy and leaving a harmful footprint behind the environment. In addition, consumers are experiencing a significant amount of savings due to the overwhelming supplies of oil; thus, the revolution in new technology is triggering an improper fracking system that contributes to airborne pollution and water contamination
Friday, December 13, 2019
Family Honor Free Essays
Family honor is romeo and juliet is represented by the constant attempts to preserve family pride from both houses. This defense and pride causes many deaths and deeper problems that are passed down from generation to generation. In the first scene of romeo and juliet, the montagues and capulets come across each other, and because of the deep rooted hatred they have for each otherââ¬â¢s fmilies, they taunt one another and begin to fight. We will write a custom essay sample on Family Honor or any similar topic only for you Order Now This fight worsens the already tarnished relationship the two houses share. Tybalt, a capulet, holds a strong place in defending his familyââ¬â¢s honor. It is so strong that he even enjoys it. Like Tybalt, the Montegues are fueled by their hatred for one another. What they donââ¬â¢t realize is that this hatred only challenges each otherââ¬â¢s family honor. Family honor is not always such a negative thing. This can similarly occur outside fiction as well. In my family, there has been little representation of family honor. For example, moving around at such a high rate, we have been unable to develop feuds with other families. There were bits of family honor in my life. At school I was against telling anyone details about what was going on in my home life in an attempt to protect and defend my familyââ¬â¢s honor. This often was unsuccessful. Though, the type of family honor show in my life differed from the family honor shown in Romeo and Juliet. All in all, there is a distinct representation of famly honor in Romeo and juliet. This honor can also be shown in real life. This completely depends on the family and what family honor means to them. For me, family honor is not a huge factor in my life. This does not mean I do not have family pride. I cannot relate much to romeo and juliet. How to cite Family Honor, Papers
Thursday, December 5, 2019
The charming phrase ââ¬ÅMother Earthââ¬Â Essay Example For Students
The charming phrase ââ¬Å"Mother Earthâ⬠Essay When we speak the charming phrase ââ¬Å"Mother Earth,â⬠we are saying something of great significance. The Earth is indeed our mother. We are creatures born of the elements of which the Earth is composed, the same elements that make up plants, the other animals, the minerals, the natural chemicals and compounds of this heavenly body we know as our earth and our dear mother. The universe is a great thing, and we are just beginning to understand things about it. Scientists speculate that this universe started with a ââ¬Å"big bang. For we Easterners it was something like the ââ¬Å"sound of One Hand clapping. â⬠There were no creatures such as us to hear it and the question is sometimes asked ââ¬Å"if a tree falls in the forest, and there is no one to hear it, does it make a sound? â⬠If the birthing of our universe was violent, is the preciousness and beauty of life any less for it? If life is brief is it any less meaningful or beautiful? If the self dies and becomes another part of nature should we be unhappy? We are all as God made us in that first ââ¬Å"WORD. The destiny of the universe and all of itââ¬â¢s parts was determined to the end of time until the expanding universe recedes and collapses upon itself to generate the inconceivable power for creation for the next universe. Every new universe created has infinite possibilities for new forms of being. There are an infinite number of universes created. We certainly will reappear in different forms in this universe or the next. The Buddhist says ââ¬Å"When you hear someone knocking, go to the door and greet yourself. In the same way, when you see a cat or a dog or a tree or a flower, remember that you are greeting what you have been or what you will become. We are all one thing, just a different aspect of it. And, we are all bonded together on this spaceship Earth: if the plants die we die, if the animals die, we die. Our aboriginal brothers and sisters speak of ââ¬Å"the One Tree. â⬠Their vision is right, we are all living in one tree, our home in the forest of the universe. Our Mother Earth, in her infinite silent wisdom through the billions of years of expansion through time knows how to balance her children for their greatest good. Malthus said that a population will expand to the limits of itââ¬â¢s resources. We see that in the Petri dish with bacteria. The bacteria grows in the center of the gelatin and expands outward. The bacteria in the center die from the poisons excreted by the living processes of the bacteria. The bacteria near the fresh gelatin on the outer ring have resources and live until they have expanded their population to the limit and all of the bacteria on the dish die. Although we think we are more aware and more considerate of our circumstance than mere bacteria, the human population continues to expand. We create much refuse by our activities and the cities such as New York are running out of places to dump the garbage. Some of our rivers in the 1960ââ¬â¢s could not support life. We have temporarily slowed the progress of the poisoning of our environment, but the population continues to grow and so does the refuse. As with bacteria, humans will find themselves held in check by disease or war as Mother Nature comes to make adjustments to bring things back to balance. We work upon ourown selves with the hand of nature when we make war! We reduce our populations to make room for those who survive. Most of us think that when we reach a crisis, unlike the bacteria we will ââ¬Å"figure it out. â⬠Perhaps we can, but we should start preparing as soon as we can. But one imagines that this takes a foresight few of us have right now, for we mostly only consider our immediate needs. Imagine this: a world-shattering asteroid is passing within 600,000 miles of the Earth right now. You may think that this is not very close, but it is, in fact, very close indeed. A definition and critical analysis of benchmarking EssaySo here in Brooklyn there is much discussion in the Williamsburg Papers about language and meaning and how it relates to art. We know that we are always creating dualityââ¬â¢s and oppositions with our thinking and language. As some of our writers have pointed out everything we think is in terms of duality: good/evil, love/hate, live/die, up/down, being/nothingness, light/dark. Everything we think or speak seems based upon duality and our reasoning is based upon a formula describing that duality: Aristotleââ¬â¢s principle of noncontradiction. The dialectic of reason is that ideas should oppose each other until the weak one dies away and the true idea prevails. But the ââ¬Å"one or the other, but not bothâ⬠ideas of our duality sometimes delude us. The dualism in the thinking of Xeno would make us believe that we cannot move from where we are standing to a point across the room, but we know that we can. And now that we have made a distinction between natural and man-made we are deceived into thinking that these things are fundamentally different when they are not. Plastic and steel are quite natural! Nature has made them just as nature through bees makes honey, or nature through birds builds nests from twigs and do we not consider honey and birdââ¬â¢s nests natural? Western man, one imagines, thinks of everything not human as dead material to be molded to his desire for his use. The American Indian and other cultures think of everything as conscious living things, even the rocks of the earth, and that if we do not respect their ââ¬Å"spiritsâ⬠they will turn on us in fury. These ââ¬Å"primitivesâ⬠say we should respect nature and take only what we need to live and return something for itââ¬â¢s use to honor the spirit of life itself. I very much like this philosophy, for at one time in this world we are ââ¬Å"userâ⬠and next time we may be the ââ¬Å"used. â⬠May the user treat us with as good grace as we treat the used! We as a community should also give to our fellow beings as well as take. And we should not hurt others in doing it. Let us treat nature in the same way so that nature will always be able to share its bounty with us. Let us bless and revere our dear ââ¬Å"Mother Earth! â⬠The Mother Earth exhibit this year will display in the main gallery art made of products we consider ââ¬Å"naturalâ⬠such as wood, weaving from natural products such as s flax or wool, mineral, water, etc. But in the small gallery we will display what people consider ââ¬Å"opposed to natureâ⬠or art from man-made material, such as nylon, rubber, plastic. The reason we are doing this is to clarify the misconception created by our placing ideas in opposition to each other through our dualistic or dialectic delusions. All things are extensions of nature, there is nothing that is ââ¬Å"unnaturalâ⬠in the strictest sense of things. Come wonder at the marvel of the fact that everything is one, Mother Earth encompasses all things, cradles all against her loving breast. Look at yourself and others, at the buildings, the bridges, the steel and concrete and the flowers: all from one thing, the energy or will that creates our material and spiritual world! Let us this Spring celebrate life look around and greet yourself!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)