One question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

One inquiry - Essay Example Subsequently, the landscape area has been marked the Dead Sea. In view of the considerable number of presumptions made on how weird the ocean is my interest of the whole landscape is very needing. Along these lines, leaving on an excursion to the spot will be captivating and satisfying. Being known as a one of a kind landscape and having a striking history with respect to its development, there are a ton of attractions that are credited to the spot. To begin with, there are various slopes that are huge, there dragonflies, various palm trees or more all the ocean transforms into the shade of feeble tea when the breeze on the shore pushes. It sounds very unusual that every one of these perspectives are engaging, however my idea on nature will make the excursion to be energizing, as I would get the chance to explain the presence of every one of these viewpoints. I burn through the majority of my free occasions investigating surrendered places that realize the magnificence of nature we live in. In this manner, as a side interest this excursion will ingrain a great deal of information. Aside from the Salton Sea Recreational Center, which is open to general society, larger part of the spots encompassing the ocean are very hazardous and are named the restricted areas. It is just the Navy seals and the Marine that utilization the spot to go about as their preparation base. A test that is very unavoidable in Salton Sea is the smell that is transmitted by the ocean. Research demonstrates that the greater part of the guests who have had the chance to investigate the spot were upset by the aggravating smell and some were terrified of the dragonflies that were in numbers. Being a region that is uncommon to visit and dependent on the riddle encompassing it the issue of security might be a test once on the spot. My insight with respect to Salton Sea depends on the exhaustive research I have directed and my observation dependent on my discoveries shows that Salton Sea is to be sure an unusual spot. In any case, when I set out on my excursion, I expect to gain more from what I definitely know and I mean to investigate the whole

Gun ownership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Weapon proprietorship - Essay Example Every one of these cases show how simple it is for individuals to possess weapons, regardless of how their state of mind is. It basically should be comprehended here that individuals who are frequently associated with such circumstances are casualties of misery which further backers the way that earlier permitting an individual to claim a firearm, a legitimate clinical and history look at should be conveyed of the concerned candidate. Such cases have prompted mass scale antigovernment developments, in an offer to persuade the legislature to take estimates limit firearm possession. Actually, firearm proprietors and weapon possession affiliations have safeguarded their positions and campaigned in the parliament to ensure no such measures are taken which would confine firearm proprietorship (Legault 2008). The best answer for this issue is help out through history and clinical checks before giving firearm possession consents to candidates. Besides, licenses ought to be given for explicit reason as opposed to being universally handy, accordingly ensuring wrong use of weapons is cut

Why You Never Finish Your To-Do Lists at Work (And How to Change That)

Why You Never Finish Your To-Do Lists at Work (And How to Change That) To-Do lists are one of the most commonly-touted productivity tools in the world. And there is a good reason for it.The simple explanation is that you will always have a number of things to be done. To avoid forgetting, it is best to list them down then strike them off once done.But how come the expected effectiveness never materializes?Although several answers may be given to this question, e.g. it’s a matter of discipline, there is really something about this tool that facilitates the disappointment.One survey by LinkedIn showed that only 11% of professionals finish all the tasks in their To-Do lists.The truth is, there is something about To-Do lists that people are generally yet to understand. Sure enough, it is a productivity tool but for it to be useful, something somewhere must change in the way it is being used.In this article, we will show you what the shortcomings of the To-Do list are and how to overcome them. You will be glad to know that there are just a few consideratio ns which need to be taken into account. After that, a few changes and you will be good to go.You can then end your day with joy having struck off all those tasks because you finished them.WHY YOUR TO-DO LIST DOESN’T WORKVery many people have been disappointed by this great tool. Some have even said that To-Do lists can’t work. Although there are arguably good arguments given, it still remains to be one of the most popular time management tools.But why would it be popular yet a majority of those using it never benefit from it? Below are some reasons for this.1. DistractionsThis will remain to be the biggest problem of all, and the reason is pretty simple. Life never happens exactly the way you plan. Something will always come up. And although that thing was never expected, it still has to be taken care of. Some common distractions are:Impromptu meetings which were never in your schedule and were not communicated beforehand. If there was any communication, probably just five minut es before the meeting. This may be necessitated by an emergency or the boss saw the need to address an issue.Social media is one of the most enjoyable distractions around. Being social beings, nothing feels as good as having a chat with a friend. Or just updating yourself on their current status. You also get to broadcast your thoughts as well as see who your secret admirers are.Too much office chatting has an effect that is similar to that of social media, only that this chatting is with people in the same place you are in. From office gossip to the weekend adventures, the topics can be as many as they can be interesting.2. Wrong planningThis is another major reason for the failing of To-Do lists. Planning is key in everything you do and when you don’t plan, things tend to go wrong rather quickly. This is inescapable and it’s a guarantee you will feel frustrated at the end of the day.Wrong planning can occur in various ways:Having ambiguous tasks which make your mind start work ing to understand the nature of the work even before the work begins. When you have tasks like “Researching” or “Working” on your list, you will easily lose the grip on the list.This is because you do not know where to start. In some instances, you may not even remember what you meant to do when you wrote “working.” Despite the amount of work in your in-tray, it can always be organized into specific tasks.For example, you could have tasks like “File last weeks invoices,” or “Draft departmental budget” or even “Source for stationary suppliers.” All these tasks can be part of your day’s work but being ambiguous is similar to not having the list at all.Writing your list at the wrong time is yet another problem. There is just no way you can wait till today to plan for today. Yes, you can do it but for better results, this is not the way to go. If you are planning for tomorrow, do it today.The idea is to ensure that once you wake up, you immediately know what yo u are to do. This is very crucial because the first hours of the day are important since your brain is fresh. If you therefore waste that time, you will feel lazy and unmotivated before it’s noon.3. Wrong prioritiesThis is so much a problem that it affects not only your work but your life in general. If you can’t prioritize well, then your life will generally bear the brunt of the busy life you live.You will spend time everyday living and before you know it, the year is over and you have no achievements to brag about.If you cannot decide what is important, then you will strive to do everything. Unfortunately, you will do nothing meaningful to propel you towards your life’s goals. You may start many tasks but finish none. This is regardless of how skilled you are.One word that gets thrown around often when discussing priorities is multitasking. To some, this is the one most essential skill if you are seeking success. The argument goes like this: “Since there are so many thing s to be done, if I juggle them well enough, I will finish them all.”Science, a reasonably reliable adviser, points out that the mind cannot function like a computer. Whereas computers can multitask, you can’t. The nature of your working memory operates significantly differently from that of computers.Although computers can handle multitasking well, your brain will easily get tired at the constant shuffling of ideas and operations in and out of your concentration. If you cannot prioritize your tasks, you will not be able to utilize your resources (mind, time etc) well.Prioritizing your workSetting priorities is certainly a challenging tasks in itself. You are not sure whether a task is urgent or important. Or both. This can lead to confusion yet as you are thinking about the differences, time is moving.There is however a very simple and helpful way of setting priorities. This method is mainly known as a way of beating procrastination. It’s called the Eisenhower Box method. You may recognize the name resembling that of a former US president, Dwight Eisenhower (October 14, 1890 â€" March 28, 1969).He is the man credited with this method of prioritizing tasks. With a very successful career in the army and a highly productive life, he ended up becoming the 34th president of the United States.This method breaks tasks into four categories:Urgent and important tasks (to be done immediately)Important, but not urgent (to be scheduled for later)Urgent, but not important (to be delegated to someone else)Neither urgent nor important (tasks to be eliminated) Use this method to categorize the tasks you have and deal with them accordingly. Commit to it and though you may struggle categorizing everything at first, you will soon see the benefits.Having unreasonable listsAs though having distractions and wrong planning aren’t enough problems, you could also be having very long lists. These lists could be long due to the inclusion of some unnecessary activities like havin g breakfast or taking a shower.Primarily, there is nothing wrong with such activities. However, they will make your list be too long for your brain’s comfort. When you look at that list in the morning, you will quickly get tired instead of being motivated to strike off the completed tasks.Purpose to shrink your list to the minimum. Tasks which are a no-brainer should be avoided. For example, the possibilities are low that your body won’t remind you of the need to take breakfast. An empty stomach will faithfully kick-start the communication.With a trimmed list, you look at it in the morning and immediately see the possibility of finishing all the tasks. You will see the possibility since you only have a few things to accomplish. This early morning motivation will get you ready to go through the day.HOW TO MAKE YOUR TO-DO LIST WORKIt can be disappointing to be unable to make use of a tool which is supposed to help you stay on top of your own game. But as always, there is a way out . Below we look at the measures you can take to change the situation.Use only one listIn an effort to achieve maximum productivity, you may have heard and followed the advice of separating work from life. This is a good advice, though not very practical. What is meant is that what happens at home stays at home and what happens at work stays at work.When it comes to your To-Do lists, there is some logic in this. However, your mind will fall short of following this logic after some time. With a list for home, work, while on the road etc, you will have too many lists which require your attention.What happens is that you may not be able to finish all you were to do before leaving for work. You get to work already with some level of pressure that you have to compensate for the time lost.This stress will obviously affect your work and together with the reasons stated above for your list failing, you won’t be able to complete your work list.You will probably get home quite frustrated and not happy with yourself. You pick your home list and try getting through it and all you have is more stress. You will really have little success and possibly more stress. Unfinished tasks are a sure source of stress.When you use one list for all your tasks, you benefit from having a central point of reference. Whether you are at home or at work, everything is on one list. Put your attention on that one list and you will be just fine.This helps you have a more peaceful time at work. You do not have to worry about other things awaiting your precious attention elsewhere. If those things are not on this particular list, then they are irrelevant.This will also help you keep things in perspective. You see, when you have several lists, each one may have five tasks on it. If you have only two lists, then you have ten tasks to perform on that day.As you handle one list, you may think to yourself that five things are not many yet in reality, you have ten items to cross off.If you were to hav e one list and put all the ten items on it, you will realize that there are many tasks to be worked on. You will then be prompted to either remove some tasks or reschedule them. Or delegate some. This increases your chances of finishing the day’s tasks.Use the 1-3-5 ruleThis rule advises that for every day, you should have one big task, three medium-sized ones and five small ones. It builds on the fact that you will find it easier doing smaller tasks. Once these are done, several medium-size ones won’t be a big problem.And of course, you will only be able to successfully tackle one big problem on any given day.This rule makes things easier especially because it is the bigger tasks that provide the biggest challenges. Used right, this rule can offer you the much-needed relief and joy of finishing your tasks at work.Whatever your position, you can easily categorize your tasks accordingly. The small ones, for example, replying to emails and proof-reading a report, can be handled in probably one hour.The medium-sized ones could be tasks like having a small meeting with your staff, interviewing an intern, getting some reports from the system etc. These are tasks which will typically take around twenty to thirty minutes each. When you put them together, you may need two hours to complete them.Lets say you spend eight hours at work everyday, including lunch. You have spent three hours already, now you remain with around four hours. If you commit this time to your big task, you will likely finish it before the end of the day.The beauty of this rule is that you can still break the big tasks into smaller sub-tasks and apply the same rule to them. However, it is important at this point to remember that you are handling one big task. That means that you cannot leave any of the new small tasks hanging. They are all connected and are part of a bigger picture. The rule will in this case be an aid to help you complete the big task.Have a ‘Done’ listTalking about To-Do lists, you can also make use of a ‘Done’ list. This is essentially a list of the tasks you have completed. It is quite similar to simply crossing off the finished tasks.This comes in to help you reflect on your success. If you had ten items on your To-Do, then you should ideally have ten on your ‘Done’ list. This is your trophy, the proof of your success.If you only have seven items in your ‘Done’ list, then it means you fell short by three tasks. You can then look back to understand what brought about this result. You therefore get an opportunity to review your performance.What you see as the reason for not finishing your tasks is what you will now strategize on dealing with. Efficiency is always an outcome of reviews and improvements.To help you out on this, here is a great tool to use in this digital age. The To-Do Prime To-Do list software will help you in coming up with a ‘Done’ list by doing it for you. Since it can be hectic creating two different lists while working fast to achieve your goals, this app covers you.It has categories on the left and what is pending is listed under the ‘Inbox’ category. Once a task has been completed, it is moved to a section labeled ‘Completed.’ Since all this information is available on the same window, it is easy to see your progress at the end of the day.Use the timeboxing methodThe timeboxing method is the greatest addition you can have to your To-Do list. In fact, if you’re not sure about what changes to make to your To-Do lists, go with this one. No matter what other change you do, this one will still be relevant and useful.Timeboxing works by defining a period of time in which you will work on each specific task. If your list has five items, depending on how big the tasks are, you start by estimating the time it could take to finish each one.With these estimations, block some time off so as to know that you will start working on a task at a certain time and finish by a certain time. An ex ample of this is shown below:Task No.Task NameTime EstimateTime Allocation1Bake bread (for b/fast)1 hour7:00 â€" 8:00 AM2Physiotherapy session1.5 hours9:00 â€" 10:30 AM3Reply to emails1 hour11:00 â€" 12:00 PM4Analyze weekly sales1.5 hours1:00 PM â€" 2:30 PM5Prepare report (presentation)2 hours3:00 PM â€" 5:00 PMYou will notice some margins in the time allocation. These will be discussed below. This is however a simple example of how timeboxing can be used.When you set aside time for a specific task, your mind becomes aware of something that is coming up. And since it is not merely in your mind, the chances of remembering are increased. Also, anything that is written stays in memory longer than what is simply noted in the mind.Technology comes in handy to help you remember what you should be working on. PC or Mac programs have To-Do softwares which include a reminder and a snooze button. After you set a task and its time allocation, the alarm will notify you when it’s time to work on it.Of course you can also use the old computer alarm together with a handwritten To-Do list. When you hear the alarm, you know what you should be doing. If you don’t know, well, you check your list. The important thing is that you got notified about time.Most of the To-Do list apps out there also feature a version for IOS and Android smartphones. This is helpful because it ensures that wherever you are, as long as you’re either at your desk or with your phone, you will get notified of what you should be doing.Plan for the unexpectedRemember we mentioned earlier that one of the reasons you don’t complete the tasks in your To-Do lists is distractions?It is very difficult, maybe even impossible, to completely get rid of distractions. To do this, you will probably need to live somewhere alone in a cave, away from all civilization. Yet you could still be distracted by the weather, a wild animal etc. There will always be distractions.So how do you deal with them?By planning for t hem. Yes, plan to be distracted.When you set aside time for distractions, you are not planning to knowingly distract yourself. You are preparing a soft landing for yourself in case distractions come your way. You can see this in practice in the above timeboxing example.For instance, most physiotherapy sessions last 1 hour. But just in case the therapist decides to ask some questions to find out how much progress has been achieved, then the conversation is covered. That way, there won’t be need to freak out and get anxious at the thought of getting to work late.Still, emails don’t have to take 1 hour to reply. They could as well take 30 minutes. But just in case the boss calls for a meeting which will last half an hour, that time gets covered too.CONCLUSIONThe one thing to note in all this is that you should take charge of your time. Try as much as possible to have your work clarified to avoid confusion, which leads to time wastage.Adopting these changes to your To-Do lists will bring you joy as you experience the success of using this productivity tool.

Why Didn t Hamilton And Jefferson Get Along - 1197 Words

Why couldn’t Hamilton and Jefferson get along? Alexander Hamilton was born on January 11, 1775 in Nevis, British West Indies and Thomas Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743, Shadwell, VA. They both grew up on plantations and had families and siblings. However, Jefferson had nine siblings while Hamilton only had his younger brother James A. Hamilton. The two men had a great adoration for reading and were brilliant. They were phenomenal writers and had many famous works. They were both a part of the founders and the two were in Washington’s cabinet. Even though they had a few similarities, the two could not be more contrasting. Once in Washington’s cabinet, the tension began and only escalated as time went on. Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson were destined enemies because they originated from differing backgrounds, economic ideals, and politics, which played a large role in them not being able to get along. Hamilton and Jefferson’s backgrounds helped shape their thoughts and ideals that would later be a contributing factor of their rivalry. Alexander Hamilton’s father was a French nobleman who had left to tend to a sugar plantation in an attempt to attain wealth but prosperity never came. Hamilton grew up with hardships, his father abandoned him and his mother died when he was very young. Life for young Hamilton was difficult and impoverished. From this, his independency grew and he found work. He was so astute he could even run the business,Show MoreRelatedThe Articles Of Confederation And The Constitution2035 Words   |  9 Pagesweren t represented by the British Government, they now had this terrible image of what government is. Therefore, when Congress came together to write The Articles of Confederation they didn t want a government like Great Britain, where the national government has so much power that the states belittled in power. The states were sc ared that laws would be passed letting anything happen, they especially didn t want the national government to set taxes, after all, this was the reason why the thirteenRead MoreWhy The United States Needs Political Parties3191 Words   |  13 PagesRory Monahan Mr. Hubert AP Language and Composition February 23rd, 2015 Why the United States Needs to Add More Political Parties American politics have been divided for years by two political parties, the Democrats and the Republicans. These two parties are the two major parties in America and they are the ones that run the American government and decide what is best for the citizens of the United States. On the surface it seems like a great idea to have two parties that each have different views

Stem Cells And Its Effects On Society - 909 Words

Stem cells are unspecialized cell that can both reproduce itself indefinitely and, under proper conditions, differentiate into specialized cells of one or more types. (Reece, Jane B., and Lisa A. Urry, 2011.) The term â€Å"stem cells† were first seen in scientific literature in 1868, a German biologist Ernst Haeckel used this term to describe the fertilized egg that becomes an organism. On February 2, 1963 the firs piece of evidence of blood stem cells seem, Ernest McCulloch and James Till conducted experiments on the bone marrow of mine and observed that different blood cells come from a special class of cells. In 1981, pluripotent stem cells are obtained from embryos of mice and are the first embryonic stem cells ever to be isolated. In 1989, Mario Capecchi, Martin Evans, and Oliver Smithies created mice which are missing specific genes. They created the mice using embryonic stem cells and homologous recombination. In 2007, they were recognized by the Nobel Assembly because their experiment proved to be an irreplaceable piece of evidence to understand how various human disease such as diabetes and cancer develop. On November 6, 1998 the first batch of embryonic stem cells that originated from early embryos. Then eleven years later, President Obama signed an executive order to repeal some restrictions on human embryonic stem cells research funds. On July 4, 2009, the National Institutes of Health had to create new guidelines on federal funding for stem research. (â€Å"History ofShow MoreRelatedStem Cells And Its Effects On Society910 Words   |  4 Pages Stem cells are unspecialized cell that can both reproduce itself indefinitely and, under appropriate conditions, differentiate into specialized cells of one or more types. (Reece, Jane B., and Lisa A. Urry, 2011.) The term â€Å"stem cells† were first seen in scientific literature in 1868, a German biologist Ernst Haeckel used this term to describe the fertilized egg that becomes an organism . On February 2, 1963 the firs piece of evidence of blood stem cells appear, Ernest McCulloch and James Till conductedRead MoreStem Cells : The Origin Of An Organism s Life Essay752 Words   |  4 PagesStem Cells â€Å"In the beginning, there is the stem cell; it is the origin of an organism s life. It is a single cell that can give rise to progeny that differentiate into any of the specialized cells of embryonic or adult tissues.† This is a very simple explanation of stem cells by Dr. Stewart Sell, a cancer researcher. Stem cells are more or less blank cells. They are identical cells that can adapt to specialized cell types. There are two types of stem cells according to the U.S. Department of HealthRead MoreThe Debate Over Embryonic Stem Cell Research852 Words   |  4 Pagesknowledge of stem cell research has already created the ability for doctors to print a functional organ just as easily as people can print a persuasive research essay. With great medical advancements comes great controversy. The main way researchers have been studying stem cells is by harvesting undifferentiated embryonic stem cells. Those who oppose embryonic stem cell research claim that stem cell harvesting d amages and kills the un-born embryo; however, because of advancements in the stem cell harvestingRead MoreStem Cell Research Should Be Continued For Many Reasons1303 Words   |  6 PagesStem cell research should be continued for many reasons. Stem cell research can help save tissues, organs, and brain cells, it also helps to cure diseases. Looking at the big picture, stem cells could one day save our lives. Stem Cells are multi- cellular putty from which all tissues of the body are made.they have three general properties,. Those being that they are capable of dividing and renewing themselves for long periods of time, they are unspecialized, and they give a rise to unspecializedRead MoreThroughout centuries, scientists have discovered new and improved ways of curing certain types of1500 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout centuries, scientists have discovered new and improved ways of curing certain types of diseases with medical treatments that continue to be discovered. When newly discovered, many treatments and cures are controversial. Immediately, society questions whether or not these medical practices are reliable, safe, and ethical procedures. Such as electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), also known as â€Å"electroshock†, a medical procedure where patients who may be victims of schizophrenia or depressionRead MoreThe Medical Promise Of Embryonic Stem Cells1626 Words   |  7 Page sEmbryonic Stem Cells Why should people suffer from diabetes, Alzheimer’s, sickle cell anemia, leukemia, and plenty of other degenerative diseases while the cure lies in our hands? After James Thompson, a developmental biologist, reported that he had derived the first human embryonic stem cell line (Thomson), the potential of curing degenerative diseases was revealed. Ph.D. holder and deputy director of FDA’s office of Cellular, Tissue and Gene Therapies, Stephanie Simek, explains that stem cells are unspecializedRead MoreA Research Study On Stem Cell Research1665 Words   |  7 Pages Stem cells have advanced the way researchers look at curing what were once considered untreatable diseases. Modern technology has played a key role in the discovering of these stem cells and how they are used in the body. Many argue that the use of adult and embryonic cells is unethical and inhumane to society, however, there is one point taken into consideration when making that statement; if researchers could develop a cure for a disease that was affecting a family member of those who oppose itRead More A Look at Stem Cell Research Essay1424 Words   |  6 PagesA Look at Stem Cell Research Research in the development of stem cells has become increasingly popular over the past decade. The fascination in the study of stem cells by scientists comes from the mystery of what the essential properties are and how cells differ. With the discovery of determining how stem cells are self renewing and identifying what causes stem cells to become specialized leads to the ability to create more cell-based remedies as well as preventing birth defects, more preciseRead MoreStem Research On Stem Cell Research1747 Words   |  7 PagesKelly English 111-36 25 November 2014 Stem Cell Research Stem cell research has cultivated a new, miraculous study in the health field. The study has led to an increase in curing diseases over the past couple of decades. Before stem cell research, diseases were destroying and devastating lives continuously on end. With the use of stem cells in modern time, diseases are no longer taking control of lives. The innovation in biomedical technology, such as stem cell research, has greatly impacted the understandingRead MoreHematopoietic Stem Cells to Cure Leukemia980 Words   |  4 Pages Hematopoietic Stem Cells to Cure Leukemia Genetic Engineering consists in altering the DNA of a cell with the purpose of researching, as well as correcting genetic defects. (learn.genetics.edu) One of the human bodys cells has the ability to grow into any one of the bodys more than 200 cell types and this is called Stem Cells. They are not specialized and unlike mature cells, they can renew themselves and create new cells. Stem cells have a great potential, but extremely limited is the

The Role of Religion in Presidential Elections Free Essays

The Role of Religion in Presidential Elections â€Å"The relationship between faith, reason, and fear sometimes resembles†¦rock, paper, scissors (45). † This is the opening sentence in chapter two of Al Gore’s book, The Assault on Reason. In this chapter Gore talks about how fear takes over reason, reason challenges faith, and eventually faith defeats fear. We will write a custom essay sample on The Role of Religion in Presidential Elections or any similar topic only for you Order Now This is the way that our society worked when he wrote the book, and it has not changed for the better since then, although it has not necessarily gotten substantially worse. Today religion is still a huge player in political debate because people are guided, for the most part, by their morals and it is commonly held that morals come mainly from religious teachings. This is a complex subject because that also opens the door to the idea that atheists, agnostics, etc are not moral people because they are not religious. By that logic, only the religious should be allowed to lead our country because they are the only moral people. Do we believe that all religions are good, though? Are some better than others? Ideally, and under our Constitution, no; all religions are equal in the eyes of our laws. However, there are stigmas attached to certain religions, and to many non-religious people there is a stigma on religion itself. So why, then, does religion play such a large role in political campaigns? It’s simple; because we view religion as having a direct correlation with morals, politicians, political parties, and interest groups can use fear to override our reason in order to sway our opinions. Historically, here in the United States, our citizens have elected white Christian men to the office of the President. To go even further, we have elected Protestant Christians to office. It is apparent that, political parties aside, we have a preference as to what our President should be, religiously. We have only had one Roman Catholic President, John F. Kennedy; during his campaign there were fears that he would follow the wishes of the Bishop rather than the people. To some degree we still hold these beliefs. If we did not, religion wouldn’t be used as a fear tactic. The colonists who came from England were escaping religious repression, and were the inspiration for our freedom of religion. In modern times, we seem to have lost sight of that. Four years ago, Barack Obama was running for office for the first time. Among many other controversies, i. e. whether he was actually born a U. S. citizen, was the rumor that Obama is a Muslim and not a Christian as he has time and time again identified himself to be. In the United States, where we have the freedom of religion outlined in our Constitution, people were worried that someone of a Muslim background would be able to become the most powerful man in the world. A large part of that fear certainly stems from the attacks on September 11, 2001 but surely there is no legitimate reason to fear Muslims other than the combination of our ignorance of Muslim culture and faith, and the fear that is instilled in us not only by political parties but by non-affiliated extremist groups as well, that say all Muslims are terrorists. Barack Obama went on to win the election, which is not surprising because the public could see right through these shaky scare tactics. However, this has not stopped people from trying to use it in the current election. In a ninety second audio clip taken from a call between a Republican volunteer and a constituent, the volunteer calls Obama a Muslim and says that he wants to take away their Medicare (Dixon, 2012). So even though this tactic has not worked in the past, it doesn’t do much to stop people from trying to spread these rumors again. Between the 2008 election and the upcoming election not much has changed, although in this year’s election the religion card will likely play a larger role in who will win the electorate. Mitt Romney is a Mormon, and while the small outcry claiming Obama to be a Muslim was never on firm ground, there is no question of Romney’s religion. This is where we fall back to the days of Kennedy’s campaign. People are worried that Romney will place his religious views before the welfare of our nation. The accusation that people are making is that he is incapable of leading our country because he is a Mormon. Some of the big issues on his plate currently involve women’s rights. As a Mormon, he does not believe in abortion and has made it clear that he would try to pass legislation that sets the beginning of life at conception. While there are certainly non-Mormon people who do not believe in abortion, this is being attributed to his religion. Fifty years ago, or even twenty-five to thirty years ago, this would have been a non-issue. Romney’s beliefs would have been more in line with the more conservative nature of the time period. Needless to say Mitt Romney faces an uphill battle on his quest for the White House. Given all of this information, it would seem very apparent that religion plays a huge role in presidential elections. This is true, but not necessarily in the way that one might think. According to an article in the Huffington Post, most Americans say that it is important for the President to have strong religious beliefs, even if the beliefs differ from their own. This information seems to undermine what the media would have us believe. In addition, constituents tend not to know or be confused about the candidates’ actual religion. Only four in ten citizens could correctly identify Mitt Romney’s religion and forty-six percent of American’s said they did not know (Neroulias, 2011). This goes back to the idea of morals; those who have religion are moral and good, while those who do not cannot be moral and therefore should not lead our country. In the end, politics have not done much to change for the better. We still fear religions that we have no need to fear, and this is largely because fear tactics are used every day by political parties as well as extremists who have the ability to make it into mainstream media. Absolutely anyone can start a rumor that a candidate is Muslim and can’t be trusted, and that could catch like wildfire, or it could be blown off for the most part. It is also exponentially easier to take a candidates religion and a single belief, and then convince the country that he should not be President. Another thing that we see is that citizens place a large emphasis on religion itself, but there is still a large stigma on religions that are not traditional Christian. Until we become collectively more knowledgeable about other religions and debates become more informed, not much could possibly change. References Dixon, M. (2012, September 27). Call from clay county gop:obama is a muslim who’ll take away medicare. Retrieved from http://m. jacksonville. com/news/metro/2012-09-27/story/call-clay-county-gop-obama-muslim-wholl-take-away-medicare Gore, A. (2007). The assault on reason. (p. 45). New York, NY: Penguin Group. Neroulias, N. (2011, September 24). How religious identity is influencing the presidential election. Retrieved from http://www. huffingtonpost. com/2011/07/25/presidential-candidates-religious-beliefs_n_908858. html How to cite The Role of Religion in Presidential Elections, Essay examples

The Role of Religion in Presidential Elections Free Essays

The Role of Religion in Presidential Elections â€Å"The relationship between faith, reason, and fear sometimes resembles†¦rock, paper, scissors (45). † This is the opening sentence in chapter two of Al Gore’s book, The Assault on Reason. In this chapter Gore talks about how fear takes over reason, reason challenges faith, and eventually faith defeats fear. We will write a custom essay sample on The Role of Religion in Presidential Elections or any similar topic only for you Order Now This is the way that our society worked when he wrote the book, and it has not changed for the better since then, although it has not necessarily gotten substantially worse. Today religion is still a huge player in political debate because people are guided, for the most part, by their morals and it is commonly held that morals come mainly from religious teachings. This is a complex subject because that also opens the door to the idea that atheists, agnostics, etc are not moral people because they are not religious. By that logic, only the religious should be allowed to lead our country because they are the only moral people. Do we believe that all religions are good, though? Are some better than others? Ideally, and under our Constitution, no; all religions are equal in the eyes of our laws. However, there are stigmas attached to certain religions, and to many non-religious people there is a stigma on religion itself. So why, then, does religion play such a large role in political campaigns? It’s simple; because we view religion as having a direct correlation with morals, politicians, political parties, and interest groups can use fear to override our reason in order to sway our opinions. Historically, here in the United States, our citizens have elected white Christian men to the office of the President. To go even further, we have elected Protestant Christians to office. It is apparent that, political parties aside, we have a preference as to what our President should be, religiously. We have only had one Roman Catholic President, John F. Kennedy; during his campaign there were fears that he would follow the wishes of the Bishop rather than the people. To some degree we still hold these beliefs. If we did not, religion wouldn’t be used as a fear tactic. The colonists who came from England were escaping religious repression, and were the inspiration for our freedom of religion. In modern times, we seem to have lost sight of that. Four years ago, Barack Obama was running for office for the first time. Among many other controversies, i. e. whether he was actually born a U. S. citizen, was the rumor that Obama is a Muslim and not a Christian as he has time and time again identified himself to be. In the United States, where we have the freedom of religion outlined in our Constitution, people were worried that someone of a Muslim background would be able to become the most powerful man in the world. A large part of that fear certainly stems from the attacks on September 11, 2001 but surely there is no legitimate reason to fear Muslims other than the combination of our ignorance of Muslim culture and faith, and the fear that is instilled in us not only by political parties but by non-affiliated extremist groups as well, that say all Muslims are terrorists. Barack Obama went on to win the election, which is not surprising because the public could see right through these shaky scare tactics. However, this has not stopped people from trying to use it in the current election. In a ninety second audio clip taken from a call between a Republican volunteer and a constituent, the volunteer calls Obama a Muslim and says that he wants to take away their Medicare (Dixon, 2012). So even though this tactic has not worked in the past, it doesn’t do much to stop people from trying to spread these rumors again. Between the 2008 election and the upcoming election not much has changed, although in this year’s election the religion card will likely play a larger role in who will win the electorate. Mitt Romney is a Mormon, and while the small outcry claiming Obama to be a Muslim was never on firm ground, there is no question of Romney’s religion. This is where we fall back to the days of Kennedy’s campaign. People are worried that Romney will place his religious views before the welfare of our nation. The accusation that people are making is that he is incapable of leading our country because he is a Mormon. Some of the big issues on his plate currently involve women’s rights. As a Mormon, he does not believe in abortion and has made it clear that he would try to pass legislation that sets the beginning of life at conception. While there are certainly non-Mormon people who do not believe in abortion, this is being attributed to his religion. Fifty years ago, or even twenty-five to thirty years ago, this would have been a non-issue. Romney’s beliefs would have been more in line with the more conservative nature of the time period. Needless to say Mitt Romney faces an uphill battle on his quest for the White House. Given all of this information, it would seem very apparent that religion plays a huge role in presidential elections. This is true, but not necessarily in the way that one might think. According to an article in the Huffington Post, most Americans say that it is important for the President to have strong religious beliefs, even if the beliefs differ from their own. This information seems to undermine what the media would have us believe. In addition, constituents tend not to know or be confused about the candidates’ actual religion. Only four in ten citizens could correctly identify Mitt Romney’s religion and forty-six percent of American’s said they did not know (Neroulias, 2011). This goes back to the idea of morals; those who have religion are moral and good, while those who do not cannot be moral and therefore should not lead our country. In the end, politics have not done much to change for the better. We still fear religions that we have no need to fear, and this is largely because fear tactics are used every day by political parties as well as extremists who have the ability to make it into mainstream media. Absolutely anyone can start a rumor that a candidate is Muslim and can’t be trusted, and that could catch like wildfire, or it could be blown off for the most part. It is also exponentially easier to take a candidates religion and a single belief, and then convince the country that he should not be President. Another thing that we see is that citizens place a large emphasis on religion itself, but there is still a large stigma on religions that are not traditional Christian. Until we become collectively more knowledgeable about other religions and debates become more informed, not much could possibly change. References Dixon, M. (2012, September 27). Call from clay county gop:obama is a muslim who’ll take away medicare. Retrieved from http://m. jacksonville. com/news/metro/2012-09-27/story/call-clay-county-gop-obama-muslim-wholl-take-away-medicare Gore, A. (2007). The assault on reason. (p. 45). New York, NY: Penguin Group. Neroulias, N. (2011, September 24). How religious identity is influencing the presidential election. Retrieved from http://www. huffingtonpost. com/2011/07/25/presidential-candidates-religious-beliefs_n_908858. html How to cite The Role of Religion in Presidential Elections, Essay examples