Anwar Elsadat Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Anwar Elsadat - Essay Example The second figure was Kemel Ataturk, who is known to have created the modern state of Turkey, by liberating it from the Ottoman Empire. Ataturk managed to lead Turkey from colonization and mainly, for impressively establishing a number of crucial civil service reforms. This shows that Sadat admired leaders who put citizen interests first. The third figure was Mohandas Gandhi. While touring Egypt in 1932, Gandhi preached what he was famously known for, the power of peaceful fight for justice. This shows that Sadat was an admirer of people who advocated for peace in combating a vice in society. The final figure was Adolf Hitler, and this was because Hitler was a rival to the British. Sadat was an anti- colonialist, thus he hated the British for what they were doing to his fellow countrymen (Meital 12). Sadat attended a military school, where he was taught math and science, and learned to analyze battles. This shows that Sadat was exposed to military training at a very young age, and was among the very first to have this privilege. His postings due to military training led him to meet with other young officers including Gamel Abdel Nasser, who was to become the first president of Egypt. Sadat with his revolutionary group, was determined to overthrow British rule. His active participation landed him in jail twice. Later on after taking over as president, Saddat at the aftermath of the Six Day War with Egypt, offered Israel a peace treaty. Here, we see how Sadat emulated his mentors. By going to jail due to his liberation efforts, he emulated Zahran’s courage, and by building Egypt and his efforts pertaining to the Suez Canal, he emulated Ataturk. By negotiating a peace deal with Egypt, he demonstrated his love for peace like Gandhi, and by his passionate dislike of the Britis h, he emulated his mentor, Hitler (Meital

Reflection paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 16

Reflection paper - Essay Example However, most of the people make judgments from looks. People sometimes try to guess my birth origin. Normally, when somebody doesn’t know me, he asks me what my ethnic origin is. Normally, my ethnic origin is guessed or asked when I come across strangers. People cannot tell confidently where I am from because I look as much British as I look American, Canadian or Australian. Basically they pay attention to my language, and try to find similarities with the type of English spoken in the different countries where English happens to be the first language. I pay most attention to the way I speak. I believe that English is a very good language, and has proper grammar and rules of speech that are being frequently overlooked in the present age. People are relying upon slangs and short-cuts and as this has become a practice, the grammatically correct English is receding. I tend to maintain English in its correct form as I speak. I try to speak it correctly so that the original form of the English language is sustained. Since I tend to speak English correctly unlike most of the people with whom I share my ethnic origin, people who don’t know me try to judge my ethnic origin from my accent, but very few actually make the correct judgments. I have noticed that when they find that they have guessed my ethnic origin wrong, they tend to be sorry and respectfully ask me where I belong. Yes, I do trick people about my origin just for fun. I have noticed that people have preconceived notions about people belonging to specific ethnic origins. I like to experience how people would deal me if they thought that I was from a different ethnic origin than what my ethnic origin is. Usually, when I tell lie to someone telling him that I am from the same ethnic origin as he, the other person’s attitude becomes much more over-whelming and welcoming. People tend to develop friendship with people

Ethics Of Pre Implantation Genetic Testing Philosophy Essay

Ethics Of Pre Implantation Genetic Testing Philosophy Essay Humanity revolves around procreation. We need to reproduce in order to produce future generations. In the past few years, science and medicine has gained an immense amount of knowledge about pregnancy and the underlying developmental stages of how it works. Furthermore, science is progressively improving, resulting in our ability to diagnose, manipulate and sometimes treat genetic abnormalities. Procedures such as the pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) were developed as a means to avoid selective abortions by detecting that the embryo is free of terrible lethal genetic diseases such as Huntingtons disease. However, recently PGD has been raising some ethical questions as people began using this technology for medically unrelated and unjustified reasons. Vanity and secondary motives of patients who use PGD for the creation of designer babies and savior siblings violates the fundamental principle of morality. Using PGD for reasons other than justified genetic testing is impermissi ble because it treats the potential baby as a means not as ends in itself; therefore, it violates Kants second categorical imperative. Scientific Background PGD works through a process of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). In this procedure, multiple eggs are produced, retrieved from the ovaries and [manually] fertilized with the husbands sperm in a laboratory, outside of the female body3. As the embryos develop in vitro, embryo biopsy is performed by removing a single cell from each three day old embryo4. These cells are analyzed-by a variety of methods-for particular chromosomal or genetic abnormalities in order to distinguish which embryos are free of genetic disease. Normal, healthy embryos are then transferred into the uterus where they can grow and develop into a healthy child. Arguments Kant Immanuel Kant came up with a moral philosophy that was based on a theory of the Categorical Imperative. These are valid principles based off of the concept of duty that must be obeyed by all and are good in and of themselves. The second categorical imperative states that one should Act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, always at the same time as an end and never merely as a means to an end2. In other words, one has perfect duty to not use someone as a means to achieve a personal goal. This principle of rationality formulates the core of moral law and requirements that rational agents must follow. Furthermore, each rational being has autonomy, or a free will to define their own law. However, possession of autonomy by each being implies that all persons should be treated equally, with the same amount of respect and one cannot infringe on the others rational will. The intuitive essence of humanity, therefore, objects to usin g others as a mere tool because it overlooks ones integrity and humanness. So, one cannot assert a moral right to own a person-like a piece of property-because proprietary right over a person denies any existence of a free rational action; furthermore, it denies the person a right to be an end in themselves. But, humans have value and worth; hence, they require to be respected. Each person deserves to be respected for his/her integral being (of who they are). While PGD is performed on fetuses, its use is still unjustified because fetuses are potential persons and therefore, require the same amount of respect as any other person. Furthermore, the use of PGD in creating designer babies and savior siblings violates Kants second categorical imperative. Designer Babies A very compelling argument against PGD arises out of its questionable potential use in creating perfect designer babies. The technology behind PGD would allow parents to select specific and nonessential traits (such as eye color, height, athletic ability, even intelligence) that they want their child to express. Such technology is reminiscent of the Build-a-Bear Workshop but for grown-ups. Using PGD as a means for eugenics is fallacious and unjustified in many ways, such as its violation of the second categorical imperative. Parents have abused PGD use in order to have it cater to their individual conceited expectations of creating a perfect child. They vainly pick and chose the traits they find beneficial and get rid of ones they find unhealthy or unperfect so they could satisfy their goal of not having a financially and socially burdensome child. Not only is this wrong because it discriminates against the disabled but also because it violates the core value of humanity by infringing upon the childs autonomous will by treating him/her as a means to an inappropriate end. The parents social and economic ends are being pursued while the childs ends are being neglected. In designing a child, parents destruct the childs will (in a few different ways) therefore, they fail to treat them as an end in themselves. Physically, parents annihilate certain features their child would naturally possess (not to mention the obliteration of unwanted fetuses). By doing so, parents fail to treat the child humanely. Also, al tering mental abilities of a child is deceptive and confuses their will. Hence, it overlooks the rational ability of a-potential-rational agent and his/her end in himself/herself. Finally, parents restrict their childs will by altering their whole mental and physical being and not allowing them to pursue their individual goals as they see fit4. In order for the mental and physical humanity to be treated as an end, ones will must exist. However, when parents select traits for their child, they overlook their childs dignified and humane right to be how they were naturally meant to be. They use their child as a means to reach some vain, social or economical end, therefore, violating Kants second categorical imperative. Every human being is a rational agent (even the fetus which is a potential person) and has autonomy; therefore, one should not be treated as a means to an end. Because the use of PGD allows parents to use their children as a means to an unjustified end, its use is imperm issible. Savior Siblings Another issue with using PGD rises out of its unjustified creation of savior siblings. A savior sibling is a child created by tissue typing and help of PGD in hope of providing a perfect HLA-match for the seriously sick sibling in order to save his/her life. While the engineered child does not benefit or is harmed, the implications of such procedure are morally unethical. It objectifies the child, viewing him/her as a mere commodity, disregarding the childs humane right to equality. Treating such child as a tool to cure another violates an ethical principle of treating a person as an end in himself/herself (violates the second CI) because it uses the child as a means for which to treat the unhealthy older sibling. Such applications of PGD resemble slavery, where the savior child is a slave and the parent is a slave-owner. The parent would possess a right to own the slave child affirming the child as a commodity. But a child is not an object to have possession over; the child is a per son who requires respect and possesses an autonomous will to be an end in himself/herself. Therefore, creating a slave or savior sibling would violate the categorical imperative due to the demolishment of the childs free rational action. Thus, use of PGD for the creation of savior (slave) siblings is unjustified because it strongly violates Kants second categorical imperative. Furthermore, creation of savior siblings leads to other problems. In addition to being unethical, there is a strong belief that a childs profound identity would be impaired. They would be viewed as a secondary gain, a tool solely designed for the purpose of saving another life. This impaired will of the child would lead to countless psychological problems. The mental aspect of the childs humane nature would be compromised-the child would lack self-esteem and self-rescpect-as he/she would not be praised for his/her individual value but rather as a means to a particular end. Parents, by using PGD for instrumentalization of their children, would violate the childs autonomous will and individual personal value by using them as mere means to parental ends and limit[ing] a childs right to an open future4. In sum, PGD promotes unjustified creation of designer babies and savior siblings. The use of this technology allows parents to use their children (or potential children) as a means to satisfy their parental end; therefore, neglecting the childs autonomous will to be an end in himself/herself. Thus using PGD to create designer babies and savior siblings is impermissible because it violates Kants second categorical imperative. Opposition PGD is argued to be unethical in this paper; however, others view its use acceptable and nothing more than a legitimate autonomous right of parents to produce healthy children. They believe that because parents are the most socially and economically affected by the birth of a child, then they should have the right and freedom to choose the identity of their offspring. Having a healthy child is in the parents interest because it is less socially and financially constraining and burdensome. Besides, being healthy is in the best interest of the child as well. The child would want to live a happy and healthy life, free of disease. If PGD can provide a tool for removing such lethal and stigmatizing disease form society, then it should be perfectly plausible to be able to use it. Parents have a right to choose what it best for their children and family; therefore, using PGD as a means that will allow them to select for traits they see best fit for their child would be perfectly justified. Rebuttal However, while these are plausible reasons for the use of PGD, they are not strong enough to justify its immoral applications. Every single individual-even the potential person and the disabled-has a right to autonomy. No one can or should be able to define what life is worth living; furthermore, no one can impose the quality of life of principle on another. As previously stated, we can not say that the disabled lead a good or a bad life; it is simply not for us to decide. In fact, values of good and bad are of human conception and will vary from person to person. Parents need to take responsibility, financially and mentally for their child regardless of its physical well-being. Good parent do not choose; furthermore, they do not use their child as a means to appease their interest of having a less socially and financially constraining life. Using PGD for vain reasons is never morally justified. Using PGD for medicinal reasons is appropriate; however, using it for designer babies and savior siblings violates the fundamental principle of ethics (Kants second categorical imperative) and therefore, can never be morally justified. Conclusion In conclusion, PGD has revolutionized reproduction. It has granted access into a remote realm by allowing persons to select favorable genetic characteristics of offspring before implantation. However, while its promising view of the world without suffering and disease sounds appealing, moral justifications of PGD and its policy raise many concerns. More specifically, some of the issues with the use of this technology deal with the unjustified creation of designer babies and savior siblings. These are serious issues, the implications of which can have destructive and irreversible consequences on the present and future generations. While some of the applications of PGD may be accepted; nevertheless, as of now, the risks outweigh the benefits. It is not medicines role to make one more socially accepted or be better-off. Those are not the types of standards for us to decide. Intentional destruction of potential human life is never justified. PGD runs on a dangerously thin line of potenti al medicinal benefit and playing God. It also violates Kants second categorical imperative by treating fetuses as a mere means to an end. Therefore, until clear, strictly medicinal and ethical applications of PGD are established, the use of this technology can not be justified.

My Volunteer Experience at a Nursing Home :: Community Service, Service Learning

Up until a few years ago I never thought that one of my grandparents would be in a nursing home. I had always been lucky to have them healthy. However, this changed about a year ago when my grandfather had a mini-stroke, which caused him to require extra care my grandmother could not provide. Watching my family deal with my grandfather made me aware of the care and services the elderly need and has made me realize how important it is to volunteer at a local nursing home. My grandfather's stroke affected his legs and his memory, which made it difficult for him to walk. My grandfather first used a cane, but his legs became too weak, so he tried a walker, but this lasted only a month. Not only could he not walk or take care of himself, but also he began to stay up at night and fall out of bed. My family started looking into nursing homes. It took us weeks before finally deciding. Unfortunately he will have to stay there until he improves, both mentally and physically. Since summer I have volunteered at his nursing home because I saw how lonely some of the residents were. I volunteered two days a week during the summer, which I have continued. I have learned many things about nursing homes and the factors to consider when choosing one, including the residents' quality of life, the care received, the environment surrounding them, and the nursing home's payment policy. I have been working with the recreation director, who plans activities for the residents. I have painted the women's nails and read them letters from their children. Also, I have helped with special days like Ice Cream Day, Summer Picnic Day, and Clown Around Day. For each we create special word scrambles. I also have taken patients for walks. We also have birthday parties and exercise days. Through my volunteering I have made a new friend - Irene. She has family, but they live faraway and cannot come to visit often. Our friendship grew through the summer. She grew up in Shelton and lived in Milford before she came to the home. She has two sons who seldom visit. Her grandchildren, however, do visit every weekend.

Nflpa Player Safety

NFLPA Player Safety The National Football League has become the most exciting and thrilling sports league to watch in the last few decades. Most recently players have become much faster and bigger than in the past and the safety of their lives have become a risk. Recently the NFL has been subjected to a large amount of controversy and criticism dealing with how they have handled player safety. This issue has come to the forefront because concussions have become a weekly occurrence.In the last few years it has been studied then proven by doctors that former players have suffered traumatic brain injuries from hits to the head during their NFL careers. As a fan of the NFL, I believe it’s best for the game that the NFL makes some change so players are protected for their safety but then again you can’t take away what the nature of this sport is which is a hard hitting dangerous sport. The NFL who is led by league commissioner Roger Goodell needs to find a way to make the ga me safer by keeping the players safe, fans entertained, and team owner’s content.As one of the biggest issues in today’s NFL, I decided to pursue the question, are major changes needed to be taken towards player safety for the wellbeing of the NFL and the players? There is a high probability that a mutual agreement will never happen between the two but that doesn’t mean that new rules and policies won’t continue to be implemented for testing. The NFL has recently tried to implement new rules and policies to delay and prevent the highly rising concussion rate.They have changed to shorter kickoffs to reduce high impact hits and have also introduced stricter guidelines for player conduct on the field which includes fines for illegal helmet-to-helmet hits deemed inappropriate by the NFL. Are these changes the answer though? There is more needed to be done then just changing a few rules that will ultimately have a small impact on this large scale problem. Many other strong options for change include equipment improvements, concussion research, and enforcing penalties to illegal hits. Roger Goodell said throughout history, football has evolved and become safer and better, and the future of the sport relies on the ability to continue to do so. When it comes to the priority of the league, Goodell made it clear safety comes first† (SBNation). However the NFLPA does not believe the NFL is doing enough to protect its members. NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith has been demanding the placement of doctors on every sideline during games to help diagnose and treat concussions.This issue has to be taken seriously because within the past year nearly one hundred former players have filed pleas against the NFL and want them held responsible for the players suffering from traumatic head injuries. Concussions are serious and they happen weekly in the NFL to players of all positions due to the tremendous force these players are hit with. The short and long term effects of concussions can be devastating to the human mind. Not only does the brain suffer long term physical damage but many players often suffer from long term mental problems.A prime example of someone who had been affected by head trauma was former linebacker Junior Seau. Recently â€Å"a team of scientists who analyzed the brain tissue of renowned NFL linebacker Junior Seau after his suicide last year have concluded the football player suffered a debilitating brain disease caused by two decades worth of hits to the head† (ABCNews). Junior Seau who had a 20 year NFL career was diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) after his death. The real question is what could’ve the NFL done to prevent such a terrible tragedy or did they not have the capability to control what happened to him?The NFL has said many times that it did not intentionally hide the dangers of concussions from players and is doing everything it can to protect them. W ith the focus on head injuries in football being put under a microscope the past few seasons, the NFL is taking drastic measures trying to find solutions that will help in the future. New helmet designs are a needed advancement to help create a safer NFL. With improvements to helmets that will help reduce head injuries gradually but it is still not the lone solution if players continue to tackle improperly and go for head shots.During 2012 there was an estimate of nearly 160 NFL players who suffered concussions during this season. That’s a huge problem because recent studies link concussions to causing mental problems and has also been shown to lead to Alzheimer’s disease. In reaction to this issue the NFL has become concerned about head injuries and has commanded the tests of 11 new helmet designs from five manufacturers in the last couple years. On the other hand, there is a belief that helmets can only do so much as oncussions are mostly caused because of the gladia tor mentality that the players play with because they want to make an EPSN top play. â€Å"While helmets are being designed larger and more protective, concussions still occur regularly. It’s unlikely that they will ever be eliminated completely. Indeed, helmet technology has come a long way since the leather caps worn by old-time footballers, but helmet makers believe their products can only do so much to keep players safe in a culture that glorifies the big hit† (SmartPlanet).New technology in helmets and equipment is much needed for the protection of the players and should continue to be a building block for player safety. Rule changing has become a yearly tradition for the NFL as they try and create new ways to make the game safer even if the players and NFLPA don’t agree upon it. Most recently, Roger Goodell implemented shorter kickoffs which moved the kickoff spot up five yards from the 30 to the 35 yard line to decrease injuries, but would now largely inc rease the number of touchbacks.This rule change could have a negative effect by eliminating the job prospects of special team’s players. â€Å"Cleveland Browns kick returner Josh Cribbs, the league's career leader with eight kickoff returns for touchdowns, has been irate since owners, citing the need to protect players from violent collisions, announced the change during the lockout in March. † â€Å"I don't see (injury) stats behind it, and that's what the issue was,† Cribbs said last week. â€Å"There's no stats to back it up. Their intentions are good, but the stats aren't there to back up the reasoning† (ESPN).During the last month a rule change that the NFL has implemented was met with high opposition as former and current players disagree with the intention of changing the game. The new rule states that ball carriers would be penalized if they lower their head to deliver a blow. â€Å"The proposed rule change for running backs might be the most abs urd suggestion of a rule change I've ever heard of. In order to lower ur shoulder u obviously have to lower ur head. It's a way of protecting ur self from a tackler and a way to break tackles† (Matt Forte twitter).The real question is has the NFL become too overprotective? Yes delivering a blow with the crown of your helmet can be the starting point of a concussion but is it worth taking away important parts of the game. The NFL is the greatest sports league in North America, but there are major decisions to be made in the next decade that could decide the future of the NFL. Ultimately, how sustainable is the NFL? With the hits becoming more and more violent and with players getting bigger, faster and stronger every year, how can the NFL survive long-term with such violence?It might take something horribly tragic before the NFL will act upon the state of the game and make genuine changes to aid player safety. But then again NFL players understand the risks of the profession th ey chose, nobody forces them to play football. At some point, the NFL is going to have to force players to accept the risks associated with playing football. Nothing can make football a completely safe game no matter what rules or innovations are created. There will always be physical athletes forcing violent collisions.The NFL can’t take away the heart and soul of the game just to make it safer. In my opinion the NFL has to embrace the physicality of the game and assume the risks that run along with promoting a violent sport but they should still continue researching the causes of concussions for a future solution. The years ahead will show if the NFLPA and NFL can ever meet a mutual agreement to satisfy the needs of their players and their safety in the long and short term future.

New Jersey

The governor of the State of New Jersey is Jon Corzine. He is a Democrat and has been the governor since he took office on January 17, 2006.   The Governor of New Jersey is one of the most powerful governors in the nation.   This is due in part, to the fact that it is the only state wide and non-federal elected office in the state.   The governor, under the rights given to him by the state constitution, appoints the entire cabinet which is subject to confirmation by the New Jersey Senate. Governor Corzine, a Democrat, took office after his predecessor James McGreevy was forced to resign after he admitted to having an adulterous affair and felt political and personal pressure to resign. On Election Day 2005, the governor was stripped of some of his powers as the citizens of New Jersey voted in favor of adding an amendment to the state constitution that creates the position of Lieutenant Governor which will become effective after the 2009 election. The power that the governor possesses comes from the state constitution of which that power comes directly from the people. The current constitution was ratified in 1947. New Jersey’s Governor Jon Corzine was born on January 1, 1947 in central Illinois.   He graduated from the University of Illinois at Champaign and went into the army where he stayed from 1969-1975. Governor’s keen business and fiscal talents comes from his decades working in various investment firms. â€Å"In 1975, Governor Corzine was recruited by Goldman Sachs, the New York investment firm. He left Goldman Sachs in May 1999 after successfully converting the investment firm from a private partnership to a public company. Also in 1997, Governor Corzine was the chairman of a presidential commission to study capital budgeting as a means of increasing federal investment in schools, technology, and infrastructure.† (www.state.nj.us) This background is important in knowing what type of governor he is and that he will not hesitate to move away from his party’s overall consensus when it comes to the task of balancing the budget. (as seen in the 2006 government shutdown). In 2005, after more than four years in the U.S. Senate for the state of New Jersey, Jon Corzine announced his candidacy for the governor of New Jersey. â€Å"Corzine won his campaign for the post of Governor of New Jersey with 54% of the vote. Republican nominee Doug Forrester, a businessman and a former Mayor of West Windsor Township, in Mercer County, won 43%. Corzine received 1,224,493 votes to Forrester's 985,235. A total of 80,277 votes, or 3%, were scattered among other candidates.† (wikipedia) The governor is directly elected by the people of his state. The governor performs the executive functions of the state, and is not directly subordinate to the federal authorities. The governor assumes additional roles, such as being the Commander-in-Chief of the New Jersey National Guard forces as well as appointing members of his cabinet, judges and having the responsibility of presenting a budget that needs to be accepted by July 1 of the previous year. The election of Governor of New Jersey is much more important and has wider ramifications that say the election of governor for the state of Illinois for example. The main reason for this is that a vote for a gubernatorial candidate is also a vote for all which he is likely to appoint in his cabinet whereas such candidates for State Treasurer, Comptroller and State’s Attorney in the State of Illinois for example, are elected through a direct vote by its citizens. The Attorney General, State Treasurer, Comptroller and the Head of Education, to list a few, were all appointed by either Governor Corzine or his predecessors. As I am not a lifelong citizen of New Jersey but instead spent some of my adolescence in Illinois where its citizens had the right to vote for the candidates of these positions, it seems foreign to me that a governor would have so much power to appoint so many important positions. New Jersey’s state constitution seems to be giving a free pass to the spoils system that was fought so hard against in the 19th century in this country. The ugly side of political graft has plagued the entire democratic process in this country and has taken the people’s voice out of the democratic process. The governor should not have the right to appoint New Jersey’s State Treasurer, Attorney General or any other highly important positions in the state’s government unless that seat is vacated in the middle of a term due to an emergency. Doing otherwise takes the voice away from the people who have the right to vote for these positions.   Also, failing to do so, helps breed partisanship within the governor’s cabinet since a Democrat is more likely to appoint all Democrats as well as a Republican’s inclination to do the same. If a governor’s cabinet is to be all Democrat, all Republican, or a mixture of both, it should be up to the more than eight million residents of New Jersey and not a single man! This same ideology needs to be enacted regarding the governor’s ability to appoint judges. In Illinois, judges are appointed by the people. Isn’t that what ought to happen in a democracy, at least on the state and local level? I would even be in favor of the appointment of judges being the responsibility of the state legislature instead of the governor alone as a lesser evil. Currently, it seems to be a one party system in New Jersey and with New Jersey being one of the most diverse states in the country: Diverse by way of racial, religious and political affiliation, such a setup seems to be disadvantageous towards the goal of complete representation of New Jersey’s citizens. This high level of diversity should be representative from the governor on down but sadly it is not. This is not to blame the governor for he/she is inclined to appoint members of their own party. What is alarming is the number of appointments the governor of New Jersey is allowed to make under the current state constitution. The role of the governor is not only to appoint a cabinet but to submit a budget for the upcoming fiscal year.   The deadline to do this in July 1st. Incidentally, that was the same date as the start of New Jersey’s only government shutdown in the year 2006.   The New Jersey Constitution states under Article VIII that a state’s expenses for the year be provided for â€Å"in a single budget act.† The constitution also specifics a provision stating preventive measures against going into debt. A start to New Jersey’s troubles was ignoring this sound advice. Governor Corzine, in an attempt to pass his budget, came into conflict with fellow Democrats within the General Assembly.   The main point of contention was the Assembly’s refusal to increase the state tax from 6% to 7% in order to fill the budget gap. Corzine stated that there was no other way in coming up with the money as the state’s constitution forbade other forms of revenue. Months before the shutdown, Corzine states that he would not accept a budget that did not include a tax increase and he stood firm in this conviction and the General Assembly did the same which eventually resulted in the shutdown. When the budget failed to pass, the shutdown occurred. This resulted in 45,000 workers being told that they were non-essential and would have to stay home for an indefinite period of time. The shutdown lasted only a week but thousands of workers were affected by this shutdown.   Even though it seems more to be the cause of the legislature’s inability to act regarding the needed passing of the budget before the deadline, should a governor have the right to shut down the state government?   This is a hard question to answer and one that requires a bipartisan dissection of the problem in the long term and not just with the current players in my state’s administration. It seems that the power that the governor has in appointing judges, his cabinet and in shutting down the government is not his own but is a right given him by the state constitution. In the state legislature’s present state: fiscal irresponsibility, political corruption and a general disconnect by the state legislature from its citizens, it seems that the governor really had no choice but to use the authority at his disposal to help get the state back on track and to be held accountable for presenting a responsible budget to the people. But the more important issue is that a stoppage should never have occurred and therefore, Governor Corzine would not have been in the position to contemplate the need for a government shutdown. One really does roll the dice when voting for the governor of New Jersey.   Will he keep his political promises? Will he appoint members of his cabinet and judges that are concerned only with their responsibilities? Will there be any attempt at a bipartisan cabinet? And if the governor is not of the same political party and/or the same ideology as myself, then I can rest assured that my voice and my vote will have only a fraction of its effectiveness if I were in Illinois or any other state where the â€Å"elected officials† are just that-elected by the people to represent them. Also, the governor’s additional authority to appoint judges makes it even more likely that an atmosphere of partisanship will permeate New Jersey politics. There has been a great deal of talk about â€Å"activist judges.† I do feel that with judges being human beings and unable to be 100% impartial 100% of the time, the political party of a judge is something to consider and the likelihood that a Democrat governor will likely nominate likeminded judges and Republicans will do the same, results in a is a lack of stability in not only the state legislature but also in the way that laws and cases are decided. The possibility of a complete overhaul concerning the ideology of my state as a result of the governor’s power and a different political party possibly taking control every four years is something, I feel does not resemble a true democracy but instead serves as an impediment to the expectation that a person’s voice will be heard. Our governor, regardless of whether or not we are in agreement, has more political power than he ought to. Our founding fathers were weary of a political system that garnishes absolute power to its representatives and believed that absolute power corrupted. In the end, the power rests with the people and not until New Jersey has the displeasure of electing a governor who takes full advantage of the rights given to him by the present state constitution and uses it for sinister motives as did Huey Long in 1930’s Louisiana, will any of the needed change happen. WORKS CITED www.ngs.org (National Governor’s Association)   www.naag.org (National Association of Attorneys General) www.wikipedia.com www.state.nj.us/governor/about ; ; New Jersey New Jersey (NJ) is one of the states in the US that forms a transition between the states of the north and the south.   It exhibits characteristics in the physical geography and intermingling of various cultures of the US.   It is one of the largest states in the US and has a multiethnic community.   It has acted as a support home to several of its densely populated neighborhood.   The community present in NJ is highly urbanized and is the second most densely populated state after California.NJ remains to be one of the most densely populated states in the US.   All the 21 counties that belong to the NJ state are classified as ‘metropolitan’.   The density of the population has been about 1100 per square miles, compared to the nation average of about 79 per square mile (in 2000). The state concentrates on farming in some regions and for this reason it is frequently known as ‘the Garden State’.   As early as the 17th century, farming was consider ed important due to the agricultural potential of the soil.   In the Northwestern parts and the southern regions, the areas are sparsely populated due to the presence of mountains and tidelands in these region.   Typically, New Jersey appears S-Shaped on the map (the upper limb is formed by the Appalachian highlands and the Piedmont plains, and the lower limb of the ‘S’ is formed by the Coastal plains) (Stansfied. 1998, Swartz & Stansfield. 2007 & US Census. 2007).The land between the Hudson and the Delaware River is termed as ‘New Jersey State†.   There are three unique characteristics of NJ.   It is made up of a multi-ethnic community belonging to various races and ethnic groups.   The second unique characteristics are that it has an orientation of both the metropolitan cities that it neighbors.   Thirdly, people feel the NJ economy is based on the ability to reach the metropolitan cities, which it neighbors.   I do feel that initially NJ Sta te was much of a transition state, offering a place for people of various cultures and ethnic background to intermingle.There has also been a climatic transition between the northern and the southern US, and this has had an effect on the economy and the social life of the state.   The characteristics of NJ is somewhere between New York and New England (considering weather and geographical features).   The state houses some of the features that seem to intermingle with these two other states.   The Geology of NJ consists of the oldest rocks in the Appalachian and Piedmont regions and recent sediments in the southeastern regions.   The state of NJ hence shows a transition, as two different types of geological characteristics are present.   Besides, it has water sources concentrated in certain areas, whereas in other areas; the ground water is deep, leading to water problems (Stansfield. 1998).NJ has an area of about 7, 200 square miles.   On the other hand, the area of the US is about 3, 500, 000 square miles.   It has an inland water area of about 1, 026 square kilometers.   NJ State has a greatest inland length of about 166 miles, and the greatest inland breath of about 75 miles.   More than 125 miles is actually coastline (Swartz & Stansfield. 2007, Murray et al. 2007 & Stansfield. 1998).One of the physical characteristics of NJ State is that it is surrounded by water in all areas except the northern border, where it contacts New York State for about 80 kilometers or is about 12 % of the State’s land.   NJ belongs to the middle Atlantic region of the US and lies along the eastern coast.   The Hudson River runs along its border in the northeastern regions.   Pennsylvania lies along its western border.   The Delaware Bay and the Delaware River separate NJ from Delaware State in the southern and the southwest regions.The largest city in NJ is Newark, and its capital is Trenton.   Newark is one of the most important cities in NJ .   From here people can easily travel to New York using the river ferry or the railroad.   Trenton is located on the eastern side of the Delaware River.   It houses several government and civil quarters for the NJ State.   About 10 miles from Trenton is the town of Princeton that houses a major university in NJ.The Northern portion of the state contains the Appalachian Highlands and the entire northern regions contain mountains, ridges, streams and lakes.   This region is often known as ‘the New Appalachians’.   One of the prominent sandstone ridges present in the northeast is Kittatinny Mountains. This ridge contains the Delaware River (in the Delaware water gap).   The highest elevation present in the state is the Kittatinny Mountain that is at a height of 550 meters, present in a few kilometers with the border with New York State.   The average elevation of the state is 80 meters (Swartz & Stansfield. 2007, Murray et al. 2007, & Stansfield. 1998).In the Southeast of Appalachian Highlands, the Triassic lowlands and the Piedmont plains are present (the Piedmont plains lie to the east of the NJ Highlands).   It occupies about 20 % of the entire NJ area.   This extends from the Northeastern border and includes all the major cities such as Trenton.   From the Hudson region, ancient rock ridges extent, which break the monotony of the lowlands.   Between the highlands and the lowlands of NJ lies a valley that is highly populated.   This valley is underlain with limestone and sandstone, which is bright red in color.The other stones that are present in this region include conglomerates, shale, igneous stones, etc.   These parts of NJ State contain older rock system compared to the coastal plains.   The valley is located at a height of 120 to 150 meters and can be routed from the Hudson River, all the way to Alabama.   The termination portion of the Piedmont plains in the Hudson region is known as ‘the Palisadesâ₠¬â„¢, and is made of trap rock (Cloister Hill).   The Piedmont is about 30 kilometers wide.The valley also contains dark rocks known as ‘trap rock’ that was formed during the earlier geological ages.   This rock offers a wonderful arena for waterfalls in the region.   The sandstone in several areas has eroded and now appears as prominent ridges.   Some of the prominent mountains found in the Piedmont Highlands are the Watchung and the Sourland mountains.   The Piedmont lowlands or the â€Å"Newark Basin† forms the area where most of the major cities are located.   Through this region access to New York and New Jersey could be made.   In this region, three of the major rivers drain, namely, the Raritan River, the Passaic River and the Hackensack River (Swartz & Stansfield. 2007).The NJ Highlands is also known as â€Å"New England Upland†, as it is geologically similar to New England.   It contains several lakes of great tourist interest.   These include Greenwood Lake, Lake Hopatcong, Culvers Lake and Green Pond Lake.   The NJ Highlands occupies about 12 % of the entire NJ area.   The ridges formed in these regions are made up of an old rock known as ‘gneiss’.   The Musconetcong and Pequest River are formed in this area (Murray et al. 2007, & Stansfield. 1998).The Atlantic Coastal Plain, from the southeast to the coastal areas, occupies about 60 % of NJ area.   It has one of the world’s largest chains of sandy barrier islands, which are continuous.   It appears wedge shaped, which is thickest in the east-southeast region and thinnest in the center.   It has two portions, namely, the inner plain and the outer coastal plain.   The inner coastal plain or the â€Å"Greensand Belt† is located near the Piedmont area and has a size of 40 kilometers.Many orchards and agricultural homes are located in this region as the soil is very fertile and conducive to agriculture.   On the othe r hand, the land present in the outer coastal plain is very infertile and not very conducive to agricultural activities.   It forms the western rim of the NJ state and area where it meets with the ocean.   The outer coastal plain contains several hills, which are not more than 60 meters in height.   The outer coastal plain also forms several beaches, lagoons and marshes.   Several islands are located off the coast of NJ, some of which are inhabited and form popular tourist destinations.The ocean currents and the tides have an effect on the offshore islands and the coasts of New Jersey State. On several occasions tidal waves have had an effect on the New Jersey Coast.   In southern parts of NJ, the coastal plains contain high amounts of scrub oak and pine trees.   Several cranberry and blueberry plantation are located in several areas of the outer coast.   The Pine Barren is some of the vast forests located in the outer coastal plains.   A few settlements of people an d rivers are also located.   Many a times, the Pine Barrens of NJ seems to be a source for forest fires.The number of fires that have occurred since the 1940’s is about 1100.   About 8, 000 hectares is usually burnt every year through wild forest fires, much less than the 22, 000 that existed before the forest department began to use effective means of reducing these fires.   Most of the fires occur during the dry months of January to September periods.   Many of the important resorts and spas are located in the coastal plains.   The islands present close to the coast make harbor construction difficult.Many ships have met with accidents along the NJ coast due to the rough ocean currents and the shallow waters.   However, sheltered waterways are located which help to provide some relief for ships.   Portions of the NJ coast even have offshore sandbars and barrier beaches.   In parts of the northern NJ coast, the coastline is severely eroded (Swartz & Stansfield . 2007, Stansfield. 1998 & Forman et al. 1981).The islands, beaches, sandpits, etc, present along the NJ coast, are one of the longest chain in the world.   They run from the Texas region all the way up to the New York’s long island.   The islands of NJ coast seem to be dynamic in nature.   The ocean currents, tides, winds, waves, etc, have a dynamic effect on the NJ shoreline.   Many of the estuaries located off the coast of New Jersey form important beds for natural oyster shelters and oyster cultivation.   Several factors do favor the growth of oysters in the seabed including the tidal currents, the prevailing tides, eddies, prevailing winds (their force and direction), etc.   The larvae of oysters can help in regulating their own populations by rising and settling in the tidal currents.   In the NJ estuaries, the larvae do rise and settle in the tidal currents thus having potential to grow and develop along the coastal waters (Carriker. 1951 & Stansfield. 19 98).NJ State enjoys an extreme type of climate, with summers being warm and winters cold.   To the west of NJ, lies a huge landmass, which causes an extreme type of climate during winter and summer.   The climate is produced as a result of its latitude (located halfway between the equator and the North Pole), thus in a position to produce distinct seasons.   The distance from the season and the height above sea level also has a role to play in the development of climate of NJ.   During the summer, the moist tropical winds bring in hot air causing temperatures to rise and humid conditions to exist.   During winter, the continental winds bring in freezing temperatures and causing snowfall in several regions.The sea tends to retain the heat for greater amount of time during the day.   Hence during the night, the sea breezes tend to cool the land.   During the day, there is a strong sea breeze, which tends to cool the land.   The average rainfall received by the state is more than 1000 per annum.   The southwest regions of the state receive lower rainfall compared to other regions.   In January, the average temperature in NJ State is about 1 degree centigrade and in July, one of the hottest months, the average temperature is about 23 degrees centigrade.   However, extreme temperature have also been recorded, suggesting that at times the temperature can rise or fall to varying degrees.   In the winter of 1904, the temperature once dipped to – 37 degree and in the summer of 1936, the temperature once rose to 43 degrees.Due to the extremes of temperatures recorded in the Piedmont regions, seedlings do not become established within a year.   They begin to get established after two or more years.   Trees tend to invade areas occupied by herbs and shrubs.   During winter, the free-thaw cycles occur which hinders the establishment of the tree seedlings.   In portion of the Northwestern regions of the state, seasons last for about th ree to four months.   However, in some of the southwestern regions, the seasons last for about 8 months.Towards, the coastline, the climates tend to be less of an extreme.   Hence, during summer, these places stay cooler than those inlands, and in winter they tend to stay warmer.   Many people consider the NJ climate to be variable during various seasons of the year (Swartz & Stansfield. 2007, Stansfield. 1998 & Buell. 1971).Thus, I do feel that NJ State offers variables in terms of geography, climate and landforms, compared to any other parts of the world.   This has caused a diverse flora and fauna to exist in the region.   Besides, it also forms a home to many people who would like to visit New York and the Philadelphia region.   This has resulted in the population of NJ to be high compared to the other parts of the US.References:C. A. Stansfield. A Geography of New Jersey. 2nd Ed. Rutgers University Press, 1998.  Hugh Murray, William Wallace, Robert Jameson et al. The Encyclopà ¦dia of Geography: Comprising a Complete Description of the Earth.. New York: Carey, Lea and Blanchard, 2007. M. F. Buell, H. F. Buell, & J. A. Small, â€Å"Invasion of Trees in Secondary Succession on the New Jersey Piedmont.† Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club, 98.2 (1971).M. R. Carriker â€Å"Ecological Observations on the Distribution of Oyster Larvae in New Jersey Estuaries.† Ecological Monographs, 21.1 (1951).R. T. T. Forman & R. E. Boerner â€Å"Fire Frequency and the Pine Barrens of New Jersey.† Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club. 108.1 (1951).Swartz, J. & Stansfield, C. A. â€Å"New Jersey.† Microsoft Encarta. 2007.   3 Nov. 2007: http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761559873/New_Jersey.htmlUS Census Bureau. New Jersey. US Census Bureau. 2007. 3 Nov. 2007