Alexander The Great as a Military Leader Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Alexander The Great as a Military Leader - Essay Example He was trained in rhetoric, literature, philosophy, science and was groomed into a knowledgeable person. His sheer military genius was exhibited when he was merely 18 years of age, when he helped win the Battle of Chaeronea. This was just the beginning of a long innings. When Alexander was around twenty years of age, his father, King Philip II was assassinated. Following this tragic event, Alexander ascended the throne in 336 B.C. The situation in Macedonia was not really conducive, since he was surrounded by enemies and there was a threat of internal strife; while foreign relations were not good either, due to which there was the threat of rebellion. In this complex situation, Alexander took the reigns of his kingdom in this hands and took severe steps to do away with the rebellion. He ordered the execution of all those who were against him and quickly disposed the conspirators and rebels. The domestic enemies, were thus steered clear of. "He promptly took Thessaly and Thrace; he brutally razed Thebes except for its temples and the house of Pindar." 1 Carrying forward his father's mission, Alexander carried out an attack on the Thracians and also defeated the Illyrians with an iron hand. He also moved on the Thebes, which had revolted against him. He only spared the house of Pindar and the temple of Gods. He also sold the surviving inhabitants into slavery. Due to his power and valour, the other Greek states submitted meekly and Alexander became the conqueror of Greece. Thus, Alexander restored his dominant position in Greece. "He was elected by a congress of states at Corinth."2. Two years ago, after establishing a strong hold in Greece, Alexander decided to move towards Persia, in 334 B.C. He crossed the Hellespont and near the city of Troy, Alexander fought the Persians. The battle gave way to a massive victory for the Macedonians. Consequently, the res of the states in Asia Minor gave way and submitted to the great king. As the legend goes, it is said that "he cut the Gordian knot in Phyrgia (333), by which act he was destined to rule Asia."3 This knot, he is said to have broken with his sword. Alexander began to move towards the south and met the Persian army led by Darius III. This took place at Issus, in northeastern Syria. The battle was fought with a huge army from Darius' end. His army ended up losing the battle and Darius fled, leaving behind his family. However, his family was treated with respect by Alexander. The next expedition was at the Tyre, which was a seaport. The port was strongly fortified and offered strong opposition. However, Alexander defeated the port as well, in 332 B.C after seven months. He then moved on to Gaza and defeated them. "In the spring of 331 BC, Alexander made a pilgrimage to the great temple andoracle of Amon-Ra, whom

The Effects of an Extended Day and Extended Year Elementary Schools on Dissertation

The Effects of an Extended Day and Extended Year Elementary Schools on Academic Achievement - Dissertation Example Curriculum, teachers, staffs, transportation and other developmental facilities are the other resources that are required for managing schools. Due to the scarcity of resources, members of the education department should ensure that time is best allocated in order to receive the highest benefits by incurring lesser costs. Thus, schools must focus on effective strategies for providing their basic objective of teaching children. However, apart from teaching, schools help to provide enhanced quality of education that enables people to interact communally and value ways to practice safe and healthy behaviors. Furthermore, effective schooling also helps in contributing reliably and ethically towards family, friends and community and to acquire basic knowledge about values and habits that are expected from an individual (Greenberg, Weissberg, Brien, Zins, Fredericks, Resnik & Elias, 2003). The essay will discuss the effects of an Extended Day and Extended Year Elementary Schools on the aca demic achievements of students. Moreover, it will discuss the different laws and school timings that differ from state to state or from country to country. The essay will also help to evaluate the various factors present in other countries whose students are believed to have the highest performance rates comparatively. Theory and current research using ALT Extended Learning Time (ELT) has evolved as an optional policy over the past periods, with increased interests in the future among various educational organizations. Extended learning is defined as lengthening of the school timing or period for all students studying in a particular school for enhancing the knowledge and skills by providing quality education to ensure students’ success. According to Farbman & Kaplan (2005), a research conducted by Massachusetts 2020 revealed that the continuous underperformance of primary and secondary public schools in the United States (US) prompted members of educational institutions to i ntroduce programmes for enhancing the performances of the students. Thus, ELT has been one of the preferred options for various institutional organizations which help students in gaining additional knowledge during non-schooling hours (Farbman & Kaplan, 2005). A research conducted by Chalkboard Project (2008) has revealed that ELT is beneficial to students who have various disadvantages or physical disabilities compared to children belonging to middle or high class societies. Moreover, the research suggested that ELT programs have been effectual during primary and secondary classes compared to middle schools. The report also revealed that ELT when compared to Extended School Year (ESY) is more cost-effective in providing quality education to students. However, in implementing ELT programmes successfully in institutional organizations, certain factors should be considered. The factors, such as having a bold leadership style, an environment that includes teachers’ commitment ef fective leadership, the programmes should be evidence based with sufficient data, engage support of parents, communities and partners along with providing focus on fundamental academics and improvement activities which are associated with other objectives and developments (Chalkboard Project, 2008). Thus, it can be stated that ELT programmes are effective, when implementing with consideration to the factors and addressing certain findings by the schools or

Economic Scarcity and Finite Resources

Economic Scarcity and Finite Resources Introduction As the technology boom continues to strive throughout the 20th and 21st century, industries are forced to produce products for the increase in demand. By doing so, manufacturers are blindly meeting these demands while negatively affecting our environment, specifically pollution. In order to produce the materials and components required for modern day technology, industries must manipulate factories that produced billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide and other green-house gases that contribute to pollution and overall global warming. Especially, with the recent increase of environmentalists and other concerned consumers, economic activities such as manufacturing must be conducted without leaving a substantial impact on our surrounding environment. The reason being, economists are beginning to discover the correlation between the success of a business and how they treat their environment. If a business promotes and begins to take part in environmentally friendly practices, the business will attract a larger margin of consumers. Therefore, as a businessman and global citizen it is important for us to buy environmentally friendly products from manufacturers that produce limited pollution. Relation to Scarcity Economic scarcity can be summarized as the situation where businesses don’t have enough resources to produce and fulfil the demand for certain products. In relation to pollution, natural resources such as water and agriculture are becoming scarce and affecting businesses. Johnson, Kevin. What Is Scarcity in Economics?. eHow. Demand Media, 12 July 2009. Web. 24 Sept. 2014. http://www.ehow.com/facts_5175741_scarcity-economics_.html>. Water Resource With factories continuing to produce materials, the pollution created greatly affects the quality of fresh water resources through acid rain and dumping. Environmental Indicators. Government of Canada, Environment Canada. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2014. http://www.ec.gc.ca/indicateurs-indicators/default.asp?lang=enn=D189C09D-1>. For instance, the world’s fresh water supply available to the human population is only 3%. With pollution affecting bodies of fresh water such as the great lakes of Ontario, this small percentage shall continue to decrease while the amount of people suffering from inadequate water increases. As of today, 1.1 billion people are suffering from water shortages and this is predicted to rise. For example, in 2025 approximately two thirds of the global population and numerous ecosystems could possibly suffer from water shortages. World Wildlife. WorldWildlife.org. World Wildlife Fund, n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2014. http://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/water-scarcity>. Agricultural Resource Alongside the shortage of fresh water, plants and other agricultural sources are being affected by the increase pollution. The reason being, the green-house gases emitted from factories and other human activities are increasing the ozone levels of our planet. A surplus of ozone results in the destruction of crops, plants and trees which results in economic losses in the agriculture and forestry industry. It is estimated that the increase of ozone costs Canadian farmers millions of dollars in lost production annually. EPA. The Effects: Economy. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2014. http://www2.epa.gov/nutrientpollution/effects-economy>. Opportunity Cost In society both consumers and manufacturers are faced with the economic problem of having infinite wants but with inadequate resources. Therefore, we are forced to make important yet difficult choices about how to distribute these limited resources. This economic problem is called opportunity cost, where making a certain choice prevents you obtaining an alternative goal or item. In regards to pollution, manufactures have to choose one of the following situations: Pollute the environment in order to produce goods and satisfy the demand for a cheaper cost, however they must pay the carbon tax. Avoid polluting the environment by spending more money in order to produce goods and satisfy the demand while avoiding the carbon tax. The carbon tax, is enforced by the federal government to charge manufacturers for each tonne of green-house gases (including carbon) they emit. The goal is to ultimately reduce green-house gas emissions by pressuring businesses to go eco-friendly. What is a Carbon Tax?. Province of British Columbia. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2014. http://www.fin.gov.bc.ca/tbs/tp/climate/A1.htm>. Consumers also face a similar ideal where they either: Purchase the environmentally friendly product at a higher cost. Purchase the non-environmentally friendly product at a lower cost but carry the burden of supporting a company that produces excess pollution. The ideal situation would be that companies would produce their products while reducing the pollution they create and consumers would purchase these environmentally friendly products. However, this would result in manufacturers spending more money to insure they are considered green, in order to compensate for the additional spending they could lay-off a portion of their employees. Also, more money would be coming out of the consumer’s product to buy the eco-friendly product. In the end the perfect scenario is impossible to reach; which is the basis of the idea of opportunity cost. Stakeholders Stakeholders are defined as a party or individual who show interest or withhold a connection with a certain issue or organization. Stakeholder Definition | Investopedia. Investopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2014. http://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/stakeholder.asp>. In terms of pollution, the cause of increase in green-house gases is no other than the result of human activity industrialized in the 20th and 21st century, therefore I believe that both consumer and manufacturer are the stakeholders for pollution. The reason being, businesses introduced new advanced technologies every day, resulting in a large demand for these products; for example the automobile. Manufactures then meet these demands and produced automobiles for the population while producing pollution. The automobiles were the daily driven by a large percentage of consumers and this continued to emit green-house gases into our atmosphere and created pollution. Economic System Similar to the United States, Canada has adapted a market-oriented economic system that combines private enterprise with government regulation. Economy Watch Follow The Money. Canada Economic Structure. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2014. http://www.economywatch.com/world_economy/canada/structure-of-economy.html>. In other words, a market economy is where businesses meet the product demands and price of the consumers with little government intervention. Market Economy Definition | Investopedia. Investopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2014. http://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/marketeconomy.asp>. By doing so, Canada’s economy is considered free yet economists argue the effectiveness of a market economy on issues such as pollution. As of today, Canada is ranked 28 on the world air quality index and 6 on the world freedom index. Air Quality Ranking. Yale Education. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2014. http://epi.yale.edu/epi/issue-ranking/air-quality>. 2014 Index of Economic Freedom. Index o f Economic Freedom: Promoting Economic Opportunity and Prosperity by Country. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2014. http://www.heritage.org/index/>. Meaning, our country is relatively environmentally friendly with a strong and free market economy. Therefore, according to the statistics I believe that Canada should resume being a market economy because we’re are historically successful and are continuing to improve our nation. On the other hand, if Canada was a command economy, where the government regulates the amount and price of products produced and sold in an economy. Command Economy Definition | Investopedia. Investopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2014. http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/command-economy.asp>. Under the correct leading government party, Canada could potentially be ranked higher on the air quality index but most definitely lower on the world freedom index. If we were to eliminate the amount of pollution we currently produce, that would mean more economic spendin g on behalf of the government, manufacturer and consumer. Resulting in our economy and possibly Canadian dollar value to decrease. Therefore, I believe that a command economy would not be suitable for our nation because it would be unsuccessful and it goes against our beliefs and tradition of being a free and strong nation. Economist Point of View In the recent centuries, there have been many economists who argued which type of economy is better. Each economist had their own ideas and theories on how an economy should be regulated, the most famous economists include David Ricardo and Thomas Malthus. Economists. Education Portal. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2014. http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/the-economists-adam-smith-david-ricardo-thomas-malthus.html#lesson>. David Ricardo David Ricardo was a British economist who lived from the late 17th century into the early 18th century. Through his lifetime he had various professions relating to the world of economics including a stock broker. From his experience and knowledge he gained from economists before him such as Adam Smith, Ricardo developed his own theories of the perfect economy. His theories were based on his principles of supporting free trade and limited government regulation such as his theory of comparative advantage. If David Ricardo lived to see the Canadian economy in its current condition, it would be an accurate representation of his utopian economy. In regards to the issue with pollution and its effects on the economy, I believe that Ricardo would leave the issue to the manufacturers and consumers. He would trust that as global citizens, we would learn how to prioritize our needs and wants while reducing the amount of pollution being generated by industries. Like Canada’s market econom y, Ricardo would not want the government having a significant impact on the manufacturers, regulating their every action and decision. Therefore, I believe that David Ricardo would resolve the pollution issue by allowing the Canadian consumer and manufacturer to work things with limited government assistance and help from other foreign countries. Economists. Education Portal. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2014. http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/the-economists-adam-smith-david-ricardo-thomas-malthus.html#lesson>. Thomas Malthus Thomas Malthus was another British economist who lived in the 17th and 18th century. He is reminded of his inspiration on Darwin’s theory of evolution and his own theory of limited resources. He believed that one day, the human population would exceed the amount of resources available. In order to avoid this situation, he believed in regulating the amount of offspring. In a sense Thomas Malthus’ theory is correct, in the modern day world with over 7 billion people, we find ourselves running out of limited resources such as oil and forestry. However, Malthus never interpreted the idea of society adjusting to the changing population and resources with the help of technology. For example to compensate for excess pollution, Canada is relying on new energy sources such as hydro and wind. In regards to reduce pollution in Canada, I believe Malthus would regulate the offspring in order to preserve our agriculture and water resources. However, it would not be as effective as Da vid Ricardo’s resolution or what Canada has implemented already. Economists. Education Portal. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2014. http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/the-economists-adam-smith-david-ricardo-thomas-malthus.html#lesson>. Both economists have theories that relate to the current economic situation of Canada and the situation involved with excess pollution. Although if I was to resolve the pollution issue in Canada, I would follow David Ricardo’s theories, which are already the basis of the current Canadian economy. Resolution After researching the theories of previous economist, the causes and effects of pollution on the Canadian economy, I believe we should: Increase the carbon tax to further pressure manufacturers into becoming environmentally friendly and producing excess pollution. Reward consumers that choose to buy eco-friendly products by rewarding them with rebates or decreasing the tax on eco-friendly items. Introduce new programs and organizations to clean our fresh water resources including the great lakes. Continue to fund power generating industries such as hydro, solar and air. Works Cited 2014 Index of Economic Freedom. Index of Economic Freedom: Promoting Economic Opportunity and Prosperity by Country. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2014. http://www.heritage.org/index/>. Air Quality Ranking. Yale Education. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2014. http://epi.yale.edu/epi/issue-ranking/air-quality>. Command Economy Definition | Investopedia. Investopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2014. http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/command-economy.asp>. EPA. The Effects: Economy. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2014. http://www2.epa.gov/nutrientpollution/effects-economy>. Economists. Education Portal. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2014. http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/the-economists-adam-smith-david-ricardo-thomas-malthus.html#lesson>. Economy Watch Follow The Money. Canada Economic Structure. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2014. http://www.economywatch.com/world_economy/canada/structure-of-economy.html>. Environmental Indicators. Government of Canada, Environment Canada. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2014. http://www.ec.gc.ca/indicateurs-indicators/default.asp?lang=enn=D189C09D-1>. Johnson, Kevin. What Is Scarcity in Economics?. eHow. Demand Media, 12 July 2009. Web. 24 Sept. 2014. http://www.ehow.com/facts_5175741_scarcity-economics_.html>. Market Economy Definition | Investopedia. Investopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2014. http://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/marketeconomy.asp>. Stakeholder Definition | Investopedia. Investopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2014. http://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/stakeholder.asp>. What is a Carbon Tax?. Province of British Columbia. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Sept. 2014. http://www.fin.gov.bc.ca/tbs/tp/climate/A1.htm>. World Wildlife. WorldWildlife.org. World Wildlife Fund, n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2014. http://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/water-scarcity>.

International Politics Essay -- International Politics

International Politics Paper On September 11, 2001, the World Trade Center in New York City was destroyed by terrorists. They flew two hijacked planes into the towers and in to the Pentagon. To counter this serious threat, the United States led a NATO raid against Afghanistan. This was called the "Global War on Terror". NATO forces began to pick apart the area to find Osama Bin Laden and the terrorist group known as Al-Qaeda. Former President George W. Bush had a realist approach in dealing with the â€Å"War on Terror†. This political idea means that the government is taking the nation’s interest as priority instead of trying to maintain an ideal. A realist believes that human nature is bad and their core concerns are war and security. Realists also think about how vulnerable, self-interested states survive in an environment where they are uncertain about the intentions and capabilities of others. This ideal believes that States are the only key actors in the international system. Anarchy, self-help, national interests, relative gains, and balance of power are the central concepts of realism. A realists approach to peace is to protect sovereign autonomy and deter rivals through military preparedness and alliances. Their global outlook is pessimistic because the great powers are locked in a relentless security competition. In using this type of approach, President Bush was striving to illustrate America’s dominance. This straight forward, war-hungry idea would show the world that the Un ited States is a force to be reckoned with. â€Å"A determining factor or an element that determines the nature of something† is how Dictionary.com defines determinant. The determinants of foreign policy depend on a state’s leadership, power, and obj... ...l organizations, and transnational networks. Liberalist’s central concepts are ideas, images, shared knowledge, identities, discourses, and persuasion leading to new understandings and normative change. They approach peace by using activists who promote progressive ideas and encourage states to adhere to norms for appropriate behavior. Liberalists hold an agnostic global outlook. Their global prospect hinges on the content of prevailing ideas and values. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/geopolitics http://hnn.us/roundup/entries/29061.html http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6660QF20100707 http://www.wider.unu.edu/publications/working-papers/previous/en_GB/wp-11/_files/82530817520633193/default/WP11.pdf http://0-library.cqpress.com.trexler.desales.edu/cme/document.php?id=contme-981-40696-1950816&type=toc&num=1&PHPSESSID=p66tmjalbnairdar4r9l8ffou6

Demise of a Hero Essay

The play Antigone is one of the known Greek tragedies. Written by Sophocles and performed in 441 BC, the play is considered, up to the present time one of the most recognized tragedies ever written. But then, what is a tragedy and what differentiates it from other forms? Aristotle, in his Poetics, defined tragedy as â€Å"the imitation of an action that is serious and also, as having magnitude, complete in itself.(Aristotle, VI.2)† Aside from such, tragedies also have the ability to instigate a feeling of pity and fear for the character. However, these feelings will be lost due to a catharsis or purging of such emotions caused by the tragic hero. There has been much debate as to who is the tragic hero in the play.   In Aristetolian definition , the tragic hero is doomed to fail and posseses a   tragic flaw, or fatal flaw. In the case of   Antigone, her tragic flaw, or misjudgement, that is hamartia is her higher laws of duty to the gods and one’s family. She is willing to do all things for the laws she strongly abides by and fight for the family whom she is devoted to. Creon ,   on the other hand, is quite the opposite. He disregards the directives from the gods. The characters’ tragic flaw takes the character down as the tragedy progresses. I quote from Antigone’s line â€Å"Gladly will I meet death in my sacred duty to the dead. Longer time have I to spend with them than with those who live upon the earth. Seek not to argue with me; nothing so terrible can come to me but that an honored death remains.†(Sophocles) Truly, Antigone is ready to face death to fulfill her duties. In Creon’s case, I quote, â€Å"Honoring the good and punishing the vile, as well beseems a ruler, I have assigned due funeral rites to Eteocles, who died fighting for the fatherland; but Polynices, who sought to make desolate with fire his native city and its gods, and who sought to glut himself with kindred blood and lead our citizens to slavery–to him shall no man give a tomb. Let the body lie mutilated, as a feast to dogs and birds. Therefore have I appointed watchers over his corpse, and do ye watch yourselves that no one disobey. Greed has often led men to their death.†(Sophocles) Aside from having a tragic flaw, Aristotle defines a tragic hero as having several other characteristics that invoke the emotions of the audience who are watching the tragedy. The tragic hero is characterized by four major attributes. The first, tragic flaw, or hubris has already been discussed in the earlier part. Another trait is that the character must be either born of noble blood, must posses nobility; or is born with a high degree of wisdom. In the case of Antigone, she is born of nobility. Antigone is Oedipus’ and Jocata’s daughter. Then again, Creon is also of noble origin since he is the current ruler at.that time. After such follows perepetia or a reversal of fortune which is caused by the aforementioned flaw. Antigone is emprisoned and starved to death, while Creon eventually loses all that he has. Creon’s anagorisris or realization of his mistakes came too late. When he consulted the prophet Teiresias, all of his family were dead and Antigone had already commited suicide. Antigone was written by Sophocles a known tragedian, it was written for Greek audience and was meant to be performed on a Greek stage. Antigone is One of the 3 Theban plays or Oedipus cycle. This set contains Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus and the aforementioned play, Antigone. The characters in the play are individuals who are part of Greek mythology. The play is set in the kingdom of Thebes at a time after the outbreak of a war in between armies led by the two sons of Oedipus. The main conflict of the play was presented in the beginning of the play. Since the beginning of the play, the conflict lies on the death of the two brothers who had apparently killed each other. Creon suggested that Polynices would not be given proper burial. He argues that since Polynices fought against the kingdom of Thebes, he cannot be buried with proper rights while Eteocles received full military honors in his burial. Having found out what had become of his brothers, Antigone defies Creon’s decree and decides to bury his brother. When Creon found out about this, he ordered for Polynices’ remains to be dug out. At this point, Antigone accepts to be punished by death for the action she has done. Ismene claims to be part of this incident but Antigone does not allow her to admit to such act. The Main characters in the play are: Antigone , Ismene, Antigone’s sister  Creon, Eurydice, Haemon and Teiresias. Antigone is a woman who adheres firmly to the law of the gods as well as the protection of her family. In the course of the play, we see that Antigone holds onto what she believes in up until her death. Ismene, as she goes into a dispute with her sister, showed her resilience and how Antigone’s ideas had greatly influenced her. Creon is Antigone’s uncle. But unlike Antigone, he is a firm believer of the laws of man. He is constrained by the ideas of simplicity and goos sense. Eurydice is Creon’s wife. She is silent but very significant since her suicide marked the total fall of Creon. Haemon is Antigone’s fiancà © and Creons son. He tries to convince his father to spare Antigone’s life. He was also responsible for speaking of the opinion of the people that Antigone’s decision was right. Teiresias is the blind prophet who spoke to tell Creon of his wrongdoings. Teriesias blindness and Eurydice’s silence tells us how significant the stillness can become.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In our modern age, there is still debate on who should be followed. Although most laws that are created adhere to the known laws of our religion, there is still conflict between the man-made and divine laws. At times, it is very difficult to decide which laws to put first, especially when there is no absolute right and wrong. However, as what had happened to Creon, it is very possible that we make a mistake and end up much like the tragedy that is in Antigone. Works Cited Aristotle, Poetics. Gregory, Justina, ed.. A Companion to Greek Tragedy, 2005 Segal, Charles, Tragedy and Civilization: An Interpretation of Sophocles (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1999, new edition). Sophocles. Three Theban Plays. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin Books, 1986,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   p. 35   

Cons Of Abortion Essay

Abortions should be illegalized unless there are special circumstances and appropriate reasoning. One reason is because many people have taken advantage of legal abortions and use it as a form of birth control. Another reason being that killing an unborn is morally wrong and that it’s considered murder. Third, almost all women experience both physical and psychological disabilities whether they’re minor or very serious. An abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by loss or destruction of the fetus before birth. An abortion may be spontaneous or induced. The latter is an act with ethical and legal ramifications. Many women experience physical and psychological complications after they have had an abortion. This leads to complications in their behavior and therefore many consider the care of a psychiatric or physician. Statistics prove that the risks of Physical problems among women who have aborted at least once are high. Approximately 10% of women undergoing abortion will have to suffer immediate abortions and about 2% of them are life threatening. Death is a very serious issue for all women considering abortions. Legal abortion is reported as the fifth leading cause of maternal death . Statistics prove that women who have had an abortion are four times more likely to die in the following year than ones that have carried their pregnancies to term are. Abortion is also clearly linked to a dramatic increase in suicide risk. Between 7 to 30% of all women who have aborted have been reported to attempt suicide. In Canada a study of government funded medical programs showed that 41% of women had to receive psychological treatment after having an abortion. Putting death and suicide aside, there are many other problems that one may have to suffer from. Facing complications in labor and having handicapped newborns. Statistics show that women who have â€Å"aborted once are two to three times more likely to having a pre term delivery† Not only does induced abortions increase the risks of pre- term delivery but also increases the risks delayed delivery. Because abortion is associated with cervical and uterine damage, these are the leading causes of handicapped among newborns. The authors found that â€Å"if a partner is present and not supportive, the miscarriage rate is more than  double and the abortion rate is four times greater than if he is present and supportive. The partner is absent the abortion rate is six times greater.† In total out of 1428 women surveyed, after having aborted, women visited their family doctor 80% more for all reasons possible and 180% of them went for psychosocial reasons. â€Å"Abortion is stressful and emotionally difficult for most women† . As well as having physical problems, more women experience psychological damages. A survey stated that almost eight weeks after having an abortion, 31% of women had regretted the decision. 44% had complained of having nervous disorders, 36% had experienced a loss or disturbances of sleep. Many of these women carry repressed feelings which leads to drug and alcohol abuse. Elliot research institute’s researcher found that women who have aborted their pregnancies are 4 times more likely to get involved with drugs and alcohol. During an interview of 30 women who had aborted, 60% had increased their use or alcohol. Almost 45% of all abortions performed today are repeat abortions. If abortions were illegalized, a large proportion of repeat abortions can be eliminated. Not as many women would have to go through stress and other physical and psychological disorders. Outlawing abortions can reduce many of these common problems among women. The three main that women who have aborted give are, â€Å"having a baby can change my life†, â€Å"If I were to have this baby, it could ruin my career†, or â€Å"My partner and I are currently having problems in the relationship† . When asked public opinion, these reasons are quite selfish. It seems as if when there is no where else to turn, the option of abortion will stand out. Knowing that abortions are permitted and available some take it as the easy ticket out. During the 1970’s, Canada was reported to having one of the highest teenage fertility rates in the world. Among unmarried women, teens have held the highest rate of child bearing in Canada and the United States. As these pregnancy rates have increased, abortion rates had doubled. Between 1975 and  1980 abortion rates have doubled from 20 to 44 abortions per 1000 women who were between the ages of fifteen and nineteen. This shows that many teenagers have been using abortions as a method of contraception to lower their fertility rate. To those whom consider abortion a negative issue say that, â€Å"easy abortion leads to increased promiscuity†; â€Å"Available abortions lead to reduced contraceptive use† . If abortion remains legalized it silently and subconsciously encourage selfish and irresponsible behavior among young women who may consider it as a backup plan incase of pregnancy. Since the abortion law made by the Supreme Court in 1973, teenage abortions had risen very greatly in numbers. Abortion rates for adolescents between the ages of 15 and 19 raised from 244,070 to 448,570. That’s an increase of 84%. For girls under the ages of 15, the rate increased to a total of 31% (11630 to 15240). In 1980’s, there was a decrease in abortion rates. This was due to the fact that the changes in law decreased the number of abortion providers all over Canada. Due to this abortions had decreased by 26% in 1984, 24% in 1989 and 21% in 1991. Looking a little deeper into this, one may come to the consideration that many if not all pregnancies that have been aborted have been due to carelessness in sexual behavior. With the exception of rape, incest or physical harm on the women, the procedure of all abortions should be banned. Many argue that abortion is immoral and it is in the same category as killing an innocent, newborn baby. All life is present from the moment of conception. Fetuses almost look like newborn infants and possess characteristics, such as a genetic code, that are found in all human beings. Anti abortionists say that â€Å"it is always prima facie seriously wrong to take a human life† or â€Å"is it always prima facie seriously wrong to end the life of a baby† . Some say it doesn’t make sense to give rights to a being that would never have psychological traits, but one may argue that new born babies don’t have these traits either, but if they were to be killed after birth, one would get charged. Therefore the argument that a fetus does not  carry psychological traits is a poor one. Other issues which makes killing a fetus wrong is the loss of the victim’s future. This can be supported by the consideration that killing is one of the worst crimes. People who know that they are going to die believe, of course, that dying is a very bad thing. These people know that their premature death is bad because they will miss out on what the future may have had to hold for them . For people who are severely ill and wish to die will not have suffered a loss if the were killed because they know they will have to face a future of pain. Abortion may also be compared to animal rights. Our society has always put humans before animals. Our rights are obviously more important than those of animals are. A couple months ago, two men were arrested because they had slit open the bodies of rats and photographed it saying it was art . Those who perform abortions are killing a living fetus, which will grow up to, possess characteristics much more complex than that of a rat. How can those who perform abortions get away with it and not those who kill rats? Medical science leads to a pro-life perspective rather than a pro-choice perspective. These arguments against abortions are compelling. One being that at conception the embryo is genetically distinct from the mother . It is said that a developing human being is genetically different from its mother because, for one, it is genetically different form the sperm and egg that created it. The DNA of an embryo can be distinguished form the DNA of the sperm and egg that created it. There are other medical arguments supporting the right to life for a fetus. Major one is the definition between life and death. In the past life was defined by the heartbeat. A stopped heartbeat would be a clear indication of death. By the eighteenth day in the womb, a fetus has a heart. If heartbeats were used to define life than all abortions would be outlawed. In the new age, brainwave activity is used to define death. Fetuses develop ECG patterns in their brains at about 40 to 43 after conception. A flat ECG pattern clearly determines death. Using brain wave activity, at least a majority of abortions could be outlawed. A third issue concerning abortions is if the fetus feels pain. Yes a fetus does feel pain. Try poking an infant with a pin, it will immediately pull away and begin to cry. If you tried to do the same with a fetus, it will open its mouth and pull away. This also causes an increase in the heart rate of the human fetus. Many other medical arguments can be used to try and  outlaw abortions. A fetus has unique set of fingerprints, it to is growing and developing, it has the same human like features as we do, and many others. Abortion is a very controversial subject and there are many debates between the pro-lifers and pro-choice’s. The views of the pro-lifers are that abortion should become banned all over hospitals and clinics. Pro- choicer may not agree with this because they argue that if abortions become banned then women will have to get illegal abortions. This is not true because statistics proved that when abortions were banned in Canada the rate had drop. Women who did not need abortions for a real reason did not get them. This brought down abortion rates considerably. If the number of abortions was decreased this will also decrease problems of physical and psychological stress. In conclusion, there are other ways of dealing with the situation of an unwanted pregnancy. The most one may do is give up the baby for adoption. Bibliography 1. Abortion: Choice and Conflict Editor Oliver Trager 2. The Ethics of Abortion Robert M. Baird and Stuart E. Rosenbaum 3. Internet site www.religioustlerance.org/abo_supr.htm 4. Abortion a Positive Decision By Patricia Lunneborg 5. The Big Evasion By Anne Collins 6. Perspectives on abortion By Paul Sachdev 7. Abortion Policies in US and Canada Studies in Public Opinion Edited by Ted G. Jelen