Should The Legal Alcohol Age Be Changed - 1560 Words

Introduction To fight for our country at the age of 18 and seeing things that only you could imagine in the battlefield. Coming home from deployment and just wanting a simple beer for your hard work but not being able to buy any because you are not 21 years of age. How is that fair to the men in the military forces? Fighting for our country’s freedom but not being able to have a few beers with your closest friends and family members. The topic of the legal alcohol age being changed has been a great topic for anyone to discuss. It ties in with the military, it can be connected to criminal justice, and it can be related to alcohol safety at college. Alcohol Consumption There are many pros and cons on the topic of changing the legal alcohol buying age to 18. For example a major pro for alcohol at the age of 18 is adulthood. Eighteen is the age of adulthood in the United States, and we as adults should have the right to make our own decisions about alcohol consumption. At the age of 18 we are allowed to gamble, serve on juries, vote, smoke cigarettes, and serve the military. Also not to mention to be responsible for signing contracts and also the ability to get married. When we turn 18 we already have great responsibilities, so why shouldn’t the age limit of drinking and buying alcohol be dropped to 18. If 18 year olds can vote for the leader of our country, they are probably responsible enough to consume alcohol. The biggest reason the alcohol age limit is at 21Show MoreRelatedThe Legal Drinking Age Should Be Abolished893 Words   |  4 Pages Legal at Eighteen Currently in the United States the legal age to drink alcohol is twenty-one years old. Before the 1980s, the legal drinking age was eighteen years old. In 1980, the drinking age was changed to twenty-one to diminish the number of traffic deaths caused by young drunk drivers. Changing the drinking age to twenty-one has not reduced drinking, it only made teens drink in unsafe and illegal environments. The drinking age should be changed to eighteen, because eighteen year oldsRead MoreThe Minimum Drinking Age Act1211 Words   |  5 Pagesfind it hard to understand that at the age of eighteen you can fight and die for your country, but you cannot legally drink or purchase alcoholic beverages. Others find it hard to believe that there are people who want people under the age of twenty-one drinking. The important question is: should the drinking age be lowered to eighteen instead of remaining at twenty-one? The legal drinking age is the age at which a person can consume or purchase alcohol. These laws cover a wide range of issuesRead MoreThe Legal Drinking Age Should Be Abolished1634 Words   |  7 Pagesand Liquor: A Balancing Act Laws surrounding alcohol use and consumption in the United States all stem from one major root: the Prohibition Era of the 1920s. The Prohibition Era lasted almost thirteen years and banned the production, the distribution, and the sale of alcohol. In 1933, the Prohibition Act was repealed and states designated their own legal drinking age. In 1984 the National Minimum Drinking Age act was passed and raised the drinking age in the United States to twenty-one. This lawRead MoreNot Lowering the Drinking Age1642 Words   |  7 Pagesthe Drinking Age Many teenage deaths in the United States are caused in some way by the influence of alcohol; however, many people still believe that the legal drinking age should be reduced to eighteen. This issue has been going on for years, but the law has not been changed since the change to twenty-one in 1980. States have become stricter about preventing under-age drinking, but teenagers have no problem getting alcohol. There are many arguments in favor of changing the drinking age back to eighteenRead More Lowering the Legal Minimum Drinking Age Essay1622 Words   |  7 Pagespurely the root of all accidents related to alcohol. The real problem lies within the unsafe underage drinking habits amongst youth. There are ways that these alcohol-related accidents can be avoided. Several organizations have been created that are targeting a change in the legal drinking age laws. One key way to lower the risk of unsafe drinking is to lower the minimum legal drinking age from twenty-one to eighteen. The minimum legal drinking age was not always twenty-one; it has fluctuatedRead MoreWe Can Fight in a War, but Cant Have a Drink?877 Words   |  4 Pagesfor college students under the age of twenty-one. The legal drinking age should be changed from twenty-one to eighteen. Not only would it create more buyers in a struggling economy, but it just makes the most logical sense in a country where anyone eighteen or over is considered an adult. In 1987 the United States passed a law mandating all states to have a twenty-one year old alcohol purchase age. This means over half of college students are not legal to buy alcohol. College kids are college kidsRead MoreIncrease in the Legal Drinking Age870 Words   |  3 PagesAnother reason why the legal drinking age was changed is because of the fact that the adolescent brain is not fully developed; it is supposed that â€Å"excessive alcohol intake causes brain damage† in teens. However, in order for damage to occur, the drinking has to be extremely excessive. If there are only a few of these extreme bingeing â€Å"episodes,† they do no harm to the adolescent brain (Minimum Drinking Age). David J. Hanson, a professor at the University of New York at Potsdam, states, â€Å"There’sRead MoreShould The Legal Age Be Lowered?1326 Words   |  6 PagesShould the legal age be lowered? There are many arguments on why the legal drinking age should be lowered to eighteen. To some, lowering the drinking age to eighteen makes sense and to others it does not make sense at all. Most people believe that if eighteen year olds are old enough to make big decisions such as enlist in the Army, Navy, or other Military services then eighteen year olds are old enough to drink also. Not only does lowering the legal drinking age put the drinker at harm but alsoRead MoreThe Effects of Lowering the Drinking Age to 181126 Words   |  5 PagesComposition 15 December 2012 Lowering The Drinking Age Alcohol is considered to be a large problem in society today. Especially with young adults between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one. Which presents the question of whether or not the drinking age should be lowered. Lowering the legal drinking age to eighteen would have positive and negative influences on society. Positive through raising more government taxes and keep high school age and young college students out of trouble with theRead MoreDrinking at 18 Essay1243 Words   |  5 Pagesprobably right, but over half of those people drinking are also under the legal drinking age. Drinking is one of the main forms of entertainment for the typical college student. The only problem with drinking being the main form of entertainment is that half of the students in college or 20 years or younger. This seems to be a problem all over the country and a debate has started to see whether or not lowering the drinking age would be a reasonable solution to keep students from over drinking . Many

Movie Food, Inc. - 1678 Words

First, it is important to realize that the movie Food, Inc. was released in 2008 to a small audience in only certain markets. Only after the movie received the backing of many activist groups, was there a resulting widespread release of the documentary film. Food, Inc. did get nominated for an Oscar as â€Å"Best Documentary.† It did not win. Even for ultra-liberal Hollywood, the use of modern â€Å"propaganda† imagery and verbal delivery doomed Food, Inc. from winning an Oscar. Activists groups have an important place in our public â€Å"checks balances,† but all too often the viewpoints received from these groups fail to weigh many other factors of the issue(s) they address. Food, Inc.; while certainly addressing some important questions; completely failed to weigh any opposing position in order to provide a balanced report (See referenced links below). The unfortunate part of Food Inc., is that its historical viewpoint of how we got our food vs. Food Inc.’s version of the â€Å"modern† way we get our food ─ is lacking on both ends. As far as historical (in Food Inc.’s viewpoint – better) food production ─ the slaughter of cattle, pigs, chickens, lambs, etc. in â€Å"historical times† was far more drastic, dangerous, and unsanitary than what it is today. In those days, the animals where either shot, or had their necks hacked/cut by individuals working the slaughter houses. Additionally, many children as young as 8 were used in these slaughterhouse procedures. You may wish to read The Jungle,Show MoreRelatedMovie Review : Food, Inc.1655 Words   |  7 PagesDecember 2014 Film Guide Review Introduction 1. Give the name of film, producer and the year. The film I chose is titled Food, Inc. It was directed by Robert Kenner, and produced by Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein in 2008. 2. Why did you select this film for your review? I chose Food, Inc. for my film review because it was on Netflix, and because I have always been interested in food production documentaries. 3. Had you seen it before? If so, how did a second viewing help in your understanding orRead MoreMovie Analysis : Food Inc1897 Words   |  8 PagesFilm Analysis Paper- Food Inc Food Inc is a documentary directed and written by Robert Kenner along with co-writers Elise Pearlstein and Kim Roberts in 2008 to discuss the current origin of food production in the United States. This film takes viewers inside the slaughter houses, farms and factories that produce American food to show how food in the 21st century is no longer organically grown and raised for healthy eating. Instead it is now controlled, mutilated, and produced in large quantitiesRead MoreWhats Behind The Curtain?1178 Words   |  5 Pagesfew people who have an understanding of what is really occurring behind the curtain. In the book The Jungle, Upton Sinclair reveals the issue of the immoral goals of capitalistic society during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Similarly, in the movie Food Inc, the producers of the film reveal the truth about modern capitalism through the use of personal accounts and facts, which all effectively use the rhetorical techniques of imagery, pathos, and logos. In The Jungle, Upton Sinclair bases his novelRead MoreAnalysis Of Watching Food Inc.1396 Words   |  6 PagesWatching Food Inc. movie was a deception and a horrifying experience on what is happening in the food industry in the U.S. After spending time on some of resources like The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on food safety, The National Food Processors’ Association that are in place to protect farmer’s industry and food consumers, to find out these agencies like are not protecting farmers nor are protecting food consumers in the U.S; and to learn about big corporations like Tyson Foods, Monsanto thatRead MoreThe Omnivore s Dilemma By Michael Pollan922 Words   |  4 PagesHow much do you really know about the food you eat? Reading the book â€Å"The Omnivore s Dilemma† by Michael Pollan,†Getting Real About the High Price of Our Cheap Food† by Bryan Walsh, and the movie â€Å"Food Inc.† gave me an idea of how our food is made and what is in it. Also reading the books gave me an idea, Michael Pollan mostly talked about corn and Bryan Walsh talking about high prices of our cheap food. Robert Kenner explains how we should look into our food to save us from getting sick or becomingRead MoreThe Omnivore s Dilemma By Michael Pollan922 Words   |  4 PagesHow much do you really know about the food you eat? Reading the book â€Å"The Omnivore s Dilemma† by Michael Pollan,†Getting Real About the High Price of Our Cheap Food† by Bryan Walsh, and the movie â€Å"Food Inc.† gave me an idea of how our food is made and what is in it. Also reading the books gave me an idea, Michael Pollan mostly talked about corn and Bryan Walsh talking about high prices of our cheap food. Robert Kenner explains how we should look into our food to save us from getting sick or becomingRead MoreFood Inc Essay example794 Words   |  4 PagesFood, INC. Robert Kenner, the director of â€Å"Food, Inc,† questions to the audience that how much do we really care about the food we buy at our local supermarkets and served by our families? Everyone knows what foods are; that any nourishing substance that is eaten or taken into the body to sustain life, provide energy, and promote growth, and these are one of the most important thing for human beings. However, many people maybe never thought about bigger-breasted chickens, tomatoes which won’tRead MoreThe Food Industry From The 20th Century1674 Words   |  7 PagesThe Food Industry from the 20th to the 21st Century Throughout human history, there have always been people who step up to make a change in our world. When people encounter something they don’t like they want to change it. The author of The Jungle and the producers of Food, Inc. are no exception. During the early 20th century the meat packing industry was a filthy and cruel business. Cruel to both the people that worked in the factories and the animals that were killed there. The industry has changedRead MoreEssay about Food Inc873 Words   |  4 PagesFOOD INC.: An unflattering look inside Americas corporate controlled food industry. Movie Review by Markovist Wells Professor Patrick Elliott POLS 1101-511 Essay Question: In what ways does this movie demonstrate the â€Å"Iron Triangle† and its powerful influence in the manner that our government functions? In the documentary Food Inc. The message is that the food industry does not want us to know about what we are eating. . This problem mayRead MoreEssay about Analysis of Food Inc.944 Words   |  4 Pages Food Inc. and the Media use the tools of social psychology to persuade and make its point. Documentary films are influential media tools that can be used to inform, persuade, and convict the public on many social topics on a continuous spectrum of troubles and struggle of the world. Some well-made documentaries have made impacts on people who watch them, and this is what the movies are they meant to do. The filmmakers have done their job if the movie has given a voice to a problem

Sharp Rise In The Us Subprime Mortgage Finance Essay - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 13 Words: 3774 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Argumentative essay Did you like this example? The sharp rise in the US subprime mortgage attracts global attention during the recent past; it not only has had impact on the real estate market, but also on the financial market, labor market and many other markets. Research about the subprime has linked the subprime crisis to the housing bubble, higher financial risk government policy and other factors. However, the term subprime is not consistently defined in the literature. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Sharp Rise In The Us Subprime Mortgage Finance Essay" essay for you Create order For the borrowers, a good credit record is easier to get mortgage loans in the US, but many people who just have a limited or lack of credit history have to be rejected for loans, which prevent the renters from becoming homeowners. From the lenders perspective, the subprime mortgage loan is seeking for borrowers who are suffering from a constraint creditability record but in the demand for the loans. Therefore, naturally, the cost of the subprime mortgage loan is more expensive than the conventional or prime mortgage  [1]  , according to Chomsisengphet and Pennington-Cross (2006); it is typically around 2 percent. Another characteristic of the subprime loan is that it has very loose underwriting standards; subprime lenders are more likely to accept the borrowers limited documentation of their asset or income, in Kiff and Mills (2007). It is noticed that the loan-to-value ratios are usually high: over 85 percent and the debt-to-income requirements are not very stringent: abo ve 55 percent  [2]  Subprime loan can vary a lot from one type to another in the terms of payment amount and payment terms. Summarizing the literature in the prior study, the term of the subprime mortgage can be defined as one kind of mortgage loans to higher-risk borrowers with no or uncertain income and spotty or limited credit history, once the borrowers have difficulties in paying back the loans due to various causes, the disclosure occurs. It is vulnerable loans in many aspects; this will be discussed in detail in section 2.1. Subprime mortgage lender targets borrowers who either have a lack of insufficient credit record, or those borrowers who have been denied due to bad credit history. Because of its loose credit record investigation process, the subprime loan has become many borrowers first resort to home-financing; therefore subprime loan has overtaken several other loans in the mortgage market. As a matter of fact, the mortgage lending market has more than quadru pled between the years 1995 and 2003 (Aoun,2009), it grew into $665 billion in 2005 from $35 billion in 1994 and accounting for nearly a quarter of the whole mortgage loan market in 2005. Subprime mortgage is one of the multiple optional sources for home-purchase cash inflows, however, in Schloemer, et. al. (2006), it is highlighted that the majority of the US subprime loans originated in the last decade have been for the purpose of refinancing rather than for home purchase. At the mean time, the financial market has been experiencing an increased securitization. Securitization is the repackage and re-assembly of the subprime loans in order to attract more third-party borrowers, these loans can diversify the risk and spread the risk into investment portfolio, thus attract more investors. The motivation of obtaining a subprime loan is becoming speculative rather than for realistic purposes. Once the appreciation of house price approaches, borrowers have the incentive to pay the loan off, however, if the borrowers are facing difficulties such as unemployment, increased consumer price index or reduced expected income, they are less likely to clear the debt, thus, the creditor has to place the property for foreclosure, the lenders have reported 847,000 foreclosure filings in 2005 (Schloemer, et. al., 2006). Once the defaults became widespread, the process could snowball, putting more homes on the market and driving prices further down. Some banks and other holders of mortgages could see their highly leveraged portfolios greatly impaired due to such foreclosures. Problems of illiquidity of financial institutions could result in the insolvency (Feldstein, 2007). US is the origination of the subprime mortgage crisis and its remarkable size of the subprime amount makes it become a typical empirical sample, because from 1994 to 2005, the subprime home loan market grew from $35 billion to $665 billion, the subprime share of the total mortgage originations has b een reached to 23 percent in 2006 from 10 percent in 1998 (Ernst, Keest, Li and Schloemer, 2006). What is more, the subprime mortgage loans have resulted in extraordinarily losses in more than one area, homeowners lost their physical shelter, borrowers have to resort to higher default rate in order to recover from the crisis and even some countries are facing bankruptcy risk. It is beneficial for them to know the causes of the higher foreclosure rate in order to guide their future investment or funding decisions, or at least, to keep the losses to a minimum. This paper is organized as follows: Section 1 will give an introduction of the subprime mortgage, in which the definition of the related terms will be investigated, and the background of the subprime mortgage crisis in the US market will be presented; Section 2 is the related literature review, this part explored the past literature about the foreclosures and its causes in the past and try to find the correlation between them ; Section 3 is the empirical analysis where some variables have been selected and were fit into the regression model. The empirical correlation between them will be investigated, the methodology and the result will be discussed; In the section 4, the causes of the high foreclosure rate will be analyzed to provide realistic practice advice about the home financing as well as the remedy action to the subprime mortgage crisis; Section 5 is the conclusion, in which part it summarizes the result of the whole dissertation. Literature Review This part reviews the related literature, this is a very recent topic and the researchers have reviewed it in many aspects. However, this paper only selects a certain part of the literature and tries to indentify the relationship and logic between them. There are three key areas which draw the researchers circle of attention the most: firstly, the causes of the subprime foreclosure; secondly, the results of the subprime foreclosures, and finally a brief summary of underlying lessons. The policy recommendations will be discussed comprehensively in Section 4. 2.1 Literature Assessing Causes of the Subprime Foreclosure Foreclosures occur when householders are unable to meet their house payments. Borrowers who are unable to get their payments have the option of selling their house in the periods that house price is appreciating. In other words, borrowers have the ability to manage the financial budget to make profit from it, when the prices go down, borrowers may find that their mortgage size is greater than the value of their property. Foreclosure becomes a necessary option when the loan-to-value ratio goes over 100 percent (Capozza, Kazarian, and Thomson 1997). Moreover, many factors have been attributed to the termination of the subprime mortgage loans. Variables include loan size, house pricing, family income, the number of ownerships, the unemployment rate, and so on. In the literatures reviewed in this paper, more than one cause has been analyzed in a single paper and the results are mixed. For instance, Aoun has confirmed that lending standards and income have contributed to the high default rate (2009); Loose underwriting, predatory lending, inadequate oversight played a significant role in the deterioration of the real-estate market (Ernst, Keest, Li and Schloemer, 2006, Ellis, 2008); High initial housing cost may compel the potential homeowners to seek financing beyond their normal spending budget. Generally, weak or unstable employment situati on increases unemployment, promotes personal bankruptcies (Kaplan and Sommers, 2009), (Papadimitriou, Hannsgen and Zezza, 2007). Richter (2008) found that low income level, low credit scores and high rate of vacancy are associated with higher neighborhood foreclosure rates. Richter (2008) also demonstrated that more regulated legal environment is conducive to lower foreclosure filings. By summarizing all the causes in the literature, three main aspects causes have been discussed in detail in the following section. 2.1.1 Financial System Aspect Causes Mayer and Pence (2008) also find that lending activity in depressed housing markets is more likely to be subprime. At the same time, these markets high rates of foreclosure were coupled with previous high rates of vacancy and abandonment contributing to the worsening of spillover effects in neighborhoods (Community Research Partners, 2008). The relationship between information asymmetry  [3]  and subprime mortgage crisis is a very recent study and the related literature and empirical analysis appears around and after 2005. In Kau, et. al. (2010) information asymmetry is identified as one of the parameters of the subprime mortgage crisis, they argued that within the three kinds of participants: the borrower, the originator (primary lender) and the ultimate investor (secondary lender), the borrower have the most information about the future repayments and the possibility of foreclosure. The originator (primary lender) have some sort of familiarity with the borrower as they have to approve the loan, however, secondary lender is the party that know the least information and for whatever reason fail to exploit the information. Furthermore, Keys et. al. (2010) compare the performance of securitized subprime loans originated by 48 banks against those of 57 independent lenders, and find the quality of the former loans to be poorer. That is to say, the information asymmetry creates an information gap between t he lender and the borrower, which reduces the publicly available information in the market and that becomes one important factor which can trigger the crisis (Green, 2008). Hartarska and Gonzalez-Vega (2006) conducted the research on the effectiveness of the low-income borrowers credit counseling and found out that the foreclosure rate is reduced especially for the subprime borrowers who have been counseled before applying for the loan. It is not very easy to get the credit counseling data for the author; therefore, this argument is not practically testable as detailed by the author. This is a very fresh research and therefore needs to be looked into more detail to verify the creditability of the research. Poor underwriting standards may result in subprime crisis, according to Foote et. al. (2008), they pointed out that loose underwriting standards create the loans that are highly sensitive to the falling prices, which can be seen from the historical data that subprime default ed in greater numbers than the prime when the housing prices were falling down. Ellis also held the same conclusion (2008). 2.1.2 Government Organization Aspect Causes US regulated organizations played a crucial role in the off-balance financing for the houses, such as the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), as well as the Veterans Administration (VA) and the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). Jaffee and Quigley (2007) reinforced the role of government sponsored enterprises. Besides, some articles have been deep into government organizational aspects, such as Bostic and An (2006) they found that the increased government sponsored enterprises  [4]  purchases activities are associated with the decline in the subprime mortgage volume. They also demonstrate that the phenomenon is becoming stronger in the neighborhoods with minority groups and subprime-purchase groups and this is consistent with the st udy by Wyly et.al. (2006) and Passmore et. al. (2005). The effectiveness of the government policies are also doubtful, for instance, the federal program making home available program  [5]  has proved to be an inability program (Winter et. al., 2010), this statement is in contrary to the conclusion made by Hartarska and Gonzalez-Vega (2006). The key to this question lies in the cost and benefit of the counseling. They estimated the cost but it is hard to evaluate its correctness. 2.1.3 Sociology and Microeconomic Causes Another unique perspective is derived from sociological and physiological point of view, in Nettleton and Burrows (1998). They argued that the sense of insecurity speeds up the desire for the ownership of houses, which increases the chances for a family to fall into mortgages loans. Their argument is based on the UK market data but the empirical result can been seen as a general conclusion in the research field. Moreover, in Williams et. al. (2005) and Wy ly et. al. (2006) their arguments demonstrated that the race segment is one factor contributing to the sense of insecurity, therefore, that is why some minority regions enjoyed higher foreclosure rate. One of Gerardi, et. al. (2007) papers key finding is that appreciation of house prices is a key impact factor to the foreclosure. They divided the data into two groups; the ownerships with a 20% house price appreciation and another with a 20% depreciation. The results showed that the latter group had a default rate of fourteen times more than the former group. In short, they confirmed that the house value is the main driving force for the foreclosure. This is the consistent with the results supported by Papadimitriou et. al. (2007) and (Calomiris, Longhofer and Miles, 2008) The understanding about the causes of the subprime loan is very complex by Follian and Dunsky (1997). They pointed out that the demand of debt is highly responsive to the tax treatment of the deductibility of mortgage loan interests, but the relationship between after-tax income and demand for loans are not linear, however, their result is new and require more in depth analysis of the situation. Ellis made a comprehensive comparison between different countries and also believed that the tax deductible loan interest system encouraged higher leverage (2008) Gerardi, Shapiro, and Willen (2007), argued that it is impossible to know when the borrowers are starting a subprime for the initialization of the ownership. A borrower can start financing a house by various types of loans, however, in Gerardi, Shapiro, and Willen (2007), they addressed that homeownerships funded by subprime mortgage ended up into foreclosure six times more frequently than the prime loans  [6]  . The Role of Subprime Mortgages House is the physical shelter for human, the security sense arising from the ownership of the house will affect peoples personal life. This part the author reviewed the related paper s that link the subprime foreclosure to financial market, real estate market and also personal sociological influences. Immergluck and Smith (2006) find that higher foreclosure levels do contribute to higher violent crime rate. And a few authors confirmed that the subprime affect the sense of security, however, the most widely discussed effects arising from it focused on the financial and housing market, therefore, only the first two aspects will be evaluated in the following sections. 2.2.1 The Role of Subprime Mortgages in the Financial Market It is agreed widely that the declining houses price is one of the parameters of the housing crisis; however, the appreciation of house prices pushed borrowers turn to the subprime market for their expensive houses. Foote et. al. (2008) argued that the widespread of the subprime loans had put upward pressure on the house prices. On the other hand, the wide availability of the subprime loan products triggered the increase of home owne rship. According to Papadimitriou et .al. (2007), it is called the democratization of the credit market. The subprime borrowers do not benefit when they take out unaffordable loans, which in turn leads to the possibility of defaults. Whether it is the appreciation of house prices or the subprime loans which lead to high rates of defaults and foreclosures and the failure of mortgage firms, the large losses incurred by financial institutions is far from simple to define (Coleman IV et. al., 2008). Another perspective is that subprime loans was designed for forcing frequent refinancing, within which fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) is a lower cost refinancing tool managed by the government via the government sponsored enterprise (Ellis, 2008, Gordon,2008). Once the demand for funds increased, the inexpensive FRM is a preferable loan than the adjustable-rate mortgage and any other loans, which result in a higher ratios of origination and outstanding. The US market can be seen as the trigger for the recent finance turmoil with the oversupply of house construction at the late periods, in turn, the US market witnessed the sharp fall in housing prices and high rate of foreclosures due to the loose crediting standards. 2.2.2 The Role of Subprime Mortgages in the Housing Market It is inevitable that subprime mortgage has connection with the housing market, but in which direction does it affect the real estate market is a controversial debate up to now. The pros and cons for them will be analyzed later. In the most cases of the reviewed papers, the disclosure has a negative effect on the house prices, technically, the price and the defaults interact with each other. It is hard to distinguish between the cause and result. The rest part recorded that house price is relatively sticky, because in the analysis, even in the extreme circumstances, the average change of house price is comparatively small to the foreclosure rate fluctuation (Calomiris, Longhofer and Miles, 2 008). Another tricky argument is that subprime loans facilitate the increasing ownership of house in the US, namely, for the most house-tenants, subprime mortgage is the easiest resort to own a house, it is should not be blamed for the bubble of real estate market and the subprime crisis. In Coleman IV (2008), he confirmed that: The widespread availability of subprime loan products during this period, while arguably increasing consumption levels and homeownership rates, has been broadly blamed for this bubble. (Coleman IV et. al., 2008, p.272). Weicher (2007) shown the optimistic view about the crisis, he stated that the crisis is only a short-term event, the developed information technology and the advanced finance literacy will cut off the negative effect of the subprime. In sum, subprime has attracts praises and blames in the academics and it is seems too simply to define its effect on the market, more research need to be done to reveal its effects. Implications of the Subprime Mortgage Foreclosure From the causes and effects of the subprime mortgage, some implications can be drawn, however, this part is only a brief review, more detail implications and suggestions will be discussed in depth in section 4. 2.3.1 Legal and Regulatory System An effective regulatory environment that reduces information asymmetries and promotes a better functioning of the markets ultimately enhances new social surplus. Lower foreclosure rate can be explained by better regulations (Richter, 2008, Feldstein, 2007). It is widely agreed that the government should be partly responsible for the subprime mortgage crisis, but it is known that there is no long-run trade-off between price stability and achieving full employment and growth. From the macroeconomic view, Feldstein argued that the cut in the federal funds rate is a signal for the reduction in residential constructions and will alleviate the worsening economy, but the trade-off between different economi c variants need to be considered before putting into practice (2007). An alternative argument about the government regulations is to oversee the low income borrowers in order to prevent them from steering into the subprime mortgage market. It is oversimplification treatment of the question and as such it is impossible to fulfill the task. However, from another point of view, Bernanke is in strong support for a transparent system rather than for the regulations (2007) by maintaining that the system will warn the potential risk and punish the risky behavior. This requires a joint effort by congress, government administration, financial agencies and other parties involved. 2.3.2 Reducing the Information Asymmetry As for the detection of moral hazard and adverse selection, the easiest solution is to close the information gap in the secondary mortgage market: the firms buying loans must collect and analyze as much objective information as possible, and then classify the mortgages a ccordingly. Other alternative is to force the primary lender to retain an interest in the loan so that the originator will try to keep a reputation. The asymmetry problem faced by the originators themselves in the primary mortgage market seems more difficult to resolve. However, the primary lender have the incentive and ability to take more care in the approval of loans by a return to more traditional practices, such as by acquiring more personal knowledge of the borrower, which the lender is less likely to at such a great informational disadvantage (Kau et. al., 2010). 2.3.3 Establishment of the Credit Counseling System The purpose of the credit counseling is to help the low income borrowers to be aware of how much loans they can serve and to prevent defaults from occurring. However, counseling programs may vary by terms of delivery, desired outcomes, qualifications, counselors professional judgment of the counselors and program content. Therefore, it is very hard to have a s tandard system to evaluate the borrowers credit worthiness. It becomes a necessity to set up a systematic network to keep the subprime mortgage market in order if the counseling can reduce the default rate (Hartarska and Gonzalez-Vega, 2006, Quercia and Watcher, 1996). 2.3.4 Full Utilization of Government Managed Organizations Within the two main organizations held by the government-the HARP and HAMP (see section 2.2), HAMP becomes more important but more controversial in practice. According to Winter et. al. (2010), there is two ways that can be used to modify loans, the first is a direct incentive modification of 1000 dollars to the investors, and the second is a variation modification limit to the 31 percent loans against to the borrowers income. However, Winter et. al. (2010) also claim that only a small proportion (66465/902626 in year 2009 in St, Louis) received permanent modifications. Therefore, the result of the program is effective but limited with some scope. Curren tly, the government loan modifications seem like burdening the counseling agencies. The defaults are obvious and widespread unless right sorts of modifications, incentives and policies are placed for the borrowers in order to help them manage their debt in a timely and effective manner. The cost and benefit of the agencies need more discussions in depth further. The policy maker cannot foretell future trends of the house price, but they are critical in cutting down the unemployment rate, in the argument of Wray (1998), an effective job-creation program could alleviate the losses by offering government jobs who ask for them. Nonetheless, the remedy seems likely to challenge the US congress and government, as the burden of offering jobs is too huge. 2.4 Conclusion and Summary According to Foote et. al. (2008), the recent researches about the subprime only focused on limited data resources  [7]  and ignored the linkage between various mortgages for the same borrower over t ime. The literature review mainly focused on US market, Shiller (2007), however, notes that the appreciation in house prices has occurred widely in American, Australia  [8]  , Canada, China, France, India, Ireland, Italy, Korea, Russia, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Moreover, Shiller regarded the boom in house price as a typical speculative bubble, driven by extravagant expectations for future return. In the US, the territory focused mainly on some states such as Massachusetts (Gerardi et. al., 2008) and St. Louis (Winter et. al., 2010). Valverde and Fernandez (2010) analyzed the interaction between house prices and subprime loan in Spain market from 1990s to 2007, their findings show the same result as most mentioned papers in section 2.2.1, increased house price and mortgage loan occurred before the crisis, especially by large part of the subprime have been securitized. Haji has done a very promising report on the forecast of the subprime effects on the short-medium econom ic condition.

Feminism and the Power Struggle of Women in Ancient Greece...

Feminism and the power struggle of women in Ancient Greece Women are a very prominent part of the Greek society. Their role has influenced and shaped the Greek society to a very large extent. Women have been shown in many different lights in the Greek works of Odyssey and Iliad which we have covered in our class. The works that I will be citing in this essay, namely Homer’s poems Odyssey and Iliad talk about many prominent women such as Helen of Troy, Penelope and also many other Goddesses. Homer’s poems talk about the various traits of Greek women and portray their characteristics by describing their traits and the events they were involved in. Through this essay, I would like to illustrate how women were treated as objects of desire for†¦show more content†¦179, The Odyssey: The Story of Odysseus). Penelope is informed by the Queen of Ithaca that she has to weave a shroud for her dead husband before she remarries. In order to escape remarrying, Penelope cleverly kept weaving the same shroud that she weaved during the day, at night as well, which made the weaving of the shroud a never-ending activity. Another such incident penned by Homer, is the famous bow-stringing incident. Penelope’s husband Odysseus had a unique way of stringing his bow. When Penelope was swarmed by suitors, she tested each one of them by asking them to string the bow the same way her husband would. She was very confident that no one would be able to do that and believed in her husband’s unique ability. I personally feel that Penelope’s story is a great example of what kind of loyalty and faithfulness a woman should have towards her husband. Human beings are social animals, and we all have weaknesses; but overcoming these weaknesses is what makes our character stronger, and this is the point of Penelope that I admire the most. Unfortunately for Penelope, Odysseus was not as faithful as she was. On his long journey back home, Odysseus comes in contact with the witch Calypso and the sea nymph Circe. Although Calypso and Circe are shown to be villainous, there is no excuse for Odysseus’s infidelity with them. Calypso and Circe have special powers due to which Odysseus comes underShow MoreRelatedFeminism in Lysistrata1781 Words   |  8 PagesInstructor Date of submission Feminism in Ancient Greek Culture from the Perspective of Lysistrata Lysistrata is portrayed as a hero by Aristophanes and just as Antigone had played a social role in politics, so is Lysistrata portrayed. Most ancient Greek writers were people who had established themselves in the society. They were people of class, and when they wrote about women, they mostly wrote about women from their own social class. Women were shown to participate only in the domesticRead MoreThe Fight For Equal Rights Essay1753 Words   |  8 Pagesfight for equal rights has always been an ongoing struggle for women. The first movement made by women, war for equal right to vote, also referred to as First-Wave Feminism, happened in the 19th century till early 20th century. Is it possible that there have been earlier accounts that could have supported women’s rights before the 19th century? Greek mythology has many views towards women and it can be interpreted that it was a stepping stone to feminism and the relevance to what is today, a modern womanRead MoreFemin ism in Antigone Essay728 Words   |  3 PagesFeminism in Antigone Although ancient Greece was a male-dominant society, Sophocles’ Antigone portrays women as being strong and capable of making wise decisions. Antigone, the tragic heroine, rejects the traditional role of women. As such, Sophocles punishes Ismene for embodying traditional attitude. Moreover, Creon is punished for misogyny. Sophocles, accordingly, uses characterization to promote feminist ideas. Sophocles introduces a female character in Antigone who is a strong believer andRead MoreAntigone and Girl Power1064 Words   |  5 Pages Feminism is defined as the advocacy of women’s rights on the basis of social, political, and economic equality to men. Feminism plays a major role in hundreds of cultures, as it raises consideration to civil freedoms of women across the globe. Feminists generally seek to bring about change by fighting for what they believe in, and are often considered to have personal strength and integrity. In the play Antigone written by the Greek playwright Sophocles, the main character Antigone is a symbolRead MoreThe Conflict Between Women And Women1264 Words   |  6 Pages In ancient Greece, it is clear that certain stereotypes or societal norms were in place about the way that men and women should act. These issues can still be seen in present day society and still hold a problem. Women in ancient Greek culture were believed to be less-superior to men. Essentially, they were thought to be compliant to men’s actions towards them or possess the convention to â€Å"look pretty† for the men of society. This though wasn’t always the case and women could be seen deviatingRead MoreWomen Within The Grecian Culture1316 Words   |  6 PagesAncient Greece as a place and period time in our extensive history was a place of patriarchal power, controlled almost entirely by the masculine sphere and association with the Gods. It was a time in history that produced some of the most famous thinkers however they were all men. Women within the Grecian culture where very much the passive sex, confined to housework and almost never educated. It is i nteresting therefore that the characters that have emerged at the exposure of the phallic philosophicalRead MoreWomen s Oppression Of Women1657 Words   |  7 PagesThe oppression of women is best described as a steel cage, crafted over the centuries by the hands of patriarchal powers, enslaving flightless and chirp less birds. Birds may be benevolent and gentle, yet they embody a power most ferocious amongst all creatures. Though, it is of no fascination as to why women, in being similar to birds, transform from powerful peoples to frail figures. The molestation of power from these birds is done by the hindering cage encompassing them. The thick bars of oppressionRead More Feminism in Medea by Euripides Essay1000 Words   |  4 PagesFeminism in Medea by Euripides The play Medea by Euripides challenges the dominant views of femininity in the patriarchal society of the Greeks. While pursuing her ambition Medea disregards many of the feminine stereotypes/ characteristics of the patriarchal Greek society. She questions the inequality of women in a patriarchal society, contradicts Jason?s chauvinist beliefs, challenges the stereotype that women are weak and passive and completely disregards the feminine role of motherhoodRead MoreAnalysis Of Sophocles Play Antigone 1308 Words   |  6 Pages Throughout history, many cultures from around the world have set standards for women to follow. In ancient Greece, women had just about the same rights and freedom as slaves. A women would always live under the control of her father, husband, or any other male relative at the time. Women did not leave the household but instead they took care of it. Only wealthy women and that s not even half the amount of the ladies that didn’t have to work and just supervised slaves. The treatment of malesRead MoreWomen Role in Christianity and Islam996 Words   |  4 Pagesbeginning of the early Christian church, starting with Jesus, women were important members of the movement. The examples of the manner of Jesus reveal his attitudes toward women and show repeatedly how he liberated and affirmed women. Both complementarians and egalitarians see Jesus as treating women with compassion, grace and dignity.[2] The gospels of the New Testament, especially Luke, often mention Jesus speaking t o or helping women publicly and openly, contrary to the social norms of the time

Epilepsy Case Study Free Essays

Cora was two years old when she had her first seizure. As a mother, I was frantic and scared that my little girl was dying of causes I could not understand. After rushing her to the hospital, the doctors asked many questions about what happened. We will write a custom essay sample on Epilepsy Case Study or any similar topic only for you Order Now I told them exactly what I saw which I describes as, â€Å"My child was just watching a cartoon on TV. She began to throw a fit for no reason so I walked away as I always did. However, unlike normal she screamed louder and fell to the floor where she started to have small convulsions. I had one of her older siblings call the family doctor while I tried to figure out what was happening. The convulsions lasted less than a minute. Soon afterwards she clung onto me and fell asleep† (Jeanine Hansen, personal communication, October 13, 2012). The doctor left the room for a while after this discussion and returned with another doctor. That’s when I was told that my two-year-old daughter most likely had a seizure. The doctors then discussed with me that this may be a one-time thing and she may never have another one again. However, they also stated, that I need to watch Cora carefully to make sure that she does not have another one, which would then classify her as Epileptic. If that were the case, then there would have to be more discussion of possible medication and/or tests. At that moment, though, the doctor’s best advice was to go home and continue with normal routines (Freeman, 2002, 73-76). I had begun to think that Cora was never going to have another seizure again since it had been two months since I had rushed her to the hospital. It was a beautiful day outside and I happened to have the day off at work. Cora and my niece were in the playroom, while my sister and I were in the kitchen making supper. When out of nowhere, I hear a high-pitched scream and a loud thud from up-stairs. By the time that I got to the room, which was about forty-five seconds, Cora was just laying on the ground looking up in exhaustion. This time I was a little calmer; however, I still called the doctor for precaution matters. They asked me to bring Cora in to the doctor to discuss the next steps in helping my daughter to get better. When I went in to explain the second seizure my daughter had, the doctors told me that Cora was most likely having what was called a generalized tonic-clonic seizure or better known as grand mal. This is where the seizures happen without warning, the child has rapid convulsions, eyes roll p, and they may end lose urine (Hasselt, 1988, 248). The doctors could not be for sure that was what type of seizure Cora was having until they did further test with the specific electroencephalogram, EEG. (Hasselt, 1988, 248) The next step then was to set-up an appointment to have an EEG to determine the possible source of what was triggering the seizures. The doctors stated that for the test to work best Cora needed to be tired and relaxed. They suggested that I keep her up longer the night before and wake her up early in the morning, which I did (Freeman, 2002, 96). Then as I thought about her being relaxed I allowed her to bring one item that she wanted to bring, which of course was her blanket. On the way to the appointment, I explained to Cora that the nurse would be placing circle stickers, the monitors, in her hair. I explained what was going to happen while we were in the room and how throughout the whole process she was not going to get hurt. When we arrived at the hospital, I of course had to fill out paper work. Cora played during this time and she seemed to be relaxed. After sitting in the waiting room for about forty-five minutes we were called into a counsel room. This was where the doctor explained what this test could really tell everyone. Going into that room I had the belief that the EEG would be able to diagnose Cora as epileptic; however, the minute the doctor started to talk my hopes were crushed. He explained to me that the EEG scan would indeed not diagnose that she for sure was having seizures, unless one would occur while the scan was being performed. The best that the scan could do was to help in suggesting the appropriate treatment for Cora by determining the possible cause or causes (Freeman, 2002, 75-76). That’s when the first suggestion of a brain tumor came into play (Freeman, 2002, 74). My heart stopped a beat when the doctor said this. How could this be happening to my little girl? As the discussion continued, I was struck with continuing bad news of what could be causing these possible seizures and what the options were to fix them. Then we were moved into the examining room where I was allowed to sit next to Cora as she laid on the hospital bed. The nurse talked calmly to my little girl as she measured, marked and then glued on the monitors onto Cora’s head. At first Cora would not stop moving, I was worried that she would not be able to settle down for the test. Yet, when it was time, the nurse asked me to read Cora a story. She told me that Cora hearing my voice would calm her enough and indeed it did work. The test took about 30-45 minutes (Mayo Clinic, 2012) in which the nurse asked Cora simple questions, showed her cards, and to look at a flashlight to stimulate her brain in different ways (Mayo Clinic. 2012). Afterwards, the nurse took all of the monitors off and I scheduled to come in a week later to discuss the results. Cora had to continue these test every six months to a year based on how many seizures she had and how often her medication was upped. The initial results ruled out the fact that they were caused by a tumor, which was a huge relief to me. However, there was still the uncertainty what was causing them. The scan showed some abnormalities based on the spikes and absents of spikes in certain areas of the brain (Freeman. 2002. 97-102). Then the discussion was whether or not to use medicine to treat the possible seizures that could occur. We decided to put her on the lowest dosage possible. The first year went well with only one seizure occurring and at the year check up the scans came back with good news that not much had changed since the year before. However, the summer before Cora went to preschool that changed. During June, my three children and I moved out of the house they all grew up in and were moved to a strange house and neighborhood. Since I was a single parent trying to move while taking care of my three children, I neglected to put the children to bed at the regular time. After this new routine, Cora had six seizures in five days. I called the emergency doctor who prescribed me a narcotic that was given to Cora up both her nostrils with an aspirator (Jeanine Hansen, personal communication, October 13, 2012). The medicine made Cora a little silly; however, it helped stop the episodes of seizures. Two weeks before school started, I went into talk to Cora’s Preschool teacher about the precautions that had to be taken before, during, and after the grand mal seizures that Cora could possibly have during school. We sat and talked about the signals that Cora usually has before she has a seizure such as screaming or a loud noise and her body begins to go limb. We talked about the procedure that has to take place to keep Cora and the other students safe. The teacher needs to stay calm and assure the students that Cora will be okay. I suggested that the other students be given time for a break to ensure they could leave the room during the seizure. The teacher or a helper needs to clear the area of any thing that could hurt Cora during the seizure. Then I had a meeting with the principal and the teacher, where we all discussed the option of having a record of the seizures that happened while Cora was at school. This record would have â€Å"date and time the seizure started, behaviors before the seizure, body parts involved in the seizure, ending time and recovery period, and behaviors during the recovery period†(Smith. 2012. 356). Then there was the discussion of if the seizure could affect Cora’s learning and how we can assess the learning with technology. One of the major concerns was that certain light structures (strobe lights, video games) could trigger a seizure. Thus, we all agreed to the idea of low stimulating computer programs and games. Throughout Cora’s early and late elementary years she had a few seizures; however, since they never interfered with her time in the class or her learning she was never suggested for special education. As Cora approached the end of seventh grade, her seizures were less often than ever before. When the doctor analyzed this fact at the next check-up, they suggested that her seizures could be lessening and may eventually stop. At that time, the doctor lessened the dosage and decided that they would try to discontinue the medication slowly. The goal was for Cora to go six months to a year seizure free (Freeman. 2002. 178-179). Cora went into her eighth grade year seizure free, which continued into high school. I had always had the dream that Cora would have many adventures when she grew up. As any mother wishes for their child, I wanted Cora to go to college, travel the world, get married and eventually have a family of her own. However, those wishes and dreams ended the night of the crash (Freeman. 2002. 352). Cora had gone over three years without a seizure. She had been cleared to drive and the dream of her having a normal adulthood was in front of her. Yet, on that cold October evening, when she was on her way home from a football game, she had a grand mal seizure, where she lost control of the car. The car hit a bump in the road where it caused the car to roll. Cora was killed on impact. The part that I, as a mother, hate the most is that the doctors were unable to identify what caused the seizure. There are days that I still think of what Cora would be doing if she were still here today. How to cite Epilepsy Case Study, Free Case study samples

Film Documentary Wasteland Essay Example For Students

Film Documentary Wasteland Essay After watching Wasteland I have a different outlook on life and I also feel that after watching this movie I will be able to be a much better helper in my career going forward. â€Å"One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. † This quote is famous all around the world and is referenced in movies, music and the media. This quote fits perfectly for the documentary Waste Land, directed by Lucy walker, Karen Harley, and Joao Jardim. This film follows Brazilian artist Vik Muniz, who goes back to his hometown in Brazil, and uses garbage to create artwork that depicts the lives of the people who work in the largest landfill in the world in the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. This film doesn’t just talk about the art work that is created, but goes in depth about the people who live there and work there daily. The daily struggles that they are faced with, the lives they live and how the life as a ‘picker’ affects them. Throughout the documentary Vik Muniz meets and interviews a couple of pickers who have their very own unique backgrounds. Also there is the introduction of the Association of Pickers of Jardmin Gramacho, a union type group that was formed in order to get better working conditions and more rights. Vik Muniz is a Brazilian born artist who moved to New York City in 1983, after bizarre twists of events. He was trying to break up a fight, and when he was returning back to his car, someone shot him in the leg. The man who shot him was wealthy and paid him for compensation. With that money Vik Muniz bought a ticket to America. He then worked at low-end jobs and attended classes at the New School and the New York University, where he found his passion for art. Skipping ahead a couple of years, Vik Muniz had put his work in galleries and caught the eyes of the people all around the world, and the rest is history. Vik Muniz is a great example of the American dream, of coming from nothing and working his way to the top. Tiao was one of the key people through the documentary. He was in his late twenties to early thirties, and he was the president of the Association of Pickers of Jardmin Gramacho. He told his story about how people laughed at him when he said he had a dream, to form a group to get better working conditions for the pickers. I would have to say that he is the definition of dedication and a leader. Even though people rejected his idea of forming a group and protesting to get better working conditions, he kept at it. Another key person in the documentary was Suelem, a single mother who had been working as a picker for eleven years. The documentary follows her and she explains her daily life, and shows her houses. I felt that she was extremely courageous she was able to work and raise kids, and at the same time keeping her dignity by accepting her job as a picker as an honest living, and not doing what most girls were doing, which was prostitution. I can clearly remember the part in the documentary where she talks about the food she eats while she is working. She says â€Å"If I don’t die, it’s not bad. † Throughout the film there were other pickers that Vik Muniz interviews, such as Zumbi, Valter dos Santos, Isis, Irma, and Magna. All of these people work in bad conditions and yet all of them seem content with their job. .ue15537dc979e2bd77b4a383e2de3a674 , .ue15537dc979e2bd77b4a383e2de3a674 .postImageUrl , .ue15537dc979e2bd77b4a383e2de3a674 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ue15537dc979e2bd77b4a383e2de3a674 , .ue15537dc979e2bd77b4a383e2de3a674:hover , .ue15537dc979e2bd77b4a383e2de3a674:visited , .ue15537dc979e2bd77b4a383e2de3a674:active { border:0!important; } .ue15537dc979e2bd77b4a383e2de3a674 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ue15537dc979e2bd77b4a383e2de3a674 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ue15537dc979e2bd77b4a383e2de3a674:active , .ue15537dc979e2bd77b4a383e2de3a674:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ue15537dc979e2bd77b4a383e2de3a674 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ue15537dc979e2bd77b4a383e2de3a674 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ue15537dc979e2bd77b4a383e2de3a674 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ue15537dc979e2bd77b4a383e2de3a674 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ue15537dc979e2bd77b4a383e2de3a674:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ue15537dc979e2bd77b4a383e2de3a674 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ue15537dc979e2bd77b4a383e2de3a674 .ue15537dc979e2bd77b4a383e2de3a674-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ue15537dc979e2bd77b4a383e2de3a674:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Starship Troopers EssayA prime example is Valter dos Santos, a picker for twenty-six years, and also vice president of the Association of Pickers of Jardmin Gramacho. He is cheerful and talks about how being poor isn’t a bad thing. He says, â€Å"It’s not bad to be poor. It’s bad to be rich at the height of fame with your morals a dirty shame. † Valter’s old age didn’t stop him from working and it didn’t affect his high spirits. After watching this documentary, my reflection is that this film really made me open my eyes and see that we live in such a great country and a lot of people don’t have all of the things that we have here in America. Here in America, we hardly ever see poverty in its true form. We only see it on the T. V. or just small glimpse’s, as the number of homeless increase. The film depicts the hard life that they live, and yet here in America we have people complaining about good jobs. The pickers in the documentary really are living the hard life, and for some reason they are my hero’s. I never realized how blessed we are here in America and it is so unfortunate that people in other countries don’t have nearly as much as we do. I feel as though the people in this documentary work a lot harder than a lot of us here in America. If you were working as a picker, you would appreciate what you have and even though it’s hard, you are becoming a better person in the end. I’m not saying I’m not a good person, but I’m not perfect and it’s hard when you have all these things spoiling you, here in America. On another note, I really liked how the film just didn’t focus on the artworks that Vik Muniz created in the end, but instead showed where the art was coming from. The story behind each person and their joint effort to create the art works. In the end, the documentary really got me to sit there and captivated me. I personally don’t like documentaries due to the narratives or the boring interviews, but this was an amazing story of how people live these harsh lives, yet they are happy with what they have. To me the whole part about the artwork didn’t really make sense to why he made them dress or pose in a certain way. But the fact that the profits were going to the Association of Pickers of Jardmin Gramacho, made the documentary feel like a Disney movie with a happy ending. I feel we should all be like Vik Muniz and give back to the community that we grew up in, and go even further than that and give back to really anyone we can. When I become a teacher I know I will be giving back to so many because I won’t be just a teacher but I will be responsible for shaping children’s lives and I want any experience that my children have with me to be a positive one that they will remember and talk about forever. I want to be a teacher that one day one of my students will say â€Å"I want to be a teacher because my 3rd grade teacher had such a huge impact on my life and I want to do the same for my students. †