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Table of contents

1. Cause
Incubation PeriodDiagnosticsCounty StatisticsState StatisticsFederal statisticsPrimary PreventionSecondary PreventionTertiary Prevention
2. Conclusion
3. References

STI’s have become increasingly prevalent in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that nearly 20 million new STIs occur every year in the United States, with over half occurring among young people aged 15–24. Specifically, Chlamydia had been reported as being one of the most commonly noted STIs in the United States. It is reported as being among the most prevalent of all Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), and since 1994, has made up the largest percentage of all STDs (CDC, 2017).

Cause

Chlamydia is caused by the bacteria Chlamydia Trachomatis is the leading cause of the most commonly reported STI’s in the U.S. and worldwide.

The disease is transmitted through person-to-person unprotected sexual contact. There are reported cases where individuals who have contracted Chlamydia and found to have been asymptomatic for an extended length of time. When this occurs, the infected person may not seek treatment right away leaving them susceptible to many complications of the disease such as worsened inflammation in the pelvic region or Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) which may cause reproductive sterility.

Incubation Period

The incubation period for Chlamydia is poorly defined so much so that it has been termed a “silent infection” (CDC, 2017). The time from initial exposure to the onset of symptoms varies from person to person. Symptoms may appear from one to three weeks after initial contact with the affected individual. Some of the symptoms that an individual might experience are fever, foul malodorous discharge from the anus, vagina, or eyes if the infection starts there, painful urination, painful intercourse, bleeding post-coitus, and or abdominal pain.

Chlamydial bacteria require human hosts to survive and live parasitically in cells without replicating. Chlamydia passes between cells, and between people, in what is known as “elementary bodies”. These structures are spore-like in nature and eventually graduate to cells that are known as reticulate bodies. These are cells that can replicate once they are transmitted to a new host, they are more sophisticated in this form.

Diagnostics

Chlamydia can be diagnosed in a few ways; for women, a urine sample may be obtained, or a vaginal, cervical, anal or oral swab may be collected. For men, like women, a urine sample may be obtained however, a urethral, anal, or oral swab may also be collected (CDC, 2016). Serum studies may be done but will only indicate an increased level of white blood cells if the infection has reached colonization that causes the individual’s body to react.

County Statistics

For the most recent measurement period (2017), and when compared to other California counties, Riverside County reported a Chlamydia incidence rate of 467.3 cases per 100,000 population. The Strategic Health Alliance Pursuing Equity organization, (SHAPE) which is a community-wide effort to coordinate the resources of public health system partners to improve health for all communities in Riverside County reports that this is the second-worst quarter the county has had since 2013 when the value was lower, at 392.2 per 100,000 population.

State Statistics

Statewide, California has a Chlamydia incidence of 552.2 cases per 100,000 Californians which is worse when compared with the infection rate for Riverside County. According to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), Chlamydia infections have increased statewide by approximately 9% over the last few years. Chlamydia rates among females were 60% higher than among males and 54% of cases were among people under age 25.

Federal statistics

In 2017, a total of 1,708,569 chlamydial infections were reported to the CDC in 50 states and the District of Columbia. This case count correlates to a rate of 528.8 cases per 100,000 population. During 2000–2011, the rate of reported chlamydial infections increased from 251.4 to 453.4 cases per 100,000 U.S. residents. Then, during 2011–2013, the rate of reported cases dropped to 443.5 cases per 100,000 population. This was succeeded by an increase of reported cases over each of the next four years, when in 2016–2017 the rate increased 6.9%, from 494.7 to 528.8 cases per 100,000 U.S. residents.

Primary Prevention

Public Health Nurses are responsible to the people and the communities they serve to aid in primary prevention of disease and disability. For primary prevention, it is the goal of the Public Health Nurse to prevent cases of Chlamydia through sex education, and behavior modification strategies i.e. avoid having multiple sexual partners or avoiding unprotected sex. These interventions are listed by the CDC as preventative measures as there are no vaccinations against this STI.

Secondary Prevention

Secondary prevention involves early screening and treatment if disease is diagnosed. The goal of the Public Health Nurse is to prevent transmission of the disease from affected hosts to unaffected hosts. Also, if an individual is diagnosed with Chlamydia, the goal is to avoid any complications of the disease. For example, salpingitis is a complication that can cause ectopic pregnancy or tubal infertility. Therefore, screening becomes vitally important to avoid such complications especially because there is a risk that an individual may be asymptomatic for the disease and adversely, experience the ravaging effects of the STI on the reproductive system.

Tertiary Prevention

Tertiary prevention involves care of the person who is affected by a disease or chronic condition. The goal is to maximize the quality of life by limiting the effects of the disease or condition on the body, avoiding or minimizing complications, and restoring function to as much as possible (Paavonen, 1997). Regrettably, if a person with a chlamydial infection is not treated promptly, the damage that occurs may be permanent. For example, a woman may become infertile as a result of a chlamydial infection so the goal of the Public Nurse, in that case, maybe to promote reproductive counseling especially if the woman had not had any children.

Unfortunately, tertiary prevention of acute and chronic chlamydial infections of the upper genital tract has largely failed because irreversible tubal damage has already occurred by the time symptoms develop or the patient presents with infertility or tubal pregnancy.

Conclusion

While Chlamydia continues to be the most commonly reported STI various measures have been identified through continual surveillance to aid in decreasing the incidence and complications of the disease. Some interventions that have been identified are increasing awareness, prevention, and early screening and treatment. There are specific groups and age ranges that have been identified as being most at risk. For example, cases of chlamydial infections were highest among sexually active women aged 16-24. Also, Black or African Americans, followed by American Indian (AI), Alaskan Native (AN), Native Hawaiian (NH), or Other Pacific Islander (OPI) women were most commonly affected. That said the CDC, has recommended state and local Public Health entities concentrate efforts in the regions where these races are highly populated. Although statistics indicate an increase in chlamydial infections efforts are still encouraged through increasing awareness in schools, community clinics, social sites frequented by adolescents and young adults, and anywhere the message can be relayed (CDC, 2018). Also, behavioral modification strategies are encouraged by promoting abstinence, encouraging a decrease or avoiding multiple sexual partners, using latex condoms, and early screening. With these interventions continually promoted, the statistical tide may turn into a downward trend once again. However, the statistics are what they currently are, and Public Health Nurses can and should continue to do the great impactful work they do to help individuals and communities at large be educated and prevent this disease from perpetuating.

References

• California Department of Public Health. Sexually Transmitted Disease Control Branch 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/STD.aspx
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CDC Grand Rounds: Chlamydia prevention: challenges and strategies for reducing disease burden and sequelae. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2011; 60:370- 373.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2015. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2016.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2017. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/std/stats17/chlamydia.htm
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance, 2018. Atlanta, GA: Department of Health and Human Services; September 2018.
• O'Connell, C. M., & Ferone, M. E. (2016). Chlamydia trachomatis Genital Infections. Microbial cell (Graz, Austria), 3(9), 390–403. doi:10.15698/mic2016.09.525
• Riverside County 2019. Strategic Health Alliance Pursuing Equity Chlamydia Incidence Rate, 2017. Retrieved from: http://www.shaperivco.org
• Paavonen J. (1997). Is screening for Chlamydia trachomatis infection cost-effective? Genitourinary medicine, 73(2), 103–104. doi:10.1136/sti.73.2.103

Table of contents

1. Introduction
Common Types of Skin CancerRisk Factors & PreventionTreatmentFuture treatments
2. Conclusion
3. References

Introduction

Skin cancer is one of the most common cancers in the U.S. This type of cancer usually begins in the form a tumor which most of the time these tumors are benign and do not spread. Three major types of skin cancer, from benign to malignant are, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. People who have lighter skin are prone to easily acquire skin cancer as opposed to someone with darker skin. Even though the risk is higher it does not necessarily mean that they will get skin cancer. UV rays are the most common risk factors for skin cancer. Making sure one wears sunblock whenever they will spend time out in the sun is an easy and one of the best ways to protect your skin from these cancers. Some people like to go tanning which can be dangerous because when the rays reach deep layers of the epidermis it will create more melanin appearing as if it were a tan but can sometimes be deceiving and in reality, be cancer. Diagnosing cancer can sometimes be hard but there are certain ways to be able to detect at home if there is a slight possibility one might have cancer. Early detection key is called the ABCD rule. A stands for asymmetry; the pigmentated areas do not match. B stands for border; there are indentations. C stands for color; contains several colors not only one. D stands for diameter; larger than 6mm. If one has a mole who has all ABC and D, it might mean that it is cancerous, and one should contact their physician.

Common Types of Skin Cancer

BCCs are tumors that look like lesions on the skin which arise in the deepest layer of the epidermis. BCC almost never spreads and usually just stay as benign tumors, but they should be taken seriously because it is possible that sometimes BCC can spread throughout the body and become life threatening. Squamous Cell Carcinoma tends to look like small burns on the skin. It’s made of uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells from the epidermis squamous layer. SCCs tend to look like open sores and can be anywhere on the body including lips, scalp and neck. Melanoma is the most malignant skin cancer but also the least common. It is called melanoma because it begins in the melanocytes. It can develop anywhere is the skin that has exposure to UV light but are most likely to be seen first on the chest in men and on legs of women. People who are dark skin are less common to acquire it just like any other skin cancer, but they are the ones who are most likely to acquire melanoma on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, and under the nail. What is most interesting is that you are able to find melanoma on parts such as the eyes, mouth, genitals, and anal area. It does spread more than BCC and SCC if not caught on time. That’s why it is important to know and use the ABCD rule.

Risk Factors & Prevention

There are many risk factors that contribute to skin cancer. Most common risk factor is UV rays like tanning lamps and even a lot of exposure to the sun. Sunlight damages genes in the skin cells that lead to cancer. Our body required Vitamin D which sometimes can be safer by orally intaking it. That does not mean that the sun will give everyone skin cancer. Sunscreen protects the skin when we are outdoors for a long period of time. For tanning lamps maybe making sure to not tan often and even reduced how high the exposure is. Living in an area where the sun is out all year long you have a higher risk to get skin cancer for example Arizona state has a higher percentage of cases with skin cancer as opposed to Minnesota. Individuals who have darker skin color have more melanin which helps protect against UV radiation which is a good thing, but it does not necessarily mean that they are completely protected from skin cancer. Someone who burns easily or has many moles have a higher chance of exposure to skin cancer. Gender also plays an interesting fact when it comes to who has a higher risk of acquiring BCC. Men are usually the ones who are most at risk as opposed to women and are twice as likely to have SCC. Arsenic is a chemical which is usually used to make some insecticides and people who have exposure to this have a higher risk. Such as labor workers which spend most of their time on the sun can be affected by BCC, SCC, and melanoma. Safest way to be able to prevent or lower the risk of getting skin cancer is to seek shade when possible and prevent getting sunburned by using sunscreen which has a broad spectrum of UVB and UVA with 15 SPF or higher. Examining yourself at home is an easy way to do so as well by using the ABCD rule.

Treatment

If caught early SCC are curable and cause minimal damage but if it is left untreated it can lead to death. SCC may spread metastasize to local lymph nodes, distant tissues and organs and can become life-threatening. Any physician then takes a sample which is then examined and confirms if it’s cancer or not. The process to remove SCC can be done within a day if it is caught on time. Surgical procedures are the standard way to remove skin cancer tumors. Excisional surgery is usually when a physician removes the tumor cutting around it and usually cuts a piece of healthy skin just to make sure that cancerous cells are not around that will spread out. One interesting way of treating skin cancer tumors is by cryosurgery. In this procedure the tumor tissue is frozen, and it is done by using nitrogen liquid. It is set on for a while and then when the tumor becomes crusted it easily falls off within weeks. This process doesn’t include any medication, anesthesia, or any bleeding but the patient usually feels some stinging on the skin. Even though this method is not painful and seems like the easiest way many physicians tend to repeat the process because they want to make sure that the tumor has been eliminated. Between these two treatments a surgical procedure might be the most effective since the physician is removing the whole tumor and is observing the process while doing so as opposed to the nitrogen liquid the process occurs at home takes about 5 weeks and may not always reach all the tumor, so some cells might still be on the skin but not be seen.

Future treatments

Skin cancer is currently treated by laser surgery, surgical procedure, and even nitrogen liquid removal. Recently there have been new methods that are being implied. For instance, immunotherapy, which consists of the immune system attacking melanoma cells. It is currently being used but researchers are trying to develop this drug to be more effective. Researchers believe that by combining two methods of therapy for example nitrogen liquid and pembrolizumab can be more effective and help the patient from not being able to develop skin cancer again. Melanoma vaccines are being studied. Vaccines are currently being used to help prevent diseases like measles and polio, so it is to believe that it might be able to prevent cells from become malignant cancers by killing melanoma cells and preventing melanoma cancer. The difference would be that melanoma vaccines would be used to treat patients who already have melanoma not to prevent it. These vaccines are being studied and researchers are hoping that it will be an effective method.

Conclusion

Skin cancer is one of the most common cancers in the United States but if often seen as unimportant compared to other cancers. Even though, most diagnosed cancers are benign if left untreated they can be malignant. ABCD rule is the best way for early detection. Detecting a cancer early can help treat the tumor more easily and it may be more effective to not come back. Skin cancer is easy to prevent. Wearing sunscreen when being outdoors and also reducing the time in tanning beds. What I found interesting was the way that it can be treated. Since skin cancer is on the dermis it makes since that using nitrogen liquid to freeze the tumor helps to remove it. But it also concerns me because the removal happens within weeks which may freeze all the tumor or might leave some cells on the skin that will later develop again. By implementing a vaccine, which is being researched, can help this type of method to be more effective.

References

• American Cancer Society. (2010). Overview: Skin Cancer – Basal and Squamous Cell.
• Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment.” WebMD, WebMD, www.webmd.com/melanoma-skin-cancer/guide/squamous-cell- carcinoma.
• “Skin Cancer Foundation.” Prevention Guidelines - SkinCancer.org, www.skincancer.org/prevention/sun-protection/prevention-guidelines.
• “Skin Cancer Foundation.” Prevention Guidelines - SkinCancer.org, www.skincancer.org/prevention/sun-protection/prevention-guidelines.
• “What Is Melanoma Skin Cancer?” American Cancer Society, www.cancer.org/cancer/melanoma-skin-cancer/about/what-is-melanoma.html.

Merton’s strain theory, in general, is a theory found in both sociology and criminology that states that society puts certain pressures, referred to as strains, on individuals to achieve socially accepted goals e.g. the American dream, despite having the means to do so, may lead these individuals to commit crimes as a method of conforming to social ideals, or rebelling against them. Everyone strives to achieve their goals, but when goals determined by society are out of reach for a large population, criminal activity becomes an alternative means of achieving these goals. The United States, especially, has problems with wage gaps, housing and income inequality; as a result, most Americans feel as if their quality of life isn’t what they imagined it would be in this country, and that the ‘American dream’ is just a myth. There are different versions of the theory, but they all attempt to answer the same question: Does society and its pressures really lead otherwise ordinary citizens to commit crimes? Furthermore, should individuals bear all the blame, or does society need to reevaluate its standards and share in some of the responsibility, especially in a time of mass incarceration and frequent miscarriages of justice.

Society should have some partial responsibility in the development of criminal behavior, since its societal constructs are the reason so many people are fed up with the quality of their lives and see themselves as failing to live up to the high standards of living that the one-percenters are enjoying to the fullest. This comparison leads the underprivileged groups to turn to crime to better their lives and increase the odds of them finally reaching that status they’ve so desired. Larceny-related crimes, drug trafficking, and the selling of other illegal merchandise are typically what draw people to get-rich-quick schemes and it’s the illusion of leading a better life following the heist that motivates them to take part in these illicit activities. An individual who has no source of income would be forced into committing a crime to temporarily fix that problem, and as a result, would face severe punitive measures that correspond to the extent of the crime.

According to Nicole Rafter’s textbook, strain theory focuses on these pressures of society that force ordinary Americans to commit crimes to fit a certain mold that is created by the rich and their luxurious lifestyle. These pressures are instilled in the ordinary citizen, as they face certain hardships and challenges in meeting their wants for a life of contentment. Society puts up these ideals of what it means to live a fulfilling, meaningful life, summed up in the American dream of a suburban, upper-middle class lifestyle: a big, picket-fenced house, two cars, and great career. However, for most Americans, the middle-class is the hardest to enter, and the easiest to slip out of. The case being that the labor market is extremely selective, job availability is stagnant, and the systemic discrimination in every aspect of the socioeconomic relative to minorities is overwhelming, and serves as a barrier for success.

One of the important aspects of strain theory is means, referring to the “how” an individual can achieve these culturally-oriented goals. Means can determine if or not a person can succeed in the framework of a socioeconomic system, such as that running in the United States, and if they are unable to, they oftentimes turn to crime as an alternative means of achieving this cultural standard imposed on the populace by a society founded on social mobility. Means can be synonymous with opportunity, and a lack thereof, is without a doubt, one of the root causes of excessive crime rates.

This lack of means may lead to deviance, which in this context refers to the development of a criminal subculture to go against the norm and the standard means of achieving socioeconomic success. Gangs are an excellent example of this, with the entire purpose of groups such as the Bloods or Crips is to use crime as a method of achieving that same success, though the means vary widely. That’s where tensions in competition plays in, as they both attempt to monopolize illegal industries centering on drugs, weapons, and prostitution. Deviant subcultures come about through group frustrations with a broken system, and use that same broken system meant to debilitate them, for their benefit.

Slightly different, Robert Agnew’s strain theory is more focused on social norms as opposed to dissimilarities in cultural environments and other social variables that may influence the development of criminal behavior. Here, the focus is less the problems with infrastructure e.g. education, health etc. and more so to do with individual and emotional wellbeing. Then there’s Jie Zhang’s strain theory on suicide, that emphasizes more psychological strains, that are co-occurring, as determined through the examination of suicide notes from the United States and China, whereby these strains wreak havoc on the individuals psyche until they believe they have no other options left aside from suicide.

In my opinion, there’s conclusive evidence to support the idea that society does indeed play a role in criminal behavior for citizens that feel that there are no other alternatives to reaching the top. Although crime may be a different route that may or may not lead to the same destination, it is filled with the most danger, with long-term consequences to one’s actions made for short-term pleasure. Personally, I believe society should be held to some degree of liability, however, the perpetrator should be held accountable for their actions, as they still have the freedom and choice to decide against performing the crime, no matter how desperate the situation. Society may shape the individual depending on circumstance, level of opportunity, etc., but ultimately, it is the individual that is responsible for him/herself and their own actions.

Works Cited

1. Agnew, R. (1992). Foundation for a general strain theory of crime and delinquency. Criminology, 30(1), 47-87.
2. Merton, R. K. (1938). Social structure and anomie. American Sociological Review, 3(5), 672-682.
3. Nicole, R. (2011). The criminal brain: Understanding biological theories of crime. NYU Press.
4. Paternoster, R., & Bachman, R. (2017). Explaining criminal conduct: A general strain theory approach. Routledge.
5. Rafter, N. H. (2012). The criminal brain: Understanding biological theories of crime. NYU Press.
6. Sampson, R. J., & Laub, J. H. (1990). Crime and deviance in the life course. Annual Review of Sociology, 16(1), 133-160.
7. Shover, N., & Honaker, D. (1992). The social construction of crime. Transaction Publishers.
8. Zhang, J., & Wieczorek, W. F. (2016). Beyond Merton's anomie theory: A combined strain and subcultural theory of violent offending. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 43(2), 175-193.
9. Zhang, J., & Wu, K. (2017). The co-occurrence of psychological strains and suicidal ideation among Chinese college students: A test of Merton's strain theory. Deviant Behavior, 38(3), 296-309.
10. Zimring, F. E., & Hawkins, G. (1973). Deterrence: The legal threat in crime control. University of Chicago Press.

This essay describes how “gifted and talented” students are defined, how they are discovered, the problems they face and some of the myths about them.

When we speak of “gifted and talented” children, we think of musical prodigies, exceptional mathematicians, and young scientific geniuses. But are these definitions accurate? And what sort of problems face gifted children?

This paper defines “gifted and talented” children, how they are recognized, some of the myths about them, and the problems they face. The references refer to middle school students.

Gifted and talented (the two words are used together) students are defined as “persons of exceptional promise whose capabilities predict contributions of lasting merit in widely varying fields.” (“Information for Parents of Gifted and Able Learners,” PG). Gifted and talented students come from all backgrounds, economic levels and ethnic groups. Their talents and abilities for high achievement are so exceptional that they require special programs to meet their educational needs. (“Information for Parents of Gifted and Able Learners,” PG).

IIIRecognizing Gifted and Talented Students

While stellar academic achievement and a love of learning are two of the most common criteria used to define gifted and talented students, there are other signs as well. These indicators include advanced language development, advanced comprehension, sophisticated thought processes developed at an early age, unusual ability to comprehend and manipulate abstract ideas and to process information, exceptional problem-solving ability, advanced facility in moral and ethical matters, advanced sense of judgment, and the ability to retain a great deal of information and learn at a rapid rate. (“Information for Parents of Gifted and Able Learners,” PG).

Obviously, gifted and talented students excel in all areas, most of which are not strictly academic, such as moral judgment and a strong sense of justice. They have facility in all areas of life.

Myths about gifted and talented students abound. Some of those I found include these beliefs: gifted students are all part of a homogenous group; gifted students don’t need help; their futures are assured; they are self-directed and confident; they are naturally creative and don’t need encouragement; and their abilities are always welcomed and prized by their families. (“Common Myths about Gifted Students,” PG).

None of these is true; gifted students are still students, which means that although they may be very bright, they are still teenagers, still wrestling with the social and emotional problems that teens face. Although they may do well academically, and sometimes that isn’t true, either, they are first and foremost students, not miniature adults, and should be treated as such.

The main problem these young people face is that schools do not provide them with material that challenges them. They perform at a much higher level than others of their age, and they require special programs. If a school district doesn’t have the financial ability to create these programs, these students may not fulfill their potential. The word “challenge” occurs frequently in describing the programs for these students.

In addition, these students face problems that, oddly enough, may not bother less talented students. These problems include feelings of being “different,” confusion about being gifted, heightened self-expectations sometimes leading to perfectionism, and uneven emotional development. In some cases, gifted and talented children become underachievers, drop-outs, or take their own lives. (“Information for Parents of Gifted and Able Learners,” PG).

Gifted and talented students face a unique set of problems stemming directly from the fact that they are exceptional. Schools recognize the need to provide challenging and sophisticated programs for them, but the students themselves may ironically find that their own emotional reaction to their gifts is uneasiness, a feeling of not belonging, unhappiness and even suicide.

Taekwondo, usually thought of by most people as just a way of fighting, and as being a brutal sport. People consider it brutal because of all the kicks, punches, throws, and arm and wrist locks; they usually aren’t open minded enough to see the way it benefits people especially children. Though a majority of it includes fighting, taekwondo also helps a person with self-confidence, self-defense and discipline. Developing self-confidence is an important aspect of learning taekwondo. Through gaining self-confidence the student learns to believe in his/her abilities. In believing in his/her abilities the students performance would be affected in and out of the dojo. As the student’s self-confidence rises, so will his/her attitude. Once the students’ confidence begins to rise their attitude, in general, rather it is at work, school, or at home usually improves. In time he/she will develop an indomitable spirit. The student should always be willing to keep trying as he/she progresses through the belt levels. As the student rises through the belt ranks, the self-confidence he/she develops in the dojo will benefit him/her throughout their life.

The thought of learning self-defense is usually the main reason for people to join taekwondo. In addition to learning self-defense, taekwondo is also very demanding physically. Warms up exercises in taekwondo usually consist of push-ups, sit-ups, squats, stretches, and crunches. Self-control is mandatory when learning taekwondo. Without self-control the student can seriously injure other students or his/her-self. Along with learning self-control and becoming physically fit, the students also learn about martial arts weapons. Weapons are usually taught as being an extension of the student’s hands. In becoming physically fit, learning self-control and weapons, the students are on their way to becoming very well rounded martial artists. Discipline in taekwondo is shown through the uses of katas, respect, and repeatability.

Forms or kata’s are used to advance from one belt level to another. Students must be able to perform kata’s in the correct order, step by step in order to be promoted to the next belt level. Showing respect in the dojo to the instructor and other students is also part of the discipline required in taekwondo. Students usually bow as he/she are entering or leaving the dojo and to each other. Repeatability also plays a big role in discipline. Students are required to practice the same kick or punch repeatedly while walking in a straight line. Discipline in taekwondo enables the student to perform satisfactory in obtaining his/her next belt level. If more people would approach the study of taekwondo with an open mind, they would discover the many benefits available other than fighting. Taekwondo can be used as a stress reliever after a long day at work or school. The self-confidence, self-defense, and discipline learned through the study of taekwondo are very useful inside and outside of the dojo.

Works Cited

1. Bae, J., & Kim, M. (2017). Effects of Taekwondo training on physical fitness, balance, and self-efficacy in pre-adolescents. Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation, 13(6), 676-680.
2. Chang, H., Kim, S., Choi, J., & Lee, H. (2017). The effects of Taekwondo training on peripheral neuroplasticity-related growth factors, cerebral blood flow velocity, and cognitive functions in healthy children: A randomized controlled trial. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(8), 861.
3. Choi, J. H., Moon, J. S., & Song, R. (2018). A systematic review of the effects of Taekwondo practice on physical and psychosocial outcomes in children and adolescents. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(7), 1450.
4. Fong, S. S., Chung, L. M., & Chow, L. P. (2017). Effects of Taekwondo training on balance ability in children with developmental coordination disorder. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 60, 222-230.
5. Ji, L. L., & Chung, S. S. (2017). Effects of Taekwondo training on children's health-related physical fitness: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Sports Sciences, 35(14), 1342-1350.
6. Kim, D., & Shin, M. (2016). Effect of Taekwondo training on the psychological adaptation of children with physical disabilities. Journal of Physical Therapy Science, 28(11), 3230-3233.
7. Lee, Y., & Lee, M. (2016). Effects of Taekwondo intervention on balance in children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Physical Therapy Science, 28(10), 2889-2892.
8. Nambi, G. S., & Inbaraj, L. R. (2017). Effect of Taekwondo training on the psychosocial factors and physical fitness in school children. International Journal of Development Research, 7(12), 17672-17675.
9. Ozmen, T., Aydin, M., & Dogan, H. (2015). Effects of Taekwondo training on physical fitness and self-concept in pre-adolescent children. Journal of Physical Education and Sport, 15(3), 419-425.
10. Yoon, S., & Kim, K. (2016). Effects of Taekwondo training on cognitive function and emotional control in preschool children. Journal of Physical Therapy Science, 28(8), 2306-2309.

Table of contents

1. A Nurse’s Job
2. The History of Nursing
3. The Value of a Nurse

In the medical world, there are several positions that serve a fundamental purpose towards maintaining the complicated system of commercial care taking. The demand for a wider variety of medical options has a direct correlation with how some medical staffing communities view their work environment. Nursing established itself as an inexhaustible profession long before there were committed, and medical boards based around the career. From the core of their values, “nurses advocate for health promotion, educate patients and the public on the prevention of illness and injury, provide care and assist in cure, participate in rehabilitation, and provide support. No other health care professional has such a broad and far-reaching role.”

Doctors are known for prescribing health care and maintaining the health of their patients, yet nurses remain relatively unspoken in terms of their credibility. Nurses spend more time with their patients than any other medical officer available in a hospital or doctoral setting. When providing care for another individual who happens to be under the influence of an affliction, trust is an integral part of helping that person heal. Thankfully, “nurses help families learn to become healthy by helping them understand the range of emotional, physical, mental and cultural experiences they encounter during health and illness.” Nurses are well trained, qualified, capable, yet still remain unrecognized in their efforts against poor health care. Since nurses spend more quality time with their patients, nurses also have the advantage of gaining a better understanding of how their patients bodies function. To further realize the impact that nurses have on society, the medical position of the nurse must also be examined.

A Nurse’s Job

Outside of the hospital, not much is generally known about nurses beyond the aspect of nurses taking care of the sick. “The nursing role is rapidly evolving as nurses are tasked with an even wider range of health care responsibilities. Caring for the sick has certainly gotten more complicated. Hospitals are understaffed. Budgets are tight.” The complexity of medicine is influenced by variations of body types and health conditions. However, the fickle nature of the hospital setting makes it difficult for doctors to achieve their goals without a tight schedule. The role of the nurse is to fill in the spaces in which a doctor is unable to provide care for their patients. Each nurse in a hospital has a special job to complete. Nursing requires more than just a single individual work ethic, the collaboration of each member in the workplace is vital for providing the public with adequate health care.

Furthermore, “It’s more than knowing how to perform tasks and procedures; It’s about being a more effective member of the health care team and navigating clinical systems.” Nursing is considered a group activity in relation to how medical professionals work together. Every nurse is under the obligation of following the medical procedures put in place by the hospital. To further explain the scenario, “nurses provide ongoing assessment of people's health. Their round-the-clock presence, observation skills, and vigilance allow doctors to make better diagnoses and propose better treatments.” Patience is the greatest tool that a nurse has at their disposal and this is why nurses work so well in their fields. When looking retrospectively, nursing has always been about patience and providing comfort to those who are sick.

The History of Nursing

As stated earlier, nursing is a medical profession that has been around longer than most other medicinal facets of engagement. During the early days of nursing, most nursing staff personnel were used during large scale battles or wars. Nursing did not grow into it’s current height until after an extended period of time. To elaborate, “the origins of nursing predate the mid-19th century, the history of professional nursing traditionally begins with Florence Nightingale. Nightingale, the well-educated daughter of wealthy British parents, defied social conventions and decided to become a nurse.” The most influential nurses in the workplace are the ones that risk their feelings for the sake of protecting their patients. The role of the doctor has always been to provide care, while nurses middle manages the other events that occur within the hospital setting. However, nurses have also been known to do more than what is required of them, despite their restless schedules. In the past, only so many nurses and nursing related individuals were recognized as useful members in the medical field. As far as historical figures go, there are only so many to look up in the world of nursing. “Florence Nightingale, regarded as the founder of modern nursing, is remembered as "the lady with the lamp" - yet she also collected data to prove that the main cause, by far, of fatalities in the Crimean War was not enemy fire, but infections attributed to improper sanitation. She was a pioneering statistician, probably the first person in history to use graphs and charts to persuade politicians to act.”

Nurses are fantastic at discovering new treatment options, and this fact comes from how much time nurses spend with the ones they take care of. Curiosity has long been the driving force behind some of the biggest discoveries in the medical world. Generally speaking, nurses have a large sense of wonder, and this allows them to perform well in their respective fields. Nursing remains one of the largest growing professions in the United States of America, due to the necessity of a functioning health care system. “Nursing has become more complex in ways that couldn’t have been imagined a generation ago. Now there’s an imperative to be not just a great caregiver but a great innovator too. The demands of health care are calling for a new generation of thinkers who want to be agents of care innovation. It’s a profession for the intellectually curious, lifelong learner.” It is apparent that creativity and nursing work well together when conceiving new ways to treat medical patients. As the world grows older, the need for nurses in the world should remain consistent. In history, nurses are the individuals that take the most care of their patients and without nurses the amount of patience in the medical world will decrease.

The Value of a Nurse

Nursing is a major profession, yet it has not always been as advanced as it is today, mainly as a result of societal growth. Before entering the work force, all nurses are required to go through some form of standardized training, unlike the early days of nursing in which any woman would be considered a caretaker. Today, nursing has more in common with a competitive job market such as engineering rather than a stationary career such as a store clerk. On that note, “today's university-trained nurses learn to trust their own first-hand observations to generate important research leads on significant topics.” It is widely considered to be the doctors position to discover new treatment options, yet it is the nurses that also perform these actions. In some cases, the nurses of a hospital are more tact in their mannerisms than their doctor counterparts. The time nurses spend with their patients is invaluable, and the results of their relationships with their patients are apparent inside of the workplace. On another note, “many lives have been saved because an attentive nurse picked upon early warning signs of an upcoming crisis like cardiac arrest or respiratory failure.”

Nurses are required to handle intense situations while under mass amounts of pressure radiating from the lives they save on a constant basis. The attitudes for this job position need to be caring yet distant, meaning that not every individual has the temperament for this job. Most nurses are highly educated in their field, despite the low amount of capital they and recognition they receive. For instance, “nurses are giving TED talks, publishing scientific research, developing mobile medical applications, and actively addressing health care policy. They’re collaborating with their colleagues, from social workers and oncologists to hospital administrators and public safety personnel.” Nurses are making incredible strides towards producing new levels of comfort in the hospital setting. Doctors and other medical personnel rely on nurses to get their procedures completed properly. As time goes on, the role of nurses in the workplace will only increase and the importance of these medical nurses will evolve.

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Nurses are not just a part of a hospital, they are the hospital itself due to the amount of work they do without much recognition. Doctors do their best to make an accurate diagnosis on the conditions of each patient that enters the facility. Nurses provide care to the ill, not just through their daily tasks, but also with their propensity to care about others. More specifically, “nurses help people and their families cope with illness, deal with it, and if necessary live with it, so that other parts of their lives can continue.” Doctors understand the high-risk situations of patient care, but not nearly to the same degree as nurses understand the matters that plague the facility. Nurses are not only medical participants, they are also human beings. Humans have the innate ability to comfort others during times of distress, and nurses are no exception to this fact. Furthermore, “nurses do more than care for individuals. They have always have been at the forefront of change in health care and public health.” In the hospital setting, nurses are the individuals that every person goes to in the event of an emergency. The nurse is always present, alert and well responsive to the needs of their patients. Nurses not only construct the backbone of the medical workplace, they provide love to the patients that require it the most.

Nervous tissue is a vital part of our nervous system. Without the nervous system, humans would not be able to function. Nervous tissue is composed of cells called neurons, which allow the body to convey messages through electrical nerve impulses. Neurons help us make sense of stimulation, control muscle contractions, and coordinate many bodily functions and movements. On top of that, nervous tissue is what allows us to have awareness, form memories, exhibit reasoning skills and feel complex emotions.

The primary components of the nervous system are the brain and spinal cord. We refer to these organs as the “central nervous system.” Because it is such a necessary part of our being, we have bones (the skull and spine) to surround and protect the central nervous system. Any other nerves or ganglia outside of the brain and spinal cord are referred to as the peripheral nervous system. The peripheral nervous system allows the central nervous system to connect with every other part of our body. The peripheral nervous system is further broken down into the somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system. Our ability to voluntarily move our muscles is thanks to the somatic nervous system. In contrast, the autonomic nervous system is largely involuntary and helps with breathing, heart rate and other “automatic” body functions.

If I am ever in a car accident, knowing about the nervous system and its functions will help me communicate with the medical professionals. For instance, if I lose feeling in one part of my body, I can help them determine where the injury originated. I will now know how to treat potential head, neck and spine injuries to prevent serious damage.

Works Cited

1. Bear, M. F., Connors, B. W., & Paradiso, M. A. (2016). Neuroscience: Exploring the brain (4th ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
2. Carlson, N. R. (2013). Physiology of behavior (11th ed.). Pearson.
3. Kandel, E. R., Schwartz, J. H., Jessell, T. M., Siegelbaum, S. A., & Hudspeth, A. J. (Eds.). (2013). Principles of neural science (5th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
4. Purves, D., Augustine, G. J., Fitzpatrick, D., Hall, W. C., LaMantia, A. S., McNamara, J. O., & Williams, S. M. (2018). Neuroscience (6th ed.). Sinauer Associates.
5. Squire, L. R., Berg, D., Bloom, F. E., du Lac, S., Ghosh, A., Spitzer, N. C., ... & Zigmond, M. J. (Eds.). (2013). Fundamental neuroscience (4th ed.). Elsevier/Academic Press.
6. Bullock, T. H., & Orkand, R. K. (2004). Introduction to nervous systems. In Neuroscience in medicine (pp. 3-23). Humana Press.
7. Siegel, G. J., Agranoff, B. W., Albers, R. W., & Fisher, S. K. (Eds.). (2001). Basic neurochemistry: Molecular, cellular, and medical aspects (6th ed.). Lippincott-Raven.
8. Brodal, P. (2004). The central nervous system: Structure and function (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press.
9. Glickstein, M. (2013). The cerebellum: A neural system for the study of movement, control, and its disorders. Princeton University Press.
10. Martin, J. H. (2019). Neuroanatomy: Text and atlas (5th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.

Overview

The museum of tolerance provides unique experiences that are influenced by the cultural and historical events especially based on prejudice and discrimination that took place in the past. The museum is owned by a Jewish human right organization through its education arm. I must admit that the assignment gave me a rare opportunity to learn and experience on events that have transpired on human life in the past changing my entire perspective on the importance of the freedom we enjoy today irrespective of our cultures and diversity. One of the important sections of the museum is the holocaust sector. The section contains the details of the Jewish persecution under the era of the Nazi leadership where more than 1.5 innocent children died through maltreatment and neglect. Another exhibition that had an impact me was the Anna Frank exhibit. Some of the resources in the holocaust were the paper project film, and Moriah film, which details the collection of those who perished during this traumatizing event in history. Other exhibits include the resources on discrimination of the Jews based on culture, the Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler among others.

The museum of tolerance uses high technology to interact with the visitors in the virtue field trip. Exploring the idea of human rights, the museum engages the visitors in finding solutions to some of problems in the society regarding human rights like exploitation of women and children. The tour guide was of much help in explaining various exhibits in the museum that I would not have understood by myself. Well, these events might have happened in the past, but the experiences made me strongly and emotionally feel like I was part of the happenings.

The world is made up of different people who are culturally diverse. The holocausts exhibition and other exhibits give people an opportunity to understand the bad experiences that the Jewish people underwent through in the World War II. The virtual trip to the museum of tolerance reveals a broad set of traits that define the culture of the Jewish people and their German persecutors. The resources provide details of how different norms, attitude and beliefs influenced the cruelty directed towards the Jewish culture.

Unlike today, in the holocausts era different cultures did not coexist under the social structures that are present today. The overlap between the culture and ethnicity that exists today defined where an individual belonged. A Jew was a Jew despite of the country of residence, the Germans considered all the Jews an inferior race. The cultural diversity and leadership series offers a significant link on what is learnt in classroom and the actual experience in cultural diversity. Some of the impact the visit to the museum plays on cultural diversity includes creating awareness on various cultures that defined cultural diversity and how they contributed to the events like holocaust. The visit also creates understanding and knowledge on cultural diversity enhancing the knowledge learnt in the classroom. Some of the lessons I learnt from the visit to the museum of tolerance includes accepting and appreciating the role that cultural diversity plays in our society.

The visit gave me an opportunity to know many things that I did not know on the Nazi party. The party that began as a gang of soldiers rose to become the legal government led by Adolf Hitler. The museum of tolerance showed the all the details and the timeline of the holocaust experience which are essential in understanding the contribution of the Jewish culture and how it led to their destruction. The resources provided by the exhibit are firsthand experience of the holocaust victims. The experience created a psychological and physical awareness of the cruelty of the events to the Jewish people.

I was not fully aware of the tragedy and the sorrow of the holocaust experience before visiting the virtual trip. I learned about Anna frank and the sacrifice efforts she put in helping his fellow Jewish citizens. From the several years of learning on holocaust experience in high school and college years, the old documents and the pictures provided from the museum of tolerance enhance that knowledge. My impression of the Nazi uniform used in the war, personal effects from the survivors and the victims among other artifacts portrayed a picture of the events as they occurred in the past.

I also learnt that unlike today, cultural differences played a significant role in the cruelty of the Germans towards during the times of the holocaust. Through the Ann Frank exhibit, I learnt through the first hand experience of what the holocaust victims were going through in order to survive. The visits also made me realize the vulnerability of the children from the experience as they were most affected by sleeplessness, terrorism, anxiety, confusion and stress related trauma. Irrespective of their age, children were taken away from their parents, which was a total disregard of their rights. Unlike today where children rights are a priority, the visit made realize that the community was no longer concerned with global issues as it is the case by today.

In my perspective, such events that happen in the history are significant in helping us learn and avoid such events from happening in future. The virtual field trip changed my perspective on the holocaust as I came first hand with the experience from victims and survivors. The world has become a different place from the experience and lesson from the holocaust and united to avoid a repetition in the future.

The impact of trip changed my view on the contributions that we should make as a society to safeguard the life of people against evil rules and dictators. It is the responsibility of the society to take drastic measures to ensure that such evils do not repeat. The story of Ann Frank in particular changed my perspective on only the big and influential people in the society can make a difference.

I would strongly recommend everyone to visit the museum for the first hand experience on the survivors of the holocaust and other historical artifacts. Even though reading from textbook one can still learn on the experiences, the opportunity from the museum gives the viewers a chance to feel and relate it to events by creating a true sense of compassion. The virtual trip provided a cost effective way to interact with museum just like a field trip in a cost effective way. However, I would recommend that the museum add more interactive sessions, special events and program to enhance the experience of the visitor even more. This will also engage the minds and the hearts other site visitors in learning this crucial part of history.

Many homes in West Palm Beach have at least one old, dysfunctional vehicle lying idle in a garage or a driveway. Most of these vehicles commonly known as junk cars are usually too old to be repaired, or road unworthy vehicles, that are better off not on the road. Making money from these cars sounds like a great idea.

When the time is ripe to let go of old cars, getting them out of the junkyard can be a challenge. However, there are junk car removals service providers that make this process as easier than you can imagine. In fact, some of these companies offer their services for free and still pay the car owner.

Getting cash from an old non-operating car is different from getting cash from an operational car. Old cars have fewer options. You can sell your car to a junkyard, or sell your car on eBay or Craiglist. Do not be fooled though. The fact that your car is old or stagnant doesn’t mean it’s worth a few bucks.

What may look like junk in your car can actually be recycled to produce great products. If you sell your car to a metal scrap dealer, for instance, the amount of money you are likely to get depends on the demand of the car parts, and their weight.

There are many junk car removal service providers in West Palm Beach. With many options, comes a responsibility to search for the best service provider. Here are 3 major factors to consider when hiring a car junk removal service provider:

Cost

Do you intend to make a profit from your junk car, or do you want to get rid of it as a way to create space on your property? Do an extensive research to be aware of what companies provide, and know which one meets your needs.

Some professional junk car removal providers go an extra mile to arrange for towing services at their own cost. Alternatively, you can weigh your options and sell your junk car to a metal scrap dealer. The advantage of selling your car to a junkyard is that the yard caters to the removal process. They hire towing services from a towing company and pay the company from their pocket. And you still get your money for the sell!

However, some junkyards pay for the car on the condition that you tow it to their yard. Some companies do not pay the owner for the car. Instead, they tow the old car, sell the car parts as scraps to scrap dealers and make a profit for themselves.

Now that you have identified a cost-friendly company or option, it’s time to do a little background check on the company. Some companies are reputable for offering timely and quality services. On the contrary, some have a bad reputation because of poor services. Past clients are the best to ask about their experiences with different companies. The feedback you get helps make an informed decision.

The proximity of your location and the companies can influence the cost of the service. A local company costs less compared to a far-off company. Besides, you will not spend a lot of time waiting for the arrival of an outsourced company, who could be stuck in traffic. Neighbors or local mechanics are good referrals for locally based companies.

When it comes to paperwork, some junkyards insist on buying old cars that have their relevant paperwork in order. Other yards could care less about the paperwork. Therefore, selling an old car with no title is possible, although it comes at an extra cost. In fact, selling an old car with no title is allowed in West Palm Beach, Florida. The only requirement is the completion of a Derelict Motor Vehicle Certificate, to prove ownership of the car.

When all is said and done, remember to have a written agreement with the company of your choice. You never know when things might go south, causing you to lose everything. West Palm Beach has some of the best junk removal service providers in Florida. Instead of outsourcing a distant company, ask for referrals for locally based companies.

Table of contents

1. Abstract
2. Introduction/Overview
3. Discussion and Analysis
4. Conclusions or Recommendations

Abstract

This paper’s goal is to provide an overview of the Patriot Act in order to provide an understanding of what it does and how one can come to a proper conclusion or recommendation for the Act itself. It will focus on the origin of the Act, who was involved, why it was created, and how the public responded to it. There will also be details of the the different expired and still current titles. With the use of further research, there will be analysis of the controversies surrounding the Act as well. The conclusions and recommendations at the end of the paper discuss some ways that the Patriot Act titles, and the organizations such as the NSA, can be more honest with the public.

Introduction/Overview

The USA Patriot Act is an antiterrorism law enacted by the U.S. Congress in October 2001, at the request of President George W. Bush in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. It was signed by Bush on October. 26, 2001, and is often referred to as just “The Patriot Act” ("The USA PATRIOT Act,” 2016).

The law gave new powers to the U.S. Department of Justice, the National Security Agency and other federal agencies on domestic and international surveillance of electronic communications. It also removed the legal barriers that had blocked law enforcement, intelligence and defense agencies from sharing information about potential terrorist threats and coordinating efforts to respond to them ("The USA PATRIOT Act,” 2016).

The Patriot Act contains ten titles that each contain multiple sections, many of which are currently expired. The following are all of the descriptions of the titles.

TITLE I: Enhancing domestic security against terrorism: establishes a fund for counterterrorist actions, condemn discrimination against Arab and Muslim Americans, increase funding for the FBI's Technical Support Center, allow for military assistance in some situations involving weapons of mass destruction when requested by the United States Attorney General, expanded the National Electronic Crime Task Force, and expanded the President's authority and abilities in case of terrorism ("How The Patriot Act Works," 2007).

TITLE II: Enhanced surveillance procedures: grants increased powers of surveillance to various government agencies and bodies ("How The Patriot Act Works," 2007).

TITLE III: International money laundering abatement and Financial Anti-Terrorism Act of 2001: intends to facilitate the prevention, detection and prosecution of international money laundering and the financing of terrorism ("How The Patriot Act Works," 2007).

TITLE IV: Protecting the border: aims to prevent terrorism in the USA through immigration regulations. The provisions of the title generally increase the difficulty of entering the country for those known to have, or suspected of having, terrorist intent ("How The Patriot Act Works," 2007).

TITLE V: Removing obstacles to investigating terrorism: allows the U.S. Attorney General to pay rewards pursuant of advertisements for assistance to the Department of Justice to combat terrorism and prevent terrorist acts ("How The Patriot Act Works," 2007).

TITLE VI: Providing for victims of terrorism, public safety officers and their families: provides aid to the families of Public Safety Officers who were injured or killed in terrorist attacks ("How The Patriot Act Works," 2007).

TITLE VII: Increased information sharing for critical infrastructure protection: increases the ability of U.S. law enforcement to counter terrorist activity that crosses jurisdictional boundaries ("How The Patriot Act Works," 2007).

TITLE VIII: Strengthening the criminal laws against terrorism: alters the definitions of terrorism and establishes or re-defines rules with which to deal with it. It redefined the term "domestic terrorism" to broadly include mass destruction as well as assassination or kidnapping as a terrorist activity ("How The Patriot Act Works," 2007).

TITLE IX: Improved intelligence: establishes requirements and priorities for foreign intelligence collected under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 and to provide assistance to the United States Attorney General to ensure that information derived from electronic surveillance or physical searches is disseminated for efficient and effective foreign intelligence purposes ("How The Patriot Act Works," 2007).

TITLE X: Miscellaneous: created or altered a number of miscellaneous laws that did not really fit into the any other section of the Patriot Act ("How The Patriot Act Works," 2007).

The Patriot Act was reauthorized later by three bills. The first, the Patriot Act and Terrorism Prevention Reauthorization Act of 2005, was passed by both houses of Congress in July of 2005. This bill reauthorized provisions of the Patriot Act and the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. It created new provisions relating to the death penalty for terrorists, enhancing security at seaports, new measures to combat the financing of terrorism, new powers for the Secret Service, and a number of other various provisions. The second reauthorization act, the Patriot Act Additional Reauthorizing Amendments Act of 2006, amended the first and was passed in February of 2006. Later on, on Saturday, February 27, 2010, President Barack Obama signed into law legislation that would temporarily extend, for one year, three controversial provisions of the Patriot Act that included: authorizing court-approved roving wiretaps that permit surveillance on multiple phones, allowing court-approved seizure of records and property in anti-terrorism operations, and permitting surveillance against a “lone wolf,” which is a non-U.S. citizen engaged in terrorism who may not be part of a recognized terrorist group. These provisions are the last two section of the Act to expire 2019 (Biscobing, 2016). The term lone wolf is often used on the news when describing a mass shooter who carries out the act by his or herself (Strohm, 2016). For example, the Orlando night club shooter was regarded as a lone wolf because he single handedly massacred all the victims at the nightclub. However, it was reported that he pledged his allegiance to ISIS during the time of the attack.

The Patriot Act raised concerns among critics surrounding the data privacy rights of U.S. citizens. These concerns were especially made worse in 2013, when NSA contractor Edward Snowden leaked information showing that the agency was using the law to justify the collection of data regarding millions of phone calls (Szoldra, 2016). More details of the controversies will be included in the discussion and analysis section of the paper.

Most recently, the USA Freedom Act, which imposes some new limits on the collection of telecommunication metadata (a set of data that describes and gives information about other data) on U.S. citizens by American intelligence agencies, including the National Security Agency (NSA) and also restores authorization for using wiretaps and tracking lone wolf terrorists, was enacted on June 2, 2015 ("USA Freedom Act Archives,” 2015).

Discussion and Analysis

As stated above, the Patriot Act has been met with quite a bit of controversy. The reaction was especially critical at the Act’s attack on the privacy of our country’s citizens. In this section of the paper, there will be a focus on the different tools that are enabled through the Act and how prominent people have reacted to the use of them.

The Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized" (“The Patriot Act - Constitution,” 2016). This is important to note considering the controversial use of National Security Letters (NSLs).

An NSL is commonly used by the FBI (the FBI Director, an Assistant Direct, and by all FBI Special Agents) and is similar to a subpoena. With the government arguing that they are constitutional, NSLs are used to collect information from companies which include credit reporting agencies, telecommunications providers, financial institutions, and travel agencies, in order to further a national security-related investigation. This is all done without the requirement of a court order. They allow the FBI, as well as other federal agencies (in certain circumstances), to demand that these companies turn over their data about their customers. This data can include banking, telephone, and internet usage information. However, it is not legal for NSLs to obtain content such as emails or telephone calls. The information that can be obtained through NSLs are only limited to records such as subscriber information or billing records. Also, the only way to issue these NSLs is to certify that the sought after records are, “relevant to an authorized investigation to protect against international terrorism or clandestine intelligence activities” (“National Security Letters,” 2014). A recent example of this would be when the FBI wanted to force Apple into tapping into the San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone. This was met with a lot of people concerned for their information, thinking that at any time the government could decide to take over their phone or computer. Apple was praised for initially rejecting the FBI’s request to hack into the shooter’s phone, but the FBI eventually found another way into the mainframe and got into the phone themselves

The controversy goes even further due to the fact that this process is done in secret. Companies that are issued these NSLs are “gagged” from telling anyone what happened and in the last 10 years alone, it was reported that over 300,000 NSLs have been issued. 2004 being the highest year for NSLs with a total of 56,507. In the year 2000, prior to the signing of the Patriot Act, it was reported that only 8,500 were issued (“National Security Letters,” 2014). This shows that the Patriot Act, in a sense, loosened the standards of the NSLs which caused them to explode in volume. With this in mind, it’s understandable why the public would not be in favor in how the FBI treated Apple, and are mostly likely, treating other companies

One of the most prominent public figures that not only opposes the Patriot Act, but also opposes President George W. Bush in general, is documentary filmmaker Michael Moore. In his highly successful documentary Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004), Michael Moore interviewed members of congress with regards to signing the Patriot Act. Congressman Jim McDermott talked in the film about how the Patriot Act was essentially “on the shelf” and congress had all these ideas that they were waiting to use. Then the 9/11 attacks happened and they had their chance to use them. He went on to say that at that point it was the assumption of the administration that there had to be a surrender of some of our rights (Moore & Moore, 2004).

What he also found was that no one he interviewed actually read the Act itself. Asking how could anyone could pass the Act without reading it, Congressman John Conyers answered, “Sit down my son. We don’t read most of the bills. Do you really know what that would entail, if we were to read every bill that we pass?” (Moore & Moore, 2004).

Although Michael Moore has a clear agenda and bias in his films, the results are still interesting. Hearing a Congressman admit that no one reads most of the bills that are passed is quite concerning. You’d think that these men and women who are elected into Congress would have the ambition to want to read every part of, or at least a decent majority, the bills that come through. Whether you’re a Republican or Democrat, you’d want the people in charge to be active in these types of things. It would make no sense to pass a bill without reading it!

The final and perhaps most controversial part of this paper would be the NSA and its connection with the Patriot Act. Before getting into the situation with Edward Snowden, let’s first take a look at what the NSA is and what it was around the time the Patriot Act was first signed.

The National Security Agency (NSA) is the intelligence organization of the United States government. It’s responsible for the global monitoring, collection, and processing of information and data for foreign intelligence and counterintelligence purposes. Originally created a as a unit to decipher coded communications during World War II, it officially became the NSA in 1952 under President S. Truman (“About Us - NSA,” 2016).

During the time of the Patriot Act signing, some Representatives, such as Jim Sensenbrenner, thought that the NSA was misusing its power after it was that it was accumulating a large collection of Americans’ phone data. Sensenbrenner went on by stating that the NSA had gone “far beyond” their original intent and had “overstepped its authority.” What we can conclude from reading this brief history, is that we have an agency that went too far with its abilities. It’s interesting to see how even over a decade ago there were concerns that the NSA was going too far. As we will see in the following paragraph, the NSA did in fact go too far (Roberts, 2013).

In June of 2013, Edward Snowden, from Hong Kong, revealed details of classified United States government surveillance programs that showed the NSA collected telephone records from millions of Verizon users, countless emails and internet metadata, and accessed data through Google and Facebook (Szoldra, 2016). Then, on June 21, 2013, the U.S. Department of Justice charged Snowden on two counts of violating the Espionage Act of 1917 and theft of government property. Days later he flew to Russia where he was granted asylum (a person persecuted by their own country may be protected by another sovereign authority, a foreign country, or church sanctuaries) and remains in an undisclosed location there (Ray, 2016).

Edward Snowden’s leaks caused a public uproar and created a stronger distrust between the general public and the government. However, the reaction has been split with either bringing Snowden back to the U.S. as a hero, or continue to have him be charged with espionage and government theft. Either way, the public’s view of the government will be changed forever.

Conclusions or Recommendations

In conclusion, I have found this topic and assignment quite interesting. I knew of the Patriot Act prior to doing this assignment, and I also knew that Michael Moore hated it along with President George W. Bush, but never really understood what it was and why it was created. After reading about the origin of it and how it has come to the modern year, I feel as though the Act, along with the components of it, are a double edged sword. One side being that it allows the government to protect us through monitoring and sharing information to prevent and respond to terrorism. The other side being that it intrudes on people's information and privacy. The bottom line for me would probably be that I am ok with what they’re doing because it’s better safe than sorry I suppose.

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The main recommendation I would have is that while data, metadata, and other things are being collected, it would be better to have it done more professionally and not as secretly. As stated earlier about the NSLs, it’s all done in a secretive and hush hush manner. I feel as though if the NSA was just more honest and perhaps not as shady in its operations, people might be more receptive to the idea of their information being checked on, and in turn, maybe not be as critical to the Patriot Act itself. I always say that honesty is the best policy.