The Twilight Saga 3: Eclipse Chapter 20. COMPROMISE

EVERYTHING WAS READY. I was packed for my two-day visit with â€Å"Alice,† and my bag waited for me on the passenger seat of my truck. I'd given the concert tickets to Angela, Ben, and Mike. Mike was going to take Jessica, which was exactly as I'd hoped. Billy had borrowed Old Quil Ateara's boat and invited Charlie down for some open sea fishing before the afternoon game started. Collin and Brady, the two youngest werewolves, were staying behind to protect La Push – though they were just children, both of them only thirteen. Still, Charlie would be safer than anyone left in Forks. I had done all that I could do. I tried to accept that, and put the things that were outside of my control out of my head, for tonight at least. One way or another, this would all be over in forty-eight hours. The thought was almost comforting. Edward had requested that I relax, and I was going to do my best. â€Å"For this one night, could we try to forget everything besides just you and me?† he'd pleaded, unleashing the full force of his eyes on me. â€Å"It seems like I can never get enough time like that. I need to be with you. Just you.† That was not a hard request to agree to, though I knew that forgetting my fears would be much easier said than done. Other matters were on my mind now, knowing that we had this night to be alone, and that would help. There were some things that had changed. For instance, I was ready. I was ready to join his family and his world. The fear and guilt and anguish I was feeling now had taught me that much. I'd had a chance to concentrate on this – as I'd gazed at the moon through the clouds and rested against a werewolf – and I knew I would not panic again. The next time something came at us, I would be ready. An asset, not a liability. He would never have to make the choice between me and his family again. We would be partners, like Alice and Jasper. Next time, I would do my part. I would wait for the sword to be removed from over my head, so that Edward would be satisfied. But it wasn't necessary. I was ready. There was only one missing piece. One piece, because there were some things that had not changed, and that included the desperate way I loved him. I'd had plenty of time to think through the ramifications of Jasper and Emmett's bet – to figure out the things I was willing to lose with my humanity, and the part that I was not willing to give up. I knew which human experience I was going to insist on before I became inhuman. So we had some things to work out tonight. After everything I'd seen in the past two years, I didn't believe in the word impossible anymore. It was going to take more than that to stop me now. Okay, well, honestly, it was probably going to be much more complicated than that. But I was going to try. As decided as I was, I wasn't surprised that I still felt nervous as I drove down the long path to his house – I didn't know how to do what I was trying to do, and that guaranteed me some serious jitters. He sat in the passenger seat, fighting a smile at my slow pace. I was surprised that he hadn't insisted on taking the wheel, but tonight he seemed content to go at my speed. It was after dark when we reached the house. In spite of that, the meadow was bright in the light shining from every window. As soon as I cut the engine he was at my door, opening it for me. He lifted me from the cab with one arm, slinging my bag out of the truck bed and over his shoulder with the other. His lips found mine as I heard him kick the truck's door shut behind me. Without breaking the kiss, he swung me up so that I was cradled in his arms and carried me into the house. Was the front door already open? I didn't know. We were inside, though, and I was dizzy. I had to remind myself to breathe. This kissing did not frighten me. It wasn't like before when I could feel the fear and panic leaking through his control. His lips were not anxious, but enthusiastic now – he seemed as thrilled as I was that we had tonight to concentrate on being together. He continued to kiss me for several minutes, standing there in the entry; he seemed less guarded than usual, his mouth cold and urgent on mine. I began to feel cautiously optimistic. Perhaps getting what I wanted would not be as difficult as I'd expected it to be. No, of course it was going to be just exactly that difficult. With a low chuckle, he pulled me away, holding me at arm's length. â€Å"Welcome home,† he said, his eyes liquid and warm. â€Å"That sounds nice,† I said, breathless. He set me gently on my feet. I wrapped both my arms around him, refusing to allow any space between us. â€Å"I have something for you,† he said, his tone conversational. â€Å"Oh?† â€Å"Your hand-me-down, remember? You said that was allowable.† â€Å"Oh, that's right. I guess I did say that.† He chuckled at my reluctance. â€Å"It's up in my room. Shall I go get it?† His bedroom? â€Å"Sure,† I agreed, feeling quite devious as I wound my fingers through his. â€Å"Let's go.† He must have been eager to give me my non-present, because human velocity was not fast enough for him. He scooped me up again and nearly flew up the stairs to his room. He set me down at the door, and darted into his closet. He was back before I'd taken a step, but I ignored him and went to the huge gold bed, plopping down on the edge and then sliding to the center. I curled up in a ball, my arms wrapped around my knees. â€Å"Okay,† I grumbled. Now that I was where I wanted to be, I could afford a little reluctance. â€Å"Let me have it.† Edward laughed. He climbed onto the bed to sit next to me, and my heart thumped unevenly. Hopefully he would write that off as some reaction to him giving me presents. â€Å"A hand-me-down,† he reminded me sternly. He pulled my left wrist away from my leg, and touched the silver bracelet for just a moment. Then he gave me my arm back. I examined it cautiously. On the opposite side of the chain from the wolf, there now hung a brilliant heart- shaped crystal. It was cut in a million facets, so that even in the subdued light shining from the lamp, it sparkled. I inhaled in a low gasp. â€Å"It was my mother's.† He shrugged deprecatingly. â€Å"I inherited quite a few baubles like this. I've given some to Esme and Alice both. So, clearly, this is not a big deal in any way.† I smiled ruefully at his assurance. â€Å"But I thought it was a good representation,† he continued. â€Å"It's hard and cold.† He laughed. â€Å"And it throws rainbows in the sunlight.† â€Å"You forgot the most important similarity,† I murmured. â€Å"It's beautiful.† â€Å"My heart is just as silent,† he mused. â€Å"And it, too, is yours.† I twisted my wrist so the heart would glimmer. â€Å"Thank you. For both.† â€Å"No, thank you. It's a relief to have you accept a gift so easily. Good practice for you, too.† He grinned, flashing his teeth. I leaned into him, ducking my head under his arm and cuddling into his side. It probably felt similar to snuggling with Michelangelo's David, except that this perfect marble creature wrapped his arms around me to pull me closer. It seemed like a good place to start. â€Å"Can we discuss something? I'd appreciate it if you could begin by being open-minded.† He hesitated for a moment. â€Å"I'll give it my best effort,† he agreed, cautious now. â€Å"I'm not breaking any rules here,† I promised. â€Å"This is strictly about you and me.† I cleared my throat. â€Å"So . . . I was impressed by how well we were able to compromise the other night. I was thinking I would like to apply the same principle to a different situation.† I wondered why I was being so formal. Must be the nerves. â€Å"What would you like to negotiate?† he asked, a smile in his voice. I struggled, trying to find exactly the right words to open with. â€Å"Listen to your heart fly,† he murmured. â€Å"It's fluttering like a hummingbird's wings. Are you all right?† â€Å"I'm great.† â€Å"Please go on then,† he encouraged. â€Å"Well, I guess, first, I wanted to talk to you about that whole ridiculous marriage condition thing.† â€Å"It's only ridiculous to you. What about it?† â€Å"I was wondering . . . is that open to negotiation?† Edward frowned, serious now. â€Å"I've already made the largest concession by far and away – I've agreed to take your life away against my better judgment. And that ought to entitle me to a few compromises on your part.† â€Å"No.† I shook my head, focusing on keeping my face composed. â€Å"That part's a done deal. We're not discussing my . . . renovations right now. I want to hammer out some other details.† He looked at me suspiciously. â€Å"Which details do you mean exactly?† I hesitated. â€Å"Let's clarify your prerequisites first.† â€Å"You know what I want.† â€Å"Matrimony.† I made it sound like a dirty word. â€Å"Yes.† He smiled a wide smile. â€Å"To start with.† The shock spoiled my carefully composed expression. â€Å"There's more?† â€Å"Well,† he said, and his face was calculating. â€Å"If you're my wife, then what's mine is yours . . . like tuition money. So there would be no problem with Dartmouth.† â€Å"Anything else? While you're already being absurd?† â€Å"I wouldn't mind some time.† â€Å"No. No time. That's a deal breaker right there.† He sighed longingly. â€Å"Just a year or two?† I shook my head, my lips set in a stubborn frown. â€Å"Move along to the next one.† â€Å"That's it. Unless you'd like to talk cars . . .† He grinned widely when I grimaced, then took my hand and began playing with my fingers. â€Å"I didn't realize there was anything else you wanted besides being transformed into a monster yourself. I'm extremely curious.† His voice was low and soft. The slight edge would have been hard to detect if I hadn't known it so well. I paused, staring at his hand on mine. I still didn't know how to begin. I felt his eyes watching me and I was afraid to look up. The blood began to burn in my face. His cool fingers brushed my cheek. â€Å"You're blushing?† he asked in surprise. I kept my eyes down. â€Å"Please, Bella, the suspense is painful.† I bit my lip. â€Å"Bella.† His tone reproached me now, reminded me that it was hard for him when I kept my thoughts to myself. â€Å"Well, I'm a little worried . . . about after,† I admitted, finally looking at him. I felt his body tense, but his voice was gentle and velvet. â€Å"What has you worried?† â€Å"All of you just seem so convinced that the only thing I'm going to be interested in, afterward, is slaughtering everyone in town,† I confessed, while he winced at my choice of words. â€Å"And I'm afraid I'll be so preoccupied with the mayhem that I won't be me anymore . . . and that I won't . . . I won't want you the same way I do now.† â€Å"Bella, that part doesn't last forever,† he assured me. He was missing the point. â€Å"Edward,† I said, nervous, staring at a freckle on my wrist. â€Å"There's something that I want to do before I'm not human anymore.† He waited for me to continue. I didn't. My face was all hot. â€Å"Whatever you want,† he encouraged, anxious and completely clueless. â€Å"Do you promise?† I muttered, knowing my attempt to trap him with his words was not going to work, but unable to resist. â€Å"Yes,† he said. I looked up to see that his eyes were earnest and confused. â€Å"Tell me what you want, and you can have it.† I couldn't believe how awkward and idiotic I felt. I was too innocent – which was, of course, central to the discussion. I didn't have the faintest idea how to be seductive. I would just have to settle for flushed and self-conscious. â€Å"You,† I mumbled almost incoherently. â€Å"I'm yours.† He smiled, still oblivious, trying to hold my gaze as I looked away again. I took a deep breath and shifted forward so that I was kneeling on the bed. Then I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. He kissed me back, bewildered but willing. His lips were gentle against mine, and I could tell his mind was elsewhere – trying to figure out what was on my mind. I decided he needed a hint. My hands were slightly shaky as I unlocked my arms from around his neck. My fingers slid down his neck to the collar of his shirt. The trembling didn't help as I tried to hurry to undo the buttons before he stopped me. His lips froze, and I could almost hear the click in his head as he put together my words and my actions. He pushed me away at once, his face heavily disapproving. â€Å"Be reasonable, Bella.† â€Å"You promised – whatever I wanted,† I reminded him without hope. â€Å"We're not having this discussion.† He glared at me while he refastened the two buttons I'd managed to open. My teeth clamped together. â€Å"I say we are,† I growled. I moved my hands to my blouse and yanked open the top button. He grabbed my wrists and pinned them to my sides. â€Å"I say we're not,† he said flatly. We glowered at each other. â€Å"You wanted to know,† I pointed out. â€Å"I thought it would be something faintly realistic.† â€Å"So you can ask for any stupid, ridiculous thing you want – like getting married – but I'm not allowed to even discuss what I -â€Å" While I was ranting, he pulled my hands together to restrain them in just one of his, and put his other hand over my mouth. â€Å"No.† His face was hard. I took a deep breath to steady myself. And, as the anger began to fade, I felt something else. It took me a minute to recognize why I was staring down again, the blush returning – why my stomach felt uneasy, why there was too much moisture in my eyes, why I suddenly wanted to run from the room. Rejection washed through me, instinctive and strong. I knew it was irrational. He'd been very clear on other occasions that my safety was the only factor. Yet I'd never made myself quite so vulnerable before. I scowled at the golden comforter that matched his eyes and tried to banish the reflex reaction that told me I was unwanted and unwantable. Edward sighed. The hand over my mouth moved under my chin, and he pulled my face up until I had to look at him. â€Å"What now?† â€Å"Nothing,† I mumbled. He scrutinized my face for long moment while I tried unsuccessfully to twist away from his gaze. His brow furrowed, and his expression became horrified. â€Å"Did I hurt your feelings?† he asked, shocked. â€Å"No,† I lied. So quickly that I wasn't even sure how it happened, I was in his arms, my face cradled between his shoulder and his hand, while his thumb stroked reassuringly against my cheek. â€Å"You know why I have to say no,† he murmured. â€Å"You know that I want you, too.† â€Å"Do you?† I whispered, my voice full of doubt. â€Å"Of course I do, you silly, beautiful, oversensitive girl.† He laughed once, and then his voice was bleak. â€Å"Doesn't everyone? I feel like there's a line behind me, jockeying for position, waiting for me to make a big enough mistake. . . . You're too desirable for your own good.† â€Å"Who's being silly now?† I doubted if awkward, self-conscious, and inept added up to desirable in anyone's book. â€Å"Do I have to send a petition around to get you to believe? Shall I tell you whose names would be on the top of the list? You know a few of them, but some might surprise you.† I shook my head against his chest, grimacing. â€Å"You're just trying to distract me. Let's get back to the subject.† He sighed. â€Å"Tell me if I have anything wrong.† I tried to sound detached. â€Å"Your demands are marriage† – I couldn't say the word without making a face – â€Å"paying my tuition, more time, and you wouldn't mind if myvehicle went a little faster.† I raised my eyebrows. â€Å"Did I get everything? That's a hefty list.† â€Å"Only the first is a demand.† He seemed to be having a hard time keeping a straight face. â€Å"The others are merely requests.† â€Å"And my lone, solitary little demand is -â€Å" â€Å"Demand?† he interrupted, suddenly serious again. â€Å"Yes, demand.† His eyes narrowed. â€Å"Getting married is a stretch for me. I'm not giving in unless I get something in return.† He leaned down to whisper in my ear. â€Å"No,† he murmured silkily. â€Å"It's not possible now. Later, when you're less breakable. Be patient, Bella.† I tried to keep my voice firm and reasonable. â€Å"But that's the problem. It won't be the same when I'm less breakable. I won't be the same! I don't know who I'll be then.† â€Å"You'll still be Bella,† he promised. I frowned. â€Å"If I'm so far gone that I'd want to kill Charlie – that I'd drink Jacob's blood or Angela's if I got the chance – how can that be true?† â€Å"It will pass. And I doubt you'll want to drink the dog's blood.† He pretended to shudder at the thought. â€Å"Even as a newborn, you'll have better taste than that.† I ignored his attempt to sidetrack me. â€Å"But that will always be what I want most, won't it?† I challenged. â€Å"Blood, blood, and more blood!† â€Å"The fact that you are still alive is proof that that is not true,† he pointed out. â€Å"Over eighty years later,† I reminded him. â€Å"What I meant was physically, though. Intellectually, I know I'll be able to be myself . . . after a while. But just purely physically – I will always be thirsty, more than anything else.† He didn't answer. â€Å"So I will be different,† I concluded unopposed. â€Å"Because right now, physically, there's nothing I want more than you. More than food or water or oxygen. Intellectually, I have my priorities in a slightly more sensible order. But physically . . .† I twisted my head to kiss the palm of his hand. He took a deep breath. I was surprised that it sounded a little unsteady. â€Å"Bella, I could kill you,† he whispered. â€Å"I don't think you could.† Edward's eyes tightened. He lifted his hand from my face and reached quickly behind himself for something I couldn't see. There was a muffled snapping sound, and the bed quivered beneath us. Something dark was in his hand; he held it up for my curious examination. It was a metal flower, one of the roses that adorned the wrought iron posts and canopy of his bed frame. His hand closed for a brief second, his fingers contracting gently, and then it opened again. Without a word, he offered me the crushed, uneven lump of black metal. It was a cast of the inside of his hand, like a piece of play dough squeezed in a child's fist. A half-second passed, and the shape crumbled into black sand in his palm. I glared. â€Å"That's not what I meant. I already know how strong you are. You didn't have to break the furniture.† â€Å"What did you mean then?† he asked in a dark voice, tossing the handful of iron sand to the corner of the room; it hit the wall with a sound like rain. His eyes were intent on my face as I struggled to explain. â€Å"Obviously not that you aren't physically able hurt me, if you wanted to . . . More that, you don't want to hurt me . . . so much so that I don't think that you ever could.† He started shaking his head before I was done. â€Å"It might not work like that, Bella.† â€Å"Might,† I scoffed. â€Å"You have no more idea what you're talking about than I do.† â€Å"Exactly. Do you imagine I would ever take that kind of risk with you?† I stared into his eyes for a long minute. There was no sign of compromise, no hint of indecision in them. â€Å"Please,† I finally whispered, hopeless. â€Å"It's all I want. Please.† I closed my eyes in defeat, waiting for the quick and final no. But he didn't answer immediately. I hesitated in disbelief, stunned to hear that his breathing was uneven again. I opened my eyes, and his face was torn. â€Å"Please?† I whispered again, my heartbeat picking up speed. My words tumbled out as I rushed to take advantage of the sudden uncertainty in his eyes. â€Å"You don't have to make me any guarantees. If it doesn't work out right, well, then that's that. Just let us try . . . only try. And I'll give you what you want,† I promised rashly. â€Å"I'll marry you. I'll let you pay for Dartmouth, and I won't complain about the bribe to get me in. You can even buy me a fast car if that makes you happy! Just . . . please.† His icy arms tightened around me, and his lips were at my ear; his cool breath made me shiver. â€Å"Thisis unbearable. So many things I've wanted to give you – and this is what you decide to demand. Do you have any idea how painful it is, trying to refuse you when you plead with me this way?† â€Å"Then don't refuse,† I suggested breathlessly. He didn't respond. â€Å"Please,† I tried again. â€Å"Bella . . .† He shook his head slowly, but it didn't feel like a denial as his face, his lips, moved back and forth across my throat. It felt more like surrender. My heart, racing already, spluttered frantically. Again, I took what advantage I could. When his face turned toward mine with the slow movement of his indecision, I twisted quickly in his arms till my lips reached his. His hands seized my face, and I thought he was going to push me away again. I was wrong. His mouth was not gentle; there was a brand-new edge of conflict and desperation in the way his lips moved. I locked my arms around his neck, and, to my suddenly overheated skin, his body felt colder than ever. I trembled, but it was not from the chill. He didn't stop kissing me. I was the one who had to break away, gasping for air. Even then his lips did not leave my skin, they just moved to my throat. The thrill of victory was a strange high; it made me feel powerful. Brave. My hands weren't unsteady now; I got through with the buttons on his shirt this time easily, and my fingers traced the perfect planes of his icy chest. He was too beautiful. What was the word he'd used just now? Unbearable – that was it. His beauty was too much to bear. . . . I pulled his mouth back to mine, and he seemed just as eager as I was. One of his hands still cupped my face, his other arm was tight around my waist, straining me closer to him. It made it slightly more difficult as I tried to reach the front of my shirt, but not impossible. Cold iron fetters locked around my wrists, and pulled my hands above my head, which was suddenly on a pillow. His lips were at my ear again. â€Å"Bella,† he murmured, his voice warm and velvet. â€Å"Would you please stop trying to take your clothes off?† â€Å"Do you want to do that part?† I asked, confused. â€Å"Not tonight,† he answered softly. His lips were slower now against my cheek and jaw, all the urgency gone. â€Å"Edward, don't -,† I started to argue. â€Å"I'm not saying no,† he reassured me. â€Å"I'm just saying not tonight.† I thought about that while my breathing slowed. â€Å"Give me one good reason why tonight is not as good as any other night.† I was still breathless; it made the frustration in my voice less impressive. â€Å"I wasn't born yesterday.† He chuckled inmy ear. â€Å"Out of the two of us, which do you think is more unwilling to give the other what they want? You just promised to marry me before you do any changing, but if I give in tonight, what guarantee do I have that you won't go running off to Carlisle in the morning? I am – clearly – much less reluctant to give you what you want. Therefore . . . you first.† I exhaled with a loud huff. â€Å"I have to marry you first?† I asked in disbelief. â€Å"That's the deal – take it or leave it. Compromise, remember?† His arms wrapped around me, and he began kissing me in a way that should be illegal. Too persuasive – it was duress, coercion. I tried to keep a clear head . . . and failed quickly and absolutely. â€Å"I think that's a really bad idea,† I gasped when he let me breathe. â€Å"I'm not surprised you feel that way.† He smirked. â€Å"You have a one-track mind.† â€Å"How did this happen?† I grumbled. â€Å"I thought I was holding my own tonight – for once – and now, all of a sudden -â€Å" â€Å"You're engaged,† he finished. â€Å"Ew! Please don't say that out loud.† â€Å"Are you going back on your word?† he demanded. He pulled away to read my face. His expression was entertained. He was having fun. I glared at him, trying to ignore the way his smile made my heart react. â€Å"Are you?† he pressed. â€Å"Ugh!† I groaned. â€Å"No. I'm not. Are you happy now?† His smile was blinding. â€Å"Exceptionally.† I groaned again. â€Å"Aren't you happy at all?† He kissed me again before I could answer. Another too-persuasive kiss. â€Å"A little bit,† I admitted when I could speak. â€Å"But not about getting married.† He kissed me another time. â€Å"Do you get the feeling that everything is backward?† he laughed in my ear. â€Å"Traditionally, shouldn't you be arguing my side, and I yours?† â€Å"There isn't much that's traditional about you and me.† â€Å"True.† He kissed me again, and kept going until my heart was racing and my skin was flushed. â€Å"Look, Edward,† I murmured, my voice wheedling, when he paused to kiss the palm of my hand. â€Å"I said I would marry you, and I will. I promise. I swear. If you want, I'll sign a contract in my own blood.† â€Å"Not funny,† he murmured against the inside of my wrist. â€Å"What I'm saying is this – I'm not going to trick you or anything. You know me better than that. So there's really no reason to wait. We're completely alone – how often does that happen? – and you've provided this very large and comfortable bed. . . .† â€Å"Not tonight,† he said again. â€Å"Don't you trust me?† â€Å"Of course I do.† Using the hand that he was still kissing, I pulled his face back up to where I could see his expression. â€Å"Then what's the problem? It's not like you didn't know you were going to win in the end.† I frowned and muttered, â€Å"You always win.† â€Å"Just hedging my bets,† he said calmly. â€Å"There's something else,† I guessed, my eyes narrowing. There was a defensiveness about his face, a faint hint of some secret motive he was trying to hide behind his casual manner. â€Å"Are you planning to go back on your word?† â€Å"No,† he promised solemnly. â€Å"I swear to you, we will try. After you marry me.† I shook my head, and laughed glumly. â€Å"You make me feel like a villain in a melodrama – twirling my mustache while I try to steal some poor girl's virtue.† His eyes were wary as they flashed across my face, then he quickly ducked down to press his lips against my collarbone. â€Å"That's it, isn't it?† The short laugh that escaped me was more shocked than amused. â€Å"You're trying to protect your virtue!† I covered my mouth with my hand to muffle the giggle that followed. The words were so . . . old-fashioned. â€Å"No, silly girl,† he muttered against my shoulder. â€Å"I'm trying to protect yours. And you're making it shockinglydifficult.† â€Å"Of all the ridiculous -â€Å" â€Å"Let me ask you something,† he interrupted quickly. â€Å"We've had this discussion before, but humor me. How many people in this room have a soul? A shot at heaven, or whatever there is after this life?† â€Å"Two,† I answered immediately, my voice fierce. â€Å"All right. Maybe that's true. Now, there's a world full of dissension about this, but the vast majority seem to think that there are some rules that have to be followed.† â€Å"Vampire rules aren't enough for you? You want to worry about the human ones too?† â€Å"It couldn't hurt.† He shrugged. â€Å"Just in case.† I glared at him through narrowed eyes. â€Å"Now, of course, it might be too late for me, even if you are right about my soul.† â€Å"No, it isn't,† I argued angrily. â€Å"‘Thou shalt not kill' is commonly accepted by most major belief systems. And I've killed a lot of people, Bella.† â€Å"Only the bad ones.† He shrugged. â€Å"Maybe that counts, maybe it doesn't. But you haven't killed anyone -â€Å" â€Å"That you know about,† I muttered. He smiled, but otherwise ignored the interruption. â€Å"And I'm going to do my best to keep you out of temptation's way.† â€Å"Okay. But we weren't fighting over committing murder,† I reminded him. â€Å"The same principle applies – the only difference is that this is the one area in which I'm just as spotless as you are. Can't I leave one rule unbroken?† â€Å"One?† â€Å"You know that I've stolen, I've lied, I've coveted . . . my virtue is all I have left.† He grinned crookedly. â€Å"I lie all the time.† â€Å"Yes, but you're such a bad liar that it doesn't really count. Nobody believes you.† â€Å"I really hope you're wrong about that – because otherwise Charlie is about to burst through the door with a loaded gun.† â€Å"Charlie is happier when he pretends to swallow your stories. He'd rather lie to himself than look too closely.† He grinned at me. â€Å"But what did you ever covet?† I asked doubtfully. â€Å"You have everything.† â€Å"I coveted you.† His smile darkened. â€Å"I had no right to want you – but I reached out and took you anyway. And now look what's become of you! Trying to seduce a vampire.† He shook his head in mock horror. â€Å"You can covet what's already yours,† I informed him. â€Å"Besides, I thought it was my virtue you were worried about.† â€Å"It is. If it's too late for me . . . Well, I'll be damned – no pun intended – if I'll let them keep you out, too.† â€Å"You can't make me go somewhere you won't be,† I vowed. â€Å"That's my definition of hell. Anyway, I have an easy solution to all this: let's never die, all right?† â€Å"Sounds simple enough. Why didn't I think of that?† He smiled at me until I gave up with an angry humph. â€Å"So that's it. You won't sleep with me until we're married.† â€Å"Technically, I can't ever sleep with you.† I rolled my eyes. â€Å"Very mature, Edward.† â€Å"But, other than that detail, yes, you've got it right.† â€Å"I think you have an ulterior motive.† His eyes widened innocently. â€Å"Another one?† â€Å"You know this will speed things up,† I accused. He tried not to smile. â€Å"There is only one thing I want to speed up, and the rest can wait forever . . . but for that, it's true, your impatient human hormones are my most powerful ally at this point.† â€Å"I can't believe I'm going along with this. When I think of Charlie . . . and Rene! Can you imagine what Angela will think? Or Jessica? Ugh. I can hear the gossip now.† He raised one eyebrow at me, and I knew why. What did it matter what they said about me when I leaving soon and not coming back? Was I really so oversensitive that I couldn't bear a few weeks of sidelong glances and leading questions? Maybe it wouldn't bug me so much if I didn't know that I would probably be gossiping just as condescendingly as the rest of them if it was someone else getting married this summer. Gah. Married this summer! I shuddered. And then, maybe it wouldn't bug me so much if I hadn't been raised to shudder at the thought of marriage. Edward interrupted my fretting. â€Å"It doesn't have to be a big production. I don't need any fanfare. You won't have to tell anyone or make any changes. We'll go to Vegas – you can wear old jeans and we'll go to the chapel with the drive-through window. I just want it to be official – that you belong to me and no one else.† â€Å"It couldn't be any more official than it already is,† I grumbled. But his description didn't sound that bad. Only Alice would be disappointed. â€Å"We'll see about that.† He smiled complacently. â€Å"I suppose you don't want your ring now?† I had to swallow before I could speak. â€Å"You suppose correctly.† He laughed at my expression. â€Å"That's fine. I'll get it on your finger soon enough.† I glared at him. â€Å"You talk like you already have one.† â€Å"I do,† he said, unashamed. â€Å"Ready to force upon you at the first sign of weakness.† â€Å"You're unbelievable.† â€Å"Do you want to see it?† he asked. His liquid topaz eyes were suddenly shining with excitement. â€Å"No!† I almost shouted, a reflex reaction. I regretted it at once. His face fell ever so slightly. â€Å"Unless you really want to show it to me,† I amended. I gritted my teeth together to keep my illogical terror from showing. â€Å"That's all right,† he shrugged. â€Å"It can wait.† I sighed. â€Å"Show me the damn ring, Edward.† He shook his head. â€Å"No.† I studied his expression for a long minute. â€Å"Please?† I asked quietly, experimenting with my newly discovered weapon. I touched his face lightly with the tips of my fingers. â€Å"Please can I see it?† His eyes narrowed. â€Å"You are the most dangerous creature I've ever met,† he muttered. But he got up and moved with unconscious grace to kneel next to the small bedside table. He was back on the bed with me in an instant, sitting beside me with one arm around my shoulder. In his other hand was a little black box. He balanced it on my left knee. â€Å"Go ahead and look, then,† he said brusquely. It was harder than it should have been to pick up the inoffensive little box, but I didn't want to hurt him again, so I tried to keep my hand from shaking. The surface was smooth with black satin. I brushed my fingers over it, hesitating. â€Å"You didn't spend a lot of money, did you? Lie to me, if you did.† â€Å"I didn't spend anything,† he assured me. â€Å"It's just another hand-me-down. This is the ring my father gave to my mother.† â€Å"Oh.† Surprise colored my voice. I pinched the lid between my thumb and forefinger, but didn't open it. â€Å"I supposed it's a little outdated.† His tone was playfully apologetic. â€Å"Old-fashioned, just like me. I can get you something more modern. Something from Tiffany's?† â€Å"I like old-fashioned things,† I mumbled as I hesitantly lifted the lid. Nestled into the black satin, Elizabeth Masen's ring sparkled in the dim light. The face was a long oval, set with slanting rows of glittering round stones. The band was gold – delicate and narrow. The gold made a fragile web around the diamonds. I'd never seen anything like it. Unthinkingly, I stroked the shimmering gems. â€Å"It's so pretty,† I murmured to myself, surprised. â€Å"Do you like it?† â€Å"It's beautiful.† I shrugged, feigning a lack of interest. â€Å"What's not to like?† He chuckled. â€Å"See if it fits.† My left hand clenched into a fist. â€Å"Bella,† he sighed. â€Å"I'm not going to solder it to your finger. Just try it on so I can see if it needs to be sized. Then you can take it right off.† â€Å"Fine,† I grumbled. I reached for the ring, but his long fingers beat me there. He took my left hand in his, and slid the ring into place on my third finger. He held my hand out, and we both examined the oval sparkling against my skin. It wasn't quite as awful as I'd feared, having it there. â€Å"A perfect fit,† he said indifferently. â€Å"That's nice – saves me a trip to the jeweler's.† I could hear some strong emotion burning under the casual tone of his voice, and I stared up at his face. It was there in his eyes, too, visible despite the careful nonchalance of his expression. â€Å"You like that, don't you?† I asked suspiciously, fluttering my fingers and thinking that it was really too bad that I had not broken my left hand. He shrugged his shoulders. â€Å"Sure,† he said, still casual. â€Å"It looks very nice on you.† I stared into his eyes, trying to decipher the emotion that smoldered just under the surface. He gazed back, and the casual pretense suddenly slipped away. He was glowing – his angel's face brilliant with joy and victory. He was so glorious that it knocked me breathless. Before I could catch that breath, he was kissing me, his lips exultant. I was lightheaded when he moved his mouth to whisper in my ear – but his breathing was just as ragged as mine. â€Å"Yes, I like it. You have no idea.† I laughed, gasping a little. â€Å"I believe you.† â€Å"Do you mind if I do something?† he murmured, his arms tightening around me. â€Å"Anything you want.† But he let me go and slid away. â€Å"Anything but that,† I complained. He ignored me, taking my hand and pulling me off the bed, too. He stood in front of me, hands on my shoulders, face serious. â€Å"Now, I want to do this right. Please, please, keep in mind that you've already agreed to this, and don't ruin it for me.† â€Å"Oh, no,† I gasped as he slid down onto one knee. â€Å"Be nice,† he muttered. I took a deep breath. â€Å"Isabella Swan?† He looked up at me through his impossibly long lashes, his golden eyes soft but, somehow, still scorching. â€Å"I promise to love you forever – every single day of forever. Will you marry me?† There were many things I wanted to say, some of them not nice at all, and others more disgustingly gooey and romantic than he probably dreamed I was capable of. Rather than embarrass myself with either, I whispered, â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Thank you,† he said simply. He took my left hand and kissed each of my fingertips before he kissed the ring that was now mine.

Bailey’s Cafe

Bailey’s Cafe is a collection of deeply moving personal stories from (mainly) women deeply scared by life. Author Gloria Naylor reveals an extraordinary ability to imagine, create and relate the stories of half dozen people nearly destroyed by their pasts, yet getting some glimmer of hope in Eve’s boarding house, arrived at via Bailey’s Cafe. Naylor’s characters are desperately seeking salvation, or they will perish by their own evils that they have experienced in their lives. One such character in need is Sadie, whose violent childhood at the hands of a drug-addicted prostitute mother leads her to seek quiet and cleanliness. Bailey's Cafe is a sleazy little dive on the edge of nowhere, run by a guy who answers to the name of Baile wife, Nadine. They specialize in bad food and lost hopes, catering to a series of vividly drawn characters, all of whom have come to the end of a bitter road. In the first few lines, Bailey tells us that he was distraught at the horrors of combat and the destitution of war, and when he reached the point of giving in, he found this mysterious cafe, and began anew. His experience is not unlike the other characters in the play. They all reach Bailey’s Cafe in the hopes of not being served a hot meal, but to regain something that was lost to them. A character who I liked the most is Sadie, who tried to win her abusive mother's love by being the best, Syed 2 cleanest girl in the world. Yet after Sadie's dream of having a home of her own is hopelessly thwarted, she escapes into alcoholism and works as a whore, earning only enough to support her habit of cheap wine. Until she was four she thought her name was the one the coat hanger missed. When she did ask her mother what her name was her beat her viciously screaming â€Å"Sadie, Sadie, Sadie. † At this young age she learned that the only way out of her situation was to love. â€Å"She didn’t know she loved this empty woman in order to survive. † (Naylor, 42) Sadie was an aging wino and prostitute. Born only because her mother had botched an abortion, Sadie spent forty years of her life trying to find approval and love, first from her mother, then from an elderly husband. After losing the home that had become her reason for existing, Sadie began to drink. Her wine dreams have become so fulfilling that when she finally is offered love, she chooses illusion instead. She knew the difference in the way her mother treated her and the way other parents treated their children had to be her fault so she tried to be as good as she could. Her mother forced her to become a prostitute at the age of thirteen and when she had her first abortion her mother had the doctor sterilize her. After mother died she married the man who delivered the wood in whore house. He was like her mother so she kept his house clean and was always quiet. She always dreamt of having a house with a garden as a young girl and when her geraniums bloomed she had the garden she needed to complete dream. Syed 3 Sadie has suffered from the beginning till the end of her life. She was very strong and bold who had never given up. She sold everything she has and finally begins to sell herself. Bailey's Cafe isn't defined by just one character, but rather its world, a way station on the edge of any city anywhere, the place before there's no more places. This is a novel which depends greatly on the observations of a forthright unsophisticated who describes himself, dispiritingly, as ‘majoring in Life'. it is good for getting a feel of what is really out there and that no one is perfect it really shows you that you can find help in anything and that when you least it expect it and you’re at the bottom something is bound to come by and pick you up.

The Federal Hpv Vaccination Programme Health And Social Care Essay

There are a figure of ethical issues that arise in proviso of health care services. Although most of the health care enterprises are meant to assist the targeted population overcome wellness jobs they are meeting, proviso of these services has ever been ridden with ethical contentions. One of the recent health care enterprises that have been surrounded by a batch of contention is Federal HPV Vaccination programme. This programme was meant to inoculate all misss between the age of 12 and 26 to protect them against HPV that causes cervical malignant neoplastic disease and venereal warts. However, there are different ethical issues that arose in the class of execution of the school-based programme. It was argued that the plan was implemented as a consequence of increased advertizement by the pharmaceutical companies about the effectivity of the Gardasil vaccinum while there was no scientific study that backed the effectivity of the vaccinum. This was considered as indefensible response to moral issues because there was no adequate grounds back uping the usage of the vaccinums. However, the authorities still insists that the plan was meant to make good for the targeted population sing that cervical malignant neoplastic disease and venereal warts are going major public wellness concern. This is merely one of the health care initiatives that have led to great public tumult when scrutinized in different ethical positions. Healthcare services are meant to assist the population overcome major wellness jobs they face but at the same clip they attract a batch of contention due to struggle of involvement. In order to understand this job good, this survey will reexamine the Federal HPV Vaccine Programme and the ethical issues that arose as a consequence. The survey will first expression at the Federal HPV Vaccination Programme including its aims. The survey will so reexamine the ethical issues that arose from this programme and analyse one of the jobs through ethical positions. The Federal HPV Vaccination Programme Human Papillomavirus ( HPV ) is a group of viruses that are known to do skin warts, venereal warts and different types of malignant neoplastic diseases. There are different HPV that affects different parts of the organic structure with some of them infecting the venereal countries. Warts that are found on other parts of the organic structure like the custodies are known to be caused by different types of HPV. HPV types 6, 11, and 18 are known to do malignant neoplastic diseases with types 16 and 18 linked to cervical malignant neoplastic diseases while types 6 and 11 are linked to venereal warts ( Winer, Hughes & A ; Feng 2006: 2648 ) . Due to the increased prevalence of venereal warts and cervical caners, there have been concerted attempts aimed at developing a vaccinum to cover with the job. HPV is spread by direct contact or during sexual activities. It is estimated that approximately four out of five people are likely to hold venereal HPV infection at some times in their lives ( Parkin 2006: 3035 ; Australian Government, 2010 ) . This is the chief ground why HPV vaccinums have become of import for misss who are sexually activity. The major job with HPV is that it does non do symptoms that people can see ( Winer, Hughes & A ; Feng 2006: 2649 ) . This means that people can hold HPV and non cognize because there are no apparent symptoms. In 2007, the Australian Federal authorities began one of the most ambitious immunisation programmes. It began funding voluntary plan that made Gardasil available and adult females between the age of 12 and 26 old ages for free within a period of two old ages ( Christian 2006: 12 ) . The authorities besides ensured that there was an on-going inoculation programme that targeted 12 and 13 old ages old in schools. Australian authorities, in concurrence with PBS ( Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme ) approved the vaccinum for public usage and instantly began a national broad programme for school misss aged 7 to 12 old ages ( Poljak & A ; Gemman 2006: 9 ) . The plan has been run by the local councils but the support is provided by the authorities. However, it is argued that the subsidisation of the vaccinums by the authorities could hold been implemented under political influence. Even the curate stood up and said that the programme would be approved long before it received authorities blessing. In add-on, the authorities outlined that adult females between the age of 18 and 26 old ages could besides have the first dosage for free but they had to petitions it from their general practicians ( Christian 2006: 12 ) . However the programme was scaled down to 12 and 13 old ages misss merely after 2009. In add-on, the authorities had approved Gardasil for inoculation of male childs aged between 9 and 15 o ld ages although the authorities did non supply support for boys inoculation ( Christian 2006: 12 ) . The authorities besides directed that in the procedure of disposal of the vaccinums, general practicians should remind their clients that they should besides go on with the regular pablum vilification ( Parkin 2006: 3042 ) . It besides directed them to promote adult females who received the vaccinums to register with National HPV Register for supervising intent. The National HPV inoculation programme registry is used to roll up informations in order to measure the impact of the HPV inoculation on the rates of cervical caners. It is besides used to measure the success of the programme in coverage and if the contact vaccinum receivers required a supporter dosage ( Poljak & A ; Gemman 2006: 9 ) . The registry is of import in helping the authorities recognize its mark of cut downing the prevalence of venereal warts and cervical malignant neoplastic disease among adult females. Ethical issues Like other healthcare enterprises, there are different ethical issues that arise. In the class of history, there have been medical enterprises, particularly those that involve the mass, which have resulted to ethical jobs ( Zimmerman 2006: 4815 ) . Ethical contentions are likely to ensue every clip there is aggregate disposal of vaccinums to forestall spread of diseases. One of the chief issues that arise in such plans is safety. Although there are laboratory and research studies that confirms that safety of these programmes, issues of safety comes in the class of execution of the programme or long after the programme has been winded up. The chief issue of safety when it comes to disposal of vaccinums is that receivers feel that their safety can non be guaranteed because they have non been involved in preparation of the vaccinums or when there is no adequate informations that supports the safety of the vaccinums ( Shciller & A ; Lowy 2006: 1168 ) . Another job that arises in the clas s of public wellness programmes is the issue of informed consent ( Zimmerman 2006: 4815 ) . Although it may be outlined right from the start that the programme will be voluntary, there are propagandas that arise in the class of the programme that convinces the receivers that they have been forced to have the vaccinums. The other job that may originate after such a programme is the usage of options. In most instances, new vaccinums are introduced in such public programmes but the continued usage of the earlier health care services may be affected. For illustration it has been shown that in instances where HPV vaccinum has been administered, most receivers are likely to predate regular showing for malignant neoplastic disease ( WHO ) . The populace can non merely understand why they have been introduced to a new vaccinum and yet they are requited to go on utilizing the old methods of testing like Pap smear. There were a figure of ethical issues that arose in the class of execution of The Federal HPV Vaccination Programme. The first ethical issue was based on the fact that there was non scientific cogent evidence that backed Gardasil as an effectual vaccinum in bar of HPV ( Zimmerman 2006: 4817 ) . Two of the recent articles that were published by New England Journal of Medicine suggested that the vaccinums against cervical malignant neoplastic diseases was used without adequate grounds to shows that they were effectual in undertaking the disease ( Zimmerman 2006: 4815 ) . The writers of these two articles noted that despite the fact that there has been assuring consequences from clinical tests, there was still no sufficient evident to endorse the effectivity of the vaccinums against cervical malignant neoplastic diseases. There as so many indispensable inquiries that still need to be answered and the populace should be cautious when seeking these vaccinums. A recent study that was released in New York Times showed that these vaccinums have been studied for a short period of clip and long term effects are yet to be established The vaccinums was licensed in 2006 after clinical tests that lasted for more than six old ages but this did non bring forth any grounds to demo their effectivity ( Roden, Ling & A ; Wu 2004: 979 ) . Most of import inquiries that have non been answered sing the vaccinums is the continuance the unsusceptibility will last and whether extinguishing strains of the cancers-causing virus is likely to diminish the degree of bodyaa‚ ¬a„?s natural unsusceptibility to other strains of the same virus. Cervical malignant neoplastic disease normally develops after the persons have been infected with chronic HPV and there is no cogent evidence to demo that vaccinums will protect the organic structure against two strains of the virus that are known to do cervical malignant neoplastic disease ( Shciller & A ; Lowy 200 6: 1169 ) . One of major ethical issues that arise from the programme is that the authorities could be enforcing uneffective vaccinums on the population ( Colgrove 2006: 1390 ) . In most instances, medical programmes like The Federal HPV Vaccination Programme are perceived from a useful position in the sense that they are supposed to assist the population. The result of the programmes like The Federal HPV Vaccination Programme should assist the targeted population wellness wise ( Verweij & A ; Dawson 2004: 3126 ) . With this perceptual experience in head, the chief purpose of execution of The Federal HPV Vaccination Programme was to help Australian misss fight cervical malignant neoplastic diseases and venereal warts. However, the involvement of the authorities could non hold been good informed in visible radiation of the studies published in New England Journal of Medicine that shows deficiency of scientific cogent evidence to endorse disposal of this vaccinum in contending cervical malignant n eoplastic disease. Was Australian authorities justified in the usage of Gardasil to contend prevalence of cervical malignant neoplastic diseases in misss sing that there was no adequate scientific backup to turn out it? This is a inquiry that needs to be interrogated through different ethical positions but the involvement of the parties involved must be taken into consideration. Earlier, it was mentioned that the authorities determination to transport out The Federal HPV Vaccination Programme was influenced by political powers ( Haas 2009: 289 ) . There is all ground to interrogate the determination by the authorities to perpetrate more than $ 160 million of the taxpayeraa‚ ¬a„?s money on a vaccinum that has non been proved effectual. First, this meant that the authorities had to relocate financess from other health care plans into order to fund this programme, which led to less financess available for other critical health care disbursement like on of import herceptin and other bosom medicines. This can be considered as a misplaced precedence that was implemented on land of political influence. Closely tied to this issue is concern about increased advertizement of the vaccinum by pharmaceutical companies ( Yudin 2010: 56 ) ) . For many old ages, the pharmaceutical industry has been criticized for advertisement merchandises that have non yet be en proved. Hungry for immense net incomes, the pharmaceutical industry has been publicizing their merchandises long before they have undergone proper vetting process to declare them suit for human ingestion. This is an ethical issue when one considers the effects that such merchandises may hold on the population. In a nut shell, the pharmaceutical industry can be applauded for puting in R & A ; D to guarantee development of drugs and vaccinums to control lifting instance of malignant neoplastic diseases. However, their influence on the political category may take the authorities to take determination like the one taken by Australian authorities for the involvement of these companies. They understood really good that with the authorities backup of such a programme, there would be increased ingestion of their merchandises interpreting to immense net incomes they are seeking in the market ( Schwartz 2010: 1843 ) . Therefore, there is a likeliness that the determination taken by Austral ia authorities could hold been influenced by the pharmaceutical companies that had carried out extended advertizement on the effectual of Gardasil in contending cervical malignant neoplastic disease. Is it possible that the authorities has fallen quarries to strategies by pharmaceutical companies to publicize their merchandises? Did these companies influence the political category to approve the plan in order to function their ego involvement? These are many others are inquiries that need to be closely interrogated when sing the influence of the political category and the pharmaceutical companies on authorities determination to turn over out The Federal HPV Vaccination Programme. However, it is apparent that the increased advertizement on the effectivity of the vaccinums could hold had major influence on the authorities while implementing this plan. In add-on, there were moral issues that could be explored in visible radiation of The Federal HPV Vaccination Programme. The desire by the authorities to implement the programme could hold been elicited by the demand to protect 1000000s of immature misss in the state who a hazard of cervical malignant neoplastic diseases. In another position, it can be argued that through execution of this programme, the authorities assumed that Australian immature misss are prosecuting in sex, the most common method for transmittal of HPV. Australian parents were bullied into a medical response to one of the most controversial moral issue of sex. This was perceived as another programme by the authorities in its safe sex battle. It is acceptable that immature male childs and misss are prosecuting in sexual at a clip that is non appropriate but this does non vouch the authorities to pump false information about protecting immature people from such disease ( Verweij & A ; Dawson 2004: 3124 ) . The issu e of HPV is closely tied to sexual activities among the immature people and the best manner that can be used to cover with it is through plans that discourage immature misss from prosecuting in sex ( Roden, Ling & A ; Wu 2004: 980 ) . Alternatively of the authorities directing such financess to programmes that will assist kids cover with sexual issues during stripling, the authorities goes on to administrate vaccinums that tells immature people that they have license to prosecute in sex because they are aa‚ ¬Aâ€Å"protectedaa‚ ¬A? . Oppositions of The Federal HPV Vaccination Programme argue that due to increased public trust on the Gardasil vaccinums, there is likeliness of lessening in usage of Pap smear that has been proved effectual in diagnosing of cervical malignant neoplastic disease ( Zimmerman 2006: 4814 ) . Although the Australian authorities has directed medical professions administrating the vaccinums to promote adult females to travel for regular Pap vilification, there is high likeliness that most adult females are likely to abstain from seeking pablum vilification and rely on the vaccinums which has non been proved effectual in combating cervical malignant neoplastic disease. Another ethical issue that arose in the class of the plan is informed consent. This is one of the most of import ethical demands in biomedical programmes where the participants have to be informed of the purpose of the programme and objectives it will accomplish. The Federal HPV Vaccination Programme dealt with immature kids who were non in place to do their ain determination sing their engagement in the programme ( Verweij & A ; Dawson 2004: 3123 ) . Harmonizing to ethical theories, when covering with kids below the age of 18 old ages, parental consent must be sought before the kid participates in such a programme. By implementing The Federal HPV Vaccination Programme without affecting parents in blessing of the programme, the authorities violated one of the basic ethical demands. In this programme, parents should hold been involved in doing the determination whether to implement the programme or non. Although the ultimate purpose of the authorities was to protect immature misss fro m cervical malignant neoplastic disease, this does non vouch the demand to compromise the rules of informed consent and pick. Informed consent and The Federal HPV Vaccination Programme One of the ethical issues that arose from this plan was the issue of informed consent and pick. The issue of informed consent requires that participants in any medical procedure must be informed of their purpose of the procedure and they should give their consent to take part in the programme. This means engagement must non be compulsory. This rule requires that when covering with kids below the age of 18, who can non do their ain determination to take part in such plans, parental consent must be sought ( Verweij & A ; Dawson 2004: 3126 ) . This means that their parents must be informed of the engagement of their kids and give their consent. The Federal HPV Vaccination Programme was intended to cover with the job of cervical malignant neoplastic disease in misss. From a useful position, the programme should hold produced good consequence for those take parting in the programme. It was supposed to cut down the prevalence of cervical malignant neoplastic diseases among adult female in Australian and this was asses through HPV Register. All medical enterprises like The Federal HPV Vaccination Programme are assessed through useful position because they are expected to hold positive consequences to the populace ( Smart & A ; Williams 1973: 62 ) . A programme that produces negative consequences would be considered a liability to the authorities and the participants as good. The taking ethical rule for public wellness programmes is that they should bring forth good results for the mark population. However, this was non the instance in this programme because there were negative effects that were registered after The Federal HPV Vaccination Programme was implemented. In add-on, the useful attack to this issue does non vouch the authorities any right to go against basic rule of informed consent and pick ( Smart & A ; Williams 1973: 62 ) . There were different ways in which the authorities violated this rule. First, it was earlier highlighted that despite public concern, the Prime Minister had already indicated that the plan would be approved. This meant that the authorities was non ready to see any input from the mark population. The execution of the programme should hold involved the mark population and acquire their blessing whether to take part in the plan or non. Although the authorities had earlier indicated that engagement in the programme was voluntary, school based programmes did non adhere to this rule ( Verweij & A ; Dawson 2004: 3125 ) . Out of their artlessness, and possibly without any cognition of the possible consequence of the programme on their wellness, school traveling misss flocked to have the vaccinums. In such instance the authorities should hold called all parents foremost and informed them of the at hand programme so that parents could do their determination whether their kids should have the inoculation or non. If the authorities failed to affect concerned stakeholders, who in this instance were parents, during the blessing of the programme, parental blessing should hold been sought by the clip the programme was being implemented at school degree. In order to cover with this ethical job, the authorities should recognize the importance of the rule of informed consent and the pick of participants ( Verweij & A ; Dawson 2004: 3125 ) . They should esteem the liberty of Australian school misss and seek the consent of their parents before kids receive vaccinums. Although some may reason that the harm has already been done because a figure of kids have already received the vaccinum, this should non be a ground to disregard pertinence of this rule. Sing the negative effects that have already been registered with the vaccinums, the authorities should every bit good halt the vaccinum until its effectives has been proven. This will guarantee that the rights of Australian misss to do informed pick will be respected. Decision Most medical programmes that target the mass are sometimes loaded with many ethical issues. From the basic point of blessing of such plans, pick of participants, enlisting and disposal, these programmes attract different contentions. The Federal HPV Vaccination Programme is one of such programmes that have attracted ethical contentions. From a useful position, this plan was meant to cut down the prevalence of cervical malignant neoplastic diseases among adult females in Australian. However the pick of Gardasil vaccinums remains controversial because there is no scientific information that backs the effectivity of the vaccinums. In add-on, the blessing of the plan was besides controversial because parent involved was non sought at national or school degree, which means the rule of informed consent was violated. Sing the negative consequence of the vaccinums on those who have received it, the authorities should instantly hold the plan until the effectivity of the vaccinums has been app roved. In add-on, authorities should besides affect the populace in the hereafter when doing of import public wellness determinations because they are stakeholders.

American History Since 1865 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

American History Since 1865 - Research Paper Example However, through their perseverance, this community has overcome their difficulties and the development of African Americans was unprecedented. This paper will discuss how African Americans have evolved as a strong presence within the American society from the status as slaves and what role they played within the American society and the laws that were enacted to give them their voice. The six major events of the history of African Americans are Harlem Renaissance, Black Power Movement, Thirteenth Amendment, Reconstruction, Great Migration and The Civil Rights Movement. Harlem Renaissance: Harlem Renaissance was an intellectual and literary flowering that promoted a new black cultural individuality from the 1920s to the 1940s. Certainly, African American culture had again been revived in Harlem Renaissance, which was considered as a cultural movement. During that period, it was also known as the "New Negro Movement†. Although it was centered in neighborhood of Harlem area of Ne w York City, lots of black writers from African and Caribbean city states who were residing in Paris were also affected by the Harlem Renaissance. The first phase of the Harlem Renaissance began in the late 1910s. In 1917, there was a premiere of many plays in a Negro theatre. These plays featured African-American artists, conveying complex human emotions and desires. They rejected typecasting of the blackface and traditions. During the same year James Weldon Johnson called the openings of these plays as an epoch making event in the whole history of the Negros in the Theaters in America. â€Å"These black intellectuals took inspiration from their African heritage and, through their works of creativity, provided racial uplift for their own communities† (4.4: The Civil Rights Movement (1954-1963), n.d.). As the World War I drew to an end, the tale of James Weldon and the poems of Claude McKay were unfolding the reality of African-American existence in America to the people, esp ecially the blacks. The Harlem Renaissance further developed out of various changes taking place within in the African-American community after the abolition of slave system. Similarly industrialization was drawing more people to cities from country areas and this trend gave birth to a new mass culture. The factors which led to Harlem Renaissance were the specific situation in the aftermath of the First World War that had created immense job opportunities in industries and reconstruction for a large number of people and the Great Migration of the African Americans to cities in the north. The Harlem Renaissance thus brought the Black experience within the throng of American cultural history through the integration of African Americans and their culture into the mainstream American society. The heritage of the Harlem Renaissance had redefined how America and the whole world viewed the African Americans. Black Power Movement: The Black Power Movement arises from the Movement of Civil R ights that had gradually increased the momentum of the uplifting of the African Americans during the 1950s and 1960s. Even though not a proper movement, the Black Power movement became another turning point in black and white relations in the US and also in how black persons perceived themselves. This movement was hailed by many as a proactive and positive force aimed at

High School Athletic Department Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

High School Athletic Department - Research Paper Example Furthermore, the HR portfolio speaks about performance appraisal, reward systems, motivation, and job design, leadership and decision style, and on how these can be applied into the Orange High School Athletics. This portfolio is in line with the purpose of describing the entirety of the sport organization and improvement of the human resources which are essential to the improvement of the organization. Introduction The mission of Orange County High School Athletics Department is to let students explore in an environment of positive, supportive, nurturing and safe where they have room to grow, excel and succeed in their endeavors in all aspects such as academics and sports. Students are expected to develop critical-thinking and civic-minded values, and contribute to the local community and to the global society. The members of the organization believe in the following: (1) the core business of the Orange Schools is to provide students a learning environment, and make their studies an d physical activities valuable, satisfying and challenging; (2) students will be able to reap something worth keeping if they are exposed, guided, and taught; (3) the environment that the students stay must be nurturing, safe, and conducive for learning (4) all students need adults’ supervision and care; (5) all individuals such as staff and employees shall adhere to commitment for excellence and teach students with values (6) cooperation and gathering among all members of the organization and the community help build stronger relationships with the students in their learning (â€Å"Orange County Schools,† n.d.). Meanwhile, following the hierarchical organizational structure, these are the ranks/positions within the organization: the principal, the athletic director, the interscholastic athletic director, and coaches. In order to carry out the goal well, the staffs and employees are in constant coordination. They connive to each other’s office to achieve desired results. For example, in Orange County School’s Interscholastic Athletic Program, the principal is responsible for the operation of the entire school in cooperation with the Athletic Director. The main function of the athletic director is to oversee all school athletic programs to ensure that all interscholastic athletic programs are conducted in accordance with the North Carolina State Board of Education, North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) requirements, policies established by the State Board of Education, the Orange County Board of Education, and the General Statutes of North Carolina (â€Å"Mission Statement,† n.d.). All program leaders must construe to the duties and responsibilities set forth by the organization’s Constitution and by-laws. Staffing 1.1 Staffing Needs Assessment First and foremost, before jumping into the more critical points in the organization like doing the job analysis, job description, job specification, hiring an d so on, the Human Resource personnel should consider the assessment of the current staffing situation of the organizatio

Sino-American relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Sino-American relations - Essay Example Given the importance of Sino-American relations, this paper examines important issues in the bilateral relations between the United States and China. To understand Sino-American relations, it is important to comprehend the parties' perception of each other. China has for long viewed the United States as its biggest foreign policy problem because, as the only global power in the post-Cold War and post-9/11 world, the latter more than any other country, has the ability to faciliate or hinder the fulfillment of vital Chinese foreign power objectives. These objectives range from coopting Taiwan into its territory, expanding economic prosperity and securing international recognition of China's status as a great power (Levine 91). While China's policy towards the United States is an area that engages the country's leaders and many of its citizens, the reverse is not true. Since the United States currently enjoys unipolarity, and will possibly continue to do so in the next few decades, the challenge for America is: how to preserve and promote American unipolarity (Zhang 686). Thus, while the United States is aware of the rising clout of the PRC, China is not on the top of Washington's foreign policy agenda (Levine 92-93), and probably only captures American attention insofar as it affects American hegemony. Taiwan and Japan In the shadow of this asymmetry in levels of interest, major conflicts of interest or real cooperation between the two giants unfold. Generally, such issues are connected with developments in Asia because it is in this region where the United States is most likely to come into contact with China (Wang [2]). A major worrisome security problem for China in Asia is the Republic of China ("ROC") on Taiwan. American interest in Taiwan is both historical and multi-faceted. For the first 30 years of the PRC's founding, the United States did not formally recognize the PRC. Rather, it recognized the ROC as the sole legitimate government of all China and maintained diplomatic relations with it. Although the United States transferred its recognition from Taipei to Beijing in the 1979's Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations ("Joint Communique") (Wikipedia, Sino-American relations), Taiwan's claims on American sympathies, which originated in Cold War anticommunism, have co ntinued to be reinvigorated by the transformation of the island into a vibrant plural democracy (Levine 101). Besides, American commercial, cultural and other unofficial contacts with Taiwan have continued since 1979 and indeed were acknowledged by Beijing in the Joint Communique. The United States is also a larger exporter of weaponry to Taiwan (Sino-American relations). In short, American interest in Taiwan is very much alive. To complicate matters, this interest is tied in with the United States' relations with Japan - one of its important allies in Asia. Since the end of the Cold War, the U.S.-Japanese securities alliances have strengthened instead of weakened. The relationship between the United States and Japan has grown stronger after 9/11 with Tokyo's dispatch of troops to support the occupation of Iraq and provision of substantial reconstruction assistance to Afghanistan and Iraq

2012 Olympic's impact on Sports management in London Essay

2012 Olympic's impact on Sports management in London - Essay Example Hence, Tennis Wimbledon Tournament or Football League Championship is mega-event known all over the world, which attracts millions of viewers. Also today there is no grown-up person who is not aware what the word â€Å"Olympics† means and who has not watched the greatest international complex sport competitions on television at least once. It is well-known that the famous symbol of Olympics, five colorful rings, can be identified by more than ninety per cent of planet’s population. This exceeds the recognition of such extremely popularized brands as Nike, Coca-Cola and McDonalds (Vigor, Mean, Tims 2004, pp. 4). Even in a far antiquity Olympic Games were the main sport event of all the times and nations. During the period of Olympics peace and consent were proclaimed on the Earth. The wars stopped and all dignified athletes competed in a fair fight for the top ranking. Olympic movement managed to overcome a lot of impediments, among which were: interruptions by World War s, attacks of terrorists, including bombing, kidnapping of sportsmen, murders, boycotts, and various diplomatic incidents. However, the Great Games have survived and currently take place every forth year, with interchange of summer and winter games with a difference of two years. Nowadays Olympics are spread on a large scale, being equipped with the latest techniques and recorded by numerous computers and cameras for defining the final results of the sportsmen with a high accuracy. Lately the cities that organize Olympics become the capitals of the world for the period of games holding. The place of the consecutive Games is announced beforehand for giving at least seven years to the country to get itself ready. Hence, London has been officially chosen for the Olympics 2012 on the sixth of July 2005, leaving behind such serious rivals as Paris, Moscow, New-York and

Letter to an Editor of the Campus Newspaper Essay - 1

Letter to an Editor of the Campus Newspaper - Essay Example It was not so much the revision of my own thoughts but revising my expression of them. Argumentative submissions and genre interpretation is always difficult because my writing is subjective. I can distinctly recall worrying about â€Å"coming across† the right way. I think that there is a line between conveying your message and censuring it for the eyes of others so I was always careful to not cross it. I find that in the argumentative process, I become easily lost which demonstrated my total lack of discipline. Thus my first decision was to make a concerted effort to not inject myself too much into my argument. I had a problem identifying my audience for the genre translation and as a result found myself consistently revising but to what end? Ultimately I would begin again and again because I kept identifying different targets and it took quite some time before I came to the realization that the interpretation could be generally applied. 2. Describe the rhetorical situation as you see it for both your argument paper and your genre translation. Be sure to discuss both audience and purpose for both documents. A rhetorical situation is far easier to convey when it is applied to an argument because the sense of urgency is raised by the issue being argued. The audience is hopefully automatically compelled by the tone and terms of the issues presented in the argument itself. Moreover, one tends to become personally involved in their arguments which also is revealed in their writing. An argument is an attempt to convince whereas genre translation is equally subjective, but without the force or conviction behind it. I find that the audience and purpose of genre translation is far harder to convey than that of the argument. Argument is an imperative whereas genre interpretation seems to be an attempt to bridge a gap without conviction. With genre interpretation it is difficult to contemplate whom it is that

Modern finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Modern finance - Essay Example (Campbell, 2008). Apparently, the current crisis may be attributed to the subprime lending made by the different financial institutions. However, at the core of it is a whole plethora of different variables which are not only correlated with each other but also created a combined effect on different macroeconomic variables too. The failure of financial institutions to regularly check in their appetite for taking more risk not only resulted into the current credit crunch but also indicated the degree of the regulatory control over such institutions to discipline their behavior. Northern Rock is such a financial institution in UK which required intervention from the government because of its apparent failure to sustain the losses incurred due to subprime mortgage episode. In this research study, the current credit crunch will be discussed with special focus on Northern Rock as a firm requiring official intervention. The credit crunch started to emerge during 2007 when in US, especially financial institutions started to witness defaults on payments of subprime mortgages. Subprime borrowers are termed as those borrowers are who have relatively high risk due to their past credit history. Therefore, under normal banking rules and practices, lending to such borrowers are riskier as in comparison to other borrowers. It is because of this reason that such borrowers are categorized as subprime and are charged relatively higher rates on the lending made to them. Historically, banks were more conservative in their lending practices and avoided to lend to such borrowers who lacked the capability to repay. However, with the innovation in the financial markets corroborated by liberalization of financial markets allowed financial institutions to innovate and roll out products which carried relatively high risk. This phenomenon was further aggravated with the globalization of the financial markets

Environmental Regulation and Protection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Environmental Regulation and Protection - Essay Example The political factors include; environmental regulation and protection, consumer protection, international trade regulations, employment laws, taxation, and competition regulations among others. Environmental Regulation and Protection The government through Environmental Protection Agency imposes various rules and regulations to protect the environment. These rules impact on businesses directly especially the manufacturing industries which are high pollutants of environment. Moreover, customers are nowadays buying products from green companies who are environmentally friendly thus putting pressure on businesses to go green (Robbins & Coulter, 2009).Those businesses who have not appreciated green strategies thus risk losing their businesses. The New South Wales Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC) is the body concerned with environmental regulation through Protection of Environment Operations Act (PEOA) of 1997. Businesses are supposed to acquire licenses and carry out environmental training for the staff. Strict penalties and fines are applied to those individuals and businesses that contravene the law and pollute water, air, land and for improper waste management. The organization thus needs to continuously update itself on environmental laws to avoid prosecution. For example, a copper manufacturer was fined $28, 000 for causing toxic overflow in Sydney (NSW, 2011). Fernando (2010) argues that businesses should convert environment issues to their own advantage. Those businesses who protect the environment earn themselves a good reputation. Others engage in continuous innovations hence improving the environment as well as the business. Businesses also are forced to use environmentally friendly product and packages and also processes and these are cost effective. For example, McDonalds was forced to use recycled materials in packaging and transport by customers. Consumer Protection The government has the responsibility of protecting consumers form uncouth businessmen through various measures such as setting quality standards, safety standards and ensuring efficient distribution of goods and services (Fernando 2010). Sometimes, businessmen carry out extensive advertisement of products thus attracting buyers but the goods may be substandard. It is the role of government to ensure all relevant information is put on labels to avoid such instances. It also enforces regulations such as those stipulated on standard weight and measures Act, consumer protection Act among others. Such rules impact on the business as it is required to change its advertising techniques as well as pricing. For example, a government control on cigarettes may force businesses to close or lower production. In India, the Essential Commodity Act of 1955 allows the government to declare any commodity as essential hence control its production and distribution (Fernando, 2010). International Trade Regulations Most countries have opened their borders to free trad e but sometimes, they enforce trade restrictions to protect critical industries from competition. Most countries have also entered into trade agreements with trading partners and these agreements form basis for international trade rules. For example, World Trade Organization (WTO), North America

The relation between planning , organising and leading Essay

The relation between planning , organising and leading - Essay Example Failure of these functions cause failure of the organization. Planning is the first tool and core area of all functions of the management. It acts as a base for all other functions to be built. Planning is nothing but a logical thinking of a planner to give shape for immediate and future needs to achieve the goals of the organization. Planning shows the present status of the organization and projects how it would look like in the future. It is a design of today for tomorrow’s action. Continuous planning development is imperative and enhances the organizational effectiveness and efficiency. It is subject to change because of both internal and external factors. Planning should be done by a qualified person in time and any delay can cause problems within the organization. The person makes the planning like a blue print anticipating the problems and incorporating the actions to avoid them. More management decisions are based on the planning. Planning can be made for short, medium and long terms as well as for inside-out, outside-in, top-dow n and bottom-up. The planning can be technical, organizational, tactical, operational, strategic etc. Organizing is the next basic function of the management that follows planning. It ensures for execution of plans and objectives achieved. It is a function that coordinates not only among human, physical and financial resources but between authority and task responsibility as well. Organizing clarifies who is supposed to do what and who reports to whom together with channels of communications. It is the responsibility of the management to organize and use all resources available for implementation of the course of actions and arrangement of materials envisaged in planning to achieve the goals and objectives of the organization. The organizing effectiveness depends much upon the degree to which the organization supports its people to achieve the goals and

The City in Literature Essay Example for Free

The City in Literature Essay This sweeping literary encounter with the Western idea of the city moves from the early novel in England to the apocalyptic cityscapes of Thomas Pynchon. Along the way, Richard Lehan gathers a rich entourage that includes Daniel Defoe, Charles Dickens, Emile Zola, Bram Stoker, Rider Haggard, Joseph Conrad, James Joyce, Theodore Dreiser, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Raymond Chandler. The European city is read against the decline of feudalism and the rise of empire and totalitarianism; the American city against the phenomenon of the wilderness, the frontier, and the rise of the megalopolis and the decentered, discontinuous city that followed. Throughout this book, Lehan pursues a dialectic of order and disorder, of cities seeking to impose their presence on the surrounding chaos. Rooted in Enlightenment yearnings for reason, his journey goes from east to west, from Europe to America. In the United States, the movement is also westward and terminates in Los Angeles, a kind of lands end of the imagination, in Lehans words. He charts a narrative continuum full of constructs that represent a cycle of hope and despair, of historical optimism and pessimism. Lehan presents sharply etched portrayals of the correlation between rationalism and capitalism; of the rise of the city, the decline of the landed estate, and the formation of the gothic; and of the emergence of the city and the appearance of other genres such as detective narrative and fantasy literature. He also mines disciplines such as urban studies, architecture, economics, and philosophy, uncovering material that makes his study a lively read not only for those interested in literature, but for anyone intrigued by the meanings and mysteries of urban life.

Drug Use in the American Army in the Vietnam War

Drug Use in the American Army in the Vietnam War In 1898 the United States gained control of the Philippines. Shortly after acquiring the islands, they began a bloody struggle to suppress the guerrilla uprising that was looming. Soon after their arrival in the Philippines, the troops that were stationed in the Philippines were taught how to smoke opium. Even though this practice was very common among the troops, the current U.S. Opium Commissioner Hamilton Wright decided to deny all claims of them participating in this act. He stated in 1909 that among the personnel of our Army and Navy [in the Philippines] there is not the slightest evidence that the use of opium or its derivatives has been introduced (Brush, n.d.). This use of opium in the Philippines was defiantly not the last time that the U.S. military would use drugs such as opium during the fight to combat guerilla forces. The next time that this practice was used was in the United States involvement in the Vietnam War between the years 1965-1975. Since the beginning of the 20th century the United States had taken upon itself to start controlling drugs by forming different policies to regulate drugs and protect the people of their country. One of the leading fronts of the regulation of drugs was the president of the Bureau of Narcotics, Harry Anslinger. During the decade of the 1950s, the bureau first established different posts in Southern Asia in hopes to curve the source of where different drugs were coming into the United States from (Kuzmarov, 2008). Then later in 1962, the Kennedy Administration provided Mexico with $500,00 worth of helicopters, light planes, jeeps, and rifles through the Agency of International Development for special narcotic destruction campaign targeting marijuana and opium growers (Kuzmarov, 2008). This would set a precedent for the near future. The Vietnam War followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam and South Vietnam. North Vietnam was supported by communist forces and South Vietnam was supported by anti-communist countries such as the United States. A few years before in 1945, President Truman stated, I believe that it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures. I believe that we must assist free peoples to work out their own destinies in their own way (Yancey, 2001). The Unites States saw that the support of the Southern Vietnamese people as a way to combat their idea of containment (Yancey, 2001). Many soldiers in the enacted during the Vietnam War did not want to make the Army a career. They were generally uneducated individuals who lacked in the experience that the higher ranking officials did. These GIs lack of interest, education, and experience in wars may have been one of the many reasons that morale for the Vietnam War faded so quickly. In 1971, President Nixon announced the formation of the Special Action for Drug Abuse Prevention (SAODAP) that was in charge of coordinating and reporting on the growing drug problems of the Vietnam War. Some of their findings included that about 40% of the voluntary enlistees of the troops were school dropouts and many of them enlisted in the military before the appropriate age because of how many little opportunities that they had concerning aspects of their lives such as jobs. They also had much more drug experiences than that of the draftees later on in the war (Korsmeyer and Kranzler, 2009). In the later years of the war, the drafte es were chosen by a lottery designed to make a selection less susceptible to social class biases (Korsmeyer and Kranzler, 2009). Their top priority in this strange land was survival and many turned to drugs as a way to escape (Yancy, 2001). In this paper I will discuss the role alcohol, marijuana, opium, and amphetamine had on the Vietnam War. In the early stages of the Vietnam War, alcohol abuse was the most common drug used. Many of the men partook in daily drinking in order to pass the long days and nights in Vietnam. This alcohol abuse did not cause much controversy in exception of those who were underage. The high ranking officers who partook in daily alcohol abuse were nicknamed the juicers, and the lower ranking draftees of the war were nicknamed the heads due to their indulgence in illicit drugs such as marijuana (Kutler, 1996). Drinking alcohol was significantly encouraged by the Army men. The drinking did everything to encourage their stereotype of the tough and hearty men that they tried to portray. Bars around the bases were given special licenses in order to dispense beer and other alcohols to the troops, even in the bunkers (Kutler, 1996). As the war continued, many could not ignore the fact that marijuana use was steadily increasing. As the Armys combat role in the Vietnam War wound down, illicit drugs conti nued to be a problem. With the decreasing support from the home front, the U.S. forces decided to turn to the Nixon Doctrine. Through the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) and the Vietnamization program, soldiers were required to spend countless lonely months behind bunkers in isolation (Sanders, 1973). The men endured many lonely nights in a world that was completely new and foreign to them. They were thrown into a world that was so unfamiliar to them and their families and friends that were dear to them were halfway around the world. This negative attitude on the war and the home front caused the Vietnam War to lose its support and much of its legitimacy which fueled an exceptional environment for drug use and abuse (Kutler, 1996). The most commonly abused of the drugs being marijuana. Marijuana is one of those unique drugs that can have a very different effect on different people. In one hand, it can act like a stimulant but at the same time act as a depressant (Iversen, 2008). The United States has been trying to regulate the distribution and sales of marijuana since the 1930s after the Marijuana Tax Stamp. In 1954 the Federal Bureau of Narcotics began to investigate the trafficking of opium from Laos. The terrain of Laos is mostly mountainous with many hills and plateaus. This provided the perfect landscape for smuggling narcotics such as opium with little suspicions from the government and other prying eyes (Kuzmarov, 2008). As the soldiers came pouring in from the United States during the war, this caused worry about the illicit drugs being smuggled through the terrain and what this meant for the U.S. Military. Many of the farmers around of the area sold and packaged marijuana as a means of additional income. Marijuana is a very easy plant to grow because it i s a weed. It does not need very fertile soils or even a large amount of water, making it the perfect crop for these poor farmers (Iversen, 2008). It was also a result of the little enforcement of Drug Laws that were not well defined and of little importance in the eyes of the Vietnamese criminal justice system. There was no government control or enforcement agency over marijuana (Brush, n.d.). The farmers would often pack their marijuana in different brands of cigarettes and other smoking tobacco for distribution. The very potent marijuana was sold for a $1.50 in US currency, which was very cheap when compared to the price in America. U.S. News and World Report quoted that Marijuana in Vietnam is cheap, easy to find and potent. All a person has to do to get it is say the work Khan Sa (Zinberg, 1975). Even though this drug was readily available many men only smoked it casually to calm down after a battle or to escape the death and destruction that they were seeing every day. In a study done at the Long Binh Jail, psychiatrist Roger A. Roffman concluded that only 28.9% of GIs stationed in the Southern Corps had tried marijuana at least once. After later publishing their study, the mass media inflated their findings and were reporting that as high as 90% of American troops in Vietnam were on drugs (Kuzmarov, 2008). Only a small percentage of American troops reported heavily smoking marijuana. Media attention to the use of drugs in Vietnam was greatly construed to what was actually going on. They did not distinguish for the masses between the drug use and the drug abuse (Zinberg, 1975). In constant concern over the ever increasing addiction problem amongst the GIs, in 1969, a campaign for the destruction of marijuana was launched by the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs and the Vietnamese special police. Some speculate that this was also an alternative agenda to the Vietnamese to force out any guerillas and force other villagers into government ran camps. The aftermath of this mission included 504,795 marijuana plants being destroyed. These farmers were paid a small amount of money, less than one U.S. cent for every crop that was destroyed on their land (Kuzmarov, 2008). Journalist Richard Boyle commented, The United States is now waging two wars in Vietnam; one against the Vietcong and the other against Mary Jane (Sanders, 1973). With the constant pressure from the military to cut down marijuana smoking in Vietnam, many of the GIs found the risk of smoking marijuana much too great to continue their use. Because of this crackdown, soldiers found a different means of getting high in this foreign world, and its name was heroin. The heroin of the area was so readily available and pure that the men could discreetly hide the heroin in their cigarettes and smoke it with no discriminating odor of any kind, allowing it to be easily hidden (Kutler, 1996). As the 1970s slowly came, heroin addiction rapidly increased throughout all ranks of the military in Vietnam. An estimated 450,000 U.S. military forces in Vietnam were reportedly currently using or had tried for the first time heroin. Because of the strict enforcement of marijuana, it literally knocked out all of the competition that heroin had. Heroin was more readily available that marijuana had ever been. In The Senate Staff Report on Drug Abuse in the Military it stated, The upshot was the GIs who had been smoking grass turned to heroin, which was initially passed off to them as a nonaddicting cocaine. They reasoned that the substance itself, heroin, and the smoking of it were more easily concealed from prying eyes and noses than marijuana (Kutler, 1996). The inexpensive and highly pure heroin estimated at about 94-96% led to frequent use by the U.S. military in Vietnam. Few men injected it and intravenous use was rare (Morgan and Puder, 1989). In a way to deal with the growing problem of drug use, the U.S. military was also trying to encourage their troops to seek help with the heroin, marijuana, and other addictions by offering a sort of amnesty and treatment for any of the GIs who chose to seek help with their problems. Before this idea of seeking treatment, soldiers who were caught participating in drug activity were subject to court marshal and the possibility of dishonorable discharge (Korsmeyer and Kranzler, 2009). As this new idea was being set out, more and more troops were being sent back to the United States. The downside to more troops being sent home was the fact that many of these men were regularly using illicit drugs such as marijuana and heroin on a daily bases. The men were bringing back their drug habits into the United States with them. As the impeding fear of drug addiction on the home front became clearer and clearer, Nixon proposed a plan in 1971 to conduct urine testing for GIs returning home. If the men did not pass the drug test, then they could not return. This new policy was dubbed Operation Golden Flow. These fears of heroin addiction reaching United States soil did not occur at the level that was expected. An estimation of more than two-thirds of the returning GIs from Vietnam never even touch heroin once they returned home (Morgan and Puder, 1989). Although the media attention on this new policy focused mainly on the dreaded heroin, the goal was to detect as many different drugs the troops may have been using while in Vietnam. As to be recognized, the methods used for this testing was in its very primitive state, causing some discrepancies to the testing methods. The 1971 program was confined to testing for residue and/or metabolites of opiates, barbiturates, and amphetamine (Morgan and Puder, 1989). Amphetamines were another drug used during the Vietnam War. Even though marijuana and heroin were more plentiful during this time, some amphetamines were also used. They were used mainly in part because the military would dispense these drugs in order to keep their men awake. The pills were commonly called go pills which allowed the soldiers to stay alert awake during special assigned missions (Korsmeyer and Kranzler, 2009). GIs could also purchase vials of liquid amphetamines on the black market and use them for staying alert during patrol duties or even for parties in rear areas. Some veterans remarked that when asked how coming off the drug was, they replied that it made them edgy and extremely irritable. One soldier even stated that coming off of the drug made the fell like shooting children in the streets. It could be assumed that for reasons like this, marijuana was often the drug of choice for the soldiers over in Vietnam (Tucker, 1998). Drug use has been a staple in wars throughout history with the Napoleonic Wars, World War I, and World War II just to name a few (Sanders, 1973). The Vietnam War was no different than these other wars. In Vietnam the most common drugs used were alcohol, marijuana, heroin, and some amphetamines. These GIs in the Vietnam War were sent to a land in isolation that was foreign to them. Many leaned towards drugs in order to combat the loneliness and horror they saw on the battlefront and many just out of boredom during their stint in Vietnam. At first drugs were used in moderation, but as the war continued on some drug problems among the soldiers became clearer. Statistics concerning exactly how many men were using different forms of illicit drugs tend to be unclear, but the one fact that is clear is that they were in constant supply and utilized in the American Army during the Vietnam War.