Tuesday, August 6, 2019

Childhood Obesity Essay Example for Free

Childhood Obesity Essay Childhood obesity is a growing health concern nationwide. Obesity is a disorder in which the body fat content has become so high that it creates health problems and increased risk of health problems (Childhood Obesity: An Overview. Children Society, 21(5), 390-396). Doctors agree that there are two primary factors in creating obese children. First, the children and teenagers are not eating the right kinds of foods. Second, Americas children are getting less and less exercise on a daily basis. The effects of childhood obesity can be very serious and often include both physical and psychological effects on the lives of the children who are affected. Children that are obese go through a lot of different situations that allow them to become more prone to a mental illness. There are several causes for childhood obesity. Technology plays a big role in childhood obesity in today’s society. The biggest cause of childhood obesity is the lack of parenting. Childhood obesity can be prevented. It is best to prevent it from happening than to have to obtain a treatment for it. Childhood obesity plays a major impact on children up into adulthood and even has a role in the decisions an individual makes. Children that are obese have physical limitations. Most children usually take a liking into some type of physical activity whether it is playing a sport or just running around the yard for fun. Those actions are the normal expected actions of any child by both society and most of all parents. It is very difficult for a child when he or she is excluded from or limited to a certain amount of a physical activity due to weight related issues. Some children do not take rejection very well in any way, shape, or form. Obese children fall subject to a variety of physical and perceived physical barriers. Living an active lifestyle is difficult for an obese child. Obese children often go through a cycle of inactivity and poor health which creates more and more of a problem. Some of these problems that inactivity and poor health cause include asthma, joint pain and increased musculoskeletal stress, orthopedic problems, and psychosocial morbidity. When it comes to physical activity it is common in obese people to have the feeling of being too heavy in order to perform any physical activities. It is almost impossible for an obese child to just jump into heavy doses of high intensity physical activity. It is preferred that an obese child take a slow approach with light low-intensity physical activities in order to reach a better health. Obesity is associated with early mortality and has overtaken smoking as the health problem with the greatest impact on quality of life, mortality, and morbidity (Canadian Journal Of Psychiatry, 57(1), 13-20). The physical effects are often similar to the effects that are faced by adults who are obese, the psychological effects can sometimes be much, much worse because of the negative impact these issues can place on a still developing child. Mental illness is a significant factor that associates with obesity. Most people hear the term obese and mainly think of it as a physical condition. Obesity can be both physical and mental. From a behavioral perspective, mental illness is often characterized by a symptom profile that impacts energy, appetite, and motivation, and is more likely to be associated with unhealthy lifestyle factors, such as smoking, alcohol, and drug use. This makes exercise and healthy nutritional choices more difficult to implement (Canadian Journal Of Psychiatry, 57(1), 13-20). There is on individual on the face of this earth that smokes, drinks, or uses any recreational drugs that can still perform heavy doses of high intensity activities on a regular basis. The most common mental condition that is found it obese children is low self-esteem. Most people do not realize how much detrimental comments affect these children. The majority of children who are obese are faced with constant and persistent ridicule. The sad part about this situation is that the ridicule does not come from just other children but adults as well. The results of constant ridicule may lead a child to believe that they are worth anything which makes them feel as if there is no reason for them to even try to amount to anything. When anyone has that belief in their head it blocks that person from not caring about their life as a whole. This leads to a variety of problems all on its own. Success is something that may never be strived for by a child or adult that loses the mental battle that comes along with obesity. Studies show that children that are obese are at a higher risk of emotional problems that often carry over into adulthood. The study also reported that obese boys and girls with low self-esteem had higher rates of loneliness, sadness and nervousness. These children were more likely to smoke and drink alcohol compared with obese children with normal self-esteem. Depression, often an outcome of low self-esteem, affects as many as 750,000 teens in the U. S. (Source: Pediatrics, Childhood Obesity and Self-Esteem, January 2000. ) Untreated depression is recently passed upon but is a cause and effect of childhood obesity. Technology is at an all-time high. The technological age has resulted in children spending prolonged hours in front of television (TV) and computer screens. Lots of children are more interested in the technology than the usual interest of physical activity. Television shows, the internet, mobile phones, and video games occupy most children’s attention for great amounts of time every day. The rapid growth of technology is grasping the attention of the youth. The new lifestyle that has taken over the lives’ of the youth leaves little time for them to exercise. This lifestyle reduces the amount of physical activity and it is far from the lifestyle that their parents may have enjoyed many years ago. Parks are not as used as they often were and playgrounds are not as busy as they used to be. All of that is replaced with computers, laptops, handheld games, and anything that involves little or no physical movement. Health researchers suggest no television at all for children aged less than two years and not more than two hours of viewing for children aged more than two years. Most importantly it’s unhealthy to provide your child a separate television or computer in his room. More time spent on television and computer playing video games or computer games means less time spent on healthy physical activities. Nintendo did have one breakthrough when they the WII system to the world. This games forces children to get up out of their seats and move in order to play the game. Children are limited to the use of certain technology while at school, but at home the use of technology is at the discretion of the parent. Most children would rather sit inside all day with technology and constantly intake major calories without burning any. On a daily basis this can add some major pounds and create bad habits. Technology is great to have but it must not be abused by any individual. More than 25 million students use the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) daily, while approximately 7 million utilize the National School Breakfast Program (NSBP) daily. The public school systems have started programs that assure that each child is being fed healthy foods and that each child has the required physical activity to go along with an education. School programs that encourage physical activity are important for increasing childrens energy expenditure; because children are less likely to participate in physical activity in the absence of adult supervision (Am J Public Health. 001;91:618-620). The education and health of children are prominent considerations in the 21st century. Schools have always had a traditional focus on increasing literacy and numeracy proficiency in children, but now they are increasingly being tasked with preventing obesity as well. Regular physical activity is directly implicated in the prevention of childhood obesity; there is evidence, however, that it may also benefit cognitive development(American Journal Of Public Health, 102). Physical education (PE) in schools is an ideal vehicle by which to promote physical activity in children because it is available to all children, and teachers have the opportunity to integrate it into the overall education process (American Journal Of Public Health, 102). The public school system has a major impact on the determination of what children are exposed to. Starting the concern for kid’s health at an early age is a head start for the future. The impact on the lives of kids early may be the influence each child needs in order to make healthy decisions in the run of life. Parenting is the best prevention method that exists today for childhood obesity. Parents may miss or just don’t ever think about the actions that they perform around their kids. Children are followers, so most kids are reflections of their parents. Parents can help prevent obesity by having the knowledge of nutritional facts, by the food available in the household, by the parents’ eating habits, encouragement of activity, parents’ activity pattern, the current weight of the parent and by monitoring the time spent with the new age technology that requires little or no physical movement. Old sayings often make people believe that obesity is genetic. This is not a true statement. Every adult has control over what their physical appearance would be. Children need a good role model physically. Parents are the perfect role models for this job. Parents have the biggest and most effect on the lives of their children. Parents should be very concerned with the health of their children at a very early age. Some of the schools are now offering to the parents a few courses that are very direct about proper nutrition and exercise. Also the lunch menu for the week is sent home in advance to inform the parents of what type of foods and snacks that their children are consuming on a daily basis. People are still in belief when it comes to kids that it is ok for them to eat anything. Proper nutrition plays a very big role in the development of a child , both physical and mental. Keeping the kids in the habit of eating healthy has very great benefits in the long run. The mixture of fast food diets along with sedentary lifestyles is creating a generation of children who are facing very adult health issues like high cholesterol, diabetes and heart disease. Preventing obesity, or even slowing the dramatic rate of increase in obesity prevalence, will probably require societal changes which facilitate the modification of diet and physical activity by children and their families (Childhood Obesity: An Overview. Children Society, 21(5), 390-396). Technology will continue to rise rapidly. Most children are more attracted to prolonged hours of sitting with some type of technology rather than to get up and be active. The society revolves around the use of technology, both mobile and stationary. Public schools are implementing new programs that will reflect the proper nutrition and exercise required for each child. Schools also have the potential to influence students beliefs and attitudes regarding nutrition and weight control. Parents are the best prevention method against obesity. Parents have the control over each and every cause of childhood obesity. Every child looks up to their parent and someday may want to follow in their footsteps. The result of the footsteps each child takes is heavily depended upon the parent.

Monday, August 5, 2019

A Critical Examination of Credit Unions

A Critical Examination of Credit Unions Table of Contents Introduction credit unoin credit union facts Why credit union? Who can join? Payday loans or credit union Payday loans Credit union Key features References Introduction credit unoin Credit unions are non-profit financial institutions established on co-operative principles ground, Credit union exist to help the financial welfare of their members as well as to improve the financial State of the local community. Credit Unions is created on principle of ‘ethical lenders’, Particularly, they facilitate help to their members or the community by generating capital from the members in forms of deposits or saving in which to serve and provide loans to other members at a good interest rate. credit union facts There are around 400 credit unions in Britain with capital and assets of close to  £1 billion. Over one million people are members of credit union, and the goal would be to boost this by twice by 2017 throughout the credit union expansion project. The credit union sector is rising and improving rapidly, however is up till now small comparing to other nations, for example: Ireland in which 70% of the general public are members of credit unions, compared to only around 2% in Britain. Approximately more than 90% of the British people has the ability to be a part of a credit union considering where they are living. And some people are qualify throughout their workplace. Across the globe there are 56, 000 credit unions providing financial services to 200 million members in 101 countries. According to the ABCUL (association of British credit union limited) at year end September 2012 there are 22 credit unions across the UK now offer current accounts, and more than 35,000 people have their current account with a credit union, never to mention some credit unions offer mortgages, cash ISAs and insurance products. And in just between September 2012 and March 2013 there has been steady growth in the sector, not only the number of members increased by 3.2% but also in term of assets recorded rise 6.7%, beside, growth of loan by 2.4%.In fact only for the last decade between 2002 and 2012 Britain has witnessed growth in membership and loan in the credit union sector more than double by 125% and 146% in that order, and treble times in deposits along with assets by 196% and 199% respectively (abcul, 2013). Now-days over than 68,400 individuals benefit from the services by 21 credit union in wales alone. Why credit union? Credit unions appear to be very competitive and actually happens to demonstrate one of the best value in Britain current market for loans up to as much as about  £2, 000, and many which will compete with bank rates for considerably higher value loans too. Credit union can be beneficial to people who can’t have access to regular standard bank or financial products like; struggling communities or people with financial difficulties. Besides, they usually a better option to pay-day loans or lending sharks. However, theyre not only just for people with financial problems, but also they attract people who desire to deal with ethically financial institution to enhance and helping out their local community. What is more some large credit unions deliver products which could be better and outdo popular traditional banks. Their main services are savings and borrowing, but also various other more services that can be offered include things like current accounts or ISAs, mortgages. Who can join? Since January 2012, the requirement for membership in credit union are at ease to some extent, and now is easier than before. its more choice instead of obligation, however, there still some criteria to be met for instance common work place, living or if belonging to trade union or an organisation, and even individuals now can be members. Now for someone working for the Royal Mail Group and a member of the main trade union for postal workers; the Communication Workers Union (CWU), surly he’s qualify to join credit unions, and it would be the best choice for him to join credit unions such as; and Penny Post Credit Union, or Commsave Credit Union Limited and 1st Class Credit Union. Key finding Payday loans or credit union If you decided to take a loan from payday Loans Company, it’s wise to fully understand the term payday loan also really essential to compare some payday loans with other loans provider such as: credit unions. Payday loans Pounds to pocket payday loans It’s a company that provides payday loans, unsecured loans usually for short time, which the interest rate depending on the amount of the loan and the payment dates, they provide loans up to  £2000. Highlights Fixed interest rate of 172% per year 14.3% Monthly Interest Rate 399% APR Representative[2]  £12 late fee per missed payment Quick approval Instant funds Pound to pocket highlights 1 1st Stop Instalment Loans Limited company offer unsecure loans up to  £1000 for terms sometime weeks or from 3 to 12 months. Highlights 173.49% Fixed Annual Interest Rate 361.3% APR Representative  £12.00 Missed Payment fee Easy access Credit union Credit Union provides its own members with competitive loans rate for long term, and shorter term as well, the long term may go up for 5 years, and loans up to  £10,000 with no hidden fee. However, few requirement has to be met. In case you are in a situation which you think you may need to get a loan from a payday loan company, make certain you have looked at the comparison and the review between payday loans and loans provided by credit union, so you can to make sure that youve considered all options. The table below will show how payday loans are in comparison to credit union loans There are a number of key differences between the payday loans and credit union loans for example first thing you would notice here that the APR [3] rate is extremely high with the payday loan in comparison to credit union, which means you would have to pay the percentage rate amount over the loan period as well the original loan, and that’s sometime could be double or triple the original amount you barrowed, another thing for example in the table above with pound to pocket payday loan, the original amount of the loan is  £1000 and the annual percentage rate is very high 172% more than double and you end up paying  £2151 , moreover if you miss any payment they would charge you even more, as the penalty fees applied for the missing payment and that is more likely to cause additional financial difficulty for the troubled borrower, turning to credit union loans the APR fairly low Compared to payday loans, in addition the credit union often give lower APR loan if you are a mem ber with saving account. As the above table shows that  £1000 loan with commsave for 12 months period will cost  £151.04 and that’s small amount in comparison even to credit card charge or other financial provider. Nevertheless the term APR Representative in payday loan are shocking for example with pound to pocket payday loan the APR representative is 399% means the loan will be around 4,000 if you couldn’t pay the original loan for a year. As for Alex I believe it would be reasonable for him if he stay away from payday loans, as sometime they are can be fascinatingby first glance, as they are promoting on simplicity and instance funds. however the higher APR usually ending up with more debit particularly if the loan for long term, on the other hand if Alex want to borrow money to take his girlfriend to Paris he could get the money from credit union, with their low APR it would make more since, beside the credit union got more support towards the member and that would definitely benefit Alex with financial guidance, another alternative can be if Alex borrow the money from a friend or a family member this way he can avoid the interest on the loan completely and save even more. Furthermore a trip to Paris would cost more than  £1000 that means Alex is likely to be trapped in a cycle of debt if he moved to payday loans, and with the living cost for his home plus the rent, So I don’t think he would be able to cover the payday loan monthly charge, again it’s wise to stay away from any payday loan company especially with Alex financial situations. Key features Speaking about credit union and the financial products, clearly they provide an exceptional advantages for the members, even more favourably than banks, and to compare which credit union best we have to compare their products and the advantage and the services. First for the saving account for each credit union in the above table they all provides saving account, with no differences, now moving to the dividend rate the deference here is much wider, hence penny post credit union have the highest dividend rate means it pay more for the member with difference 1.5% than commsave, surly it’s a big difference here, furthermore penny post credit union is more than six times higher than Cardiff and Vale credit union that only just 0.75 which is negligible relating to others, additionally in term of methods of paying in money, it’s almost similar apart from Cardiff and Vale credit union with the membership card, but that doesn’t really make any difference. For the maximum amount the member can deposit, again Penny Post Credit Union with no maximum deposit would be the best choice for Alex. That’s being said the it’s clear that the best choice for Alex is Penny Post Credit Union as he can join easily because he’s already a member with royal mail group, plus the saving account he will get with penny post is much higher, nevertheless there is more for Alex circumstances to consider such as the loan he want to have and the fact he’s trying to save enough money to get married, as with penny post he can benefit with their saving account or maybe use their ISA saving account with no tax, and in the same time he could get his loan with low APR rate . References 1st Class Credit Union, 2012. About Us. [Online] Available at: http://www.1stclasscu.co.uk/content.asp?section=1 [Accessed 9th March 2014]. abcul, 2013. Facts and Statistics. [Online] Available at: http://www.abcul.org/media-and-research/facts-statistics [Accessed 9th March 2014]. Cardiff Vale Credit Union, 2014. about us. [Online] Available at: https://www.cardiffcu.com/index.php [Accessed 9th March 2014]. commsave, 2014. [Online] Available at: https://ssl.commsave.co.uk/about/history [Accessed 8th March 2014]. findyourcreditunion, 2014. find your credit union. [Online] Available at: http://www.findyourcreditunion.co.uk/home [Accessed 9th March 2014]. Helen, S., 2014. Credit Unions. [Online] Available at: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/banking/credit-unions [Accessed 6th March 2014]. Lewis, M., 2014. Cheap Payday Loans UK. [Online] Available at: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/loans/payday-loans [Accessed 9th March 2014]. moneyfacts, 2012. guides. [Online] Available at: http://moneyfacts.co.uk/guides/savings/what-are-credit-unions220212/ [Accessed 8th March 2014]. Penny Post Credit Union, n.d. News. [Online] Available at: http://www.pennypostcu.com/content.asp?contenttype=News [Accessed 9th March 2014]. Welsh Government, 2013. Credit unions. [Online] Available at: http://wales.gov.uk/topics/people-and-communities/regeneration/debt/affordcredit/?lang=en [Accessed 9th March 2014]. World Council of Credit Unions, 2012. Statistical Report. [Online] Available at: http://www.woccu.org/documents/2012_Statistical_Report [Accessed 5th March 2014]. [1] Simply just two withdrawals per year allowed with this particular account and it does provide a 1% more dividend when compared with Regular Savings Account. [2] APR representative implies 51% of successful applicants are given the stated interest rates, however, the remain 49% may have totally different rate [3] Annual Percentage Rate [4] By July 2013 membership was over 6000. [i] UK tax-free savings account [ii] Dividend rate is how much money the dividend is over the coming year.

Sunday, August 4, 2019

Employment Relations and Australian Apprenticeship Essay -- Education

Introduction (share of responsibility at the workplace) Apprentices and trainees currently represent 25 per cent of the 1.7 million students enrolled in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) system and 3.8 percent of the entire workers (NCVER, 2010). More than 13 per cent of the entire Australian workforce comprises of 1.2 million workers in the technical and trade sector (Expert Panel, 2011: 8). Therefore, the quality and effectiveness of the Australian Apprenticeships systems will impact on the productivity of the wider Australian economy. For decades, Australians have completed apprenticeships and traineeships that have provided pathways into satisfying and rewarding careers in trade or vocation, or into further training, skills development and leadership (Lansbury and Wailes, 2004). Consequently, shifting the onus to the interested stakeholders in the employment industry to ensure that Australian Apprenticeships remain a valued pathway. This involves reinforcing a shared responsibility for the Australian Apprenticeships system b y establishing an employer contribution schem...

Personal Narrative: Teaching Students to Enjoy Writing Essay -- Free Es

Writing is something that always came relatively easy to me. I was not the best student in High School, though that was primarily due to my lack of effort and enthusiasm. I was certainly capable of doing the work, though baseball and Atari always seemed to come first. But with writing, I was most often able to produce the quality of work my parents expected of me in a short and painless amount of time. As I set such a scenario for you, two problems are clearly recognizable. The first lies in the lack of effort I put forth in my early schooling, and the second is that I recognized very early what my parents expectations of me were, though I failed to explore my own subdued expectations. They were bubbling just beneath the surface of my false faà §ade of a student. It was not until my years in college, and my subsequent experience, although it is still in its infant stages, of teaching High School English that I began to appreciate writing and reading as a useful tool rather than a mechanism for keeping a smile on my parents’ faces. When this released enthusiasm became part of my life, the latter of the scenario’s problems quickly solved the former. He was a professor at SUNY Cortland, Ross Borden. And it was only by a twist of fate that my path was fortunate enough to cross with his. As I signed up for Early British Literature as an undergraduate, I expected simply to carry on with my typical style of enduring English, for my major was in the sciences. I had known from the time I graduated from High School that I was probably most apt to succeed in English, though my personal restraints pushed me away from it. Nonetheless, as I walked through the door to Early British Literature, I had expected a woman professor, as my schedule... ...everal times the same word, definition, or phrase because he or she had acted inappropriately or missed a question. While the punishment is perhaps effective for some teachers, it instills in the student the ideology that writing is a punishment. Thus the student will continue this attitude until someone, like Ross Borden, is effective enough to change it. While the difficulties in teaching students not only to be good writers, but also to enjoy writing are easy to complain about, they are not immediately changeable. Consequently, as a teacher of young writers, one must find a way to make the system work. Ross Borden found a way with me, and I feel I have found a way with many of my students, but not all of them. So I continue to read, and I continue to write, and I continue to teach, though I also continue to struggle with the many problems surrounding the field.

Saturday, August 3, 2019

REGGAE AND ZYDECO :: Essays Papers

REGGAE AND ZYDECO If one were to look back into the world’s history, one would find that an important and consistent element is the world of music. Music has presented itself in various forms throughout its spread and through our identification of its magical realm, people have been fortunate enough to come across a means of relation. Whether it is blues and reggae or rap and pop rock, there is music out there for everyone. Music can serve as a stabilizer for some, a relaxant to others, and to many a form of inspiration. Music’s influence is felt everywhere and it brings about a stir of emotions in many people. Whether it is something as simple as relationship trouble or something deeper and more profound, such as one’s cultural history, music serves as a stimulant to the mind and in other ways, a stimulant to the body. Such music as country, rock, reggae and Zydeco all succeed in stimulating the body and convincing it that dancing will only increase the satisfactory feeling that the music tends to give off. Although there is a variety of music that could be examined to trace its evolution through time, there is one genre in particular that is quite interesting to examine. Though it differs from other types of music, it will be looked at in conjunction with Reggae music as they have similar ties. Reggae music is quite prominent today in the United States, parts of Africa, and of course Jamaica. Reggae is notoriously known for its most influential artist Bob Marley, and it is not unusual for one to have heard a few, if not many of his songs. Reggae’s popularity is steadily increasing and is doing so through both expansions of the music as well as increasing knowledge on the genre. The genre that has been chosen to focus on and examine is much less known than Reggae. It can be assured that a number of people asked on the subject will have no knowledge of the genre and perhaps not even recognition to the name. This particular genre is that of Zydeco music. Zydeco music is Louisiana based and most notably linked to Cajun music. Its roots are deep in the South and although it tends to not venture far from home, those around it have found music to fall in love with. Reggae and Zydeco, as well as many other musical genres have ties that go as far as Africa.

Friday, August 2, 2019

Kennedy’s New Frontier Program

In November 1960, majority of the American population voted John F. Kennedy into presidency. Opposite to the tactics used by his opponent com/richard-nixon-and-supreme-court/">Richard Nixon who emphasized his experience during the Eisenhower administration, Kennedy called to incorporate new tactics to leadership and new ways to effectively use their country's rich economic and human resources (â€Å"An Outline of American History† 12-20). In Kennedy's inauguration speech, he spoke of a â€Å"New Frontier. In general, Kennedy's government through the programs incorporated with the New Frontier was dedicated towards creating ways to boost their economy, to strengthen their national defense and to extend international aid towards their allies. In this light, his administration passed several bills and policies that sought to improve their economic status, while giving a close look at the country's housing status, wage level and unemployment level, provision of social services an d improving the defense system and battling to decrease the crime rate. However, his desire to extend the fruits of economic success with the American citizens was thwarted by the mere fact that he won the presidency in such a narrow margin. His opponents from the Conservative Party and southerners resisted the plans that he carried out for his administration. Further, although one of his strongest priorities is to end economic recession and in turn restore economic growth, price increase in the steel indusry has lost him support from business leaders in the country. Moreover, in the area of civil and social rights, Kennedy fell short from providing the citizens with adequate and quality healthcare, education, international aid and space program (â€Å"Kennedy and the New Frontier†). However, despite these shortcomings, hindrances and deficits, he was able to bring judgment with the Cuban Missile Crisis which during that era was one of the most pressing international issues. This earned him a great popularity not only among the Americans, but for people from other countries as well. As such, towards the end of his term, he further initiated some measures that are thought to become beneficial for their country. Unfortunately though, on November 1963, he was assassinated. Despite his death, the liberal reputation he gained through his style and ideas continued. The agendas that he intended to implement before his death continued to become a liberal force of change for the Americans.

Thursday, August 1, 2019

The Iks

The Iks by Lewis Thomas In the essay â€Å"The Iks†, author Lewis Thomas tells the story about the small tribe of hunters in Uganda who had to struggle to live with others after they were forced by the government to give up their living and working area and move to the poor hills and become farmers. Because of this, the Iks did not know how to live together, and they made each other’s lives very miserable. The individual Ik was selfish and heartless and cared for no one but himself.They didn’t share things with each other and found joy in the other’s misfortunes. They even went as far as to let their children go on their own and take food from the elders. To make things worse, an anthropologist, who hated the Iks, decided to study them for two years to write a book about them. Thomas thought the behavior of the Iks was unmoral and animalistic. He then went on to say that he now sees their behavior as being similar to small groups such as a gang and large g roups such as cities and nations.I find that Thomas’ comparison of the Iks’ behavior to some small groups to be unreasonable, whereas I can see the similarities between their behavior and that of larger groups like cities and nations. I didn’t think the comparison of the Iks’ behavior and that of all small groups was accurate. Now, I have seen some small groups, such as gangs, express the same type of selfish and heartless behavior as Iks, like when they kill innocent people as an initiation and their joy when another gang is broken up.But I have also seen some small groups, such as social clubs, come together to raise money for other organizations and to supply needs to needy communities. Therefore, I can’t see the comparison of all small groups as being fair. As for the comparison of the Iks and larger groups, such as cities, I can agree with that to a certain extent. I could never forget what happened in this city on August 29, 2005. Our familie s, homes, jobs and schools was taken from us. The city decided to save one part of the city, and flooded out the poor part.Sure there was help from other cities and nations, but the help only went to certain areas of the city. The poor areas was left to fend for themselves, and that caused those citizens to make their own laws and they became very defensive and offensive to each other during this time. They broke into the neighbors’ homes and stole whatever was salvageable and they actually raped the women who was stranded with them. There was elderly people who was dead in there for days and no one knew because they was too busy trying to stay alive.So I can agree with the comparison of the Iks and larger cities after being put in a bad situation. I wonder what it would be like if we was put in a situation like the Iks†¦ again? Would we be able to get along in order to help each other out of the bind we’re in, or would we carry on like selfish, savage beasts and destroy the little that we have? Although I can understand Thomas’ point about all humans having the ability to act out like the Iks did, I think that we have come so far in our society that we would not want to act like that, because we know that behaving in such a manner will not help us make the situation better.