Coping Mechanisms in Tim OBriens The Things They Carried Essay

During the Vietnam war, soldiers were not exposed to the traditional coping mechanisms of our American society, as illustrated in Tim Obrien's The Things They Carried. These men were forced to discover and invent new ways to deal with the pressures of war, using only their resources while in the Vietnamese jungle. It was not possible for any soldier to carry many items or burdens with them, but if something was a necessity, a way was found to carry it, and coping mechanisms were a necessity to survive the war. Anti-depressants, psychiatrists, massages...there are many different things offered in American society today to help individuals fight the stress of life. People are willing to pay hundreds of dollars for medicine and treatments that promise to give them a better life. They will spend hours of their time at a masseuse or a psychiatrist in constant search for relief from the lives they live. During the Vietnam War, however, soldiers were not exposed to any of these traditional "coping mechanisms". Instead, these men were forced to discover and invent new ways to deal with the pressures of war, using only their resources while in the Vietnamese jungle. It was not possible for any soldier to carry many items or burdens with them, but if something was a necessity, a way was found to carry it, and coping mechanisms were a necessity to survive the war. Each soldier had a personal effect, story, or process that helped him wake up each morning and go to battle once again, and it was these personal necessities that enabled men to return home after the war. Stress was caused by the war itself and the continual conditions of battle, as well as the knowledge and guilt of killing another ... ... could not help themselves, they were not going to be helped. If struggle were encountered, men had personalized ways to reconnect with the real world, and if a tragedy were encountered which affected the entire company, they also found a combined way to cope with this pressure. The priorities of men during the war shifted greatly toward emotional connections to people and events other than the war, and it was these connections that helped them survive and return home. Coping with the stress and burden of war is not an easy task for anyone, yet in The Things they Carried, O'Brien depicts men dealing and coping as much as they can, using only their primeval resources. They learn how to cope with the barest necessities in life, and they learn how to make use of the smallest opportunities to obtain the most relief and joy from every moment in life.

All couples should have the right to a child Essay

With reference to other aspects of human experience, explore the view that all couples should have the right to a child. Justify your answer. [15] Many would agree with this statement, because parenthood is a human right: â€Å"Parents have the exclusive right to determine freely and responsibly the number and spacing of their children.† Humans have personal sovereignty, which is to be free of the control or coercion of others. Therefore they should be allowed to make their own decisions about their families. The issue becomes more complicated when infertility is involved. This is especially so in cultures where a woman’s worth is based on her ability to produce children. If she does not receive reproductive technology she could face isolation from her community. Looking at the UK, it could be argued that the purpose of the NHS is to solve our health problems, and infertile could be regarded as a health issue. 1 in 6 couples are infertile and there have been 70,000 IVF babies born in the UK. Infertility can have severe emotional impact on a couple and can strain the relationship. It is paradoxical that the NHS will fund abortions but not IVF (in some areas). They are denying desperate couples of their right to a child. The BBC documentary Don’t Take My baby is a good example of a couple who fought hard for their right to a child. It documented the story of a young disabled couple whose every move was monitored by social services as they raised their newborn baby. The mother was wheelchair bound and the father was visually impaired. The father argued that that even if able-bodied people are poor parents, they are never subject to the same amount of scrutiny disabled parents have to go through. The state has no right to decide who has the right to a child, or else we risk becoming a totalitarian society where only the highest calibres of people are permitted to have children. On the other hand, those who disagree would argue that a child is a privilege, not a right. There are some couples that would be better off not having children, such as those with violent criminal convictions where the child would be at risk of harm. With rights come responsibilities. If you cannot live up to the responsibilities of parenthood, then you forfeit your right to a child. Many would use this line of argumentation to dissuade homosexual couples from adopting, because they cannot responsibly provide a child with a father and mother. If the use of reproductive technology grants every couple the right to a child, we risk viewing children as a commodity. The production of children could become commercialised, as is already happening in India. In November 2015 the Indian government banned foreign couples from using Indian surrogates due to fears that poor mothers were being exploited (they received around  £2000 per pregnancy). Additionally, even with IVF some couples will never conceive. They only have a 20% chance. Perhaps infertility is not a health problem that can be solved, but is the will of God: â€Å"’Shall I, who cause to bring forth, shut the womb?’ says your God.† (Isaiah 66:9) Just because a couple does not have the right to bear their own children does not mean that they cannot be parents. In Northern Ireland alone there were 2,785 children in care during 2015. Rather than pouring money in reproductive technology, we should encourage infertile parents to adopt or foster. They can still experience the joys of raising a child, and the child will be saved from a life of never having a permanent home. To conclude, not every couple should have the right to a child. However, we should show immense love and compassion towards those struggling with infertility. To quote Laura Bush, â€Å"For those who deeply want children and are denied them, those missing babies hover like silent ephemeral shadows over their lives.†

Amazing ‘Thank You’ Speech Example

Thank you speech is an example of a presentation given at a public place. A person awarded with a prestigious prize is always called upon to pronounce a few words to commemorate all people who helped him or her to achieve the set goal and become the best in some field of the professional activity. When one wins a prize in a contest, a thank you speech is the act of expressing gratitude to those who have contributed to the work done. This is also the opportunity to be recognized by the others or a great marketing play. Thank you speech has to be concise and laconic, however, it is important not to neglect anyone who has to be thanked. The following thank you speech example is delivered by a founder of a startup in the innovation technology sphere. Good evening, friends and colleagues! It is a great pleasure to be here tonight. It is a great joy that our foundation has received your prize for a â€Å"technology innovation†. I would like to begin expressing our gratitude with a â€Å"thank you† to the general jury that decided to grant this innovation award in the category of a young web company to us. It is a great honor for us and for me personally to receive this bonus rewarding our long-term effort. This prestigious award motivates us to continue our endeavor and our enterprise will broaden its scope of action. On behalf of all our working team, please accept this expression of our cordial thanks. I also thank all members of our team who have always provided assistance and supported our initiatives introduced to the management staff, who have always been empathetic and ready to test our brand new ideas. My dream team, thank you! It is never easy to create the new concepts and invent something in such an abundant and developed area. That is why I also would like to thank all the members of our enterprise. I can promise you to give the free rein to design and innovations as it helps us to be more successful in our production and allows us to evolve rapidly under the condition of the daily challenges we have to face. Besides, we always try to bridle up your creativity. I made up my mind to realize my idea by launching this startup because I have always loved creating something that does not exist and, thus, is hard to imagine. Likewise, I have always favored the idea to start a business which will be, as it is widely said today, young and innovative. I suppose this award allows me to say that WE got it. Overall, I wish to end this speech with you in my mind, not to mention all those who are watching me while thinking of canapes and champagne that are waiting on the table behind you. I think it is time to enjoy and celebrate the era of innovation. Thank you for making our company producing dreams every day!