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MRC Rubber Company

Contents

TOC o “1-3” h z u HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165900” SWOT Analysis PAGEREF _Toc378165900 h 1

HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165901” Strengths PAGEREF _Toc378165901 h 1

HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165902” Weaknesses PAGEREF _Toc378165902 h 2

HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165903” Opportunities PAGEREF _Toc378165903 h 2

HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165904” Threats PAGEREF _Toc378165904 h 2

HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165905” PESTLE Analysis PAGEREF _Toc378165905 h 3

HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165906” Political Factors PAGEREF _Toc378165906 h 3

HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165907” Economic Factors PAGEREF _Toc378165907 h 3

HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165908” Social Factors PAGEREF _Toc378165908 h 4

HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165909” Technological Factors PAGEREF _Toc378165909 h 5

HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165910” Legal Factors PAGEREF _Toc378165910 h 5

HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165911” Environmental Factors PAGEREF _Toc378165911 h 6

HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165912” Strategy and Implementation Summary PAGEREF _Toc378165912 h 6

HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165913” Marketing PAGEREF _Toc378165913 h 6

HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165914” Marketing Communications PAGEREF _Toc378165914 h 7

HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165915” Sales Strategy PAGEREF _Toc378165915 h 8

HYPERLINK l “_Toc378165916” Distribution PAGEREF _Toc378165916 h 9

SWOT AnalysisMyanmar is a growing rubber industry player with expectations of production hitting over 95,000 metric tons, which reflects various operations features. With low rubber prices in the country, setting up MRC as a rubber company in the country would gain the benefits of value addition hence increased production (Khaing, 2012). In this SWOT analysis, the prevailing market attributes likely to support and affect productivity for the new production plant are highlighted.

StrengthsThe rubber industry in Burma is currently projected to enjoy an estimated annual growth of 10,000 metric tons, a reflection of 11.8 per cent. A strong production capacity is important in determination of the source of raw materials, which cuts down on the costs of operation as well as assurance of constant production around the year. Locating the business in the Mon State will facilitate production due to its massive interest in the crop. Alternatively, the position of the country as a typical developing nation leaves Burma having a readily available labor market at a low cost than in western countries, which implies that the production cost apportionable to labor is generally lower than in many other parts of the world.

Additionally, Burma has a ready market in the emerging Asian economies like china and India, with Japan also providing sufficient cushion against absorption issues. Equally, political transformation taking place in the country indicates emergence of a stable economy country ready to support business and investment than it did before.

WeaknessesComplete political reforms are not guaranteed as episodes of violence reported in the country hinder meaningful investment improvement. Political difficulties that led to trade sanctions against the country may not yet pave the way for the new order, despite support from China. Low prices for the crop means that, farmers may opt to venture in other types of production such as food crops for higher returns. Additionally, chronic poverty, poor infrastructure and lack of credit may discourage farmers to participate in meaningful production.

OpportunitiesGrowth in production in the recent years would need to be sustained by tapping on the current output to maximize production. Strong but slow recovery indications paint the country in good faith among trade partners, making international trade more promising. International community recognition of Burma’s efforts towards reconstruction presents a lucrative chance for the growth of business at the international level. The majority of the Burmese population is composed of an emerging middle class that holds promise to economic development and consumption.

ThreatsThe main threat of the industry is perhaps declining Chinese economic growth leading to reduced consumption of rubber products in its main market. However, other regional trade partners may step in place of china for instance Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, India and Thailand (Khaing, 2012). The threat of climate change places Burma in a risky agricultural setting, which may influence interests in food and cash crops (Boot, 2012). In addition, unstable economic performance poses a threat to production costs. Despite the relaxing of US and EU sanctions, the economy of Burma remains volatile for investor confidence (Roughneen, 2012).

PESTLE AnalysisPolitical FactorsThe country is experiencing dramatic changes in the political organization and processes, with recent democratic milestone of peaceful elections paving the way for a bright future. Increasing confidence from the international community has led to the easing of trade sanctions slapped on the country on grounds of government abuse of civilian rights. In terms of economic freedoms in the country, investors can for once in a decade and a half find assurances of a civilian regime eventually taking over from authoritarian extremists (Hoag, 2012). Despite the huge difference from a standard global business environment, Burma is making impressive steps towards public-private cooperation balance in development of the economy. Setting up MRC in the country will be based on the current trend of investment flow into the country, with some experts tipping Burma as a competitor to more seasoned business hubs in the region, including Indonesia and Thailand. Assurances of political and business cooperation for instance with the US implies that the Burmese administration will have to continually improve its involvement in development to attract such cooperation. Numerous changes in Burma civil rights have been registered in a very short time, including rise of parliament, freedom of expression and public participation (Shoemaker, 2012).

Economic Factors

As an observation by Shoemaker (2012) on Burma illustrates, the country has an impressive chance for improvement from the downtrodden economic infrastructure. Falling risk levels such as interest rates and inflation show that the country is destined for a brighter future ahead. Incentives currently advanced to investors in the country add investor confidence, which underscores the need for the MRC rubber production to set shop in Burma (DPS, 2006). International community assurances of assistance for the rebuilding of the country show the guaranteed growth setting. As an illustration, Japan wrote off a debt of 3.7 billion US dollars, enabling participation of Japanese infrastructure construction companies accessing opportunities to reconstruct the country. Telecommunication investment opportunity in the country is on an upward trend and the interest from investors in this sector shows the openness that technology flow in the country will support industrial processes. Availability of important resources for the growth of the economy such as oil and gas has attracted investment support steps towards industrialization. These and other impressive economic strides happening in Burma provide assurances of an upward trend in future growth, making it advisable for the rubber MRC project to take the opportunity while these impressive indicators prevail.

Social FactorsAs mentioned above, Myanmar’s features of a developing nation underscores the rising status into a middle level economy, with impressive population demographics supporting business in the country. An active labor market of about 18 million people with an interesting mix of skilled and semi-skilled labor markets available at relatively lower than in the regional economies create an opportunity for setting up MRC production plant. Population growth factors support the development trends in availability of market and labor in the country with current population estimates of about 57.5 million supporting annual growth rates of about 4 per cent (GPS, 2006; Myanmar, n.d.). Increase in government interest in social services such as social security, education and healthcare further support stability of the economy as an investment destination.

Technological Factors

The state of the technological advancement has not been supportive of business until the dramatic turnaround of the socioeconomic and political development began several months ago. Low automation and technological research in the economy has hampered meaningful investment in the country when compared to the other nations in the region. However, a deliberate move by the authorities to accommodate internal innovation and welcome external technology indicate an upward growth in development in the country. At the current information and communication technology rates in the global economy. Burma is poised to benefit from massive inflow of technology at a relatively lower cost than other nations achieved when the technologies were newly introduced in the market. With technology giants such as Japan, South Korea and the US having a keen interest in the country and region, Burma’s rise into technology productivity setting will not take as much time. Investment in the country in industrial projects will therefore find it easier by the day to set up operations that it was a few years back.

Legal FactorsIn terms of preparedness by the country to accommodate business interests witnessed over the last several months, Burma is actively involved in restructuring its legal framework. Several legislations have passed in the country’s parliament that is making tremendous contributions in the socioeconomic and political advancement in the country. As an illustration, the Foreign Direct Investment law was passed in September, paving way for synchronization of the country’s foreign investment policies with globalization setting (Mizzima News, 2012). Business registration bureaucracies in the country prove to hold back operations by businesses with international market interests and the indications sent by such laws sends the appropriate signals to investors since willingness to remove bottlenecks is high in parliament. Challenges to drastic changes in the business legal framework are expected, however, but an increased political participation will eventually settle out differences (Gweri, 2012).

Environmental FactorsThe integrity of the environment in Burma was severely damaged by the military regime, with virtually no legal framework taking care of environmental issues in the country. Few steps were made to control the environmental pollution activities since the British laws in force in 1962 were repealed by the junta (Gutter, 2001). The current difficulty in management of environmental mess created during the military rule could have been avoided if the appropriate legal framework was forthcoming (Rispoli and Strizzi, 2001). Since the political restructuring started in the country, several environmental consciousness enhancement laws and policies have taken place in the country. Natural location and resources that the country enjoys such as vegetation act as sinks for a significant quantity of pollutants, which shield it from extremes of climate change facing the global community (Myanmar, n.d.). Steps towards a responsible environmental regime indicate the appropriateness of the country for a rubber producing plant.

Strategy and Implementation SummaryMarketingAs an amorphous environment without definite competition strategy with regional rubber players, operations in Burma by MRC will need specialized marketing for success to be recorded. The initial step for the marketing functionality of the new rubber business will be characterization of the regional and global markets in order to approach marketing from an informed perspective. Rubber consumption is increasing in Japan, China and India, with supply competition arising from Thai and Indonesian companies. In order to penetrate through the market established by these players, the MRC project will venture in production of diversified products and concentrate on the segment with a high demand for marketing compatibility. To market tires, rubber gloves, rubber moldings and motor vehicle brake parts will require expansive marketing for each product line (Kim and Mauborgne, 2005).

Marketing of tires, brake and other rubber motor vehicle spare parts, in the growing motor vehicle markets in India, China, South America and in Africa will require physical marketing and distribution as well as online marketing. Rubber gloves marketing in all construction works in the country will require marketing functionality with the authorities to facilitate consumption of locally produced products. Rubber moldings will have an online marketing functionality due to the diversified market locally and on the international market. The opportunity of the social media as an emerging marketing platform will be exploited to access regional and international markets using an aggressive marketing campaign. Other online marketing options such as use of mailing lists will also form part of the marketing strategy to consider. A marketing outsourcing concept with rubber market experts such as HJ Ventures will be weighed to cut down on costs of marketing (HJ Ventures, 2012). Such a joint venture may facilitate in studying the market and providing marketing and production diversification insights.

Marketing CommunicationsBurma as an emerging market in next several months in the rubber industry will require MRC’s efficiency in relaying of products information for maximum productivity. In order to facilitate an effective marketing functionality, the 4Ps model will be employed in the MRC marketing strategy (NGFL, n.d.). Communication trends in the market imply that the relaying of marketing information will be internet intensive, by use of electronic messages on television, mobile applications, SMS, blogs and microblogs backed by the social media. Search engine optimization in the marketing communication strategy will be enhanced to ensure that the MRC products find the right market entry. An efficient data collection and monitoring of responses in order to inform marketing decisions will be a central theme in the communication strategy adopted. The integrated system will require harmonization of all relayed messages as well as reconciling it with the customer responses, which can be direct or indirect.

Integration of the relayed messages as well as customer cues in informing marketing and production patterns will be geared towards accuracy and efficiency in the operations of MRC, considering that the market has bigger players offering competition in the market. Marketing communication with respect to different rubber product will facilitate marketing segmentation of the respective performance with an aim of reducing mismatch in operations. MRC will give marketing the attention that it deserves by making sufficient investment in electronic and other marketing media. An efficient system will monitor advertising, sales promotion, public relations, direct marketing, personal selling and social media blogging (MSG, 2012a).

Sales Strategy

MRC will formulate a sales strategy that defines the market in accurate estimations, taking five considerations. Firstly, target markets for the different products identified in the products portfolio will be identified to complement marketing outlook. Newer markets will also form part of the deliberations since the Blue Ocean strategy also encourages creative sales packaging (Kim and Mauborgne, 2005). Secondly, the most readily available and best outreach that the MRC will afford to create sales outcomes will be specified and enriched. In addition, sales operations will require a very professional team with solutions to queries raised by the customers to facilitate establishment of customer loyalty and confidence. Alternatively, orders and inquiries will be effected immediately to avoid losing acquired ground. This implies that the sales and delivery teams will need to perform highly coordinated operations to take care of sales achieved. Finally, constant reviews and monitoring of the sales experience will be facilitated to ensure that the correct results are maintained throughout the sales processes (MSG, 2012b).

In terms of the appropriate review procedures, sales targets set and results achieved will keenly be followed to ensure growth in operations. Management of the details of sales experience will formulate important strategic approach by MRC, including initial cue decoding, creation of contact, information exchange and follow-ups, need identification, scheduled meetings, prospecting for sales, negotiations, sealing deals as well as after sales follow-up (Helbig, 2011). These details will ensure that the initial sales establishment support long-term objectives of the MRC.

DistributionAs mentioned above, the sales and marketing functionalities of the MRC will need close coordination with the delivery system in order to ensure that revenue from orders is not lost. Across the expansive regional and global market space, MRC will have definite supply system that corresponds with current capacity of logistics and network of supply and demand. In order for the company to convert demand into supply outcomes needed for growth, wholesale and retail considerations will be considered (Gaebler Ventures, 2012). Due to the new entry status in Burma, it may not be immediately possible for the company to make an efficient presence on its own.

Wholesale and retail functionalities may be possible at the plant outlet to be constructed and implemented immediately. Supply across country and across the region as well as the global market will require partnerships and joint ventures as mentioned above. Various joint venture opportunities will be effected immediately, supported by agreements on delivery. International orders will be coordinated through shipping companies such as DHL. Online ordering and shopping portal will be integrated with the joint venture with shipping partner of choice. The initial supply targets will first cover the local and regional markets before the larger global market.

References

Boot, W. (2012). “Environmental Crises Threaten Burma’s Economy.” Retrieved from http://www.irrawaddy.org/archives/12024

DPS. (2006). “Guide to Invest in Myanmar.” Retrieved from http://www.myanmar.ca/business/request_form.htm

Gaebler Ventures. (2012). “Selling a Rubber Products Wholesale and Manufacturers Business.” Retrieved from http://www.gaebler.com/Selling-a-Rubber-Products-Wholesale-and-Manufacturers-Business-7660.htm

Gutter, P. (2001). “Environment and Law in Burma.” Legal Issues on Burma Journal, 9:1-28

Gweri, R. (2012). “Myanmar: Planned Foreign Investment Law Delayed by Local Business Opposition.” Retrieved from http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2012/08/28/myanmar-planned-foreign-investment-law-delayed-by-local-business-opposition/#axzz2AkdfuWpL

Helbig, D. (2011). “5 Keys to Successful Sales Strategies.” Retrieved from http://smallbiztrends.com/2011/11/5-keys-successful-sales-strategies.html

HJ Ventures (2012). “Starting a Rubber Product Manufacturing Business.” Retrieved from http://www.hjventures.com/writing/Rubber-Business-Plan.html

Hoag, F. (2012). “Responsible Investment in Burma (Myanmar): An Experiment that Cannot Afford to Fail.” Retrieved from http://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/responsible-investment-in-burma-myanmar-53891/

Khaing, A. K. (2012). “Burma’s Rubber Prices Low.” Retrieved from http://www.mizzima.com/business/7664-burmas-rubber-prices-low.html

Kim, W. C. & Mauborgne, R. (2005). Blue ocean strategy: How to create uncontested market space and make the competition irrelevant, Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing

Mizzima News. (2012). “Burma’s Foreign Investment Law Approved by Parliament.” Retrieved from http://www.mizzima.com/business/7967-burmas-foreign-investment-law-approved-by-parliament.html

MSG (2012a). “Integrated Marketing Communications.” Retrieved from http://www.managementstudyguide.com/integrated-marketing-communications.htm

MSG (2012b). “Sales Management- An Overview.” Retrieved from http://www.managementstudyguide.com/sales-management.htm

Myanmar (n.d.) “Climate Change Management in Myanmar.” Retrieved from http://www.gwpsea.org/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=54&Itemid=135

NGFL, (n.d.) “The 4Ps of Marketing- The Marketing Mix.” Retrieved from http://www.ngfl-cymru.org.uk/vtc/ngfl/bus_studies/gcse_m_smidman/unit3/4ps.htm

Rispoli, L. & Strizzi, N. (2001). “Asia’s Foreign Debt: an Evaluation and Strategic Overview.” Ivey Journal on Global Business, (May/June 2001)

Roughneen, S. (2012). “”Commodity Prices, Cronyism Threaten Burma’s Economy.” Retrieved from http://www.irrawaddy.org/archives/3928

Shoemaker, R. (2012). “”Burma: Open for Business?” Retrieved from http://thediplomat.com/2012/07/26/burma-open-for-buisness/

Case Study on Leadership: Saving Mr. Banks (2013)

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Part 1: Leadership Styles of the Two Primary Characters: Mr. Walt Disney & Mrs. Travers

Walt Disney’s leadership style blends the key features of the democratic and authoritative styles. He is a visionary leader who maps the way for his followers and sets expectations, while energizing and engaging them in the process of management. He is also democratic because he shares information with his team of employees about all issues that affect work responsibilities, seeking their opinion and approval before major decisions. He runs his company with a lot of love, evident friendship, and the notable involvement of every employee. For example, in Saving Mr. Banks (Hancock, 2013: 21:03), he insists on being called Walt, and is in first name basis with all of his employees. According to Iqbal, Anwar, & Haider (2015), such leaders inspire confidence in their employees, make them feel valued, and instill a sense of commitment and value in their abilities. The employees understand what Walt Disney desires not just from them but also for the company, in terms of direction, commitment, and how to go about every step of their role and responsibilities. Blanchard, Hodges, & Hendry (2016). The benefits to Disney’s participative and visionary leadership style is realized throughout the battle to win over Mrs. Travers. His ability to engender trust and help in the promotion of cooperation and tea spirit from every employee are beneficial to the company. It is clear from Saving Mr. Banks (Hancock, 2013: 1:05:21) that Disney’s democratic and authoritative styles have allowed the employees to be creative and has led to their growth and development. Walt Disney rarely tells his employees what to do, he leads through sharing his vision, and enabling the employees to be innovative through ideas and implementation of the same. His leadership style gets the employees to do as he wishes but in ways that feel more as if they want to do it. Combined with his authoritative style, he leads his team out of any uncertainty by allowing people latitude and choice on the best ways to achieve company and individual goals.

In Saving Mr. Banks, the character of Mrs. Travers portrays autocratic leadership. According to Iqbal, Anwar, & Haider (2015), autocratic leadership is exhibited in a leader whose style shows individual control relating to all decisions without much input from other members of the team or group. Mrs. Travers shows how autocratic leaders base their choices on their own judgments, interpretation, and ideas without necessarily factoring in the opinion of others, even when the others are experts on a matter that the autocratic leader is not. For example, at the start of the movie, Mrs. Travers, without consultations or taking into consideration the opinion of her lawyer, cancels an important contract and insists on having everything her way (Hancock, 2013: 4:50). She is very detail-oriented and asserts control over every matter, even dictating how she should be addressed by her own lawyer. She is obsessed with being right all the time, lacks empathy and does not seem to read social cues properly. Her leadership style is exerting, assertive, controlling, and she always wants to be in charge of every decision. Her leadership style comes out as a bit delusional, for example when she demands that the proposed film features no red, despite the setting being in London, England where everything from buses to mailboxes are characteristically red. She threatens to cancel the cooperation with Walt Disney if all of her demands are not fully met. She leaves no room for a bargain, even though some of her demands are not very realistic. Overall, Mrs. Travers uses her own beliefs to decide on everything and exercise authoritarian control over others and all situations, a characteristic of the authoritarian or autocratic leader.

Part 2: Leadership Styles of the Supporting Characters

Ralph is an exceptional character in the way he remains bubbly despite Mrs. Travers overwhelming and constantly gloomy nature. He is a ray of sunshine in a very dark day, when his happy and lively persona is pitted against Mrs. Travers uptight and ever-agitated personality. Their differences emerge in a conversation where Mrs. Travers prefers the rain as it is more responsible since it brings life, but Ralph counters this by expressing how happy he is for the sun because it also brings life (Hancock, 2013: 11:31). As a supporting character, Ralph’s servant leadership style allows him to take the weight of Mrs. Travers stubbornness. He helps Walt to soften Mrs. Travers heart, by driving her around without losing his temper, bringing her tea, and joining her in her moment of breaking down on the grass and so on. Although Walt gets to work on softening Mrs. Travers’ position too in one or two instances, Ralph gets the bulk of this task, dong it with so much grace because of how he is as a servant leader, a role that he executes with utmost perfection.

Ralph is a servant leader in more ways than one: he put the needs of others first, shows empathy, listens, is aware of the surrounding, is persuasive, and displays stewardship. Two of his strongest leadership qualities include empathy and fostering healing through spiritual and emotional well-being. Servant leadership allows Ralph to not only recognize but also understand the emotions and feelings that Mrs. Travers is going through. For example, in the film (Hancock, 2013: 32:13), Ralph is able to recognize and understand that Mrs. Travers is not in a pleasant mood. He constantly checks his rare view mirror to check on the emotional condition of Mrs. Travers. He seems to know just what to say to trigger a conversation that takes his passenger away from her own thoughts. He deeply experiences emotions to match those of Mrs. Travers as evidenced by his constant sighs and facial expressions. Because Ralph understand Mrs. Travers so well, despite only knowing her for a short while, his actions are all motivated by a real desire to help her navigate a new country and understand how to cope with the overwhelming demands of making a film. He succeeds as a servant leader by making a friend out of a very unlikely partnership, evidenced in the concluding scene in the film (Hancock, 2013: 1:51:28) where Mrs. Travers lovingly embraces him.

Ralph’s listening skills and awareness allow him to foster a sense of healing. Burch, Swails, & Mills (2015) mention that servant leaders are very good with other people, connecting emotionally and being able to see the world from their point of view. In Saving Mr. Banks, Mrs. Travers is broken, as seen through her constantly complaining and disapproval of almost everything around her. She seems utterly unmoved even in situations where everyone else awes pleasure. Ralph recognizes this and takes on the challenge of being there for Mrs. Travers. He connects to her on an emotional level, insists on calling her Mrs., against her will, and takes on the role of a friend, knowing very well that this may not be reciprocated. By taking on this role actively, Ralph is able to inspire a markedly exceptional level of faith and trust from Mrs. Travers. In the end (Hancock, 2013: 1:51:28), they are happy to see each other, Mrs. Travers smiles and embraces her friend, Ralph, who through servant leadership was able to connect to her, understand her, and even insisted on calling her friend.

Ralph faces a mountain of a challenge in managing to establish a relationship with Mrs. Travers, without showing signs of frustration or anger. Clearly, Mrs. Travers is both condescending, rude, and very opinionated. It is very easy for Ralph to decide to only perform his role as a driver ferrying her from one point to the next. In their first encounter, Ralph’s servant leadership allows him to recognize that Mrs. Travers would not be his conventional client. She slams the partition window shut to keep out Ralph’s bubbly interaction and chooses to remain in her somber mood. This is especially a challenge for Ralph who is keen on establishing a relationship. He uses the foresight of a servant leader to break through the barrier by predicting how Mrs. Travers would act or respond. He relentlessly tries to get her to communicate and is very persuasive. Ultimately, he overcomes the challenge and is able to connect to her on a personal level. It is clear that Ralph is committed to see others grow, and is therefore actively involved in their journey towards the same.

Part 3: Forgiveness and Servant Leadership

Servant leadership is all about forgiveness, not just for the shortcomings of others but also for oneself in a process of healing and being able to overcome emotional and spiritual challenges. In Saving Mr. Banks, the concept of forgiveness is paramount to the entire story. Mrs. Travers is very uptight and prefers to see disappointment in everyone else as a way of coping. She does not understand the concept of forgiveness and is yet to forgive her father who put his own family in a lot of problems from his drinking and poor decision-making. Ralph, on the other hand, is a servant leader who easily forgives. For example, he forgets about the poor treatment from Mrs. Travers and moves on quickly to try and forge a relationship. He is happy to connect to her emotionally even when sometimes it backfires on his face. He chooses forgiveness over resentment, a quality that is uniquely characteristic of servant leadership. In another example, Walt Disney displays qualities of a servant leader where he overlooks al of the misery that making the film Mary Poppins has brought to his company and staff members. He is not bitter against Mrs. Travers but also attempts to understand why she is so difficult, obsessive, compulsive, and controlling. In these instances, I learnt that forgiveness and servant leadership go together. Forgiveness improves every relationship in the film Saving Mr. Banks. Forgiveness allows the Ralph and Walt Disney to tolerate Mrs. Travers, and bring out the best in her in the long run. I learnt that the servant leader desire to honor every relationship that they are a part of, even when the relationship is strictly professional. For example, Ralph does not look at Mrs. Travers as a client but as a friend in need of emotional help. I have appreciated how the film combines the role of servant leadership and forgiveness to bring out the qualities that matter in every relationship.

Ultimately, forgiveness is an important quality in a servant leader because it improves a relationship and fosters a way forward for everyone involved. It allows one to shed off their pride and embrace a spirit of forgiveness, overlooking the shortcomings to focus on the positive. Walt Disney is able to forgive Mrs. Travers, so does Ralph, and others involved in the film. Most importantly, Mrs. Travers forgives herself and her father, a situation that allows her to start enjoying the world.

References

Blanchard, K., Hodges, P., & Hendry, P. (2016). Lead like Jesus revisited: Lessons from the

greatest leadership role model of all time. Thomas Nelson.

Burch, M. J., Swails, P., & Mills, R. (2015). Perceptions of administrators’ servant leadership

qualities at a Christian university: A descriptive study. Education, 135(4), 399-404.

Hancock, J. Lee, Thompson, E., Hanks, T., Giamatti, P., & Newman, T. (2013). Saving Mr.

Banks. Widescreen. Retrieved from HYPERLINK “https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvLywdHpuFY&t=350s” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvLywdHpuFY&t=350s

Iqbal, N., Anwar, S., & Haider, N. (2015). Effect of leadership style on employee

performance. Arabian Journal of Business and Management Review, 5(5), 1-6.

Addictions

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Institutional Affiliation:

Millions of people across the world are addicted to drugs and other substances such as alcohol. While persons of legal age can purchase and consume alcohol freely, drugs are prohibited under the law, and anyone caught in possession of even the smallest amounts of drugs is likely to spend some time in jail. In the United States, the majority of drug addicts and drug-associated offenders belong to minority groups, and this has led to oppression of drug addicts without a real solution in sight. Drug addicts are sent to prison and punished in other ways that have led to an exacerbation of the problem rather than a practical solution. The United States has millions of people incarcerated in its prisons and jails across the country, and the majority of these are due to drug-related charges. The criminal justice system and the legislature have been slow to address the drug addiction pandemic, and they would rather maintain the status quo. This paper will examine the statistics on drug addiction in the United States, the factors contributing to the growing pandemic, the oppression of drug addicts and how this has affected their lives.

Statistics

The American Addiction Centers website provides an analysis of valuable statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) on drugs and substance addiction. In the year 2017, 19.7 million Americans 12 years and older struggled with substance abuse. Substance abuse has a high correlation with alcohol abuse, as 74% of those battling substance abuse also struggles with alcohol use disorder. One in every eight Americans battled both alcohol and substance abuse disorders in the year 2017. These numbers are a cause for concern because it is a widespread problem affecting people of all ages and other demographics. The NSDUH also reported that alcohol and substance abuse is highly related to mental health disorders, as 8.5 million Americans experienced the two issues concurrently in 2017 (Thomas 2020).

The United States pursues a prohibitionist stance when it comes to drugs, meaning that persons caught selling or in possession of drugs face criminal charges. By the year 2015, arrests for drug charges averaged 1.3 million annually. 20% of all persons incarcerated in the country’s prions are serving time for drug-related charges, and an additional 1.15 million are on parole and probation for drug-related offences (Thomas 2020). Drug addicts have been the biggest casualties in the war against drugs, which the country has lost on all fronts. In discussing drug addiction, race plays a crucial role, especially when it comes to minority groups, specifically African-Americans. The African-American population accounts for 12.5 percent of substances users in the country, yet they make up thirty percent of all arrests related to drug charges. These high levels have had no effect on substance abuse and addiction numbers which have been on the rise over the years. Black Americans are on average six times more likely to be jailed for drug-related charges as compared to their white counterparts, even with similar charges levelled against them. On average, sixty percent of those serving time for drug-related offences in state prisons are people of colour. This number is even higher in federal prisons, where 80% of persons jailed for drug offenders are either black or Latino. These numbers shed light on the disproportionate effects of the war on drugs on minority groups in the United States.

The systematic oppression of minority groups such as Latinos and African-Americans concerning the issue of drug and substance addiction is due in most part to the criminal justice system, the law-making organs, and law enforcement bodies in the country. Officers have systematically pursued persons of colour in their fight against drugs, and the law supports this. Law enforcement officers are permitted under the law to stop and search any vehicle for drugs, and officers apply this law mainly on persons of colour. Additionally, the criminal justice system has contributed to the oppression of people of colour in drug addiction by handing them disproportionate jail terms. For example, a black defendant in the federal system convicted of a minor drug offence will likely serve the same amount of time (58.7 months) as a white individual convicted of violent crime (61.7 months). Prosecutors also fight for mandatory minimum sentences for black defendants more than white ones, and this has resulted in people of colour accounting for 70% of all mandatory minimum sentences (Thomas 2020). Policymakers at different levels of government have consistently applied harsher laws, especially for low-level drug offences, and this has oppressed many drug addicts.

Theory

The systems theory is the best theory that can be used to explain how the issue of drug and substance addiction is created and maintained. The systems theory asserts that a person’s behaviour is significantly influenced by various factors that work as a system. When it comes to addicts, these factors include family, community, schools, economic class and the government. A majority of addicts develop their problems due to social environments such as peers and family. For example, a child born to addict parents or one who spends a lot of time with addict peers is more likely to become addicts themselves. Addicts could also turn to drugs and other substances to deal with problems in their lives such as poverty, violence, family problems, among others. This translates into an endless cycle of addiction. Addicts are often shunned by their family and community because they are seen as criminals and irresponsible individuals. This sends them deeper and deeper into addiction, and they may turn to criminal activities such as dealing drugs. They will then be arrested by law enforcement officers and sent to the criminal justice system, which puts them in prison. Their addiction is never cause for concern at any point within the system; instead they are vilified and shunned by all parties.

Historical Background

The historical problem that led to the oppression of addicts is the growing use of drugs that prompted President Nixon to declare war on drugs in 1971. different arms of government worked together to fight against the drug menace fast growing across the country, seeing prohibition as the best way to eliminate the consumption and production of drugs in the country. Drugs then became a law enforcement issue rather than the public health issue. Addiction has been a significant problem over the past few decades for various reasons. One of these reasons is that it has encouraged the illicit trade of drugs which has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry globally. Drug and substance addiction has ruined the lives of millions, leading to loss of employment, imprisonment, addiction, physical and mental health problems, and even death (Fellner 2009). Unfortunately, the war on drugs has disproportionately affected minority groups in the country. Although drug addiction affects all parts of the US population, minority groups make up the majority of those incarcerated for drug-related offences.

Life for drug addicts before the oppression was better than it is. For example, laws against minor drug offences such as possession of little amounts of marijuana were less strict. As the years have gone by, the laws have become stricter, and even minor offences get significant jail times. However, President Nixon implemented several draconian laws on drugs that proved oppressive. One of these was the mandatory sentencing laws that require any person arrested on drug offences be given some mandatory minimum sentence. Federal drug agencies control and presence was also drastically increased to improve surveillance and arrest of drug offenders. Since the oppression began, the number of drug-related arrests per year has been growing exponentially, tripling since the 1980s (Provine 2011). The number of arrests from drug possession is six times those from drug sales. The oppression of drug addicts has only grown since the introduction of oppressive drug policies in the 1970s and 1980s. For example, more people have been sentenced to longer jail terms, and the majority of those incarcerated for drug-related charges are from minority groups (Wyatt-Nichol & Seabrook 2016). The macro-component of oppression has also widened its oppressive efforts. Those imprisoned for non-violent drug charges now serve longer prison sentences as public prosecutors fight for mandatory minimum sentences, and judges rule in their favour. The Center for America Progress reports on the unfairness of the justice system to minorities in the war against drugs. For example, African-Americans are four times more likely to be arrested and serve longer jail terms for marijuana possession, than their white peers under similar charges.

Analysis

The macro-components keeping the oppressed population in their current system is law enforcement, the justice system, and drugs policymakers. Law enforcement has been consistent in their unfair bias against communities of colour in the fights against drugs (Fellner 2009). Officers arrest such persons even on the most minor charges, rather than implementing other interventions such as diverting drug users to social services . The justice system is similarly discriminatory to minority groups in the war on drugs. Drug addiction affects all demographics in the country, but users from minority groups have been the largest group of victims in the effort to fight drugs and drug abuse. They are often sentenced to longer terms for similar offences as others. Policymakers on the issues of drugs have also contributed to oppression because they continue to such prohibitionist policies that unfairly target addicts and users from minority groups (Wyatt-Nichol & Seabrook 2016). There are specific factors that encourage these macro-components to maintain status quo in the oppression of drug addicts, specifically those from minority groups. For law enforcement, the primary motivation for oppression is financial. Officers who make more arrests get more overtime pay and this coupled with their historical bias against persons of colour leads to the arrest of more addicts. The judiciary also has similar biases against offenders from minority groups, fanned by pressure from the prosecution and other public bodies.

These macro-component practices affect drug addicts, their families and communities. Addicts sent to jail suffer from even more problems while incarcerated and later when released. They do not get the medical help they need to tackle their addiction, and when they get out of prions, they simply go back to their old ways. After prions, they find it hard to get employment and face discrimination in other social fronts. Their families suffer when their breadwinner goes to jail, and they are left without an income (Coyne, & Hall 2017). This loss of wages could drive such a family into poverty. Additionally, such families face stigma from their society for having addict members. Communities also suffer when addicts get arrested or go to jail because they lose some productive members, and the root causes of addiction also fail to be addressed, which would benefit more members of the community.

The macro-component is quite effective at oppressing addicts from minority groups as the system is biased against such addicts, right from officers carrying out arrests and providing evidence, prosecutors seeking longer and harsher sentences, to judges who eventually sentence the offenders. The macro-component is funded through government mechanisms that allocate billions of dollars to the fight against drugs each year. There is significant social awareness surrounding the oppressive capacity of these macro-components in the war on drugs, spread by statistics from organizations such as the Drug Policy Alliance and documentaries such as ‘The House I Live In’, ‘The War on Drugs’ and others focusing on the failed war on drugs (Gray 2010).

Addiction should be addressed at different micro and macro levels such as family, community and institutional levels. At the family level, an effective social work strategy is to encourage family members, especially parents and guardians, to be on the look-out for early signs of substance abuse and addiction. Most of them are clueless about the problem until it gets out of hand. Social workers should educate families on some things to look out for such as truancy, change in behaviour, and lack of concentration, irritability and withdrawal, especially in young people. Families should also be educated on the resources available to addicts and those struggling with substance abuse (Rolles 2010). These social work strategies at the family level also apply at the community level such as schools, churches and neighbourhoods so that people can look out for their neighbours and others in the community. At the institutional level, some social work strategies include engaging with leadership such as college administration to increase awareness on dangers of drug and substance abuse, offering counselling services and spreading information on services available to those struggling with such problems. When it comes to the macro component of oppression, these should be policy changes and anti-bias training for the relevant bodies. For example, law enforcement officers should be given anti-bias training to address issues of bias against minority groups, as well as alternative ways of dealing with petty, non-violent offenders. The Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program is an effective solution where officers refer minor offenders to treatment and social programs rather than arresting them (Fellner 2009).

Reducing oppression and increasing cultural diversity contribute to social equality. Most of the victims in the war on drugs are minorities affected by poverty, unemployment and illiteracy. Doing away with oppressive policies against them will promote social equality as they get fair and equal treatment, as well as the help they need for addiction. Addressing the actions of the macro components in promoting oppression will promote the rights and entitlements of the oppressed. All sick people have the right to get treatment, and this applies to addicts. Doing away with Oppressive policies such as harsh and long sentences promote the rights of the addicts. When such people get the help they need, they can lead productive lives, get employed and earn an income and improve their social status in the community. Such events also give addicts, and their families improved quality of life as they get the treatment they need, allowing them to lead normal lives. Addicts and other low-level drug offenders will have a more positive interaction with the community once the oppressive mechanisms are eliminated. They no longer have to be treated like criminals but as people who need medical and social intervention, and this improves interactions with their community. These goals align with principles of social work such as acceptance, access to resources, and non-judgmental attitude.

In conclusion, addiction is a major problem in society today. Millions of people are addicted to drugs, alcohol and other substances. One of the major problems in tackling the issue of addiction is the oppressive policies and laws targeting drug users and other drug offenders. The oppressive organs in the system include the justice system, law enforcement and policymakers. People of colour make up the majority of those convicted for drug-related charges, and consistently receive disproportionately harsher sentences for their crimes compared to other demographics. The country should abandon its prohibitionist policies in favour of decriminalization and addressing the drugs pandemic as a public health issue. The war on drugs has failed on all fronts, punishing addicts for a health condition.

References

Coyne, C. J., & Hall, A. (2017). Four decades and counting: The continued failure of the war on drugs. Cato Institute Policy Analysis, (811).

Fellner, J. (2009). Race, drugs, and law enforcement in the United States. Stan. L. & Pol’y Rev., 20, 257.

Gray, J. (2010). Why our drug laws have failed: a judicial indictment of war on drugs. Temple University Press.

Provine, D. M. (2011). Race and inequality in the war on drugs. Annual Review of Law and Social Science, 7, 41-60.

Rolles, S. (2010). An alternative to the war on drugs. Bmj, 341, c3360.

Thomas, S. (2020) Alcohol and Drug Abuse Statistics. American Addiction Centers. https://americanaddictioncenters.org/rehab-guide/addiction-statisticsWyatt-Nichol, H., & Seabrook, R. (2016). The ugly side of America: Institutional oppression and race.

Case Study: Pet Food Companies Prosper from Pet Humanization

Rongyu Lin

ENGW 3304 Sec 13

February 20, 2020

Executive Summary

The pet food industry acts as one of the most lucrative businesses in the US with the leading pet food company (Mars Petcare Inc.) earning a revenue of over $18 trillion per annum. The pet food industry thrives due to the rising demand for pets as alternative companions for humans. Besides, the humanization of pets, the practice of treating dogs like humans, tends to take the top stage as more people develop an interest in ensuring good health for their pets. Accordingly, this report examines Blue Buffalo as an exemplary pet food company that seeks to generate high-quality pet foods by utilizing fine quality natural ingredients and raw materials. The company specializes in the manufacture of food for dogs and cats to ensure that its clients realize their desired products. Luckily, there is a large and expanding market share for pet food in the US. Thus, this study provides critical information regarding the impacts of humanization of pets in the pet food industry.

Pet Food Companies Prosper From Pet Humanization

Introduction

The pet food industry serves as one of the most lucrative businesses in the current world due to the rising demand for pets as alternative companions for humans. Consequently, pet food companies realize huge revenues. For instance, the world’s leading pet food firm (Mars Petcare Inc.) earns revenue of over $18 trillion per annum (Petfoodindustry.com, n.d.). The company, Blue Buffalo, specializes in the manufacture of food for dogs and cats to ensure that its clients acquire their desired products. A rising global concern on the health and hygiene of pets facilitates the manufacture and sale of pet food of high nutritional value. Since many people find pets as suitable companions, they strive to ensure that they (pets) feed well and stay healthy. This case study examines Blue Buffalo pet food company to determine how humanization of pets affects its operations and eventual revenues.

Company Background

Blue Buffalo is a pet food company with its headquarters in Connecticut, USA. The company attains efficiency and better performance by specializing in the manufacture of food products for dogs and cats only (Brutschy et al., 2012). A family that was caring for their dog called Blue started the firm. The family used natural and quality ingredients to develop healthy and quality food for Blue when it was struggling with cancer (Bluebuffalo.com, 2020). Since its establishment in August 2003, Blue Buffalo has enjoyed significant growth and development by focusing on the generation of high-quality pet products through the use of natural ingredients. Accordingly, Blue Buffalo realized approximately US$1.43 billion in the financial year 2019 (petfoodindustry.com).

Besides, Blue Buffalo concentrates mainly on the American market. Accordingly, Blue Buffalo faces stiff competition from large international firms, including Mars Petcare Inc. and Nestle Purina Petcare and other small companies. As such, Blue Buffalo gains its competitive advantage by embracing a suitable approach to generating exceptionally quality pet foods made from high-quality ingredients, fruits, and whole meats to increase customer loyalty. Moreover, Blue Buffalo relies on the following five production lines to generate its products:

Blue Natural Veterinary Diet where dedicated veterinarians provide therapeutic diets for pets

Blue Freedom that deals with grain-free products

Blue Basics that focuses on the manufacture of foods for pets that are sensitive to some ingredients

Blue Wilderness that deals with grain-free, high-protein, and high-meat products

Blue Life Protection Formula that serves as the main product line, which handles a wide array of breed-specific and functional products and flavors (Duarte, 2019).

Overall, Blue Buffalo relies on a Blue Masterbrand to enhance recognition of its brands by the target market (Duarte, 2019). Accordingly, the company enjoys significant market for its new brands.

Blue Buffalo’s Operating Strategies

Blue Buffalo Manufactures and Sells High-Quality Products at High Prices

Blue Buffalo offers the best quality pet food to gain client loyalty and attract the highest number of customers whose aim is to ensure that their pets remain healthy. The firm sells some of its products at $4 per pound (Martin, 2011). The firm attains its goal and objectives by working under the slogan “Love them like family. Feed them like family.” Specifically, Blue Buffalo is inspired to provide pet foods of high nutritional value and quality to ensure that its clients attain ideal products for their pets. Moreover, Blue Buffalo offers several varieties and brands of pet food to suit the demands and needs of dogs and cats of varied dietary requirements, ages, and breeds. For instance, Crunch the wild, Blue Sizzlers, and Blue Divine Delights are among the company’s latest brands (Petsmart.com, 2020). Also, Blue Buffalo relies on some of the finest natural ingredients and raw materials to manufacture quality pet food. Besides, the organization depends on minerals and vitamins to enhance the quality and value of their products. Luckily, many clients are less sensitive to the price of pet foods because they are more concerned with quality of the products (pet foods) following the rising humanization of pets.

Blue Buffalo Focuses on Functional Pet Foods

Functional foods are fortified products containing lots of valuable components other than the essential nutrients like minerals and vitamins that encourage the wellbeing when consumed regularly (Hasler, 2002). Accordingly, Blue Buffalo incorporates probiotic microorganisms in their products to facilitate useful physiological processes that entail digestion and absorption of nutrients (Boileau, Stojanovic & Sunvold, 2006). Besides, functional pet foods help in reducing the risk of diseases and improving brain functions, thus ensuring that pets remain reliable companions to humans (Di Cerbo et al., 2017). Subsequently, many clients have opted to purchase functional foods for their pets as opposed to conventional foods because they want their pets to remain healthy.

Impact on Company Performance

Similarly, Blue Buffalo is enjoying huge revenues that have been increasing at double digits due to its strategic positioning in the marketplace (Duarte, 2019). The table below presents projected US pet food market size and Blue Buffalo’s revenues. A top-down approach is used to forecast Blue Buffalo’s revenues by focusing on its US market share and the overall projected pet food market in the US (Duarte, 2019).

2017 2018E 2019E 2020E 2021E 2022E 2023E 2024E

US Pet Food Market ($M) 31,084 32,448 33,902 35,379 36,897 38,476 40,087 41,819

Blue Buffalo Revenues ($M) 1,275 1,431 1,594 1,371 1,856 1,985 2,084 2,151

YOY Growth 10.9% 12.3% 11.4% 8.6% 7.2% 7.0% 5.0% 3.2%

(Duarte, 2019).

As a lucrative industry, the pet food business attracts massive revenues as illustrated in the table below. The World’s Top 10 Pet Food Companies

Company Country Annual Revenue

Mars Petcare, Inc.United States $18,085,000,000

Nestlé Purina PetCareUnited States $13,200,000,000

J.M. SmuckerUnited States $2,900,000,000

Hill’s Pet NutritionUnited States $2,318,000,000

Diamond Pet FoodsUnited States $1,500,000,000

General Mills (Blue Buffalo)United States $1,300,000,000

Spectrum Brands / United Pet GroupUnited States $820,500,000

Unicharm Corp.Japan $752,650,000

DeuererGermany $721,100,000

Heristo AG Germany $700,000,000

(Petfoodindustry.com, n.d.)

Conclusion

The pet food industry serves as one of the most lucrative industries in the world. The leading pet food firm in the world enjoys over $18 trillion revenue yearly. The growing humanization of pets encourages generation of high-quality products that promote wellbeing of pets. Accordingly, pet food firms like Blue Buffalo thrive by specializing in the manufacture of quality pet foods for specific types of pets. Blue Buffalo uses quality raw materials and natural ingredients to manufacture high-quality pet foods that promote good health and wellbeing of pets. Besides, Blue Buffalo generates functional foods that are highly valued because they attract lots of benefits that include the Prevention of diseases, and better absorption of nutrients by pets. Luckily, many customers are ready and willing to invest heavily in purchasing pet foods of the best quality because they value their pets that serve as appropriate companions in the current era. Fortunately, Blue Buffalo and other pet food companies have a promising future because the large US pet food market continues to grow. Humanization of pets has significant influence on operations of pet food companies and promotes attainment of huge revenues.

References

Bluebuffalo.com. (2020). The Blue Story – It’s all about family. Retrieved 12 February 2020, from https://bluebuffalo.com/why-choose-blue/blue-story/Boileau, T., Stojanovic, M., & Sunvold, G. (2006). U.S. Patent Application No. 11/366,234.

Brutschy, A., Tran, N. L., Baiboun, N., Frison, M., Pini, G., Roli, A., … & Birattari, M. (2012). Costs and benefits of behavioral specialization. Robotics and autonomous systems, 60(11), 1408-1420.

Di Cerbo, A., Morales-Medina, J. C., Palmieri, B., Pezzuto, F., Cocco, R., Flores, G., & Iannitti, T. (2017). Functional foods in pet nutrition: Focus on dogs and cats. Research in veterinary science, 112, 161-166.

Duarte, R. (2019). Blue buffalo-organic pet food (Doctoral dissertation).

Hasler, C. M. (2002). Functional foods: benefits, concerns and challenges—a position paper from the American Council on Science and Health. The Journal of nutrition, 132(12), 3772-3781.

Martin, A. (2011). ‘For the Dogs’ Has a Whole New Meaning. Retrieved 12 February 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/05/business/05pets.html

Petfoodindustry.com. (n.d.) Top Pet Food Companies Current Data. Retrieved from

https://www.petfoodindustry.com/directories/211-top-pet-food-companies-current-data)

Petsmart.com. (2020). Blue Buffalo. Retrieved 12 February 2020, from https://www.petsmart.com/featured-brands/blue-buffalo/dog-and-cat/#

Dear Rongyu,

I enjoyed reading your case study. I liked how you frame the story, it flows very nicely. In your introduction you effectively describe to the reader what the company does, and the market characteristics. This is very important because it allows the reader to understand the context. You also display the data in a reader-friendly way to the audience.

Your argument is well supported. However, while reading your case, I could only perceive one positive side of the story. You effectively describe how the humanization of pets increases a company’s profits. However, it would be good for the reader to also find a negative result of this, or to show also how new industries (beyond pet food) are emerging from this new trend. In regards to the data, I think that it needs some description after showing (a point in time in which the data is more meaningful, or a finding), rather than just placing it.

I look forward to reading your final draft, good luck!

Best,

Andrea Portilla

Dear Rongyu,

Overall, I think you pick a topic that I would really like to know more about. The data you collected is really good, and it helps bring out your points about the success of Blue Buffalo. I like the flow of your case, and because you are focusing on the success of mostly one company I would consider re-evaluating your research question and mention Blue Buffalo and how this company is making great profits from more people getting pets for companionship vs other companies.

My main suggestion would be looking at your analysis, I like the style you have going with the sub-headings; however, I think you could go more into depth about Blue Buffalo company and its background. If I were you, I would talk a little about the history of this company and how throughout the years their revenues have increased due to more people having pets. On the other hand, I think it would be interesting to focus a sub heading on the company marketing strategy and what have they done to become the number one choice of pet owners.

I think you have a good paper so far, I would just focus on organizing your findings and giving your paper a little more focus on the strategy behind Blue Buffalo to make profits from the growing pet ownership. If you like, I think it would be fantastic if you also look into the psychology of why more people are getting pets even though it is an extra cost for everyone.

Good luck with your final draft,

Andrea Arana

Addison Disease

Name

Institution

Date

Addison Diseases

Addison disease was named after the person who discovered it Dr. Thomas Addison who was British Surgeon. In 1849, he begun to look at adrenal insufficiency although endocrine function was yet to be explained. He discovered and explained the disease from autopsies that he performed on victims that had died from adrenal insufficiency. At that time there was no cure for the disease and those who suffered from it eventually succumbed as often they contracted tuberculosis as well. From then research into the disease were conducted in order to have better understanding of it including its cause by analyzing molecular basis of the disease. This paper delves into explaining the etiology of the disease including its molecular basis.

Addison’s disease is a chronic disease that results when the adrenal glands do not produce sufficient or fail to produce the hormones cortisol and aldosterone and for this reason, the disease is at times termed as chronic adrenal insufficiency or hypocortisolisms. The disease symptoms vary from one person to another. Visual development of the disease is elaborate over time and is often non-specific at first. It affects a number of individuals It affects a number of individuals worldwide and it affects both men and women worldwide (Erichsen, 2009). It is illustrated by uncontrolled weight loss, severs muscle weakness fatigue and low blood pressure, and in other cases the skin may darken. In most cases, Addison’s disease is caused by severe destruction on the adrenal cortex the outer part of the adrenal gland. The damage is often caused by the immune system. The Immune system might attack the adrenal gland causing severe damage to the adrenal cortex.

Addison’s disease is likely to occur among Caucasian European adults and has been found to occur in 140 people per million. The auto immune disease is also highly heritable when compared to other autoimmune conditions as researchers have discovered the prevalence rate of the disease to be in the ratio 160-210 among siblings. The rarity of the disease as well as the strong genetic etiology associated with it is an indication that it may have one or two variants that may confer the disease susceptibility in human beings. Common signs and symptoms of AAD may start at any point of the disease but are most likely to occur between the ages of 30 and 50. Common associated with the autoimmune disease includes nausea, fatigue, low blood pressure, weight loss, dizziness especially when one stands up too quickly, the skin may become abnormally dark in some areas a condition referred to as hyperpigmentation, lips as well as lining inside of the mouth tend to be dark. The disease also results in an imbalance of hormones associated with development of sexual characteristics and thus you may find a woman losing their underarm hairs or pubic hair.

90% of the damage caused to the endocrine organ renders the organ ineffective meaning it will not have the capability to produce sufficient steroids hormones, cortisol and aldosterone and once the levels of the three core hormones reduce, the symptoms of Addison’s manifest. Due to the underproduction of the cortisol hormone and aldosterone, Addison’s disease is otherwise known as chronic adrenal insufficiency or hypocortisolism. Some of the main functions of the cortical hormone include maintaining of blood pressure and the important cardiovascular functions, it also plays a critical role in aiding and balancing the work of insulin in ensuring the sugars are broken down to energy as well as ensuring the immune system inflammatory response is regulate. The hormone is also associated with the regulation of carbohydrates, proteins, and fat metabolism. Addison disease is also termed as autoimmune disease because it results from a malfunctioning immune system that produce cells to destroy other glands. The results are the destruction and disruption of other several hormones and hence affecting several other body systems.

Tuberculosis has also been termed as one of the main causes of the Addison’s disease, this is because Tb is a bacterial infection affecting the lungs and may at times affect other organs including the kidneys and in instances where the kidneys are affected then the adrenal glands responsible for important endocrine functions is damaged (Dabrowska, 2012). In many instances the Addison’s disease is also known as Autoimmune Addison’s Disease, it a rare condition and also has high chance of it being hereditary in comparison to other autoimmune conditions. Research demonstrates that the condition has a vivid and strong genetic connection and the characteristic make it possible for the disease to be hereditary. ADD may lead to an adrenal crisis that is often characterized by back pain, leg cramps, vomiting, severe low blood pressure that may lead to shock and abdominal pain. Often the adrenal crisis begins as a result of a stressor such as an infection, a surgery or even any kind of trauma. When the body experience stress, normally the adrenal gland will produce two to three times the amount of cortisol. However, for a person suffering from Addison disease, they have the inability to increase the amount of cortisol produced and thus the body cause to a crisis a condition referred to as addisonian crisis a life-threatening-situation.

Addison disease result when adrenal glands hence the hormone cortisol is not produced in the body as well as aldosterone. Adrenal glands are part of the endocrine system and have a part in production of hormones. Adrenal glands have the outer layer which is the cortex and the inner part which is the medulla. Cortex produce a group of hormones referred to as corticosteroids which include glucocorticoids, androgens and mineralocorticoids (Dalin, 2016). When the cortex becomes damaged it often does not produce adrenocortical hormones and the condition is known as primary adrenal insufficiency. This often leads to the body attacking itself and that is why the Addison disease is referred to as an autoimmune disease. The body begins viewing the adrenal cortex as a foreign object sand starts attacking and destroying it. There is

Adrenal dysgenesis is the development of congenital defects in the adrenal glands. In the normal development of the adrenal cortex, there are multiple genes that are required and if mutation occurs on any of these genes then an adrenal dysgenesis is likely to occur. There are various genes that have been identified to be important in the development of the adrenal cortex and they include nuclear hormone receptor superfamily a good example SF-1, DAX-1 which is the dosage-sensitive sex-reversal hypoplasia gene and ACTH receptor which is the melanocortin-2 receptor gene. When mutations occur in DAX-1, it may result in X-Linked congenital adrenal hypoplasia and hypogonadism (Suntharalingham, 2015). Adrenal hypoplasia is often present in males that have a life threatening adrenal crisis among newborns and hypogonadrophic hypogonadism in adolescent years.

The genetic variants known to lead to Addison’s disease, include those present at particular loci of the chromosomes such as MHC, MICA, CIITA, CTLA4, PTPN22, CYP27B1, NLRP-1 STAT4, GATA3 and CD274. Autoantibodies 21-hydroxylase (21OH-AA) has been identified as a factor that leads to progression of ADD. However, the highest genetic risk has been identified to be on the MHC, Major Histocompatibility region. The formation of 21OH-AA comes the development of Addison’s disease even with the absence of the symptoms and is a marker for the progression of the disease. 210H-AAA has been identified in progression of other autoimmune diseases such as thyroiditis and type 1 diabetes leading to the conclusion that these diseases may have a common pathophysiology.

SF-1 gene is necessary for the development of adrenal cortex the ventro-medial nucleus as well as the gonads and the gene is as a result of fushi turazu factor-1. SF-1 mutation is likely to result in adrenal insufficiency which eventually lead to Addison’s disease. In trying to establish how SF-1 resulted in adrenal agenesis, a mouse in vivo experiment was conducted and the Nr5al deleted. POR deficiency is a disorder of gonad and adrenal steroidogenesis which tends to affect microsomal cytochrome P450 enzymes (Suntharalingham, 2015). When partial mutations occur on POR t causes partial deficiencies to 21-hydroxylase, steroid 17a-hydroxylase, 17, and 20. Evidence has been presented of both cell-mediated and humoral mechanism which are often directed to adrenal cortex that destroys it. Antibodies get to react with the steroidogenic enzymes often 21-hydroxylse.

ACTH deficiency has been linked to be another cause of the Addison’s disease. ACTH deficiency arises from a decrease in the hormone adrenocorticotropic hormone produced by the pituitary gland. ACTH has been classified as a secondary adrenal insufficiency. Symptoms associated with ACTH include lack of appetite thus the patient is likely to be anorexic, weakness of muscles, nausea, low blood pressure and vomiting. Often concentration of 17-ketosteroids and 17-hydroxycorticosteroids that are produced by the adrenal cortex is often low. The congenital defect at birth characterized by the mutation of T-box 19 (TBX19) gene located on chromosome one and mutation also of corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH) gene that is located on chromosome eight (Skinningsrud, 2008). When someone has ACTH, later in life they are likely to develop the Addison’s disease. This due to the chronic depletion of the adrenocortical function that results in deficiencies of mineralocorticoids and glucocorticoids. There are other factors that may result in secondary adrenal insufficiency including tumors in the central nervous system affecting release of hormones and necrosis of the pituitary gland after giving birth a condition referred to as Sheehan syndrome.

Addison disease has been found to have quite a strong genetic component but due to the fact that it is rare the recurrence rate in the family has been said to be at 2%. There are quite a number of disease-susceptibility alleles that have been pointed out that includes three loci linked with organ-specific autoimmunity and they include PTPN22, CTLA4 and MHC. Genetic variation in AIRE locus has also been pin pointed as a predisposing factor to ADD even when protein alteration does not occur (Su, 2008). MHC region on the chromosome 6 has proved to be an important factor for Addison disease in determining the risk of polygenic autoimmune disease. Most researchers have often pinpointed how AAD risk loci tend to vary between different populations and thus more research on the various risk loci needs to be conducted among various populations.

The treatment of Addison disease includes use of medication where one is given hormone replacement therapy thus replacing the levels of the steroid hormones that the body is unable to produce. In treatment of the disease, it involves the replacement of the cortisol which is at times administered in terms of tablets referred to as hydrocortisone or the prednisone. The dosing regimen has to be administered in such a way that it gets to mimic the natural concentration of the hormone cortisol. The quarter amount of a prednisolone may be used for the equal effects of glucocorticoid hormone same as the hydrocortisone. The treatment of the disease is lifelong which means a person with the condition is likely to be on the medication for the rest of their lives. An additional medicine referred to as fludrocortisone may be prescribed as it may be a replacement for the aldosterone that is missing (Bjornsdottir, 2013). On the prognosis, if well managed and one gets to take their medication as prescribed most people with the disease get to live a relatively normal life.

Thanks to research, Addison disease is no longer life threatening as it used to be. There have been drugs and therapies that have been developed that can help a person leave just a normal life. Individuals with ADD do not have to get TB as it used to be. The study of the molecular basis the researchers are trying to look into ways on how genes that resulted in the disease can be suppressed or how they can deal with the mutation hat result in adrenal failure are being modulated for example manipulation of the endogenous adrenocortical stem cell thus enhancing steroidogenesis. These kind of research is what has led to the development of medicines that mimic the hormones produced by the adrenal gland. Although Addison disease is among the rarest form of autoimmune disorders, researchers are putting work into it to look for ways to counter it.

References

Björnsdottir, S., Sundström, A., Ludvigsson, J. F., Blomqvist, P., Kämpe, O., & Bensing, S. (2013). Drug prescription patterns in patients with Addison’s disease: a Swedish population-based cohort study. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 98(5), 2009-2018.

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“Mrs. Dutta Writes a Letter”

HYPERLINK “http://www.theatlantic.com/author/chitra-divakaruni/” o “Chitra B. Divakaruni” Chitra B. Divakaruni

HYPERLINK “http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/toc/1998/04/” April 1998 Issue

Atlantic Monthly

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1998/04/mrs-dutta-writes-a-letter/377092/

Plot Summary: When Mrs. Dutta decided to give up her home of forty-five years to go to America, her relatives were less surprised than she had expected. Everyone knows, they said, that a wife’s place is with her husband, and a widow’s is with her son.

Biographical Sketch: Chitra B. Divakaruni (1957-) lived in her birthplace, Calcutta, India, until the age of nineteen when she came to Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, to continue her education in the field of English. She received her Ph. D. from the University of California, Berkeley, holding many odd jobs along the way. She is the author of Sister of My Heart, The Mistress of Spices, and Vine of Desire, a book of short stories, The Unknown Errors of Our Lives, and several books of poems. Her work has been included in over thirty anthologies, including Best American Short Stories and the Pushcart Prize anthology. Her first book of stories, Arranged Marriage, was the winner of several prestigious awards for fiction. She now lives in San Francisco with her husband and two children.

WHEN the alarm goes off at 5:00 A.M., buzzing like a trapped wasp, Mrs. Dutta has been lying awake for quite a while. She still has difficulty sleeping on the Perma Rest mattress that Sagar and Shyamoli, her son and daughter-in-law, have bought specially for her, though she has had it now for two months. It is too American-soft, unlike the reassuringly solid copra ticking she used at home. But this is home now, she reminds herself. She reaches hurriedly to turn off the alarm, but in the dark her fingers get confused among the knobs, and the electric clock falls with a thud to the floor. Its angry metallic call vibrates through the walls of her room, and she is sure it will wake everyone.

She yanks frantically at the wire until she feels it give, and in the abrupt silence that follows she hears herself breathing, a sound harsh and uneven and full of guilt.

Mrs. Dutta knows, of course, that this ruckus is her own fault. She should just not set the alarm. She does not need to get up early here in California, in her son’s house. But the habit, taught her by her mother-in-law when she was a bride of seventeen, A good wife wakes before the rest of the household, is one she finds impossible to break. How hard it was then to pull her unwilling body away from the sleep-warm clasp of her husband, Sagar’s father, whom she had just learned to love; to stumble to the kitchen that smelled of stale garam masala and light the coal stove so that she could make morning tea for them all — her parents- in- law, her husband, his two younger brothers, and the widowed aunt who lived with them.

After dinner, when the family sits in front of the TV, she tries to tell her grandchildren about those days. “I was never good at starting that stove — the smoke stung my eyes, making me cough and cough. Breakfast was never ready on time, and my mother- in- law — oh, how she scolded me, until I was in tears. Every night I’d pray to Goddess Durga, please let me sleep late, just one morning!”

“Mmmm,” Pradeep says, bent over a model plane.

[5] “Oooh, how awful,” Mrinalini says, wrinkling her nose politely before she turns back to a show filled with jokes that Mrs. Dutta does not understand.

“That’s why you should sleep in now, Mother,” Shyamoli says, smiling at her from the recliner where she sits looking through The Wall Street Journal. With her legs crossed so elegantly under the shimmery blue skirt she has changed into after work, and her unusually fair skin, she could pass for an American, thinks Mrs. Dutta, whose own skin is as brown as roasted cumin. The thought fills her with an uneasy pride.

From the floor where he leans against Shyamoli’s knee, Sagar adds, “We want you to be comfortable, Ma. To rest. That’s why we brought you to America.”

In spite of his thinning hair and the gold- rimmed glasses that he has recently taken to wearing, Sagar’s face seems to Mrs. Dutta still that of the boy she used to send off to primary school with his metal tiffin box. She remembers how he crawled into her bed on stormy monsoon nights, how when he was ill, no one else could make him drink his barley water. Her heart lightens in sudden gladness because she is really here, with him and his children in America. “Oh, Sagar,” she says, smiling, “now you’re talking like this! But did you give me a moment’s rest while you were growing up?” And she launches into a description of childhood pranks that has him shaking his head indulgently while disembodied TV laughter echoes through the room.

But later he comes into her bedroom and says, a little shamefaced, “Mother, please don’t get up so early in the morning. All that noise in the bathroom — it wakes us up, and Molli has such a long day at work… “

[10] And she, turning a little so that he won’t see her foolish eyes filling with tears, as though she were a teenage bride again and not a woman well over sixty, nods her head, yes,yes.

WAITING for the sounds of the stirring household to release her from the embrace of her Perma Rest mattress, Mrs. Dutta repeats the 108 holy names of God. Om Keshavaya Namah, Om Narayanaya Namah, Om Madhavaya Namah. But underneath she is thinking of the bleached- blue aerogram from Mrs. Basu that has been waiting unanswered on her bedside table all week, filled with news from home. Someone robbed the Sandhya jewelry store. The bandits had guns, but luckily no one was hurt. Mr. Joshi’s daughter, that sweet- faced child, has run away with her singing teacher. Who would’ve thought it? Mrs. Barucha’s daughter- in- law had one more baby girl. Yes, their fourth. You’d think they’d know better than to keep trying for a boy. Last Tuesday was Bangla Bandh, another labor strike, everything closed down, not even the buses running. But you can’t really blame them, can you? After all, factory workers have to eat too. Mrs. Basu’s tenants, whom she’d been trying to evict forever, finally moved out. Good riddance, but you should see the state of the flat.

At the very bottom Mrs. Basu wrote, Are you happy in America?

Mrs. Dutta knows that Mrs. Basu, who has been her closest friend since they both moved to Ghoshpara Lane as young brides, cannot be fobbed off with descriptions of Fisherman’s Wharf and the Golden Gate Bridge, or even with anecdotes involving grandchildren. And so she has been putting off her reply, while in her heart family loyalty battles with insidious feelings of — but she turns from them quickly and will not name them even to herself.

Now Sagar is knocking on the children’s doors — a curious custom this, children being allowed to close their doors against their parents. With relief Mrs. Dutta gathers up her bathroom things. She has plenty of time. Their mother will have to rap again before Pradeep and Mrinalini open their doors and stumble out. Still, Mrs. Dutta is not one to waste the precious morning. She splashes cold water on her face and neck (she does not believe in pampering herself), scrapes the night’s gumminess from her tongue with her metal tongue cleaner, and brushes vigorously, though the minty toothpaste does not leave her mouth feeling as clean as does the bittersweet neem stick she’s been using all her life. She combs the knots out of her hair. Even at her age it is thicker and silkier than her daughter- in- law’s permed curls. Such vanity, she scolds her reflection, and you a grandmother and a widow besides. Still, as she deftly fashions her hair into a neat coil, she remembers how her husband would always compare it to monsoon clouds.

[15] She hears a sudden commotion outside.

“Pat! Minnie! What d’you mean you still haven’t washed up? I’m late to work every morning nowadays because of you kids.”

“But, Mom, she’s in there. She’s been there forever… ” Mrinalini says.

Pause. Then, “So go to the downstairs bathroom.”

“But all our stuff is here,” Pradeep says, and Mrinalini adds, “It’s not fair. Why can’t she go downstairs?”

[20] A longer pause. Mrs. Dutta hopes that Shyamoli will not be too harsh with the girl. But a child who refers to elders in that disrespectful way ought to be punished. How many times did she slap Sagar for something far less, though he was her only one, the jewel of her eye, come to her after she had been married for seven years and everyone had given up hope? Whenever she lifted her hand to him, her heart was pierced through and through. Such is a mother’s duty.

But Shyamoli only says, in a tired voice, “That’s enough! Go put on your clothes, hurry!”

The grumblings recede. Footsteps clatter down the stairs. Inside the bathroom Mrs. Dutta bends over the sink, fists tight in the folds of her sari. Hard with the pounding in her head to think what she feels most — anger at the children for their rudeness, or at Shyamoli for letting them go unrebuked. Or is it shame she feels (but why?), this burning, acid and indigestible, that coats her throat in molten metal?

IT is 9:00 A.M., and the house, after the flurry of departures, of frantic “I can’t find my socks” and “Mom, he took my lunch money” and “I swear I’ll leave you kids behind if you’re not in the car in exactly one minute,” has settled into its quiet daytime rhythms.

Busy in the kitchen, Mrs. Dutta has recovered her spirits. Holding on to grudges is too exhausting, and besides, the kitchen — sunlight spilling across its countertops while the refrigerator hums reassuringly in the background — is her favorite place.

[25] Mrs. Dutta hums too as she fries potatoes for alu dum. Her voice is rusty and slightly off- key. In India she would never have ventured to sing, but with everyone gone the house is too quiet, all that silence pressing down on her like the heel of a giant hand, and the TV voices, with their strange foreign accents, are no help at all. As the potatoes turn golden- brown, she permits herself a moment of nostalgia for her Calcutta kitchen — the new gas stove she bought with the birthday money Sagar sent, the scoured- shiny brass pots stacked by the meat safe, the window with the lotus-pattern grille through which she could look down on white- uniformed children playing cricket after school. The mouthwatering smell of ginger and chili paste, ground fresh by Reba, the maid, and, in the evening, strong black Assam tea brewing in the kettle when Mrs. Basu came by to visit. In her mind she writes to Mrs. Basu: Oh, Roma, I miss it all so much. Sometimes I feel that someone has reached in and torn out a handful of my chest.

But only fools indulge in nostalgia, so Mrs. Dutta shakes her head clear of images and straightens up the kitchen. She pours the half-drunk glasses of milk down the sink, though Shyamoli has told her to save them in the refrigerator. But surely Shyamoli, a girl from a good Hindu family, doesn’t expect her to put contaminated jutha things with the rest of the food. She washes the breakfast dishes by hand instead of letting them wait inside the dishwasher till night, breeding germs. With practiced fingers she throws an assortment of spices into the blender: coriander, cumin, cloves, black pepper, a few red chilies for vigor. No stale bottled curry powder for her. At least the family’s eating well since I arrived, she writes in her mind. Proper Indian food, puffed-up chapatis, fish curry in mustard sauce, and real pulao with raisins and cashews and ghee — the way you taught me, Roma — instead of Rice- a- roni. She would like to add, They love it, but thinking of Shyamoli, she hesitates.

At first Shyamoli was happy enough to have someone take over the cooking. “It’s wonderful to come home to a hot dinner,” she’d say. Or “Mother, what crispy papads, and your fish curry is out of this world.” But recently she has taken to picking at her food, and once or twice from the kitchen Mrs. Dutta has caught wisps of words, intensely whispered: “cholesterol,” “all putting on weight,” “she’s spoiling you.” And though Shyamoli always says no when the children ask if they can have burritos from the freezer instead, Mrs. Dutta suspects that she would really like to say yes.

The children. A heaviness pulls at Mrs. Dutta’s entire body when she thinks of them. Like so much in this country, they have turned out to be — yes, she might as well admit it a disappointment.

For this she blames, in part, the Olan Mills portrait. Perhaps it was foolish of her to set so much store by a photograph, especially one taken years ago. But it was such a charming scene — Mrinalini in a ruffled white dress with her arm around her brother, Pradeep chubby and dimpled in a suit and bow tie, a glorious autumn forest blazing red and yellow behind them. (Later Mrs. Dutta was saddened to learn that the forest was merely a backdrop in a studio in California, where real trees did not turn such colors.)

[30] The picture had arrived, silver- framed and wrapped in a plastic sheet filled with bubbles, with a note from Shyamoli explaining that it was a Mother’s Day gift. (A strange concept, a day set aside to honor mothers. Did the sahibs not honor their mothers the rest of the year, then?) For a week Mrs. Dutta could not decide where it should be hung. If she put it in the drawing room, visitors would be able to admire her grandchildren, but if she put it on the bedroom wall, she would be able to see the photo last thing before she fell asleep. She finally opted for the bedroom, and later, when she was too ill with pneumonia to leave her bed for a month, she was glad of it.

Mrs. Dutta was accustomed to living on her own. She had done it for three years after Sagar’s father died, politely but stubbornly declining the offers of various relatives, well- meaning and otherwise, to come and stay with her. In this she surprised herself as well as others, who thought of her as a shy, sheltered woman, one who would surely fall apart without her husband to handle things for her. But she managed quite well. She missed Sagar’s father, of course, especially in the evenings, when it had been his habit to read to her the more amusing parts of the newspaper while she rolled out chapatis. But once the grief receded, she found she enjoyed being mistress of her own life, as she confided to Mrs. Basu. She liked being able, for the first time ever, to lie in bed all evening and read a new novel of Shankar’s straight through if she wanted, or to send out for hot eggplant pakoras on a rainy day without feeling guilty that she wasn’t serving up a balanced meal.

When the pneumonia hit, everything changed.

Mrs. Dutta had been ill before, but those illnesses had been different. Even in bed she’d been at the center of the household, with Reba coming to find out what should be cooked, Sagar’s father bringing her shirts with missing buttons, her mother- in- law, now old and tamed, complaining that the cook didn’t brew her tea strong enough, and Sagar running in crying because he’d had a fight with the neighbor boy. But now she had no one to ask her, querulously, Just how long do you plan to remain sick? No one waited in impatient exasperation for her to take on her duties again. No one’s life was inconvenienced the least bit by her illness.

Therefore she had no reason to get well.

[35] When this thought occurred to Mrs. Dutta, she was so frightened that her body grew numb. The walls of the room spun into blackness; the bed on which she lay, a vast fourposter she had shared with Sagar’s father since their wedding, rocked like a dinghy caught in a storm; and a great hollow roaring reverberated inside her head. For a moment, unable to move or see, she thought, I’m dead. Then her vision, desperate and blurry, caught on the portrait. My grandchildren. With some difficulty she focused on the bright, oblivious sheen of their faces, the eyes so like Sagar’s that for a moment heartsickness twisted inside her like a living thing. She drew a shudder of breath into her aching lungs, and the roaring seemed to recede. When the afternoon post brought another letter from Sagar — Mother, you really should come and live with us. We worry about you all alone in India, especially when you’re sick like this — she wrote back the same day, with fingers that still shook a little, You’re right: my place is with you, with my grandchildren.

But now that she is here on the other side of the world, she is wrenched by doubt. She knows the grandchildren love her — how can it be otherwise among family? And she loves them, she reminds herself, even though they have put away, somewhere in the back of a closet, the vellum-bound Ramayana for Young Readers that she carried all the way from India in her hand luggage. Even though their bodies twitch with impatience when she tries to tell them stories of her girlhood. Even though they offer the most transparent excuses when she asks them to sit with her while she chants the evening prayers. They’re flesh of my flesh, blood of my blood, she reminds herself. But sometimes when she listens, from the other room, to them speaking on the phone, their American voices rising in excitement as they discuss a glittering, alien world of Power Rangers, Metallica, and Spirit Week at school, she almost cannot believe what she hears.

STEPPING into the back yard with a bucket of newly washed clothes, Mrs. Dutta views the sky with some anxiety. The butter- gold sunlight is gone, black- bellied clouds have taken over the horizon, and the air feels still and heavy on her face, as before a Bengal storm. What if her clothes don’t dry by the time the others return home?

Washing clothes has been a problem for Mrs. Dutta ever since she arrived in California.

“We can’t, Mother,” Shyamoli said with a sigh when Mrs. Dutta asked Sagar to put up a clothesline for her in the back yard. (Shyamoli sighed often nowadays. Perhaps it was an American habit? Mrs. Dutta did not remember that the Indian Shyamoli, the docile bride she’d mothered for a month before putting her on a Pan Am flight to join her husband, pursed her lips in quite this way to let out a breath at once patient and exasperated.) “It’s just not done, not in a nice neighborhood like this one. And being the only Indian family on the street, we have to be extra careful. People here sometimes” She broke off with a shake of her head. “Why don’t you just keep your dirty clothes in the hamper I’ve put in your room, and I’ll wash them on Sunday along with everyone else’s.”

[40] Afraid of causing another sigh, Mrs. Dutta agreed reluctantly. She knew she should not store unclean clothes in the same room where she kept the pictures of her gods. That would bring bad luck. And the odor. Lying in bed at night she could smell it distinctly, even though Shyamoli claimed that the hamper was airtight. The sour, starchy old-woman smell embarrassed her.

She was more embarrassed when, on Sunday afternoons, Shyamoli brought the laundry into the family room to fold. Mrs. Dutta would bend intently over her knitting, face tingling with shame, as her daughter- in- law nonchalantly shook out the wisps of lace, magenta and sea- green and black, that were her panties, placing them next to a stack of Sagar’s briefs. And when, right in front of everyone, Shyamoli pulled out Mrs. Dutta’s crumpled, baggy bras from the heap, she wished the ground would open up and swallow her, like the Sita of mythology.

Then one day Shyamoli set the clothes basket down in front of Sagar.

“Can you do them today, Sagar?” (Mrs. Dutta, who had never, through the forty-two years of her marriage, addressed Sagar’s father by name, tried not to wince.) “I’ve got to get that sales report into the computer by tonight.”

Before Sagar could respond, Mrs. Dutta was out of her chair, knitting needles dropping to the floor.

[45] “No, no, no, clothes and all is no work for the man of the house. I’ll do it.” The thought of her son’s hands searching through the basket and lifting up his wife’s — and her own — underclothes filled her with horror.

“Mother!” Shyamoli said. “This is why Indian men are so useless around the house. Here in America we don’t believe in men’s work and women’s work. Don’t I work outside all day, just like Sagar? How’ll I manage if he doesn’t help me at home?”

“I’ll help you instead,” Mrs. Dutta ventured.

“You don’t understand, do you, Mother?” Shyamoli said with a shaky smile. Then she went into the study.

Mrs. Dutta sat down in her chair and tried to understand. But after a while she gave up and whispered to Sagar that she wanted him to teach her how to run the washer and dryer.

[50] “Why, Mother? Molli’s quite happy to … “

“I’ve got to learn it … ” Her voice was low and desperate as she rummaged through the tangled heap for her clothes.

Her son began to object and then shrugged. “Oh, very well. If it makes you happy.”

But later, when she faced the machines alone, their cryptic symbols and rows of gleaming knobs terrified her. What if she pressed the wrong button and flooded the entire floor with soapsuds? What if she couldn’t turn the machines off and they kept going, whirring maniacally, until they exploded? (This had happened on a TV show just the other day. Everyone else had laughed at the woman who jumped up and down, screaming hysterically, but Mrs. Dutta sat stiff- spined, gripping the armrests of her chair.) So she has taken to washing her clothes in the bathtub when she is alone. She never did such a chore before, but she remembers how the village washerwomen of her childhood would beat their saris clean against river rocks. And a curious satisfaction fills her as her clothes hit the porcelain with the same solid wet thunk.

My small victory, my secret.

[55] This is why everything must be dried and put safely away before Shyamoli returns. Ignorance, as Mrs. Dutta knows well from years of managing a household, is a great promoter of harmony. So she keeps an eye on the menacing advance of the clouds as she hangs up her blouses and underwear, as she drapes her sari along the redwood fence that separates her son’s property from the neighbor’s, first wiping the fence clean with a dish towel she has secretly taken from the bottom drawer in the kitchen. But she isn’t worried. Hasn’t she managed every time, even after that freak hailstorm last month, when she had to use the iron from the laundry closet to press everything dry? The memory pleases her. In her mind she writes to Mrs. Basu: I’m fitting in so well here, you’d never guess I came only two months back. I’ve found new ways of doing things, of solving problems creatively. You would be most proud if you saw me.

WHEN Mrs. Dutta decided to give up her home of forty- five years, her relatives showed far less surprise than she had expected. “Oh, we all knew you’d end up in America sooner or later,” they said. She had been foolish to stay on alone so long after Sagar’s father, may he find eternal peace, passed away. Good thing that boy of hers had come to his senses and called her to join him. Everyone knows a wife’s place is with her husband, and a widow’s is with her son.

Mrs. Dutta had nodded in meek agreement, ashamed to let anyone know that the night before she had awakened weeping.

“Well, now that you’re going, what’ll happen to all your things?” they asked.

Mrs. Dutta, still troubled over those traitorous tears, had offered up her household effects in propitiation. “Here, Didi, you take this cutwork bedspread. Mashima, for a long time I have meant for you to have these Corning Ware dishes; I know how much you admire them. And Boudi, this tape recorder that Sagar sent a year back is for you. Yes, yes, I’m quite sure. I can always tell Sagar to buy me another one when I get there.”

[60] Mrs. Basu, coming in just as a cousin made off triumphantly with a bone-china tea set, had protested. “Prameela, have you gone crazy? That tea set used to belong to your mother- in-law.”

“But what’ll I do with it in America? Shyamoli has her own set”

A look that Mrs. Dutta couldn’t read flitted across Mrs. Basu’s face. “But do you want to drink from it for the rest of your life?”

“What do you mean?”

Mrs. Basu hesitated. Then she said, “What if you don’t like it there?”

[65] “How can I not like it, Roma?” Mrs. Dutta’s voice was strident, even to her own ears. With an effort she controlled it and continued. “I’ll miss my friends, I know — and you most of all. And the things we do together — evening tea, our walk around Rabindra Sarobar Lake, Thursday night Bhagavad Gita class. But Sagar — they’re my only family. And blood is blood, after all.”

“I wonder,” Mrs. Basu said drily, and Mrs. Dutta recalled that though both of Mrs. Basu’s children lived just a day’s journey away, they came to see her only on occasions when common decency dictated their presence. Perhaps they were tightfisted in money matters, too. Perhaps that was why Mrs. Basu had started renting out her downstairs a few years earlier, even though, as anyone in Calcutta knew, tenants were more trouble than they were worth. Such filial neglect must be hard to take, though Mrs. Basu, loyal to her children as indeed a mother should be, never complained. In a way, Mrs. Dutta had been better off, with Sagar too far away for her to put his love to the test.

“At least don’t give up the house,” Mrs. Basu was saying. “You won’t be able to find another place in case … “

“In case what?” Mrs. Dutta asked, her words like stone chips. She was surprised to find that she was angrier with Mrs. Basu than she’d ever been. Or was she afraid? My son isn’t like yours, she’d been on the verge of spitting out. She took a deep breath and made herself smile, made herself remember that she might never see her friend again.

“Ah, Roma,” she said, putting her arm around Mrs. Basu. “You think I’m such an old witch that my Sagar and my Shyamoli will be unable to live with me?”

[70] Mrs. Dutta hums a popular Tagore song as she pulls her sari from the fence. It’s been a good day, as good as it can be in a country where you might stare out the window for hours and not see one living soul. No vegetable vendors with enormous wicker baskets balanced on their heads, no knife sharpeners with their distinctive call scissors- knives-choppers, scissors- knives- choppersto bring the children running. No peasant women with colorful tattoos on their arms to sell you cookware in exchange for your old silk saris. Why, even the animals that frequented Ghoshpara Lane had personality — stray dogs that knew to line up outside the kitchen door just when the leftovers were likely to be thrown out; the goat that maneuvered its head through the garden grille hoping to get at her dahlias; cows that planted themselves majestically in the center of the road, ignoring honking drivers. And right across the street was Mrs. Basu’s two- story house, which Mrs. Dutta knew as well as her own. How many times had she walked up the stairs to that airy room, painted sea- green and filled with plants, where her friend would be waiting for her?

Mrs. Dutta tells herself severely. Every single one of your relatives would give an arm and a leg to be in your place, you know that. After lunch you’re going to write a nice letter to Roma telling her exactly how delighted you are to be here.

From where Mrs. Dutta stands, gathering up petticoats and blouses, she can look into the next yard. Not that there’s much to see — just tidy grass and a few pale- blue flowers whose name she doesn’t know. Two wooden chairs sit under a tree, but Mrs. Dutta has never seen anyone using them. What’s the point of having such a big yard if you’re not even going to sit in it? she thinks. Calcutta pushes itself into her mind again, with its narrow, blackened flats where families of six and eight and ten squeeze themselves into two tiny rooms, and her heart fills with a sense of loss she knows to be illogical.

[75] When she first arrived in Sagar’s home, Mrs. Dutta wanted to go over and meet her next-door neighbors, maybe take them some of her special sweet rasogollahs, as she’d often done with Mrs. Basu. But Shyamoli said she shouldn’t. Such things were not the custom in California, she explained earnestly. You didn’t just drop in on people without calling ahead. Here everyone was busy; they didn’t sit around chatting, drinking endless cups of sugar- tea. Why, they might even say something unpleasant to her.

“For what?” Mrs. Dutta had asked disbelievingly, and Shyamoli had said, “Because Americans don’t like neighbors to” — here she used an English phrase — “invade their privacy.” Mrs. Dutta, who didn’t fully understand the word “privacy,” because there was no such term in Bengali, had gazed at her daughter- in- law in some bewilderment. But she understood enough not to ask again. In the following months, though, she often looked over the fence, hoping to make contact. People were people, whether in India or in America, and everyone appreciated a friendly face. When Shyamoli was as old as Mrs. Dutta, she would know that too.

Today, just as she is about to turn away, out of the corner of her eye Mrs. Dutta notices a movement. At one of the windows a woman is standing, her hair a sleek gold like that of the TV heroines whose exploits baffle Mrs. Dutta when she tunes in to an afternoon serial. She is smoking a cigarette, and a curl of gray rises lazily, elegantly, from her fingers. Mrs. Dutta is so happy to see another human being in the middle of her solitary day that she forgets how much she disapproves of smoking, especially in women. She lifts her hand in the gesture she has seen her grandchildren use to wave an eager hello.

The woman stares back at Mrs. Dutta. Her lips are a perfect painted red, and when she raises her cigarette to her mouth, its tip glows like an animal’s eye. She does not wave back or smile. Perhaps she is not well? Mrs. Dutta feels sorry for her, alone in her illness in a silent house with only cigarettes for solace, and she wishes the etiquette of America did not prevent her from walking over with a word of cheer and a bowl of her fresh- cooked alu dum.

Mrs. Dutta rarely gets a chance to be alone with her son. In the morning he is in too much of a hurry even to drink the fragrant cardamom tea that she (remembering how as a child he would always beg for a sip from her cup) offers to make him. He doesn’t return until dinnertime, and afterward he must help the children with their homework, read the paper, hear the details of Shyamoli’s day, watch his favorite TV crime show in order to unwind, and take out the garbage. In between, for he is a solicitous son, he converses with Mrs. Dutta. In response to his questions she assures him that her arthritis is much better now; no, no, she’s not growing bored being at home all the time; she has everything she needs Shyamoli has been so kind. But perhaps he could pick up a few aerograms on his way back tomorrow? She obediently recites for him an edited list of her day’s activities, and smiles when he praises her cooking. But when he says, “Oh, well, time to turn in, another working day tomorrow,” she feels a vague pain, like hunger, in the region of her heart.

[80] So it is with the delighted air of a child who has been offered an unexpected gift that she leaves her half- written letter to greet Sagar at the door today, a good hour before Shyamoli is due back. The children are busy in the fam

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Morality Policy

Morality policies mainly refer to the issue that pertains to the political conflicts and shaped by the debates above the first principles. They aid in assessment of conflicts rather than contributory contemplations of the policy design. The pattern of identification to demarcate morality from the corresponding non-morality issues mainly, which rely on the considerations of the presence of the conflicts over the first principle. The question normally arises in the political conflicts center of the fundamental values of a polity rather than the corresponding questions of efficient policy designs. With the dominance of the principle at the expense of the instrumental conflicts makes the morality policies to be technically less complex thereby favoring wider public involvement within the policy process. Moreover, higher public involvement coupled with procedural easiness favor lofty political salience of morality policies. In regard to the underlying characteristics morality policies normally institute a new policy type of the underlying social regulatory policy that reflects relatively highly conflictive and corresponding salient procedure patterns that guide the redistributive policies as well as defining governing regulations that governs the social interaction thus being monitoring in nature

There has been escalation recognition that morality policy as relatively narrow issues and authorities. Morality policy is normally categorized by the conflicts of the first principle that are of extremely salient to the general public. They are not considered as the arcade policy instruments since they are distinct and simple statements that stipulates a polity’s values. Morality policy is also characterized by flows from other characteristics morality policy politics possessing a relatively advanced than the normal level of the underlying citizen participation.

Moreover, morality policy possesses a precise policy type of framing the policy issues based on the underlying approach diversity amidst the morality and corresponding non-morality policies via taking into consideration of the policy contents. Policies are normally taken as morality policy if their underlying monitoring substance is closely associated to the public decisions over the social value even though the manifestation might transcend boarders. Policy based approach evade problematic assumption inherent within the politics based standpoint that postulate clear procedure patterns irrespective of the political system at hand.

Conversely, Public policy normally affects every citizen in diverse ways and studied in the form of the issue oriented approach. The terminology public policies refer to the underlying action of the administration and corresponding intentions that determine such acts. Thus, public policy is the intentional course of action followed by the prevailing government institution in resolving an issue of the great public concern. Development of the public policy is extremely extraordinary since it normally involves public view, experts’ thoughts, media attitudes, and active citizens. Policymakers incorporate economic resources circumstance, prevalent cultural ideas and corresponding global situations. Public policy possess long term and short term impacts that demands constant evaluation and are normally of symbolic significance. The procedure of developing a new public policy ideally follows three outlined steps namely agenda background, alternative formulation accompanied execution. Moreover, public policies are normally developed by the underlying religious and cultural organizations for the assistances of the prevailing audience and contributors. Public policy is mainly concerns with the body of the principles that purely fortify the operation of the lawful systems in every state. They address the social, moral and economic values that hold the society together. Values of the public policy differ in diverse cultures and alter overtime thereby reinforcing prevailing social prospects. Public policies are generally putative societal norms and replicate the cooperative morality that guides society.

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Group A: Environmental Topics

Application of morality in environmental issues

The importance of environmental conservation cannot be gainsaid as far as sustenance of human beings is concerned. For many people, conservation is a moral issue, or rather, quite a large number of moral issues are applicable to it. Morality concerns itself with actions that are deemed acceptable or faulty when put against secular or religious principles. It is noteworthy that such principles include implicit or explicit responsibility of environmental custodianship, especially compassion towards all species. Every form of life on the surface of the earth needs certain conditions so as to enhance the continuation of its species. However, in the existence process, all life persistently modifies its environment. Studies show that, a long time ago, numerous species were rendered extinct by the excretion of oxygen into the atmosphere by organisms known as cyanobacteria (Fllatau 45). While this may be imply a natural process, it underlines the notion that the surface of the earth and every living thing is affected significantly and continuously by the operations of the inhabitants. Human beings have not been left behind as far as shaping life on planet earth is concerned. Their impact has been compounded by modern technologies. There are scholars who opine that these activities will lead to human beings’ extinction. Nevertheless, some moral issues emerge from the issue of the impact of human activity on the environment.

One of the key moral issues is the human being’s welfare, as well as that of the sentient organisms. The simple fact that the actions of a human being affect the welfare of other organisms makes environmental conservation a moral issue. Of course, questions have been raised as to how human welfare may be justified as a moral objective when it is not tantamount to affluence. It is noteworthy, however, that the process of evolution has never respected any species. In essence, unless species are sufficiently equipped to withstand modification of their environment, they would be wiped out. Studies show that humanity came as a result of evolutionary processes where some species were eliminated from the face of the earth leading to the emergence of human beings. The extinction of these species resulted from their activities, which affected the environmental balance. In essence, it would be proper to expect that human beings will modify the environment to their own extinction. There are common thoughts to the effect that human beings will emerge in enhanced forms. However, the intelligence and emotions of human beings may hinder their capacity to evolve (Gillroy and Bowersox 67).

Everyone would agree that the prevention of severe harm or destruction of humanity is a crucial moral consideration. It would not be far-off to regard prudence as more morally preferable than decadence (Fllatau 78).

In applying morality to environmental conservation, it is noteworthy that the continuation of the earth as a planet depends on the other components of the universe. The universe carves out its own consequences, sometimes to the detriment of some species. Having in mind that the condition of the universe is of utmost importance to the wellbeing and existence of all species, its operation in a manner that is conducive to the human being’s continued existence is a moral issue (Gillroy and Bowersox 89).

In addition, the welfare of other species is a moral issue thanks to the interdependence that exists between human beings and other species. In addition, many people justify the welfare of other species due to their ability to have emotions and feel pain. In essence, they have a right to be treated in a fair and human manner and be able to gratify their innate urges and feelings. In essence, if these animals are treated in an inhuman manner, it would be a moral issue. This includes endangering their environment in a manner that threatens their existence.

Quite a large number of people feel that they have a God-given right to run over other living things. This is justified as the natural order, in which case the actions of human beings are explained as part of this natural order. Unfortunately, this explanation is also given in the case of fellow human beings who are or a relatively lower status. However, it is imperative that human beings acknowledge that every living thing is charged with a responsibility in maintaining the balance of the universe. However, it is imperative that people use common sense, as well as judgment to determine the aspects of the environment that they should protect (Gillroy and Bowersox 98).

In conclusion, morality is intertwined in all aspects that pertain to the environment. This is because it determines what an individual considers wrong according to secular or religious principles. The moral nature emanates from the fact that every living thing would be affected by the actions of human beings. In essence, human beings have a moral obligation not to deprive them of the only planet they know. In addition, irrespective of the lowly nature of some species, it is noteworthy that they play a significant or key role in enhancing the balance of the universe. However, it is imperative that human beings determine which species to save depending on their usefulness to them.

Economic Development and National Sovereignty Topics

Globalization is a threat to the sovereignty of poor countries

Issues pertaining to national sovereignty and self-determination have been controversial since time immemorial. It refers to the quality of having an independent and supreme authority over a certain geographical area. The importance of this concept lies in its interconnectedness to a country’s ability to offer its citizens the best as far as meeting their interests is concerned. In the recent times, debate has been raging as to the effect of globalization on the sovereignty of nations, and especially poor nations. Theories suggest that when a country surrenders some of its sovereignty and submits to the global rules, that country stands to gain as global commerce will be unshackled from the unpleasant national interventions. Unfortunately, this has not been actualized in real life. What has been experienced is a split of countries into warring factions that accuse each other of foul faith. It is noteworthy that, quite a large number of governments and countries have doubts as far as being integrated into the global economy while retaining their national sovereignty is concerned (Streeten 78). This is exhibited by the failure of governments to conclude a number of multilateral agreements. Are poor countries right to take globalization with a pinch of salt? In my opinion, globalization or liberalization will do more harm than fair to poor nations.

There are two areas that show the negative effects of globalization as far as economic relations are concerned. These are trade and finance. While there are theorists who argue that it is OK for countries to open their economies to allow the benefits of investment to flow into their economies, evidence calls for caution. There has been no quantitatively significant proof that financial liberalization enhances economic growth. In fact, researchers admit that liberalization of capital account heightens the vulnerability of poor countries and increases risks by magnifying the impact of shocks. These shocks are transmitted extremely fast across national borders thanks to globalization (Streeten 89).

In addition, there exists a hot debate as to whether liberalization is appropriate for trade. Studies have shown that countries that have become globalized have enjoyed fast, economic growth. However, this reasoning has fundamental flaws. It is noteworthy that most of these reports quote the tremendous growth that China has had. However, China is one of the world’s least open economies. In fact, it has always maintained a high degree of national sovereignty. Studies have shown that globalization has had adverse effects on poor countries. According to the World Bank Report 2003, the share that poor countries enjoyed as far as the world trade is concerned declined during the liberalizations period. Anyone would acknowledge that the decline in the share of world trade owned by poor countries is not in the best interests of the citizens of poor countries. In essence, it means that poor countries would be losing their sovereignty to developed countries as far as self-determinism in trade is concerned. The question that emerges from these studies is, “who is benefiting from globalization?” Evidently, developed countries stand to gain from the failings of poor countries in which case they would have the capacity to threaten their sovereignty. After all, economic power is everything as far as national sovereignty is concerned (Streeten 95).

Individuals who support globalization would argue that as much as financial and trade liberalization may not enhance the growth and capital access capacity of a country, it comes with some advantages. They would argue that globalization locks governments into policies that are market-oriented in their home economies. This, therefore, hinders distortion of policies by distinct interests. Unfortunately, they are still unable to provide factual and country-specific evidence to ascertain these claims (Karliner 89).

It is noteworthy that, evidence pertaining to financial and trade liberalization does not in any way suggest that liberalization or globalization is entirely laden with negative effects in all countries. Instead, it underlines the importance of managing globalization in a different manner so that all countries can benefit. It is imperative that before governments or countries surrender their sovereignty or national autonomy, they ascertain the effectiveness of the global institutions and rules that are replacing the national policies. In addition, they should ensure that the institutions and rules work to enhance fair distribution of the benefits that accrue to globalization, as well as the costs pertaining to new vulnerabilities. This is essentially the only way for these countries to safeguard their sovereignty in the face of globalization and ensure that liberalization is still in the best interests of their citizens (Karliner 8).

In conclusion, globalization has a bearing on the autonomy of a country or its national sovereignty. As much as it has been said to enhance economic growth of poor countries, it not only threatens the autonomy of poor countries but also their share in the world market. It is noteworthy that the rules governing international finance and trade heavily reflect the vested and peculiar interests of industrialized countries (Karliner 68). In essence, globalization is a threat to the autonomy and national sovereignty of poor countries. It should, therefore, be adopted only in cases here it allows for fair distribution of the benefits and costs of globalization.

Works cited

Karliner, Joshua. 1997. The corporate planet: ecology and politics in the age of globalization. Chicago: Sierra Club Books.1997. Print

Streeten, Paul. “Globalization: Threat or Opportunity”. New York: John Wiley & Sons. (1999). Print

Flattau, Edward. Green Morality. New York: Way Things Are Publications, 2010. Print

Gillroy, John Martin and Bowersox, Joe, The Moral Austerity of Environmental Decision Making: Sustainability, Democracy, and Normative Argument in Policy and Law. London: Duke University Press, 2002. Print

Movie Summary: Blood Work

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Blood Work

This is a two thousand and two American film directed and produced by Clint Eastwood. The film stars Clint Eastwood as Terry McCaleb, Wanda De Jesus acting as Graciella Rivers, Anjelica Huston acting as Dr. Bonnie Fox, Jeff Daniels acting as Jasper Noone ‘Buddy and Tina lifford as Jaye Winston who is a detective. The film falls under the genre of thriller movies. It is a crime thriller detective film where there is a serial killer and murder investigation.

Terry McCaleb is a retired FBI profiler who had a heart transplant. He is elderly, ailing feeble and lived in Los Angles harbor in a boat. He is unable to drive and takes a regular nap. He is hired to investigate the death of Gloria who is Graciella Rivers’s sister. Graciella Rivers tells him that he is living because he received Gloria’s heart and that he must investigate her murder (00:12:43). Gloria donated her heart to Terry McCaleb after she was shot. He feels he has an obligation of tracking down the murderer since he has no choice (Clint 00:13: 21). He is on recovery and enjoying the retirement in the houseboat. Terry defies the advice from Dr. Bonnie Fox his cardiologist (Clint 00:33, 00:34) and starts the investigation of the murder with the help of Buddy Noone and detective Jayne Winston.

Terry is physically impaired which makes the investigating harder for him than before. Since he is unable to drive, he persuades Buddy Noone to ferry him. Terry is a competent detective and a celebrity of a kind since he has earned a reputation of tracking killers. This is not any different and he is able to deduce that the killer could be serial killer who had staged Gloria’s death to seem as if it was a random robbery. Terry is determined irrespective of the defiant attitude of the police detectives John Waller and Ronaldo Arrango who thinks that he wants to exult himself with the findings (Clint 00:21, 00:58).

Terry identifies the serial killer from the records of the previous murder (Clint 00:20:27). The investigation is dangerous and involves hunting the serial killer who had been thought that he has been dead. Terry is so determined to succeed with the investigation at the expense of his health. Terry dreams being attacked and shot severally by the suspect wearing a mask (Clint 00:31). The identity of the killer is quite unexpected. Graciella wants to seek justice for her nephew who is now orphaned and for herself. She has been frustrated by the case delay due to law enforcement bureaucracy. The homicide pains her so much and she wants to know the reason behind it (Clint 01:00). The scenes are accompanied thrilling sound as the serial killer is tracked down.

Serial killers

            The murderer in the movie is identified as serial killer who has been involved in a number of previous murders. A serial killer is a person who kills more than three people with separated time for the next murder and is driven by psychological gratification. The serial killers often have sexual motives, thrill, anger, attention and financial gain (Schmid 35). Usually, the murders are a lot similar with the victims being of same sex, age, appearance, race and occupation. They display abnormal behavior with memory disorders. Some are drug addicts. Visionary serial killers are characterized by psychotic absence from reality imitating other people and compelled to kill. Serial killers who are mission geared try to change the society by eradicating individuals whom they think are undesirable such as prostitutes, homosexuals, particular religion or ethnicity (Holmes & Stephen p12). Serial killers are antisocial and feel no remorse towards their victims. They don’t learn from previous encounters.

Hedonistic killers are thrilled and find pleasure in killing. They kill for comfort, thrill and lust. Lust serial killers derive gratification from mutilation and torture as a fantasy for sexual satisfaction. Thrill killers induce pain and cause terror to their victims and are excited and stimulated by their actions due to the adrenaline rush. They perfect their murder strategy believing that they will never be caught. They may kill through strangling, asphyxiating, hanging, drowning. Slashing or stabbing. Other killers kill for material gain and comfort and are usually close acquaintances. These are mostly female killers and waits for some period before they kill again. Others kill to gain power and control and are mostly victims of child abuse with low self esteem (Holmes & Stephen p.12&13)

Profiling Serial Killers

Investigative profilers help to narrow investigations. The science started in United States and has been developing and is refined as a tool of investigation Profiling involves examining the crime critically in forensics. Profiling helps in solving crime mystery and is done professionally. Law enforcement unit has to collaborate with the medical and academic professionals. They assesses the psychological and behavior of serial killers. The framework of profiling should be flexible. It uses investigative tool with limited leads. It provides direction to a given investigation and psychological insight while conducting interviews. Profiling offer psychological advice for juries and witnesses (Hickey, 366)

Profiling helps to develop systematic tracking of mysterious serial killers and facilitate jurisdiction’s communication involved in the cases of serial murder. Profiling is a useful tool which applies critique investigative follow-up, forensic collection of evidence and sampling. It assists in giving insight to explain a certain criminal behavior and crime itself to corroborate evidence. Offender profiling involves collection of data by the law enforcers by use of anecdotal information or case studies. They transform the data into descriptions which are general and associate it to individuals committing a particular crime. This form is invasive and could be legally tenuous and misleading. Profiling takes various forms to assist in investigation of serial murders. These are scientific empirical profiling and geographical profiling and both helps in attaining g accurate and precise scientific investigation (Hickey p.367)

From the movie, the detectives use the previous murder records to track the serial killer. The killer was present in the crime scene and Terry had seen him (00:56). He stocks his victims and kills them on camera. The link between the murder victims was blood they both had donated blood they had similar blood type. Since Terry has had professional experience in profiling at the FBI, he quite easily points out the killer from the previous records.

Justice in the Movie

The serial killer in the movie does not face justice for his actions. He likes to play games with the detective and his cunningness is unveiled. The killer is not put to death as he deserves. This shows that justice was not achieved for Gloria’s son as well as for Graciella who are still mourning the death of their loved one. Identifying the serial killer as done by Terry McCaleb is not enough. The killer should have faced a death sentence and murdered in similar way he does. Graciella and her nephew are left in a state of loneliness missing Gloria. There is no enough justice that could compensate the death of their loved one.

Works Cited:

Clint Eastwood. Blood Work Movie. DVD. 1h 45m55s: 2002.

Hickey, Eric W. Serial Murderers and Their Victims. (5Ed) USA:Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2010.

 Holmes, M. Ronald, Stephen T. Holmes. Contemporary Perspectives on Serial Murder. USA: Sage Publications, 1998.

Schmid, David Natural Born Celebrities: Serial Killers in American Culture.University of Chicago Press. 2007.

 

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Mr. Paul’s Discredited Campaign

Campaign period in the United States is characteristically a test of do or die in American politics. One must notice that while the political heavy weights remain almost inaccessible to the masses, thanks to primaries, average Americans get a chance to interact one on one with their would be or potential Commander in Chief during this time. One thing that really impresses me is the fact that Americans do not just thrust leadership positions to politicians without proper scrutiny. Suffice it to say that character assessment is on top notch during this time and as much as “the sins of the father” are never brought to table, no one escapes being answerable for his/her rotten past if at all there exists any slightest connection.

It is in this light that I am not amazed that Mr. Ron Paul’s campaign has not escaped catching the media and public attention and concern given his questionable position in the history of America’s politics and human rights (New York Times, 2011). While Mr. Ron Paul may elicit love and hate in equal measure, average Americans have their rights to hold such positions within the limit and the extent to which those positions are constitutional and consistent with the provisions of human rights (Loevy, 76). I indulge constitutional and human rights since Mr. Ron Paul’s concerns and former hardline position, some of which he now disavows, touches on fundamental issues of the constitution, foreign policy and human rights. This is the real issue of concern.

While Mr. Ron Paul offers no apology for positions he previously took, any reasonable man should ask himself whether it is admissible to entrust the highest office on the land with someone who character and ethics remain highly questionable. Despite the fact that some issues which touch on fiscal policies have no fixed formula, I would still question Paul’s position on the Federal Reserve, federal budget, and America role as the world super power (Paul, 89). America is just recovering from an economic disaster and any measure should be professionally evaluated before taking action.

Worst of all, Paul’s racist comments and support from a racist group is a set back to the great strides that America has made. He solely disapproves of the 1964 Civil Rights Act without consulting the opinions of Americans whose interests he would like to represent (Geiger & McClatchy, 2011). Will his leadership style be consultative and all inclusive? Any logical man would doubt that. How can an average American citizen believe that the man who identifies with a good number of extremist groups like far- right militias is in a position to represent everyone’s interest fairly? (Ruteberg & Kovaleski, 2011). Another thing that ought to have been buried with Hitler is the anti-Semitic passions that Paul is actually working hard to re-awake.

I agree with New York Times’ position that Mr. Paul’s campaign is already discredited. However, I also recognize Mr. Paul’s freedom of association and that of his followers. As a politician, Mr. Paul plays the politics of deny till tangible proven, and then again deny the proof. On ethical basis, I see in him no signs of good leadership as well as no signs of making a good role model to be emulated from by the American society. Politics is not always a dirty game, it is some politicians that play dirty.

Works Cited

Jim, Rutenberg & Serge, Kovaleski. Paul Disowns Extremists’ Views but Doesn’t Disavow the Support. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/26/us/politics/ron-paul-disowns-extremists-views-but-doesnt-disavow-the-support.html?ref=politics&pagewante d=all, on December 31st, 2011.

Kim, Geiger & McClatchy. Paul Walks Out Of Interview Over Questions About Racially Charged Newsletters. Tribune News Service. Retrieved from http://www.mcclatchydc.com /2011/12/22/v-print/133898/Paul-walks-out-of-interview-over.html, on December 31st, 2011

New York Times. Mr. Paul’s Discredited Campaign. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com /2011/12/28/opinion/mr-pauls-discredited-campaign.html?_r=1, on December 31st.2011.

Robert, Loevy. On the Forward Edge: American Government and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Maryland: University Press of America, 2005.

Ron, Paul. End The Fed. New York: Grand Central Publishing, 2009.