Topic: Art and culture: what is art, what purpose does it serve in society, is there such a thing as bad art?
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items (often with symbolic significance) in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect. It encompasses a diverse range of human activities, creations, and modes of expression, including music, literature, film, photography sculpture , and paintings. The meaning of art is explored in a branch of philosophy known as aesthetic, and even disciplines such as historyhand psychology analyze its relationship with humans and generations.
Traditionally, the term art was used to refer to any skill or mastery. This conception changed during the Romantic period, when art came to be seen as “a special faculty of the human mind to be classified with religion and science”. Generally, art is made with the intention of stimulating thoughts and emotions.
Britannica Online defines art as “the use of skill and imagination in the creation of aesthetic objects, environments, or experiences that can be shared with others.”
Communication
Art is often intended to appeal to and connect with human emotion. It can arouse aesthetic or moral feelings, and can be understood as a way of communicating these feelings. Artists express something so that their audience is aroused to some extent, but they do not have to do so consciously. Art explores what is commonly termed as the human condition; that is, essentially what it is to be human. Effective art often brings about some new insight concerning the human condition either singly or en masse, which is not necessarily always positive, or necessarily widens the boundaries of collective human ability. The degree of skill possessed by an artist will affect his or her ability to trigger an emotional response and thereby provide new insights, the ability to manipulate them at will shows exemplary skill and determination.
Purpose of.
Gun Control Is A Very Serious Issue
The issue of gun control in America is a matter of great concern, with divergent views on the subject. The National Rifle Association (NRA) argues that responsible citizens should be able to use guns for protection, while others believe that only the National Guard and law enforcement should have access to firearms due to their hazardous nature. These individuals claim their viewpoint aligns with the second amendment, which addresses firearm possession by American citizens but has been open to various interpretations. The high number of gun-related fatalities each year contributes to many people perceiving gun ownership as problematic. Personally, I support restricting access to firearms and emphasizing gun safety education as essential measures toward creating a safer America because I believe firearms contribute to an increase in crime, murder, and household accidents. To form my own stance on this issue, I carefully considered others’ opinions and gathered relevant statistics.
Gun control opponents, including the NRA, argue that individuals should bear responsibility for the negative consequences of firearms in America. Helen Smith, a forensic psychologist who shares the NRA’s viewpoint, wrote an article titled “It’s Not The Guns” addressing the rise in school and youth violence related to guns. She attributes this increase to children and irresponsible parents. Smith challenges the belief that guns are now more easily accessible to kids since many gun owners securely lock up their weapons.
Another advocate for firearms is Dr. Gary Kleck, a criminologist at Florida State University specializing in gun-related accidents. His research findings indicate fewer incidents of gun-related accidents compared to those involving automobiles, falls, drowning, pedestrians, fires, poisoning, and suffocation. Consequently, he suggests that instead of mandating safety classes for all gun owners, it would be more effective to randomly select and educate a group of drivers as a means of saving more lives. This approach would also benefit society by providing education on first aid administration practices and promoting proper eating habits…
Despite acknowledging the valid points made by these individuals, I do not fully agree with their statements. While it is true that people are responsible for how they use guns, it is incorrect to deny that guns contribute to the problem. Although eliminating those who mishandle guns may not be feasible, removing guns completely can prevent problems and accidents from occurring altogether.
In response to Dr.Kleck’s survey, it is important to emphasize that while firearms may not be the primary cause of accidents each year, they still result in an excessive number of unnecessary deaths. Therefore, action needs to be taken regarding gun control. While some may consider 900 deaths a year insignificant, their perspective might change if it personally affected them or someone they knew. This consideration is significant for everyone.
Regarding Dr.Kleck’s belief that providing random drivers with safety lessons and teaching common sense would save more lives, I must disagree. Common sense alone does not determine the occurrence of accidents as even individuals like Dr.Kleck have experienced incidents such as tripping or choking, raising doubts about their possession of common sense. Furthermore,I also disagree with certain points raised by Helen Smith in her article.Although I agree that children who target their peers with guns often have mental health issues that set them apart from the average child, I strongly believe that firearms contribute to this problem. If the students at Columbine High School did not have access to weapons like a Tech 9 and a shotgun, I believe the outcome would have been different. These guns caused multiple senseless killings. How can anyone argue that “It’s not the guns”? Considering different opinions raises questions for me, such as why do we need guns other than for use by the National Guard and law enforcement? The answer is self-protection, but protection from what? From others who possess guns. It becomes a chain reaction – observing others buying guns leads some to believe they also need one. In this scenario, I understand individuals purchasing handguns to safeguard their families in dangerous neighborhoods. I also comprehend people buying hunting rifles for obvious hunting purposes. However, I question why assault weapons are being acquired. Do people truly buy these high-powered shotguns and machine guns with seemingly endless clips for hunting? I highly doubt it. These firearms were specifically designed for lethal purposes. It deeply concerns me that these weapons are easily accessible to ordinary law-abiding citizens.
While acknowledging that children who target peers with firearms often exhibit mental health issues distinguishing them from typical children, my firm conviction is that firearms exacerbate this issue.
Had the students at Columbine High School lacked access to weaponry like a Tech 9 and a shotgun, there would likely have been an alternative outcome which avoids numerous purposeless killings.
To dispute “It’s not the guns” seems unfathomable considering these circumstances.
When contemplating diverse perspectives on gun ownership, questions arise regarding reasons beyond those pertaining solely to use by entities such as the National Guard or law enforcement.
The basis of self-protection may be cited; however, protection against whom?
Protection against those armed with similar weaponry.
This prompts a chain reaction where the act of observing others purchasing guns convinces some that they too require one.
Understandably, individuals in perilous neighborhoods may opt to purchase handguns to safeguard their families.
Similarly, it is comprehensible that people acquire hunting rifles for explicit hunting purposes.
Nevertheless, I question the acquisition of assault weapons.
Is it genuinely plausible that individuals buy these high-powered shotguns and machine guns with seemingly endless clips for hunting? My doubt is considerable.
These firearms were intentionally designed for lethal intentions.
The ease with which ordinary law-abiding citizens can access such weapons greatly troubles me.The main concern is that there is now a permanent military force, unlike in the past when state militias were more prevalent. The original purpose of the second amendment was to grant firearms rights to militiamen. However, differing interpretations of the amendment have led to significant controversy.
The second amendment affirms the importance of a well-regulated Militia for the security of a free state and states that the right of the people to possess weapons should not be violated. However, there are varying interpretations regarding this right. Some argue that citizens have a Constitutional right to bear arms and maintain a militia, while others contend that with a permanent army instead of a militia, average citizens no longer require weapons and thus lack this Constitutional right. The Supreme Court has analyzed the meaning of this amendment as well. In the 1876 case of U.S. v. Cruikshank, which was the first case pertaining to this amendment, it was determined that although possessing arms was not safeguarded by the amendment, it was also not prohibited by it. Subsequent cases presented before the Supreme Court have upheld this decision.
Despite the constitutional right to possess firearms, statistics on gun ownership should dissuade individuals from owning guns. The Chicago Police Department’s Murder Analysis reveals an ongoing increase in murder rates linked to firearms. In 1998, 65% of murders were committed using guns, with handguns involved in 52% of these cases. It is important to note that 25% of these offenders had no prior criminal record, indicating that new gun owners are not exclusively using firearms for self-defense purposes. Shockingly, there were an astounding 13,790 homicides involving firearms in 1995. Personally, I find these numbers extremely high; undoubtedly, many of these victims should not have lost their lives.
My objective in this essay is to illustrate the importance of implementing gun control measures to reduce rates of crime, murder, and household accidents, which are at an unacceptable level. Firearms result in numerous daily fatalities, and I firmly believe it is imperative for this trend to stop. In this essay, you will be able to examine both perspectives of the debate and form your own viewpoint. Through the presentation of statistics, background information, and personal opinion, my intention is to express why I hold such strong beliefs about this matter and emphasize the critical significance of regulating the widespread availability of firearms throughout America.
Change Of Mindset And Attitude
It is common to have things we want to change that we feel are beyond our control or are not our decision to make. We may feel we have a better way of doing something, a better solution, or a better approach. However, despite this desire to improve and change something around us, many people just resign to accepting things the way they are because they feel there is no way to easily change them.
Perhaps we tried in the past and were unsuccessful or we complained and asked someone to change what we disliked, but ultimately nothing was ever done or resolved. Whatever the case may be, we have reached the conclusion that certain things will just never change. And, as a result, we end up just accepting and dealing with a situation that we know should be improved.
However, there is another way we should look at things we feel are beyond our control and another approach we can take. There is an alternaview we should be aware of.
The alternaview is that while it is certainly true that certain decisions are not ours to make, in the vast majority of instances, when we step back and look at all aspects of any situation, there actually are many things we are capable of influencing and controlling about the situation. We should never abandon our hopes and desires to change and improve something, even if it feels to be something that is beyond our control. However, we have to make certain that we are appropriately focusing our efforts on the right things and positively impacting, influencing and changing those things we can.
Every circumstance can be broken down into 3 pieces:
- Things you can control
- Things you can’t control
- Things you can influence