The occurrence of Hurricane Katrina and Tsunami disasters called for the development of specialized techniques that would respond to a crisis. The disasters challenged the governments of the two nations to be more awake on issues to do with disaster preparedness and response. During the rescue missions mounted by various crisis workers and other support organizations, the personnel experienced various resistances owing to cultural factors that are upheld in high esteem by the locals. First, crisis workers have faced language problems ranging from difficulties in communication to poor communication of essential information. For instance, crisis workers could not pass urgent information to the affected families instead they had to employ the services of translators, which was time-consuming and expensive. In case crisis workers had to educate the public or create a certain form of awareness, they had to liaise with other organizations to deliver services. Such connections caused delays that later led to the loss of more lives and property. Furthermore, cultural believes affected the efforts of crisis workers because crisis workers had to spend much time convincing the public not to use available water. People could not believe that available water was contaminated given that poisonous generators had broken, releasing dirty gases to the mainstream water supply lines.
Some cultural considerations faced crisis workers during the two deadliest disasters. First, health care organizations were required to provide quality services by first understanding the effective means of communication. This had to incorporate the services of interpreters. This was a big challenge since such services were costly and had to be met by individual organizations, without demanding anything from clients. Furthermore, organizations and other caregiving personalities had to educate locals about their rights and what to be done in case of a crisis. The same information had to be provided in understandable languages, which was a challenge. For there to be culturally competent care, organizations were required to train their staff members to sharpen their skills and strategies, as far as caregiving is concerned. This was not easy since the place had no classes and other learning facilities (Mahoney, Chandra, Gambheera, De Silva, & Suveendran, 2006).
The responses to the Katrina and Tsunami disaster were culturally competent because caregiving organizations such as WHO conducted thorough research and availed critical information to communities before the outbreak of communicable diseases. In other words, the caregivers had the interest of the affected at heart. For instance, in the Tsunami case, the WHO deployed health experts to some parts of Sri Lanka and Indonesia to assess the possibility of the outbreak of communicable diseases in December 2004. The group of experts was charged with the responsibility of implementing a disease examination and offering adequate information before the occurrence of another disaster in form of a disease outbreak. The rescue exercise abided by the crisis intervention strategies and skills because the team deployed by the WHO participated in offering support and assistance to communities. In the Aceh region, crisis workers participated in supplying laboratory goods, advising the locals on what to do, and helping the disabled to move out of trouble areas (Mills, Edmondson, & Park, 2007). In most societies, survivors of a crisis and their health conditions are usually used in evaluating the damages and responses to the crises. In the two disasters, the crisis workers did their best because they managed to salvage many victims. This shows that they must have used proper techniques and skills.
References
Mahoney, J., Chandra, V., Gambheera, H., De Silva, T., & Suveendran, T. (2006,). Responding to the mental health and psychosocial needs of the people of Sri Lanka in disasters. International Review of Psychiatry, 18(6), 593–597.
Mills, M. A., Edmondson, D., & Park, C. L. (2007). Trauma and stress response among Hurricane Katrina evacuees. American Journal of Public Health, 97, S116–S123.
An Analysis Of Desdemona’s Intellect In The Play
In Shakespeare’s Othello a very unique and intriguing society is shown. A relationship between a man and a woman is described in detail, illustrating their inner emotions and passions. Desdemona is without a doubt an intelligent and understanding woman, who is determined to accomplish anything she sets up to do, conquering any obstacles that might be on the way.
At the beginning where an opinion is being formed about Desdemona, it is unclear because she seems unreasonable by disobeying her father but this view changes gradually judging by her actions. She realizes that for her to follow her passion and love, she must abandon everything—her life in the familiar place and her father. The fact that she decides to go through with this proves that she has given it lots of thought, weighing what her life would be like in both instances and then after much contemplation she chooses the outcome closest to her heart. The ability of Desdemona to make this hard decision shows strength of character. There are many things that a person in her position could fear: an unknown life with a man in a different setting that is not familiar, the anger of her father and his disrespect, even the risk of her abandonment. Any reasonable person in her place would consider all the possibilities and outcomes, so it is obvious that she must have done this and very effectively. She was able to analyze her feelings, look deep inside to understand what she really wants and what she will lose one way or the other. In reality this situation is very intense, as Desdemona is feeling love towards Othello and the wants to be with him, but at the same time she does not want to disappoint and sadden her father. She must have told herself that even if she leaves with Othello, it will not, in any way, decrease or affect her feelings towards her father. As she is a free human being she understands that it is her choice that matters in the end and she trusts herself in her decision. Her trust and understanding of own emotions is a trait of an intelligent person, who looks at the possible outcomes and the consequences and then makes the best decision based on mental contemplation. When she expresses her feelings to her father-Brabantio, in order to convince him of her love, she is able to make him understand. The way she talks to her father shows that she is a smart woman who knows what words, tone and phrases to use. Desdemona also knows herself and can express thoughts in a comprehensible manner. She tells Brabantio that she is thankful and has great respect for him and everything he has done for her. The way Desdemona expresses herself makes it evident that she knows what she wants to say very precisely and speaks eloquently. When Desdemona does leave with Othello, she fully devotes herself to the husband and their love. Othello has to go to war and she without any hesitation is ready to go with him. Such a selfless act, knowing the hardships and the atmosphere of a battle and the surrounding area, makes her strong character evident. Her determination is great and no matter what, she stays true to her own feelings, believing that her heart will show her the right path. Another example of Desdemona’s intelligence is when she agrees to help Cassio to get his job back. The mere fact that she decides to do that, help another person, is a sign of great kindness and respect for fellow human being. She also shows great skill when convincing Othello to take Cassio back. Not every person has the ability to influence other people and so, much intellect and comprehension of the issue at hand is required.
Up to this point Desdemona showed herself to be a strong woman, who understands her surroundings and the situation she might find herself in. She always found the best way to deal with the issue and did it without any back thoughts, which proves clarity of the mind and respect for the self. Unfortunately towards the end of the play the picture changes. All the gossip and provocations that are happening behind her back are unknown to her. Desdemona cannot understand why she is being treated so harshly by Othello. In her heart she knows that she is being true but there are no words or actions that could explain how she feels. Desdemona makes several attempts to convince Othello but unable to do that. This mental depression and fear get a hold of her and shake the usual determination and clear thinking. A person in a nervous state cannot think straight because the emotional pressure is so great, it blocks and confuses any directed thinking, making the person a victim of their own sorrow and sadness. There could have been other possible outcomes if she acted differently in the circumstances. For example if she had explained to Othello that she has lost his handkerchief before her husband allowed jealousy to get the better of him, the outcome of this conflict might be completely different. She was so panicked by the situation that fear of loss and disbelief blinded her reasoning. There was a chance, a possibility for her to find ways to explain herself, illustrate her actions and of people around her. Until the very last moment Desdemona was hoping that her love and innocence will save her. A person in a situation where the way out is impossible to see becomes shock stricken, seizing up the mental processes. She begins talking about dying and makes the last effort to understand the situation and the world around her. Her true innocence is seen when she asks if it is possible at all to cheat on a husband. But even in this hopeless time she still shows traces of wise thinking. She realizes what has happened. Her husband is so focused on his jealousy and disbelief that he will never trust her. This is one of the reasons she talks about death, sadly understanding that it will possibly end like this. Until the very last moment she stays true to herself and her principles. Her last words were to prove her innocence before Othello and another act of selflessness is when she forgives him in her heart and takes the blame onto herself. Only a self respecting and moral person would do such a thing.
Desdemona is a representation of goodness and love in the play. Throughout the story she stays true to her beliefs and moral code. The time when she became confused during the agony of suffering does not change the fact of who she is. This is once again proven through her last words. This play shows how often people are misunderstood and misinterpreted but one thing will always stay the same—respect for self and others.
Illegal Immigrants Should Not Receive Social Services
America has a thriving economy that attracts millions of illegal immigrants from different parts of the world. However, continued growth of the population of illegal immigrants has far-reaching ramifications on the U.S. economy. In fact, the need for illegal immigrants to access social services strains annual budgets at federal, state and local levels. Thus, it is appropriate to deny illegal immigrants access to social services because doing so protects the U.S. economy.
Firstly, “illegal immigrants fear detection” and are more likely to seek backstreet access to social services (Kullgren 1630). For instance, many illegal immigrants choose to seek treatment outside provisions of Medicare. Because illegal immigrants fear detection when pursuing or receiving Medicare, they mostly explore underground health care alternatives. As such, both states and the federal government may be wasting resources by setting up budgets and facilitating access to social services, which many illegal immigrants may not utilize.
Secondly, offering social services to illegal immigrants encourages illegal immigration. Interestingly, the population of illegal immigrants grew from 3.5 million in 1990 to about 11.9 million people in 20 years (Becerra et al. 112). The figures can go up very fast if authorities create comfortable living conditions for illegal immigrants. Obviously, offering social services to illegal immigrants sends the wrong message that the U.S. is ready to permit increased violation of its immigration laws. Thus, not offering social services to illegal immigrants sends a clear message to the rest of the world that the U.S. offers no free “greener pastures” to uninvited persons.
Thirdly, many illegal immigrants do not pay income taxes despite enjoying appreciably unrestricted access to many social services (Martin and Ruark 1). Worse still, the U.S. treasury pays a significant amount of tax credits as a result of claims that many illegal immigrants pursue. Thus, it makes little economic sense to spend on a segment of the population that does not pay back by means of income taxes.
Fourthly, the tax that authorities collect from illegal immigrants is very little compared with associated spending. As such, many states in the U.S. continue to grapple with huge budget deficits year after year. For instance, the state of California faced a budget deficit of $14.4 billion between 2010 and 2011 (Martin and Ruark 1). Conversely, the state had an estimated $ 21.8 billion annual allocation towards expenditure on illegal immigrants (Martin and Ruark 1). Other states, such as New York, experienced similar budgetary shortfalls. The states’ expenditure covered education for aliens’ children, welfare and medical expenses among others. Evidently, spending on illegal immigrants whose income taxes do not offset total costs of services provided significantly drains out both state and federal budgets.
Equally important, states incur extra costs by providing a comfortable living environment to illegal immigrants. If more people from different parts of the world are encouraged to live in the U.S. illegally, they will bring about increased costs of incarcerations, detention and border patrols. Quite clearly, many illegal immigrants are associated with a wide array of criminal activities such as, drug smuggling and human trafficking (Becerra et al. 113). Nevertheless, provision of Medicare, education and welfare to illegal immigrants does little to check criminal aspects of undocumented immigration.
Evidently, it makes perfect sense not to offer social services to illegal immigrants. Thus, U.S. authorities should not offer Medicare, welfare and other social services to illegal immigrants. In the end, the U.S economy will remain strong and free from unnecessary strain.
Works Cited
Becerra, David, David K. Androff, Cecilia Ayon and Jason T. Castillo. “Fear vs. Facts: Examining the Economic Impact of Undocumented Immigrants in the U.S.” Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare. 39.4. (2012): 111-135. Ebscohost. Web.
Kullgren, Jeffrey T. “Restrictions on Undocumented Immigrants’ Access to Health Services: The Public Health Implications of Welfare Reform.” The American Journal of Public Health. 93.10. (2003): 1630-1633. PMC. Web.
Martin, Jack and Eric A. Ruark 2010, The Fiscal Burden of Illegal Immigration on United States Taxpayers. Web.