The World’s Most Misunderstood Breed of Dogs Essay Example for Free

The World’s Most Misunderstood Breed of Dogs Essay When many people see a pit bull or the breed is mentioned they instantly stereotype them as being aggressive and monstrous beasts, this however is not the case as all! Pit bulls have been breed over the years as fighting dogs. The owners have raised them to be extremely violent and attack other dogs by treating them harshly and training them to do so at a young age. However, over the years people have wrongfully stereotyped pit bulls because their owners have trained them to be violent. The only dogs that do are the ones that have been trained to do so by humans. The humans are the ones who have created this so called â€Å"monstrous beast†. Pit bulls are the world’s most misunderstood breed of dogs that have been wrongfully stereotyped against for many years. It is a myth that pit bulls are genetically driven to kill people. â€Å"Dogs are not machines; they are living organisms. Like all living organisms, a dog’s behavior is influenced by both genetics and environment. How a dog owner manages his or her dog will determine whether the dog becomes a danger to humans. No dog is driven entirely by genetics to attack people, and no dog breed has been created or bred into such a state that all dogs of the breed are compelled to attack people. Dogs that are raised as beloved family pets do not kill people.† This statement above fully describes how not all pit bulls are aggressive and how if raised properly they are amazing dogs. This shows that pit bulls can be aggressive but that is only because they have been brought up in an environment that encouraged aggressive behavior and were rewarded for it by their owners. Also, according to American Temperament Test Society the American Pit bull Terrier has a very high passing rate of 82.6%. This statistic shows that Pit bulls are good tempered dogs and are not all aggressive. The American Temperament Test Society also shows that the average passing rate is 77%. This means that Pit bulls are above average when it comes to temperament compared to many other breeds of dogs. This same source adds that Pi t bulls are less likely to attack than a Rottweiler, German shepherd, or a Chow. This evidence shows that a Pit bull is no more aggressive than any other dog. Pit bulls have been given a bad reputation that they cannot seem to shake. This reputation has caused this type of dog to be banned in parts of the United States and across the country. It is sad knowing that there are  other breeds of dogs that are just as likely to be aggressive and yet Pit bulls have been stereotyped as the most aggressive breed of dogs. Many people have stereotyped the breed before they have ever encountered a Pit bull, I am actually guilty of this. Before I had ever come in contact with a pit bull I thought they were naturally aggressive dogs and boy was I wrong. My sister’s boyfriend, Antonio, got a Pit bull and we all decided to name her Coda Bear. She is the sweetest dog ever and is in no way aggressive. I have two Golden Retrievers and when Antonio brings Coda Bear over to play she is very submissive to one of my dogs, Bailey. I would say that Bailey is probably more aggre ssive than Coda Bear. Recently Coda Bear got out of her fenced yard and dog into a dog fight. And right now I am sure that most of you are thinking that Coda Bear started it, but this is not the case. Coda was attacked by another dog and didn’t even know how to defend herself. She ended up in the hospital and had bite marks all over her. The hospital automatically assumed that Coda had started the fight and told Antonio that his dog might have to be put down if they found that she was aggressive. After interacting with Coda at the hospital and doing an aggressive test on her the hospital found that Coda was in no way aggressive. When attacked by the other dog she did not attack back, she simply took the abuse until the attack was broken up by Antonio. Coda Bear recovered quickly and is her perky happy self again that we all know and love. Whenever Coda sees someone she doesn’t want to attack them; she just wants to run up to them and lick their face till it is sopping wet from all her kisses! My experience with a Pit bull has proved to me that Pit bulls are loving dogs that have been wrongfully judged and stereotyped. Pit bulls were not born wanting to hurt or even kill any animal or person; they were trained to do it. The owner created that aggressive dog, the dog did not choose to be this way. Many people simply forget this and automatically assume that the breed itself is aggressive, when it is really the owners who train them to be this way. Also many Pit bulls are being euthanized when taken to a shelter because they believe that they are aggressive dogs and that no one will want to adopt them. Pit bulls were originally known as â€Å"nanny dogs† because they were so great with kids and were very tolerant and loving. Since people began fighting Pit bulls they have lost this reputation. Hopefully they will get this reputation back because they truly deserve it; they are wonderful dogs.

My American Nightmare Essay example -- Education Careers School Essays

My American Nightmare Many people today talk of their American Dreams†¦how much they want to fulfill a fantasy of houses, wives, cars, and jobs that pay well. To me, becoming the same as everyone else†¦fulfilling the dream of a life that I don’t want is in truth not a dream, but a horrible nightmare which my education has tried to direct me towards, and that I have fought at every turn. Anyone can live the life of another person. It’s quite simple to just copy others desires and dreams, to seek that which they seek. To this extent, many Americans base their lives on things like pop culture. We bring up these â€Å"model† Americans that everyone should strive to be, usually in the form of singers and movie stars. To live this life is a lie in two ways, because we strive for a type of living that most of us cannot hope to attain, and because we forget about ourselves, our individuality, and our potential as humans to become something great. As we realize that the first dream is hopeless, we then realize a new false dream, we strive to gain money and social position through a â€Å"good job†. Most of these jobs involve meaningless and menial tasks which we are to repeat over and over again, although many of today’s careers mask this repetition by making things like â€Å"projects† and â€Å"assignments† with different purposes. While we may gain money, most Americans hate their jobs, and to this extent lead miserable lives, gaining escape through sexuality and drugs, much in the same way described by Krishnamurti (Krishnamurti 115-117). It is this sort of drudgery that is my nightmare. Waking up every day to relive the same day, the same moments, the same sensation, and then retire to repeat the process. To live this... ...f music upon my life, I made the decision to change my future, and realized what I wanted in life, which brings me to where I am today. I stand at the edge of reality, and looking back I see what I left behind, I see order, regulation, a boring life filled with things that I have no desire for. I turn to look forward, and I see limitless potential†¦a life without borders or boundaries. A world where anything is possible. Works Cited Krishnamurti, Jiddu. Education and the Significance of Life. New York : Harper & Row, 1981. Columbo, Gary, ed. Rereading America. Boston : Beford, 2001. Gatto, John Taylor. â€Å"The Seven-Lesson Schoolteacher† in Rereading America, Gary Columbo, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle, eds. Anyon, Jean. â€Å"From Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work† in Rereading America, Gary Columbo, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle, eds.

Where the US Economy Will be a Year from Now

The US economy was growing steadily for the past years. Currently, however, the US is facing challenges pertaining to the economy. Some troubles began to manifest as early as 2006 when a sharp decline in the housing starts was first observed. The subprime mortgage crisis occurred. Stock market crashed and investors fleed. The economic slump continued and the dreaded recession occurred. US officially announced it was in recession in December 2008. Deflationary House Prices in the US Once the economic crisis sets in, households at the lower income bracket felt the pinch the most. People with no savings have no fall back option. They are paying money for home mortgages but money becomes scarce. Consequently since they are unable to pay the mortgage and their houses get foreclosed. Another effect of the deflationary house prices in the US is that foreclosed homes now created a growing list of unsold houses either old or new inventories. This situation is more pronounced in certain markets such as urban Florida, California, Nevada, Atlanta and others. The lack of buyers for these houses cause the prices to stabilize or in most cases, they go down. Once residential markets experience this problem, potential homebuyers will not commit to buying a house. This is because they want to hold on to their money until the home prices go down to its lowest level. Thereby giving their money a lot of leverage. What can be bought in hundreds of thousands dollars before could be bought in a much lower amount now. With the homebuyers holding on to their money for as long as possible and the house inventory growing by the minute due to foreclosures, a dilemma ensues. This is the biggest reason why homebuilding industry is the one most affected by the economic crisis America is facing today. 2010 Economic Outlook Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke announced some good news on May 5, 2009 that the three year economic slump the US has been experiencing is showing tell-tale signs of recovery. He projected that the recession could end late 2009, if US will not experience relapse on credit problems. Bernanke spoke before Congress saying economic indicators are hinting to a possible recovery towards the end of the year. But the climb out of the proverbial tunnel will be nothing but easy. Bernanke projected that unemployment cases will go even higher even after the recession is over. Unemployment is actually believe to reach its peak in 2010. Also, growth will be slow. The said forecast is based on the effects of the continuous repair of the economic system. The government has taken some steps to stall the effects of the crisis like injecting economic stimulus and lowering interest rates and the results are now showing. If a relapse occur in the financial situation could drag the economic recovery efforts down. U. S. stock markets have shown a lot of promise recently. The Standard & Poor's 500 index grows to 35 percent since March which indicates that consumer spending has steadied and the decline in the housing starts have slowly stopped. Bernanke’s forecast that US will peg an economic growth at 2 percent in 2010 and 4 percent in 2011. Excess economic slack or the increase in amount of idle plant and equipment would keep inflation low. Also, the US Central Bank will maintain minimal interest rates for an extended period. Economists believe that the United States will recover from the recession faster than Europe, due to the Federal Reserve's quick action on the situation. The International Monetary Fund announced in April 2009 that Europe's recession might continue in 2010. Deflation and Inflation The deep economic recession felt all over the United States has led to an all-time low in consumer confidence. It has also affected negatively the banking system. These factors have increased the risk of deflation. To counter the deflation risks, policy makers and the Federal Reserve have to adopt measures that are not commonly practiced in order to ward off deflation by increasing the amount of money being circulated. Policy makers had to expand fiscal spending. And the nominal interest rates are currently pegged at almost 0% since December 2008 to ease up credit and its availability. This has saved the country from being on the brink of deflation. But the same solution could create problems later as the huge increase in base-money has caused a number of people to believe that Fed’s actions could lead to inflation later. Inflation is not a problem as of the moment because households have decreased spending to a minimum and the money are hidden in bank vaults. Excess economic slack or the increase in amount of idle plant and equipment would also keep inflation at bay. The unused factories and growing unemployment do not permit businesses to increase prices of products and wages of employees. Once economic recovery begins and economic slack levels off, increase in money supply would eventually give way to increase in prices of commodities and wages. To prevent this from happening, the Fed must withdraw the money it has infused to the financial system while in a recession. If the Feds cannot implement this quickly, rampant inflation would ensue. Hyperinflation Hyperinflation occurs when the prices will go up as the currency falls. This is the next challenge that US might face. This dilemma however could contribute to some advantages to the businessmen. Selling US dollar and Japanese yen – the two currencies that will devalue after recession – would be highly profitable. Before hyperinflation could go full blast selling dollars and yen would bring a lot of money to traders. Once dollar value goes down. The value of the dollar sold would probably be twice its value during hyperinflation. Effect of the Dollar's Valuation Dollar and Euro currencies are recently on a see-saw battle for supremacy. US dollar declined against the Euro in the past years until recently. The current global economic slump has caused the Euro to devaluate against the US dollar. Should the tide turn in favor of the Euro again, a decline in the US dollar could actually bring some advantages: – lower dollar could mean more opportunities for export since the goods being sold from the US are relatively cheaper now compared to the Euros. – the discounted US dollar will lead to a foreign investment boom that would eventually slow down investments being poured in the European countries. – Decrease external trade deficit Disadvantages of a declining dollar rate vs Euro – going or visiting to Europe would mean paying higher amount for goods and services – American importers would pay more for imported goods – Rising inflation – American credit becomes less attractive to foreign investors – Interest rates will go up to be able to finance budget deficit Countries to Invest In The Euro is not the only currency that is rising against the US dollar: the Australian Dollar, and the Canadian Dollar both hold some promise. The Euro is a good alternative currency to the US dollars for investors. Also, there is a possibility that difference in interest rates in the US and Europe may increase and since returns usually increases along with interest rates, the Euro will then be more profitable to investors. If the devaluation of dollar occurs, countries that hold large amounts of US dollars may shift to using the Euro currrency in their reserves. Some countries have already shifted to Euro reserves such as Russia, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela. Iran even wants to use Euro in quoting its Oil Exchange. If this scenario develops what might become of the US economy? One likely scenario is that foreign investors who bought a huge chunk of shares of stocks might sell their shares particularly the S&P 500 stocks. The results could not be certain though because the effects of financial instruments could not be easily determined. Currency levels depend to a large extent on the demand for the country’s currency which is the result of economic activities and interest rate differential. Most likely, US will experience inflation making imports more expensive. On the bright side, this would also decrease external trade deficits which is good for US economy. Foreign investors however will be hesitant to borrow from American banks or financial companies. The Federal Reserve might need to increase interest rates to be able to fund budget deficits which would affect the economy adversely. For those who want to invest in the market for currencies or the foreign exchange market or currency trading there are a number of options available. These include: forex futures, currency ETFs, export-benefiting equities as well as precious metals related instruments (such as mining stocks). It is good to invest in precious metals. Investing in the BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) would also be advisable. BRIC or BRICs is an acronym for the current notably fast growing developing economies – Brazil, Russia, India, and China. Goldman Sachs in 2001 declared that the combined economic development in these places could overshadow the economies of the richest countries in the world. There has been ongoing speculations as evidenced by proofs that the BRICs countries are planning to form an alliance to create greater power. Investing in these places therefore would provide a better alternative to US investments since these countries development are greater compared to other countries. Invest wisely by focusing on Indian and Chinese companies that do not rely on American market to be able to buffer fluctuations in the US economy. According to economist Stanley Roach, China will recover faster than the rest of the world. This is because the structure of China’s economy is very open. Export and import shares in this country accounts for a very high percentage of the world’s total. The recession certainly affected its export markets negatively. Also, the Chinese government reacted aggressively to the situation and instituted some reforms immediately. According to Roach, China's economy will recover more swiftly if the country becomes more assertive in its implementing plans to encourage local private consumption at the same time they should find ways to decrease its heavy reliance on exports. Another country that holds a lot of promise would be Canada. Before the recession, Canada’s economy reached parity with the US dollar on September 20, 2007. Western Canada particularly is gaining a lot of strides in the economic department. But Eastern Canada hardly lagged behind. Employment rates was at its 30-year-low. Ontario is backed up by its knowledge-based businesses and Toronto’s investment sector was doing well. Western Canada’s economic boom was brought about by the world commodity markets particularly China. The â€Å"mega-boom† conditions in Alberta and Saskatchewan were due greatly to its oil reserves in the Oil Sands of Alberta. The reported oil find in Alberta’s sands deposits is believed to be able to cater to the world’s demand for a century or so. The excitement for the ‘black gold’ discovery brought about by the pouring in of billions of dollars in infrastructure has spurred Alberta and Saskatchewan industries. The provinces’ economic success has trickled down on its neighbors British Columbia and Manitoba as these two cities have experienced â€Å"mini-booms† of their own. This is one particular reason why Canada particularly Alberta and Saskatchewan would always be attractive to investors. Oil commodity is very valuable and would not be greatly affected by recession. The currency movements in the U. S. and Canada have opposite implications when it comes to the effects of general price inflation in both countries. In the U. S. , import prices are climbing because the dollar value is falling. In Canada, it is the opposite. Furthermore, in Canada, the impact of any future rise in commodity prices (which are usually specified in U. S. dollars) will be blunted. With a stronger dollar, however, Canadians need to lower down the prices of goods and services in order to compete with other countries selling same export commodities. Also, Canada needs to address an important inconsistency with the Chinese Yuan. The Yuan, since it floated in mid-2005 has been appreciating versus the U. S. dollar. But it has spiralled down versus the Canadian dollar. The irony therefore is that Chinese goods are getting cheaper in Canada and costlier in the US. Foreign Exchange Market or Currency Market Foreign exchange market or the currency market is all about trading currencies. Even in these difficult times in the economy, there is always one currency or two that is growing. The stock market is in a slump right now. It is the currency market that has remained liquid which means it is possible to make money even under tough times. The US dollar, as a matter of fact, had gone up as the S&P 500 went down. Investors in the currency market have earned a lot of money in the past months. Currency market is one safe investment that most investors. Why does US dollar rise even if US is in recession? This is because during economic recession, investors put thier money where they consider is safer. The stock market is simply too volatile and uncertain at this point. So investors turn to look for the more stable options such as the moderate currency market by investing in US Treasuries. US treasury securities are debt financing instruments issued by the US Department of the Treasury. These include four types: treasury bills, treasury notes, treasury bonds and treasury inflation protected securities (TIPS). All of these are very liquid and can be traded in a secondary market or the aftermarket. This is the reason why when the stock market crashed and panic sets in, investors sought the more liquid and safer US treasuries. The surge in demand for US Treasuries buoyed the value of the dollar. Forex markets or FX markets is also another good way to invest money. FX is where one can trade currencies. FX serves to ease trade and investment among international currencies such as US Dollar, UK Pounds, Japanese Yen and other currencies. In this money market, currencies are traded against each other. Forex is the biggest financial market today with more than $3 trillion daily turnover. Speculators market one currency for another in order to gain a profit. Financial traders are drawn to this market because it is available 24 hours daily, five days a week. Forex market can be found in four cities: New York, London, Sydney and Tokyo. Investment in foreign exchange can be done in several ways: 1). buying curency shares ETFs. The method is similar to buying stock. 2). Open a bank accont with local bank that accepts foreign currencies. 3). Buy foreign currency from online brokers and 4). Use online forex trading platform such as eToro, iForex and others. In tough times, it is always good to diversify the investment portfolio. The adage â€Å"don’t put all your eggs in one basket† proves to be true now more than ever. Since the stock market suffers great losses now, it would be good to offset it with investments that would surely create gains which the US Treasury provides. Since the currency market represented by the US Treasury securities are not associated with the stock market, investing in the currency market would serve as hedge investments and a good way to diversify investment portfolio.

The Prohibition Of Alcohol Drinking Age - 1587 Words

Four Score, and three years ago,our fathers ended our countries prohibition of alcohol. Are country now is still fighting a prohibition,a prohibition not allowing people under the age of 21 consume alcohol. This issue is often just thrown off to the side of the many politicians, but this issue is a major issue that needs to be dealt with immediately. There are 18 year olds risking their lives on the blood drenched war zones. They are fighting and risking their lives to give us the right to drink, and they cannot legally even enjoy an alcoholic beverage. This is a major problem we as Americans need to fix. (Insert thesis here) There are millions of minors who drink all across America. Minors deliberately disobey this law and drink as they please. This causes the law to be ineffective because, this law does not prevent minors who want to drink from drinking (Drinking Age Pro Con.com). Minors disobey this law so often we might as well lower the drinking age to 18, so that it might coun teract all the teen binge drinking that happens daily. 18 should be the drinking age because, 18 year olds are old enough to, get married, join the army, buy lottery tickets, sign legal documents, and are even considered legal adults in the United States. 18 year olds can do anything that a legal adult can do, besides drink alcohol. If the drinking age was lowered minors who drink would not be afraid to call for help if needed (Drinking Age Pro con.org) An example of this happened to anShow MoreRelatedArgument Essay Changing Drinking Age to 18816 Words   |  4 Pageswhy can’t they buy or consume alcohol? The alcoholic drinking age should be lowered to age eighteen because at that age you are responsible, mature, and it will help send the right message. Society states that eighteen year olds can not handle alcohol because they make a lot of mistakes so therefore they are â€Å"irisponsible â€Å". If you start to drink at age eighteen or twenty one your tolerance is still going to be the same. So in that case it does not matter what age you start to drink because youRead MoreProhibition and the Effect on America756 Words   |  3 Pagesalcoholism in America. I chose to do prohibition because the fact that the action taken by the federal government in order to form a better society has led to an explosion of criminal offences in the past as well as today. The effects of prohibition consistently offer a hand in the shaping of American culture. Full-fledged black markets and organized crime groups both offset the supposed benefits of prohibition. Today, teenagers often turn to the underage consumption of alcohol to make them seem â€Å"cool,† orRead MoreThe Temperance Movement Essay1374 Words   |  6 PagesWhat was the purpose of the Temperance Movement and Prohibition on alcohol? The Temperance Movement was an anti-alcohol movement. The Temperance Movement took place back in the early 20th century. The Christian abolitionists who fought slavery also prayed to the same God to end the scourge of alcohol. The purpose of the Temperance Movement was to try to abolish alcohol in the early 1900’s. â€Å"’We Sang Rock of Ages‘: Frances Willard Battles Alcohol in the late 19th Century† (Willard). The author theRead MoreAlcohol Consumption And Underage Drinking1561 Words   |  7 PagesAlcohol consumption and underage drinking has been a major social problem and public health concern for centuries. 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Alcohol drinking age limit should be lowered to the age of 18, becauseRead MoreThe Policy Of The National Minimum Drinking Age1503 Words   |  7 Pagesminimum drinking age of 21. I believe that the raising of the drinking age to 21 years old has created more problems than solving them. America has had past experiences with a similar situation when they enforced prohibition. As we know, prohibition was a nationwide constitutional ban on the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages, which was a huge failure. America have tried prohibition legislation twice in the past for controlling irresponsible drinking problemsRead MoreThe Legal Drinking Age Of The United States Essay1500 Words   |  6 PagesThe legal drinking age in the United States was ruled to be 21 in 1984, setting the country apart from almost all other western nations. These past 30 years have contained as much problems regarding the consumption of alcohol as one of the country’s biggest failures ever, the 18th amendment, otherwise known as prohibition. Also, the legal drinking age in the United States can be considered violation of states liberties, as the national government, albeit with good intentions, has intervened and onlyRead MoreLowering The Legal Drinking Age857 Words   |  4 Pagesthe United States has the highest drinking age in the world. By 1988 the entire U.S had adopted the Federal Uniform Drinking Age Act, which set the drinking age to twenty-one. However, in 1920 the United States banned the sale, production, importation, and transportation of alcohol. This era known as the Prohibition sparked the popularity of hidden underground bars and events. The Prohibition Era is a prime example of how people did anything to intake alcohol and eventually this led to the actRead MoreAn Example Of How Society Changed Change1198 Words   |  5 PagesBrianna Perrotta Crim 220-001 Instructor John Murphy Prompt: Discuss an example of how society was changed due to a change in law: Prohibition. The law is changing everyday for many reasons; these reasons may include Alcohol, Drugs, New ideas, Advancements, Government, Economics, Religion, Education, Family life, Recreation, and New technologies. Crime is the reason America has had to create rules to keep order to our society. These rules are followed my most citizens and those that chose toRead MoreProhibition During The Era Of 1920-1933 Essay814 Words   |  4 PagesProhibition Essay: By: Savannah Crawford During the era of 1920-1933 could best be characterized as the path to a sober nation. This time of history consisted of the eighteenth amendment which was passed on October 28th 1919; Volstead Act. The Volstead act was created to carry out the movement of prohibition. In addition, Prohibition is the legal prohibiting of the manufacture and sale of alcoholic drinks for common consumption according to dictionary.com. Furthermore, this amendment concurs that