Implementing Harm Reduction Policy into the U.S. Healthcare System

Harm reduction philosophy is not a new concept in the U.S. healthcare system. Harm reduction programs offer practical, feasible effective, safe and cost-effective solutions to the U.S. drug problem. With several hundred operational needle and syringe exchange programs in place, the U.S. needs to adopt harm reduction policy at the national level. This would help catalyze the culturally changing approach towards drug mentality in all aspects from recreational drug use to addiction.

United States Energy Policy

The United States is at a pivotal crossroads in energy usage. Currently importing approximately 7 million barrels a day of oil from foreign nations, the United States has become dependent on foreign oil. Such dependency on other nations is concerning, particularly given the global market for commodities, and the risk and volatility associated with oil. This paper outlines a history of United States energy policy, covers changes in technology enabling America to drill resources previously thought unrecoverable, explains the risks associated with oil markets, and the impact they could have on the United States, and covers several possible policy changes the United States government, particularly the executive branch, could make to reduce America’s dependency on foreign oil.White Paper

The many aspects of research

Two themes that seemed to continue to show up in the Field/Action Research were the importance of secondary research and ethics. The talk mostly explored instances of primary research where students were interacting with subjects to gather information. However, all the Professors emphasized the importance of doing secondary research as well if not before primary research. I know Professor Searles spoke in detail about the importance of ethics. Ethics is the basis of every research project. There has to be a certain level of trust between a subject being interviewed and the people interviewing. If this ethical code is not formulated, there is no real basis for a relationship. This especially rang true for the adult entertainment shop project that Professor Searles spoke about.

Distracted Driving in the United States

There are over 3,000 fatalities and 400,000 injuries in the United States every year that involve distracted driving. “Distracted driving is any activity that could divert a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving . . . These types of distractions include texting, using a cell phone or smartphone, eating and drinking, talking to passengers, grooming, reading, including maps, using a navigation system, watching a video, adjusting a radio, CD player or MP3 player” (State). People using cell phones in any manner while operating a motor vehicle will be the focus of this paper. Americans agree that distracted driving is an issue that needs to be addressed, yet not every state has a primary enforcement law regarding distracted driving. The Federal Government cannot create a national law for distracted driving because traffic laws fall under the state’s jurisdiction. Aside from each state implementing a primary enforcement law for distracted driving, organizations and concerned citizens can take matters into their own hands, using awareness tactics to combat distracted driving. While these efforts have proven effective, the most effective and logical next step would be for every state to have a primary enforcement law for distracted driving. In order to battle distracted driving, the Federal Government should implement realistic federal funding incentive programs in a similar manner to the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 and national 0.08% BAC limit. This would at the very least encourage all states to have primary enforcement laws for distracted driving, which is an important foundation for the United States in the fight against distracted driving.

Distracted Driving in the United States

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The Graduate: five years later

When I was a junior in high school, I wrote an eighteen-page research paper on The Graduate and must have watched the film twenty times, meticulously taking notes, doing research and thinking deeply. I went through the entire movie and would pause the movie every few seconds to write down something on a notecard. I think even my teacher would agree that I went a bit overboard with the whole thing, but I was intrigued by the concept of the film, the time period it sought to depict and the music it chose to use. Below is my concluding paragraph of that research paper.

The Limits of your life

During his visit to Bucknell, Ta-Nehisi Coates answered a question from a student in the audience. The student asked Coates what people could do to make a change in the world? He was specifically speaking about racism in the United States. In response to the question, Coates spoke about how people like Martin Luther King Jr. existed within a history. In history there has to be a motive or something that we cannot ignore. On an individual level, Coates said that a person should find something that he loves that makes an impact on the world or at least something that matters. Coates said that people should be prepared to accept the limits of their lives. He meant that most people would not be able to change the world. The most important thing was for a person to do what he had to do in order to be at peace with him.