Media s Influence On Society Essay - 2427 Words

As we know the media plays a large role in society, it has a tremendous impact on our cultures, businesses, and relationships. The media is not responsible for telling you what to think, but what to think about. The media cannot independently dictate what specific type of views a person should have, but the media can influence our opinions in a major way. People tend to believe that we derived our attitudes, beliefs, and opinions from social structures including: religious entities, schools, family, and culture. However, mass media creates meaning and continuously shapes the way society views particular topics, ideas, and people. The way ethnic groups are portrayed, marketed and viewed through the lens of the media, serves as a how-to guide for particular audiences to treat them. Specifically, African American males who are portrayed in the media receive a negative connotation. From the media’s perspective black males are portrayed as a stereotypical prototype which translate s over into real life. The problem with this is, people tend to attribute the media’s representation of African American males and characterize them base off of generalized assumptions. This topic is important because minority groups are the only ones traumatically affected indirectly and directly by the blatant misrepresentation and lack thereof positive representation of minority groups particularly, African American men. Literature Review The portrayals of African Americans males in TV: Some mediaShow MoreRelatedThe Media s Influence On Society1462 Words   |  6 PagesThe media s the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that s power. Because they control the minds of the masses† (Ruddy, 2002). Malcolm X, a prominent African American human rights activist, strongly believed that the media played a vital role in how they make society perceive events and people. An issue that is present, historically and currently, is media contributing to racism. When news is reported involvingRead MoreMedia s Influence On Society1454 Words   |  6 PagesThe Media’s Chokehold The media s influence on society is suffocating and undeniable. Body image has become overwhelmingly present in most media today. The front cover of a magazine may critically exclaim â€Å"so-and-so has cellulite† or â€Å"so and so is too thin†. Popular reality stars like Nicole Polizzi (otherwise known as â€Å"Snooki†) have been criticized for being to large and then criticized for being too thin after dropping the weight. The media teaches people to be unsatisfied with their bodiesRead MoreMedia s Influence On Society1269 Words   |  6 Pages The media is full of countless things, it has completely changed the world and is now a part of our everyday lives (Bookman, 64). With television, radio, newspapers, books, etc†¦ working their way into our everyday lives it is impossible to live without the media today. Along with it being persuasive, informational and a great source for entertainment it also has a large binding influence on societies all over the world. Media aspects are radically reshaping the world (Marina 240) and though someRead MoreMedia s Influence On Society1256 Words   |  6 PagesThe media are full of countless things, they have completely changed the world we live in and are now a part of our everyday lives (Bookman, 64). With television, radio, newspapers, books, etc†¦ working their way into our everyday lives it is almost impossible to live without the media. Along with it being persuasive, informative and a great source for entertainment, it also has a large binding influence on societies all over the world. Media aspects are radically reshaping the world (Marina 240)Read MoreMedia s Influence On Society1293 Words   |  6 PagesMedia is a major contributor of how social groups are perceived in today’s society. Mediais around us every day almost all day, and it constantly sends messages about the world’s environment. There are many indicators shown pertaining to how media really af fects society. One of the most prominent explanations of those questions is the way media influences stereotypes. There has been previous research linking media sources and biased attitudes. This research paper explores articles supporting mediaRead MoreMedia s Influence On Society Essay1250 Words   |  5 Pagescapitalist society the United States has developed a media centered culture. Society has been influenced tremendously by mass media it seems as if it has become a necessity in life. Nine DVDs worth of data per person every day is the amount of all media delivered to consumers whether it be visual or auditorial on a daily basis. As consumers and technology develop that number will continue to increase because of the multi-tasking abilities that will be created (Zverina 13). The hold media has on societyRead MoreThe Media s Influence On Society1654 Words   |  7 PagesMass media is perhaps the most powerful tool in the world for creating, changing or perpetuating societyâ⠂¬â„¢s ideas about an issue or group of people. It works both blatantly and subconsciously by deciding which issues are important, how to frame those issues, who to show as affected by them, and, increasingly, providing personal commentaries on the matters at hand. Because the majority of media outlets are owned by corporations dominated by white heterosexual men, many minorities are portrayed in waysRead MoreMedia s Influence On Society1475 Words   |  6 PagesMass media has affected our view as a society on social class and what defines one’s social class. Throughout this article called â€Å"Making Class Invisible† by Gregory Mantsios, we evaluate the influence media has on our society and as Mr. Mantsios states how â€Å"media plays a key role in defining our cultural tastes, helping us locate ourselves in history, establishing our national identity, and ascertaining the range of national and social possibilities† (para. 1). Our social class determines wh atRead MoreThe Media s Influence On Society1560 Words   |  7 Pagesare. How many times have we heard this, yet we live in a society that appears to contradict this very idea. If looks don’t matter then why do women and girls live in a society where their bodies define who they are? If looks don t matter then why is airbrushing used by the media to hide any flaws a person has? What exactly is causing this, why do we feel like we are just not beautiful the way we are? Its the media. It’s because the media promotes a certain body image as being beautiful, and it’sRead MoreThe Media s Influence On Society1416 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"The media s the most powerful entity on Earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that s power. Because they control the minds of the [people]† (Malcolm X). The message of this Malcolm X quote is that society can control the mind of the individual. This is true. For many years, society has influenced everyone worldwide both negatively and positively. That is because society has the ability to control the individual’s decisions. They can control

Imperialism In South Africa Essay - 1299 Words

As said by Hassan Nasrallah, a political figure for Lebanon, â€Å"So long as there is imperialism in the world, a permanent peace is impossible†. Throughout history the countries that have experienced imperialism from other countries have seen how it brings only conflicts and not peace. Africa has been one of the largest places to experience imperialism. Imperialism has affected Africa in many ways for a long time. However, one specific example of how imperialism brought anguish to people is the country of South Africa. An abundance of resources, but particularly diamonds, lead British businessmen and politicians to South Africa. The clash of the beliefs, traditions, and ethics of the the native blacks and whites the lead to tensions and†¦show more content†¦The blacks were forced to live in horrible conditions and the whites made sure they would not have opportunities to leave those areas designated for them. This was the start of segregation and the start of the la ws of apartheid. The fact that the British controlled the economy in South Africa created an economic separation between the native blacks and the whites. This lead to discriminatory segregation and later when the British controlled the political power it increased the characteristics of Apartheid. Another aspect of imperialism that lead to Apartheid was that the British held the political power in South Africa. Before South Africa became independent from Britain, the British began to implement their power in South africa. In 1891 Britain declared many territories in South Africa to be within their sphere of influence (South Africa Timeline). Slowly the British began to take over of the leadership and decision making in South Africa. The blacks suffered from the decisions made by the British and the Boers declared war against Britain because they feared losing power. After Britain won the war against the Boers, they agreed to a treaty. The Treaty of Vereeniging specifically excluded black Africans from having political rights in a reorganized South Africa (South African War). The British and Boers put aside their differences and cooperated toward a common goal of whiteShow MoreRelatedThe Effects of European Imperialism on South Africa Essay1847 Words   |  8 PagesThe county of South Africa is an economically flourishing country and probably the most advanced country on the continent of Africa. However the entire continent of Africa is probably the most undeveloped part of the world. Why is South Africa so different from the rest of its continent? Karen Politis Virk explains that it is because of South Africa’s developed economy and diverse population (Virk 40). South Africa has three main ethnic groups: African, Afrikaners, and the mixed race. The AfrikanersRead MoreThe Global North/South Divide1724 Words   |  7 PagesA descriptive essay on the Globla North/South divide. Explores the social, cuptural and economic differences that exist between the regions defined as the global north and the global south. The theory of the Global North and Global South is a new geopolitical perspective. It divides the world into two blocs – the industrialized countries of the global North and the poor countries of the South on the global level of analysis. While â€Å"Global South† is sometimes used as a synonym for the more familiarRead MoreEuropean Imperialism in Late 19th Century Africa1624 Words   |  7 Pages European Imperialism in Late 19th Century Africa: African Response and Effects Rafael Delatorre History 002B Professor Standish April 12, 2014 Between 1870 and 1914, European countries ceased about ninety percent of Africa. Native Africans faced political, military, and imperialism pressure from various European countries. After the end of the profitable slave trade in Africa, due to abolishing of slavery, Europeans explored forRead MoreBritish Imperialism1137 Words   |  5 Pages2015 Impact of British Imperialism In the late 1800’s, European nations only controlled about 10 percent of the continent of Africa, France to the north and Britain to the south (Edgar, 2008). As time goes by, other countries gain conquests, mostly in western areas of Africa. This essay will go over a few key points in history that led to the Age of Imperialism and the British colonization of Southern Africa. The essay will also identify key players in this age. Southern Africa was known for its goldRead MoreImperialism In The 19Th Century Resulted In European Countries1726 Words   |  7 PagesImperialism in the 19th century resulted in European countries using social Darwinism to justify controlling the social and cultural lives of natives in African countries.When Chinua Achebe published Things fall apart in 1958, a novel criticizing the European aspects of imperialism, his aspiration was to teach readers that â€Å"their past-with all its imperfections-was not one long night of savagery from which the fi rst Europeans acting on God’s behalf delivered them†(Chinua Achebe on the Role of theRead MoreThe Impact of Imperialism on the Third World Essay651 Words   |  3 PagesThe Impact of Imperialism on the Third World The term imperialism carries with it many (perhaps rightfully attributed) negative connotations: slavery, subjugation, genocide, et cetera. Websters Unabridged Dictionary defines it as: The policyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ of seekingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the extension of the control, dominion, or empire of a nation, as by the acquirement of new, especially distant, territory or dependencies. Now one knows what it literally is and what it may entail, and thusRead MoreCCOT And CC Essay1549 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿UNIT 1 /2 – 8000 bce – 600 bce, 600 bce – 600 ce Africa Compare and contrast life in foraging societies with life in agricultural societies after the Agricultural Revolution Identify two key changes in early African history that resulted in a new period in the history of the region The Middle East Analyze the political changes in the Middle East from the Agricultural Revolution to 600 c.e. Compare and contrast the basic features of TWO of the following religious systems prior to 600 c.e. PolytheismRead MoreChinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart1094 Words   |  5 Pages Western views of African culture have often been those of disdain. Some books about Africa have set out to change the typical Western views of African culture, but others have upheld these negative views of African culture. Through each of their novels, Alan Paton, Chinua Achebe, and Joseph Conrad approach the topic of African culture and Western views on it differently. Chinua Achebe shows through his book, Things Fall Apart, that he is disapproving of Western views towards African culture. ThisRead MoreThe Theoretical Success Of Decolonization783 Words   |  4 Pagesnew era of politics reflected the decreased importance of a imperial European theatre and its hierarchical society. It was during this period that the notion of imperialism became associated with opprobrium. The formation of the UN and their charter on self-determination and human rights indicated an incompatibility with European imperialism. The bipolar system of international society determined that decolonization was the best key to ensure the UN new charters and to maintain global sustainabilityRead MoreNationalism in Europe Essay913 Words   |  4 Pagesthat it creates a stable and enduring state. Nationalism is tied to patriotism, and it is the driving force behind the identity of a culture. Nationalism had many effects in Europe from 1815, The Congress of Vienna and beyond. In the following essay I will describe many of the consequences of nationalism on European identity, as well as some of the conflicts that it created. Nationalism was strongly endorsed by the middle class, including intellectuals, professors, students and journalists

Nature V/S Nurture Free Essays

NATURE V/S NURTURE Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. My name is and I am standing here in front of you all to present to you my opinions about the topic â€Å"Nature v/s Nurture†. Considering it, the foremost question that comes to mind is what exactly is nature and nurture? My dear listeners, nature and nurture are a convenient jingle of words, for it separates under two distinct heads the innumerable elements of which personality is composed. We will write a custom essay sample on Nature V/S Nurture or any similar topic only for you Order Now Nature is all that a man brings with himself into the world; nurture is every influence that affects him after his birth. The use of the terms â€Å"nature† and â€Å"nurture† is a convenient catch-phrase for the roles of heredity and environment in human development. Some scientists think that people behave as they do according to genetic predispositions or even â€Å"animal instincts. † This is known as the â€Å"nature† theory of human behavior. Other scientists believe that people think and behave in certain ways because they are taught to do so. This is known as the â€Å"nurture† theory of human behavior. The nature versus nurture debate is one of the oldest issues in psychology. It centers on the relative contributions of genetic inheritance and environmental factors to human development. The debate is actually about how far are human behaviors, ideas, and feelings, INNATE and how far are they all LEARNED? It concerns the relative importance of an individual’s innate qualities (â€Å"nature,† i. e. nativism, or innatism) versus personal experiences (â€Å"nurture,† i. e. empiricism or behaviorism) in determining or causing individual differences in physical and behavioral traits. For example, Is it just coincidence that Bobby Bonds and his son Barry both made baseball history with their all-star power and speed? Or that Francis Ford Coppola and daughter Sofia rose to fame as award-winning film directors? Or you got your green eyes from your mother, and your freckles from your father. But where did you get your thrill-seeking personality and talent for singing? Did you learn these from your parents or was it predetermined by your genes? While it’s clear that physical characteristics are hereditary, the genetic waters get a bit more murky when it comes to an ndividual’s behavior, intelligence, and personality. To fully understand it we need to discuss each part separately. The nature argument states that everything a person will ever become, their physical appearance, personality etc. , is already decided since their developmental information is in their genes. Genes are activated at appropriate times during development and are the basis for prote in production. Proteins include a wide range of molecules, such as hormones and enzymes that act in the body as signaling and structural molecules to direct development. Scientists have known for years that traits such as eye color and hair color are determined by specific genes encoded in each human cell. The Nature Theory takes things a step further to say that more abstract traits such as intelligence, personality, aggression, and sexual orientation are also encoded in an individual’s DNA. A good example of this is identical twins. If genetics didn’t play a part, then fraternal twins, reared under the same conditions, would be alike, regardless of differences in their genes. But, while studies show they do more closely resemble each other than do non-twin brothers and sisters, they also show these same striking similarities when reared apart – as in similar studies done with identical twins. The nurture argument, on the other hand, argues that although inherited genes make up the person, they do not limit the potential a person can achieve if the right environment is provided. While not discounting that genetic tendencies may exist, supporters of the nurture theory believe they ultimately don’t matter – that our behavioral aspects originate only from the environmental factors of our upbringing. Studies on infant and child temperament have revealed the most crucial evidence for nurture theories. * American psychologist John Watson, best known for his controversial experiments with a young orphan named Albert, demonstrated that the acquisition of a phobia could be explained by classical conditioning. A strong proponent of environmental learning, he said: Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in and I’ll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select†¦ egardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations and race of his ancestors. * Harvard psychologist B. F. Skinner’s early experiments produced pigeons that could dance, do figure eights, and play tennis. Today known as the father of behavioral science, he eventually went on to prove that human behavior could be conditioned in much the same way as animals. * A study in New Scientist suggest s that sense of humor is a learned trait, influenced by family and cultural environment, and not genetically determined. If environment didn’t play a part in determining an individual’s traits and behaviors, then identical twins should, theoretically, be exactly the same in all respects, even if reared apart. But a number of studies show that they are never exactly alike, even though they are remarkably similar in most respects. Taking the above in considerastion, we can even find some cases in which both nature and nurture effect the individual’s traits. For example, identical twins reared apart are less similar than identical twins reared together. Another example is found by the researchers at the University of Southern California. They found that when it comes to taking that first smoke, women are more likely than men to be affected by environmental factors such as peer pressure. Genetic factors, however, play a larger role in influencing men to start smoking. Similarly, Mayo Clinic researchers found that environmental factors, such as exposure to pesticides and industrial chemicals, play a greater role in men developing Parkinson’s disease, while genetic factors affect Parkinson’s susceptibility in women. And even though scientists are finding genes linked to alcoholism, they aren’t ruling out environmental factors. Because even though it is now widely accepted that genetic variation predisposes to alcohol and drug dependence, but it’s also very clear that without environmental factors—including access to alcohol and drugs—addictions don’t occur. Turns out genes have what are called epigenetic markers. Acting like a volume knob for genes, these tags adjust the intensity of gene expression. Identical twins are born with the same epigenome. But over time, environmental factors such as chemical exposure, diet and other lifestyle differences can alter these markers. That’s why identical twins might become less alike as they get older. In one twin, an epigenetic marker could activate the gene expression for schizophrenia or cancer, but not in the other twin. This discovery has added another layer of complexity to the nature-versus-nurture matter: For instance, finding that identical twins don’t both display a disorder such as addiction, doesn’t mean that addiction is not genetic. So, was the way we behave engrained in us before we were born? Or has it developed over time in response to our experiences? Researchers on all sides of the nature vs nurture debate agree that the link between a gene and a behavior is not the same as cause and effect. While a gene may increase the likelihood that you’ll behave in a particular way, it does not make people do things. Which means that we still get to choose who we’ll be when we grow up. As Jawaharlal Nehru rightly said: â€Å"Life is like a game of cards. The hand that is dealt you represents determinism; the way you play it is free will†. Kranzler also said: â€Å"Genetic predisposition is not destiny,† So, the issue not only remains unresolved still but evidences and experiments show that the influence of both nature and nurture play enormous parts in our personal development or the inhibition of it. But the question now comes about the distribution of effecting traits between them. Ultimately, it is probably misleading to say that X% of behavioral trait is due to genes and (100-X)% is due to nurture/environment because there are no clear cut boundaries between them. The key is to understand the interactions between the two. This difference is perhaps highlighted in the quote attributed to psychologist Donald Hebb who is said to have once answered a journalist’s question of â€Å"which, nature or nurture, contributes more to personality? † by asking in response, â€Å"Which contributes more to the area of a rectangle, its length or its width? â€Å" How to cite Nature V/S Nurture, Papers

Mandatory Minimum Sentences and Drug Policy Reform free essay sample

The use of mandatory minimums within our judicial system is not winning the war on drugs. This country needs drug law reforms to turn the tide on the war on drugs, and minimize their impact on our society. This comes from rehabilitation programs that are more effective and less costly for our government. Introduction Our country has gone to extremes to try and win the war on drugs. There is no evidence to show that they have made any real impact in ending or even lowering the use of drugs in this country. In1986 the federal government enacted mandatory minimum drug sentences. These laws force judges to comply with a minimum prison sentence based on the nature of the drug crime. By doing this, the federal government has tied the hands of our judges to use their judgment depending on the case. Their argument for this is it will deter people from committing drug crimes in the future. We will write a custom essay sample on Mandatory Minimum Sentences and Drug Policy Reform or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page My argument is that we are treating an addiction which needs both medical and psychological help to resolve, not longer prison sentences. Argument for Mandatory Minimums In 1986 mandatory minimums were enacted to put an end to the cocaine and crack epidemic that was going on in our nation’s inner cities. The focus was if they could apprehend the drug kingpins and lock them away for many years in prison, they would lose their realm of control of the drug world. The reality of the situation is that many gang leaders are in prison today, and have just as much control over the drug trade as they did when they were free men. Many say that the laws have inadvertently become a racial problem within this country. Laws on mandatory minimum sentences are much harsher on crack than cocaine. Since crack is predominantly used among African Americans within this country, they received much harsher punishments than cocaine users who are predominantly white. Argument against Mandatory Minimums We are not simply dealing with a bad behavior that is a scourge on society. We are dealing with extremely addictive drugs that a prison sentence will do almost no good in helping people kick their habits, and thus their old way of life. These people need medical and psychiatric help in order to rehabilitate them into the nine to five taxpaying Americans that our country wants them to be. Many drug dealers started out as users and began to sell the drug in order to pay for their own habit. Mandatory minimum prison sentences for people who are sadly destroying their lives to maintain their own personal habit are not going to be reformed in our nation’s prisons. Most of the people within our prison system are their because of non-violent drug crimes. They are not horrible people who are their because of rape, murder, armed robbery, etc†¦ People who argue in favor of mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses say it is working by putting dealers behind bars. The fact is though that most of the people behind bars due to these laws are low level dealers. â€Å"In fiscal year 2005, 61. 5% of all federal crack cocaine defendants were low-level offenders such as mules or street dealers. Only 8. 4% were high-level dealers. † (Mandatory Minimums) Mandatory minimums only go by the weight of the substance that you were selling. It is clear by this data that the weights set in our current laws do not target high-level dealers as well as they were intended to. Rehabilitation Centers vs. Prison Rehabilitation of our country’s drug users not only has a higher success rate than that of our prisons, it is also more cost efficient. It is what you refer to as a win-win. The amount of people within our jail and prison systems is estimated to be above six million people. Approximately half of these inmates used drugs regularly the month prior to their apprehension. It is fair to say then that nearly half of our prison population is candidates for drug rehabilitation programs rather than prison systems. The average cost for incarcerating an individual for a year is $20,000. The average cost of treatment at a rehabilitation center is around $9,000. It currently costs our government around one billion dollars annually to incarcerate its prison population. By taking the half of the prison population that are habitual users and putting them in treatment centers, the government could save a quarter of a million dollars a year. Not only that, but the repeat offender rate for those that have gone through the treatment centers is only a fourth of that for prison sentences. Drug courts are a new movement going across our nation. A court system set up to deal with drug crimes only. Drug courts are set up to give first time offenders a second chance. Conditions of sentencing typically involve mandatory drug testing along with therapy. If first time offenders can successfully complete the treatment program in most cases their crime is removed from their criminal record. Since many first time offenders are juveniles or young adults, this allows them to receive federal aid through FAFSA. In turn it makes it easier for them to receive higher education services, which gives them a better chance at getting the skills they need for jobs. This in turn makes it more unlikely that they will revert to their old lifestyles of drug dealing now that they are treated for a drug addiction and have been given the tools they need to succeed. Drug courts are very strict though. If a participant in the program fails to attend a therapy meeting or has a positive return on a drug test, they are sent directly to jail. The program is only for those who want to change their lives. It is true that there are some people who do not want to change and they should be in jail if they do not want to reform to the laws of this country. The idea of drug reform in this country may be a daunting task, but it needs to be done. If we do nothing about the problem it will never go away, and as it has shown so far it will only get worse. The old ways of thinking are clearly not working. Something needs to be done about this problem. There is a reason why we have the highest incarceration rate of all industrialized nations. It is because half of our incarcerated citizens are non-violent drug offenders. If we can move towards treating an illness instead of punishing a crime, our country will be better off. Less people will be incarcerated and will be productive, moving our country towards a better tomorrow. Mandatory Minimum laws within this country need major reform due to the injustice that they create. While most of the injustice was done inadvertently, nonetheless it is still there. Our country has failed to take one step closer in winning the war on drugs. It is time for America to realize it has a drug addiction problem that cannot be fixed with lengthy prison sentences. Our country needs to change the mandatory minimum laws. Cocaine and crack need to be punishable equally. In this country it is estimated that there are four million people with addictions to either crack or cocaine. About half of the nation’s prison population is in there for non-violent drug offenses. With a prison population of one and a half million people, that’s three quarters of a million non-violent drug offenders not receiving the correct treatment. Cocaine use has continued to rise since the 1980’s while crack use has stayed steady. Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in this country. It has had research to show that it is a gateway drug. Users of marijuana are more likely to try drugs like crack and cocaine. Studies show that most users of marijuana have tried the drug before their sophomore year in high school. Educational systems such as D. A. R. E. are already in place as good educational tools against drugs. Our society needs to be honest about the dangers of drugs. Many anti-drug commercials of the past could go as far as to say a hit of marijuana will make you kill your parents. Many commercials of today are starting to show more honesty. Instead of saying that buying pot is the same as putting money into the hands of terrorists, they are stating the truth that it does typically make you less active. This in turn usually leads to people not completing goals, and not completing any of their goals. Alcohol is the second most illegally used drug by minors. Education about the dangers of alcohol is equally important. Alcoholism is a major problem within this country, which typically has major effects on families. Alcoholism can lead to violent households. More teens die from drinking and driving than any other way of death. Alcohol like marijuana is considered a gateway drug. This is why it is so important that we attempt to stop irresponsible drinking behaviors. Essentially drug addicts are addicted to the feeling of euphoria that comes upon them when endorphins flood the brain with the use of the drug. Drug rehabilitation centers have found great success at treating people with addiction to crack and cocaine with anti-depressants. The National Institute of Drug Abuse is taking a different approach to the problem. They are developing a cocaine-vaccine that virtually eliminates all effects of the drug. This would ensure that even if an addict were to have a relapse, the drug would have no effect, and the incentive to do the drug is taken away. Dealers of crack and cocaine usually were crack and cocaine users first. These drugs are incredibly addictive. For users to support their habits many of them turn to dealing the drug. If our society can find a way to break the cycle of addiction there is hope that we can start to turn the tide on the war on drugs. Our government simply has to recognize that we are dealing with an addiction crisis, and not necessarily bad people who are the scourge of society. Drug courts are a new movement going across our nation. A court system set up to deal with drug crimes only. These courts are now operating or have plans to be operating in all fifty states. The first drug court was established in Dade County in 1981. Drug courts are set up to give first time offenders a second chance. Conditions of sentencing typically involve mandatory drug testing along with therapy. If first time offenders can successfully complete the treatment program in most cases their crime is removed from their criminal record. Since many first time offenders are juveniles or young adults, this allows them to receive federal aid through FAFSA. In turn it makes it easier for them to receive higher education services, which gives them a better chance at getting the skills they need for jobs. This in turn makes it more unlikely that they will revert to their old lifestyles of drug dealing now that they are treated for a drug addiction and have been given the tools they need to succeed. Drug courts are very strict though. If a participant in the program fails to attend a therapy meeting or has a positive return on a drug test, they are sent directly to jail. The program is only for those who want to change their lives. It is true that there are some people who do not want to change and they should be in jail if they do not want to reform to the laws of this country. Along with anti-depressants and revolutionary new research being done to address this nation’s addiction to drugs the twelve step process is the most used system for drug rehabilitation. The twelve step process forces the user to admit he or she is powerless over the drug and that a higher power can help them restore their sanity. This has its own constitutional conflictions with the separation of church and state. The twelve step process is only one option that can be taken towards drug rehabilitation though. It could be set up where defendants could choose a faith based rehabilitation program through the state or a non faith based rehabilitation program. There is no one strategy that works for every addict. Each case needs to be dealt with on a personal basis. They need to get to the bottom of why they want to use drugs. There is typically an underlying issue in a user’s life that causes them to search for an escape. The escape that ends many people in prison for lengthy sentences happens to come from crack and cocaine for too many people. Our rehabilitation centers need to work closely with the patients’ family whenever this is possible. Most drug users have families that are drug users as well. It is a perpetual cycle that continues to go on. It continues to go on because the underlying problems within the family are not addressed and they continue to turn to drugs in an attempt to escape the issues. Families are typically the best support system for a user trying to go clean. Without the help of the family or a family like atmosphere, users find it difficult to see a reason why they should quit. They need to see the impact that it makes on their loved ones to make it real to them. The ugliness needs to be shown in order for the user to see the full consequences of his or her actions. I am not proposing that we get rid of prison sentences for drug offenders by any means. We should only offer rehab to first time offenders who will be able to show whether they truly wish to change their lives for the better. If you have been through the program once and reverted back, then you have not proven to society that you are willing to be a productive law-biding citizen. Everyone deserves a second chance, but not necessarily a third or fourth. Rehabilitation of our country’s drug users not only has a higher success rate than that of our prisons, it is also more cost efficient. The amount of people within our jail and prison systems is estimated to be above six million people. Approximately half of these inmates used drugs regularly the month prior to their apprehension. It is fair to say then that nearly half of our prison population is candidates for drug rehabilitation programs rather than prison systems. The average cost for incarcerating an individual for a year is $20,000. The average cost of treatment at a rehabilitation center is around $9,000. It currently costs our government around one billion dollars annually to incarcerate its prison population. By taking the half of the prison population that are habitual users and putting them in treatment centers, the government could save a quarter of a billion dollars a year. Not only that but the repeat offender rate for those that have gone through the treatment centers is only a fourth of that for a prison sentence. Rehabilitation centers have a success rate of sixty to seventy five percent. When those figures are applied to the prison population that means that at the lowest success rate twenty five percent of our prison population would become productive members of society. While the repeat offender rate for rehabilitation centers is between forty and twenty five percent, prison are seventy five percent. With our current system over half a million of our non-violent offenders will be back in prison for the same crime, while with rehabilitation at worst it would be around three hundred thousand. The key to success with our rehabilitation centers is to provide long term assistance. It will be much better off for the nation as a whole to treat the triggers of addiction before it gets out of hand. Yes it is the addicts fault the he or she is addicted, but this does not mean that we should let society hurt on a principle of stubbornness. We should help our fellow man stay clean if he wants to be clean. With long term assistance programs for patients of rehabilitation programs, the success rate can reach as high as ninety five percent. I am not naive enough to think that this high of a number will work just as well for prisoners. Some prisoners simply do not want to break their addiction. If they do not want to change their lives, there is very little that rehab will do for a patient. Society has treated the drug problem within this country with extremely harsh punishments. We have been blind to see that we have been approaching the problem with the wrong strategy. Rehabilitation and education are the two strongest weapons in the war on drugs. If we change the lives of drug offenders, we will be able to exchange a large portion of our prison population into productive members of society. This would turn people who used to be a burden on taxpayers into taxpayers themselves. This would ultimately help the economy of America and the overall quality of life. The idea of drug reform in this country may be a daunting task, but it needs to be done. If we do nothing about the problem it will never go away, and as it has shown so far it will only get worse. The old ways of thinking are clearly not working. Something needs to be done about this problem. There is a reason why we have the highest incarceration rate of all industrialized nations. It is because half of our incarcerated citizens are non-violent drug offenders. If we can move towards treating an illness instead of punishing a crime, our country will be better off. Less people will be incarcerated citizens are non-violent drug offenders. If we can move towards treating an illness instead of punishing a crime, our country will be better off. Less people will be incarcerated and will be productive, moving our country towards a better tomorrow.