What is the single most important issue to you that should be a top Essay

What is the single most important issue to you that should be a top priority in our national discourse Why - Essay Example Currently, the issue is widely debated in the public and political arena in the US that how appropriate it is to allow civilians to keep arms with them. Follman argues that there is no rationale in the belief that when more people are armed, there are better chances of stopping these tragic events. In fact, facts prove otherwise. In none of the cases any civilian ever intervened to stop the mass killing. Even if in a particular case any civilian did intervene, either they failed miserably to stop the killing or they themselves were harmed or killed. The fact remains that mass shooting has increased several fold in the US because it has been easier than ever before for anyone to carry guns in public places such as movie theaters, parks, schools (Follman). It can be noticed that casualty score is much higher in 2012, especially due to Sandy Hook and Aurora theater incidents. It is a fact that American society has been heavily armed since its inception and private arms have been increasing at a rapid pace. Sales data reveal that in 1995, 200 million guns were in possession of the people in the US. In a rough estimate, its number is now close to the total US population that means, on average, each citizen is in possession of some kind of a gun under the excuse of self-defense (Follman). National Rifle Association (NRA) is known in the US as a formidable pro-gun lobby and spends a lot in support of politicians for its cause. NRA also organizes for firearms safety training and tournaments across all parts of the US. Most states also recognize the NRA trained instructors by law. While NRA proposes in the defense of law-abiding citizens and against the crime makers, it takes a hardliner view whenever a debate spurs about enacting any gun control measures. As Kucinich reports, NRA has been mounting pressure on lawmakers through

Summarizing three parts of a book chapter on research methods Term Paper

Summarizing three parts of a book chapter on research methods - Term Paper Example Variations on these criteria do occur, often when it is not practical to meet them fully, and in these cases the research can be classified as quasi-experimental. The classic experiment is described. A control group and an experimental group are pretested, the experimental group is subjected to the independent variable, and the two groups are tested again, to see if there is now any difference in the two groups that can be attributed to the independent variable. In social work there are ethical and practical issues which may prevent a researcher from conducting a true classic experiment. Typical objections are listed and appropriate responses suggested. It is true that human beings should not be denied services because of a research project, or treated as objects to be experimented on, but on the other hand it is unethical to offer services without knowing what their effects are likely to be and who is most likely to benefit from them. By putting appropriate safeguards in place, and by using waiting lists for random assignment, it is possible to design research that is both ethical and experimental. Informed consent is, however, absolutely es sential, even if it has negative effects on the research in question. Research can interfere with the normal working of social services, but staff should be made aware of the aims and potential benefits of research and their views and suggestions should be sought early in the research process. The Solomon four-group research design is described, showing the advantage of using a pretest with two groups and no pretest with the other two. The intervention is then administered, to one group in each set, and all four groups are posttested. This method allows the researcher to see very accurately what effect has been caused by the intervention. Matching can improve the accuracy of quasi-experimental design, but it is not as good as true randomisation because it only matches