The Western Lawman :: Television Media TV Essays

The Western Lawman Gunsmoke was a dramatized radio program that portrayed life in the old west. According to online sources, "Plots dealt with the lives and activities of Marshall Dillon, Doc, Miss Kitty, Chester, and the other residents of Dodge City, Kansas in the late 19th century." Lawman Marshall Dillon was the center of everything that happened. The peace and welfare of Dodge City rested in his hands. Marshall Dillon represents the quintessential western lawman, with his independence, authoritativeness, and general distrust of strangers. Dillon stood alone. No one could dictate to him how to act or what to do. This is illustrated in several instances. In the episode "The Army Trial" the army officer assigned to bring in Jed Cook, the deserting soldier asks for Dillon's cooperation after Cook escapes. Dillon agrees to cooperate but on his terms. He demands that the officer remove his troops from town and allow him to conduct the search personally. In the second episode, "General Parsley Smith", Dillon insists on handling all investigation himself. He takes tips from Parsley, but instructs him to stay out of the situation while he checks things out. In "Uncle Oliver", he makes it plain that there is no job opening for a Marshall's assistant. Oliver suggests that Biney learn how to be a Marshall by shadowing Dillon, but Dillon won't have it. He states that he does not need any help from anyone except Chester. Chester is the only person he consistently allows to help him. Otherwise, he is a one man outfit. Marshall Matt Dillon is also characterized by his authoritativeness. He will not be challenged and he will not back down. When General Parsley stirs up trouble in town, Dillon warns that he will run Parsley out of town if he does not stop slandering the new banker. When Parsley is caught once again repeating the same offense, true to his word, Dillon orders him to leave town. While being arrested for desertion, Cook cannot fire on Dillon because of the respect he commands. And Uncle Oliver is compelled to search for Biney even though he is plotting to kill Chester. As you listen to these episodes, you realize that Dillon is also very suspicious of strangers. He is constantly questioning whether or not they are legitimate. In the first episode ("The Army Trial") as he and Chester approach the wagon in distress, they are ready to help but their help is repeatedly refused which arouses suspicion.

Teen-pregnancy and sexually-transmitted diseases

The world we are living in right now is full of uncertainties. The population is increasing rapidly, as the number of hungry mouths also increases. Diseases are spreading around the world, some of which we know none about any cure. Adding up the ignorance building up inside the minds of the youth, we are creating a bomb projected to explode in the near future. Misconceptions about certain facts in life must be taken care of, since ignorance would only lead to further disaster.Considering the current situation of today’s young minds, their curiosity could lead them to their own destruction. There are certain delicate topics belonging to this context. This includes the ongoing debate about teenage pregnancy and the increasing number of sexually-transmitted disease. Raising the awareness of these young minds would only raise their curiosity, thus endangering their own lives and future. That is why when it comes to this issue, the best way to deal with it is not to engage it.Preve ntion is better than cure. Thus, this leads us to a firm stand; therefore I will have to argue in favor of the proposition that â€Å"Abstinence-only programs are the most effective approach in order to prevent teen-age pregnancy and some sexually transmitted disease. † Teenage Pregnancy. Teenage pregnancy nowadays is already at its worst. The world is being populated at an alarming rate, and we can’t do anything about it.The young generations have been contributing a lot to this problem, engaging in an early sexual life, thus, leading to certain unwanted events like early parenthood; unwanted pregnancies leading to the decision of rearing the child, thus adding another mouth to feed in this increasingly over-populated world we live in. These teenagers could have made a difference by not venturing into the aspects of life where curiosity could actually spell disaster if certain situations arise.According to Starkman, it is approximated that by the end of high school, a lmost 70% of young Americans are considered sexually active, wherein about 20% of these have had four or more sexual partners. Despite these alarming numbers, less than 50% of all public schools of America present sufficient information and overview about contraceptives and the risks of pregnancy, thus contributing a lot to what could be a great build up in people unaware of the realities of having early sexual life.It is clear that there are millions of American youth all over the United States that involves in various sexual behaviors that puts them in great risk of early pregnancy. Despite the numbers, there is no federal directive as to how these problems would be dealt with. Less than half of all the public schools in the United States offer sufficient information about acquiring birth control, thus leaving a lot of questions unanswered (Starkman & Rajani, 2002).According to Fields, â€Å"abstinence-only† sexuality educations in schools have advocated that it could prote ct their children from the damaging influence of other people. It provided guidance which teenagers could follow in order to avoid unwanted pregnancies, wherein you take the roots of the problem in order to solve it (Fields, 2005). According to Meier, pregnancy could be a sex determinant, since the fear of teen pregnancy could lead to a mentality wherein the person would be hesitant in indulging in such sexual activities.Abstinence is the only way, the safest to be exact, to avoid unwanted pregnancy. Resorting to the use of contraceptives doesn’t assure of a 100% safety from pregnancy. It could fail, thus doesn’t assure of the â€Å"safe† sex contraceptives usually offer. Abstinence should be promoted, and should be recognized as the only means to promote a pregnancy outside a married life, or a life wherein you could provide for the offspring. Pregnancy at an early age doesn’t assure a better life for both the parents and the offspring (Meier, 2004). Sex ually-transmitted diseases.According to Starkman, about 50% of the newly discovered human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cases in America and about 70% of all the sexually transmitted diseases surface on young Americans, those of which are usually under 25 years old. The old statement about prevention is better than cure applies for this, and since there are incurable cases of the HIV and STD’s, it is better to avoid and prevent rather than resorting to the curing part. Because of that, it is better to reserve the sexual activities of the person at the mature age, wherein you are responsible enough for you actions thus, being able to know what to do.Young teenagers who suffer from STD’s don’t know what to do, how they will deal with their situation (Starkman & Rajani, 2002). Abstinence-only education encourages teens not to engage in early sexual activities in order for them to avoid having sexually transmitted infections and diseases. It is clear that prevention is really better than cure, and that encouraging the youth in practicing safe sex and introducing contraception only worsens the case because it deviates from the real goal, to prevent STD’s. No sex for the youth is better than â€Å"safe† sex, because it is not purely 100% safe.It only lessens the chance of getting infected, yet you cannot deny the fact that lessening is not getting any better than preventing. Analysis and Conclusion With all the facts presented, it is evident that â€Å"keeping it safe† and protecting yourself is not enough when it comes to matters like teenage pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Even though some people see safe sex as a â€Å"big chance† to avoid pregnancy and certain diseases, you are still risking that â€Å"small chance† of those things happening. It is not enough to take precautionary measures and still do the deed.The most important thing to do and to consider is how people, especially the youth ca n avoid the problem completely, and this is through abstinence, purely abstinence only. Reference: Fields, J. (2005). ‘Children Having Children': Race, Innocence, and Sexuality Education. Social Problems, 52(4), 549-571. Meier, A. M. (2004). The morning after (and beyond): Adolescent well-being after first sex. ProQuest Information & Learning. Starkman, N. , & Rajani, N. (2002). The case for comprehensive sex education. AIDS Patient Care and STDs, 16(7), 313-318.

The Tangling Of Religion And Politics - 1399 Words

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