Thursday, February 20, 2020

The Difficulty of Healing in a World of Evil Essay

The Difficulty of Healing in a World of Evil - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that  physicians today know about post-traumatic stress disorder. In Remarque’s day, however, no one knew what it was or its effects. His perception, which was the general feeling of most of the soldiers fighting in his generation, gives the reader an in-depth understanding of the events that led to the alienation and displacement of his generation. His words resulted in rapid reactions in postwar Germany as well as positive responses from his critics. Despite the fact that Hitler’s Third Reich banned the ownership and reading of Remarque’s book, Western critics had a favorable eye for the novel. The book came before World War II, which was a time when military commanders foresaw the conclusion of international aggression.This paper highlights that  readers of Remarque’s book from the West used it to understand the post-traumatic stress that affected not only the German soldiers but also the French, American, British and Rus sian soldiers. It was something that was observed across different cultures and languages. In the aftermath of the Second World War, critics of Remarque dealt with existential alienation, realism and war profiteering that was written in Remarque’s book.  Despite the effect that Remarque’s book has had on millions of people, the modern times have witnessed great catastrophes that give the inhumanity of war the additional technological breakthroughs that appear like a dream to Remarque’s generation.

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Golden Gate Bridge Suicide-Prevention Barrier Essay

Golden Gate Bridge Suicide-Prevention Barrier - Essay Example 37 people died jumping off the bridge in the year 2011. About 100 people are stopped from jumping. People who throw their lives here drown in the deep waters like the flies burn themselves throwing in the glow of light. Technically, this Gate has been hailed as an engineering marvel, and an international landmark that attracts the tourists, but its reputation is otherwise alarming. Aaron Sankin writes, â€Å"The Chronicle estimates that a minimum of 1,218 suicides have taken place on the bridge, a minimum of 19 per year--making it the single most suicide-prone location in the whole United States. Leaping from the bridge to the icy water below is usually fatal; people taking the plunge are killed 98% of the time.† (sfappeal.com †¦)For the sake of maintaining the beauty of the Bridge sacrifice of the precious lives is not the answer. Those who appreciate the engineering skills of the bridge, must exhibit some sensitivity about the number of suicides at the altar of the Brid ge. That the final solution to this problem should remain in limbo looks like a fictional account, but the 2011 suicide figures are the stark reminder to this bone-chilling issue. This is a problem for which the legal luminaries of the country should file a suit in the appropriate legal forums for the gross negligence of the concerned authorities to prevent the loss of human lives. In the absence of a system in place, deaths continue to occur. So, the Federal funding is the next option before the district authorities. At the district level, the authorities make concerted efforts and seek private donations from individuals interested in the installation of the barrier. In the absence of adequate safety barriers, The Golden Gate Bridge has turned out to be a public health hazard. Elaborating this aspect John Bateson writes, â€Å"Do you have a plan for how you’d do it? Do you have a time frame? Have you put any part of your plan into action? Suicide rarely comes in normal conversation†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (132) Most of the international tourist spots have suicide barriers. Why deny such a facility to this unique spot? I think that the district authorities must be allocated Federal Funds to the tune of $50 million. This is not a spot of local tourist delight. Tourists from all over America/world visit the bridge and thus it is a revenue-generating source as well. Further, a two-pronged strategy to prevent suicides needs to be formulated to make the entire project more human. Apart from the grant from the Federal level, the local authorities must take certain ancillary measures, for augmenting the resources on a permanent basis, for proper governance and maintenance of the Bridge. 1st Objection to the solution Physical barriers is not the final choice to eliminate all suicides. But they significantly decrease the attempts, as suicide is mostly an impulsive act, and those few minutes which give pause to the mental makeup of the individual attempting suicide will do good to save the precious life.