Essay 3.1 Narrative

Crash. Thought many miles away I could feel the impact at home. On Halloween of 2006 I lost my Superman, my brother. I was over at a friend’s house that night, while my brother off to college. There is a soft knock at the door, definitely not a trick-or-treater, and my mother walks in. My eyes meet hers, my heart drops. Those three small words, those three small words repeat in my head over and over again, “Todd is dead.” I stand there, silent. My feet felt like cement, my eyes watering, and my mind racing. My world had just been turned upside down. Though standing still, I could feel my body in a whirlwind, my heart dropping faster than an atomic bomb then I reach rock bottom…boom. I break down, I don’t know what else to do? I keep asking her if this is real and all she can do is stare at me, her eyes just as red as mine. What do you say after you find out that your brother was killed my a drunk driver? You don’t say anything, you just hear silence.

I cannot remember anything else from that night before my mother walked into that door with the news that could kill. My parents tell me that I need to stay home while they go off to West Virginia to deal with the funeral. I was furious. How could they not realize that I want to be able to say goodbye? To this day I still wish I could have said my final goodbye, but it is something that I can never give. I stay with my friend for a week; it was the longest week of my life. I dreaded going to school, seeing everyone who seemed like nothing was wrong, treading along as if the world was still in order. Of course I was quiet, not speaking to anyone. I was dying inside, struggling to hold in my anger, my sadness.

Eventually my mind began to settle, the tornado of emotions withered away. Though that stormed had settled, my heart could still feel the strike of the girl who took my brother away, the girl who decided to have one too many drinks, the girl who should have never gotten in the car. My brother was the designated driver that night, being responsible and taking care of his friends, why was he the one who had to suffer the consequences of someone else’s thoughtless actions? Sadly enough he is not the only person that has been tragically taken away by people who make bad decisions. Did you know that in 2008 approximately 11,773 people were killed due to “alcohol-impaired traffic crashes” (MADD). Out of those 11,773 one of them has to be someone’s brother, someone’s son, someone’s best friend lost in something that could have been avoided. To think that my brother could still be alive if that girl, Amber, would have had the common sense to put the keys down. It is as simple as that, just put the keys down. However that thought was lost.

Now in college, I fear the same outcome. Halloween is a night that will always instill fear in me, not because of the monsters in masks, but the monsters inside people. I fear not only for my safety, but also for the safety of others. Seeing as my brother was taken away from me his freshman year of college, it is only natural that I begin to lose myself. I thought that after so many years, I was done with the grieving and all its stages. I was wrong. The night haunted me and tore me apart. I didn’t want to leave my dorm, but I did. Every second I was near a moving vehicle I quivered in pain, I thought I was going insane, my body ached and I couldn’t move. However I was not crazy at all, this was normal. Apparently the intensity and depth of my emotion pain can lead to another type of pain, chronic and physical pain. Most would see this as just depression and leave it at that, but it was more ("Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings"). I felt as if my body was giving up, I couldn’t go on. I see everyone drinking and having a good time, while me on the other hand was worried the whole time. I was worried that my friend was going to walk out and a car come out of nowhere, hitting them. The whole time I just wanted my brother back, hoping that I would see him walk into the door, give me a big hug and have a good time. That never happened.

I hear accounts of people who drink and drive and I want to slap them across the face. They don’t realize the harm that it can cause; how even the family’s who lose someone they love are still a victim. Those who act as a victim due to the lose that they have received; they are considered a Bereaved Victim. Due to the sudden loss in their life they have to “play the role of the victim in the name of the deceased,” (Weed, p. 461). This shows people the pain that family and friends go through. Along with that they can share the knowledge of what harm can actually be done due to drunk driving. How else are people going to realize that actions taken by drunk drivers hurt not only the one’s in the accident, but the one’s who love them? They can’t. They have no experience or knowledge in such areas.

Due to the lack of concern from people with lack of information, it is up to those hurt to tell their story. Whether it be Mothers Against Drunk Driving or another activist program, anything to get the word out helps. Sadly enough, even that does not make many people listen. Sometimes it takes an actual account to happen to them or to someone they know and/or love to understand. It is a disappointment when people realize that it is already too late to do something, because it is never too late. Though you or anyone else may not have been able to save someone already effect by such accidents, you can still help to make a difference in the future. It is never too late to try to save a life.

Works Cited

"The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training on the Grieving Process and Emotional Well-Being of Chronic Pain Patients." Journal Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings 11.4 (2008): n. pag. Web. 15 Apr 2010.

"Statistics." MADD: Activism, Victim Services, and Education. MADD, 2009. Web. 15 Apr 2010.

Weed, Frank J. "The Victim-Activist Role in the Anti-Drunk Driving Movement." Sociological Quarterly 31.3 (1990): 459-73. Web. 15 Apr 2010.

Reflection 2.3

In writing this I would say that I had a slighty harder time mainly because I had to acknowledge the other side. I'm personally more of a firm stance kind of person, and can see the other point of veiw, but have a difficult time expressing that. The research I would have to say was fairly easy due to that this is a bigger issue than what most people would expect and it is easy to find federal documents that is open for the public to see. I did enjoy writing this since this has a lot to do with what I hope to pursue as a career, maybe not this exact issue, but in general I have an interest in nutrition and exercise. I believe that the group conference was a HUGE help because I can not only get my group's feedback but the whole class which gives me multiple point of veiws that maybe my group may have not seen. Hopefully my next paper will be better due that I can tell a story, my story which only I can write and hopefully the audience will be able to capture the emotions that will be put in it.

Essay 2.3

Over thirty years ago, one of the main concerns of the nation was the lack of nutrition and starvation of children across America. Today, rather than the scarcity of food, we are focusing on too much food and caloric intake. Obesity is a growing epidemic that is sweeping the nation. One of my classes, GKIN 100, we discovered that by the year 2030, all American adults will be overweight (Corbin, p. 274). There are solutions that can help most American adults, but most do not realize that there is more that can be done by simply speaking up along with help. I believe that the Federal Government needs to take action and steps towards regulation what type of food/beverages are sold and advertised, with more particular attention towards children, who poses a greater advantage. However some industries fear that federal control would threaten profits. Bringing in regulation to theses industries has enormous opportunities for a healthier lifestyle but it is a big gamble.

Several people have spoken alarm over this issue. Douglas J. Besharov, a professor at the University of Maryland, made a testimony before the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry on April 3, 2003 expressing concern over the weight and obesity in recent America. He stated that in previous years, while a civil rights worker in the 1960’s, he had first hand account of the lack of nutrition and starvation that was occurring day to day. Only after the media paid attention to such issues is when action took place such as federal feeding and welfare programs for people who cannot afford to pay for food. Now he is appalled to see accounts of the complete opposite (Besharov). To myself, and most likely many others, this is awful. People worry about their weight constantly these days. I can’t go a day without worrying about what I eat or if I get enough exercise, trying to manage a healthy weight and lifestyle. On a personal account, an old sports coach of mine was also a fitness trainer, and she would tell us stories of how people do not know how to properly manage nutritional intake. The question is, does the federal government need to intervene for this type of measure, and how will it affect these companies? My answer to this question would be yes but that may not always be the best course of action.

In extreme cases of overweight and obesity, the federal government, such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration under the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, is a good solution due to they have greater power than that of those who just shake their fingers, they can talk the talk but not walk the walk. However, companies fear government regulation and see it as a threat tot heir profit and possibly their jobs. Such action can cause serious damage if not done properly. Thus companies need to find ways of gearing their products in a better light that can still maintain their “fun” status.

Food companies spent approximately $1.6 billion in 2006 gearing products such as sugary cereals, fast food and sodas towards children (Clifford, par. 2). Policymakers, public and health professionals are now concerned about certain practices of these companies and how they gear their products. Threatened by federal regulation, companies are starting to do what some call self-policy in order to stay afloat. Several companies have made modifications to the products that they sell, particularly to children. The most common tactic is to stop marketing certain products that are aimed towards children and teenagers. Cereal is one of the biggest products that have trouble adapting to these expectations (Clifford, par. 12). Kellogg’s, along with other participating companies, are not permitted to advertise their product in elementary schools, with some exceptions such as charitable fundraising activities (Sharama, par. 16). This is good, especially when it comes to adapting to new products and how the advertise their new healthier standards, but is this good enough? No, it is not, we first need to find out what and if the new products are in fact healthier.

Other forms of self-regulating in fact is to modify the products to a healthier measure. Each company has their own set of standards for “better” food, but what exactly doe that mean, “better”? The companies themselves define this; there is no universal definition for better food (Clifford, par. 7). So we as consumers have no idea if what we are eating/drinking really is any “better” than their previous prototypes. However the writers of the article, “The Food Industry and Self-Regulation: Standards to Promote Success and to Avoid Public Health Failures”, have found 8 standards that companies should and do follow in order for self-regulation to be successful. These standards include: standards created by a combination of scientists and representatives of leading nongovernmental organizations, everyone have equal power and authority, predefined benchmarks to ensure the success of self-regulation, mandatory reporting to ensure progress, procedures for outside parties to have the ability to make objections if anything seems to not meet requirement, evaluation of benchmarks by credible outside sources, periodical assessments, and lastly oversight by an appropriate global authoritarian or health body (Sharma, par. 10). These guidelines can help to create smaller portion sizes and caloric intake without diminishing nutritional needs, all of which can help children and adults as well. Generally these rules are stricter for children in grades K-8 (Sharma, par. 13). So when asking, what is the benchmark for these guidelines, people can be reassured that professionals and those with expertise in this field will carefully decide and monitor the food that is distributed to children.

The solution has come to that regulation will come from outside, and professional sources that have no bias. They may be deemed credible by the federal government, but not controlled by them. Though full federal government regulation will not be the solution and self-regulation will not always be 100% successful, I do believe that people can compromise to such measures of having credible outside sources, such as World Health Organization monitor such actions (Sharma, par. 11). This would be considered a look but don’t touch situation, so that all parties are satisfied with the actions being carried out. The companies are given the benefit of the doubt and given the chance to better their products for a healthier standard given to them.

Bibliography

Besharov, Douglas J. (2003, April). “ Growing Overweight and Obesity in America: The Potential Role of Federal Nutrition Programs.” Speech presented at Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, Alexandria, VA.

Clifford, Stephanie. "Tug of War in Food Marketing to Children." New York Times 30 Sep. 2008: 5. Web. 13 Mar 2010.

Fahey, Thomas D, Paul M Insel, and Walton T Roth. Fit & Well: Core Concepts and Labs in Physical Fitness and Wellness. 8th. New York: McGraw-Hill Learning Solutions, 2009. 274. Print.

Sharma, Lisa L, Stephen P Teret, and Kelly D Brownell. "The Food Industry and Self-Regulation: Standards to Promote Success and to Avoid Public Health Failures." America Jouranl of Public Health 100.2 (2010): 240-6. Web. 13 March 2010.

Setting Excerise

I can remember my room as a child the best on December 14, 1997. I know that sounds weird but that was the day that I first saw snow, for me a big deal since I had lived in tropical weather for the most part. I remember the night before I was sitting on the rough cheap carpet that builders put in, that ugly offwhite that was itchy, but I had put a blanket down. My parents walk in telling me that it is time to go to bed. I climb up to my bed that at the time I thought was the biggest bed in the world since I only took up a small portion of it. Before falling asleep I look out my two long, tall, skinny windows and hope that I see the white powder the next morning. To my surprise I wake up and my walls were whiter than ever before. I look to those super-model type windows and see snow. I never thought that day would come. I was happier than a fat kid with chocolate.