History of the Drug War essays

History of the Drug War essays The first act of America's anti-drug laws was in 1875. It outlawed the smoking of opium in opium dens. This was a San Francisco ordinance. The basis on passing this law was that Chinese men had a way of luring white women to their dens and causing their "ruin", which was the association with Chinese men. Later, other Federal laws such, as trafficking in opium was illegal for anyone of Chinese origin. The opium laws were directed at the smoking of opium. The law didn't effect importation of the drug because opium was a common medical drug. This law was specifically targeted at the Chinese, for the smoking of opium was a Chinese custom. The Harrison Act had started as a licensing law that required sellers to obtain a license if they were going to handle opiates or cocaine. The law contains a provision that nothing in the law would prohibit doctors from prescribing these drugs in the legitimate practice of medicine. The people who wrote the Harrison Act and Marijuana Tax Act in 1937 agreed that a prohibition on what people could put into their bodies was an unconstitutional infringement on personal liberties. Marijuana was outlawed in 1937. The reason for it being outlawed was that the plant had a violent effect on the degenerate races. The American Medical Association testified that they were opposed to the law. The law would never have passed without the endorsement from the AMA, but when the supporters of the law were asked about the AMA's view on the floor of congress, they had stated that the AMA was all for it. When the law had passed, the AMA protested, but the law was never repealed. It is difficult to determine how many people in the US use drugs. The Federal Government's Household Survey on Drug Abuse is the most common set of statistics on the use of drugs. According to the latest surveys, conducted by the DEA, there are about 12.7 million people who have used an illegal drug in the past month, and about 30 - 40 mil...

Strategies for Teaching Writing to Elementary Students

Strategies for Teaching Writing to Elementary Students One of our most important tasks has is to introduce their young students to the written language and how to use it creatively and effectively in order to communicate. Whether you teach primary or upper elementary grades, your administrator is counting on you to teach your students to quantifiably improve in writing this school year. Here are a few effective teaching strategies to try out in your classroom implement a few or try them all. 1. Writing Instruction Doesnt Have To Be Intimidating   For You Or The Students Many educators find teaching writing a real challenge. Sure there are all the rules of grammar and punctuation, but outside of those boundaries, there are as many stories to be told as there are people in the world. How do we corral our students enthusiasm and creative minds so that their writing is coherent, engaging, and purposeful? 2. A Strong Beginning Is Crucial Then Move Onto The Basics Start by teaching your students how to write a strong beginning to their stories. With this skill in hand, your students will then be ready to learn about the importance of word choice and avoiding boring, flat, overused words. 3. More Advanced Descriptive Techniques Dont Have To Be Hard To Teach Even the youngest elementary school students will enjoy trying their hand at tongue twisters. And what do tongue twisters have to do with writing? Well, its an easy way to introduce the concept of alliteration. Achoo! Slam! Kaboom! Not only do children love sound effects, but they come to the classroom with a strong familiarity with this subject. Sound effects add power and imagery to writing, and not to mention its easy to teach students how to appropriately use this skill to kick their writing up a notch. 4. Writing Applications You Might Not Have Considered Obviously, writing enters into all aspects of human life, especially nowadays in the age of the Internet and email. Use a pen pal program to teach your students how to effectively communicate with their peers in letter format. Its an invaluable skill and a dying art. Or, try practice letter-writing and compile weekly parent newsletters all in one fell swoop! Thats another time-saver that practices writing skills at the same time. Another important aspect of language arts is oral communication and listening skills. Through this easy and fun impromptu speeches lesson, your students will write a speech, perform it out loud, and practice listening to each other. 5. A Well-Rounded Writing Curriculum Is Within Your Grasp These real life, classroom-tested  writing lessons  are proven, fun, and easy-to-implement. With practice and diligence, you will watch your students writing soar and improve daily. Edited by  Janelle Cox