The argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The argument - Essay Example Tight state budgets of the current year have drawn attention towards the efficient and effective use of taxpayer money instead of wasting it in, otherwise activities that are deemed to be used for illicit drug abuse. According to those in favor the money that is being used to help the welfare program can be saved for other public welfare expenditures where it is more needed. A Republican speaker of the Wyoming house, Edward Buchanan, said, â€Å"The idea from Joe Taxpayer is, ‘I don’t mind helping you out, but you need to show that you’re looking for work, or better yet that you’re employed, and that you’re drug and alcohol free.’ † (The New York Times). He has simply tried to put forward the motive for drug testing. To be able to be qualified to receive the welfare aid, one must be subjected to drug tests first to ensure that the taxpayer money will not be used in illegal drug activities. To support the point, Garth Everett, a Lycoming County Republican who is in support of drug testing legislation said that the workers are often tested for drug abuse by their prospective employers before their employment, however the recipients of welfare aid are never subject to such tests which may reduce the effectiveness of this program. Such drug tests will enable the government (that can be seen as an employer in this case) to ensure that the money expenditure on welfare program is being spent responsibly and in the best interest of the beneficiary. Since government can be seen as an employer of welfare recipients in this case, this shouldn’t be contrary to the law and constitution. (Hall). As opposed to those in favor of the new legislation, those against it have tried to make their point on the basis of statistical evidences and past data relating to substance abuse. The main point of their argument is that, the new legislation makes an unnecessary and unreasonable assumption about the recipients of welfare aid pr ogram that they are necessarily involved in some kind drug activity. This is strictly against the US constitution which prohibits any unnecessary search of people. Therefore testing these unfortunate citizens for drug abuse would amount to an unconstitutional search of people who sought help. Eventually this will also lead to withdrawal of public confidence in the welfare program and attract unnecessary expenses in future. Courts in US have dropped such issues in the past on the similar grounds. A Democrat state representative against the legislation, W. Patrick Goggles, said, â€Å"This legislation assumes suspicion on this group of people, it assumes that they’re drug abusers.† (The New York Times). Democrats are also of the view that the actual costs to conduct these drug tests and all other overheads preponderate the potential benefits and savings expected to be derived from it. In Idaho, such a budget analysis was conducted last year which showed that the costs of this program are likely to be more than the saving. This caused the proponents of the program to drop this idea. There are also various statistics available to support this theory, for example, one such study says that the recipients of government aid are not more likely than the general US population to abuse drugs which is 8% of the population. Maria Kayanan said, "What the states are doing

Internationl student life at minnesota stat university Essay

Internationl student life at minnesota stat university - Essay Example The most common is the use of the English language. Although some may understand the language well, the problem is presented when one is required to express his/her own ideas. This is strongly defended by the first interviewee, Bdr, a friend from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Bdr says that coping in a new environment is made more difficult because of the language barrier that exists between him and his professors and classmates. â€Å"Some Americans speak too fast, I cannot understand all that is being said and oftentimes, they use words that are not familiar with me†, Bdr said. He adds that this is a real problem to him because in school, class discussions are required. Since grades are highly important to him, he wants to be involved in class discussions but the fear of making no sense at all prevents him from talking. He also fears that his classmates might make fun of how he talks, how limited his vocabulary is and how he constructs his sentences. Although he has been a con fident student in his own country, his confidence failed him in a new world where he needs to speak a language not his own. Nevertheless, he still has to survive so despite the difficulties, he is trying to learn the language by talking to native speakers on a daily basis. Essa, a second year Aviation Management student who is also from KSA is not a stranger to such dilemma. Even on his second year with the school, he is still finding it difficult to fully adapt to the American education. He says that, â€Å"There are so many activities that really require participation like critical class discussions. Speaking is already a problem and trying to react critically in class makes the task even harder because one has to meditate on the meanings of what is being discussed. Moreover, a lot of reading is also needed because instructors encourage students to get diverse ideas from different authors and other sources. Then there are the written requirements like take home exams, reaction pa pers and essays. However, Essa does not consider this too much of a burden but looks to the brighter side saying the requirements are all necessary because they help students improve their vocabulary and use of the English language. Personally, the challenges I am facing as an international student are not at all different from the experiences of Bdr and Essa. I have difficulty expressing myself in English, too. I am not fluent in English which is the medium of instruction. My sentence constructions are faulty and my vocabulary is limited. In United Arab Emirates, most of the talking is done by the teachers so that participating in class discussions is really a challenge for me and if there were any interaction among students, we used our native tongue. Although we learned English in our country, it is undeniable that the experience is entirely different from what we have in America. Therefore, I strive hard to improve my oral communication skills by imitating native speakers and pr acticing at home. In addition, written communication presents similar problems. The many books required of us to read are already a great task and it even demands more time from me because oftentimes, I have to read slowly in order to understand the texts. Sometimes, I also have to read three or more times before I grasp the subject matter. Written requirements add to the difficulties. Although the activity spares me from expressing my thoughts extemporaneously, writing sentences with the use of a second language is still