William Blake wrote of mind-forg'd manacles in his poem London Research Paper

William Blake wrote of mind-forg'd manacles in his poem London. Discuss at least two works' views on the responsibilities of individuals and the responsibilities of society - Research Paper Example In fear of the revolution spreading at home and overthrowing the government, the authorities were concerned about the radical sentiments that were harboring in England. The public response was much radicalized followed by the authoritarian response of putting restrictions in places. Blake’s reference to â€Å"mind-forg’d manacles† points towards the repression of free thinking which was put in place to restrict the freedom of radical thinking or speech. London subtly talks about freedom, uninhibited freedom, which assists the common man. The relationship between the society and the individual is of vital importance in the poem as Blake writes to describe the society-individual relationship in the social context, as though a social contract exists between the two. Two works that represent the responsibilities of the individual and the society are Boys and Girls by Alice Munro and The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas by Ursula Le Guin. This paper will seek to explain the responsibilities of the entities, society and individual, in the light of works by Munro and Le Guin. The manacles which Blake talks about is meant to represent a sort of physical restriction preventing free movement, which is used to explain the repressive laws that were implemented to inhibit the freedom of printing presses and publications. Most importantly, these manacles are placed on the mind to restrict free thinking to prevent any radical uprising. Very covertly, Blake has spoken about the social contract that exists between a society and an individual which directs the responsibilities of both entities so that they fulfill their expected tasks in a way that is beneficial for both. However, once the freedom of the common man is restricted by any means, there is sure to be a response. The society as an independent entity exerts pressure on the individuals, dwelling in its context, to show compliance to the agreed set of terms. Much of these implicit

Legalization of drugs Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Legalization of drugs - Term Paper Example It is often argued that alcohol and cigarettes also have the reputation of being an addictive drug, yet both are legalized. Furthermore, those that want drugs will take the steps necessary to get them, so instead of making them criminals and continuing to overcrowd jails, it might be better to allow them to take the legalized form of the drug, which would probably be much weaker, and regulated, making addiction more difficult. Those who oppose this concept worry about increased addiction as well as the moral and ethics of society. There is a strong Christian movement that is against legalizing drugs, led by the Christian Coalition. Rangel (1998) puts this argument and view forth in his journal article. This coalition has a strong influence on politics, especially the Republican party, and thus this issue has been brought to the forefront many times. Krajicek (1998) discusses the power of the Christian Coalition to influence crime laws in his article, thus backing up the point that re ligion often does cross over into law and politics. While morality is an understandable concern, this same moral question already exists with alcohol and cigarettes. Therefore, what is the best approach to this concept The War on Drugs seems to be failing. No matter how hard the United States tries as a country, we still struggle with stopping the crossing of drugs into the country, and it is very apparent that this practice continues. If we have not been able to adequately stop this drug problem after trying for so many years, is there another way to end this issue? Davey (1998) makes a point of this issue in his arguments. ... The answer would be yes, and it would focus on the legalization of drugs. Thus, this researcher feels that the answer lies in legalizing drugs. This would not only end the War on Drugs, it would also clear jails (getting rid of drug crimes and opening up overcrowded prisons for those who have committed serious crimes like rape and murder), and it would also allow individuals freedom of choice. Silen (1994) agrees with the concept that adults who do want these drugs, of course if they desire them, will find a way to get them, one way or another. Therefore, it seems that it would be a good idea to take advantage of the situation. The United States already sells damaging and addictive drugs to its people in the form of cigarettes and alcohol. This would only give individuals more of a choice, and people would still be expected to use drugs responsibly-for instance, drinking while intoxicated on any drug is not acceptable. Shapiro (2003) argues, in his journal article, that our country i s based on freedom of will and choice, as long as others are not harmed. Therefore, the overall point is that there are several benefits to both people and the government when legalizing drugs, and this step should be taken in order to take advantage of the several advantages present in the situation. One important notion to consider is the fact that the legalizing of drugs also promises to reduce crime. How can this be so, when so many crimes are attributed to drug use First, the regulation of the drug itself promises that the drug will be less potent, and that the amount obtainable can be limited. This makes it more difficult for