Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Should Education Be Free free essay sample

Everyone needs education. But should it be free? I believe that education should not be free for multiple reasons. You may be asking, but what if they cant afford it? Well, there are some public schools that let you go for free if you cant afford to pay or dont make you pay so much.I see the reasons why people believe there should be free education. Reasons like people who cant afford it will still be able to have an education if it was free. sure that sounds nice but we arent taking all things into consideration, some things like how much more debt America would be in or how Lazy people would get and those are just a few of many problems we would have if we got a free education. Lots of people believe that a higher education shouldnt cost so much, personally, I disagree, if everyone had a high education it would turn something valuable into something not so valuable. We will write a custom essay sample on Should Education Be Free? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It would make people not care so much about education. It should take hard work and some self-sacrifice. If everyone had a free education wheres the value?If you took all the money away from everyone and gave each person a million dollars, a couple of years later the ones that were wealthy beforehand would be wealthy again and the ones that were not wealthy before would be broke again. What I believe this means is that even if the Government spent millions and millions of dollars for free education for everyone, the number of people that are getting degrees would not increase in fact I think it would decrease because more people will start to not care, they wont care because either themselves or their parents arent paying for their education.In conclusion, having a free education is a really bad idea. It will make things worse for this country and make people less motivated. We wont gain anything but more debt.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Definition and Examples of Closed Class Words

Definition and Examples of Closed Class Words In  English grammar,  closed class  refers to the  category of function words- that is, parts of speech (or word classes)- that dont readily accept new members. Contrast with open class. The closed classes in English include pronouns, determiners, conjunctions, and prepositions. See examples and observations below: Examples and Observations [C]losed-class words are those belonging to the grammatical, or function, classes . . .. Function words in English include conjunctions (and, or), articles (the, a), demonstratives (this, that), and prepositions (to, from, at, with). To take one specific case, consider the word and. The essential feature of the word and is that it functions grammatically to conjoin words and phrases, as seen in the combination of noun phrases the woman and the man. Any change in membership in such a class happens only very slowly (over centuries) and in small increments. Thus, a speaker of English may well encounter dozens of new nouns and verbs during the coming year; but it is extremely unlikely that the English language will acquire a new article (or lose a current one) in the coming year (or even in the speakers lifetime). (Adrian Akmajian, et al., Linguistics: An Introduction to Language and Communication. MIT, 2001)Prepositions have gradually expanded their membership somewhat by admitting part iciples such as including, concerning, but the remaining classes are very resistant to the introduction of new items. This has been noticeable in recent years when attempts have been made to find gender-neutral pronouns. (Angela Downing and Philip Locke, English Grammar: A University Course, 2nd ed. Routledge, 2002) Functions of Closed-Class Words Closed-class words or function words are limited in number and act as markers or guides to the structure of a sentence. The role of articles is to signal nouns. Prepositions mark special relationships between persons, objects, and locations. Conjunctions are connectors that link actors or objects, and specify relationships between clauses in the sentence. Open- and closed-class words occupy certain slots in sentences and set up a frame for interpreting the interrelationships between actors, actions, and objects. (Diane McGuinness, Language Development and Learning to Read. MIT, 2005) Open Class Words Evolve to Closed Class Words The closed classes include pronouns (you, them), modal verbs (could, must), determiners (a, the), prepositions (of, in), and conjunctions (and, but). New members of these classes are not added to the language very often. Instead, they tend to gradually evolve from lexical words in a process called grammaticalization. For example, the lexical verb go means to move (toward a goal). But its progressive form be going (to) has evolved into a grammaticalized prospective (future) marker, as in Shes going to love her gift. The movement meaning of go has been bleached out of the grammaticalized version, and so the going in be going to can be considered to be a function word, rather than a content word. The closed classes represent a more restricted range of meanings, and the meanings of closed-class words tend to be less detailed and less referential than open-class words. (M. Lynne Murphy, Lexical Meaning. Cambridge University Press, 2010)

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Human Resource Development and Management Critical Thinking Mod 4 Research Paper

Human Resource Development and Management Critical Thinking Mod 4 - Research Paper Example Hence, the significance of recruitment along with adequate training in order to enhance the skills of potential employees can be regarded as a vital concern for modern day organizations. It is in this context that hiring new employees and boarding them within the set of organizational dimensions is regarded as a crucial and most challenging function of HR managers (Martin, 2008). Therefore, in order to develop the entire process as a systematic and an effective one, various theories and programs have been evolving within the managerial periphery. Two such programs are identified as the New Employee Orientation (NEO) and On-boarding. Based on this context, the discussion in this paper will emphasize on defining the two programs, i.e. NEO and On-boarding in the current day context. Consequently, the paper will intend to identify the reasons owing to which organizations tend to utilize these programs addressing the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of the practices aimed at the orientat ion and the socialization of new employees within an organizational setting. Moreover, the discussion will also depict the outcomes to be generated from the implementation of the NEO and On-boarding programs by today’s modern day organizations. ... Theoretically, orientation program delivers a scope for new recruits in order to accustomed with new organizational operational activities, different level of job responsibilities and individual work anticipation. Superior orientation program offers several benefits for new employees as well as managers through which they can adopt and comprehend smooth transition as well as operational function towards the new workplaces (Chen, 2010). On-boarding is regarded as a mechanism by which newly recruit employees attain essential knowledge, skills, capabilities and unique behaviours in order to become effectual organizational members. This particular mechanism is utilized as a systematic procedure that comprises formal conventions, video conferences, lectures and ‘computer-based’ orientation programs in order to provide necessary knowledge to the new employees regarding job description and organizational work procedures (The Inside Coach, 2013). Reasons behind Utilizing NEO and On-Boarding Programs Organizations must utilize the programs such as NEO and On-boarding for the purpose of making the new employees more productive as well as raising their operational standards. On-boarding program plays an imperative role within an organization in order to enhance the productivity of an operating industry. Conversely, NEO acts majorly in the development of the performance of the employee by a significant level (Xin Chen Southern Illinois University Carbondale, 2010). In relation to determine the reasons behind utilizing NEO and On-boarding programs, it can be stated that the organizations need active cooperation with its different team members in order to guide the newly recruited employees. It has been apparently observed that effective on-boarding impose optimistic impact upon

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Application of State and Federal Law within the Reservation Research Paper

Application of State and Federal Law within the Reservation - Research Paper Example These constitutions at one time gave the tribes quite a bit of power in making decisions and enforcing legal contracts with the people. However, over the last few years tribal power has been diminished with the most dramatic decrease happening with the Indian Civil Rights Act in 1968. Under this act, tribal courts are denied the power to impose sentences in criminal cases in excess of $5,000. and/or one year in jail (Robertson, 2001, pg 9). This has become a very big issue in taking care of criminal problems on the reservations. To add to the problem, if a tribal member feels their rights have been violated, they cannot take that to Federal Court, it has to go to Tribal Court. Congress has also made the tribes responsible for Environmental Laws as determined by the Federal Government as well as Federal Tax laws. The United States government maintains that it is the guardian for the tribes or trustee. This role came from the Cherokee Nation v Georgia ( Robertson, 2001, pg 3) This allows the Federal Government to hold the underlying fee title for reservation lands. That is why they are called trust lands. This guardianship capacity like all guardianship laws allows the Federal government to impose legislation affecting Indians that are the best for them. They are supposedly held to a very high standard for this. Tribal status under all of these laws is considered a political classification. Prohibitory State law applies to reservation land, regulatory does not always. This allows the State and Federal justice system to enforce environmental laws. The reason they can do this is because most environmental laws are prohibitory in nature. On the one hand the Federal government sees that they probably do not have the right to enforce such laws on Indian land but they are also responsible for the welfare of the people under their guardianship clause. It appears from many reviewed cases that the Federal government chooses to enforce when it is convenient to them (www.senat.leg). It is not done the same way every time. This is one of those places where the Reservation Court would not have jurisdiction to enforce because it is Federal law and because the charge is greater than $5,000. It places the tribal enforcement in a poor place because they cannot enforce but are obliged to report. In this case, the advantage seems to be on the side of the State and Federal governments. Another legal situation that has recently come to light based on the reservations and Federal law is the case the IRS and the auction of Indian lands to pay Internal Revenue taxes. This is one of the poorest Indian Reservations in the nation. The lands belong to the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe. The Federal government says they own Federal income taxes. The tribe has been trying to develop wind energy and this is the land that is set for that development. The land to be auctioned is 7100 acres (Martin, 2009). The law says that Indian tribes are not usually susceptible to tax laws. They are when there is business entities associated with the tribe. The IRS says the

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Motivation of nursing staff in a private care home Essay

Motivation of nursing staff in a private care home - Essay Example There are nursing homes with special care units for people with disorders such as Alzheimers. Nursing homes can be used by anyone who needs a constant care and special nursing needs. The needs for skilled nurses are on the rise and the availability is fairly scarce. Therefore it is necessary to understand the factors affecting the nurse’s motivation and their performance to retain them in service. Administrators of Nursing Homes/Hospitals need to know the critical significance of motivation for the performance of health workers and skilled nurses in the context of this scarce resource. Motivation at work is extensively supposed to be a key issue in the performance of individuals and organisations and is also an important predictor of intention to give up the workplace (Hasselhorn, et al. 2004). The challenge for the policy-makers and health care executives is to be able to motivate people to join an organization, stay there and carry out their work to a certain standard. It is well-known that worker performance is the outcome of three factors (Bennett and Franco, 1999), which are the as following: Incentive is one way of motivating people to perform. Linking incentives and performance is important. Incentive may be explained as an unambiguous financial or non-financial reward for performing certain act. The World Health Report defines incentives as all the rewards and punishments that providers face as a result of the organizations in which they work and the exact intervention they give. Those can be constructive or harmful, financial or non-financial, tangible or intangible. Normally incentives comprise pay, bonuses, allowances, vacation, work independence, transportation and flexible working hours. Incentives are used as a means to favour certain behaviours in order to reached defined goals such as improving performance (Hicks and Adams, 2003). Incentives are important for the reason that they can power the key

Friday, November 15, 2019

Marketing Plan for a New Sim Card

Marketing Plan for a New Sim Card This marketing plan is designed for the launch of a sim card that is inserted into the phone. The sim card will then save all the data onto the card and will allow taking the card out and placing inside computer/laptop. Then it will be able to make calls, text and download items onto the sim card via the computer. It would be perfect if the phone battery ran out and need to make an urgent call. Mobile phones have turned from being a luxury item to now being considered an essential to have. This is one of the main reasons why there is need of such a product that is placed in such reliant on market. In 2009 1.2billion mobile phones where sold worldwide and during the last quarter 340million units were sold which was a year over year increase by 8.3%. This plan outlines in the following pages, a renewed vision and strategic focus of what it will take to run a successful and profitable communication service. A careful evaluation of the weekly customer flow and communication schedule served as the foundation for this analysis and the following marketing plan. The product will be sell business to business but to gain more market share the direct user will be targeted. The product will be sold through various mobile companies like Samsung and dell. Vision:- The vision is to capture the market in U.K and after some years and gaining customer loyalty launch it around the globe also to position the product as user friendly and cheap. Competitive Advantage:- Product is offering a unique service which is very easy to avail and easy to use. Sim phone card have the ability to make calls as well as store data as much as 64 GB.This is a unique product no other product have offered this service before. Production:- Production process will be outsourced to the with Giesecke Devrient.One of the main producers of sim cards in the world is the company Giesecke Devrient they have 13 worldwide production locations Dulles, USA Mexico City, Mexico Sao Paolo, Brazil Johannesburg, South Africa Wembley, UK Munich, Germany Barcelona, Spain Moscow, Russia Istanbul, Turkey Cairo, Egypt Huangshi, China Singapore Knoxfield, Australia The company handles and creates any type of Sim card required for your phone. They start the process with art work design followed by the creation of the Sim card body i.e. size and shape. Once the Sim card is then created they will then package the product and send it to either ourselves or the company we are selling it To.The Company ensure that we ourselves are in complete control of the decision making, in the production of the sim card. One of the main factors we chose this company to work alongside is that they have locations spread across the globe and more importantly one situated in Wembley England. Current Market Situation:- The current situation of market can be predict from these tables that mobile phone usage is increasing day by day and there is a lot of scope in telecom industry. UK Mobile Operator Statistics and Market Share Five mobile network operators are indentified in the UK by  The Worldwide Directory of Mobile Network Operators 2008. The UK market consists of 4 geopolitical areas, namely England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. For mobile phone purposes, various islands also have their own operators, such as the Isle of Man (located in the Irish Sea between North West England and Ireland); and the Channel Islands, notably Jersey and Guernsey. At the end of 2007 the UK had some 73.1 million mobile subscribers, which represented 9 percent of the  European mobile subscriber market. IE Market Research Corp.  in its  United Kingdom Mobile Operator Forecast reported that the overall subscriber base in UK is still increasing, and the number of total subscribers will change from our projected 75.9 million in 2008 to 78.0 million in 2010, with wireless penetration expected to reach 126.0% in 2010. The five primary operators are  3 UK,  Orange,  T-Mobile,  Telefonica O2  and Vodafone. In addition there are a number of  Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO), the  MVNO Directory  claims there are some 41 organizations active in the sector. These range from conventional MVNOs through to resellers, and include well-known names such as  Virgin Mobile  and  Tesco.   Source:  The Worldwide Directory of Mobile Network Operators 2008 c. 2008 Vodafone  currently (1Q 2008) has the largest UK market share with 25.4% of the market.  Vodafone watch  provides an intimate snapshot of Vodafone, with SWOT, political analysis, market share, activities, communication opportunities, threats, political factors, company background and structure, management, revenue, market segmentation, market research on its peers, with a focus on Vodafone UK, its market share, and resumes of the Vodafone annual reports all presented in one handy monthly newsletter format! Source:  The Worldwide Directory of Mobile Network Operators 2008 c. 2008 Telefonicas O2  is a vibrant No. 2 in the market, only losing the the lead position in 3Q 2007. O2 is part of the Telefonica Group, and a new report -  The Telefonica Report 2008: Strategy and Outlook 2008-11   provides timely analysis and insight into Telefonica short- to medium-term strategy, incorporating a SWOT-type review. From Telefonica future strategy perspective, the report covers the four-year period from 2008 to 2011. Source:  The Worldwide Directory of Mobile Network Operators 2008 c. 2008 T-Mobile  takes third place in this highly competitive market. To learn more about T-Mobile, and its home market,  (The German Telecommunications Report 2008)  has been researched at source and features latest-available data covering all headline indicators; 5-year industry forecasts through end-2012; company rankings and competitive landscapes covering leading multinational handset manufacturers and equipment vendors, domestic fixed-line and mobile operators, and analysis of latest industry news, trends and regulatory developments. This shows that the 3 is the most growing mobile service company. SWOT analysis:- Strengths In a market which is increasing in customers Technology has risen, in 1995 0.4% of the population used the internet and technology and from September 2010 a total of 28.8% of the worlds population are technology users. http://www.internetworldstats.com/emarketing.htm Very unique and there is no other item that can do this Great for business men/women that travel a lot Heading into a market where new technology is being produced every month Apple are fetching out a iphone 3G and google are fetching out the new Nexus S http://www.google.co.uk/nexus/ http://www.apple.com/uk/iphone/compare-iphones/ Weaknesses In a very competitive market Will have to wait for new forms of phones a0nd laptops out for it to work Opportunities We are able to widen our product onto other phone companys We are able to advance our product if it is successful at the beginning Threats Potentially new technology could provide a better service than our product Future financial crisis could mean the pricing of the product could move up and down drastically PEST Analysis:- Political new government put in place could affect the price of the of items such as mobiles Economic With the current economic crisis that has occurred it has had a major effect on the price of products. This could make the pricing on the product very difficult. Potential items in the market could make pricing very difficult Consumer spending, less disposable income Social Behaviour towards our product Can everyone afford it Fits well with work and leisure times Technological Our product is in a very competitive technological market i.esim cards, USB and mobiles Will be sold separate from the phone and will be sold in Phone shops such as Phones 4 u. To increase the range of where we sell the product we will also sell it in computer stores alongside mobiles phones. The internet is also an aspect in which we will sell the product. Branding and Labeling:- The product will be branded as cheap and the name will be easy sim card and it will be label as go easy do easy Pricing strategy http://marketingteacher.com/lesson-store/lesson-pricing.html Price Skimming- Charge a high price because you product a substantial competitive advantage. However, the advantage is not sustainable. The high price tends to attract new competitors into the market, and the price inevitably falls due to increased supply. Manufacturers of digital watches used a skimming approach in the 1970s. Once other manufacturers were tempted into the market and the watches were produced at a lower unit cost, other marketing strategies and pricing approaches are implemented. Product Bundle pricing:- Here sellers combine several products in the same package. This also serves to move old stock. Videos and CDs are often sold using the bundle approach. Nokia n96 has memory card storage of 32 GB largest for phone (hold 7000 songs) Average price for 32 GB Kingston USB range between  £25 to  £150 for quality Average selling price:  £30 Boston matrix http://marketingteacher.com/lesson-store/lesson-boston-matrix.html We are a problem child because: These are products with a low share of a high growth market. They consume resources and generate little in return. They absorb most money as you attempt to increase market share. Hopefully become a star once we make a profit. The integrated production process starts with the artwork design, which is followed by the manufacturing of the card bodies, chip embedding, personalization, and the packaging and mailing of the cards. With GDs total fulfilment services, we handle the complete SIM supply chain on behalf of the network operator, i.e. every step from the transfer of the operators purchase order data to production to delivery. This process also covers GDs implementation of the most original packaging variations, e.g. a combination of mobile phone plus marketing material plus voucher plus SIM card plus CD-ROM or such. This can also encompass conducting an inspection of the goods received as additional packaging components. Delivery can be made either directly to final customers or to stores. Network operators can access inventory information as well as order status online from GD. They can also completely integrate GDs total fulfilment services into the network operators existing materials management system. Promotion:- To promote our product and to penetrate the market we will advertise it with different ways. For first 6 month magazine and newspaper, if we make a profit then look to then advertise on TV.Increase awareness in 70% of target market within 3months time period Enhance perception of superiority within 3 months time period. This is how the budget will be allocated to various fields to advertise. Advertising Objectives To position product as user friendly. To strengthen image of product in consumers mind. To create continuity within campaign. To differentiate product by our competitors. Advertising will be done by various ways some of those are below Print layouts and copy Radio scripts Television storyboards Theme lines, art, package designs, illustrations, and so on Brochure or catalog layouts Outdoor board designs Advertising specialties Sales promotion ideas Internet ads Market Segmentations:- Market will be segmented into 6 different groups Group 1: Group 2:    Age 25-45 Age 35-55 Sex Male Sex Female Income  £50,000  £100,000 Income  £75,000- £150,000 Education College Graduate Education Associates Race All Race Caucasian Social Class Upper Class Social Class Upper-class Family Size 3-4 Family Size 4-5    Geographical: Geographical: Group 3: Group 4: Age 25-55 Age 35-55 Sex Female Sex Female Income  £75,000  £170,000 Income  £15000  £25000 Education College Graduate Education Some College Race All Race All Social Class Upper Class Social Class Middle Class Family Size 2-3 Family Size 4-5    Geographical: Geographical: Product User: 1st Time Buyer Product User: Loyal to Brand Lifestyle: The Good Life Lifestyle: Soccer Mom Group 5: Group 6:    Age 45-65 Age 35-55 Sex Male Sex Both Income £50,000  £100,000 Income  £75,000  £150,000 Education Some Graduate School Education Associate Race Caucasian Race African American Social Class Middle Class Social Class Upper Class Family Size 3-4 Family Size 4-5 Target Market:- Target market will be the people aged 25-45 and middle and upper class of society more business orientated people, who travel a lot and will need constant communication access.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Gay marriage in America Essay

America was built on the foundation of equality for all men; however, not until recently have gay and lesbian individuals inherited such civil rights. One of the largest and most pressing issues effecting the gay population is the issue of gay marriage. Marriage is defined as â€Å"the relationship that exists between a husband and wife or a similar relationship between people of the same sex† (Websters). Within the past ten years fifteen states have legalized gay marriage. â€Å"As of Nov. 13, 2013, gay marriage has been legalized in 15 US states (CA, CT, DE, HI, IA, MA, MD, ME, MN, NH, NJ, NY, RI, VT, and WA) and the District of Columbia. 34 states have gay marriage bans through either laws or constitutional amendments or both.† (Procon) Fifteen states legalizing gay marriage in ten years is a strong the accomplishment however, it is still, and continues to be, a very polarizing issue within the country. The passage and acceptance of gay marriage effects many different diversity categories including but not limited to age, religion, and ethnicity and race, and economic status. Age There is a direct correlation between age and the opinion of same sex marriage in America. According to The Pew Research Center, younger Americans are much more accepting and favor same sex unions over older Americans (PewResearchgroup). â€Å"Individuals, born after 1980, favor allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally by a 53%-to-39% margin, while there is less support for same-sex marriage among Baby Boomers –those born 1946 to 1964 — than among younger age groups. Currently, 38% favor allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally while 52% are opposed† (Pew Research) These recent poling numbers would suggest a continuing trend from generation to generation; each new generation is more in favor of same sex marriage than the previous. With more Americans favoring same sex marriage than ever before, one would believe this trend of acceptance of gay marriage will continue over the next generations to come. Religion There is a strong relationship between how religious you see yourself and your views and attitudes toward gay marriage. This idea is not very surprising although very important as it contributes to an understanding of the religious factors that influence opinions about issues directly impacting the gay population. â€Å"Religious attendance is associated with negative attitudes towards gay and lesbians and less support to gay and lesbian civil rights.† (Todd and Ong, 1) There is a positive link between high religious attendance and negative attitudes towards gay marriage; religious attendance is a constant predictor of attitudes towards gay marriage. Within subgroups of religion such as Christian Orthodoxy and conservative Protestant, â€Å"with such an identification, therefore reducing the odds of supporting gay marriage.† (Todd and Ong, 1) Findings suggest the more one identifies and strictly follows their religious views has a direct link to their views on gay marri age. Ethnicity and Race Views and opinions, whether they be negative or positive regarding gay marriage changes and varies within ethnicities and race. African-Americans are generally more opposed to gay marriage versus their white counterparts. â€Å"African-American religiosity is primarily responsible for their conservative views about homosexuality and same-sex marriage.† (Sherkat, Mattias de Vries, and Creek, 81) The factors of race and religion closely relate to each other in this aspect and help to influence each other. As stated above religion has great influence on ones views of same-sex marriage and â€Å"African-Americans have the highest rates of religious participation of any subgroup of the U.S. population† (Sherkat, Mattias de Vries, and Creek 81) â€Å"Between 1998 and 2004, white opposition to same-sex marriage declined to under 54 percent, and it dipped to under 46 percent by 2008. Opposition to same-sex marriage also declined substantially for those of â€Å"other† races, decreasing to under 40 percent in the 2004 survey, and fluctuating between 45percent in 2006 and 43 percent in 2008. Yet, African-American opposition did not decline substantially between 1988 and 2006.† (Sherkat, Mattias de Vries, and Creek 81) Within different races the opinions of gay marriage seem to be changing with the times except for the African-American race. Again, whether it is due to outside factors of religion, culture, or tradition, the African-American race seems to be lagging in the forward movement of gay marriage. Summary As Americans we are guaranteed certain inalienable civil rights and liberties, however as we have seen and know that is not always true. Based on an individual’s sexual preference the ability to marry is not always assured. Factors such as age, religion, ethnicity and race, and economic status greatly influence ones opinion on same sex marriage. Those who are older and more religious oppose gay marriage more than their counterparts who are younger and less religious. Is this to say every older religious individual does not believe in same sex marriage? The answer is no; however, these factors such as age and religiousness tend to follow these trends. There is also variation in opinions within races and ethnicities. White Americans seem to be the most accepting of gay marriage over African-Americans and other races. Discussion The decision on choosing gay marriage legalization and views in America today comes from the realization that there are more gay couples seeking marriage in today’s society than ever before. Gay marriage is no different than heterosexual marriage between a man and a woman with the one obvious exception of gay marriage being between two individuals of the same-sex. Often times, gay marriages are not granted the same civil rights and civil liberties as their heterosexual counterparts. Age, religion, ethnicity and race, and economic status greatly factor into ones positive or negative  views on gay marriage. Throughout this course I have learned that some individuals or even groups of people, such as the gay population, have a very difficult time obtaining the same advantages as their peers. In the past, homosexuality was something to be feared, however, today the public opinion of gay marriage is changing for the better. Stereotypes and prejudices still exist today however they are slowly being phased out by an understanding and more positive attitude towards gay marriage. As of today fifteen states have legalized gay marriage with many other states predicated to soon follow suit. This research has helped me better understand the struggle and plight that the gay community often faces for basic civil rights. Liberties and benefits that I take for granted that come along with marriage are not often extended to the gay community based solely on sexual orientation. I have gained a new appreciation of marriage because I know it is not something that is equal for everyone as well as not obtainable for every individual at this present time. Marriage is not something to be taken for granted because there are those that still cannot share in its wealth. American was built on the foundation of freedom for all regardless of differing diversities; I believe this should hold true for all regardless of sexual orientation. Work Cited â€Å"Gay MarriageProCon.org.† ProConorg Headlines. ProConorg, 11 Nov.2013. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. Kohut, Andrew. â€Å"Less Opposition to Gay Marriage, Adoption and Military Service.† Pew Research Center for the People and the Press RSS. People Press, 22 Mar. 2006. Web. 06 Nov. 2013 â€Å"Marriage.† Marriage. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. Sherkat, Darren, Kylan Mattais De Vrias, and Stacia Creek. â€Å"Race, Religion, and Opposition to Same-.† Social Science Quarterly (2010): 80-100. EBSCO. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. . Todd, Nathan R., and Katherine S. Ong. â€Å"Political and Theological Orientation as Moderators for the Association between Religious Attendance and Attitudes toward Gay Marriage for White Christians.† Psychology of Religion and Spirtuality 4.1 (2011): 56-70. EBSCO. Web. 2013. .