Poor Sanitation Found At Pharmacy

On October 26, 2012, in an article named, “F.D.A Details Contamination on Pharmacy” from The New York Times, Sabrina Tavernise reported about findings of the Food and Drug Administration on a company whose tainted pain medicine has caused harm to patients. The company, which is the New England Compounding Center is responsible for a national meningitis outbreak in which 25 people have died, 313 more have fallen ill, and about 14,000 have been exposed. The F.D.A. discovered that there was a greenish-yellow residue on sterilized equipment and that most of the tools’, such as testing dishes, surfaces were covered with levels of mold and bacteria. Experts stated that in some cases there were so many bacteria or fungi in a sample that the whole testing dish was overrun with overgrowth. Inspectors said that eighty-three out of three hundred twenty one vials linked to the meningitis outbreak. Also, the company’s air conditioner was off at night between the times 8:00 p.m. and 5:30 a.m., despite the importance of regulating temperature and humidity. In a room where sterile drugs are made it is exceptionally important to have air conditioner on because it holds back the growth of microbes. Not only did the unsanitary company’s practices lead to bacteria overgrowth on tools that need to be sterile, but also it led to the death of people, who could have been treated in a more helpful way. Russel E. Madison, a consultant on sterility issues to the pharmaceutical industry, stated, "In all my time in the pharmaceutical industry, which is 45 years, I've never seen one this bad" (The New York Times).

The True Victim

There is not one direct way to describe the analysis of the events in the The Scarlet Letter because it is a book that makes the reader feel sympathy for some characters and anger towards others. Throughout the book the reader understands that Chillingworth and Dimmesdale suffer for different purposes. Chillingworth is exceptionally hurt that Dimmesdale has slept with his wife, Hester. Therefore, he strives for revenge upon him by acting like a faithful friend while torturing him and making his poor health worse. Dimmesdale becomes ill and his sickness worsens, making him a completely different person. He shifts from a faithful, religious figure, who understands every one, to a person full of guilt, shame, and pain. It is completely true that Chillingworth is angry and hurt because he feels discriminated against his manhood. However, the real victim is Dimmesdale because he was not only keeping his guilt and pain a secret, but also he was unable to take care of his daughter and only love, Hester. He was tortured by his sickness, which was a result of his secret and guilt. He also felt guilty in front of all the people that respected and loved him as a kind minister because he was lying to them by keeping them unaware of his sin. All these feelings were kept inside of him, which made him ill and miserable. Even though he had planned to leave all that happened behind and move on, he did not live happily and peacefully with his family because he passed away right after his last sermon. A year later Chillingworth passed away left with no one to carry out revenge on. Chillingworth was not one to feel sympathy for because his purpose for living was not to look for justice but to perform his act of revenge on Dimmesdale. His character was mentally grotesque and he represented true evil. Not only did he waste his life, but he did not succeed in his plan for revenge because Dimmesdale publically confessed and passed away with relief. 

Pearl: Hester's Life Saver

“’Make my excuse to him, so please you!’ answered Hester, with a triumphant smile. ‘I must tarry at home, and keep watch over my little Pearl. Had they taken her from me, I would willingly have gone with thee into the forest, and signed my name in the Black Man’s book too, and that with mine own blood!’” (80). This quote is from the part when Hester is leaving Governor Bellingham’s house. As she leaves, the governor’s sister, Mistress Hibbins takes her head out of her window and invites her to witches’ gatherings at the forest. Hester rejects the invitation explaining that she needs to take care of Pearl. She also mentions how if they were to take Pearl away from her, she would willingly go to the forest. The quote is of stressing significance because it implies Pearl’s importance to her mother and the story. She seems to save her mother from Satan’s temptations, which is stated with a metaphor of “Black Man” in the quote. Even though Hester is facing shame and embarrassment to the extreme where dying can seem to save her from suffering, she still loves her child and wants to live for her. Moreover, Pearl saves her life even though she makes her go through all that trouble, which is also quite ironic. This is important to the story because the author makes the reader understand the primary reason for why Hester is keeping herself strong. Pearl is not only the product of her adultery, but also the reason for why she still lives. 

Libya Faces Problems With Its Militias

David D. Kirkpatrick reported about militia issues that have arisen in Libya after the assault that killed the American ambassador and his constituents last month. In an article called, “Libya Struggles to Curb Militias, The Only Police” from The New York Times Kirkpatrick revealed that Libya’s militias, who supplement the regular army in an emergency, have resisted government control. Their resistance makes it more difficult for Libyan authorities and the United States to find the actual attackers and killers of the American ambassador. The public blames the death of the ambassador on the lack of protection from militias. Therefore, thousands of people filled the streets last month to demand the dismantling of the militias. After the president told them to back off, some of the leaders of the militia units threatened to cut off any service that they provide, such as putting out fires and patrolling the borders. If the militias retreat from these services, Libya will be under huge threats of being attacked from the outside. While some complain that the militia does not do their intended jobs, others report witnessing the militia carrying out the attack. A hospital administrator where a militia unit’s men served as guards stated, “They are very nice people. Security has been ‘on shaky ground’ since the militia fled” (The New York Times).  The man, who felt the affects of security before and after the assistance of militias, is a perfect example for the rest of society that they will never be secure without these militias. They cannot afford not having these militias, especially after a serious assault that killed the ambassador last month.

The Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter has developed into a book full of confusing and serious conflicts and actions, but yet it keeps the reader curious to know what is coming next. There is no question that Hester committed a crime that not only upset the people, but also put her into a difficult situation, which she has to undergo with her daughter. In the beginning of the novel when she was taken into public for embarrassment, Reverend Dimmesdale tried to make her confess the man’s name, with whom she had a relationship with. When Hester stubbornly refused to reveal her partner’s name, the Reverend surprisingly gave up on her and assured the public that she will never speak, which ended the force of confession set upon her. Since the public respects and believes the word of a religious figure, they were satisfied with the Reverend’s statement and did not question why he gave up on her so quickly. I came across this conclusion only after reading more of the chapters. As I proceeded reading the book, I discovered clues that lead to my assumption for the conclusion of the entire story. It is no coincidence that Mr. Dimmesdale and Hester’s husband, who desperately wanted revenge from her partner, became close friends. This action fully convinced me that Mr. Dimmesdale is the biological father of Hester’s daughter, Pearl. Nathaniel Hawthorne also draws clues about Roger’s slight supposition of that, which is why he became close friends with him. Fully informed about Roger’s unpleasant character, tragedy and death are the two paired ways the book will end. The Reverend and Roger will attempt to humiliate and kill one another in every conceivable way. The result of one of their deaths will drive religious Hester to insanity. Therefore, she will kill not only herself, but also her daughter. She will take this step because she knows that the public will never leave her alone during her lifetime.

Nametags That Track Students

On October 6, 2012, in an article titled, “Student IDs That Track the Students” from The New York Times Maurice Chammah and Nick Swartsell reported about how having plastic nametags became a personal issue in schools. Nametags are used by the administration as a device that allows them to use radio frequency technology with scanners tucked behind walls and ceilings to locate students. The program is implemented to ensure the safety of students in a school by locating a child quickly in an emergency. Most importantly they are used to keep count of students so that the state supplies the district with an entitled amount of money. For instance, in Texas school financing is a number game. The state provides money for the schools based on the number of students counted in homeroom classes each morning. Since most students were at school but not in their homeroom classes, the teachers did not count them. Therefore, the school lost money. Even though this program benefits not only the safety of the students, but also the finance of an entire school, some students and parents have privacy concerns. Tira Starr, an eighth grader at Anson Jones Middle School, and her mother complained that her privacy was taken away because she was tracked down everywhere she went. This student has a legitimate point because what the school is doing can be considered a form of stalking. The student may feel uncomfortable knowing that her school is informed of her whereabouts. However, a different parent from the same school said, “It gives the kids a little bit more responsibility, knowing that we as a faculty are keeping up with them” (The New York Times).