3D printing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

3D printing - Essay Example 3D printing can best be understood by defining a 3D printer. According to Kelly, "A 3D printer is a printer that prints in three dimensions" (5). Deriving from this definition of a 3D printer, 3D printing is therefore printing objects in three dimensions. This technology has transformed printing from the conventional two dimensional methods which lacked height to three dimensions that comprise of height (Kelly 5). To further differentiate between the conventional method of 2D and modern 3D printing, Kelly asserts that whereas ink is used in 2D printing, 3D printing mainly uses plastic in order to achieve a three-dimensional object (7). Through 3D printing, it is easier for individuals to modify products according to customers instructions and needs. This advantage is reiterated by Stephanidis who posits that customized products can easily be created and produced in large quantities through an uncomplicated process made possible by 3D technology (300). Additionally, merchandise can be produced more rapidly and precisely as the process is computerized. People can today purchase a 3D printer at a cheaper price for use at home. It is worth noting that people in the modern world have divergent needs and requirements and hence may require to create specific products to meet their specific needs. An individual can therefore create a product to meet his own need at home and thus making life easier. This saves resources as money that could have otherwise be spent through purchasing the particular product from a shop or other manufacturers is used for other purposes. 3D is today used to create prototypes. In fact, Battersby and Grimes assert that approximately 70 percent of 3D usage today entails prototyping (831). In laymans terms, a prototype is a model or sample that is created for experimentation. Through the use of 3D, an individual can create as many prototypes as possible at a cheaper price until the specifications of the desired product are achieved. There are

The importances of the primary,secondary and tertiary levels of health Essay

The importances of the primary,secondary and tertiary levels of health promotion in nursing practice - Essay Example It then becomes imperative for health nurses to define their services and to provide evidence that will support the effectiveness of the interventions they offer. In accomplishing this, Deal (1994) asserted that there should be an implementation of standardized nursing language. Unlike the last few years, roles of nurses have changed from â€Å"not a good press† to an essential ability in the improvement of healthcare. Nowadays, nurses claim that caring is just as important as technical skill. Nurses are directly involved in the implementation of health promotion. Their participation in the implementation of healthcare promotion determines the success or failure of the desired practice. The first article deals with a particular state in the United States – New York and the role of the public health nurses to the health promotion and maintenance. Firstly, health promotion is initialized through assessing the health as well as the health care needs of the population in identifying who would benefit from the health promotion or the ones that are being described in the article as â€Å"at risk of illness, injury, disability, or premature death†. Collectively, health promotion is being defined in the article as the respond to the identified healthcare needs in a form of range of activities that will contribute to health and the prevention of illness and the like. Article 1 takes the nurses as the critical and most important role inevitably involves in the promotion and maintenance of the health of the public. American Public Health Association and Public Health Nursing (2003) define nurses’ role as to â€Å"promote the health of populations using knowledge from nursing, social, and public health sciences†. Correspondingly, public health would be in great danger devoid of a strong nursing workforce. They are the ones that provide direct care to the public as a response to the implementation of health

Freedom of Speech and Media

Freedom of Speech and Media The freedom of speech is defined as the right of a person to express thoughts, ideas, and personal opinions through a desired media without any restrictions unless restriction is necessary such as where exercising the right infringes upon the rights of others or where national security is at threat. Advocacy for freedom of speech has taken centuries of soldiering on in the background of repression by authoritarian regimes, culminating in the UN General Assembly adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948. Hesiod writes a theological work challenging some religious matters in 700 BC. Cleisthenes introduces the Isegoria in the Greek political chambers in 508 BC. Socrates is tried and sentenced to death by an Athenian jury in 399 BC. John Milton writes the Areopagitica in 1644, which strongly talked against restrictions of freedom of the press in England. The UN General Assembly adopts the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948. Freedom of Speech and the Mass Media are inseparable. International human rights documents outline Freedom of Speech as including: the freedom of thought, and freedom to seek, acquire, and give ideas and information through any chosen media. The mass media, having the role of covering events, gathering and spreading information, and controlling state authority activities needs to exercise responsibility in carrying out its duties. Media bias is a problem affecting freedom to information which is a component part of freedom of speech. The western mainstream media has been accused of giving biased reports on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Censorship of Media is necessary. The ICCPR identifies two key areas where restrictions must be enforced on the freedom of speech as: respect to the rights of others and protection of national security or public order or morals. The Rwanda genocide of 1994 is an example of unrestricted media. Freedom of speech in Kenya has gradually evolved through spirited advocacy from extreme repression in the first about three decades since its independence to acceptable standards as contained in international human rights documents. Foreign and local press particularly in the Moi regime, periodically went through censorship in the form of expulsion from the country, detention of journalists and confiscation of publication. Parliamentary debates were restricted with certain topics such as voting procedures almost being banned by the executive after the coup attempt of August 1982. Ford-Kenya Chairman Jaramogi Oginga Odinga in 1992, challenged in the High Court, the unfair advantage that the incumbent was receiving over the other parties in the state owned Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC). The media act was enacted in 2007, which placed more restrictions on the media. The Waki report which highlights key issues to be implemented in order to avoid a repetition of the post election violence, gives no special address to the media. Advocacy for freedom of speech has been a long historical struggle in the world involving torture and bloodshed and should be upheld and defended at all costs. Mass Media and the Freedom of Speech Freedom of speech is one of the basic human rights commonly contained in international human rights documents. Also referred to as freedom of expression, it is an important element of a democratic society. Precisely, the other side to freedom of expression is freedom to information, which makes it possible for people to make informed decisions about their lives. The Freedom of Speech as a human right carries with it responsibility and is therefore exercised within certain restrictions enforceable through Mass Media. The freedom of speech can be defined as the right of a person to express thoughts, ideas, and personal opinions through a desired media without any restrictions unless restriction is necessary such as where exercising the right infringes upon the rights of others or where national security is at threat. Throughout history, man has sought to exercise freedom of speech within his social habitation. The earliest concept dates back to around 700 BC in Ancient Greece, where matters of speech freedom then, were close to the heart than any other place on earth. Hesiod, a non-cleric, wrote a theological work challenging some religious matters. This was in defiance of the norm because such matters were only addressed by those in high status (Allsop, Quadrant Online: The Difficult History of Free Speech). A historical landmark in the fight for freedom of speech is the 508 BC introduction of the Isegoria, meaning Free Speech, by Cleisthenes in the Greek political chambers. (Allsop, Quadrant Online: The Difficult History of Free Speech) This probably laid the foundation for Freedom of Speech in Athens and also the whole world because it was the first time laws on free speech were formally recognized by a democracy. Socrates trial and death in 399 BC effectively marked the death of the isegoria because for the next about 2000 years freedom of speech declined. Socrates may as well be regarded as the martyr and father of freedom of speech because he defiantly stood for what he believed even with the option of freedom if he changed his stand (Owens). For years after his death, his teachings and ideals remained in the hearts of proponents of free speech after him. The rebirth of free speech 1500 after Socrates in England had so much to reflect on Socrates ideology. John Miltons famous pamph let written in 1644, Areopagitica, which talked extensively against restrictions of freedom of the press had Greek influence, even its naming was after a hill in Athens the site of courts in ancient Greece. (Allsop, Quadrant Online: The Difficult History of Free Speech). The fight for speech freedom culminated in the UN general assembly adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948. Article 19 of the UDHR is clear that freedom of speech and opinion is a human right, which includes freedom of thought, freedom to seek, acquire and give ideas and information through any chosen media. (Youthmedia:What is the Role of Speech in a Democratic Society) Other international documents such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) also express similar precepts. To be able to transmit and receive information, people need to access mass media. In any given state, the role of mass media is so important that it is many times considered as the fourth arm of government. The mass media covers events, gathers and spreads information and controls activities of state authorities (Youthmedia:What is the Role of Speech in a Democratic Society). Being an independent sector, the mass media has the power to influence society either favorably or destructively. It therefore has to be responsible and accurate in its dissemination of information. The media is sometimes not accurate. The western mainstream media, for example, has been accused of giving biased reports on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, where the reporters use language that influences the readers to favor Israeli attacks and de-taste Palestinian aggression (Walsh). The fact that a reporter is likely to take sides when covering particularly emotive matter begs the question whether we can get purely un-biased reporting from them. Such kind of bias is difficult to control and people may just have to live with it. Open and obvious bias, on the other hand, may develop its own control by the mare fact that the reader has recognized it, thereby avoiding being influenced by it. Censorship of Media is necessary. The society needs to be protected from information which is morally wrong, an infringement on the rights of others, or a threat to national security. The ICCPR identifies two key areas where restrictions must be enforced on the freedom of speech. These are respect to the rights of others, and protection of national security or public order or morals (Youthmedia:What is the Role of Speech in a Democratic Society). The Rwanda genocide of 1994 is an example of unrestricted radio use. Thompson (43) puts it clearly that radio played a central role in the build-up, during and after the genocide. Kenyas media enjoys freedom under the new constitution promulgated in 2010, Chapter 4 of the constitution contains an extensive bill of rights built around the standards of the UDHR and other international documents (Lwanga). Low moments in Kenyas democratic rights were from the countrys indepence in 1963 to the mid-Moi regime about three decades ago. As Cited by Gathu(7), Widner says that foreign and local press particularly in the Moi regime, periodically went through censorship in the form of expulsion from the country, detention of journalists and confiscation of publication. Parliamentary debates were restricted as certain topics such as voting procedures were almost banned by the executive after the coup attempt of August 1982. Such repressions were carried on until the beginning of multi-party politics in December 1991 where new opposition forces were legalized and they pressed for more freedom of expression. The weekly review, for example, points out that the then Ford-Kenya Chairman Jaramogi Oginga Odinga in 1992, challenged in the High Court, the unfair advantage that the incumbent was receiving over the other parties in the state owned Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (qtd. In Gathu 7). The new-found speech freedom in Kenya later began exhibiting incitement problems. For instance, the run-up to the 2005 referendum on the constitution was marred with political incitement. This led to the enactment of the media act in 2007, which placed more restrictions on the media (Lwanga). Even though Certain broadcasters were accused of using the media to incite people prior to the 2008 post election violence in Kenya, the Waki report which highlights key issues to be implemented in order to avoid a repetition of the post election violence, gives no special address to the media. The Mass media in Kenya has exercised responsible reporting since 2007 especially taking into account the recently concluded peaceful general elections on March 4, 2013; which were the first to be held under the new constitution. The desire for free speech has been deeply entrenched in the heart of man as an unwritten law since time immemorial, even before formal recognition by any authority. It has soldiered through history in the background of strong and sometimes brutal repression to be one of the key elements of human rights today. As freedom of speech is enjoyed today, the contributions of its great early crusaders such as Hesiod in the 700s BC, Socrates in 430 BC, and John Milton in 1644, cannot go unnoticed. Countless other brave advocates have endured persecution for what they strongly believed in. Now recognized worldwide and entrenched in international documents such as the UDHR and ICCPR this basic human right needs to be upheld and defended at all costs.

Journey to the Harlem Renaissance Essay -- Harlem Renaissance African

Journey to the Harlem Renaissance As America moves into a more cultural and diversified era, more people are taking the time to learn about the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance was the foremost form of freedom for African Americans. It showed blacks that they were becoming equals in American society. The talents of African Americans soared in art, music, literature and especially poetry. The main writers embodying the Harlem Renaissance were Claude McKay, Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen. Claude was born in Jamaica, in 1898. He got his education from his older brother, who â€Å"possessed a library of English novels, poetry and scientific texts.† (Callahan, 784) Claude was a little older when he created his first piece of literary work. He published a book called Songs of Jamaica. It was a â€Å"record of his impressions of black life in Jamaica.† (Callahan,783) In 1912, he finally got to America, where he wrote Harlem Shadows; â€Å"his most important book of poetry.† (Callahan 784) While there, he attended the Tuskegee Institute. In 1914 he moved to Harlem, â€Å"the center of black culture in the U.S.† (Anderson, 704) He later published two sonnets, â€Å"The Harlem Dancer† and â€Å"Invocation†, in 1917. He â€Å"would later use the same poetic form to record his reactionary views on the injustices of black life in America.† (Callahan, 785) In addition to social and political concerns, McKay wrote on a vari ety of subjects, â€Å"from his Jamaican homeland to romantic love, with a use of passionate language.† (Callahan, 785) During the twenties he developed an interest in Communism, so he visited Russia to meet the architects of Russian Communism, Lenin and Trotsky. He also lived in France. When he came back to the U.S., he moved back ... ...hree for the new millennium? Bibliography: Works Cited Anderson, Robert, et al. â€Å"Langston Hughes: 1902-1967.† Elements of Literature: Fifth Course. Austin: Holt, 1989. 706 Callahan, John F. â€Å"A Long Way From Home†: The Art and Protest of Claude McKay and James Baldwin.† Contemporary Literature 34.4 (1993): 783-785. Countee Cullen. 7 Feb. 2002 http://members.aol.com/hynews/cullen.htm. Hampson, Thomas. I Hear America Singing. 7 Feb. 2002 http://www.pbs.org/wnet/ihas/poets/hughes.html. Jackson, Steven. Father of Jazz. 14 Feb. 2002 http://www.redhotjazz.com/hughes.html. Johnson, James Weldon, ed. The Book of American Negro Poetry. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1992; BoondocksNet edition, 2001. Reuben, Paul P. â€Å"Chapter 9: Harlem Renaissance-Langston Hughes† http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap9/hughes.html

Second Language Acquisition and Bilingualism

In America, there is a predominant growth in multiple ethnicities and cultural backgrounds; leading to the usage of multiple languages in the American culture. There is a growing need for many people to learn and utilize multiple languages within the workplace and within one's own personal life. The importance of bilingualism and the knowledge of multiple languages is ever increasing, and therefore becoming more important for the younger generations. The push for knowing multiple languages and becoming bilingual has many potential negative and positive effects. Bilingualism is the ability to use two languages when communicating orally or in writing. The usage of multiple languages within the American culture is becoming very common and beneficial. It is difficult because as teacher you always have to find new and interesting methods in order to arouse learner’s interest, but at the same time it is enjoyable since teachers are given the opportunity to work with them. For myself, I enjoy working with bilingual children; I as a caregiver try to learn the students’ first language so that I will be able to communicate with them as much as possible in their native language. Currently in my classroom I have a German native. His name is Lucas and he is fifteen months old. His mother is German and his father is an American soldier. Both of his parents speak English and German. So at home they communicate with him in both languages. I talk to his mother and father on a daily basis to find out new words in German so that I can talk to him in both languages. I have discovered that some words that I do say in German he really does respond to them better, than if I would tell him to do something in English. Second language acquisition is the process of learning other languages in addition to the native language. Second language acquisition is a long process which can include many stages. For instance, a child who speaks German as the mother tongue starts learning English when he/she starts going to school. English is learned by the process of second language acquisition. Students of second language acquisition go through the same stages of learning, the period of learning varies. Some students tend to learn better by responding to visuals and pictures. There are many positive benefits in the acquisition of a second language and bilingualism. There are many positive affective factors for second language acquisition and bilingualism. Some positive factors can be listed as: the student’s attitude towards learning the new language, the teacher motivational attitude, and the proficiency in the student’s first language. Also learning a second language at an early age can have a positive effect on intellectual growth, and also enhance and enrich the child’s mental and development. Furthermore it can open the doors of opportunities to other cultures and help the children learn and appreciate other people from other countries. There are two types of bilingualism. The first type is simultaneous bilingualism. Simultaneous bilingualism is when children acquire two languages prior to the age three. Simultaneous bilingualism normally happens when the language used at home is different from language used in the community or school. The parents, caregivers or other family members might not speak the language of the school or the community, or the parents could speak two or more languages but have made a decision about which language they speak with the child. (http://www. brainy-child. com/article/bilingual. shtm) The second type of bilingualism is successive bilingualism. Successive bilingualism refers to instances in which a child acquire their second language after the age of three† (Otto, 2010, pg. 71). Once they have reached the successive bilingualism stage some children learn their second language formally through school or through language classes. With successive bilingualism a child has the advantage of their first language as a base. They use this to both analyze and develop t he second. For example, the child knows that language is organized in a particular order. The more mature a child is they also have a better vocabulary base, acoustic perception, and comprehension. Therefore they would make fewer errors in a second language. For example, I once worked with a little boy, Julien, he spoke NO English when he entered my classroom (only Spanish) also, and his mom spoke NO English. As time passed he picked up English but when he got angry he would spout off in Spanish. ABSOLUTELY the cutest thing I ever saw! When parents to do not speak English I take that as a learning opportunity for myself and the parent. I try to communicate in that parent’s native language as best as I know how. Even if that means only knowing the basics. As the year progressed, the parent also learned how to speak English from taking classes on the army installation. When she could finally communicate with me she was very excited and so was I. Our relationship really grew. However, there is a critical period of learning a second language, â€Å"Many linguists believe there is a ‘critical period' (lasting roughly from birth until puberty) during which a child can easily acquire any language that he or she is regularly exposed to. Under this view, the structure of the brain changes at puberty, and after that it becomes harder to learn a new language. This means that it is much easier to learn a second language during childhood than as an adult. Apart from the above, children do tend to develop more native-like pronunciation when bilingualism begins before adolescence. † (http://www. brainy-child. com/article/bilingual. shtm) With that being said children tend to learn a second language better before the age of fifteen. â€Å"Learners and their learning strategies will change over time. A five year old will have a different language learning profile and language learning strategies than a fifteen year old. † (http://www. rainy-child. com/article/bilingual. shtm) As bilingual children acquire the home and target language they have been found to mix the languages in the same communicative interaction. This is known as language interference (Otto, 2010). â€Å"Code mixing is also when the children appear to be mixing the two languages. When the children code mix this may simply reflect their parents’ use of the t wo languages. It can also reflect the attempts to maintain a conversation when knowledge of the second language is not sufficient to express the desired message. † (Otto, 2010, pg. 72). I have seen this happen on a regular basis in the preschool classroom. One incident I remember, I was joining my son for lunch and I was passing the lunch to the child next to me, when handing him the ham in the container, he replied â€Å"no bitte† which means no thank you. He said â€Å"no† in English and â€Å"thank you† in German. According to Otto, the author of Language development in Early Childhood, â€Å"Codeswitching is distinguished from code mixing and language interference by the speaker’s apparently conscious and deliberate use of two languages within the same sentence or from one sentence to another† (Otto, 2010, pg. 2) Codeswitching usually occurs when a idea label is not available in the language being used. When talking to my father he uses codeswitching all time. He would be in the middle of a conversation with me speaking to me in English and if he does not know the correct word in English he would automatically say it in Spanish . I never knew that there was a professional word for this type of language. â€Å"In the past, especially prior to 1960, bilingualism was thought to be an educational handicap† (Otto, 2010, pg. 72). It was believed that children could not learn a second language, while maintaining their first language (Otto, 2010). This is termed subtractive bilingualism. When a child encounters subtractive bilingualism this could result in the negative impact on the families. The communication between the families can become disrupted. â€Å"Prior to the 1970’s research has increased our understanding of the factors involved in second language acquisition† (Otto, 2010, pg. 73). We as educators need to get involved and help children and their amilies that are bilingual. â€Å"Current approaches to bilingualism emphasize the acquisition of the second target language, with the continued development of the home language. â€Å"This approach is also referred to the as additive bilingualism because a child’s language skills are enhanced in both languages† (Otto, 2010, pg. 73). Immersion programs promote additive bilingualism for majority language speakers. These are highl y valued educational programs. Although teaching is provided in the second language, the teacher knows and may use both languages. For example, the Child Development Center that I work for here in Hohenfels, Germany offers immersion programs to the military community. They offer German and Spanish immersion programs. I believe that these are great programs and that will be very helpful for our community, being that we have some many bilingual families in our community. Right know the classes are offered for children ranging from ages three years until twelve years of age. Also in the Hohenfels community there is Host Nation classes offered at the Elementary school. The host nation class teaches basic German words. This class also teaches the German customs. The class is offered twice a week in forty –five minute blocks. This class is very beneficial when you are in a different country. I went out to eat with my co-worker and her daughter is in the fifth grade, and just from her attending those classes twice a week she was able to order my food for me at the restaurant. I was impressed. Just being able to communicate basically and the read the menu, is what she has learned from her host nation class at school. As mentioned before, I believe the younger the child is, the better the time is to teach a child a second language. â€Å"Children who have acquired a level of fluency in two languages have been described as having the following increased language competencies: higher levels of metalinguistic awareness, greater and earlier awareness of language structure, wider perspectives, and more social skills† (Otto, 2010, pg. 73). This supports the claim of there being positive effects to bilingualism. Language is not taught directly, but it is acquired through ways which are clearly understood in a low anxiety environment. I am seeing this in my profession more and more each day. The amount of importance put onto second language acquisition is much higher that it has been before; at least it is more profound now. As a caregiver, I have learned that relationships and learning opportunities will allow children to strive in acquiring a second language. Children and families will continue to learn English as they come to the land of the â€Å"American Dream,† and caregivers, like myself will only slowly begin to see the effects second language acquisition has on our society. References Otto, B. (2010). Language Development In Early Childhood. (3rd Edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson BRAINSKILLS.  (2011).  How does language acquisition happen? .  Retrieved from http://www.brainskills.co.uk/HowDoesLanuageAcquisitionHappen.html Brainy Child.  (2011).  The Impact of Bilingualism on Overall Language Development and Academic Success .  Retrieved from http://www.brainy-child.com/article/bilingual.shtm) Education.  (2011).  Becoming bilingual: acquiring two languages.  Retrieved from http://www.education.com/reference/article/bilingual-acquiring-two-language/ Alice Callaghan.   (2010,  July  11). English immersion.  Los Angeles Times,p.  A.33.   Retrieved March 01, 2011, from Los Angeles Times. (Document ID:  2078277161). MacLeod,  A.,  ;  Stoel-Gammon,  C..  (2010). What is the impact of age of second language acquisition on the production of consonants and vowels among childhood bilinguals?  The International Journal of Bilingualism,  14(4),  400-421,511.   Retrieved March 01, 2011, from Research Library. (Document ID:  2266735221).

Fat Tax Essay

Imposing a fat tax on saturated fat, junk foods, sodas, etc. would be best because of many health and money related issues that it could possibly solve. A fat tax could help control many health problems the United States is facing today by giving some incentive to buy healthier foods. Taxing these certain foods may help control the way people eat and in turn change lifestyles to much healthier ones than there are now. The healthier lifestyles would help lower the amount of money spent on health care, in turn saving money. The tax, along with saving the United States money, would also produce large revenue helping to boost the economy and pull out of the debt crisis. Many other countries have begun taxing fatty foods and have produced very nice revenue because of the levies. The tax might pose some problems at first, but in the long run will prevail and produce great gains for the country. In order for a tax to work, it will have to be done correctly. A very organized operation, in which the correct fatty foods would be taxed in order to target certain items which create health problems, would be a start. The United States as a whole is becoming a very unhealthy society because of how Americans eat. Fast food restaurants are part of the main cause because of their affordability and accessibility. It is so easy for people to skip cooking healthy foods and just stop off at McDonalds to grab a quick burger. â€Å"The United States obesity rate has reached up to 34% according to the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention† (Salahi 1). A fat tax could possibly slow the consumption of these fatty foods and fast foods, which in turn would reduce the obesity numbers. Obesity is not all that these fatty foods are causing; there is also heart disease, diabetes, and many others, all of which come about because of behavior. Imposing a tax on the fatty foods that cause these diseases could change the behavior of the consumers (Vijayaraghavan 1). An example of behavior change is gasoline prices, the higher gas prices have changed the types of vehicles being made. If a tax was levied on junk foods, sodas, etc. , there should also be a price drop in fruits, water, and healthier foods, which would push the consumer to buy the healthy foods. If consumers would begin to purchase these healthier foods, the death rate of around 300,000 people per year will drop (Chouinard 22). Studies have shown that the healthier the person, the more productive he/she usually is because of an active lifestyle. The fat tax, if effective, could possibly produce a healthier, happier, and more productive society as a whole. If the country becomes much healthier as a whole, then a lot of government spending would begin depleting causing huge gains in Medicare and Medicaid where costs have doubled in the past ten years. The government could then use that money to put towards other areas needing improvement in health-care. Although taxing certain foods would create large revenue for the nation, as well as decreasing the enormous bills for health care, which citizens are taxed for anyway. â€Å"The Congressional Budget Office predicts, with a three cent tax, a fat tax could produce twenty-four billion dollars within four years† (Salahi 1). That type of revenue could pose great possibilities for both state and federal government funding for other areas needing improvement. Seventeen states in the United States already have certain taxes on junk food which produces somewhere around one billion extra revenue dollars annually. If the United States would impose these taxes nation-wide, that would be an extra fifty billion dollars of revenue to a broken economy and could help the debt crisis immensely (Drinkard 1). As well as producing a large revenue for the country, if effective with obesity, a fat tax would also drop our health-care expenses which are somewhere around one hundred billion dollars per year. The amount of money saved on health-care, combined with the revenue generated by tax dollars, the United States could possibly earn three-hundred billion dollars over a four year period (Salahi 2). The money produced by the taxes would create great opportunities on both state and federal levels. The debt crisis that the United States is facing would begin to deplete and could create new organizations regulating this fat tax in which new jobs would be created. In 1917 the United States imposed a tax similar to this fat tax on sweets and sodas as part of a plan to help pay for involvement of World War I. At that time, the taxes seemed to appear during times of need when money was needed to produce, and it worked. The United States is in a debt crisis, and if the country would impose these taxes on fatty foods it would produce much needed revenue to help pull the country out of debt (Drinkard 4). Many European countries such as France, Denmark and Hungary have already begun instituting a tax on unhealthy food to boast a healthy society and produce revenue. Denmark has setup its fat tax by the percentage of saturated fat in each item. The tax is around three dollars per two and a half pounds of saturated fat. Denmark’s plan was to impose the tax in order to increase the life expectancy average of its citizens by trying to force people to eat healthier (Jaslow). They are trying to force the citizens to avoid the saturated fat because of heart disease and cancer that it can cause. Romania was planning to start a tax on fatty foods that was more complex and was said to raise around seven-hundred million Euros a year. The plan was pushed aside though because of already high and steadily rising food prices. Hungary believes their fat tax will be most effective on peoples buying habits because of its citizen’s low salaries. The people will have to choose the cheaper, healthier foods in order to survive with the amount of money they make. Hungary also plans to levy a 25% extra tax on fatty foods and drinks, and if passed, it will be the first in the world (Cain 2-3). The United States also has had its own versions of this fat tax before on sodas and candy in the early 1900’s, but most only lasted a short while each time they were instituted. In Denmark their plan to tax the saturated fat in order to make people live healthier has backfired on them, and obesity rate has actually increased (Dietriffic 3). Although there are many reasons a fat tax would really help the United States, there are still some grey areas and problems it would pose. First, the government would be controlling how people make some of their decisions. The higher taxes pose a problem for certain companies which produce these fatty foods causing them to slow production which would result in more and more job losses. This country already has too high of an unemployment rate to put itself in a position in which that rate will grow any higher. The debt crisis in the United States is a big problem for the tax as well as unemployment, because now an already struggling society is being taxed. The United States has instituted a tax similar to this before in 1932 and expected to raise around twelve million dollars, but it was overturned after two years because of lack of revenue production and was very unpopular (Drinkard 4). Such a tax would still be unpopular today with people who do not have an obesity problem. They would be taxed trying to solve a problem that has nothing to do with them, and targeting strictly obese people would be immoral. The tax could possibly backfire as well, and the obesity rate would continue to grow larger as people just spent more money on food. There was a study done on smoking bans in bars that showed the drunken driving fatalities increased because people drove further to bars in order to be able to smoke, and that is an example of what might happen with the fat tax. In other words, the fat tax could be passed, and then not necessarily work and just fade out like in the past or could have the opposite effect like it has had on Denmark. There is no actual way to change the eating habits of people; they can only be given incentive to try to change (Montopoli 2). The problem with the tax at this time is taxing people who are already struggling to make ends meet. With the unemployment rate being so high, it is going to be really hard to pass a tax to increase prices on food even more than they already are because humans must eat to live. In a case where the tax causes people not to be able to pay for the high cost of food, then people then the government ends up spending more with food stamps. This result would then make the gains of the fat tax ineffective because the revenue produced would keep up with the government spending caused by the high cost of food. A manufacture’s tax would erase the problem of over taxing citizens, but then could cause the companies to either increase their prices or go under, and turn would create greater unemployment. A fat tax should be imposed in order to first off help with our debt crisis. The revenue that this tax could produce for the United States government could make great gains in the right direction. It could create new jobs in the Government to regulate how this tax is accessed. The health gain that could be possible because of the fat tax would be huge for the country. If the country were able to stop the consumption of these fatty foods and drop the obesity rate, it would help drop government spending in turn also helping with the debt. The obesity rate drops and the production climbs according to health studies. If our production is increased in all areas, that will also help with greater revenue gains (Drinkard 7). To have a healthy society as a whole, would make the country a better place to live in and would boost spirits to a society that is down and out due to a very slow economy. If health-care could move away from studies on obesity and heart disease caused by unhealthy eating habits, then Americans could focus more on different diseases such as cancer. In order for this fat tax to work, it must be setup correctly with much research from others who have imposed similar taxes thus far. If certain foods deemed unhealthy are taxed in order to boast healthy eating habits, then the foods that are healthy need to be subsided that way it really puts some incentive in eating healthy. It is too easy to just stop by a fast food restaurant and grab a quick burger and fries although it is one of the unhealthiest things to do. There must be something extra, subsides on healthy food, in order to change the way people are going to eat. Cigarettes are a good example of how taxing fatty foods would not work; just because you tax something and raise the price is not going to prevent people from buying it. The extra subsides on healthy food give the extra edge for people to buy them which in turn will then create the healthy eating habits (Salahi 1). The most important part of the tax at this time is the amount of revenue it will produce, and the United States needs it desperately. If the revenue is produced according to plan, then it has served its purpose over a four year period and will begin to help with the health issues on its own eventually. It is a serious issue in the United States and needs to be addressed, but it will be a long process to get to that point. The possibilities posed by the fat tax are wonderful and would help the United States greatly.