Trevor

__Directions__: Instead of posting on this page, go ahead and type your first and final drafts by using the editing tools on this page. For example, to get started, type in the first draft of your first argumentative paper today. The FINAL draft will be due Friday, Oct. 4. Or, if you don't want the whole class to see it, you can email your paper to me: tconrad@weber.edu.

Topic: AIDS to Cure or not to Cure?

Intro: would a cure for AIDS truly benefit the human race?

What is it?

How is it spread?

What can be done about it?

What are the pros of curing AIDS how do people feel about it? What are the cons of curing AIDS? How do people feel about it?

What is my stand and what can we do about it? Final Paper!

Trevor Hanson Weber Writes Response Eng 2010 10:30 October, 14, 2013 Tom Conrad

I read the essay in titled "Optimism, Pessimism, or Gratitude" by Alexis West. This essay evaluates the outcome and the effectiveness of positive thinking, negative thinking and just straight up gratitude. The arguments are on behave of gratitude in promoting healthy and successful outcomes in life. Over positivity can cause disappointment when life's turns don't go as planned. Negativity can cause depression and make one socially unattractive. This essay gives examples of how gratitude can cause positive results with such statements as " The hear that gives thanks is a happy one, for we cannot feel thankful and unhappy at the same time." I agree with the conclusion of the writer as he argues that gratitude will cause a positive or happy change in an individual. I have seen this in my life. As i take time for counting my blessings and actually listing them it is hard to have a bad attitude. Giving thanks to others boots my personal confidence, reason being is that when one is on the receiving end of thanks giving one will respond positively to who ever has given thanks. Responses will be complements, reflected gratitude, and appreciation. All of these then will be received by he who was giving thanks in the first place causing an increase of self worth and confidence. It is important to give thanks always for mental health and happiness.

ARGUMENT PAPER # 2 FINAL BELOW

To Cure or not to Cure and AIDS?

AIDS or acquired immune deficiency syndrome is one of the world’s most devastating diseases. It has been ranked as #4 deadliest disease by the science channel. According to Amfar 1.7 million people died in 2011 due to this deadly threat. It spreads like wild fire and burns through its victims as it rages through not just poverty stricken countries but our own country as well. What is this killer? How is it passed and should be find a cure or not?

In order to understand the why or why not of curing AIDS we must understand the "what" and "how" behind the deadly killer.

AIDS a disease that is contracted through contact to outsiders bodily fluids. The body, when affected by aids, has an impunity break down. The cells which were hanging around to fight infections and other diseases are attacked and killed by the HIV virus which is the beginning of AIDS. These cells that would kill a common cold even up to helping a person fight cancer are all gone. There are no knights to protect the castle of human health. It is not the AIDS that kills you but it is the outside viruses and diseases that come into your defenseless body that destroy you. AIDS is a slow killer because it can be fairly dormant until you receive an additional outside infection, against which your body is now defenseless. This is why all AIDS victims die. There life becomes a ticking time bomb and the trigger can be as simple as the common flu.

We understand that this disease is ravaging many parts of the world. AIDS is most prevent in places such as Africa and India. These countries have poor education, health care, and a different set of moral values and culture than the average American or European country. How is AIDS spread? Is AIDS a rampant disease that snatches up helpless victims like cancer and Malaria?

AIDS as we know is a disease that is spread in a specific few ways. The virus HIV, which is the base of AIDS is spread only through direct internal fluid to internal fluid contact. AIDS spreads its nasty effects through blood, semen, breast milk, and vaginal fluids. (aids.gov) You may think that it seems like you can have very specific control over your personal contact with such fluids therefore avoiding AIDS and you would be right in such assumptions. Though you may not want to hear this AIDS is most commonly transmitted through a couple specific ways. The number one way is through unprotected and protected sexual contact. AIDS is prominent in drug users. Often illegal injection drug users share needles to save money and for convenience. Drug dealers and users do anything to get their fix including selling and using pre-owned syringes and other equipment. The innocent victims of HIV are the un-born children of infected mothers. HIV is often passed from mother to child in pregnancy. In very rare cases health professionals contract HIV from accidental needle sticks and other exposure. They have the benefit of having fast acting drugs to kill the virus before it takes hold of the individual. (US Department of Health and Human Services, hhs.gov)

Curing this disease has been a lifelong quest for thousands of scientists across the globe. There are treatments to help preserve the life of those infected, but a cure is yet to surface. No person can live a normal life with AIDS. According to every day health the average life span after contracting HIV is only 22.5 years and 40 years with treatment. This type of treatment is rare at best outside of the US. The question now is should we put so much time and effort into curing this disease? The answer sounds obvious but you may be surprised.

For obvious reasons thousands are working in favor of curing AIDS. Millions of lives can be saved if there were a treatment. The 34 million people in the world would have the possibility of being rescued from HIV and AIDS. The average person with HIV in the US spends over 600,000 dollars in treatment to sustain life for a time. This cost could potentially go down when a more standard cure is established. Saving lives and potentially saving money would result in the curing of AIDS. It is simple the benefits are there, but what are the hidden risks of saving the day for AIDS patients around the world?

There are other ways to stop the deaths besides trying to find a cure. Whatever happened to good old fashion education and prevention? What would happen to the world’s population if AIDS were to vanish off the face of the earth because of a miracle cure? How might this effect crime rates? How could this effect the amount of resources on the planet if people could have as much sex as they want with who they want and not worry about the consequences? How much simpler would it be for intravenous drug users to dope up on American streets? These are the questions that raise concern when one begins to talk about curing AIDS.

According to “The world Demographic Transition” the earth has only a certain carring capacity. Reason being is because there is only so much clean water at once, there is only so much farmable land, and there is only so much food to be had. The number of people who can live on the earth at once has already passed. We as humans are consuming more than fifty percent of the earth’s recourses. In other words we consume more than we grow or give back. Smaller countries with little resources are already seeing the effects of this through death and starvation. These countries also happen to be many of the same places where AIDS is ramped like South Africa and Nigeria. According to authors at “Developing Africa” a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing wellness in Africa, there are almost 25 million people living with AIDS in Africa alone. Human life a cycle as we know, we live, breed, and multiply exponentially as things get better. Therefore the curing of AIDS would not stop the deaths because 25 million people who would have left this life early will now live on and create the population domino effect. This leaves less resources for the immediate country and the world as a whole. Death from starvation is increased at an amazing rate when there is no food. Such death is already reaping havoc on Africa. Over 200 million people suffer from malnutrition and starvation in Africa alone.

Above is only one example why developing a cure for AIDS would possibly do more harm than good for this world. Conceder the other questions I have mentioned when finding your opinions. My thought is we must spend more time and money on education for the world in prevention. There are many organizations that dedicate themselves to the education of youth and others on AIDS prevention. Imagine a world where all minds understood where AIDS came from. Imagine a world where all people took a good old fashion pledge against the spread of AIDS. Imagine governments that created programs, laws and policies that promoted the awareness and stop of AIDS spreading. Imagine if it were mandatory for people to tell partners about their disease before engaging in any sexual contact. It may be uncomfortable for the poor sap to admit his or her health issues, but it is much more uncomfortable to be a victim of AIDS. Sure humans have their agency, but let us do what we can. I for one don’t want to bargain AIDS for starvation. I want to bargain for life.

Final Draft