1. Why is it difficult, if not impossible, to measure the success of any change in drug policy?
   
   The author of the textbook states that the major problem with it is “measurement of results.” This means that in general the number of illegal drug abuse is hard to measure and the statistical data is often meaningless. Also, according to the author, the indicators used for measuring effectiveness of police control methods, or the successful treatment of addicts is not accurate or reliable. Since the result or the effect of drug policy is not clear, it is difficult to measure the success of any change in drug policy.
   

2. Describe Project D.A.R.E. What are the positive and negatives of this program?

   
   Before we head into the discussion of its positives and negatives of the program, we need to understand the description and definition of D.A.R.E, Drug Abuse Resistance Program. It basically means According to the author, it basically means a program that aim in assisting the junior graders with sufficient determination and skills they require to fight against the temptation and allure of drug abuse, which includes drugs, alcohol, and tobacco.

   The first positive of this program is its organized and uniformed police officers on full-time duty of the program. The staff is all carefully selected and well-trained to serve and work adherently to the objective of the program. Resulting from their professional, responsible and determined spirit, “students can learn the positive attitude towards them and have the greater respect for the law." This sets as a benchmark for students and thus D.A.R.E can increase antidrug attitudes and knowledge while strengthening the social skills that are believed to be important in resisting drug use. As a result, students usually show a significantly decreasing tendency toward drug use.

   But still, negative aspects of this program say that this program possesses contradictions. Some people say that adolescent would be more interested in drug abuse if they are completely cut off from it with a negative effect. Therefore, some insist that this program is not effective. In accordance of this, researchers prove this by tracking with D.A.R.E for five years, but sadly there is no obvious long-term effect for this program.
   
3. What general conclusion have researchers reached about the usefulness of drug education programs?
   
   Generally, researchers found out that drug education programs usually cast useful feedbacks and effects. First of all, treating the drug education as a part of the education system, we can see the programs sometimes help people to develop career skills, in order to get them prepared for work. This makes young people far ways from the reach of drugs. Also, it is pretty obvious that drug education program encourages and teaches young people to possess certain skills and resistance toward drug use, for example, the D.A.R.E. Furthermore, the presentation and lecture on danger of drugs is brought into real life practice, as the students can actually help serve the community. This provides students chances to realize and reinforce the theories.

4. Outline the various policy issues concerning the decriminalization of drugs in the United States.

   Decriminalization simply means the abolition or alleviation of some criminal penalties for some actions, but this does not necessarily mean a complete deletion of fines and charges. In the United States, we can see how decriminalization of drugs works well with respect to marijuana. According to the author, “possession of marijuana for personal use has been decriminalization in some states, and some authorities have proposed legalization and taxation.” In some other states, marijuana is prescribed by doctors and can be used under doctor’s recommendations. The issue has always been whether this lenient tendency or trend will encourage people to abuse marijuana in these states. Besides the risk of inclining authority to possess drugs, the controversy has also been around the scientific knowledge of marijuana. As people generally understand the differences in the adverse effect of tobacco and marijuana, and therefore reconsideration is needed.

   However, the advocates of decriminalization suggests the benefits from socioeconomic perspective, as governments will spend less in controlling, while citizens will spend less in paying the penalties. As a result, more resources will be available to spend on other perspective of the society. Also, they claim that decriminalization concerns about individual choices and liberty that a government should consider of adopting this.
   
   

Emily Dickinson 2

Sing Ruby Siu
English 48B
March 20, 2009
Journal #22 Emily Dickinson

QUOTE:

“I heard a Fly buzz – when I died -/ The Stillness in the Room/ Was like the Stillness in the Air…and then/ I could not see to see” (87-88).

SUMMARY:

In this poem, Emily Dickinson wrote about a surreal imagination of death. She imagined there was a fly buzzing over her head when she died. The room she was in was silent and solemn, which matches her flat and calm tone. She also mentioned the surrounding witnesses’ reactions toward her death, and all of them seemed ready to perceive the moment to come. Then, she proclaimed her readiness to enter a new beginning – a beginning that is cut off from the reality of the world. Throughout the poem, there is an ongoing sense of stillness, which contrasts with the animated fly.

RESPONSE:

I like this poem because Dickinson depicted a very realistic and unforgettable scene. The juxtaposition of fly with death in a quiet room is a very remarkable setting because it purposefully covered up the emotional fluctuations and significance of life. Dickinson wanted to make the whole event looks trivial and common, as the death looks painless and calm. Reading from the English department of City University of New York suggests different interpretation of the role of fly. For example, the fly can be seen as a symbol of death and decay. However, I think the fly symbolizes an insignificance of life in the universe. The flying of the buzz is a very ironic object to the dying person. As the person’s dying, the person experienced the last moment of life, while there was only a fly buzzing around to signify this moment. It means dying is almost natural to the flies, as well as to the nature. The dying person also used a flat tone in addressing the environment, which shows her last realization of life that she is not important at all.

This poem casts a very intense feeling to me. Although Dickinson calmly portrayed the vision of death, the scene to me was overwhelming and terrifying. This poem reminds me of a specific dream I had. In the dream, I was experiencing the moment of death. The dream has no storyline. I can see how my breath was gradually cut off due to physical weakness, and how my ears can no longer hear what is being said, shout, or cried over me. Although the eye sight seems granted, I will be unable to see every detail of the world because my eye lids are closing. The vision is blurry but I have no strength or power to struggle anymore. The feeling of detachment is particularly strong, as I will not be part of the world anymore. The physical self in the dream experienced the prolonged moment of death, and it contrasts with my animated life when I wake up. A freaking terror pops up, once I tell myself that everyone will go through that particular moment. It is even more terrifying when I, I, have to be cut off from my existence one day. It is bizarre, strange and unacceptable when I look at myself. I dare not think about it anymore; I continue my living.