Socrate`s Apology Essays - Socratic Dialogues, Dialogues Of Plato

Socrate`s Apology ' The Apology is Socrates' defense at his trial. As the dialogue begins, Socrates notes that his accusers have cautioned the jury against Socrates'eloquence, according to Socrates, the difference between him and his accusers is that Socrates speaks the truth. Socrates distinguished two groups of accusers: the earlier and the later accusers. The earlier group is the hardest to defend against, since they do not appear in court. He is all so accused of being a Sophist: that he is a teacher and takes money for his teaching. He attempts to explain why he has attracted such a reputation. The oracle was asked if anyone was wiser than Socrates was. The answer was no, there was no man wiser. Socrates cannot believe this oracle, so he sets out to disprove it by finding someone who is wiser. He goes to a politician, who is thought wise by him self and others. Socrates does not think this man to be wise and tells him so. As a consequence, the politician hated Socrates, as did others who heard the questioning. "I am better off, because while he knows nothing but thinks that he knows, I neither know nor think that I know" (Socrates). He questioned politicians, poets, and artisans. He finds that the poets do not write from wisdom, but by genius and inspiration. Meletus charges Socrates with being "a doer of evil, and corrupter of the youth, and he does not believe in the gods of the State, and has other new divinities of his own." In his examination of Meletus, Socrates makes three main points: 1) Meletus has accused Socrates of being the only corrupter, while everyone else improves the youth. Socrates then uses an analogy: a horse trainer is to horses as an improver is to the youth. The point is that there is only one improver, not many. 2) If Socrates corrupts the youth, either it is intentional or unintentional. No one would corrupt his neighbor intentionally, because he would harm himself in the process. If the corruption was unintentional, then the court is not the place to resolve the problem. The other possibility is that he does not corrupt them at all. 3) In frustration, Meletus accuses Socrates of being "a complete atheist," at the same time he claims Socrates teaches new gods. Thus, Meletus contradicts himself. Socrates argues that fear of death is foolish, because it is not known if death is a good or an evil, thus there is no reason to fear death. Socrates claims that his mission is in service to God. This is to condemn people's pursuit of money, honor, and reputation, while ignoring wisdom, truth, and the improvement of the soul. When talking about politicians, he states that he was a Senator once, and opposed the majority when several generals were brought to trial. He points out that several of the "corrupted youth." And their fathers were present, but none of them were accusing him; rather, they were there in his defense. Socrates refuses to ask for pity. He does not throw himself on the mercy of the court. Many would bring in their children to win pity. However, he does mention that he has three young children. He tells the jury about their responsibility to ignore the appeals to pity and judge the truth. Despite Socrates' speech, the jury finds him guilty as charged. Meletus proposes death as punishment. Instead, Socrates proposes retirement in a home for benefactors of the state. He examines possible penalties: death, imprisonment, a fine, or exile. Then, he realizes that exile is not an option since he believes that "The unexamined life is not worth living." He finally proposes a fine of 30 minae, guaranteed by Crito, Plato, and others. The jury sentences him to death. Socrates remarks that his internal, guiding voice, which at times would warn him to refrain from certain actions, had not once interrupted his actions in his defense. He argues that death might be a good: either it is a dreamless sleep, or he will travel to the place of the dead where he can question anyone and not be executed for it. He states: "No evil can happen to a good man." He asks the jury to punish his sons, and provide guidance. If so, then he will have received justice. "We go our ways: me to die you to live; only God knows which is better." Throughout the Apology, Socrates believes himself to be a "teacher, "though he does not say that of himself.

Micro bio essays

Micro bio essays Does soap really help to kill bacteria and do bacteria live on everyday things we touch? Well, microorganisms live wherever conditions and the environment are suitable, from inside ones body to the floor we walk on. There are many different types of microorganisms, all different in their color and the way they grow. However they are able to live together in a mixed population, side by side. In this lab you will learn the importance and practice of aseptic techniques and the methods of culturing and growing bacteria. You will be able to observe and see why ever since you were little you were told to wash your hands after using the toilet and before eating; after this lab you will be thankful. Using the petri dish divided into fours, dirty ones hands and then touch section 2 being careful not to touch the control, section 1. Then swipe section 3 with water washed hands and then in section 4 with soap washed hands. Using the petri dish divided into fours swab the push button on the hand drier in the girls bathroom, then swab section 1. For section 2 swab the sink handle in the girls bathroom, for section 3 swab the toilet seat in the boys bathroom, and then for section 4 swab the urinal in the boys bathroom. I learned microorganisms can live in various places. However I found the class results inconclusive for the swabbing experiment. There were not clear results, for example in group 2 they found six colonies growing in the petri dish after swabbing the button on the hand drier in the boys bathroom, yet group 3 found none growing in the petri dish after swabbing the button on the hand drier in the girls bathroom. This could be due to many errors though when collecting the results, how the person swabbed, for how long, and what technique they used when swabbi ...

Differences between Ethics and Law From Bioethical Point of View Essay

Differences between Ethics and Law From Bioethical Point of View - Essay Example Although there is a boundary between laws and ethics, the boundary does not separate them sufficiently. This paper seeks to define law and ethics and in the process try to bring out the difference between the two. Ethics comes from the notion of rights and wrongs within a given society. These wrong and rights are based on actions we would expect others to do for us in return. We are thus forced or expected to do to other people, as we would wish them to do to us. With time, these expectations have been developed into principles that define ethics in a given society. On the other hand, laws are developed and imposed by the government to enhance harmony among members of a given society1. This implies that laws are generally accepted in a given society as guiding principles if they create a difference between wrongs and rights. The government, through peoples representatives, creates laws for a given society and not the vice versa. For these laws to be generally acceptable, they must fu lfill the society’s requirements for wrongs and rights. Laws are therefore developed from existing ethics and imposed by the government to mediate the relationship between members of a particular society. An example of a common ethic in medical practice is treating emergency cases urgently. A similar law created by the government would state that all emergency cases brought to a hospital should be attended within the shortest time possible. The law would continue and give penalty for defaulters. Similarly, ethics have attached consequences that stipulate actions to be taken on defaulters. Laws are therefore developed from existing ethics for them to be generally accepted by a given society2. The development of laws from existing ethics implies that laws are just extensions of ethics and hence related. Due to general acceptance principle, ethics are unwritten rules that mediate between people of a given society. On the other hand, laws have a wider coverage and varied interpre tations that require preservation in writing. Ethics of a given society do not require to be kept in a written format since people are aware and ready to commit to them. Ethics are therefore established on people’s conscience eliminating the requirement of written a document. For a code of conduct to be accepted as an ethic in a given society, people must have the ability to recall it when a need for application arises. Therefore, some institutions have a written document that stipulates the code of ethics that must be upheld by the members of such institution. For example, health institutions have a code of ethics document for medical practitioners. Elimination of ambiguity and preservation are the two main reasons for writing down laws. Ethics on the other hand are preserved in people conscience and passed from one generation to another. This factor weakens the difference between written and unwritten rules. Writing of laws is done objectively while ethics are preserved in people‘s consciousness for a similar objectives. This implies that the existence of laws as written rules and ethics as unwritten rules does not create sufficient difference between the two implying that laws and ethics are similar. Laws have to be approved by all arms of the government before being put into application. On the other hand, ethics do not require approval by any party since they are generally accept

Dental Coverage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Dental Coverage - Essay Example These advocates claim that low-income people suffer more from poor oral health than those belonging to higher socioeconomic status, which make their chances of getting hired less likely. But there are opponents to this proposed move to lower dental costs. They believe that dentists are already disadvantaged, monetarily speaking, by dental insurances that do not sufficiently reimburse for dental procedures. Further lowering dental fees will further hurt them. And, critics believe that dentists will be forced to sacrifice the quality of their services to prevent these financial losses, which, in the end, will cause disadvantages to the patients themselves. Arguments opposing the proposal to lower dental costs or making it more affordable for low-income adults place emphasis on its disadvantages to dentists and the quality of dental care. The lowered dental fees have already forced dentists to perform dental services at a monetary loss. A current research by the American Dental Associat ion discovered that some dental health maintenance organizations (HMO) do not sufficiently pay for even the low-cost preventive oral health services (Gordon, 2013). And thus, due to insufficient reimbursements, some dentists providing services to individuals holding HMO insurance usually lower the quality of their services, such as hastening procedures, in order to avoid financial drawbacks. Thereby, critics argue that in the end the people themselves will be the ones to suffer from low quality oral care services. Many dentists refuse to accept Medicaid recipients because the repayments are insufficient. The president of the Florida Dental Association, Cesar Sabates, boldly stated, â€Å"I can’t afford to do Medicaid† (White, 2012, para 18). In essence, people belonging to minority and low-income populations suffer from more dental problems, but they have lesser access to quality oral care. Arguments supporting reduced dental costs focus mainly on the issues of employa bility and productivity. The first argument supporting reduced dental fees claim that affordable oral care services

Article # 6 (due 10-26) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Article # 6 (due 10-26) - Essay Example According to Chris (2012) lack of basic patient information including the demographics of the patient, credit risk and the estimated price for the services leads to misrepresented bottom-Line financial results. To come up with an appropriate financial record, the health care provider has to come up with the collect payments and estimate costs. In relation to the financial affairs of the provider, it is difficult to charge the necessary costs on a patient if the patient information is wrong. Providing an appropriate bill for a patient and the appropriate treatment is difficult as a result of poor recording. Poor recording of patient information leads to misappropriation of bills and treatment records; this may cripple the operations of the organization due to the huge losses on the bottom-line financial records. According to the study works of Chris (2012) it is vital for the organization to record patient’s records appropriately to avoid getting appalling bottom-line financial

New Zealand Services to Support the Elderly

New Zealand Services to Support the Elderly Abstract Elderly care is a steady industry in New Zealand. It is one of the most stable industries in New Zealand because the New Zealand population is an old population. In light of this attempts to improve the geriatric care standards in New Zealand should always be a priority. Present services and healthcare organizations should always be reviewed and accredited to make sure that they are qualified and their services are not obsolete or redundant. Introduction There are different organizations which provide services to the elderly in New Zealand. We should take the time to know these organizations because since most of us work in a healthcare setting with a lot of geriatric clients, we should know the services that are made available to them. We should always provide accurate and useful information about the elderly care system in New Zealand because there are still a number of misconceptions about it. Question 1 a.) Age Concern NZ Age Concern NZ has 6 main services, and I will discuss three of the services. The first service is about eliminating the feeling of loneliness in elderly people. The purpose of this service is because most elderly people feel that they are neglected and abandoned by their families or the society. The effects of loneliness can have negative repercussions on the mental and physical health of elderly clients. They may often feel left out because they can no longer keep up with the fast paced world that we live in. Age Concern NZ is offering a service which includes visiting elderly clients and spending time with them. This can be a learning experience which can greatly benefit both the client and the volunteer. The client will no longer feel lonely and will somehow be alleviated from their feelings of isolation from the society. The volunteer will be able to learn and correct about some of the misconceptions that society has about the effects of aging, and will greatly make a positive i mpact on the elderly clients they are visiting. The second service that they offer is about Elderly Abuse. The elderly are especially susceptible to being victims of abuse because usually they are no longer at the peak of their physical and mental health, which is interpreted by others as a sign that they can abuse an elderly person and get away with it. What some people tend to forget is that elderly people still deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. I believe that elderly clients should always have a say in what they want and they should be given choices rather than other people deciding what is best for them, unless they are no longer able to decide what may or may not be good for them, or if they may inflict harm to themselves and to others if left to their own means. Some elderly people are also victims of exploitation because most of these people are looking for someone to help them care for themselves. There may be some people who are only showing love and support to these clients because they know that they can g et something from them in return or because they can manipulate their decisions. The company offers support to the people going through any form of elderly abuse and they educate people who work with elderly clients and their families about the different types of abuse and their warning signs. The third service is about the wellbeing of the elderly clients. If the clients are happy, have healthy relationships there is less risk for depression. Depression can be avoided even in the later years of life by promoting the wellbeing and happiness of the client. One way of promoting the happiness of a client is allowing him or her to continue doing his or her hobbies if it is still safe for him or her to do so. It minimizes the negative effects of aging and can make the client feel uplifted and empowered. We can also introduce new activities to emphasize the fact that we are never too old to try new experiences. b.) GreyPower GreyPower provides superannuation or what is more commonly known as pension. They try to provide a better level of pension to people aged 50 and above. They argue that what the pensioners are currently getting is not enough for them to live a relatively comfortable life in their old age. They are forced to make some compromises to their standards of living. One of the main problems that they are trying to solve is that when the prices of commodities go up, the pension stays the same. It does not adjust to the economy. What some of the people at GreyPower are trying to do is to lobby for the increase of pension as the costs of living in New Zealand also increase. They primarily focus on providing the adequate health needs of each pensioner and help them in being able to pay their electricity bills. c.) SuperGold Card The SuperGold Card is given to seniors and it gives the card holder certain discounts from different businesses, free public transportation, and free services from the local government. Residents who are 65 and above are eligible to avail the SuperGold Card. They can use the public transport system for free after the peak hours, which is an extremely useful benefit because public transport in New Zealand can be very expensive especially when you have to take 2 or more buses to get to where you want to go. They can also avail of discounts on petrol prices and when buying gadgets at certain electronics stores in New Zealand. I don’t know about you but this card makes me want to grow old! d.) Seniorline Seniorline promotes â€Å"Positive Ageing† and it is all about giving more attention to the elderly and still appreciating what they can do for our society. I will liken the elderly to the predators of the ecosystem. Most of us think they are nuances and dangerous but without them, there will be imbalances in nature. It’s the same with the elderly. They may seem like they have no use at all except for bothering us but they are excellent sources of wisdom and advice, and they are able to help us more than we think. e.) Global Action on Aging The Global Action on Aging does not offer any concrete services but they do one of the most important jobs towards the advancement of elderly rights and care, which is advocacy. They advocate for the rights of the elderly and in doing so, help prevent theft, abuse, and neglect of the elderly. Question 2 1.) Hospitals Hospitalization is the last resort for elderly patients because this means that there are complications with regards to the client’s health which cannot be handled at the rest home or the out-patient level. It is a risky place to be in as an elderly patient because aside from the reason for their hospitalization, there is a risk of nosocomial infection, which is an infection acquired in the hospital. Since elderly patients are at a higher risk of acquiring infections because of their decreased immunity, we should safeguard against these risks meticulously. The benefits of the elderly patient staying in hospital care are that the staff and are trained for any possibility or situation that may arise and they are equipped to respond to these situations, and it is easy to refer them to another department if it is needed. Another benefit is that if they experience a medical emergency, they do not need to be transported anymore to a facility which can cater to them because they are already in the hospital. They are also at less risk for falls because hospitals usually assign a watcher if a patient has an elevated risk for falls (confusion, disorientation, etc.) and the hospitals beds usually have side rails installed. The most important advantage that the hospital has is that it can assess the risks associated with a patient and in theory, they can prevent these risks from happening instead of having a client stay at his or her home, where most risks are not identified. These interventions can prolong the length of the life of the individual and elevate the standards of living that the patients enjoy and give the relatives of these patients some peace of mind knowing that most of the probable emergencies and scenarios are being prevented. 2.) Respite care Respite care is usually given during a stay in the hospital to take the pressure off the usual caregiver. It is usually a short-term arrangement and lasts about less than a month per year. It can be done in the hospital which is advantageous because the patient does not need to be transferred anymore and will save the patient time, money, and the energy which is required when moving from one healthcare facility to another. It can also be done at the home of the patient and an agency will provide care for the patient, which is also has its advantages one of which is that the patient will return to a familiar environment and may feel more relaxed during his stay at home. The potential disadvantage of this is that when a medical emergency occurs, the patients has to be taken back again to the hospital in short notice and the process may give unnecessary stress to the patient. 3.) Nursing homes Nursing homes are very popular here in New Zealand and are heavily subsidized by the government. Based on what I’ve heard from my friends and classmates, the elderly clients living in a nursing home are very relaxed and are well taken care of. They eat at the right time, have people to talk to, and it decreases the chance of them feeling alone and isolated. They are checked-up by a physician before being admitted to a nursing home because each client is unique and they need to find out what medications they need and the additional care that they may require. The staff working at nursing homes is also trained to deal with geriatric clients. These healthcare facilities also retain most of their staff and has a low rate of staff turnover to ensure that the continuity of care is established and maintained so that the patients will have less adjustment every time that there is a new staff member in the facility. 4.) Domiciliary Care In Domiciliary care, the patient is living in his own home but he is still being assisted by support workers in doing activities of daily living, which includes assisting with the personal care of the client, and accompanying the client in going to appointments, and helping the client in preparing meal. The family of the client should always be involved in planning his care because they are the ones who know the client the best and would know what he would want in a certain situation and they can then pass these information to the support worker assigned to the client. 5.) Pharmacists Pharmacists are essential since they educate the client in knowing what drugs to take and their indications, contraindications, side effects, and adverse effects. They also educate the client in knowing the different drug interactions so that they know if drugs are safe to take together and if they should take the drugs with meals or without. They also teach the client how to take the drugs when there is a special indication (sublingual, inhaler, etc.) needed to take the drug. They also educate the client in what they can’t and can do with the drugs, like splitting a tablet into two, and giving the client a complete printout of the schedule of the drugs. 6.) End of Life Support The client can choose where he wants to stay during the last days of his life. Whether it is in a nursing home, a hospital, or at home, the client deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. There is a type of care which we call palliative care. This type of care alleviates the symptoms of a certain client. For example, if the client is suffering from colon cancer and he suddenly obtains a cough or a flu, then the treatment of that cough or flu is part of the palliative care of that client. It is about maintaining the â€Å"quality of life† of the patient. Question 3 Social Isolation of the individual and their families Most of the elderly clients feel isolated from the community because most people don’t want anything to do with them due to the misconception that most people who are retired or over the age of 65 are fragile and weak people who will only be liabilities and not assets. This can lead to depression of the elder because he or she feels disconnected to the society and he or she may feel unwelcome by the world or the community that they grew up in. the family may feel that they are isolated because of the elderly patient who is with them and this pressure from society makes them disassociate themselves with the elder in their care, and in turn will make the individual more isolated. Assumption of automatic loss of independence Out of all the stigmas related to geriatric care, I think this is the one stigma that has the most impact on how individuals, families, and society as a whole view caring for the elderly. This has the most negative effect on how geriatric care is viewed because most people are unwilling to care for a fully dependent patient, not knowing that the patient can still perform activities of daily living. Family members and healthcare providers should try to help the patient maintain their skills for them not to be fully dependent on the people who are taking care of them. Unable to make decisions about own care One of the worst stigmas that elderly clients have to undergo is that there is the misconception that they can no longer decide for themselves and that they are merely living out the rest of their days. They are fully capable of making their own informed decisions about how healthcare professionals should handle their care plan and they should always have a say in their plan of care. Dissatisfying interactions with the medical community Unfortunately, this is a recurring problem in most medical fields not only in geriatrics. Sometimes members of the healthcare community do not have or do not take the time in talking to the clients and most will not explain properly to the patient what they are experiencing and what their options to treatment are and only expect other healthcare professionals to do it. This makes the patient confused and doubtful of how the medical community is treating him or her. This may lead to loss of established rapport between the healthcare providers and the patient because a healthcare professional did not have a few minutes to spare to talk to the client and reassure the client properly that the healthcare team will make sure that the client is comfortable and that the team will properly carry out all medical procedures with care and the client will be treated with dignity and respect at all times. Uncertainty of support services and treatments Due to the lack of time of some of the medical professionals in explaining treatment options and services to the patients, the client is now unsure of what will happen to him or what his plan of care is. The patient is kept in the dark about how his care will be handled by those assigned to take care of him. This is a fundamental flaw in providing care because the client should always be included in planning his care because he knows best what he wants and he should always be given choices on whether he wants a certain service or treatment and he should be given the right to decline the treatment or the service if he so chooses. Conclusion There are a lot of healthcare organizations in New Zealand that provide useful services to the elderly clients. Most of them are advocates of the elderly and prevent abuse and isolation. Some of them offer monetary benefits, discounts, and even free fare when using the public transport system. All are very useful especially because elderly clients usually only get their money from their pension. There are also a variety of healthcare facilities to choose from when choosing where the best place to receive care is. Each one has its own advantages and disadvantages and it is up to the individual, his family, and his healthcare provider to determine which facility will be the best for the needs of the client. Recommendation As person with experience working with geriatric clients, I recommend that the general public be properly educated about geriatric care. I believe that with proper education, we can eradicate most of the misconceptions surrounding geriatric care. I also recommend that we look into the current services provided to the elderly people here in New Zealand and find ways to improve on them. We can start by doing a survey of people ages 65 and above as to what they feel is needed so that we can get a better insight about their priorities and what services and benefits they want. Bibliography GreyPower. GreyPower History. (2008-2014) Retrieved from http://greypower.wpengine.com/history/ Age Concern. Accredited Visiting Service. Retrieved from http://www.ageconcern.org.nz/ACNZPublic/Home/Loneliness/ACNZ_Public/Loneliness_and_Social_Isolation.aspx Age Concern. Elder Abuse and Neglect Prevention. Retrieved from http://www.ageconcern.org.nz/ACNZPublic/Services/EANP/ACNZ_Public/Elder_Abuse_and_Neglect.aspx Age Concern. Wellbeing, Health and happiness. Retrieved from http://www.ageconcern.org.nz/ACNZPublic/Information/Wellbeing/ACNZ_Public/Wellbeing.aspx SuperGold. Retrieved from http://www.supergold.govt.nz/ Global Action on Aging. Elder Rights. (2004) Retrieved from http://www.globalaging.org/elderrights/index.htm Seniorline. Positive Ageing. Retrieved from http://www.adhb.govt.nz/SeniorLine/PositiveAgeing/Positive%20Ageing.htm Merck Sharp Dohme Corp. The Merck Manual, Respite Care. (2010-2014) Retrieved from http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/geriatrics/provision_of_care_to_the_elderly/respite_care.html Merck Sharp Dohme Corp. The Merck Manual, Hospital Care and the Elderly. (2010-2014) Retrieved from http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/geriatrics/provision_of_care_to_the_elderly/hospital_care_and_the_elderly.html Merck Sharp Dohme Corp. The Merck Manual, Skilled Nursing Facilities. (2010-2014) Retrieved from http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/geriatrics/provision_of_care_to_the_elderly/skilled_nursing_facilities.html Merck Sharp Dohme Corp. The Merck Manual, Assisted Living Programs. (2010-2014) Retrieved from http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/geriatrics/provision_of_care_to_the_elderly/assisted-living_programs.html Merck Sharp Dohme Corp. The Merck Manual, Pharmacists and the Elderly. (2010-2014) Retrieved from http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/geriatrics/provision_of_care_to_the_elderly/pharmacists_and_the_elderly.html National Institute on Aging. End of Life: Helping with Comfort and Care. Retrieved from http://www.nia.nih.gov/health/publication/end-life-helping-comfort-and-care/finding-care-end-life

American Culture Essay -- Sports Baseball Cultural Essays

American Culture It’s game six of the American League Championship Series. I’m sitting in front of a bunch of baseball-crazed fanatics wetting their pants, because the Red Sox have just pulled ahead nine to six in the ninth inning. â€Å"Go Sox!† â€Å"Yankees suck!† â€Å"Dude, toss me another brewskie.† Americans are fans at heart. We root for the home team, wear their colors, jump up and down following a great play, and threaten the television after an absurd call. Sports have proven to be an integral part in the creation of community identity throughout the last half of the century. Furthermore, American sports both reflect and shape our cultural ideas. They are rarely considered â€Å"just a game.† Sports are packed with several meanings: they are displays of patriotism, consumer spectacles and even morality lessons. By observing sports and their impact on American society, we can learn much about consumerism, political developments (both domestic and in ternational), racial relations, social classes, equality for women, and of course, community identity, including the condition of our cities. Since the 1950s, American sports are one of the most important institutions for us to raise and work through questions of race, gender, and class. The corporations who control the media coverage of sports tailor their coverage to Joe Six-Pack; and thus there is a lack of coverage of elitist sports such as water polo, tennis and sailing. Because of the media's target population, we are besieged with commercials for beer, automobiles, athletic shoes and deodorant. Our hard-earned dollars are rarely tempted to go towards healthy food items or prudent savings (light beer is not a healthy food). Gas-guzzling SUVs, beer, chips and dip are the consumables t... ... in your backyard or in the street, you can play hoops at any public school yard, you can bat a ball in any sandlot, but where do young people get experience in a pool or on a tennis court? Who can afford a round of golf? Tiger Woods is an enigma in a world of wealthy country clubs and green jackets. Indeed, American sports are a metaphor for American culture. When viewed through the lens of peanuts and beer, one gets a gooey, nostalgic, "take me out to the ball game" sensation. But you only need look below the surface to get a more disturbing view of some of our culture's most serious ills. Corporate control and gender, race and economic bias run rampant in our beloved sports arenas. And the latest barometer that measures the health of our sports culture is the fact that our heroes hit the front page not for their abilities, but for their sexual indiscretions.