Free Essays on Mentally Ill Discrimination

In forty-seven out of the fifty great states in the US, there are laws that specifically set out to protect the mentally ill from discrimination in the workplace (Steckner 1). The problem is that Arizona does not classify a mental illness as an actual disability. The lack of sufficient laws has allowed corporations to unfairly discriminate against or terminate employees with mental impairments and leaves the employee without a real court case. If the current laws were sufficient, they would protect the mentally ill from job discrimination, provide on the job accommodations to make working easier, and in case of on-the-job discrimination, provide help in any lawsuit. In Arizona, any discrimination suit brought against an employer for a mental disability can not be prosecuted through the attorney general. They must go through the federal court system, which is often a much longer process that is much more expensive, and overall, inconvenient. Many bills have been introduced, hoping to change the laws, but they have been killed every time. Under the new proposed law, the term â€Å"mental impairment† will be added to the current disability law, covering mental illness as a disability. Also, under this law, the impaired would be afforded some reasonable job accommodations. According to the ADA, a â€Å"reasonable accommodation is a modification or an adjustment to a job or the work environment that will enable a qualified applicant or employee with a disability to participate in the application process or to perform essential job functions† (ADA 2). Employment is an important part of recovery and treatment for people with severe mental illnesses (NAMI 1-2). The problem with that is they are being discriminated against and without new laws to protect them, the discrimination will continue. Business owners are among those who are greatly opposed to the suggested laws. They are afraid of the idea of going to court and having to... Free Essays on Mentally Ill Discrimination Free Essays on Mentally Ill Discrimination In forty-seven out of the fifty great states in the US, there are laws that specifically set out to protect the mentally ill from discrimination in the workplace (Steckner 1). The problem is that Arizona does not classify a mental illness as an actual disability. The lack of sufficient laws has allowed corporations to unfairly discriminate against or terminate employees with mental impairments and leaves the employee without a real court case. If the current laws were sufficient, they would protect the mentally ill from job discrimination, provide on the job accommodations to make working easier, and in case of on-the-job discrimination, provide help in any lawsuit. In Arizona, any discrimination suit brought against an employer for a mental disability can not be prosecuted through the attorney general. They must go through the federal court system, which is often a much longer process that is much more expensive, and overall, inconvenient. Many bills have been introduced, hoping to change the laws, but they have been killed every time. Under the new proposed law, the term â€Å"mental impairment† will be added to the current disability law, covering mental illness as a disability. Also, under this law, the impaired would be afforded some reasonable job accommodations. According to the ADA, a â€Å"reasonable accommodation is a modification or an adjustment to a job or the work environment that will enable a qualified applicant or employee with a disability to participate in the application process or to perform essential job functions† (ADA 2). Employment is an important part of recovery and treatment for people with severe mental illnesses (NAMI 1-2). The problem with that is they are being discriminated against and without new laws to protect them, the discrimination will continue. Business owners are among those who are greatly opposed to the suggested laws. They are afraid of the idea of going to court and having to...

An Introduction to Vanitas Paintings

An Introduction to Vanitas Paintings A vanitas painting is a particular style of still life that was immensely popular in the Netherlands beginning in the 17th century. The style often includes with worldly objects such as books and wine and you will find quite a few skulls on the still life table. Its intent is to remind viewers of their own mortality and the futility of worldly pursuits. Vanitas Reminds Us of Vanities The word  vanitas  is Latin for vanity and that is the idea behind a vanitas painting. They were created to remind us that our vanity or material possessions and pursuits do not preclude us from death, which is inevitable. The phrase comes to us courtesy of a biblical passage in Ecclesiastes. In it, the Hebrew word hevel was incorrectly taken to mean vanity of vanities. But for this slight mistranslation, the term would rightfully be known as a vapor painting, signifying a transitory state. The Symbolism of Vanitas Paintings A vanitas painting, while possibly containing lovely objects, always included some reference to mans mortality. Most often, this is a human skull (with or without other bones), but items like  burning candles, soap bubbles and decaying flowers may be used for this purpose as well. Other objects are placed in the still life to symbolize the various types of worldly pursuits that tempt men. For example, secular knowledge like that found in the arts and sciences may be depicted by books, maps, or instruments. Wealth and power have symbols like  gold, jewelry, and precious trinkets while fabrics, goblets, and pipes might represent earthly pleasures. Beyond the skull to depict impermanence, a vanitas painting may include references to time, such as a watch or hourglass. It may use decaying flowers or rotting food for the purpose as well. In some paintings, the idea of the resurrection is included as well. Among these, you might find sprigs of ivy and laurel or ears of corn. To add to the symbolism, you will find vanitas paintings with the subjects placed in disarray compared to other, very tidy, still life art. This is designed to represent the chaos that materialism can add to a pious life. Vanitas is very similar to another type of still life painting,  known as memento mori. Latin for remember  you must die, this style tended to include only those objects that remind us of death and refrained from using the materialistic symbols. A Religious Reminder Vanitas paintings were  meant not only as works of art, they also to carry an important moral message. They are designed to remind us that the trivial pleasures of life are abruptly and permanently  wiped out by death.   It is doubtful that this genre would have been popular had the Counter-Reformation and Calvinism not propelled it into the limelight. Both movements- one Catholic, the other Protestant- occurred at the same time as vanitas paintings were becoming popular. Like the symbolic art, the two religious efforts emphasized the devaluing of possessions and success in this world. They instead, focused believers on their relationship with God in preparation for the afterlife. The Vanitas Painters The primary period of vanitas paintings lasted from 1550 through around 1650. They began as still lifes painted on the backside of portraits and evolved into featured works of art. The movement was centered around the Dutch city of Leiden, a Protestant stronghold, though it was popular throughout the Netherlands and in parts of France and Spain. In the beginning of the movement, the work was very dark and gloomy. Toward the end of the period, however, it did lighten up a bit. Considered a signature genre in Dutch Baroque art, a number of artists were famous for their vanitas work. These include Dutch painters like David Bailly (1584–1657), Harmen van Steenwyck (1612–1656), and Willem Claesz Heda (1594–1681). Some French painters worked in vanitas as well, the best-known of which was Jean Chardin (1699–1779). Many of these vanitas paintings are considered great works of art today. You can also find a number of modern artists working in this style. Yet, many people wonder at the popularity of vanitas paintings by collectors. After all, doesnt the painting itself become a symbol of vanitas?