The Legalization Of Marijuana Legalization - 1282 Words

On November 8th, 2016, the California Marijuana Legalization Initiative may be included on the ballot. The people of California will vote on whether to legalize the recreational use of cannabis for adults. The move targets at regulating the consumption of the drug and taxing it like other legalized drugs. California was the first state to legalize medical marijuana in 1996 (National Institute of Drug Abuse). The state prohibited any legal actions from being taken on patients and recognized caregivers arrested in possession of the drug. This is considered the motivating factor for the push to legalize recreational use of the drug. There have been two fled attempts to achieve this. Both endeavors were defeated at the ballot stage. Forty years on the matter has risen again, and the people of California may have the mandate to legalize or not legalize the recreational use of the drug. The issue has resulted in an enormous debate. Those against the legalization of the drug argue on the ba sis of the adverse effects on the body and mind of the users. And on the other hand, proponents such as myself argue on the basis of economic benefits to the state and the reduction of the drug’s misuse. Opponents of the legalization of marijuana for recreational use argue that the use of marijuana have harmful effects on the body. One effect is to the lungs. Smoking marijuana results in a closely threefold increase in the inhalation of tar as compared to tobacco use. Research also shows thatShow MoreRelatedThe Legalization Of Marijuana Legalization Essay2566 Words   |  11 Pagescurrent prohibition on marijuana reforms has put the United States in a similar situation. Marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug in the United States. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, â€Å"95 million Americans age 12 and older have tried pot at least once, and three out of every four illicit-drug users reported using marijuana within the previous 30 days† (O NDCP). The decriminalization and eventually legalization for the recreational use of marijuana will bring forth benefitsRead MoreThe Legalization Of Marijuana Legalization1061 Words   |  5 PagesThe Legalization of Cannabis in Ohio Marijuana is a controversial topic all across the United States. Recently marijuana has been voted on, legalized, and denied legalization in multiple states. There are still more states trying to fight the green fight for marijuana. The fight for legalization hasn’t been an easy one for cannabis supporters; they have been fighting tooth and nail to make it happen. One of the main concerns in the marijuana debates are whether or not marijuana is a gateway drugRead MoreThe Legalization Of Marijuana Legalization1660 Words   |  7 PagesKyler Smith 9/15 â€Å"Marijuana Legalization† The legality of cannabis varies from country to country. Possession of cannabis is illegal in most countries and has been since the beginning of widespread cannabis prohibition in the late 1930s. However, possession of the drug in small quantities had been decriminalized in many countries and sub-national entities in several parts of the world. Furthermore, possession is legal or effectively legal in the Netherlands, Uruguay, and in the US states of ColoradoRead MoreThe Legalization Of Marijuana Legalization996 Words   |  4 Pages the monetary gain of its legalization for most has been productive to say the least. For example, Denver Colorado is on track to more than triple the marijuana tax revenue this year alone. $44 million was collected in 2014. In July 2015, 73.5 million was collected, while 19.6 million went to schools. A place such as Chicago could really use the legalization to help with the school system infrastructure issues they have. With a deficit of over 1.1 bi llion marijuana sales could alleviate bothRead MoreLegalization of Marijuana1550 Words   |  7 PagesLegalization of Marijuana: Benefits and Statistics The topic of legalizing marijuana has been a topic of controversy for quite some time now not only throughout our local streets, but throughout the local and into the state government. The legalization of marijuana is such a controversial topic because some are for it and some are against it. People are for the legalization because of the great uses it has towards medicine, the money that could come from the taxation of legalized marijuana, andRead MoreLegalization of Marijuana972 Words   |  4 PagesOn January 1st the states of Colorado and Washington officially began the regulation of legal marijuana sales. Thousands of people from all over the country including tourists from Wisconsin, Ohio, Chicago, and even Georgia lined up out front of dispensaries to make a purchase. Recreational marijuana is being regulated and monitored like alcohol; you must be at least 21 years old to make a purchase. The drug, which is controversial in many states’ legislations, is currently l egal for medical useRead MoreLegalization Of Legalization For Recreational Marijuana1204 Words   |  5 Pagescalled Maryjane, Pot, Reefer, Ganga, Green and many other names, but this little plant seems to be causing a big controversy in recent decades. Can Marijuana really help us or is it a problem in the making? This question may seem simple, but in reality, it is more complex of an issue than we think. The opposing sides of legalization for recreational marijuana are so varied with many points of view to consider. Only a few of those views will be addressed in this article with simplified information to speakRead MoreThe Legalization of Marijuana628 Words   |  2 PagesThe Legalization of Marijuana Marijuana, the plant of the cannabis, has been around since the early 1900’s. Throughout history, marijuana has been used illegally, for both recreational and medical uses. Recently, marijuana has been used for medicinal purposes, like aiding HIV/AIDs patients, healing migraines and controlling nausea caused by chemotherapy. Today, there are currently 21 American states that have legalized medicinal marijuana including two states that have legalized recreational marijuanaRead MoreLegalization of Marijuana2735 Words   |  11 PagesLegalism and Marijuana People have been smoking marijuana for thousands of years while also using hemp for everything from fabric to make clothes and other items. Unfortunately, Harry J. Anslinger with a bit of power and enough determination decided pot was evil and addictive. The struggle continues to this day to overcome the lies about marijuana (â€Å"Marijuana (Weed) History and Facts†). There are many benefits to legalizing marijuana and the government should take advantage of it. Marijuana is evenRead MoreMarijuana Legalization1212 Words   |  5 PagesMarijuana Legalization COMP 1500 April 20th, 2009 Word Count: 807 Outline I. Introduction Thesis Statement: Although America is the land of the free you do not really have  too many  free choices you can make. Americans  should have  the right to  choose whether or not  marijuana should be legal. II. Background III. The tax benefits that can be created A. If legalized they can tax it how ever much they want B. Can be regulated IV. Drug enforcement money can be diverted

The Argument Against the National Minimum Wage Essay

The national minimum wage was introduced in the UK in April 1999 by the Labour government. Essentially it formed a major part of their manifesto as it convinced the average population that Labour were beneficial for everybody. However, they would argue against classical economics and suggest there are wide spread benefits to be gained. The main argument is that the NMW would alleviate poverty across the country. This is an equity issue that has constantly concerned society and would go some way to redistribution of income. It is a social belief that if every one is well off and lives above the poverty line, there will be positive social externalities for all. For example, those living in†¦show more content†¦This could only be good for the economy as the supply of labour increases. The NMW could ensure that whilst employees have increased wages and this should reduce the number of people dependant on the government via benefits. More people earning means less will need to claim job seekers allowance and acts as further saving for the government to spend elsewhere. The governments budget will further rise as increased incomes mean a greater number of people paying taxation and the level of taxation could afford to rise be small increments. The wage gap will be addressed and the effect of wage differentials will hopefully be reduced by the introduction of a national minimum wage that applies to all regions. The benefits discussed above are for employees but business should also gain for the NMW to be considered a useful tool in the economy. The argument that peoples incentive to work is increased also affects business as if people are happier in their jobs, they are less likely to consider leaving. This reduces labour turnover in markets, which is a major cost to business. Recruitment, retraining and the possible renegotiation of higher wages all raise costs for firms on a daily basis and are particularly detrimental for small firms with limited number ofShow MoreRelatedArguments for and Against the Minimum Wage in the Uk1137 Words   |  5 PagesArguments for and against the National Minimum Wage (NMW) in the UK: stop employees being taken advantage of by being paid unfair wages by their employers. set a standard of the minimum worth of a worker. This benchmark was set so that employers would be unable to hire any staff for less than the suggested hourly rate. reduce pay differentials between genders. What is the new minimum wage?: In October 2009, the NMW for workers increased from:  £5.73 to  £5Read MoreThe Impact Of National Minimum Wage On South Africa s Income Inequality Essay1525 Words   |  7 PagesThe impact national minimum wage would have on South Africa’s income inequality should it be implemented. South Africa is still considered one of the countries which still consist of high income inequality. Economists argue that inequality is the most unavoidable part of the economic development and that it continues to increase in developing countries due to economic growth (Keeton, 2014). Inequality is a problem in countries such as South Africa, because it shifts the attention from bigger andRead MoreDemand Supply , Examine the Argument in Favour Against Minimum Wage Law in Uk1415 Words   |  6 PagesAssignment: A * (Using Demand Supply: examine the arguments in favour against minimum wage law in UK*) * *Total words: 1,402 Demand It refers to the willingness and ability of buyers to purchase goods and services at different prices. Supply It refers to the willingness and ability of sellers to provide goods and services for sale at different prices What* *is minimum wage? A minimum wage is the lowest monthly, daily or hourly that employersRead MoreThe Minimum Wage Act Of 20071607 Words   |  7 Pages Introduction In 1938, the first national minimum wage laws in the United States were passed as part of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which served as â€Å"a floor below wages,† to reduce poverty and to ensure that economic growth is shared across the workforce. Today, many people who work for companies that pay at or near the minimum wage and remain near or below the poverty level rely on government health and food security and income programs to supplementRead MoreDoes the Minimum Wage Increase the Standard of Living for Low-Income People?1391 Words   |  6 PagesThe United States has maintained a minimum wage which was enacted since 1938. At the present time there is much political debate in regarding to increase the minimum wage to levels at the federal level, state, and local levels of government across this country. There are various theories regarding the minimum wage. Some believe it would circulate money into the economy faster which would negate and negative effects on employmen t, or even improve unemployment rates. Others point to the economic theoryRead MoreMinimum Wage During The Great Depression1419 Words   |  6 PagesThe Minimum Wage Battle In the United States, the minimum wage was passed during the Great Depression in 1938 to protect the buying power of normal workers in a period in which the â€Å"unemployment rate was still a very high 19 percent† (Sklar, 2009, p. 1). Since that time, there has been significant debate about the controversial topic of raising the federal minimum wage. The federal minimum wage law was created to eliminate unfair practices of sweat shops and manufacturing companies during this timeRead MorePersuasive Essay On Minimum Wage1526 Words   |  7 PagesMinimum wage is defined by the dictionary as â€Å"the lowest wage paid or permitted to be paid; specifically: a wage fixed by legal authority or by contract as the least that may be paid either to employed persons generally or to a particular category of employed persons.† Minimum wage is also referred to as the living wage. For many in and out of the political arena, minimum wage, is a topic of debate. The discussion involv es the fairness of the current wage and the need to raise this wage to correlateRead MoreShould We Increase Minimum Wage?1508 Words   |  6 PagesThe topic on whether the minimum wage should be increased our untouched has been a hot topic in the media and political scene lately. Both the republicans and democrats have spent some big bucks lobbying their insights on the matter. There has been a lot of subjective and objective arguments that are reasonable on both the pros and cons of increasing our national minimum wage. To add to the drama associated with this topic, President Obama endorsed a bill proposing a nearly 40% rise from $7.25 toRead MoreMinimum Wage Conflict Theory1501 Words   |  7 PagesChristopher Ferraro Law and Society 10/10/17 Minimum Wage Argument Marx s conflict theory has a very distinct ideology, it is stated that it mainly focuses on the causes and effect of class conflict between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. The Bourgeoisie represented the members of a higher society which held onto the majority of the wealth and means also known as the owners of the way of manufacture and the capitalistic. While the proletariat class was constructed by individuals who belongRead MoreThe Effects Of Minimum Wages On Employment, By Benjamin Sosnaud, And The Effects Of Minimum Wage Essay1507 Words   |  7 Pagestheir small hourly wages. Some groups advocate for increased wages, but others oppose that idea because of the possibility of widespread job losses. Even though researchers have heavily analyzed the effects of a living wage in the past few years, experts claim that different kinds of studies are biased to support one viewpoint over the other. The articles â€Å"Living Wage Ordinances and Wages, Poverty, and Unemployment in US Cities,† by Benjamin Sosnaud, and â€Å"The Effects of Minimum Wages on Employment,†

Culture and Diversity Paper

Question: Explain the importance of the information and address how to fill in the gaps. Recommend research/actions based on what you know and do not know about your topic. Suggest how to fill in the gaps you identified in Module 3. Outline a plan to solve the gap(s) identified in your topic. Answer: In the current business and cultural environment, the diversity could be observed in different aspects. The diversity and multicultural environment is an interesting field to study for multicultural classroom. The objective of this research is to study the impact of the diverse culture on the overall performance of the multicultural classroom. This research work has focused to study the effect that diversity and multicultural environment has on the overall performance of the multicultural classroom. A lot of work is already done in this area. The study of existing literature is done to analyze the known areas. The study of the existing literature suggests that the diversity and multicultural environment can have a positive impact on the overall group performance only when group members are aware of the cultural backgrounds of other students in the class. There are certain gaps in the existing literature or research work that should be bridged with the new research. The literature suggests that the group performance would depend on the type of society. However, it is not clear if the overall performance of a classroom would depend more on internal culture of the group or the external society. One of the most important issues addressed in this research work is the role of diversity management and multicultural environment in classroom. The finding of this research work could be applied to online teaching programs and as well as offline classroom programs. The students work in a multicultural classroom would be influences by a combination of internal and external factors. The internal factors would include students motivation and students attitude and perception. The external factors would include the environment provided by the leader of the classroom. The gaps in the research could be fulfilled with more research. A lot of researches have been done in this area and researcher shall focus on the existing researches. The gap in the existing research could be fulfilled with the primary research and the secondary research. The secondary research would be done in the form of literature review. It is expected that in the coming times there would be an increase in the number of classrooms with multicultural environment. It expects that diversity would increase in the classroom setting and it would be interesting to study the way diversity can impact the performance of overall multicultural classroom setting. The initial research suggests that this impact could be both positive and negative for classroom. The impact would depend on the attitude and the perception of employees and the leadership traits of the classroom leader. Module 1 I would like to research the impact of the diverse culture on the overall performance of the multicultural classroom. I would like to study the effect that diversity and multicultural environment has on the overall performance of the multicultural classroom. This era is a true global era in which organizations have expanded in different parts of the world. Today, organizations have to manage the employees across different culture. The large organizations like Google, Microsoft, Apple etc. have their presence in almost every part of the world. It is important that the employees should learn from the experiences of people from different culture and this learning should happen from early stage. Therefore, it is important that the diversity and cultural training should be provided in the classroom setting. The cultural diversity can have a profound impact on the overall performance of the classroom (Harvey, 2010). Typically, the overall performance of the classroom would depend on the performance of individual students and the individual group members. It appears that the performance of the group as a whole could be impacted based on the cultural differences and the diversity. This impact could be observed in both offline and online classroo ms. The impact could be both positive and negative in nature. The impact could be positive, as the individuals would get a platform where they can learn from the experiences of people from different cultural background. At the same time, the impact could be negative due to the intercultural conflict between team members. Therefore, it would be interesting to study the impact of diversity on overall performance level of classroom. The initial research would suggest that students in the classroom might not feel comfortable in a diverse background. The students may find it uncomfortable to speak up their minds in presence of people from difference cultural backgrounds. I believe that the multicultural classroom is an area where individuals get a platform to learn about different cultures. The classroom is a fundamental platform for people to learn. I believe that there could be both positive and negative outcome of diversity for the performance of multicultural environment. It would also depend on the quality of leader of the classroom. If an environment is established to take differences in the positive manner and to learn from the differences that the overall performance of the group could be improved (Vedder, 2010). However, if the environment exists where conflict is taken in a negative manner and people do not want to collaborate with the people from other cultural backgrounds that it can have a negative im pact on the overall performance of group. It would be interesting to study this phenomenon for classrooms where students hail from various cultural backgrounds. The focus of this research would be for both online and offline classrooms. Module 2: Literature Review Loes Pascarella (2012) argued that the performance of a classroom would depend a lot on the way its leaders shapes the students in the classroom. In a multicultural environment, the leader of the class may face certain difficulties to manage different students in the class. Several conducted studies had revealed that different leader behaviors and actions are evaluated and interpreted differently depending on their cultural environment of the classroom, and are due to differences in individuals ideas. Boyle Charles (2011) highlighted that the performance of a multicultural classroom would also depend on the society in which classroom exists. The theories of Leadership that have been traditionally developed in individualistic societies showed effective leadership as an action of producing greater and better financial outcomes, which enclose the result from a leaders behavior instead of a specific type of behavior (Ormrod, 2013). Those theories are concluded from manifestations of self-interest such as mentoring, networking and other personal initiatives which prevail in individualistic cultures. However, it is expected that leaders in collectivist cultures will consider leadership effectiveness as a long-term objective resulting from followers loyalty, extra effort and satisfaction with the leader. In addition, collectivist cultures show priority for the needs of the group, family and overall community when engaging in leadership actions (Clarke, 2010). For this reason, values of mutual commitments necessitate from leaders to give followers protection and guidance in exchange for their loyalty and commitment. Cole Case (2011) highlighted that with the spread of globalization, there is a good chance that the classroom performance would be positive in a diverse and multicultural environment. In the last decade or so the concepts of classroom has changed and today classrooms would have students from diverse background. It is important that the students from different cultural backgrounds should be able to learn from the experiences of other people. It can happen only when the information sharing is effective among the students. It is important that the students should be willing to listen to the view point of others students in the classroom. Bowman (2010) argued that the performance of a classroom would depend on the trust that students in the class can generate for other members in the class. The leader-follower concept is based on trust, the building of strong relationships. Leaders and followers are in relation with one another. Leadersmust strive for excellence in a way that builds confidence and trust. Lack of trust can have a negative impact on every interaction, communication or decision in a workplace, resulting in less agility, slowed response time and decrease profitability. Through trust a leader can enhance his/her leadership skills to engender confidence so that he/she can inspire and motivate others to excel. In order to have a positive performance or outcome of a diverse classroom, the leader should focus to generate a feeling of trust and respect among different individuals. In a multicultural context leaders are obliged to value cultural awareness and sensitivity to minimize or prevent any form of ethnoc entrism, confusion and discrimination, intended to create a workplace where harmony breaths. Mak Barker (2013) highlighted that boundaries need to be broken down across cultures within the classroom setting, so that knowledge and expertise can be shared more freely. It can be said that the cultural awareness of other cultures could also have a positive impact on the performance of the classroom. The diversity and multicultural environment can have a positive impact on the overall group performance only when group members are aware of the cultural backgrounds of other students in the class. Moreover, the students should be willing to learn from the cultures of other students. It would be correct to say that the communication would be a key for the overall performance of the group in a multicultural setting. The students or the group members shall focus on effective communication at an individual level and at organizational level so that the performance of the group as a whole could be improved. The classroom can be considered as a closed group where different students would work together with the objective to learn and take knowledge. Different students can have different ways and different methods to acquire knowledge. The multicultural environment provides a lot of opportunity to students to learn from the share values and the differences between cultures. It eventually increases the performance of the classroom as whole. Module 3 A lot of studies have been done in the area of classroom diversity and performance of the group. However, there exist few gaps in the literature that still needs to be explored. It is not clear if the group performance of the classroom would depend on the individual attitude of students or on the leadership of the leader of the classroom (Tarman, 2011). The literature review does suggest that the group performance would depend on the combination of students and leadership policies. However, it is not clear if individual behavior of students is more important or the policies adopted by the classroom leader. The literature review suggests that the performance of the overall classroom would depend on the cultural environment. The literature suggests that the group performance would depend on the type of society. In open societies like USA, Australia the group performance of a diverse group could be more as compared to the group performance of a diverse group in a closed society like China and India (Kyriakides, 2013). However, it is not clear if the overall performance of a classroom would depend more on internal culture of the group or the external society. The existing literature had limited information about the role of classroom leaders. Leaders need to know that they have to build accountability into their systems with regard to their managers taking responsibility for creating a diverse and inclusive work environment. It would be interesting to study the role of classroom leaders in the overall performance of the classroom. Culture awareness is another essential ingredient within toadys leaders attributes in todays classroom environment. The study of the literature suggests that the culture being one of the most powerful forces in the world is central to how students express themselves, perceive and interpret the world. Sometimes, values conflicts as people work together based on the lack of understanding of the different cultures from which we are all from which leads the root of miscommunication. The literature suggests that the communication is a key driver that could have an impact on the performance of the group. However, the exact nature of this impact is not known. It would be interesting to study the role of communication in the overall performance of the classroom. The diverse background of the classroom could be a positive or a negative impact on the overall performance of the classroom. The literature review suggests that the literature is divided into the impact of diversity. Some experts would suggest that diversity would have a positive impact on the group performance and some other experts suggest that diversity and multicultural environment would have a negative impact. Therefor, it would be interesting to study the impact of diversity and reach a definite conclusion. The impact of diversity on the classroom performance would also depend on the type of classrooms. For large classrooms, the impact could be less and for the small classroom, the impact could be high. Therefore, it would be interesting to study this impact. Module 4 With the above literature review and discussion it can be said that diversity has to play a major role in the education and classroom. The first thing for the effective overall performance of the classroom is that the classroom should integrate diversity into all of the processes of their teaching (Deppeler, 2010). Diversity becomes a lens for looking at, identifying, developing, and advancing talent. With the above discussion it can be said that it is vital to understand the significance of workforce diversity and attention to other cultures and, thus, our appreciation of todays global classroom village. Therefore, knowing, understanding and learning about different cultures and countries is a prerequisite when dealing with diversity and multiculturalism at classroom. It would be correct to say that classroom leaders need to have an understanding of the diverse cultures with which they work, students also need to be less sensitive if the leader does have a gap in knowledge about their culture (Burden, 2012). Often, the classroom leader is not being rude or ignorant, they simply do not know and students shall not expect them to be a mind reader. In the todays classroom setting the diversity in student is acceptable as long as the differences in the students do not impact the performance of entire class. In fact, diversity could be a key for students to understand the perspective of other students who belong to different cultures. In this way, a classroom with multicultural setting can have improved performance. The gaps in the research could be fulfilled with more research. A lot of researches have been done in this area and researcher shall focus on the existing researches. The gap in the existing research could be fulfilled with the primary research and the secondary research. My plan to fill the existing research gap is based on three phases. These phases can be discussed as: Phase 1: Base-lining the existing research work The first phase to fill the research group is to baseline the existing research work. In order to baseline the existing research work the existing literature should be studied to make meaningful conclusions. Phase 2: Develop the future goals and objectives Once the base lining is done, the next thing would be to develop the future vision of the research (Pascarella, 2012). The understanding of diverse classrooms and the conflict management in multicultural environment would help to develop the future vision and the objective of research. Phase 3: Actions to achieve future goals and vision The necessary actions to achieve the future goals and vision would be to decide the extent of primary research and the extent of secondary research that would be used in the process to fulfill the existing research gap. The process to fulfill the gap in the existing research work could also include primary research in addition to the secondary research. It is important that the process to fulfill the existing research should be a flexible process so that the changes in the process can be made if required. References Barker, M. C., Mak, A. S. (2013). From classroom to boardroom and ward developing generic intercultural skills in diverse disciplines.Journal of Studies in International Education,17(5), 573-589. Boyle, B., Charles, M. (2011). Education in a multicultural environment: equity issues in teaching and learning in the school system in England.International Studies in Sociology of Education,21(4), 299-314. Bowman, N. A. (2010). College diversity experiences and cognitive development: A meta-analysis.Review of Educational Research,80(1), 4-33. Burden, P. (2012).Classroom management: Creating a successful K-12 learning community. Wiley Global Education. Cole, E. R., Case, K. A., Rios, D., Curtin, N. (2011). Understanding what students bring to the classroom: Moderators of the effects of diversity courses on student attitudes.Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology,17(4), 397. Gay, G. (2013). Teaching to and through cultural diversity.Curriculum Inquiry,43(1), 48-70. Loes, C., Pascarella, E., Umbach, P. (2012). Effects of diversity experiences on critical thinking skills: who benefits?.The Journal of Higher Education,83(1), 1-25. Loreman, T., Deppeler, J., Harvey, D. (2010).Inclusive Education. Supporting diversity in the classroom. Routledge. Ormrod, J. E. (2013).Educational Psychology: Pearson New International Edition: Developing Learners. Pearson Higher Ed. Tarman, I., Tarman, B. (2011). Developing effective multicultural practices: A case study of exploring a teachers understanding and practices.Journal of International Social Research,4(17), 578-598. Valls, R., Kyriakides, L. (2013). The power of Interactive Groups: how diversity of adults volunteering in classroom groups can promote inclusion and success for children of vulnerable minority ethnic populations.Cambridge Journal of Education,43(1), 17-33. Van Geel, M., Vedder, P. (2010). Multicultural attitudes among adolescents: The role of ethnic diversity in the classroom.Group Processes Intergroup Relations, 1368430210379007. Wright, N. D., Clarke, I. (2010). Preparing marketing students for a global and multicultural work environment: The value of a semester-long study abroad program.Marketing Education Review,20(2), 149-162.

Traveller by Chris Stapleton free essay sample

The year is 2015, and country music has lost its way, stranded on a one-way, one-lane road in unchartered territory. Stuck somewhere between pop and a hard place, the genre that I grew up with is experiencing an identity crisis, largely thanks to numerous figureheads handing the torch to some unsavory characters. The corporate Nashville machine, which of late has been solely concerned with cranking out one-trick ponies, is facing its lowest popularity since 2008, particularly among the 18-to-34 demographic that drove the â€Å"bro country† trend to its peak. That same demographic that launched vapid white bread acts to stardom is now abandoning the genre, leaving country music on a precipice. I don’t have an answer for country music’s plight, but in light of long-time songwriter Chris Stapleton’s first major- ­label release, I do have hope. I didn’t know what to expect from â€Å"Traveller,† given Stapleton’s track record of writing mainstream fodder for acts such as Luke Bryan and Thomas Rhett. We will write a custom essay sample on Traveller by Chris Stapleton or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I was reluctant to give him my forgiveness for such transgressions, but forgive him I did, because every single song on â€Å"Traveller† shines. Stapleton’s cover of George Jones and David Allan Coe’s song â€Å"Tennessee Whiskey† had the potential to be an ear-sore, but it’s a masterpiece when Stapleton lets loose on the chorus in a deep, effectual way. â€Å"Outlaw State of Mind† threatened to be an overplayed trope of the rebellion cliche that the likes of Eric Church and Brantley Gilbert have beat half to death, but delightful instrumentals redeem what could have been a low point of this album. Stapleton’s vocals, too, are a thing of beauty; their deep passion allays any doubt of his sincerity. This man is country music from his beard to his boots. Take a look at that beard if you haven’t. â€Å"Traveller† does have a smattering of Southern rock and a fleeting hint of soul, but this is the traditional country album that fans have been begging for. Every track conveys Stapleton’s talent, especially the live recording of â€Å"Sometimes I Cry,† which ends with the cheering of fans in Nashville’s famous Studio A. There are other acts out there doing great things – Jason Isbell and Sturgill Simpson come to mind – but Stapleton and his glorious â€Å"Traveller† should and will give everyone pause. He has the chops to help raise country music back to its former glory, what with his extensive experience in the music industry and time spent in bands such as Steeldrivers. At 37, Stapleton has traveled, performed, and written. He has seen it all, and that’s reflected in his lyrics. I hope that every â€Å"flavor of the week† artist in country music sets their bottle of Fireball and their cutoff shirts down for long enough to see that when the temporary fans have flocked to the next rising trend, true country fans and their artists will remain right here where we’ve been all along.