Substance Abuse In The Workplace Essays (1338 words) -

Substance Abuse in the Workplace As widespread drug use is on the rise, many employers have begun to worry about the performance of their employees. Absenteeism, injuries, loss of productivity, employee morale, theft and fatalities are just some of the causes of drug use in the workplace. The idea of drug testing among workers has developed from society's concern over a perceived increase in the use of drugs and the relation between drug use and impairment, with resultant risks to the worker, fellow workers and the public. As early as 1987, 21% of employers had instituted drug-testing programs. Employers have begun to think that mass drug tests are the answer to their problems. What many of these employers don't know is that there are many problems that surround drug testing at work. One of the biggest of these problems is whether or not it is constitutional to conduct drug tests on the employees. Employers fail to educate themselves with established or recent laws about drug testing in the workplace and about huma n rights. Also, mass, low-cost screening tests may not be reliable or valid. Alcohol testing does not differentiate casual drinking from alcohol dependence or alcoholism. Drug tests can create an untrustworthy environment for the employees. There are better ways to address substance abuse. Drug testing in the workplace is an important issue for all of Canada's labour force, regardless if it's you're first job or if you've had a steady job for 30 years. Many employees, who have had to subjugate themselves to degrading and demeaning drug tests, feel that these tests violate their constitutional rights. It is an infringement on their privacy. In order for the tests to make sure there is no specimen tampering there must be an administrator present to oversee every action the employee makes during their drug test. For tests such as hair and breath testing this does present a major problem, but for urine tests men and women alike are disturbed by the direct observation of their urine collection. Unfortunately, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms applies only to the laws and actions of the federal and provincial governments and their agencies. It does not apply to the policies and actions of private employers. The Charter therefore does not protect private sector employees from unreasonable drug testing. It is necessary to state that currently an employer can terminate an employee's job if the employee has been using illegal drug s and alcohol, but only if such use is not considered a disability. Alcohol or drug addiction can be viewed as a physical and/or mental disability. In Ontario, the Ontario Human Rights, Citizenship, and Multiculturalism Act prohibit employment discrimination based on disability. Employers have a responsibility to accommodate employees who are disabled. Drug testing has not been proven to be against the Canadian Human Rights Commission. "In order to institute a drug testing policy into a company which complies with human rights legislation, an employer must be able to demonstrate that the testing is related to job performance, and not just substance abuse." Many employees feel that drug testing is a way of discriminating against people who might have a drug and/or alcohol disability. An example of such discrimination is found in Entrop v. Imperial Oil Ltd. The Ontario Board of Inquiry found that Imperial Oil Limited discriminated against Martin Entrop, a senior operator at the Sarni a Refinery, because of a disability. The Board of Inquiry found that "under a new Alcohol and Drug Policy introduce in 1992, Imperial Oil employees in "safety-sensitive" positions were required to notify management if they currently had or had previously had a substance abuse problem." After Mr.Entrop heard that this policy was coming into effect he informed his employer that he had had an alcohol problem about ten years earlier, that he had attended Alcoholics Anonymous, and that he had abstained from using alcohol since 1984. Mr. Entrop had been an employee for seventeen years and he had had no problems at work that were related to substance abuse, but Imperial Oil's policy required that Mr.Entrop be immediately removed form his current position. This example clearly shows that it is discriminatory to terminate a person's job because of a past or

USS Colorado (BB-45) in World War II

USS Colorado (BB-45) in World War II The fifth and final class  of Standard-type battleship  (Nevada, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, and Tennessee) designed for the US Navy, the Colorado-class was an evolution of its predecessors.   Devised prior to the building of the Nevada-class, the Standard-type concept called for vessels that had similar operational and tactical traits. This would allow all battleship units in the fleet to operate together without concern for issues of speed and turning radius. As the Standard-type ships were intended to be the backbone of the fleet, earlier dreadnought classes ranging from the South Carolina- to the New York-classes were increasingly moved to secondary duties.   Among the characteristics found in the Standard-type battleships were the use of oil-fired boilers instead of coal and the employment of an  Ã¢â‚¬Å"all or nothing† armor arrangement.   This protection scheme called for important areas of the battleship, such as magazines and engineering, to be heavily protected while less critical spaces were left unarmored. It also saw the armored deck in each ship raised a level so that its edge was in line with the main armor belt. In terms of performance, Standard-type battleships were to possess a tactical turn radius of 700 yards or less and a minimum top speed of 21 knots.    Design Though largely identical to the preceding Tennessee-class, the Colorado-class instead carried eight 16 guns in four twin turrets as opposed to the earlier ships which mounted twelve 14 guns in four triple turrets. The US Navy had been discussing the use of 16 guns for several years and following successful tests of the weapon, debate ensued regarding their use on the earlier Standard-type designs. This did not occur due to the cost involved in altering these designs and increasing their tonnage to accommodate the new guns.   In 1917, Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels finally authorized the use of 16 guns on the condition that the new class not incorporate any other major design changes. The Colorado-class also mounted a secondary battery of twelve to fourteen 5 guns and an anti-aircraft armament of four 3 guns.    As with the Tennessee-class, the Colorado-class utilized eight oil-fired Babcock Wilcox water-tube boilers supported by a turbo-electric transmission for propulsion. This type of transmission was preferred as it allowed the vessels turbines to operate at optimum speed regardless of how fast the ships four propellers were turning. This led to an increase in fuel efficiency and improved the ships overall range. It also permitted a greater subdivision of the vessels machinery which enhanced its ability to withstand torpedo strikes. Construction The lead ship of the class, USS Colorado (BB-45) commenced construction at New York Shipbuilding Corporation in Camden, NJ on May 29, 1919. Work progressed on the hull and on March 22, 1921, it slid down the ways with Ruth Melville, daughter of Colorado Senator Samuel D. Nicholson, serving as sponsor. Following another two years of work, Colorado reached completion and entered commission on August 30, 1923, with Captain Reginald R. Belknap in command. Finishing its initial shakedown, the new battleship conducted a European cruise which saw it visit Portsmouth, Cherbourg, Villefranche, Naples, and Gibraltar before returning to New York on February 15, 1924. Overview: Nation:  United StatesType:  BattleshipShipyard:  New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, NJLaid Down:  May  29, 1919Launched:  March  22, 1921Commissioned:  August 20, 1923Fate:  Sold for scrap Specifications (as built) Displacement:  32,600  tonsLength:  624  ft., 3 in.Beam:  97  ft., 6 in.Draft:  38  ft.Propulsion:  Turbo-electric transmission  turning 4 propellersSpeed:  21  knotsComplement:  1,080  men Armament (as built) 8 Ãâ€" 16  in. gun (4  Ãƒâ€" 2)12  Ãƒâ€" 5 in. guns8 Ãâ€" 3 in. guns2 Ãâ€" 21 in. torpedo tubes Interwar Years Undergoing routine repairs,  Colorado  received orders to sail for the West Coast on July 11.   Reaching San Francisco in mid-September, the battleship joined the Battle Fleet. Operating with this force for the next several years,  Colorado  engaged in a goodwill cruise to Australia and New Zealand in 1925. Two years later, the battleship ran aground on Diamond Shoals off Cape Hatteras. Held in place for a day, it was eventually refloated with minimal damage. A year later, it entered the yard for enhancements to its anti-aircraft armament. This saw the removal of the original 3 guns and the installation of eight 5 guns. Resuming peacetime activities in the Pacific,  Colorado  periodically shifted to the Caribbean for exercises and aided the victims of an earthquake in Long Beach, CA in 1933. Four years later, embarked a contingent of NROTC students from the University of Washington and the University of California-Berkeley for a summer training cruise. While operating off Hawaii, the cruise was interrupted when Colorado was ordered assist in search efforts following the disappearance of Amelia Earhart. Arriving in the Phoenix Islands, the battleship launched scout planes but could not locate the famed pilot. Arriving in Hawaiian waters for Fleet Exercise XXI in April 1940,  Colorado  remained in the area until June 25, 1941 when it departed for Puget Sound Navy Yard. Entering the yard for a major overhaul, it was there when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7. World War II Returning to active operations on March 31, 1942,  Colorado  steamed south and later joined USS  Maryland  (BB-46) to aid in the defense of the West Coast. Training through the summer, the battleship shifted to Fiji and the New Hebrides in November. Operating in this vicinity until September 1943,  Colorado  then returned to Pearl Harbor  to prepare for the invasion of the Gilbert Islands. Sailing in November, it made its combat debut by providing fire support for the landings on  Tarawa. After aiding troops ashore,  Colorado  traveled to the West Coast for a brief overhaul. Arriving back in Hawaii in January 1944, it sailed for the Marshall Islands on the 22nd.   Reaching Kwajalein,  Colorado  pounded Japanese positions ashore and aided in the invasion of the island  before fulfilling a similar role off Eniwetok. Overhauled at Puget Sound that spring, Colorado departed on May 5 and joined Allied forces in preparing for the Marianas Campaign. Beginning on June 14, the battleship commenced striking targets on Saipan, Tinian, and Guam. Supporting the landings on Tinian on July 24, Colorado sustained 22 hits from Japanese shore batteries which killed 44 of the ships crew.   Despite this damage, the battleship continued to operate against the enemy until August 3. Departing, it underwent repairs on the West Coast before rejoining the fleet for operations against Leyte. Arriving in the Philippines on November 20, Colorado provided naval gunfire support for Allied troops ashore. On November 27, the battleship took two kamikaze hits which killed 19 and wounded 72. Though damaged, Colorado struck targets on Mindoro in early December before withdrawing to Manus for repairs. With the completion of this work, Colorado steamed north to cover the landings in Lingayen Gulf, Luzon on January 1, 1945.   Nine days later, friendly fire struck the battleships superstructure killing 18 and injuring 51. Retiring to Ulithi, Colorado next saw action in late March as it hit targets on Okinawa prior to the Allied invasion. Holding a position offshore, it continued to attack Japanese targets on the island until May 22 when it departed for Leyte Gulf. Returning to Okinawa on August 6, Colorado moved north later in the month following the end of hostilities. After covering the landing of occupation forces at Atsugi Airfield near Tokyo, it sailed for San Francisco. Following a brief visit, Colorado moved north to participate in Navy Day festivities at Seattle.   Final Actions Ordered to take part in Operation Magic Carpet, Colorado made three voyages to Pearl Harbor to transport American servicemen home. In the course of these trips, 6,357 men returned to the United States aboard the battleship. Moving to Puget Sound, Colorado left commission on January 7, 1947.   Retained in reserve for twelve years, it was sold for scrap on July 23, 1959.

Wants vs. Needs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Wants vs. Needs - Essay Example The notion of wants and needs will be accorded in this instance in the context of desert survival with the semi-nomadic Ju/'hoansi Bushmen in the Kalahari desert. Contrary to the common views that desert survival is relatively easy, being stuck or to live in a desert for an indefinite period of time needs a lot of careful planning and effective strategy. Before deciding which things I need to bring with me, it is important to describe the prospective conditions. Half of the Kalahari Desert does not qualify as a desert because it â€Å"receives much more rainfall† (Encyclopaedia Britannica, â€Å"Kalahari Desert†), than the other half of the desert. While rains occur at a significantly large volume annually with â€Å"a mean precipitation of more than 20 [Student’s Last Name] 2 inches† (Encyclopaedia Britannica, â€Å"Kalahari Desert†), still the area is extremely dry and there are no surface water. By and large, the sand is red and hot. Edible veget ation and fruit-bearing trees are present in some parts of the desert but occur on a single season within a year. Semi-nomadic tribes like the Bushmen live in Kalahari Desert. Majority of the Bushmen, also known as â€Å"Shan†, have shelters of their own. Water is their main concern. In dry seasons, they use sip-well to extract water from the ground. While they are hunter-gatherers and plant eaters, they also consume a considerable amount of insects especially during hot seasons (Morris 57). They also have common household necessities like knives, cloaks, blankets, etc. Given these conditions, I have come up with a list of things, either a need or a want, which I will be bringing with me in a stay with the Bushmen for an indefinite period of time: (1) distilled water; (2) medical kit; (3) communication tools; (4) wool jacket; (5) alcohol. Living in a stern environment in so far as water is concerned is both difficult and life threatening. Thus, water is a dire need for someon e who will have to spend an indefinite period of time in the desert. To prevent diarrhoea or other related diseases, it is absolutely helpful to bring large volumes of distilled drinking water. Similarly, dangers are very common in the desert. Poisonous creatures like scorpions and snakes are lurking everywhere. It is especially important to anticipate the possibility of encountering these dangers, or even worse, getting bitten by these deadly creatures in order to carefully plan the travel. Hence, a medical kit should not be discounted as it helps preclude the possibility of injury or even death. Similarly, deserts like Kalahari have very erratic weather conditions. Temperatures are normally high during the day but go too low during the night. If the body is not used to recurrent weather changes, one may [Student’s Last Name] 3 not be able to survive; therefore, a wool jacket should be brought together with the traveller. This somehow neutralizes the body temperature, which may help in regulating the blood flow. As aforementioned, water is the prime concern in Kalahari; water is scarce in the area. Thus, it is rather inappropriate to employ the same hygienic practices in the desert; in other words, taking a bath is relatively not a possibility. Nevertheless, this should not serve as a

Police Response to Domestic Violence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Police Response to Domestic Violence - Essay Example By using discretion to avoid making arrests in some cases, the police are perceived to be declining to offer â€Å"necessary assistance to the victims of the violence† (Hendricks and Byers, 37). The police policy geared at delaying response with intention that the â€Å"domestic violence would resolve itself† has in some cases been worsening the situation instead of helping it (Hendricks and Byers, 39). Hendricks and Byers assert that the police are normally trained to rely more on crisis intervention, mediations and separations of parties involved in the violence, counseling for substance abuse cases, and let the victims carry the burden of arrest. Practically, this kind of training has made it very difficult for these victims especially the poor ones to seek justice against the sufferings they undergo during the violence (102). Police officers prefer not to respond to domestic violence calls following the organizational disincentives. For instance, the officers perceive the violence to be dangerous. â€Å"Statutory restrictions on misdemeanor† have prevented the police from doing anything worthwhile (Hendricks and Byers, 112). The cases in which the victims fail to follow through with prosecution have also demoralized the officers from responding to the violence as required of them. There also have been cases in which the police are accused of being biased while making arrests on the â€Å"offenders of the domestic violence† (Hendricks and Byers, 113). There have been several reforms that have been enacted to improve the â€Å"police response to domestic violence† (Hendricks and Byers, 115). The reforms were pushed through due to mounting pressure from the women’s rights groups and battered women’s advocates. Implementation of pro-arrest policies such as Domestic Violence Act has been instrumental in ensuring â€Å"warrantless arrest† in cases perceived to have probable cause of violation of a protection order (Hendricks and Byers, 118). According to

Hard times by Charles Dickens Essay Example for Free

Hard times by Charles Dickens Essay The book Hard times, relates to the hard times that people were going through at the time of the industrial revolution, during the 1840s. the book was published in 1850, so that when Charles wrote the book, he was looking back on the events that occurred 10 years earlier. In his book Hard Times Dickens focuses on education and how children used to be taught. Dickens does not agree with the type of teaching that was going on in those times, and by making the characters of the story his object of hate, it makes them prime targets of ridiculing, and does so throughout the book. He describes how the educators insist on teaching fact, and fact alone, nothing but fact. This way he can put forward his views and feelings of this form of teaching, by ridiculing the characters and continually ripping them apart with criticism. The educators insist on teaching fact and pluck all the opinion from the tiny fragile minds that can be so easily moulded into fact filled objects. They scoop out every little fragment of imagination, not leaving the smallest detail to spare and replace it with fact, fact, fact, until they are over spilling with them. As if when filling an empty money box with pennies until it is full to the brim and over flowing, and when you take off the lid they all pour out, one after the other, penny after penny, fact after fact. Facts were ridged and solid, there was no room for interpretation, or another view on the matter, a fact could not be disproved, or argued against, a fact was a fact, and that was what the educators were trying to pour into the innocent little minds, once filled with imagination and opinion. Dickens chooses the names of characters very well. Such as Grad grind, this gives an impression of a strict, hard faced man stuck in his ways. Dickens is very descriptive which gives the reader an image of the characters, and yet at the same time he leaves other aspects to the imagination. The educators were filtering out the opinion and imagination, leaving room for only the facts to get through. This is what Dickens disliked about this form of education, he thought that each child should be independent, and have their own opinion of things and have a free imagination. Dickens himself was a very bright child, yet was denied the right to education, due to the conditions of the time, and the fact that his family were so poor. He left school at the age of 14 and went to work. This is the main reason why Dickens feels so strongly about education and he feels that people should do what they want to do not what they have to do, as he had to leave school in order to get a bit more money for his family. In chapter 2 we learn that the teacher Gradgrind has little, if any respect for the children as he refers to them by numbers, also he criticises on of the girls names. He forms the impression of a very narrow minded man with little consideration or respect for children. He is full of fact and stuck in his ways, he believes that because he has been taught facts that every one should be taught pure fact. Dickens doesnt like this way of learning, and continually ridicules it and the people teaching it. Dickens gets his points across through satire and comic exaggeration, he uses this to achieve humour and also as an extreme way of getting feelings across. During the Victorian times people had a very dim view of education, they did not think it was that essential for children to learn, however in the Victorian times it all came down to your social class. If you were upper class you would have had an education, however if you were lower class you would be considered very lucky if you went to school and even then you would have hat to have left school early to work to get that extra bit of money for the family. I thin these views existed because people had no idea of the importance and it all came down to your social class, also children were ill treated and expected to be seen and not heard. These views of education are very wrong as it is now important especially as we have more rights, and people are respected more.

Good and Evil in Tess of the dUrbervilles Essay -- Tess of the dUrbe

Good and Evil in Tess of the d'Urbervilles Though the central action of Tomas Hardy's novel "Tess of the d'Urbervilles" centres on Tess, the other characters are not lacking in interest and individuality. Undoubtedly, Tess's life is marked by two contradictory temperaments, those of the sensual Alec d'Urberville and the intellectual Angel Clare. Both characters are described with artistic detail to show a blend of weakness and strength governed by fate. Both are flesh and symbol complementing the other in the fall and rise, rise and fall again of Tess herself, and both play crucial roles in shaping her destiny. Although Alec is the evil man in Tess's life, he has some good qualities, coming trough us more as a man than Angel does. Alec is tall with a dark complexion, crude red lips and black moustache. There are touches of barbarism in his contour as well as a singular force in his face. Alec feels sexually attracted to Tess from the very beginning and showing to be straightforward with regard to what he wants and how to achieve it, he will do anything to take her. Finally, his dark instincts reveal and taking advantage of Tess's youth and innocence, he seduces her. Although we cannot forgive him for raping Tess, we have to recognise that he is not a complete villain. What he shows is a combination of desire to master her again and a genuine regard for her welfare. He is troubled for his sight of her agonizing labor at Flintcomb Ash, he reacts against society for its cruel treatment of Tess's family and he offers to help her in a variety of ways. Nevertheless, Alec is angry at her ingratitu de and very often taunts her about her missing husband, until in the end Tess kills him. The other man in Tess's life is Angel Clar... ...d on a number of levels: Alec abuses Tess in the flesh but Angel in the spirit; Alec's condemnation of Tess's husband finds its equivalent in Angel's unspoken condemnation of Tess's seducer. Alec returns, Angel doesn't until too late; Alec is in Tess's mind her real husband, while Angel who marries her is not and does not consummate the marriage, at least not, until too late. Consequently, it seems to be certain that neither Alec is completely bad nor Angel completely good. In both Hardy is presenting male dominance, with the resulting reduction of the woman in both, the flesh and the spirit. On one side Angel seems to be a better man than Alec but on the other, it is Angel rather than Alec who destroys Tess with his rejection. In conclusion, although different, both men help her and both contribute to her ruin. In relation to both, Tess is in each case a victim.

Consider the significance of the Edict of Nantes 1598 Essay

The Edict of Nantes immediately followed the Wars of Religion, which further divided France in terms of religion. The Edict of Nantes could be described as a significant development in policies regarding religion in France in the 17th century. The policies were implemented by a monarch who sat on the fence when it came to religion, having devotions to both Catholicism and Protestantism, in the shape of Henry IV. The Edict of Nantes itself was very significant as its policy was the first of its kind in French politics. Never before had a French monarch tolerated both Catholicism and Protestantism and allowed them both to flourish in the same ‘country’. Whatever Henry’s beliefs and motives in implementing such a policy, it was certainly an original policy and a significant development in sixteenth and seventeenth century France. Toleration existed and although it can be argued that Protestants didn’t have very much power and the Catholics remained in near total control of the majority of areas in the country but the Protestants certainly had more power than they had under previous more anti-Protestant monarchs. The Edict could also be described as a turning point. Indeed, it could be described as a very significant turning point. Legislation was put in place in an attempt to avoid discrimination against the Protestants. Discrimination was not evident by the Edict itself; it was more of a case of trying to give the Protestants more rights. Henry couldn’t go as far as giving the Protestants equal legal, religious and political rights because he would lose the support of the Catholics. However, there can be no denying the significance of the legislation. It was the attempt to be pragmatic where religion is concerned which resulted in his death. The significance of Henry’s reign lies in the difference and the pragmatism of his reign. The actual legislation could be described as ground breaking. The rights that the Edict of Nantes gave the Protestants included full liberty of conscience and private worship; liberty of public worship wherever it had previously been granted and its extension to numerous other localities and to estates of Protestant nobles; full civil rights including the right to hold public office; royal subsidies for Protestant schools; special courts, composed of Roman Catholic and Protestant judges, to judge cases involving Protestants; retention of the organization of the Protestant church in France; and Protestant control of some 200 cities then held by the Huguenots, including such strongholds as La Rochelle, with the king contributing to the maintenance of their garrisons and fortifications. In practice, things were slightly different for the Protestants who were oppressed by the Catholics and still weren’t allowed anywhere near Paris. It is clear that full, equal rights for the Protestants were not given by Henry – for example, Roman Catholic judges had more power in the courts than the Protestant judges did and often Roman Catholic bias came through in a number of cases – but there was some attempt to give the Protestants some rights and freedoms which was in itself significant. The Edict of Nantes was also very significant in terms of Henry’s foreign policy. He wanted to protect the southern border of France from the Spanish and Austrian Hapsburgs. Henry was more patriotic than the French kings before him and his policies show this as he placed the Protestants in the south of France, using the Protestants to protect France from Spain. All of this means that – in terms of French foreign policy – the Edict of Nantes carries further significance for a number of reasons†¦ The removal of the Protestants away from Paris and further towards the south means that Henry IV embarked on a policy of centralisation. There is no doubt that Henry converted to Catholicism and tried to maintain as much power as possible for his Catholic friends in the establishment. Policies were made more in a centralised way i.e. from Paris and the Protestants were freezed out in positions of power by the Catholics. This is significant because of the reign of Louis XIII who furthered the centralisation policy, and shows that there was a trend towards centralisation before Louis XIII came onto the throne. This also shows that Henry’s domestic and foreign policy can easily be linked, which is also significant. All of this emphasises how significant the Edict of Nantes was. Henry’s patriotism was also on show in the implementation of the Edict of Nantes. He didn’t want any foreign influence in his affairs and he wanted to appease the Protestants. The best way to appease them was giving them an important role whilst getting what he wanted in his foreign policy by getting the Protestants to protect the borders of France. This is highly significant as never before had a French monarch been as patriotic as Henry and it is also significant because it indicates that Henry didn’t actually want the Catholics to have power in all areas of France which probably indicates that he still had allegiances to the Protestant beliefs despite his conversion to Catholicism. Henry’s tactical manoeuvres were also significant in another way. Basically, he prevented the Wars of Religion from continuing and restarting again. The irony is that his tendency to sit on the fence on the issue of religion in the end cost him his life. This is why some historians place emphasis on the significance of this aspect of the Edict of Nantes. Henry’s early life as a Protestant and his subsequent conversion to Catholicism make the Edict of Nantes interesting as well as significant. To consider the significance of the Edict of Nantes, we have to consider the situation in France before Henry IV came to the throne and even beyond the Wars of Religion. The Wars of Religion were where the Calvinist Huguenots (Protestants) and the Catholics did battle for control of the monarchy. The Catholics won and maintained control of the monarchy; however, it is clear that something needed to be done to prevent another War of Religion from happening. Henry IV was the man with the job of preventing another War of Religion and he turned out to be the perfect man for the job. Unlike most French monarchs in this period, Henry was pragmatic when it came to religion although he had developed a slight preference for Catholicism. Henry felt that they were more important things than religion – his patriotism as opposed to his religious beliefs – but ultimately it was this that caused his downfall and eventual death. However, the very fact that the Wars of Religion didn’t happen again throughout Henry IV’s reign is very significant considering the huge division between the two religions. Another War of Religion could have shaped French history differently, especially if the Protestants/Calvinists came out on top. Today’s France could also have been completely different if a war wasn’t avoided. This makes Henry’s reign and – of course – the Edict of Nantes take on further significance. The Edict of Nantes certainly cannot be described as revolutionary but it was almost a complete reform of the laws regarding religion. In reality, there was little reform because there was major exploitation of flaws in the law by the Catholics. However, this shouldn’t take anything away from the significance of the Edict of Nantes because the laws created Protestant strangleholds in the south of France. Despite all this, the Edict of Nantes takes on an apparent lack of significance because of what happened to Henry and what happened under the reigns of subsequent monarchs. The Edict was indeed revoked in 1685 and steadily the Catholics moved towards a position of total power over the Protestants. So this means that the Edict of Nantes loses some of its significance because the policies of Henry had no impact on future monarchs. During Henry’s reign, however, significance can be attached to the Edict.