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Essay Prompt 2 - Do not read this until you have read the intro post


yeeha

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Granting mercy is sometimes the best way for a judge to serve justice.

Write a unified essay in which you perform the following tasks. Explain what you think the above statement means. Describe a specific situation in which granting mercy might not be the best way for a judge to serve justice. Discuss what you think determines when granting mercy serves justice and when it does not.

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Here is my essay. Please do not read it until you have written and submitted your own. Feedback is greatly appreciated.

 

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Mercy can serve as a powerful warning for those who truly appreciate it. Through the media, we are constantly exposed to the current events happening around us. We hear stories about young adults committing crimes and the judge showing mercy by giving a smaller penalty in trade for public service. When the accused is truly sorry for their fault, such as a driver hitting a child that ran into the street after a ball, mercy is the fairest way to serve justice. The traumatized driver, although careless for not paying attention to his or her surroundings, did not intentionally hit the child. The incident was merely a tragedy and the worst outcome would be the loss of two lives by sending the driving to prison for an extending period of time.

 

However, mercy can also be the instigator of more tragedies. When mercy is given to those who do not appreciate it or for those who have not learned their lesson, justice is not served. An example of a judge’s mercy that did not serve justice is the mercy given to repeated offenders. A prime example which has been exposed on the media is the mercy handed out to celebreties who are not thankful and never learn their lesson. Paris Hilton has received several warning for driving under the influence of alcohol. Finally, the judge did not show mercy for her last conviction; however, her period spent in jail was dramatically shortened. Only time will show if she has truly learned her lesson, or if the judge needs to show no mercy at all.

 

Whether granting mercy serves justice depends on the individual who receives the mercy. If the individual learns his or her lesson and appreciates receiving the mercy, then it has served justice. For example, the driver responsible for the death of the small child will learn his lesson and drive more carefully in residential areas. On the other hand, if the individual does not appreciate the mercy given by the judge, justice is not served. As seen with many celebrities, such as Paris Hilton, the mercy granted did not serve justice and as a result, they did not learn their lesson. Mercy can be a gift, granting someone another chance, and it can also be a misfortune, when the individual commits a second crime.The judge must take extra precaution when granting mercy because doing so creates the opportunity for the individual to commit a second offense.

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Granting mercy is sometimes the best way for a judge to serve justice.

Write a unified essay in which you perform the following tasks. Explain what you think the above statement means. Describe a specific situation in which granting mercy might not be the best way for a judge to serve justice. Discuss what you think determines when granting mercy serves justice and when it does not.

 

yeeha, my small essay below was inspired by your requirement that we can only comment after doing our own essay. Therfore, my comments to you about your essay are contained in my mini-essaye:) below.

 

Granting mercy is less a reflection upon the grantee than a reflection of the capacity of society to show compassion to an individual whether or not deserved. Thus, the granting of mercy to the the only convicted murderer of the Lockerbie mass murder was an act of compassion that went against any sense of justice and was a slap in the face of all those who loved the murder victims, all the more so when ther murdered was given a hero's welcome home to his nation.

 

Mercy has the capacity to influence societal change. A woman sentenced to a stroning death for adultry, when granted mercy, is a sign to other women of the ultimate penalty that might be imposed upon them, although perhaps society will treat these transgresions less severely in the future. On the other hand, the perpetrator of a rape and murder of a child cannot be granted mercy as this would be tantamount to approving of such a henous act.

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Therfore, my comments to you about your essay are contained in my mini-essaye:) below.

 

Future_doc, I am absolutely astounished by your ability to write so well! And, your examples are always so powerful. Is it just natural, or is it a result of practicing, or is there a secret guide out there that I really need to read? ;) Thank you for your feedback. And of course, you're always welcome to providing feedback without writing your own essay, but a mini-essay is just as great. Thank you!

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It took me a few minutes, just flow, little thought actually. The secret if there is one is to think unconventionally and without borders, no boxes. In this case, the concept of mercy must be thought of in its largest context, and I find that dramatic examples at the edge of the spectrum or beyond make the point. It is not about practice, it is about conceptualizing from up above looking down with a wide angled lens.

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  • 1 year later...

I am an undergraduate looking to apply to medical school soon. I recently began cracking down on the writing sample section, but I'm not sure if my practice essays are med-school-caliber. Any tips, suggestion, and/or critiques on the following essay would be very helpful. Also, would anyone give me an approximate grade ?

 

 

A student's academic success depends more on hard work than on intelligence.

Write a unified essay in which you perform the following tasks.

Explain what you think the above statement means. Describe a specific situation in which a student's academic success might depend more on intelligence than on hard work. Discuss what you think determines whether a student's academic success depends more on hard work or on intelligence.

 

Time: approx. 35-40 minutes

 

Typical high school and college students define their peers who excel academically as intelligent. Most of the time, this is an accurate assumption, but the student's work ethic is often overlooked. It is unlikely that he or she excels by relying on intelligence alone. Hopefully, the student has a nice combination of hard work and intelligence. These students are the ones who continue to excel academically and are not stopped short because of their lack of one or the other. However, I believe work ethic would prove more beneficial in the long run. It is more likely that a hard-working, less intelligent student obtains a higher GPA than a smart, lazy student. However, the misconception lies within the definitions of the words. Especially intelligence.

 

Intelligence can be interpreted in two ways. Primarily, intelligence is measured as the rate at which one is able to retain information and connect mental bridges that lead to problem solving. As concepts quickly accrue, these students are able to apply their previous knowledge to increasingly higher levels. An academic subject such as math is a good example, considering it usually has a cumulative curriculum. If a student does not understand basic integration, for example, he or she would have difficulties calculating the area under a curve. Unfortunately, the rate at which this student is able to grasp math concepts does not fully cover the criteria for intelligence. Another, very underestimated form of intellect exists as well: one's ability to perceive the world in a unique way and challenge conventional thought. Contending with an idea or belief takes an immense amount of critical and analytical thinking. To think 'outside of the box', so to speak, demands ingenuity and confidence. The two founders of the structure of DNA, for example, portray this type of intelligence. Watson and Crick devised an original plan for cracking the genetic code, and they applied their intelligence, which did not necessarily meet the standards of other scientists at that time. These types of situations convey intelligence, but they are limited by the students' work ethic.

 

It is reasonable to assume that hard work always has the potential to lead to intelligence when relating to academics. For this reason, it contains more value comparatively. This occurs because for the rate at which the lower learner--classified as the less intelligent--will eventually reach the point where the intellect is. Contrarily, intelligence rarely transforms into hard work. Therefore, in an academic setting, hard work overrides intelligence.

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