Writer's Corner: Free Essay Grading by PastaInhaler

[nick]

Thanks!

[Pearl.4]

*clicked

 

Thanks for doing this! This is my weakest area and my first essay after deciding to rewrite. I'm ready for some feedback.

 

Of all the forms of media, television has the strongest influence on public opinion.

 

Day in and day out people in Canada and the United States receive messages and signals indicating what food to eat, what clothes to wear and what music to hear. The way these messages are sent is through Media, an ever changing world where the internet has now surpassed the strongest past influence form of media, television. Television was the strongest form of media influencing the public opinion when televisions began to be seen in all households before the internet era. This is because this was the quickest way to find the news of current events at the time. This was seen when a past president Bill Clinton had an affair on his wife. The continuous communication between the television and its watchers allowed everyone to know the outcomes of the situation leading to the public opinion of a disrespectful president.

 

Today the strongest form of media influencing the opinion of the public is the internet. Many homes now do not pay cable and rely on the internet for their news and information. More specifically, facebook a forum for communication was the key element in the protest to change in Egypt. A girl began the rally of independence in Egypt by forming a facebook group and enabling the world and the country itself to see her message. The internet being so quick, writing a comment would be available for everyone to see after pressing one button. This quick form of communication is able to change the opinion of a country and to organize groups with specific issues.

 

The form of media which is the strongest influence on public opinion is the form that is fastest. Television was the strongest in the past where today the internet being the quickest form of communication is now the most influential on public opinion. The development and mass purchases of data phones and lightweight laptops enables everyone to have information at their fingertips at any second strengthening the internet as being the most influential form of media in the world.

[Pearl.4]

-clicked-

 

Sorry if I am writing to many. I plan to do at least one a day before my exam in May. Do you have any advice on whether taking a critical thinking course would help. Or would you say practicing MCAT writing prompts would be the best way to improve? I think my biggest problem is finding examples. I take to long to come up with anything and end up writing garbage . I'll wait for your response.

 

Thanks again

 

History is the record of humanity's wars.

 

History, a story of the past and in most schools is taught based on important events in society. When we think of history images of black and white pictures of gun held soldiers come to mind. Most would think that written history are stories of past wars. This is mostly true and is what we normally hear in books. Like any story, story of fighting and war are the most interesting and therefore are those we hear more often. The basis of history is then a record of humanity's wars when we need to remember and learn from it. In World War II the story of how Germany, lead by Hitler, planned his conquest for world domination beginning with the holocaust, a violent extermination against the Jewish race. A war within the Country itself was an event so vivid and astonishing that remembering and understanding the events that lead to this genocide and war would prevent others to do the same.

 

When history should be a record of something else other than humanity's wars is when it reflects on the achievements of humanity. In the past we have abolished slavery have given rights to the African American. In Canada women were given their freedom to vote after Nelly Mclung peacefully rallied the rights for women in Manitoba. We can not only base our history on negative and blood shed events. Knowing that humanity can also serve the greater good is something we should also remember in our History.

 

History is the record of humanity's wars when we need to remember the occurrences of events that lead to the tragedy to learn and prevent it to repeat itself in the present. When history is not a record of wars is when it tells the story of the achievements of humanity. Only from our achievements we can see how far we have come as a society and as a whole to create a better world for the future.

[Pearl.4]

-clicked-

 

I feel that I need to write more ~500 words. I am averaging ~300. I realize it is the content that is being graded but does length affect score to?

 

Thanks again!

 

The personal privacy of citizens should be protected from government intrusion.

 

"They are watching you", a famous line that implies that the government is watching and tracking everyone's personal privacy. Personal privacy includes everything from bank statements, property and messages such as e-mails, pictures and texts. The personal privacy of citizens should be protected from government intrusion when there is no necessary need to reveal private information. This is upheld during voting during electoral political races. The government provides the voter a private area to ensure the freedom to privately vote. This is a situation the citizen's personal privacy of voting is kept from the government. This is the basis of living in with democracy.

 

The government should intrude in the personal privacy of citizens when the citizens themselves could be harmed. During Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau's reign a group called the FLQ had kidnapped members of council as well as injured many innocent people. He initiated the War Measures Act in which he had control to remove the rights of these men and women involved in the FLQ. He was able to properly remove them from society to prevent any more harm to the Country. This being an extreme example depicts when the government should invade personal privacy. This is also seen in murder investigations where any information from cell phones, bank statements could be used to determine who is guilty.

 

The protection of personal privacy should be upheld if there is no cause which can give example of harm to themselves or others. The government must only be able to invade personal privacy in situations where the safety of the country and its citizens is at risk. It is about respect between the country and the country's citizens.

[PastaInhaler]

I will mark your essays shortly. Sorry for the delay, been having trouble logging into my account the past few weeks.

[Guest ST6nq]

-clicked-

 

This is my first ever attempt at responding to a prompt:

 

Citizens who enjoy a country’s benefits during peacetime have a responsibility to support their nation in times of war.

 

Citizens of democratic countries enjoy certain unalienable rights and freedoms that arise from the democratic nature of the society in which they live. Since war often threatens to erode the foundation of democracies and by extension, to strip the rights of citizen’s of those societies, the continuity of one’s ability to experience the maximum benefit of these rights is contingent upon them upholding their responsibility to defend their country in times of war. As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said, “Peace must be anchored in security”, meaning in order for Israel’s citizen’s to enjoy the unalienable rights and freedoms guaranteed to them by the democracy in which they live, they have a responsibility to protect their nation in times of war, since failure to do so would surely result in the loss of their rights and freedoms, in addition to an inevitable loss of life.

 

Conversely, citizen’s could justifiably not support their nation in times of war if those citizen’s held a moral conviction that the actions required of them in the war were inconsistent with the relevant international laws regarding war. For example, if a middle-class small business owner in Afghanistan was coerced to attend a terrorist training facility so that he may become a suicide bomber whose mission might be to detonate explosives thus killing himself and innocent civilians in a busy subway in London, England for instance, one could argue that this state sponsored terrorism (which is in violation of international war laws), gives this person the moral highground to relieve himself of this responsibility thrust upon him by state sponsored terrorist factions.

 

Therefore, the responsibility of a citizen to support their country in times of war is dependent on the legality of the actions required of that citizen, as determined by international war laws mandated by the United Nations. If the actions to be taken by the citizen as required by their country are considered illegal with respect to international law, then that citizen should have no responsibility to support their country in times of war, in spite of the fact that their citizenship may have granted them certain rights and freedoms in times of peace.

[Pearl.4]

I will mark your essays shortly. Sorry for the delay, been having trouble logging into my account the past few weeks.

 

No Worries

 

Hope you enjoyed your winter holidays

[PastaInhaler]

..............................................Post#829

*clicked

 

Thanks for doing this! This is my weakest area and my first essay after deciding to rewrite. I'm ready for some feedback.

 

Of all the forms of media, television has the strongest influence on public opinion.

 

Day in and day out people in Canada and the United States receive messages and signals indicating what food to eat, what clothes to wear and what music to hear. The way these messages are sent is through Media, an ever changing world where the internet has now surpassed the strongest past influence form of media, television. Television was the strongest form of media influencing the public opinion when televisions began to be seen in all households before the internet era. This is because this was the quickest way to find the news of current events at the time. This was seen when a past president Bill Clinton had an affair on his wife. The continuous communication between the television and its watchers allowed everyone to know the outcomes of the situation leading to the public opinion of a disrespectful president.

 

Today the strongest form of media influencing the opinion of the public is the internet. Many homes now do not pay cable and rely on the internet for their news and information. More specifically, facebook a forum for communication was the key element in the protest to change in Egypt. A girl began the rally of independence in Egypt by forming a facebook group and enabling the world and the country itself to see her message. The internet being so quick, writing a comment would be available for everyone to see after pressing one button. This quick form of communication is able to change the opinion of a country and to organize groups with specific issues.

 

The form of media which is the strongest influence on public opinion is the form that is fastest. Television was the strongest in the past where today the internet being the quickest form of communication is now the most influential on public opinion. The development and mass purchases of data phones and lightweight laptops enables everyone to have information at their fingertips at any second strengthening the internet as being the most influential form of media in the world.

 

Thanks for clicking. Appreciated.

 

Ideas are somewhat developed.

Evidence of some clarity of thought.

Ideas presented in a coherent manner.

 

Some good points, but you may wish to refocus the first paragraph. Make a stronger argument, by not leading into the arbitration so much. Present the argument and elaborate on it. Write about how television has influence on people, and not just influence, but the strongest influence.

 

The second task was fine, however, the final task may need to be reworked. You can add more depth to your essay by answering one related and deeper question regarding the past: what was different then compared to now? What has changed through time? This will add the necessary depth to your essay.

 

I feel this essay will be scored an:

 

JKLMNOPQRST

[PastaInhaler]

..............................................Post#830

 

-clicked-

 

Sorry if I am writing to many. I plan to do at least one a day before my exam in May. Do you have any advice on whether taking a critical thinking course would help. Or would you say practicing MCAT writing prompts would be the best way to improve? I think my biggest problem is finding examples. I take to long to come up with anything and end up writing garbage . I'll wait for your response.

 

Thanks again

 

A critical thinking course may be good for the verbal reasoning, but not so much so for the writing sample. That is only my view and I could be wrong.

 

Your time would probably be better spent on preparing a database of examples for the Writing Sample. Practising MCAT writing prompts is not a bad way to improve. You can try doing as many prompts as you can find time to do, or you can try redoing certain prompts that are giving you issues. You may wish to also practise writing a lot on anything. Write in a journal, write about ideas, write your opinions about ideas, write critiques about your opinions about ideas, write reviews of the critiques about the opinions about your ideas. The important thing is to practise writing.

 

 

History is the record of humanity's wars.

 

History, a story of the past and in most schools is taught based on important events in society. When we think of history images of black and white pictures of gun held soldiers come to mind. Most would think that written history are stories of past wars. This is mostly true and is what we normally hear in books. Like any story, story of fighting and war are the most interesting and therefore are those we hear more often. The basis of history is then a record of humanity's wars when we need to remember and learn from it. In World War II the story of how Germany, lead by Hitler, planned his conquest for world domination beginning with the holocaust, a violent extermination against the Jewish race. A war within the Country itself was an event so vivid and astonishing that remembering and understanding the events that lead to this genocide and war would prevent others to do the same.

 

When history should be a record of something else other than humanity's wars is when it reflects on the achievements of humanity. In the past we have abolished slavery have given rights to the African American. In Canada women were given their freedom to vote after Nelly Mclung peacefully rallied the rights for women in Manitoba. We can not only base our history on negative and blood shed events. Knowing that humanity can also serve the greater good is something we should also remember in our History.

 

History is the record of humanity's wars when we need to remember the occurrences of events that lead to the tragedy to learn and prevent it to repeat itself in the present. When history is not a record of wars is when it tells the story of the achievements of humanity. Only from our achievements we can see how far we have come as a society and as a whole to create a better world for the future.

 

Thanks for clicking. Appreciated.

 

Ideas are somewhat developed.

Evidence of some clarity of thought.

Be sure to take some time to re-read your essay and to make corrections in case the errors affect the coherence and the flow of your essay.

 

The first task was good, however, the second and third tasks were not as strong. Can you think of a rationale for when history is a record of humanity's wars, and when history is a record of something else? The arbitration rule that you came up with is not strong enough to delineate the two/three examples you provided. You will need to come up with a stronger rule of when history should represent wars, or when history should represent social change.

 

I feel this essay will be scored an:

 

JKLMNOPQRST

[PastaInhaler]

..............................................Post#831

 

-clicked-

 

I feel that I need to write more ~500 words. I am averaging ~300. I realize it is the content that is being graded but does length affect score to?

 

Thanks again!

 

The personal privacy of citizens should be protected from government intrusion.

 

"They are watching you", a famous line that implies that the government is watching and tracking everyone's personal privacy. Personal privacy includes everything from bank statements, property and messages such as e-mails, pictures and texts. The personal privacy of citizens should be protected from government intrusion when there is no necessary need to reveal private information. This is upheld during voting during electoral political races. The government provides the voter a private area to ensure the freedom to privately vote. This is a situation the citizen's personal privacy of voting is kept from the government. This is the basis of living in with democracy.

 

The government should intrude in the personal privacy of citizens when the citizens themselves could be harmed. During Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau's reign a group called the FLQ had kidnapped members of council as well as injured many innocent people. He initiated the War Measures Act in which he had control to remove the rights of these men and women involved in the FLQ. He was able to properly remove them from society to prevent any more harm to the Country. This being an extreme example depicts when the government should invade personal privacy. This is also seen in murder investigations where any information from cell phones, bank statements could be used to determine who is guilty.

 

The protection of personal privacy should be upheld if there is no cause which can give example of harm to themselves or others. The government must only be able to invade personal privacy in situations where the safety of the country and its citizens is at risk. It is about respect between the country and the country's citizens.

 

Length doesn't directly affect your score, however a longer essay usually means that you are developing your ideas more thoroughly than a shorter essay. With that, a longer essay that goes off topic can be considered unfocussed resulting in a lower score. Write lots, but stay focussed.

 

Thanks for clicking, appreciated.

 

Ideas are somewhat developed.

Evidence of some clarity and complexity of thought.

 

You may wish to choose a different example for task #1. The example could be stronger to balance out the essay since you came up with a strong example for task#2. For task#2, you have most of the ideas set, but you will need to clarify how personal privacy was violated, and specifically, how this was needed to resolve the situation. Task#3 was sufficient.

 

I feel this essay will be scored an:

 

JKLMNO/PQRST

[PastaInhaler]

..............................................Post#833

 

-clicked-

 

This is my first ever attempt at responding to a prompt:

 

Citizens who enjoy a country’s benefits during peacetime have a responsibility to support their nation in times of war.

 

Citizens of democratic countries enjoy certain unalienable rights and freedoms that arise from the democratic nature of the society in which they live. Since war often threatens to erode the foundation of democracies and by extension, to strip the rights of citizen’s of those societies, the continuity of one’s ability to experience the maximum benefit of these rights is contingent upon them upholding their responsibility to defend their country in times of war. As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said, “Peace must be anchored in security”, meaning in order for Israel’s citizen’s to enjoy the unalienable rights and freedoms guaranteed to them by the democracy in which they live, they have a responsibility to protect their nation in times of war, since failure to do so would surely result in the loss of their rights and freedoms, in addition to an inevitable loss of life.

 

Conversely, citizen’s could justifiably not support their nation in times of war if those citizen’s held a moral conviction that the actions required of them in the war were inconsistent with the relevant international laws regarding war. For example, if a middle-class small business owner in Afghanistan was coerced to attend a terrorist training facility so that he may become a suicide bomber whose mission might be to detonate explosives thus killing himself and innocent civilians in a busy subway in London, England for instance, one could argue that this state sponsored terrorism (which is in violation of international war laws), gives this person the moral highground to relieve himself of this responsibility thrust upon him by state sponsored terrorist factions.

 

Therefore, the responsibility of a citizen to support their country in times of war is dependent on the legality of the actions required of that citizen, as determined by international war laws mandated by the United Nations. If the actions to be taken by the citizen as required by their country are considered illegal with respect to international law, then that citizen should have no responsibility to support their country in times of war, in spite of the fact that their citizenship may have granted them certain rights and freedoms in times of peace.

 

Thanks for clicking. Appreciated.

 

Demonstrates proficiency in responding to the tasks.

Ideas are substantially developed.

Evidence of clarity, depth, and complexity of thought.

 

A more direct and concrete example for task#1 may also better serve your essay.

A concrete example may be more sufficient at proving your case in your second paragraph, but the hypothetical example was fine. The final task was good.

 

I feel this essay will be scored an:

 

JKLMNOPQRST

[Pearl.4]

Thank you for the suggestions and marking my essays. I will take your advice and start journaling to improve my writing. My goal is to get a Q/R so look forward to more essays from me in the future.

 

Thanks again

 

Pearl

[DaKirbster]

Clickity click

 

This is my first attempt at the writing sample so it might have some holes. Thanks

 

An understanding of the past is necessary for solving the problems of the present.

 

A large hope behind the study of history is that the present can avoid problems and mistakes through the understanding of problems and mistakes of the past, thus preventing repeats of those mistakes. By studying and learning about what happened, why, and how it was resolved, we can draw conclusions about how to run our current society more smoothly by averting said mistakes. A study of the past can often bring options and points of view to the table which were not previously considered. The more we study from the past, the more we can learn and hope to avoid difficulties in the current day and the future, in many cases.

 

An understanding of the past would not be necessary for current problems that are centered around current technology or other advances that are outside the scope of the past. For example, attempting to reference the past in the hopes of eliciting a solution to decreasing rogue hacker access to confidential information would be futile, since computers and their implications did not exist in the past. Information technology is an invention of the present, and thus must be solved via an understanding of the present.

 

However, in many cases, an understanding of the past will indeed help to solve a problem of the present. Whether or not this historical information can be useful depends on its relevance and the practicality of applying it to modern times. As in the example described above, the past sometimes is irrelevant to the present in terms of applicability due to recent advances, or even societal conventions. On the other hand, many problems persist throughout history into the present day as human beings remain human beings, and do not always learn from their mistakes. In these cases, understanding the past can be exceptional in its helpful to solving current problems. Ultimately, there is always something to be learned from the past, and as such, it should never be forgotten.

[bored]

-clicked-

Hey Pasta. Hope all is well. Im just gonna give it a go at an essay again. Just to see where I stand.

 

Of all the forms of media, television has the strongest influence on public opinion.

 

The media has the strongest control over any situation in the country. The everyday person gets their news and information mainly from television (TV). From the time they wake up in the morning to the time before they go to bed, they always receive their information from TV. Depending on which channel a person may decide to follow the election champaigns will strongly influence their preception of the candidates. Every channel gets its funding from someplace, even news channels will get their funding from some organisation, and this fact will always mean that all channels are biased to some degree. Take the election campaign that is currently going on in the USA. Between the candidates, it can clearly be seen that foxnews does not favour Ron Paul. Often times fox news has tried to make Ron Paul look like the bad guy in this whole ordeal. Fox news even cut of the transmission of an American soldier who is phraising Ron Paul simply because Fox News has a hidden adgenda. If someone was to see that full transmission, than they would know that Ron Paul is actually the correct candidates, but fox news realizing this, cut of the transmission before the soldier in Afganistan could finish it.

Another prime example is a sport event. When a soccer game goes bad and a player is given the red card, the TV channel that is broadcasting has a much more effect on what actually happens. They may decide to show certain footage over and over again to bring a point and place it in a person's head. All of these things only happen because the everyday person is unable to attend all these events. They therefore have to resort to TV and rely on the secondary evidence and make their opinion based on that.

 

In the modern time however, over one third the US population has tablet and the number for people with smart phones exceeds even that. People now are able to skip TV entirely and get their knowledge from their smart devices. There are even people that don't even bother getting a TV connection, because they are able to get all their information from the internet. The internet has truly taken over TV as a place for news and information. People realize that the internet is a much more safer place to get their information because the internet is not biased as much as television channels are. The Television channels have a hidden agenda because they want to get more money from their investors, and to please those investors, Television channels will show anything on TV. Internet on the other hand, is a free place where everyone can express their opinion. The everyday viewer is starting to realize this truth and all are slowly tuning to the internet for their information.

 

The rise of Television came about because it was much better than the previous source for current information, the radio. The television was better not because it was more advanced, but it was better because it provided the viewer with a visual representation of what is going on at the scene of action. By giving the viewer a visual representation of what was going on at the scene, it allowed the viewer to physically be there and observe it through the eyes of a camera. However, overtime the internet was invented and the TV channels started allowing investors to invest in them. This ultimately called for bias information being spread on the TV. The amount of bias information spread by TV channels and the rise of the internet both are the reason why the average viewer is now starting to move to the internet for their information. If one looks at the history of the sources, starting from word of mouth to the radio, to the television and finally to the internet, it can be observed that the more advanced, better tool is preferred by the everyday viewer. The everyday viewer prefers that the source is not bias and prefers if the source allows them to be at the site of action. The type of media that has a lot of control over the everyday citizen therefore changes as time goes on. As newer, better technology is produced, the everyday citizen chooses that over the older one.

 

The end

 

Hope the length isn't too much.. I fear I havn't sort of lumped my arguments together very well..

[sk636]

A nation's identity is determined more by what it consumes than by what it creates.

 

 

A nation's identity is given by what is recognized by others in the world. Many of us notice what a country is consuming in terms of weapons, technology, and other goods taken in from other countries. Countries around the world need to import items from other countries due to not having the resources to grow, or create the needed goods or technology in their country. For example, when we think of United States of America, we immediately realize that they consume weapons from countries such as China; They also develop their technology through hiring very well ranked Indian information technologists to work with them. This way, the American economy expands through the consumption of wide variety of items from throughout the world. Therefore, when we focus on what it consumes rather than what is has created due to

 

 

We often resort to claiming that if a nation is doing well, it is due what it consumes. However, it is necessarily not how we identify all the nations in the world. What a nation creates also is a main factor in its identity since it becomes well known for what it produces and delivers to the other countries. For example, when we think of Sri Lanka, we remember their tea export industry as their identity in the world. Their tea industry is well advanced and provides many other countries that cannot grow tea to have tea through exportation. Here, we don't identify with what this nation is consuming from other countries, but we think about what it is creating for other nations. A nation's creation is also very important in determining its identity by other nations.

 

A nations identity is what makes them be recognized amongst the other competing nations that reside beside them. The identity depends on whether consumption or creation that is over powered; a nation with a large consumption will be well identified for this factor, and a nation with large creation will be identified for their creation. Therefore, identity of each nation will differ due to this factor and can fluctuate if one gains more control over the economy than the other. For a nation like America, the consumption of certain items will be its identity while a nation like Sri Lanka is identified with its creation. Creation and Consumption always needs to be present between countries to have imports and exports to occur and to gain identity with what each country specializes in.

[locomonker]

-clicked-

 

 

Punishment should fit the crime.

Describe a specific situation in which punishment should not fit the crime. Discuss what you think determines whether or not punishment should fit the crime.

 

 

Humanity is constantly plagued by crime and, as a consequence, is continually in the ethical dilemma of how to deal with transgressors who commit these crimes. In most societies, governments dole out punishments to criminals, which often serve as deterrents to others who may consider committing similar crimes. They also appease the basic human desire to see justice achieved; people getting their “just deserts.” To what extent people are punished for their crimes is heavily debated. In democratic societies like that of the United States, it is often assumed that the punishment should “fit the crime.” The idea that an individual who commits a crime should be punished in a way that imbues the criminal with some sort of penalty that is equivalent to that he or she placed upon society. In this case, the retribution to the criminal must be severe enough to deter others from committing similar acts, but not so far as to be cruel and unusual. The logic is that the benefits of the crime must be outweighed by the detriments suffered by the punishments. If they are not, citizens will not stand for it, and may even commit more crime. This is evident in cases like the beating of Rodney King. Pulled over for evading the police, he was brutally beaten by multiple police officers who could have easily subdued him for arrest. The subsequent riots and rampant lawlessness in Los Angeles demonstrate the consequence of punishments outweighing the crime.

 

There are situations, thouggh, in which punishments for crimes should not fit the crime. This is true when the criminal is mentally disturbed, either through essentially lifelong disorders such as schizophrenia or mental retardation, or through trauma, such as the compression of the frontal lobe due to a brain tumor. In these cases, people may lose their ability to control themselves or even their ability to understand social norms and can not be expected to handle them selves in lawful ways. This is not to say that they get a free pass-- simply that their punishments should not fit their crimes. While the victim of a damaged frontal lobe who commits rape should certainly be removed from the freedom of society into a therapeutic setting, to impose punishments such as long-term prison sentences upon them could easily be considered cruel and unusual.

 

In civilized society, is essential to establish laws to maintain a safe environment in which people can live their lives as they wish. These societies are ostensibly protected by laws, however their true protection is often derived from the discouraging power of punishments for those that break the laws. For effective enforcement of laws and their accompanying punishments, the punishments must fit the crime for which they pay retribution. If they are too lenient, the benefits of committing the crime outweigh the damages of being caught, however if they are too harsh, they may encourage more crime against what would be considered and unjust rule. There are situations when this is not true, though, such as in when a person is unable to control themselves due to forces other than a lack of discipline. When mental illness is the reason for criminal acts, punishments typically imposed are not appropriate or effective, and should be avoided. This is because neither of the purposes of punishment-- as a form of justice and as a deterrent-- are being served.

 

Thanks a lot for the help!

[Zabooomafooo]

CLICKED

 

Drastic action is sometimes the only way to bring about political change.

 

Describe a specific situation in which drastic action might not be the only way to bring about political change. Discuss what you think determines when drastic action is the only way to bring about political change and when it is not.

 

--------------

 

As times change, societies evolve. However, the road that a society goes down to make a certain change is sometimes a bumpy one. The statement means that sometimes, the only way to change government policy is to resort to extreme actions. Before "extreme actions" can be defined, the "normal" way of making political change must be outlined. Quite simply, most political changes occur from large numbers of people voting for a politician to pledges to make that change. Thus, extreme actions could be considered anything outside of this, like protesting, letter-writing campaigns, or even violent revolution in some cases. The statement is correct when applied to events such as the civil rights movement or the woman's suffrage movement.

 

However the statement isn't always correct. The "normal" way of bringing about political change is usually responsible for most modifications to government policy in stable countries. For example, Canada in the last fifty years has seen more government policy change than in rest of the entire country's history. People have learned in the last generation or so that they can acquire free handouts from the government by voting for politicians who promise to do so by borrowing money from other countries and taxing businesses and the affluent. Canadians now receive healthcare, pensions, welfare cheques, and subsidized post-secondary education from their government by voting this way. I would argue that a major paradigm shift in the role of government occured in the 1900's in Canada - a point at which Canadians began to see their government as an entity that looks after them, rather than an entity that simply provides protection. And this shift, that is essentially the rise of socialism, took place not through letter-writing campaigns or violent revolution, but simply because politicians realized that the best strategy for getting elected was to buy people's votes with their own money (and after people started demanding this). It's as if as though this was an inevitability built in to our democratic system. And thus drastic action is not always required to bring about political change.

 

So when is drastic action required for political change? Part of it has to do with the amount of resistance society initially has to the change. Much of this resistance comes from how disagreeable the majority of people find the changes to be. The civil rights movement saw much opposition from the white majority living in the United States at the time. Black civil rights activists could not hope to make change by simply voting for politicians who agreed to do so, because such a politician would never be elected. Thus, civil rights activists had no choice but to resort to public demonstrations and civil disobedience. The same can be said about the women's suffrage movement. The establishment at the time was composed of almost entirely men who would never vote to dilute their own power by giving women the vote. Once again, drastic measures had to be taken. Contrarily, the rise of socialist government policy in Canada was not because of anybody's drastic actions. In fact, it was not because of the deliberate action of anybody at all. People naturally have the tendency towards hedonism - to get as much free stuff as possible. The tendency for people to vote for politicians who said they could satisfy that urge was natural for them. It is an inherent part of the democratic system to allow for the rise of socialism, if left unchecked. So to summarize, drastic action is required for political change if there is a good deal of resistance to the change in society.

[page_matrix]

-Clicked- (this is my first time hearing about this charity - a very neat idea. Thank you for sharing).

 

Thank you for your help.

 

In a democracy, the successful politician resembles the ordinary citizen.

 

In one perspective, a successful politician is one who can gain the support of the people - to win seats and to implement actions that he envision in his role without the disapproval of his constituents. Therefore, in a democracy, there are merits for a politician to resemble the ordinary citizen. The electorate needs a leader who they can relate to - one who understands the conditions of their life, comprehends their needs, and share their fundamental values. There have been many prime minister candidates in recent Canadian elections who have emphasized "being one among the people" in order to show their resemblance to the ordinary citizen. For example, Stephen Harper stressed during both of his elections the values of family, the importance of job security, and preserving Canadian values, traits which he "shared with Canadians from coast to coast".

 

Although the portrayal of resemblance to the ordinary citizen gained Stephen Harper two terms as Prime Minister in Canada, another successful politician did not take this approach during his time as Canada's leader. Pierre Trudeau was not one to hide the fact that he was not like the ordinary Canadian. He appeared extravagant and was often criticized for his personal life with known celebrities before the public's eyes. However, during this time in Canada's history, Trudeau's projection of himself beyond the ordinary citizen gained him support in making significant and radical changes to resolve overdue conflict issues. One such issue is the separatist movement of Quebec, over which Trudeau demanded authority and showed the people that he was willing to take radical steps in putting an end to it. His authoritative leadership, rather than resemblance to the people, for which there were two ordinary citizens: the French and the English, allowed him to separate himself from both sides and to take ownership in uniting Canada as a nation.

 

The success of a politician depends on how he chooses to act and to project himself according to the time/condition of his nation. During peaceful times, one who resembles the people will garner the support of the nation and thus success in this role. However, during times of national conflicts (war, separation), there may be a need to ascend as a figure above the people in order to take control of the conflict. Being among the confusion and uncertainty of the ordinary citizen during conflicts is not effective in order to lead the nation toward resolution.

[4mk36]

The best education teaches students to question authority.

 

Education is critically important as it develops our minds and allows us to learn about the world around us. As such, it is important to receive a good education, and the best forms of education are those that teach students to not be satisfied with answers just because there given by an authority figure, but to delve deeper and formulate their own answers to various problems, thus truly learning the subject at hand.

 

For instance, students receiving a scientific education, it would be pointless to just rememeber facts what the teacher taught because the very nature of the scientific dicipline requires the student to be critical of information given. Therefore, it is better for the student who is aspiring to be a scientist to learn and develop the skills necessary to be critical and question authority since the scientific dicipline itself requires it.

 

However, it is not always the case that questioning authority leads to the best education. For instance, it would be counterproductive for someone studying a trade such as masonary to question what is being taught since being a mason requries one to learn what is being taught and to apply it directly. How to lay bricks and what type of motor to use for the joints is not something that is debated, but facts that are learned and applied.

 

So depending on the nature of what is being taught would dictate if questioning authority leads to the best form of education. More theoretical diciplines, like science, that require the student to learn how to think crtical about information that is given, would be best taught in way that teaches students to question authority. However, in diciplines that require to apply directly what is taught, it would be more efficient and better for the student not to question authority.

[brain-storm]

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This is my first prompt ever written!

Prompt:The introduction of modern technologies is harmful to underdeveloped areas of the world.

Describe a specific situation in which the introduction of modern technologies might not be harmful to an underdeveloped area of the world. Discuss what you think determines whether or not the introduction of modern technologies is harmful to underdeveloped areas of the world.

 

As underdeveloped countries look at the developed countries of the world, they too strive for the same caliber. The too desire to have a similar means of using technology. The introduction of modern technologies is harmful to underdeveloped countries as its results in a dependency on the technology. A sudden introduction of modern technologies to fails to provide a country time to acquires tactics to respond in a situation with out the technology. An example includes Japan,. After the effects of the earthquake and tsunami, Japan had experienced a major crisis with nuclear leaking; their modern technology. They were not prepared to deal with the effect and as a result, many citizens were exposed to several health hazards. Although Japan is not an underdeveloped country, its example still shows the extreme issues which arise when the country is not well suited for the side effects which may result in the case of the failure of the modern technology.

 

Though the introduction of modern technologies pose threats to underdeveloped parts of the world, it can provide a means by which a country can accelerate its development. Areas of sub-Saharan Africa which suffer from droughts can use modern technologies as a means to reverse the effects of a drought. Smart technology can be installed in drought ridden areas which respond to climate or amount of rain fall in a given time. They can be used to provide water when needed.

 

For modern technology, it is important that individuals who use such technologies are educated. Modern technologies can pose real threat if put in the hands of those not suited to handle them. For example, in World War II, Albert Einstein aided in the construction of the Atomic bomb, although he later parted from the Manhattan project as he was ethically aware of its effects. Countries must have individuals who are well informed and educated in areas which involve the modern technology. For the effective transition of underdeveloped countries to developed countries should provide foreign aid in respective areas.

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I miss PastaInhaler.. Does anyone know if they are alright...??????????????

[Golnaz]

I'd really appreciate it if someone could give me feedback, or even better a grade, on my essay.

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Education makes everyone equal.

 

Education is the social institution responsible for inducing knowledge and understanding about the phenomena in the world around us and helping the development of power and skills of reasoning and comprehension. Primarily delivered through the schooling system, education is recognized as one of the basic rights of every person within our modern society. In most developed countries, attending grade school is not only available, but mandatory for all individuals regardless of gender, race, religion etc. Being delivered, under certain standards, freely to all individuals, all the receiving individuals will have the opportunity of being educated as much as everyone else.

 

 

On the other hand, there exist countries or circumstances in which education is not delivered to all individuals in the same way or with the same quality. For example, in countries, such as Iran, where religious beliefs still pertain among a majority of people, men and women do not receive the same education. In Iran, males and females attend unisex schools where they are largely delivered education based on their gender’s stereotypical role in the society. For instance, in high school, girls are required to learn about parenting, housekeeping, and other roles that a house wife plays at home. This is while boys are given education on job searching skills, family protection, and military training. This division within the education system has taken away the right to equal education for both genders and has strengthened the stereotypical views of men and women’s role within the society. At the end of high school, men and women have no way to be equal in terms of the education they receive, simply because they were not given the option.

 

 

Whether education makes everyone equal depends on how well it is delivered to every individual within the society. In societies where equal rights for education exist for individuals of all genders, races, or other minorities, individuals have the opportunity to be equally educated as one another. However, when education is arbitrarily censored or taken away from certain individuals, it is inevitable that this social institution cannot make its target population equal.

[kpm]

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The best kind of education encourages students to question authority.

 

What did I learn in graduate school? It is true that I learned how to culture cells, how to analyze levels of gene expression and how to conduct animal surgeries. However, the most valuable skill I learned in graduate school was how to think critically. Thinking critically means questioning everything you find and fitting it into the bigger picture to see if it makes sense. If it does not make sense, the next step is to determine a logical solution, to present your solution to society and to defend your solution, even if it contradicts with what authority has prescribed. This is the definition of a democracy: being able to express thoughts and opinions that disagree with authority. During the Feminist movement, people advocated for women's right to vote. The process was long and gruelling, but eventually successful. This questioning of authority advanced democratic society.

 

However, when immediate, collective action is required, questioning authority is not a viable option. For example, military training strips individuals of their critical thinking and discourages them from questioning authority. If each subordinate were to question every command given, disorder and chaos would ensue, and nothing would be executed in a timely fashion. Assuming the enemy was organized into a cohesive, co-ordinated group, they would certainly take advantage of the hesitation of the opposition. A group of people placed in a situation under severe time counstraints, where safety is at stake, cannot act as individuals, but must act collectively.

 

Therefore, when time permits and safety is not threatened, people should be taught to question authority because this improves a democratic society. On the other hand, in cases where safety is at stake and quick, cohesive actions are required from a large group of people, it is best to train the group to follow orders and not question authority.

[perspectives]

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

 

Academic success stems from a student's intelligence and willingness to put in the effort to learn. However, a natural aptitude for understanding the curriculum will be meaningless without hard work put into reviewing the material. In any students' academic career, at least some effort needs to be made in order to be put into a situation where their intelligence could shine through. For instance, a history student may be highly intelligent. Yet, without putting in work to read the textbook, listen attentively in class, and to take effective notes, intelligence alone will not be able to lead to academic success. The exam will be testing the student on how much knowledge they have been able to memorize, and any amount of intelligence will not make up for a lack of hard work in this case.

 

However, there are specific cases of academic success where hard work does not trump intelligence. There are certain subject matters where an infinite quantity of time put into studying will still result in oblivion. An example of this is in the study of mathematics. Even if a student completes countless practice problems prior to an exam, this regurgitation will not be beneficial unless the student has the intelligence to comprehend the theory and ideology behind each question. The intelligence required in mathematics in order to understand and apply a theory to varying scenarios will be a much stronger dictator of how successful a student will be.

 

Therefore, the statement that academic success depends more greatly on whether a student is hardworking than intelligent is not always true. There are situations where hard work is the key determinant of academic success and there are situation where intelligence is. What determines whether hard work or intelligence is a bigger factor in dictating academic success is the field of study. When studying a topic that is not very conceptual and more heavily based on memorization, and knowledge previously known, then academic success will depend more on hard work. Examples of such fields of education include the previously mentioned history, where the key is in memorizing details from specific events in the past, or biology, where memorization of specific biological processes will lead to a good mark. In a field where the work is highly conceptual and theoretical, then intelligence will dictate how successful a student is. Although hard work is still required, in order to be successful in such a field, it requires more than just hard work. An intelligence and natural aptitude for the material is required. Such fields of education include physics, and mathematics, where models of reality are created to explain how things work. However, students will only be successful in this field mainly because of their intelligence and ability to see how reality works.

It is evident that different fields of education contrast in content, but as shown here, they also contrast in what is necessary to be successful in each respective field.

[strawbow]

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The abundance of information on the Internet limits its usefulness.

 

Describe a specific situation in which the abundance of information on the Internet might not limit its usefulness. Discuss what you think determines whether or not the abundance of information on the Internet limits its usefulness.

 

Compared to the past where information could only be obtained by people or through print materials, there is certainly a vast abundance of information available to today’s society on the Internet. It is perhaps due to this abundance of information that its usefulness to us is limited. For the average person, when surfing through the internet, an excess of information is presented and it can literally desensitize the individual to the information they see on the Internet. In the case of the 2012 Pulitzer Prize in photography, a little girl in a green sari is seen to be crying among fallen bodies from a bombing. If one was to see this on their Facebook news feed, its effect on the individual is greatly reduced as it is presented with a vast collection of other information. The information is less useful than it would have been for the individual, due to the hoard of information they are bombarded along with it.

 

However, there are cases in which the large amounts of information on the Internet are useful to us. When students are given a choice of topics to research, it is common to see them choose topics that are well-known, with the most information. It is the abundance of information that entices the student to choose the well-known topic, as it will be easier to conduct their research and find information regarding their topic.Therefore, in this case, rather than being limited by the quantity, the information on the Internet can be very useful.

 

When one seeks to reconcile the differences between these views, it is best to consider whether or not information is sought. If the individual is not searching for any information in particular, but faced with an abundance of information on the internet, the usefulness of each piece of information is limited. However, when the individual is actively searching for information they desire, then the excess of information on the Internet is, without a doubt, useful.