I had mixed feelings about the Motivations blog post. It was so interesting the way it was all set up, I loved all the visuals Tony used, and his points were inspirational. Yet, the number of visuals he had seemed a bit overbearing at some points and slightly distracting. It was still easy to comprehend and like I said, I really enjoyed what he was talking about. You don't see such innovative blog posts like this, its definitely nothing I've ever seen before. It made me think about something that was the subject of discussion in my home the other day.
My sister had to write a paper about how not many children retain information from school, and this blog post brought that to my mind. The conversation was basically about how students don't always take in all the information they are taught in a structured classroom and I strongly believe that is because of such small amounts of motivation students give themselves. Even though some subjects may be of no interest to most kids, they still need to find ways and reasons to motivate themselves. And they're not going to find any reasons if they are not in an environment that gives them inspiration. One thing Tony put in his post that I really loved was,
"Kids Don't learn:
-From people they don't like
-More when we test them
-From teachers who don't give them CHOICES or VOICES.
That last point really stuck with me because if there is anything I've seen so many times, it is this. I had so many teachers over the years who saw us all as kids, what we had to say didn't really matter, all that matters is that they tell us what they are required to tell us. It's sad but some teachers don't stick around to see if we understand what is being taught, or to answer our questions. We have voices that deserve to be heard, and Tony really touched on this. That is why I loved this post.
I was really fond of the style of this blog, it makes me think of new innovative ways that I could make blogs and other things in the future. Isn't that what he wanted his post to do? Even by writing a post on motivation in an interesting way, it has inspired me to think of things in a new light. So I think that Tony really succeeded with this post because it made me want to better myself through my skills. I am happy to say I'm officially motivated.
Monday, June 17, 2013
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Motivation by Tony Gurr
Due to the fact that I don't blog very much, I'm very accustomed to the blogging style that our class and group blogs use. I'm fixed on the image that blogs are usually "text" posts with a occasional picture or two. When I first visited Tony's blog, I was really confused and surprised about his blogging style. Even though it was confusing at first, I realized that his blogging style was very interesting and unique.
Although I usually think using pictures are a good way to draw peoples attention to a message, at the same time it can sway the original message intended. But in Tony's case its a bit different. The images he choose to use for his posts relate to his original message and captured 'my' attention at the same time. At first I had to read his post a couple times in order to get accustomed to his style. After getting used to his style of blogging I started to understand more of his messages intended in the post. From what I have understood from his motivational post I believe his main ideas where that students learn best from the people they like and respect, from a variety of sources and environments, and if the teachers respect the students; treating students more as "friends" than strangers. I personally agree with all the points he's made. I find if I like and respect a teacher I would do much more better in that class than if I dislike the teacher.
One of Tony's pictures used:
I find this post relatable to me because I believe if a teacher works in smaller group on a daily basis I can expand my potential more than working in a larger group. Also I believe active student learning is much more effective than if you were to read about it. In my opinion, actually doing an activity helps me learn and keep my knowledge of that subject for a longer period of time, more than if I were to just read about it in a text (e.g read than forget process).
I find Tony's blog to be very unique and different than all the other blogs I have seen so far. I am also very impressed of the fact that Tony makes all his graphics on his own. I can't even imagine how much time and effort he has put into his blog! As mentioned above all the images he's chosen to use for each of his messages were relatable to his posts and myself also. I enjoyed Tony's motivational post a lot and it somewhat motivates me to attempt to put much more visual into my posts.
Although I usually think using pictures are a good way to draw peoples attention to a message, at the same time it can sway the original message intended. But in Tony's case its a bit different. The images he choose to use for his posts relate to his original message and captured 'my' attention at the same time. At first I had to read his post a couple times in order to get accustomed to his style. After getting used to his style of blogging I started to understand more of his messages intended in the post. From what I have understood from his motivational post I believe his main ideas where that students learn best from the people they like and respect, from a variety of sources and environments, and if the teachers respect the students; treating students more as "friends" than strangers. I personally agree with all the points he's made. I find if I like and respect a teacher I would do much more better in that class than if I dislike the teacher.
One of Tony's pictures used:
I find this post relatable to me because I believe if a teacher works in smaller group on a daily basis I can expand my potential more than working in a larger group. Also I believe active student learning is much more effective than if you were to read about it. In my opinion, actually doing an activity helps me learn and keep my knowledge of that subject for a longer period of time, more than if I were to just read about it in a text (e.g read than forget process).
I find Tony's blog to be very unique and different than all the other blogs I have seen so far. I am also very impressed of the fact that Tony makes all his graphics on his own. I can't even imagine how much time and effort he has put into his blog! As mentioned above all the images he's chosen to use for each of his messages were relatable to his posts and myself also. I enjoyed Tony's motivational post a lot and it somewhat motivates me to attempt to put much more visual into my posts.
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Motivation by Tony Gurr
I was initially skeptical about Tony Gurr's unique blog post. I have grown accustomed to the "traditional" style of blogging that most of my classmates use: mostly text, with the occasional link or picture thrown in. However, this blog post on Motivation was extremely interesting, and captured my attention right away!
Normally, I find that too many graphics/images in a blog post comes across as crowded, messy, and actually ends up distracting the reader from the original message. This was not the case with Tony Gurr's post, though! It took a while, but after reading the post over multiple times, I felt like I had a good understanding of what he was trying to say, and the points he was trying to make. Basically, his main ideas were that kids generally learn best from people they like and respect, and they also tend to thrive in an environment where they get to learn from a variety of sources and styles. I wholeheartedly agree with these points; Personally, I find myself genuinely wanting to do well in school, not only due to self motivation, but also because I respect certain teachers. Also, I dislike doing repetitive types of schoolwork (e.g. copying notes from the board), and prefer a less rigid and more varied style of teaching. I find that I am more motivated to study harder in those types of classrooms!
Tony Gurr also mentions (via picture) that "Motivation is a fire from within. If someone else tries to light that fire under you, chances are that it will burn very briefly." This, too, is something I can relate to very well. An example would be the Genius Hour Passion projects our class is doing right now. I find these projects to be a lot more engaging and intriguing when we get to create our own criteria and choose our own topics, as opposed to having the project outlined and pre-planned for us. We are motivating ourselves and keeping ourselves on track because we enjoy doing the projects, not because we have to!
I was very impressed about the fact that Tony took the time to design and create ALL of his graphics! Each of the images relate well to the message and theme of Motivation, and all of them show considerable thought and effort given into making each one. They are all very effective visuals to the point where the text seems to be supporting the pictures, instead of the other way around! I really enjoyed this blog post and feel, well, motivated, to make my own blog posts more interesting and engaging in the future!
I was very impressed about the fact that Tony took the time to design and create ALL of his graphics! Each of the images relate well to the message and theme of Motivation, and all of them show considerable thought and effort given into making each one. They are all very effective visuals to the point where the text seems to be supporting the pictures, instead of the other way around! I really enjoyed this blog post and feel, well, motivated, to make my own blog posts more interesting and engaging in the future!
Friday, June 14, 2013
Tony Gurr on Motivation
Tony Gurr is an educator from Turkey who creates unique blog posts using a wide variety of graphics, questions, and outside references. For a better idea, take a look at one of his latest posts on Motivation.
When I first read this post, I found Gurr's form of blogging quite interesting and different, however more often than not, I was a bit confused with all of the ideas thrown at me. On the other hand, after reading the post a few times over, I understood the main concept and realized that this new and ingenious way of blogging was actually quite engaging and effective. Adding graphics enhances the reader's understanding of the topic because they can make connections and they also will have a visual aid to refer back to. This way, they will be more likely to remember the facts of this post! Furthermore, the outside references add humor to the article and keep the audience eager to read on.
On a different note, Tony's actual message is very reasonable and has exceptional evidence to prove his point. Basically, two of the main ideas from this blog post were:
a) You are your biggest motivator
b) Students learn more from people they like (classroom management)
The first part of the article talks about how motivation is key to learning, but a teacher cannot just bribe their students to learn. Educators have to engage their students using practical examples and hands-on experiences. I couldn't agree with this statement anymore. To elaborate, for the past few years, all I have learned is plain facts from textbooks. However, next year I plan on taking a program that will enhance my learning by introducing me to many hands-on learning experiences. I will get to try out things for myself, instead of memorizing facts and numbers. We go to school to gain skills and experience necessary for the real world. On the contrary, they are of no use to us if we don't know how to apply them! Therefore, motivation through engagement and use of practical examples is key to students' success.
The second half of Gurr's post discusses how educators can be more effective in helping the students become successful in learning. As he says, "Kid's don't learn from people they don't like!". I agree with this idea, and it has proven to be correct in many of my personal experiences. For instance, I tend to remember information from teachers who present it in an effective matter, and who actually take the time to teach it to us. Gurr ties this back to how effective teaching can motivate students to succeed in their learning.
In closing, Gurr had some very valid points in his blog post, and it was presented in a effective manner. In reality, this blog post was a perfect example of his main concept- teaching should be interesting in order to keep the students engaged. His article was indeed very interesting, and it kept my attention until the very end. Overall, I agree with Tony Gurr's post and it helped me reflect on teaching methods at our own school.
When I first read this post, I found Gurr's form of blogging quite interesting and different, however more often than not, I was a bit confused with all of the ideas thrown at me. On the other hand, after reading the post a few times over, I understood the main concept and realized that this new and ingenious way of blogging was actually quite engaging and effective. Adding graphics enhances the reader's understanding of the topic because they can make connections and they also will have a visual aid to refer back to. This way, they will be more likely to remember the facts of this post! Furthermore, the outside references add humor to the article and keep the audience eager to read on.
On a different note, Tony's actual message is very reasonable and has exceptional evidence to prove his point. Basically, two of the main ideas from this blog post were:
a) You are your biggest motivator
b) Students learn more from people they like (classroom management)
The first part of the article talks about how motivation is key to learning, but a teacher cannot just bribe their students to learn. Educators have to engage their students using practical examples and hands-on experiences. I couldn't agree with this statement anymore. To elaborate, for the past few years, all I have learned is plain facts from textbooks. However, next year I plan on taking a program that will enhance my learning by introducing me to many hands-on learning experiences. I will get to try out things for myself, instead of memorizing facts and numbers. We go to school to gain skills and experience necessary for the real world. On the contrary, they are of no use to us if we don't know how to apply them! Therefore, motivation through engagement and use of practical examples is key to students' success.
The second half of Gurr's post discusses how educators can be more effective in helping the students become successful in learning. As he says, "Kid's don't learn from people they don't like!". I agree with this idea, and it has proven to be correct in many of my personal experiences. For instance, I tend to remember information from teachers who present it in an effective matter, and who actually take the time to teach it to us. Gurr ties this back to how effective teaching can motivate students to succeed in their learning.
In closing, Gurr had some very valid points in his blog post, and it was presented in a effective manner. In reality, this blog post was a perfect example of his main concept- teaching should be interesting in order to keep the students engaged. His article was indeed very interesting, and it kept my attention until the very end. Overall, I agree with Tony Gurr's post and it helped me reflect on teaching methods at our own school.
Sunday, June 9, 2013
I Am an Artist.
I am twisted.
Tied in a knot. My whole life, I have been this knot, the
same form and base throughout, but this knot has changed, evolved over the
years, into something more…twisted.
The edges frayed, the loops strayed and everything is
because I’ve changed. I’ve become my own twisted piece of string because that
is so much better than a perfect pink bow.
I am not the one I’m supposed to be I am not the one I’m
told to be because I am an artist.
An artist that can see more than the brightness in the world.
More than the art behind some thick velvet rope. An artist that can see that a
heart in a hand on the side of a building downtown or three stars inked upon
your wrist, is just as beautiful as anything sitting behind that retched red
rope at the Louvre.
The sick and twisted side of life I see not as something
that desperately needs to be corrected with a little light and some fake smiles…but
as art. Painting, sketch, graffiti, tattoo,
Whether its and owl, feather, crown, or simply just your
love for being loud…it is art.
As written so simply “Life is Beautiful”, it doesn’t matter
if its on a rough brick wall or a rough canvas. It is not to be compared.
True art does not discriminate because of where you are or
where you came from, who you are or what you were. Because art isn’t some test
of humanity. You don’t need it to be brilliant.
Art is art. Simple. Complicated. Clean cut. Sick and
twisted. The good the bad and the ugly of our world, our universe is a work of
art. Our lives are a work of art.
I am an artist simply because of the air in my lungs and the
same goes for the other seven billion creatures who occupy this space.
We express ourselves.
Because freedom of expression is the most beautiful thing.
It is the reason for living; it is the reason for breathing.
I am an artist because I am different from you. Because I have
lived.
Because life is art and art is beautiful. It doesn’t matter
who you are, where you’ve been, what you’ve done. You are an artist.
Because art is art like love is love, you don’t ask why, its
just because.
You are your own works of art. Not to be compared. Not to be
contrasted. Not to be psychoanalyzed.
The mistakes, the accomplishments, the happiness, pain, fear,
realism, metaphor.
Singing in the shower, screaming into your pillow, dancing
like nobody’s watching, running away, being held until you stop crying. Walking
across the stage as they call your name.
Shake hands, big smile as the cameras flash, walk away sit
down among the rest.
Blend in.
Stand out.
You are you, I am me, he is he, and she is she. We are
everything we are supposed to be.
Like someone wise once said, I can’t change even if I tried
even if I wanted to.
Because I am the one I’m supposed to be, I am the one I told
me to be. Because I am an artist.
I am a knot. Different from your knot because I am one of
one not one of two and I refuse to be compared to you. Because I am my own. I am
me.
I am an artist. My life is art. And my life is beautiful.
This is my poetry that moves. I wrote this myself and performed it in class.
Friday, June 7, 2013
Poetry that Moves
Hey everyone!
Brianna's Moving Poetry Video
Here is the link to my moving poetry video! At some points, the audio is a little off, or things may seem kind of rusty. The video I had been working on got deleted, so I had to start all over again! Therefore, the video will not be 100%, but I did what I could. Also, I filmed with my phone, so if you can see my reflection in the laptop screen, just ignore it. Other than that, I hope you enjoy! :)
Brianna's Moving Poetry Video
Here is the link to my moving poetry video! At some points, the audio is a little off, or things may seem kind of rusty. The video I had been working on got deleted, so I had to start all over again! Therefore, the video will not be 100%, but I did what I could. Also, I filmed with my phone, so if you can see my reflection in the laptop screen, just ignore it. Other than that, I hope you enjoy! :)
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Poetry That Moves- Young and Beautiful by Lana Del Rey
I did my "Moving Poetry" assignment using the song "Young and Beautiful" by Lana Del Rey. This song is from the "The Great Gatsby" soundtrack. The theme of the song is everlasting unconditional love. I chose this song because it uses a lot of figurative language, such as similes, repetition, and symbolism. As well, the theme was interesting and expressed quite a lot of emotion- that's what poetry is all about! I filmed my video on a whiteboard, drawing/writing out each line. Then, I edited the video on Windows Live Movie Maker, a skill I learned during my first Genius Hour Project. It was quite hard to keep my drawings in sync with the music, but I managed to complete it. Enjoy!
Click Here to watch "Poetry That Moves: Young and Beautiful by Lana Del Rey"
Click Here to watch "Poetry That Moves: Young and Beautiful by Lana Del Rey"
Moving poetry
The poem is The dream called life by Edward Fitzgerald. I used power point to animate my poetry. The power point may look a bit "weird" and some things may not work because I uploaded this onto Google drive instead of directly attaching the power point.
Hope you enjoy!
Power Point
Hope you enjoy!
Power Point
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Moving Poetry
The song I have chosen is called "Back To Black", covered by Beyonce ft. Andre 3000 from the The Great Gatsby soundtrack. This song's theme focuses on drug addictions and returning to depression. I used PowerPoint to animate the video, but I unfortunately had to use Bandicam's free trial gaming recorder to "film" the presentation and convert it to a video that could be uploaded on Blogspot. Hope you enjoy!
Friday, May 17, 2013
My Impressions of the Candidates
Chelsey My
Impression of the Candidates
May 16th
My impressions of the Candidates
that spoke at the FH all candidates debate was varied from each person in all
different ways. Some people were great in my opinion and helped make my decision
very clear but others were not as strong. When it comes to speaking skills is something
extremely important that the leader of our province must have. The candidates
with better speaking skills definitely stood out in a positive way in my
opinion and I feel that part of the reason that they are successful is because
they can speak well and connect with you. The candidates with weaker speaking
skills will probably not be as successful because they are not communicating and
getting their points across as well. Speaking and communicating can make or
break your chances to vote.
Staring with the NDP, I felt that he
had great communication skills and was aware of his audience, knowing that we
were a younger group and made sure to connect with us. He was very good at
getting his points across in a way that made people want to vote for him even
if I don’t believe his platform and ideas for our province is necessarily the
best. Even though he would not be my first choice to vote for, his speaking
skills were the strongest out of the group and made him a much stronger candidate
because of it.
Next, the Conservatives, he spoke somewhat
well but not nearly as effective or strongly as the others. He didn’t make me believe
in what he was fighting for. I also felt his platform was not as strong as the
others, being that all he talked about was lowering the toll bridge price.
Since his platform was so weak he need to be able to really sell what he was
fighting for and I don’t think he did it as well as possible.
The Liberals in my opinion had the best
platform and did a good job of sharing it with us in a way that made us think
they were the best choice for our province. Their speaking skills were good and
answered all the questions very well along with a great closing statement. The Liberals
would be the best choice in government to lead us because they had the best platform
and communicated it very well.
Lastly, the
Vision party, I think they had the worst communication skills and platform out
of everyone. They did not stay on topic or express their opinions in a way that
made me want them to become the leaders of our province. They also did not have
as clear voices as the others which are important when speaking to a large
group of people. The vision party did not seem as experienced or prepared as the
others so therefore they would be the worst choice to lead our province.
The FH All Candidates Debate was a
great opportunities for all us students to get a better understanding of the
government and who will be leading our province. I now have a much stronger
opinion on who our leader as before I didn’t have much care. Hearing what
everyone had to say really made me think about politics more and I can now discus
with my parents on my view of government.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
The media plays a large role in determining the outcome of an election.
How
did we find out the date of the elections? Through the media. How did we find
out what the latest politician had said? Through the media. And how did we find
out about the latest political scandal? Through the media, again. Forget the
voter's voice - whether through TV, radio, or newspaper, it is the media's voice that is prominent. The media is
especially powerful during election time, where it tends to have a habit of
broadcasting political controversies, and therefore influencing voters
everywhere. The impact of the media today is increased even more so by the fact
that campaigns have become more focused on the leader rather than the party,
making the individual, essentially, easier prey. Does the media primarily report politics, or does it actually end
up shaping the event? Most of the time, I feel it is the latter.
On
April 27, 2013, the Vancouver Sun published a special feature on
BC Liberals' Christy Clark. The major selling point of the article was the
journalist's account of Clark running a red light... while the reporter was in
the car. Urged on by her 11 year old son Hamish, Clark ran the red light on the
way to his hockey clinic, after which Hamish commented, "You always do
that," Needless to say, the article shed a negative light on the current
premier and probably succeeded in swaying a lot of undecided voters away from
the Liberal party in less than a paragraph. Voters with no strong opinion in
the first place are often the voters that decide the election results. This
incident caused a lot of uncommitted citizens to reconsider their ballot; the effects
of the media in this case were substantial.
The
media is also able to affect elections by generating attention, whether through
negative press, or simply through their choice in coverage of a candidate. If
the politician in question knows how to "work the media", this is not
necessarily bad. For example, President Franklin Roosevelt was known for his
regular "Fireside Chats" in which he soothed American citizens
about war and economic depression over the radio. To add, nowadays, many people
believe that far too much attention is focused on how a politician looks or
comes across on camera, versus how relevant and appealing their platform really
is. Carefully staged media events and photo opportunities have become very
important aspects in politics for a candidate - maybe too important!
Lastly,
the media is inclined to influence the public's perception on the viability of
a candidate. If a news report confirms that a certain politician is far ahead
in an election, the public will generally accept that statement, which may
change how the voters cast their ballots. Most people do not want to waste
their vote on a candidate who reporters are pretty much saying does not have as
great a chance at winning. However, when the media reports on the viability of
a candidate, it tends to turn the political coverage into a competition
centered on who is winning or who is ahead. This may cause voters to sway their
focus towards a candidate's campaigning skills, instead of to who has the best
platform or leadership skills. Voting like this defeats the function of
democracy, which is to elect candidates that represent what the people want.
Based
on the evidence shown above, I do believe that the media plays a large role in
determining the outcome of a political election. Negative campaigning has
become essential in politics in this day and age, and negative reporting only
adds fuel to fire. Christy Clark running the red light was definitely not a
smart decision, but if the journalist had not made a point to write about it in
the article, it would have gone unknown and unnoticed. The media has a choice
on which candidate they choose to focus on, or which issue they feel the
public should believe is the most important. It plays a key role in building up
or lowering a politician’s reputation and viability, as well. The media,
government, and public have a cyclical, codependent relationship, but it is up
to us to decide exactly how large a role each factor will play!
My Impression Of the BC All Candidates Debate.
When I sat down in the crowded theatre, as everyone around me was preparing for the All Candidates Debate, I though of a few things. I thought about whether this would be interesting, I thought about if I would choose to vote when I was old enough, and I thought about who I would be in favor of. I saw five people sitting at tables, looking over notes, sipping at water, preparing themselves for this debate and I knew that what I heard today would determine how I felt about this entire election.
Vicky stood at the podium and welcomed the candidates to our school and explained the layout of the debate. At this point, all candidates had a chance to introduce themselves. Now I had already been in favor of the NDP party yet I didn't know why, I also knew that I was not in favor of the Liberal party but then again I wasn't sure why. I had little opinions of the Conservative or Vision parties so I was excited to see this debate.
I would be lying if I said that I hadn't lost track of some things at one point or another, but mostly I was able to understand the agendas of each party, and this worked in favor of some parties, yet didn't for others. It soon became evident to me why I felt the ways I did about the NDP and the Liberal parties. The NDP party wanted to invest more in the educational system which in many cases, desperately needed the help. And seeing as I attend school everyday, strive to get the best that I can in school, and would someday like to be a teacher, this really hit close for me.
However, the Liberal party seemed to have no want to help the education system because it didn't fit into what they saw as a pressing matter. The fact that their public speaking skills were great, it seemed to blind people b the fact that they weren't saying or doing really anything to help. The Liberal party spoke about how they wanted to help fix the broken things in BC, yet when they were asked about things that truly needed help such as the education system, they said that nothing was broken at all. And something that I was speaking to Ms. Lees about, and she even tweeted it out, was that the Liberal party said that we needed to renew our faith in our leaders, yet if we have been given no reason to do so, why should we?
Now that I knew how I truly felt about the NDP and Liberal parties, I thought I would direct my attention to the other two parties. The Conservative pary didn't say much in my opinion, yet the one thing that they did say that I agreed with, was lower bridge tolls. It is very hard for everyone to afford these high tolls. The Vision Party confused me, I was unsure what they were saying all the time, something about how if we all plant trees in our back yard, we can cure cancer, and how because I love to act, I can be in a Bollywood movie. Although not always understood, it was enjoyable.
Now that I had seen the debate, there were five great candidates in front of me, and although they all had at least one or two good ideas, my choice was simple. They wanted to help with the things I believe in, the things I am passionate about, and although when talking to other kids in my grade, it sort of turned into an argument because nobody else I spoke to agreed with my choice, it was simple for me to vote NDP. If the NDP pary wins, I just know that things will improve, I've decided to put faith in another leader, no matter what anybody says. And although people don't agree with me, it's okay, I respect the decisions others have made when it comes to voting, and I hope others can respect me for my choices.
Vicky stood at the podium and welcomed the candidates to our school and explained the layout of the debate. At this point, all candidates had a chance to introduce themselves. Now I had already been in favor of the NDP party yet I didn't know why, I also knew that I was not in favor of the Liberal party but then again I wasn't sure why. I had little opinions of the Conservative or Vision parties so I was excited to see this debate.
I would be lying if I said that I hadn't lost track of some things at one point or another, but mostly I was able to understand the agendas of each party, and this worked in favor of some parties, yet didn't for others. It soon became evident to me why I felt the ways I did about the NDP and the Liberal parties. The NDP party wanted to invest more in the educational system which in many cases, desperately needed the help. And seeing as I attend school everyday, strive to get the best that I can in school, and would someday like to be a teacher, this really hit close for me.
However, the Liberal party seemed to have no want to help the education system because it didn't fit into what they saw as a pressing matter. The fact that their public speaking skills were great, it seemed to blind people b the fact that they weren't saying or doing really anything to help. The Liberal party spoke about how they wanted to help fix the broken things in BC, yet when they were asked about things that truly needed help such as the education system, they said that nothing was broken at all. And something that I was speaking to Ms. Lees about, and she even tweeted it out, was that the Liberal party said that we needed to renew our faith in our leaders, yet if we have been given no reason to do so, why should we?
Now that I knew how I truly felt about the NDP and Liberal parties, I thought I would direct my attention to the other two parties. The Conservative pary didn't say much in my opinion, yet the one thing that they did say that I agreed with, was lower bridge tolls. It is very hard for everyone to afford these high tolls. The Vision Party confused me, I was unsure what they were saying all the time, something about how if we all plant trees in our back yard, we can cure cancer, and how because I love to act, I can be in a Bollywood movie. Although not always understood, it was enjoyable.
Now that I had seen the debate, there were five great candidates in front of me, and although they all had at least one or two good ideas, my choice was simple. They wanted to help with the things I believe in, the things I am passionate about, and although when talking to other kids in my grade, it sort of turned into an argument because nobody else I spoke to agreed with my choice, it was simple for me to vote NDP. If the NDP pary wins, I just know that things will improve, I've decided to put faith in another leader, no matter what anybody says. And although people don't agree with me, it's okay, I respect the decisions others have made when it comes to voting, and I hope others can respect me for my choices.
who you plan to vote for (party, candidate)
Last Thursday when I
was told we were going to see a debate about the election parties I was quite
curious. Due to the fact, I never paid too much attention to politics because
from what I heard almost every election was how bad a party had done; we should
vote for "this" party for whatever reason. I was interested on how
the debate would be like. During the debate of the parties I observed all the
candidates very carefully and took notes on each one.
In my opinion, I believe the debate was mostly focused on the NDP and Liberals. I observed how both candidates coped with directed counters and questions. I believe all parties did a fairly good job answering and countering questions, but through my observation I noticed that Avtar Bains, NDP representative never went over time. Although he always started to get into answering the question directed at him, he always cut himself off and not finishing his statement. This showed he was still unexperianced, and didn’t mange his time wisely.
In my opinion, I believe the debate was mostly focused on the NDP and Liberals. I observed how both candidates coped with directed counters and questions. I believe all parties did a fairly good job answering and countering questions, but through my observation I noticed that Avtar Bains, NDP representative never went over time. Although he always started to get into answering the question directed at him, he always cut himself off and not finishing his statement. This showed he was still unexperianced, and didn’t mange his time wisely.
On the other hand I found
that the Amrik Virk, Liberals representative always found a way to avoid
answering the question, making his public speech look a lot more professional
than the other parties.
Due to the fact that
the debate was so focused on the NDP and Liberals it seemed the Barry Sikora of
the conservatives never really answered the questions either, he gave off the
attitude that he really didn't care if he won or not. His public speaking
skills were not in comparison to liberals either, therefore he just made his public
appeal of himself and the conservative’s party worse to the audience.
Alternatively, Sukhi
Gill of BC visions gave really good direct answers but because of her accent it
made it seem that she hard poor English skills. (***) spoke for her basically
the entire time. His examples like growing a garden for cancer were totally
irrelevant to the questions. Although it seemed he was trying to get a message
out through his examples, it wasn't represented well therefore making his
public speaking skills appeal weak to other parties. I’ve also seen that the BC
visions tried to counter the other parties but all parties literally made fun
of them. When BC visions tried to counter the conservatives, Barry Sikora just
said "I don't even know what the BC visions just said, but going back to
the question just asked...." the statement just made the BC visions look
like they didn't have a chance of winning. As a matter of fact this statement
made the conservatives look even worse.
The
debate was very interesting and I learned a lot from it. I analyzed the notes
and came to a conclusion. I decided to vote for the NDP. I believe that the NDP
would do a better job than the Liberals. My main reason why I voted for
the NDP was because I wasn't in favor of the pipeline. I don't want to ruin
BC's beautiful landscape and especially the environment. Although this doesn’t
mean I voted for the NDP just for the issue of the pipeline. I had taken the
quiz on CBC vote campus, the results showed that I related to the NDP and Green
party much more than any of the other parties. In fact I do agree with the many
of the issues the NDP were interested to help and solve. For instance the
overcrowding classrooms, the pipeline and the child poverty rate of BC.
Indeed all issues mentioned by all parties are major problems that should be solved immediately but because the pipeline issue is a much larger problem to me, I choose to focus a lot more on the pipeline. I go to places in Vancouver, such Granville Island and Stanley Park occasionally and I believe it’s just so beautiful every time I go. To think that a pipeline can destroy the beautiful environment there is very heart breaking. Newspapers such the Vancouver Sun and many blogs on the internet such Rafe Mair online discussed many problems with the pipeline. I do agree with the Liberals that BC needs much more job opportunities for the people but the pipeline is just too dangerous! By creating the pipeline, we destroy so much of the environment of BC. The oil going through the pipeline can easily leak into the Burrard inlet and wipe the ecosystem there entirely. As we all know to recover from disasters takes a tremendous amount of time. According to one of the Vancouver sun articles it takes 40 Billion dollars to clean up an oil spill. The business such as tourism and fishing all go down. The money to fix the problem won’t ever disappear into thin air but would be added to Canada’s current debt.
Overall I researched many blogs, newspapers, and took many quizzes to decide on whom exactly should I vote for. Throughout the researching I have learned many new concepts of politics and many of the ongoing issues of BC. I observed the actions of the candidates and re-analyzed what they gave as answers. On May.10 I came to a conclusion and voted for the NDP.
Indeed all issues mentioned by all parties are major problems that should be solved immediately but because the pipeline issue is a much larger problem to me, I choose to focus a lot more on the pipeline. I go to places in Vancouver, such Granville Island and Stanley Park occasionally and I believe it’s just so beautiful every time I go. To think that a pipeline can destroy the beautiful environment there is very heart breaking. Newspapers such the Vancouver Sun and many blogs on the internet such Rafe Mair online discussed many problems with the pipeline. I do agree with the Liberals that BC needs much more job opportunities for the people but the pipeline is just too dangerous! By creating the pipeline, we destroy so much of the environment of BC. The oil going through the pipeline can easily leak into the Burrard inlet and wipe the ecosystem there entirely. As we all know to recover from disasters takes a tremendous amount of time. According to one of the Vancouver sun articles it takes 40 Billion dollars to clean up an oil spill. The business such as tourism and fishing all go down. The money to fix the problem won’t ever disappear into thin air but would be added to Canada’s current debt.
Overall I researched many blogs, newspapers, and took many quizzes to decide on whom exactly should I vote for. Throughout the researching I have learned many new concepts of politics and many of the ongoing issues of BC. I observed the actions of the candidates and re-analyzed what they gave as answers. On May.10 I came to a conclusion and voted for the NDP.
Should voting be made mandatory / made law in Canada?
"Should voting be made mandatory in Canada?"
Many people would have different opinions on this topic. In this beautiful country, we are extremely fortunate to have freedom and rights that many other countries do not. The freedom of speech, freedom of religion...these are just a few of the rights we have as Canadians. We also have the right to opinion and the right to vote. All Canadian rights and such are listed on the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Many Canadians feel very strongly about our rights, and believe we should always take advantage of them while we can.
However, many Canadians don't vote for a political party during voting time in Canada. This applies to both national and provincial voting. Some people simply choose not to. This can be caused by a large variety of reasons. Some may be underage, 18 years or younger, and therefore, unable to legally vote. Some may be indecisive about which party to vote for. Or others simply may not like what changes the party has to offer to the citizens.
In the opinion of many people, our rights as Canadians should not be neglected. Meaning that voting for a political party should be an action that is mandatory, and everyone who is of legal voting age should do so. However, many Canadians simply do not. Canada is a country of many freedoms. Should the citizens also have the freedom to not vote? Or should it be against the law? Punishable by fees? There could be positive and negative sides to this. Making voting law in Canada ensures everyone does vote. There will be more votes submitted and the results will be seemingly "more accurate". However, when one thinks about it, making voting mandatory by law can also anger many people who'd rather not vote, and political leaders would find themselves receiving a lot of random or illegitimate votes, from people who didn't want to vote, or didn't know who to pick and chose blindly. This would affect the results of the voting, and would leave an inaccurate reflection of what the citizens actually want out of their government.
With all this in mind, most would agree; leaving voting optional would be the best option. This ensures that everyone is happy, that no one will feel obligated or pressured to vote, and that the citizens will get the government they deserve.
Many people would have different opinions on this topic. In this beautiful country, we are extremely fortunate to have freedom and rights that many other countries do not. The freedom of speech, freedom of religion...these are just a few of the rights we have as Canadians. We also have the right to opinion and the right to vote. All Canadian rights and such are listed on the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Many Canadians feel very strongly about our rights, and believe we should always take advantage of them while we can.
However, many Canadians don't vote for a political party during voting time in Canada. This applies to both national and provincial voting. Some people simply choose not to. This can be caused by a large variety of reasons. Some may be underage, 18 years or younger, and therefore, unable to legally vote. Some may be indecisive about which party to vote for. Or others simply may not like what changes the party has to offer to the citizens.
In the opinion of many people, our rights as Canadians should not be neglected. Meaning that voting for a political party should be an action that is mandatory, and everyone who is of legal voting age should do so. However, many Canadians simply do not. Canada is a country of many freedoms. Should the citizens also have the freedom to not vote? Or should it be against the law? Punishable by fees? There could be positive and negative sides to this. Making voting law in Canada ensures everyone does vote. There will be more votes submitted and the results will be seemingly "more accurate". However, when one thinks about it, making voting mandatory by law can also anger many people who'd rather not vote, and political leaders would find themselves receiving a lot of random or illegitimate votes, from people who didn't want to vote, or didn't know who to pick and chose blindly. This would affect the results of the voting, and would leave an inaccurate reflection of what the citizens actually want out of their government.
With all this in mind, most would agree; leaving voting optional would be the best option. This ensures that everyone is happy, that no one will feel obligated or pressured to vote, and that the citizens will get the government they deserve.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Elections Essay- Should Voting in Canada be Mandatory by Law?
Mandatory voting has been around since Aristotle’s time, yet evidence clearly demonstrates an overwhelming amount of flaws and drawbacks to this practice. To elaborate, morphing our right to vote into an obligation is simply undemocratic and it defeats the entire purpose of Canada’s governing system. Democracy is defined as a government that reflects the people’s views; however, compulsory voting destroys just that. Furthermore, even though enforced voting ultimately heightens voter turnout, the votes do not genuinely represent the country’s visions due to a high amount of uneducated votes. Finally, instead of policy campaigning, candidates are forced to attract the public who don’t actually care about politics. It soon turns into a popularity contest rather than a showing of different platforms. As evidence supports, voting should definitely not be required by law considering all of the negative factors posed on the effectiveness of Canada’s democratic system.
From a democratic standpoint, mandatory voting diminishes Canadians’ freedom and choice. Compelling citizens to vote changes their right into a stipulation. In such a free country as Canada, why should the right to vote be treated any differently than any other of our rights and freedoms? To elaborate, we have the freedom of speech in this country. On the other hand, we are not obliged to voice our opinion. Voting should be compared in the same way. To add, if one looks back at Canada’s history, past events will also prove downfalls to this concept. To explain, in 1917, the Canadian government made the mistake of invoking conscription. Basically, conscription is mandatory military service- all males, excluding some exceptions, must go to war. Unfortunately, this divided the country as the French were quite outraged. This instance is the perfect example of what may happen again if Canada was to make voting compulsory. It is true that with rights come responsibility, but forcing Canadians to vote will not solve any problems; it will only have temporary benefits.
Additionally, contrary to popular belief, commanding people to vote will not educate them anymore. We can’t assume that just because one is forced to vote, they will be discussing politics at their dinner-table. Some may argue that the government will better mirror the whole population’s views, but this cannot be deemed correct. Many citizens may find voting an annoying errand that they are obliged to do. Voters will become even more cynical than they already have proven to be. Also, many whom are uninterested in politics may just pick random candidates, also known as “donkey votes”. This disturbs the electoral process, and may lead to a misrepresented government.
Finally, requisite voting will make political parties less responsive to their constituents. To explain, candidates will no longer have to encourage citizens to vote. This will lower campaigning, and in return less people will find out about the party platforms. This will result in uneducated votes, and therefore, a government that doesn’t fully represent the country’s desires.
As the facts prove, mandatory voting has quite a load of drawbacks. Instead of trying to fix the “symptom” of voter turnout, we should deal with the actual “disease”. In other words, the the government should try to inform young kids and adolescents about politics, and keep them aware and interested. As a number of studies show, the demographic of young people has minimal voter turnout rates. We can turn this situation around by educating youth on party platforms, political issues, and current events. As of now, we have done quite a bit already. For example, in British Columbia, the curriculum of Social Studies 11 includes a unit on Canada’s politics. To add, our school hosted an All Candidates Meeting recently, which raised awareness and answered questions for us students. Events like these are real methods that can actually better Canada’s voting system in the long run. It is quite evident that compulsory voting would have multiple negative effects on Canada’s government, and there are a variety of alternatives to consider instead.
This video also supports my opinion and gives insight on this issue:
References:
Bardeesy, Karim. "The Globe and Mail." The Globe
and Mail. The Globe and Mail Inc., 25 Apr. 2011.Web. 15 May 2013. <<http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/time-to-lead/mandatory-voting-cons-more-voters-doesnt-mean-increased-awareness/article577809/>>.
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Power Always Corrupts the One Who Holds It REVISED
Power. It can save a thousand lives and ruin a thousand lives in
the blink of an eye. In a split second, the holder of that power can be
corrupted, lost to the world and all of reality, when a person becomes drunk
with power; they think they are in all ways invincible, untouchable,
because they are on top. There are very few leaders that I can proudly look up
to because of the fact that even the slightest way, power can truly corrupt all
that hold it. Even the smallest position of authority can corrupt; teacher,
manager at a fast food restaurant, even the leader in a group for a school
project, everyone has the potential to get out of hand.
Although
there are some situations where I haven't seen power corrupt. President Obama has
done a good job to protect and run the United States without treating some
unfair. I look at my own father as a role model. He's the owner of his own company;
he is a kind, understanding, and just leader of his company. His
abilities to be fair have given him not only a successful company, but he is
also the first chairman of the Automotive Retailers Association of British
Columbia. I'm proud to have someone who is such a great person when it comes to
leading others as my Dad. However, not all are like this.
Julius Caesar
is a fantastic example of a corrupt leader. He became a dictator, yet with his
charm, he found a way to still make Rome follow him. There have been too many
leaders like this to count. Some more memorable names of corrupt leaders are
people like Joseph Kony who is the leader of the Lord's Residence Army in
Uganda, George W. Bush, the previous president of the United States, and of
course, the one most probably know best, Kim Jong Un, the current dictating
leader of South Korea. All of these people were given the opportunity to
make something good, pure, and honest yet they used it to their own advantage
instead.
You
can find corrupt leaders who have become drunk with power in any situation. I
have a friend, lets call him Caesar, who was given a position of leadership and
responsibility, at first it was great but then he started demanding more
respect for the things he did. He demanded recognition and in my opinion became
out of control. He treated people unfairly because he thought he could. Now I
had another friend who I am going to call Brutus. Brutus despised how Caesar
was acting, yet once Caesar's position was passed down to Brutus, he became
just like Caesar but worse. He began to cause problems, decide on things that
nobody else agreed with, but because he had the authority, he would make these
things happen, but worst of all, he treated people he didn't like unfairly.
This is the definition of a corrupt leader.
Now although not every leader is going
to become corrupt or drunk with power, most in history have in some way or
another. Like my friends Caesar and Brutus for example, although they are not
the real Caesar and Brutus, seeing as their level of corruptness is not nearly
as deep as Julius Caesar's, they still found themselves corrupted. It can
happen to anyone around you, it can even happen to you, one day you might find
yourself offered a position of power, you can say all you want that it won't
corrupt you, but it most likely will in some way or another. Power always
corrupts the one who holds it, a simple saying that some believe sums up
everything. Corruption and power are both apart of life, yet getting past
corruption is apart of it all too.
Friday, May 3, 2013
(REVISED) It is sometimes necessary to do things you know are wrong in order to achieve an important goal.
"It is sometimes necessary to do things you know are wrong in order to achieve an important goal."
Many would agree that, at some point in our lives, we will all have to do something that is wrong, in order to succeed in the plan at hand. Doing the negative to result in a positive. It's kind of weird when you think about it. You may be thinking, 'How does that even work?!' It does seem a bit odd, but, in reality, people do it all the time.
For an example, have you ever lied to a friend about something? Let's be honest. It's normal for people to lie to their friends about something, like when you want to surprise them for their birthday. It goes the same for anyone. Parents, siblings, relatives....just about anyone. Lying can sometimes be a good thing...but only if you're doing it to benefit others. Usually, people shouldn't lie to benefit themselves, but sometimes it is necessary.For example, you are at a bank at the ATM, and an armed robber comes in. He asks you for your card and your PIN, so he can deposit money from your account. If he asks you for your PIN, lie. Give him your PIN backwards. (i.e. if your PIN is 1234, tell him its 4321). This will still give him the money, but most of you didn't know, that the bank machines have the ability to automatically dial the police department when you enter your PIN backwards. So your robber still gets the money, but he'll have the police on his tail as well. (True fact. This actually works, if you're ever in a pickle). So, you see, sometimes when you LIE, you can end up canning a criminal and saving lots of people a whole bunch of money!
However, more times than not, doing the wrong thing can be a BAD thing. You may still be trying to accomplish a task at hand, but it may not be necessary and/or legal or appropriate, etc. For example, telling your friend Lindsey you've never met her new boyfriend Colin, when it was you two kissing behind the school yesterday. Or maybe you lied about doing your Math homework, when you really just didn't want to do it. Another good example, is a bank robber. That bank robber may steal lots of money, but just because he wants a Mercedes, doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. Other people may simply have no choice. If a family is living in poverty, and cannot afford food, it may be necessary for them to steal, if they do not have access to a food bank. It may not be a legal thing to do, but sometimes, things that we do that are wrong and illegal, may really just be necessary. Some people may have to take a U-Turn if there is a real emergency. Some people may have to break into people's private properties with force, if someone inside is in danger or hurt. Some people just have to take risks, simply because they have no choice.
Overall, it is sometimes necessary to do things that are wrong in order to achieve an important goal. Most would agree, however, only doing wrong for good. Generally, many don't believe in doing wrong things for your own personal benefit. So, in conclusion, although doing wrong things to benefit yourself or others may seem weird, it's a lot more common than you think. The best way to come by these beneficial outcomes is through lying. Although doing wrong can be a good thing (sometimes), it can also be a bad thing. Sometimes, people sometimes simply have no choice. But, it's as they say: "Desperate times call for desperate measures."
Many would agree that, at some point in our lives, we will all have to do something that is wrong, in order to succeed in the plan at hand. Doing the negative to result in a positive. It's kind of weird when you think about it. You may be thinking, 'How does that even work?!' It does seem a bit odd, but, in reality, people do it all the time.
For an example, have you ever lied to a friend about something? Let's be honest. It's normal for people to lie to their friends about something, like when you want to surprise them for their birthday. It goes the same for anyone. Parents, siblings, relatives....just about anyone. Lying can sometimes be a good thing...but only if you're doing it to benefit others. Usually, people shouldn't lie to benefit themselves, but sometimes it is necessary.For example, you are at a bank at the ATM, and an armed robber comes in. He asks you for your card and your PIN, so he can deposit money from your account. If he asks you for your PIN, lie. Give him your PIN backwards. (i.e. if your PIN is 1234, tell him its 4321). This will still give him the money, but most of you didn't know, that the bank machines have the ability to automatically dial the police department when you enter your PIN backwards. So your robber still gets the money, but he'll have the police on his tail as well. (True fact. This actually works, if you're ever in a pickle). So, you see, sometimes when you LIE, you can end up canning a criminal and saving lots of people a whole bunch of money!
However, more times than not, doing the wrong thing can be a BAD thing. You may still be trying to accomplish a task at hand, but it may not be necessary and/or legal or appropriate, etc. For example, telling your friend Lindsey you've never met her new boyfriend Colin, when it was you two kissing behind the school yesterday. Or maybe you lied about doing your Math homework, when you really just didn't want to do it. Another good example, is a bank robber. That bank robber may steal lots of money, but just because he wants a Mercedes, doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. Other people may simply have no choice. If a family is living in poverty, and cannot afford food, it may be necessary for them to steal, if they do not have access to a food bank. It may not be a legal thing to do, but sometimes, things that we do that are wrong and illegal, may really just be necessary. Some people may have to take a U-Turn if there is a real emergency. Some people may have to break into people's private properties with force, if someone inside is in danger or hurt. Some people just have to take risks, simply because they have no choice.
Overall, it is sometimes necessary to do things that are wrong in order to achieve an important goal. Most would agree, however, only doing wrong for good. Generally, many don't believe in doing wrong things for your own personal benefit. So, in conclusion, although doing wrong things to benefit yourself or others may seem weird, it's a lot more common than you think. The best way to come by these beneficial outcomes is through lying. Although doing wrong can be a good thing (sometimes), it can also be a bad thing. Sometimes, people sometimes simply have no choice. But, it's as they say: "Desperate times call for desperate measures."
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
You can’t have power without making dangerous enemies [Revised]
Many people in today’s society such as students have a person that they want to compete with. Whether it is having an equal footing or to surpass another, both are constantly competing for the top spot. Throughout evolution power was superiority to many and because it was superior, therefore it caused many to seek for power. Thus because many seek for it, there became competition. Power can only be obtain when there is competition between two organisms. Without many organisms searching to change, power would cease to exist.
Since the beginning of time, organisms competed for food, territory, and their survival chances. Throughout evolution, the human species also began evolving. During the Stone Age, humans consistently competed for food. There were many animals dangerous to humankind but in order to defend themselves and find food, they created tools such as the spear to hunt. They were also able to create simple tools from rocks and sticks to scare and hunt the dangerous animals around them. The more deadly the animal was, the more ways they learnt to protect themselves.
When one looks deeper into history, you can see the pattern of many countries fighting to protect and claim territory from each other. For instance the war between Britain and France over our country, Canada. Both countries have been enemies for years and both knew exactly how powerful the other was. Yet they constantly sent troops to war to battle each other, for power. Since both countries were equally powerful both would plan and develop more advanced tools to surpass each other. Although in the end Britain did win the war to claim Canada, Britain had lost the war in Europe, Thus proving it was not a complete victory. Therefore proving that power can only be gained if there is two competing organisms or forces. Jealousy and envy can cause both organisms to want to surpass each other.
When one looks deeper into history, you can see the pattern of many countries fighting to protect and claim territory from each other. For instance the war between Britain and France over our country, Canada. Both countries have been enemies for years and both knew exactly how powerful the other was. Yet they constantly sent troops to war to battle each other, for power. Since both countries were equally powerful both would plan and develop more advanced tools to surpass each other. Although in the end Britain did win the war to claim Canada, Britain had lost the war in Europe, Thus proving it was not a complete victory. Therefore proving that power can only be gained if there is two competing organisms or forces. Jealousy and envy can cause both organisms to want to surpass each other.
To sum up, having a more dangerous and powerful enemy can cause someone to strive for more power. Without a stranger opposing force, it is much like moving on in life without a goal. Hence, it is much harder to continue to strive for more power or change. Power is constantly competed for, everywhere in the world. Either from bugs to students, competition and power would ceased to exist.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Power always corrupts the one who holds it [Revised]
Harold Macmillan once said “Power?
It’s like a Dead Sea fruit. When you achieve it, there is nothing there”. There
are many stories, events, movies, games, and novels based on Power. It can be
the greatest thing one can achieve but at the same time the most destructive. In
order to gain power you need to struggle for it, to keep gaining power you need
another’s help, and with power obtain there is a great responsibility.
One doesn’t gain power out through the thin air; he or she first strives and struggles for it. Through all the efforts they make they slowly gain power to fulfill their goals. But with the power gained, there is always an opposing force. The opposing force is envious, jealous, and does not agree. The person will keep gaining power to suppress the force. So they could keep their goals in reach. Just like Julius Caesar, he started out as a soldier wanting to help his country. He trained hard to keep moving his rank up, and on the battlefield, aggressive to win.
Although a person has gained power he or she cannot proceed to gain more without another’s help. Julius Caesar couldn’t have become King without the power of his comrades around him. Power is nothing if you don’t have people to support you or enemies that want to bring you down. Throughout history there was many Kings that ruled countries. The King’s influence was utterly powerful; it brought people together or their own downfall. For example Louis Riel once guillotined France’s king, Louis XVI and gained an enormous amount of power and influence through the lower and middle class. Riel was able to rule France for a period of time with his ongoing influence, but as the influence and power grew the fear inside of him grew also. He started to enforce the laws and anyone who looked suspicious, wanted to end the stop Louis Riel’s ambition they were captured, or sentenced to death. This period was the Reign of Terror, and where it got its name was the many deaths during the period of time. Riel’s influence was still strong but it caused fear into the crowds and himself too.
One doesn’t gain power out through the thin air; he or she first strives and struggles for it. Through all the efforts they make they slowly gain power to fulfill their goals. But with the power gained, there is always an opposing force. The opposing force is envious, jealous, and does not agree. The person will keep gaining power to suppress the force. So they could keep their goals in reach. Just like Julius Caesar, he started out as a soldier wanting to help his country. He trained hard to keep moving his rank up, and on the battlefield, aggressive to win.
Although a person has gained power he or she cannot proceed to gain more without another’s help. Julius Caesar couldn’t have become King without the power of his comrades around him. Power is nothing if you don’t have people to support you or enemies that want to bring you down. Throughout history there was many Kings that ruled countries. The King’s influence was utterly powerful; it brought people together or their own downfall. For example Louis Riel once guillotined France’s king, Louis XVI and gained an enormous amount of power and influence through the lower and middle class. Riel was able to rule France for a period of time with his ongoing influence, but as the influence and power grew the fear inside of him grew also. He started to enforce the laws and anyone who looked suspicious, wanted to end the stop Louis Riel’s ambition they were captured, or sentenced to death. This period was the Reign of Terror, and where it got its name was the many deaths during the period of time. Riel’s influence was still strong but it caused fear into the crowds and himself too.
The position of King or leader contains a massive amount of power, influence, and responsibility. Since there were many deaths during the reign of terror, Riel had to take responsibility. Due to the fact that he was the one who enforced the laws and had anybody suspicious dealt with. Even though Riel was once loved by the people, his power was corrupted by his fear. The consequences had outweighed his power and influence, and eventually leading him to his own death.
As a result, power does not just appear through the thin air. It is sought by all people of all kind. Either it is for ruling or to prove one’s self; it is struggled and strived for. In order to obtain power, you first must struggle for it. In order to maintain your power, you must gain influence through another. Once you have fulfilled your desires and goals, there is no longer a dream you can run after for unless you keep looking ahead. There is only one thing you can have and it is the consequences one has neglected or avoided when striving for power. The consequences can be people being envious and jealous of your fulfilled dreams making one’s power corrupted and unwanted.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Positive Changes Brought Out Through Violence. REVISED
Violence,
it has been a part of every living creature since the beginning of time. It is
human instinct to defend yourself, to survive, and most of the time, survival
is brought out through violence. Many people argue that violence is not nor
ever will be the answer, and although this can be argued in some situations, it
can still be argued that violence can be beneficial in some situations when it
comes to avoiding worse or more severe violence in the future.
In the French Revolution, King Louis the Sixteenth and his wife Marie
Antoinette ruled France in such a way that left their country starving to death
while they lived a very comfortable and extravagant life. They would spend
large sums of money on things like jewelry, clothing, and furniture; leaving
nothing for the starving people of France. Taxes were set so high for the
lowest class of people that it was only a matter of time before a rebellion.
Soon enough, France did rebel and King Louis and Marie Antoinette were
executed, although this was a violent way to end the reign of King Louis the Sixteenth,
most believe it was necessary to save the lives of everyone else in France. A
violent end was inevitable in this situation.
When Julius Caesar was dictator of the Roman Republic, he was overthrown and
assassinated by some of his closest confidants, it was gruesome and very
violent, he was stabbed to death by a group of Roman Senators. Caesar didn't necessarily
do something to harm others but he was still a dictator. This use of violence
can be controversial in a way, because in the opinions of some, violence should
be used to prevent more violence in the future, yet not many people were in
physical harm when he ruled, yet violence was needed because Julius Caesar
would not have just stepped down.
In situations like the Second World War, violence was the answer at all. The
Second World War was a dark time, so many innocent people lost their lives, and
the United States had a role in the loss of thousands upon thousands of people.
In 1939, the US began work on the Manhattan Project; it was meant to be a
response to the attack the Japanese made on Pearl Harbor yet the US
took things to extreme levels. Two nuclear bombs were to be dropped on
Hiroshima and Nagasaki; two cities in Japan, and in 1945, these two bombs were
dropped, killing over 60,000 innocent people. Violence should never be used to
harm any innocent person, which these bombs did.
Violence is a difficult thing to think about. It can be thought of in a
positive way, like to stop rulers like King Louis the Sixteenth, or Julius
Caesar, however it can also be used to crush innocent people, like in the
nuclear bombings in Japan. It is believed that most times, harming another
person is inexcusable, yet sometimes in a defensive way, violence can be used
to create a positive change and outcome.
Revised There are positive and negative consequences for being too loyal.
Again there is not a lot of changes made. I just have a hard time picking things that need to be changed.
"Unless you can find some sort of loyalty, you cannot find unity and peace in your active living" - Josiah Royce.
Loyalty and being loyal seems like a good thing and something you should have and its true. The state or quality of being loyal is faithfulness to commitments or obligation. However, besides being positive, it can also have some negative consequences.
Loyalty is expressed as positive and brought into this world being a good thing, and it is. It is defined as honesty, love, respect, and devotion. Being a loyal person can have the ability to make people trust you. Loyalty is found in brave, strong, and bold people and a truly loyal person is dependable in all problems. Loyalty can cause a person to be happy because it means someone cares and to make someone happy with who you are can be the ultimate prize.
On the other hand, there is the negative effect of being loyal or too loyal. Sometimes people could be so loyal that their distracted and can't see that people can take advantage of them. If you are really loyal and someone does something thats not right you won't want to do anything about it. If you said something to them it might hurt them and you might feel like your being disloyal.
All things considered, while loyalty is good it has a bad side. However, its not what loyalty is but what you make it so you can choose how you want it to effect you, whether its positive or negative.
Revised Power Alway's Corrupts The One Who Holds It.
I know there are not a lot of changes made to this essay but it was hard for me to pick things to change.
Control is defined as the power to influence or direct people's behaviour over the course of events, but why does it have to corrupt the one who has it?
In our world there are few people that have power and usually the ones who do end up not liked or corrupted by all they have. There are many reasons to why people have power but what are the reasons that they get corrupted by it?
One reason that someone could get corrupted is if they gain power and use it to help others and realize they could use it for personal gain. For example, the person who holds the power might find ways to help others with it and that could start off being good. However, if they realize they are able to achieve lots with power they could eventually end up using it for themselves. Once they start using it for personal reasons they continue and continue and never stop. They then end up corrupted by it.
Another reason might be that they lose touch of there humanity. Once they have all there power they will do anything to keep it. For example, when someone gets the power they might kill someone just to maintain that power. The person could care less about everything else and only focus on keeping the power. They would risk losing their friends, family, and even themselves just to make sure the power stays with them and they will never loose it.
Even though power may seem like a great asset to have, put in the wrong hands, it can easily become negative. At first they will use it as honest men but as time goes on they will realize how much power over people they have and start using it towards their own benefit. Over time the person won't want to lose the power and will do whatever it takes to keep it and in conclusion, they will become corrupted.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Hey Group Members!
Hey group members,
As you know, our revised essays are due on the blogs on Friday. After Ruvini posted a very detailed and helpful comment on my first essay, I was able to post a revised copy. However, one of you has yet to post a comment on my second essay (Power always corrupts those who hold it). If one of you could kindly read over and give feedback about my essay, that would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance! :)
-Brianna
As you know, our revised essays are due on the blogs on Friday. After Ruvini posted a very detailed and helpful comment on my first essay, I was able to post a revised copy. However, one of you has yet to post a comment on my second essay (Power always corrupts those who hold it). If one of you could kindly read over and give feedback about my essay, that would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance! :)
-Brianna
(REVISED) It is sometimes necessary to do things you know are wrong in order to achieve an important goal.
"It is sometimes necessary to do things you know are wrong in order to achieve an important goal."
While deciding on which theme to pick for my multi-paragraph essay, I saw this one, and I felt like I could relate to it. It's true. I believe that, at some point in our lives, we will all have to do something that is wrong, in order to succeed in the plan at hand. Doing the negative to result in a positive. It's kind of weird when you think about it. You may be thinking, 'How does that even work?!' It does seem a bit odd, but, in reality, people do it all the time.
For an example, have you ever lied to a friend about something? Let's be honest. It's normal for people to lie to their friends about something, like when you want to surprise them for their birthday. It goes the same for anyone. Parents, siblings, relatives....just about anyone. Lying can sometimes be a good thing...but only if you're doing it to benefit others. Usually, people shouldn't lie to benefit themselves, but sometimes it is necessary.For example, you are at a bank at the ATM, and an armed robber comes in. He asks you for your card and your PIN, so he can deposit money from your account. If he asks you for your PIN, lie. Give him your PIN backwards. (i.e. if your PIN is 1234, tell him its 4321). This will still give him the money, but I bet some of you didn't know, that the bank machines have the ability to automatically dial the police department when you enter your PIN backwards. So your robber still gets the money, but he'll have the police on his tail as well. (True fact. This actually works, if you're ever in a pickle). So, you see, sometimes when you LIE, you can end up canning a criminal and saving lots of people a whole bunch of money!
However, more times than not, doing the wrong thing can be a BAD thing. You may still be trying to accomplish a task at hand, but it may not be necessary and/or legal or appropriate, etc. For example, telling your friend Lindsey you've never met her new boyfriend Colin, when it was you two kissing behind the school yesterday. Or maybe you lied about doing your Math homework, when you really just didn't want to do it. Another good example, is a bank robber. That bank robber may steal lots of money, but just because he wants a Mercedes, doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. Other people may simply have no choice. If a family is living in poverty, and cannot afford food, it may be necessary for them to steal, if they do not have access to a food bank. It may not be a legal thing to do, but sometimes, things that we do that are wrong and illegal, may really just be necessary. Some people may have to take a U-Turn if there is a real emergency. Some people may have to break into people's private properties with force, if someone inside is in danger or hurt. Some people just have to take risks, simply because they have no choice.
Overall, it is sometimes necessary to do things that are wrong in order to achieve an important goal. I am in support of this, however, only doing wrong for good. Generally, I don't believe in doing wrong things for your own personal benefit. So, in conclusion, although doing wrong things to benefit yourself or others may seem weird, it's a lot more common than you think. The best way to come by these beneficial outcomes is through lying. Although doing wrong can be a good thing (sometimes), it can also be a bad thing. Sometimes, people sometimes simply have no choice. But, it's as they say: "Desperate times call for desperate measures."
While deciding on which theme to pick for my multi-paragraph essay, I saw this one, and I felt like I could relate to it. It's true. I believe that, at some point in our lives, we will all have to do something that is wrong, in order to succeed in the plan at hand. Doing the negative to result in a positive. It's kind of weird when you think about it. You may be thinking, 'How does that even work?!' It does seem a bit odd, but, in reality, people do it all the time.
For an example, have you ever lied to a friend about something? Let's be honest. It's normal for people to lie to their friends about something, like when you want to surprise them for their birthday. It goes the same for anyone. Parents, siblings, relatives....just about anyone. Lying can sometimes be a good thing...but only if you're doing it to benefit others. Usually, people shouldn't lie to benefit themselves, but sometimes it is necessary.For example, you are at a bank at the ATM, and an armed robber comes in. He asks you for your card and your PIN, so he can deposit money from your account. If he asks you for your PIN, lie. Give him your PIN backwards. (i.e. if your PIN is 1234, tell him its 4321). This will still give him the money, but I bet some of you didn't know, that the bank machines have the ability to automatically dial the police department when you enter your PIN backwards. So your robber still gets the money, but he'll have the police on his tail as well. (True fact. This actually works, if you're ever in a pickle). So, you see, sometimes when you LIE, you can end up canning a criminal and saving lots of people a whole bunch of money!
However, more times than not, doing the wrong thing can be a BAD thing. You may still be trying to accomplish a task at hand, but it may not be necessary and/or legal or appropriate, etc. For example, telling your friend Lindsey you've never met her new boyfriend Colin, when it was you two kissing behind the school yesterday. Or maybe you lied about doing your Math homework, when you really just didn't want to do it. Another good example, is a bank robber. That bank robber may steal lots of money, but just because he wants a Mercedes, doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. Other people may simply have no choice. If a family is living in poverty, and cannot afford food, it may be necessary for them to steal, if they do not have access to a food bank. It may not be a legal thing to do, but sometimes, things that we do that are wrong and illegal, may really just be necessary. Some people may have to take a U-Turn if there is a real emergency. Some people may have to break into people's private properties with force, if someone inside is in danger or hurt. Some people just have to take risks, simply because they have no choice.
Overall, it is sometimes necessary to do things that are wrong in order to achieve an important goal. I am in support of this, however, only doing wrong for good. Generally, I don't believe in doing wrong things for your own personal benefit. So, in conclusion, although doing wrong things to benefit yourself or others may seem weird, it's a lot more common than you think. The best way to come by these beneficial outcomes is through lying. Although doing wrong can be a good thing (sometimes), it can also be a bad thing. Sometimes, people sometimes simply have no choice. But, it's as they say: "Desperate times call for desperate measures."
Revised "Does power Always Corrupt the One Who Holds It."
Chelsey Schmitt Does
Power Always Corrupts the One April
16, 2013
Who Holds It?
“Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” This is a quote said from John Emerich Edward
Dalberg Acton. Is what John stating true? Does power always corrupt? These are
just a few questions you are probably wondering and I am trying to answer.
Absolute power is being
able to do anything you want without question. This can be extremely dangerous
to a person and others involved with them. With saying that, there are also
some upsides that come along with power. There are two kinds of power –
personalized power and socialized power. One has a positive impact on society
and one a negative. I will be explaining how each of these powers work and the effects
thy can have on us.
The first kind of power
is personalized power which is the negative kind. This is the kind of power
that people use for personal gain, usually at the expense of others. The kinds
of people who use this power get away with using power for personal reasons because
their “followers” tend to believe what they are doing is has no wrong because
that person is in power for a reason. When you are in the presence of a leader
using personalized power, understand that if you think what is happening is
wrong, you should take a stand and do something about it.
A common reason people
want power for selfish reasons is simply just to have power. They just want
power to satisfy their selves and have no intentions of using it to benefit
others. For these people, power can be like a drug. Once these types of people
have a taste of power, they want more and then can’t stop, like it’s an
addiction. They might then be into their “power trip” so deep that they can’t
stop and even start to believe there is nothing wrong in what they are doing.
An example of someone who has been corrupted with power is a store manager that
treats employees below them poorly without respect because they feel that they
are superior to them, or takes credit for the work that his employees do. When people use power for personal reasons,
they are almost definitely going to be corrupted and I think people who use
personalized power should not have the privilege of power.
On the other hand,
there is a kind of power that is used positively. This kind of power is called
socialized power. Socialized power is when someone uses their position of power
to benefit others. They usually use their power effectively to get the job done
to thee best of their abilities. They have the best interests of others in mind
and are not just in it for themselves. These kinds of people have not been corrupted
by power. They are smart, possess good moral values and are strong enough to
hold their ground and not let power take them over. The fact that there are
people out there that are using their power for the good of others makes me
believe that power doesn’t always corrupt.
In our society, there
are many positions of power, such as the Prime Minister, school principals and
presidents of businesses. Positions of power are extremely important in our
society to maintain control and provide direction. We must be careful in
picking and monitoring our leaders to ensure they are using socialized power
and not personalized power.
In this essay I have
shown both kinds of power, good and bad. I have argued points that, yes, power
can corrupt the one who holds it, but not necessarily all the time. Power can
be extremely dangerous but it is also an important part of our society. Power
can lead to chaos and problems but, without it, there would be no control or
order in the world. It is all our jobs to make sure we don’t let power get into
the wrong hands. Power is powerful and we always need to be aware of and be careful
with it.
Revised "Loyalty"
Chelsey Schmitt English
Essay April
10, 2013
LOYALTY
Loyalty. It can be the
reason you know someone will be there for you in time of need or it can be the
reason you have to sacrifice something you want for someone else. There are
both positive and negative consequences for being too loyal. Too much of
anything can be harmful, including loyalty. Loyalty is one of the most
important attributes in life. Without loyalty, people would have no trust or
confidence in each other. With this being said, you want to be careful with
yours and others loyalty because you don’t want it to be taken for granted but
at the same time it is what makes the world go around. Loyalty is something we
depend on from our peers and other people in our life, but can it have a
negative impact on us as well? In this essay, I will be discussing why there
can be positive and negative consequences of being loyal.
The most positive outcome of
being a loyal person is that you have a reputation as being a trustworthy, well
rounded person. Loyalty is one of the best personality traits that one can
have. Others will trust and respect you
and know that they can always count on you. This will most likely make you feel
good about the person you are and that you are helping out others. Your friends
will have a great amount of trust in you, knowing that they can always count on
you and you will always be there for them. Also, if you are loyal to others,
then they will most likely be loyal back to you and help you out if you are
ever in a time of need. Without this loyalty, no one would be able to trust
anyone and people’s relationships would be torn apart. What kind of world would
it be if we couldn’t look to others in a time of need.
The main negative outcome of
being too loyal is that people can easily take advantage of you because they
might look at you as a weak individual. If someone knows you are a loyal
person, they might try to take advantage of your loyalty by always asking you
to do things for them knowing you will probably say yes. When you are always
being loyal to others you will probably, at times, have to put your wants
aside. If you are always doing things for others, you might not consider doing
what’s best for you or what is important to you. You should only be loyal to
people who deserve your loyalty and will give you theirs back. If being loyal
is having a negative impact on you, then you might have to re-assess your standards
and relationships.
Being loyal is an amazing trait
to have that many will appreciate and it shows that you have good morals. You
will also enjoy many benefits from being a loyal person. Unfortunately, there
are some downsides to being too loyal that can make life very inconvenient for
you. You should always make sure your loyalty is handled carefully and do not
let anyone take it for granted. Hopefully you can do your best to make the
positives of being loyal outweigh the negatives!
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