Essay/Article Contest I

[Angie]

Write a persuasive essay or article discussing a world, social, political, or general issue that you feel strongly about.

Length: three to five paragraphs, 350-600 words (word counter)
End date: July 9, 2006
Judge: Froggy

Please only post here with your entries so as not to clutter the thread. If you have questions, PM me or the judge.

[Angie]

Gil Alexander's Entry

There are many taboos in our present day culture, ranging from the unobtrusive to the pure, roaring unethical. There are the ideas of walking naked down a busy street; of eating dog at suppertime. Of guffawing at a funeral. Of getting down and licking the sidewalk. The word that comes to mind when we think of these things is ‘weird,’ but when you look at them from a different point of view, these seemingly taboo sketches may seem a little less ‘weird.’ Let us look first at the idea of eating dog at dinner. Many people living in eastern countries do indeed eat this common household pet as a delicacy, and they may not understand why we westerners find it so unappetizing; so immoral. The 2006 Olympics are going to be staged in China, and they are thinking of closing some of the restaurants nearby that serve food like dogs. They believe that we are that intolerant and that disrespectful of other cultures that they don’t want to risk losing attendance and money!

This is one of the great faults of modern day civilization. We simply do not tolerate our neighbors that are different from us; that we can not understand because they contrast so completely with what we describe as ‘civilized.’ Take ways of burying the dead. This is the traditional, European way of giving honor to the dead, and before that the traditional, tribal way of giving honor to the dead. Which is right—who am I to say? Who are the Europeans to say, who are the cannibals to say which ideas are more righteous, more civilized? Nobody can. But they do – and many use religion to base their ideas.

Through this I have realized that many of these traditions, these cultures are rooted in their religions. And how rude and obscene would we be to say our religion is better that yours or his or hers? We sure would be pretty rude. So how can we say that our way of life is the right one; the holy one? A while ago a friend of mine came into school one day with green hair. Many people scrunched up their faces in disgust: why would anybody dye their hair green? And green of all colors! The fact is that green is just so different from the regular brown or blonde you see on the top of nearly everyone’s head—it’s like she was an alien. Why would anyone deviate from the norm? And with green hair, of all colors! If you would go that far, why not just shout the Barney theme song at the top of your lungs? The fact is: we find everything different from ourselves to be strange, unnatural and wrong.

A little while after that happened, I saw a chain letter that told the story of a student who answered a question on a midterm asking whether Hell was exothermic or endothermic. The student answered that it’s exothermic, because it expands. Hell is expanding because most religions state that if you are not a member of the said religion you are going to Hell. The student reasoned that because of this, it can be “projected” that all souls of all religions will, in fact, be going to Hell.

This brings us back to the question of religion. I guess the only way to tell what is civilized is through our faiths and traditions. Through our faiths we can tell which faiths are good and which empty or wrong; but instead of trashing them, we need to know them. And love them.

[Angie]

Angie's Entry

Note: This is just one of my little "food for thought" things I write for my online journal sometimes, so it doesn't really feel like an essay or article (though it is much more article-like than essay-like, so keep that in mind). I'm not even sure why I'm posting it. Especially with competition like Gilly up there.

~

You walk down the hallway at school just like any other day, but is there something that you are not noticing? Take a look around, and make note of what you see. There are the bored students, faithful teachers, soda machines, and lockers, but there are also those posters you pass by each day without a second glance. Have you ever bothered to read the one that says, "There is only one you."? Do you ever think about the message of, "Men are cruel, but Man is kind."? Perhaps you should; you could gain some insight into the world, yourself, and humanity as a whole.

Our whole lives we have been told by our parents and teachers that we are entirely unique individuals. How true is that? Think about your most unusual characteristics. Keep in mind all the different types of people around the world and the fact that there are over six billion of them, and ponder whether or not there is someone out there like you. If you are realistic about the idea, you may realize that you share each and every one of your qualities with someone else out there. Do you still feel like such the individual you were always taught to believe you are? Sure, nobody out there is exactly like you, but your image of your rarity might be in question.

Is this a good thing or a bad thing? With almost every story ever told, the reader can draw out a message stating that people are just people, no matter what. However, many of the same stories have one or a few people who seem unusually amazing or above the crowd. Is this contradictory in itself? In some ways, yes, but in others, no. Yes, the heros and villians do have fantastic qualities and/or powers, but in the well-written story, they also are incredibly human. That means that they still have human weaknesses, strength, and heart.

So maybe you think that your lack of amazing protagonist-like characteristics is awful and that it makes you just another face in the giant crowd of people on Earth, or maybe you believe that you have incredible qualities that make you one of a kind, but remember this: you are human. Don't take that the wrong way; that's the best thing about you. Throughout your life always keep it one of your top priorities to not ever lose your humanity; it makes you who you are, and you're just not wholly a person without it. So whether you think you're a Joe Shmoe or a Superman, you're amazing because you're a person.

[Angie]

Denithar's Entry

Happiness, in a broad sense of the word, is the goal of mankind. All other pursuits are attempts at gaining it. For example, money is sought after because of the result it is supposed to bring. (Accomplishment/the ability to relax/have more toys, but the point is, all this is said to make you happy.) “Happiness: a condition of supreme well-being and good spirits”. Now, some people would say their religion frowns on striding for happiness. Life to them is focused on following the laws laid down by their God (God being Allah, Christ, Buddha, a tree, etc.) The point on earth is to serve God by obeying the rules. But I’ll discuss this later.

So, to resume, what brings about happiness? Maybe you’d be happy if you got pizza instead of salad and meatballs tonight? What about the third world kid with just raw fish? Who do you think enjoyed their meal more, the one with fancier food, or the one who was hungry? I tell you with absolute faith; it would be the hungry kid. Okay, but you have your forms of amusement, Nintendo, TV, internet chatting, and he just has loads of work in the field to do. So of course you’re happier, right? I mean, Nintendo is so fun! Right? Except when you think about how useless it is, how you’re becoming a lazy worthless person. Meanwhile, the poor kid is digging hard, using his muscles, not having time to worry about what college to go to, and if he will get good enough grades. A rich man’s son commits suicide; a poor man’s son dies from a disease. A well to do man spends his twilight years in a terrified state, wondering what happens when he dies; a working man is killed in an accident. Money does not bring true, or at least, lasting happiness.

Freedom, could that be the key? Every action of man, throughout history seems to be linked to his freedom. Total freedom is obviously impossible of course. I have total freedom to move my arm or not, but I can’t move it in some directions, and never will be able to. But let us imagine for a second, a free world, without law, God, soldiers, leaders. Would that be bliss? No, as we see daily, man without direction, without guidance, follows his desires blindly, and in so doing destroys himself and those around him.

We are born with something called freedom. You will surrender it, the question is to what. You could give in to your animalistic instincts, and spend your life without the morals of other people. But you wouldn’t be happy, because unlike the animals, you have a soul, and no matter how you shove it aside, it always calls to you in the dark. The soul wants more from life.

To find happiness, we must surrender our freedom to something higher than that. Then, whether I’m laboring in the fields, dying in a prison cell, or banging my head on the wall trying to write an article, I know that in the end it’s not in my hands. I’m merely a part of a master plan, one that I don’t understand very well, but I can relax in the knowledge that there’s something bigger going on than my little schemes. I believe the highest sign of a true believer is a joyful one. If they are truly at peace with what they believe, then they should be the happiest people on earth! Because lasting happiness is brought about by peace.