Issue: given in Princeton Review.com Online test

[xaero]

This was the issue topic I came across in the Princeton Review Online test. I think its a little too concise. Feel free to express your views on it.......... [}]






"A person who knowingly commits a crime has broken the social contract and should not retain any civil rights or the right to benefit from his or her own labor."



A generic trait of humankind is to presume the righteousness of an action by the response evoked by the fellow human beings. Consequently, an unjustified act, unless censured, does not convey its implications to the perpetrator.

Civil rights and social benefits provide the means for man to exercise his thoughts and actions in a constructive manner. Freedom of speech and action are popular catch words of democracy, for instance. A perpetrator of a crime say a murderer, unless appropriately punished, puts such privileges to bad use, thus adversely affecting his fellow men, physically and mentally. Unless the person's rights are apprehended, such a perpetrator would not cease to exercise his whims and fanices, thus blackening the primary intention of public rights.

A person who breaches the moral code of conduct is usually aware of his misdeeds. This indicates the mental disposition of the person to commit such acts and his defiance towards morality and justice. Depravation of rights and benefits has proved to be the most effective measure for such henious acts. The recent scandal on the medical front involving a veteran medical practitioner, Harold Shipman, in the United Kingdom, wherein the doctor used his professional practice to his advantage to kill his patients and appropriate their wealth is despicable. The doctor has been deservedly stripped of his degree and his practice has been terminated.

Voices have been raised for the upliftment of criminals and wrong doers. Rehabilitation programs and educational facilities are popularized in many countries of the world. Although such actions tend to gain consideration on humanitarian grounds, statistics show little amelioration on the part of those convicted. Criminals, once emancipated from the hand of law, have returned to their corrupt ways in more than one instance. Caution is adviced in such means of rehabilitating the perpetrators.

A distinctive characteristic feature of man is learn better through action rather than words. Punitive actions exercised on a criminal convey the true consequences that may follow for such an act. Not only the wrong doer but also the entire human race is educated in the process to uphold the ideas of morality and righteousness and abstain from unjustified acts.

[synthia]

Hi,

First thing is I don't actually understand ur essay. Too redundant as fr as I see it! What are trying to say in the ist para?
I think u should have given more examples to state ur point. Of course,the medical front scandal is given but a few more would better justify ur position. Don't get offended by my way of lambaste as u always call it!

Hey, I also think that on the fair side, ur vocab is good!

[xaero]

Hi,

I'm perplexed as to why the essay is so inscrutable. I've summarized these points:

1)How a man judges his action i.e. why a man 'knowingly commits a crime '.
2)Revoking rights of the criminal is the best way to stop him
3)An example to support the same
4)Questioning the counter arguments for my views
5)Why the method works well for entire human race

Also, would u mind suggesting more examples?

[nitika_d]

Every society has a punishment code for offenders which varies with the degree and intention of the committed crime.The term CRIME brings with it several definitions ranging from innocuous shop lifting to a string of brutal murders.Also it differs in its aftermaths with loss of life being far more serious than the loss of property ,environment pollution and likes.It is the very flexibility of the term and the nimbleness of the punishments attached to each crime that adds to its complexities.

Petty thefts like shoplifting are crimes but their extent might effect just a small percent of society,that too on a very small monetary scale.Violating the rules of mother nature and other Environment crmes like pollution are different altogether in the sense that they effect the surroundings in a more subtle but dangerous way.Such crimes warrant strict rules and fines .

Crimes of medium intensity include perjuries where a person might be speaking a lie and ruining the life of an innocent victim.But still such crimes include the sort of punishment lesser in content and form than that of a hardcore criminal.

If we pick up the far end nuance of this spectrum,we find terrorism-the extremist movements which has engulfed more or less every country and has its noxious effects felt all over the world.We all are familiar with the 9/11 disaster and its still haunting repercussions .Such crimes are unpardonable and what a person recieves as a punishment is still less than what he should.

The intent of person committing the crime also determines what degree of punishment he should get.For eg. intent of murder without any pragmatic results is enough to send a person to jail whereas,a murder committed in ones self defense is relatively less grave .A person may commit perjury under pressure from sources giving threat to his own life.In such times,it is the society and judiciary who has to do the understanding.

Though the social contract is broken during crime a person does knowingly,but the degree and intention of the crime should be taken into account before divesting the criminal of his/her civil rights or the right to benefit from his or her own labour.Such an extreme verdict is not applicable or even fair to the society esp. in a democracy,besides,it also violates human right.If the extent of punishment is such severe in all cases,petty criminals would be embittered and will eventually resort to more violence-perpetuating the very antithesis of the objective of punishment.The punishment thus delivered to a criminal should be in sync with the degree and intent of his/her crime for it to be effective and serve its purpose,that is to restrain the spread of evil.

[xaero]

hi nitika,

Good essay there. I somehow feel you have holistically dealt with one point (what kinda crimes must be punished with what intensity) with ur 2,3,4 paras augumenting for the 5th para, with a conclusion in 6th para. This could be acceptable, but actually I thought we were required to come up with more discrete points than just hone in on one. Well this's just whats in my mind. What say you???

and hey, would you please say something abt my story before expressing your views. That way I would learn better where I'm going out of place.

[nitika_d]

hi xaero!
actually i read ur essay before but couldnt follow it.
actually i feel u r hiding beneath a lofty vocab. though that is what i consider ur best point usually.
in para 1 usage of 'generic'??i im not sure if its right.its-related to a genre or group.is 'generic trait' ok?i have just heard about generic art.
in para 2 usage of-apprehended is not clear.its meant to be feared?just check out.
in 2nd last para-amelioration i think is used with of i.e. amelioration of a disease.
anyway,i think u r better at vocab. than me,so correct me wherever necessary-i might also learn.

[xaero]

Hi Nitika,

I'm seeing trouble. Are my essays too extravagant and flowery? Well, I've begun to suspect if I'm able to convey my intentions or not. Please reply.

As for the usages of words, here is what Oxford clarifies -

generic - characteristic of a large group or class (of entire human race, this is what I mean)

apprehend - (has 2 meanings) - Lay hold upon, seize or grasp physically

amelioration - The action of making something better; the condition of being made better.

[nitika_d]

hi xaero.
barrons has this meaning of apprehend-arrest (for'seize or grasp physically)u have reffered to 'rights' being seized.that is not 'physical'.it is a 'criminal'that is apprehended.
amelioration is used in context of something made lighter,u have not specified in ur sentence what is being made lighter.(crime)
amelioration on part of those--CONVICTS BEING REHABILITATED.
a person is still thinking of a criminal,not a rehabilitated criminal in this line.
statistics show little crime amelioration on part of those convicts who are rehabilitated.
similarly ur 1st para (esp 2nd line)seems incompletely expressed and ur meaning is obscured.

[saptarshi]

Hi all,
This is Saptarshi..requesting ur comment on the issue essay..

"A person who knowingly commits a crime has broken the social contract and should not retain any civil rights or the right to benefit from his or her own labor."

essay
Society is the organisation made by human on the basis of some principle and contracts that ensures peaceful and prosperous advancement of the human community.These social contracts defines a healthy way for the peaceful mutual interaction for the people leaving in the socity.So any person who knowingly commits a crime breaks these social contracts and should be stripped of all the civil rights and the right to benefit from his own labor for the betterment of the society.

An act of crime to an individual sometimes causes irrepareable damage to the person and its the responsibility of the society to see that his grevances and complains are taken care of.Otherwise the tendency of revange in the mind of the victim can cause more social disorder and can be detrimental to the overall moral of the society.So for the sake of the society it is very much necessary that the wrong doer is significantly punished.

Secondly if an instance of criminal act is not treated strictly it can encourage further possibility of such crime.In civilized world the society imposes some rules to restrict the aboriginal instincts of human being that drive a person to commit crime so an action of the above mention kind is very much necessary to remind the people of their social responsibility.

Finally a word of caution should also be told.The action of taking of all the civil rights from a person who commits a crime is an examplary punishment for the wrong doers but it should always be ensured before sentencing such punishment that no innocent person becomes the victim of it.A highly efficient body of people who are good judges of human charecteristics should be convinced before declaring a person as criminal.Otherwise this can again be detrimental to society and people will lose faith on social machinery.