Some Models

Reliving a Rape 

This introduction by LG does a very nice job of establishing the trauma of a personal situation. Read more of LG’s essay and drop a Reply about whether the rest of the Editorial lives up to its strong opening.

Should a rapist still have the right to an education at the same school as their victim? This question was recently posed in a New York High School when a girl was raped by a boy in her graduating class. Not only was she a rape victim dealing with that traumatic experience but she also had to face her rapist every day in school for the remainder of her senior year. Taylor was 17 years old when she accused Elias of rape and she displayed great courage by speaking up about what had happened to her. She filed a police report right away but then had to prepare to endure the lengthy legal process that lay ahead and which ultimately proved that Elias was guilty of the crime.

America Needs to Stop its Opioid Addiction

givemeclouttokens takes a very unusual position on the topic of reducing the price of pharmaceuticals—that it would result in a massive surge of addiction! There is nothing in the source material to suggest this radical idea, so we have to credit Tokens for original thinking (and audacity). Click through to Tokens’ post and drop a Reply about whether the rest of the Editorial lives up to this radical premise.

On November 2nd, the American government passed a bill that could potentially bring down the famously high price of widely used drugs across America. According to the article, “The American Way of Paying for Drugs isn’t Working,” the pharmaceutical industry could lose as much as one trillion dollars in profit from this bill according to the article, while widely used drugs will come down in price by about 158 billion dollars over all. This has happened in perfect timing; the American public will begin to realize the dangers of the drugs they are consuming.  . . .  This drop in prices will bring about a massive opioid epidemic, as prescription drugs become more and more cheaper.

“The Great Leader” Isn’t So Great

Morra is a fine writer with a strong ability to communicate lots of dense material in just a few words. A reader with a basic understanding of the politics of “the Koreas,” China, and the United States will have no trouble understanding Morra’s point of view. Click through to Morra’s post and drop a Reply about whether it communicates clearly to you, or whether you needed more information about the parties involved in “the deadlock.”

Unsurprisingly, tyrant Kim Jong Un has almost instantly dishonored another agreement to resume denuclearization talks, launching missiles in Japan’s general direction just hours after said negotiations. Previous meetings, the last of which was in Hanoi in February 2019, have yielded similar fruitless results and have postponed the denuclearization process of the Korean Peninsula. Delayed negotiations should be stopped; such procrastination only benefits the dictatorship, giving them more time to further develop their constantly-evolving weaponry. 

This second missile threat to Japan in two years clearly demonstrates North Korea’s prioritized goal of using intimidation in lieu of diplomacy, a testament to which is their state-of-the-art weapon’s arsenal.

Needs a Title

Bane is editorializing about rap and has run into a predictable snag. Rappers rise to prominence with lyrics that glamorize thug life and substance abuse and then have to live in the trap they’ve set for themselves: live the lifestyle and risk death or jail, or lose the lifestyle and alienate your fans. Click through to Bane’s post and drop a Reply about specific examples that help illustrate the problem, or that show a way out.

Rappers often boast about violence and drug abuse in their songs. Many rappers vocalize their reckless use of drugs and alcohol to portray themselves as “cool” and “hardcore”. These artists get signed to mainstream labels, which only solidifies the ideas in their minds that these topics are what sells songs, rather than instrumentals or more meaningful lyrics. These lyrics don’t gain anything for these artists, other than attention and scrutiny from the police. But more importantly, this affects our younger generation greatly. They are subject to these inappropriate lyrics and become numbed to the dangers of substance abuse.

Arrested by a machine

Iamsleepy has chosen a very specific topic and correctly identified why a common law enforcement procedure can yield extremely unjust results. Now, how to illustrate that dilemma! Click through to Sleepy’s post and drop a Reply with advice about whether illustration, anecdote, or a careful examination of the problems with the law would be the best strategy.

Millions of drivers are pulled over and are bombarded with tests such as: standing on one foot, walking from toe to toe, and the machine that can’t be trusted – The Breathalyzer. The Breathalyzer, most widely used forensic tools in law enforcement, generates numbers that can guarantee a driver’s punishment. In Massachusetts and New Jersey last year alone, judges threw out more than 30,000 breath tests because of human errors. We shouldn’t trust a machine that puts hundreds of supposedly “drunk” drivers behind bars.

Trump Plans to Rip Government
Help from Citizens 

Lucbe is tackling a controversial proposal that would devastate many families already facing food vulnerability. So far the argument is largely rhetorical, depending on our sympathy to make its case. Click through to Lucbe’s post and drop a Reply regarding whether you understand from the Editorial exactly why the Trump administration believes the change to the Food Stamp rules need to be altered in a way that will cost needy families their benefits.

President Trump’s administration has devised yet another horrible plan to save their government some money. Their plan to cut around 19% of benefits from the households in need would could cause around eight thousand low income households, just in Wisconsin,  to lose all of their previously earned benefits. Without this program, American citizens in need will be forced to decide between feeding their families and getting to work. Poverty levels will increase, unemployment rates will rise, both of which will belie Trump’s claim of Making America Great Again for many needy Americans.

Needs a Title

MPSJ is tackling the thorny subject of gender-based pay inequity from a fresh perspective. Sure, women are always paid less than men, but in different career fields, the inequities vary. The paragraph below is MP’s third paragraph (out of four), but should arguably be her first. Click through to MP’s post and drop a Reply regarding whether she would benefit from personalizing her essay in her introduction, naming her field, and using her own decisions as a wedge to drive into an otherwise dry and academic subject for argument.

As a woman entering a traditionally male dominated field, I understand the trepidation that accompanies making this decision. I once took a calculus class where only six of the thirty students were female. I have witnessed in this small, insignificant setting how the majority flocks together. It is inevitable that most men lift each other up before considering a woman for the same position. Women in power positions have the potential to influence the fate of other women. The dynamic of women lifting women just as men traditionally do is dire for the shrinking of the gender pay gap.

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