The Cost of Life

Whenever someone dies before their time, is one person solely to blame, or do others shoulder some of the blame? We all carry the responsibility of the health and lives of the people next to us because we are our brother's keeper. If we don't care, who will? Why do we ignore the hurts and cries of others when we are the ones who should be helping?

A person is beset by thieves, stabbed and robbed at night and is left for dead. Later, he dies from blood loss. Who is to blame for his death? The first impulse is to say the one that stabbed him. But what about the person walking down the street who thought nothing of the screams? He hears the unwonted cries, but is too concerned trying to get home. All he had to do was investigate the scream, call 911, and the  person could have been saved. So who is to blame more for the death, the thief, or the passerby?


One hundred years ago, the famed ship Titanic sank on its maiden voyage. Over 1,500 souls lost their lives that night. Most could blame the deaths on the captain for not having slowed down that night. But it wasn't just the captain's fault that all those souls lost their lives. A ship sailing in the vicinity that night saw the flares of the Titanic but the captain thought they were just celebrating. There were only enough lifeboats for about half the people on board Titanic. To think that the ship that saw the flares thought nothing of it is... astounding.


Even when there is no one else to blame, sometimes the one guilty does not take it. In the book, Call of the Wild, we see a dog named Buck travel through the Yukon as a sled dog. During one of the treks, a master drives his team of dogs past their limits. The dogs are so exausted and in such horrid shape that one of the dogs actually dies from it. But the masters think nothing of it. All they think about is just getting to their destination as quickly as possible.

We all carry the weight of lives on our shoulders. Not just ours. We are responsible for the welfare of the people next to us because we are our brother's keeper.

How to Survive School

Six-Word-Slant

• School is a wilderness to beware.

140-Character-Claim

• Students in agony over school need to give their best efforts into their grades and rest easy once they have perservered against adversity. (139 characters)

The Bird

He flies high above all the others,
Declaring soverienty to sisters and brothers

Arrogant and haughty he may seem,
Believed himself better than all
Saying to all, "Bow to me!"
Then one day, when the sun was tall,
All of his feathers did start to fall.

Fall, fall, fall from his body, they did
All the while they fell, his grace did too.
His flock laughed and mocked at him,
Pride, once his comfort, was now shame.

Frankenstein Paragraph

The monster is more human than Frankenstein because the monster never originally wanted to harm anyone. Frankenstein made the monster miserable time and time again. The monster was "raised" in this hatred and therefore gave back the same. For this reason, I believe that the monster is more human than Frankenstein because all the monster wants is to have a companion to love and Frankenstein only wants to destroy the monster.

Frankenstein only made the monster miserable and full of agony when it was in his power and his duty as the creator's father to give him happiness. Victor abandoned his creation assuming him to be ferine after seeing how ugly it was on the outside without ever thinking that real beauty lies within. He never considered the fact that the monster might have had a heart that didn't go with his face. Also, Victor was obdurate toward the monster's pleas and refused to give the monster the only chance he had at happiness when the monster so earnestly wanted it; a companion to live, love, and die with.

The monster never originally wanted to hurt anyone. Instead, his black heart of hatred and wantonness was fueled by the very hatred and wantonness of Frankenstein and all of the people who rejected him. He was alone in the world with no convalescence. No one would talk to him, provide comfort and ministrations to him and accept him. Yes, the monster commited terrible murders on those who were innocent in an attempt to destroy Frankenstein, but the monster never wanted to go through with those awful acts. The morose monster is filled with regret at those sins and the pain he caused, but Frankenstein's largest regret was ever creating the monster.

Now then, after hearing about the acts of these two men, which one really deserves to be called the monster?

Initial Thoughts of Frankenstein

The story of Frankenstein has always facinated me. The thought of creating new life, although it is macarbe and unnerving, yes, it is facinating all the same. For what reason would anyone have for creating life, a new being, and even if they succeeded, what then? Most would shudder and belittle even the thought of such an act.

Over the years, people have portrayed the image of the infamous Doctor Frankenstein as a man desprately mad and insane over his project of making a new being. No. Something seems wrong about this picture. Why would a madman want to create life? No. It seems more likely that the doctor is motivated by a sheer desire to leave his mark on the world and to make more of a difference by creating a new better being.

In any case, it will be interesting to see exactly what the real origins of this story is. I'm so excited!

Diligence

As my life becomes more and more active, filled with all of my dance classes, plays and homework, I have less and less time to myself. The time I have to relax and rest is slowlying drifting away because so much demands my attention. I am almost forced to become more diligent, to give more persistence and effort than I ever have.

Up until almost 2 years ago, my life was, well, boring and tedious. I wasn't involved. My main activities were doing my homework and wasting time in front of televisions and computers. This school year has been my toughest because some of that "old me" lingers still.

I must be diligent for all areas of my life. My dance skills need to be honed. My flexibility could be better; muscles stronger. My grades could use some improvement. In general, I need to be more persistent.

Assertion/Claim (Topic Sentence) = Main Idea

• The legal driving age should be increased from 16 to 18.

Evidence -Concrete Detail:

• Novice drivers haven't mastered basic motor skills that take time and training to develop than what can be taught and learned in a matter of just two years.
  • Commentary 1: Teenagers or more likely to get into traffic violations like speeding, tailgating, running red lights, etc.
  • Commentary 2:
• Teenagers are less aware of the distractions and risks around the driving environment such as cell phones that might ring, the radio being too loud, what the passengers are doing.
  • Commentary 1: When a teenager transports passengers, the fatality risk of the teens increase by 360%. This goes for passengers who are peers of the teen driver because they might encourage taking more risks.
  • Commentary 2: Teenagers wear safety belts less often.

They say:

• By increasing the driving limit, you take aways rights that have been given to teens for years.
• Some teens have job they desperately need or their parents rely on them to drive themselves and siblings to and from school.

I say:

• Over 50% of all sixteen year olds get some variation of a traffic accident or violation within three months of getting their license. If the limit is increased, it allows two more years of practice to ensure the safety of other drivers, the teens and the teen's parents' pocketbook.
• In the case that teenagers must drive to a job or take sibilings to school, he/she my apply for a hardship license that will allow them to drive under the age of 18 only when it envolves one of the two duties stated above.

My Paragraph:

The legal driving age should be increased from 16 to 18. Novice drivers haven't mastered basic motor skills that take time and training to develop than what can be taught and learned in a matter of just two years. Teenagers or more likely to get into traffic violations like speeding, tailgating, running red lights, etc. They are less aware of the distractions and risks around the driving environment such as cell phones that might ring, the radio being too loud, what the passengers are doing. When a teenager transports passengers, the fatality risk of the teens increase by 360%. This goes for passengers who are peers of the teen driver because they might encourage taking more risks. Teenagers wear safety belts less often than older drivers.