Writing Homework Eleven

Writing
Eleventh Homework
Instructor, Andy Schlafly

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There are two options this week: Plan A for those who want to do some short, timed essays (for example, to prepare for the SAT), and Plan B for those who like the longer essays. For Plan A, give yourself only 25 minutes, pick a topic, and write a short essay without much computer-based editing (you might even want to handwrite it). Take a break and then repeat that three times, for a total of 4 essays, hopefully improving each time; there is no word goal. For Plan B, write an essay of 1400 words on one or more of the topics.

NOTE: You are free to argue against the position taken by the topic, if any.

1. The power of "dissent": when one person disagrees with everyone else, he can have an influence bigger than his single vote.

2. How does one best present a case or argument to God - with reason or emotion?

3. Charity benefits both the donor and the recipient, while government programs benefit only the recipient, and sometimes not even him.

4. Wealth is sometimes used effectively to help mankind. Here is one example: Joseph of Arimathea when he donated his own expensive tomb for the burial of Jesus.

5. Hillary Clinton just defeated Barack Obama by a wide 55%-45% margin in Pennsylvania, but Obama still leads in the overall delegate count. The Democrats cannot win the Presidency unless they win Pennsylvania. If you were a Democrat, what would you want the Party to do? (Parodies welcome, though not for the SAT!)

6. Liberal hate speech is a growing problem. What is it, and what should be done about it?

7. Space exploration: a waste of time and money?

8. Affirmative action: wrong in principle, and wrong in practice?

9. The past is like the future: it depends entirely on what you make of it.

10. High gas prices are actually good: they encourage people to spend more time at home and less time on the roads.

11. If teachers and students were armed with guns, then there would be fewer beatings, intimidation by gangs, and massacres in public school.

12. From Friday through Tuesday about 500,000 people watched the much-publicized movie Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed. But during that same time period, without any special publicity, about the same number of page views (visits) occurred on Conservapedia. What does that say about the future of movies compared to the internet?

13. What does the expression the "Protestant work ethic" mean to you?

14. Write on any comparable topic of your choice. For SAT writers, you can find topics on the internet (and can choose this option for more than one of your essays).

Enjoy!