IS TORTURE EVER JUSTIFIED? (This is a 70)

One of the most controversial issues which is being discussed today is whether torture is justified or not. Throughout history, torture has been used as an interrogation technique whose varieties are waterboarding, sleep deprivation and drowning. According to UN laws, every state must also abolish torture. Some people think that torture is a necessary technique to extract information whereas others think that it is sadistic, cruel and inhumane behaviour.

Proponents of torture justify their claims saying that information is sometimes more valuable than morals. For instance, what if a bomber plants a bomb in a public place, how could we learn the location of the bomb? In this case, terrorist attacks make torture legal; however, opponents of torture argue that torture is cruel behaviour. Waterboarding means literally drowning someone to death and then bringing him back to life a moment later. Proponents do not bear the other side of the coin in mind because the suspect could be innocent. Torture has long-term traumatic effects on people who are subjected to torture. Therefore, after torture, innocent people cannot lead a meaningful life.

Proponents of torture assert that information is a weapon in the war against terrorism. Currently, extremist terrorist groups like Isis capture families to demand  a ransom. They think that torture is a more effective interrogation technique in this case. Although they are right to a certain extent, their arguments are outdated due to the fact that there is another technique which provides information. According to psychologists, using diplomacy is the most effective way. Therefore, torture is unacceptable.

In conclusion, taking all things into consideration, torture is a growing concern all over the world. Although it is prohibited by law, some governments continue to use it. Torture is not a solution to anything, on the contrary, it raises  ethical problems.

EUGENICS (This is a 70)

Although eugenics stands out as one of the most important genetic sciences, the majority of people do not pay attention to this science because they do not know the meaning of the term eugenics. Eugenics can be defined as a practice which aims to improve or impair the racial qualities of humans either physically or mentally. Therefore, this issue can be considered from different angles. There are positive aspects of eugenics while there are negative aspects as well.

First of all, eugenics provides considerable advantages in terms of genetic diseases and for procreation. Firstly, eugenics may prevent genetic diseases such as Down syndrome, hemophilia, cystic fibrosis and the like. For example, prenatal diagnosis, which provides people with a lot of information about their unborn child, is one of the applications of eugenics. Secondly, women who are infertile or do not have a partner can have children thanks to eugenics because this science enables a single woman to become pregnant.

Although there are plenty of advantages of eugenics, there are negative sides as well. Eugenics has been used to abuse humans’ fundamental rights and to remove certain ethnic groups .For instances, the fact that Hitler tried to remove the Jewish communities by means of eugenics can be regarded as one of the most important negative influences of eugenics. Another major drawback of eugenics is that it decreases the genetic diversity of the species .People cannot create unwanted traits. Therefore, eugenics has a negative impact on genetic diversity .Finally,  eugenics causes people to develop the wrong kinds of beliefs. To illustrate, people think that it is very easy to create things which are not absent in the world thanks to eugenics. This causes people to try to be a God.

As a result, there are people who think that eugenics has disadvantages in terms of the abuse of humans’ basic rights, the decrease in genetic diversity and the emergence/ development of the wrong sorts of beliefs in contrast to people who believe that it is beneficial with regards to the prevention of genetic diseases and women wishing to become pregnant. It is my contention that, the disadvantages of eugenics outweigh the advantages of it.

CAUSES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE (This is a 65)

People love each other and they want to have a happy family after they have known each other for a long or short time. However, they do not always have a happy family and domestic violence may emerge. In other words, domestic violence is on the rise in developed and developing countries especially Turkey and has become a reason for concern. It may have serious detrimental consequences. There are a variety of reasons  why  domestic violence exists, two of which are abuse during childhood and a patriarchal society.

First of all, abuse during childhood can be regarded as one of the most outstanding reasons for the existence of  domestic violence in the world. It is a well-known fact that most people witnessing  family violence during childhood are more likely to be prone to violence. For example, if a child grows up having witnessed or having been on the receiving end of  domestic violence, he/she will be more likely to  use alcohol or drugs. This causes these people to develop a tendency to violence. It must not be forgotten that a violent past leads to  domestic violence.

Another reason for domestic violence is a patriarchal society. The majority of people, especially Turkish men, think that men have higher status than women. This situation causes male privilege to emerge. For instance, women, especially Turkish women, complain about marital discord and are dissatisfied with  their marriages. When a disagreement  occurs between partners, men, who believe that they have higher status, resort to  violence against their partners instead of communicating with them. Therefore, a patriarchal society has a vital role to play  in the existence / the  emergence of domestic violence.

In conclusion, children who are exposed to  family violence and men who think that they have higher status than  women in society stand out as reasons for  domestic violence. It is my contention that  domestic violence means the violation of human rights, especially women’s. If the necessary measures are not taken, this problem can have fatal consequences.

THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF KINDERGARTEN (This a good 60)

 In today's world, the number of working women is increasing rapidly, and generally these women cannot spend their time at home. Therefore, they cannot take care of  their children. However, children cannot meet their individual needs. Parents send their children to kindergarten in order to meet children's  needs. Kindergartens have some advantages and disadvantages in terms of the development of children.

 The first advantage of kindergartens is that they have many instructive toys. These toys provide children with a chance to play and learn. In addition,  another advantage of kindergartens is that children can be with children of their own age. This means that children come face to toface with other children, and spend time together with them. Thus, children can develop their communication skills and learn about empathy. For instance, they have to spend  time in the same  environment, and have good relationships with their peers and teachers; consequently, they improve their communication skills and develop feelings of empathy.

 Secondly, kindergartens have not only advantages, but also two disadvantages. The  major disadvantage  is that children get into a routine and suffer stress at an early age. This situation affects children's psychological development, and causes many disturbances such as stress. The second disadvantage of kindergarten is that children who are sent to kindergarten cannot see their parents adequately; as a result, they miss  their parents.

 In conclusion, there are both advantages and disadvantages of kindergartens for children. However I believe that kindergartens are vital for society despite (in spite of) their disadvantages, because they provide many opportunities to children.

ARE WE GETTING DUMBER OR SMARTER?

  This 271 words and a typical 60

 Intelligence is the most valuable thing that humans have. This thing separates us from animals.  We can think, consider and imagine through  intelligence, and our intelligence is developing day by day. People learn new data and how to combine all the information available in order to produce new data. So our people are  getting smarter thanks to this thinking process.

First of all, humans are interested in complicated problems now because the basic problems have been solved. People who lived in the past solved the basic issues which affect humankind. Nowadays, people are trying to solve more complex problems. People utilize their minds more due to the nature of the problems that they come face to face with.  Intelligence has increased in response to this challenge.

Secondly, education is more common. In the past, a lot of people couldn't read or write. However, nowadays, most  people can read and write and are quite well educated. In addition, people take many lessons and learn what's going on in the world. So, people nowadays know more things and think better than older people. Practice makes perfect so people are becoming more intelligent.

However, some people argue that technology is making us dumber. The reason for this is that people spend their time on social media and they lose their capacity to think. However, the outcomes of IQ tests contradict this opinion. IQ levels have been increasing day by day. So, people certainly are not getting dumber.

To sum up, the outcomes of IQ tests prove that people are smarter now. We are dealing with more complicated problems and this is influencing our intelligence. In this way, humankind has been developing its brain power / cognitive skills.

CHILD MARRIAGE (70/ 75)

            The meaning of the term marriage is living happily ever after like in the fairy tales for many people. However, unfortunately, most children are married without even listening to  one  fairy tale. Although it is known that child marriage is a human rights violation, each year, 15 million girls are married before the age of 18. This means  28 girls every minute. According to data, over 700 million women alive today were married as children. Moreover, despite laws against it, child marriage is fueled by gender inequality, poverty and traditions.

            To begin with gender inequality, in many undeveloped countries such as Nigeria, The Central African Republic and Bangladesh, inequalities between women and men in society are more apparent. In  these societies, child marriage is common since girls are not considered  as important  as boys. Daughters are usually seen as a burden for their families. Therefore, when their daughters are married, the families think they transferred these burdens to their daughters’ husbands’ families. Furthermore, child marriage is also driven by patriarchal values and the desire to control female sexuality. For instance, how a girl should behave, how a girl should dress or when a girl should marry are all determined by social convention . Only a man can answer these questions because the man is a breadwinner. In addition to this, a girl represents the honor of her family in closed societies. Hence, families closely guard their daughters’ sexuality and virginity in order to protect the family honor. These families think that their daughters may become pregnant outside of marriage and this causes shame and  brings dishonor to  their family. Consequently, gender inequality may bring about child marriage.

            Child marriage is a traditional practice, which exists in many cultures such as the Roma,  seems normal because it has happened for generations. In some communities such as Chad, Mali and Ethiopia, when girls start to menstruate, they become women in the eyes of the community. Therefore, marriage is used as a tool to give the girls their status a wife and mother by their families. however, although they had to experience this difficult  situation, they are only children and their bodies are still undeveloped. Because of this, these marriages may harm   girls. For example, an 8 years old Yemeni child bride was married to a 40 years old man and then, she died of vaginal injuries on their wedding night. Namely, traditions cause child brides and child brides may die , but everything can be different as Graça Machel, widow of Melson Mendela, said, traditions are made by people, and people can unmake them.

            Poverty, especially, in the undeveloped countries such as Bangladesh and Somali leads to child marriage because floods and droughts disrupt girls’ lives. Hence, their families want to push them into their daughters’ husbands’ families. thus, adding to the risk of child marriage. For instance, in Bangladesh and northeast India, floods made poverty worse and closed schools causing families to  see marriage as an alternative way for their daughters. Another example is in Somali and Mozambique: due to drought, many families living in these countries, families push daughters to marry (marry off their daughters)  since they no longer have to feed them. Consequently, the effects of poverty on child marriage shouldn’t be ignored.

            To sum up, the number of child marriages is  increasing day by day thanks to poverty, gender inequality and tradition. However, no  reason should be a pretext for child marriage. If a solution isn’t found for child marriage, the global number of women married as children will reach 1.2 billion by 2050. Therefore, it should be understood that children are children, not wives or mothers.

           

               Neray Pala 

GOOD HEALTH

Everyone in the world wants to lead a long and happy life. They want to enjoy plenty of time with their families and friends. They want to do a job they like. They also want to deal with their hobbies and interests. In order to be able to do all this, they need to be physically healthy and strong. Good health is not something which is beyond control; it depends on the individual. In other words, there are various daily habits and various lifestyle factors that help maintain good health.

The kind of daily routine people have goes a long way towards guaranteeing good health. Firstly, everybody needs a good night’s sleep in order to start the day feeling rested and refreshed. The ideal is sleeping seven to eight hours a night. Anything less than this affects the mood, cognitive powers, physical health and social relations. Secondly, the fuel the body needs during the day to maintain vital body functions also needs to be considered. People should have a balanced diet including food from all the major food categories: people should eat fruit and vegetables, protein, dairy products and carbohydrates. Eating and sleeping is not the whole story; plenty of exercise is necessary as well. As a result, people should not sit around all day; they should walk, run, cycle, swim or go to the gym. It is obvious that all this depends solely on the individual. In other words, remaining healthy is to some extent within the individual’s control.

Taking care of the physical needs of the body is not enough on its own. There are various life style factors that have an important role in keeping people healthy. The first is the physical environment. A polluted city like New Delhi or Beijing can cause all manner of health problems. Working with toxic substances like people in the garment industry, in mines and in the leather industry do can also shorten the life span. Selecting the city where one lives and the job one does isn’t always in one’s control. However, it is important to be aware of these factors and try and improve the circumstances if one can. The second issue is access to modern facilities and amenities. In developing and third world countries, a lot of people don’t have access to clean water, electricity, basic healthcare and education. Ignorance is widespread and this contributes to ill health too. In short, there are quite a few factors that are beyond one’s control and it is not always possible to be as healthy as one would like.

To sum up, leading a healthy life is not as easy as it seems. There is a lot that can be done on an individual basis but there is also a lot that may be beyond control. People need to make the best of the circumstances they find themselves in in order to lead a relatively healthy life.

BOARDING SCHOOLS VERSUS DAY SCHOOLS

Childhood, adolescence and the teenage period are collectively the most important period of one’s life. This is due to the fact that it is during this period of their lives that children receive an education and prepare for their future and the roles they want to play in society. Schools are where young people receive their formal education and there are two types of school: boarding schools and day schools. These two types of institution share some similarities but there are also some major differences.

Being educational institutions providing formal education, these two schools have the same goals. They aim to provide the students with the level and quality of education dictated by the ministry of education. It is this latter organization which sets the syllabi and determines the dates for the centralized tests. This being the case, students in both types of school follow the program determined by the higher authorities. The quality of teachers in both types of school are similar as well as they are required to have a teaching certificate obtained from the Education Faculty of a major university. The extracurricular activities such as sports and student clubs are also features that are shared by both types of school. It seems, therefore, that in terms of the basics, the differences between these types of school are negligible. However, this is not where the story ends.

The differences between boarding schools and day schools relate mainly to life style. Day schools, as the name implies, sends students home once lessons are over. They only take responsibility for the students’ formal education, not for anything that takes place after hours. Boarding schools, however, take charge of the rest of a student’s day as well: they provide three meals a day, make sure students enjoy a well balanced diet, monitor homework and provide assistance with any problems, arrange for leisure time and make sure students are safely tucked in in their dormitories come bed time. The students are allowed to go home at weekends and/or holidays to see their families. The opportunities for communal living provided by such schools also provide valuable social learning and enable students to acquire valuable life skills which will help them in their future life. It seems, therefore, that boarding schools provide a more all rounded education.

To sum up, day schools and boarding schools differ in terms of the aspects of life they have influence over. While the former only focus on formal education, the latter focus on social life, physical and psychological development as well. These two types of school appeal to different types of families with specific needs. Various personal and practical considerations weigh in when making a selection.

CAUSES OF MIGRATION

In the past, people were mostly confined to the places where they were born and grew up. International travel was difficult and expensive. Now the world has changed, distances have been reduced and travel is easy. This means that people who are not happy with their lives can move to other places where they can be happier. This movement of people is called migration and there are many reasons why people migrate: economic reasons, lifestyle choices and better facilities and amenities.

Most migrants in the modern world head from developing or third world countries to developed countries. The countries they come from are mostly agrarian countries. Industry is not developed in these countries and there are few factories. As a result, job opportunities are scarce. This problem coupled with the high population growth rate means people have to migrate to survive. The migration from central Africa to central Europe is a case in point. Hundreds have died trying to cross the Mediterranean this year alone despite the money paid to smugglers, the danger of the journey and the very real possibility of being stuck in Libya. They are prepared to face all this in order to be lifted out of poverty and improve their standard of living.

The way of life in developed countries is also more attractive to some migrants. A more conservative life style and lack of basic freedoms may prompt people to try and make their homes in developed countries. Host countries are mostly developed countries. The public is more tolerant of differences. Freedom of speech is considered very important. There is religious tolerance. Gays can lead a normal life and not fear for their lives. Women can adopt the Western life style. All these facts make western democracies seem very attractive indeed.

The standard of living being high in developed countries, the services provided by developed countries are also of better quality. This makes them attractive to people from countries where even the most basic services are a luxury. There may be no running water or electricity; the nearest school may be miles away and transportation may be non-existent. It is natural for people to wish to get their children educated, have access to basic health care and benefit from all the facilities and amenities people in developed countries take for granted. British water works recently apologized to the public for a brief water cut; something unheard of in central Africa where people go to the nearest well to fetch water. In short, a better quality of life is an important pull factor for migrants.

To sum up, the differences between the kind of life people lead in the developed world and that of people in the developing world are huge. In the global world of the 21^st century, everybody is well aware of these differences and wish to enjoy them too. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that people want to leave their miserable lives behind and try and seek a better one.  

THE CAUSES OF INSOMNIA

People work hard all day at the office, in the fields or in schools. They treat patients, carry on their business, teach or grow crops. At the end of the day, they are tired and need to rest. This period of rest is occupied by sleep. While sleeping, the body can recoup and recover from the problems of the day. However, not everyone can sleep whenever they want to. They are called insomniacs and the problem they suffer from is called insomnia. Fortunately, insomnia is a problem that can be tackled and this can be done by addressing various environmental problems and dealing with personal habits.

The first category of reasons for the inability to sleep stem from problems in the bedroom and they can be addressed easily. First of all, the mattress and the pillow need to be comfortable. Some people prefer hard surfaces, others like to sink into a bed. They should choose their mattresses accordingly. The same goes for pillows: some people may like feather pillows, others may like organic pillows. For example, customers are asked in hotels what kind of pillow they would like. Second of all, the temperature of the bedroom, the degree of noise and light should be suitable. An ideal bedroom should be neither too hot nor too cold and the air should be fresh. Thus, a window could be left open. The degree of light and noise should be appropriate too. Some people sleep with a night light ; others sleep in a darkened room with heavy drapes. Some people don’t mind noise so long as it is regular , others want absolute silence. Whatever the case, the atmosphere should be suited to the individual. As a result, solving the problem of insomnia could be as simple as dealing with certain practical problems.

The second category of reasons concerns the individual. These may be stress, anxiety, the tendency to brood , unhealthy eating habits and the like. Worry is an enemy of sleep and if the brain goes into overdrive in bed, one becomes wide awake in minutes. The solution is to slow the brain down . This can be done by developing the habit of reading, or watching television before bed. Such a habit has an additional benefit: it broadens one’s horizons. The second issue concerns the last meal or drink. Rich food which is hard to digest will keep one awake. The same goes for caffeine: tea or coffee before bed is likely to keep one awake. The solution is having the evening meal early and avoiding caffeinated beverages.  For example, a glass of hot milk before bed can sooth one. In short, both anxiety and nighttime habits are issues that can be dealt with.

In conclusion, insomnia is a problem that afflicts many people in the world but one should not just give up and try and live with the problem. There are a host of very straightforward measures that can be taken to provide a good night’s sleep and all they require is a little forward thinking and brief visit to the shops.

URBAN TRANSFORMATION

People have lived together in settlements since ancient times. These settlements used to be rural communities. Now they are big cities and are called urban environments. Urbanization became a growing trend after the industrial revolution and now there are big megacities. It is predicted that by 2050 most people will be living in cities. This urban transformation has some important advantages and disadvantages.

Urbanization is good for communities in terms facilities and amenities as well as services. Firstly, the facilities and amenities provided by municipalities are much better in big cities. Every district gets running water and electricity. Districts are linked by an efficient transport system. Rubbish is collected and access to goods is easy and quick. Amenities like parks, playing fields, swimming pools and various cultural activities are provided in cities. People can go to the cinema, theatre or to concerts. They can lead a good life and enjoy themselves. Secondly the services provided in cities are much better. There are schools in every district and children don’t have to travel miles to get there. The quality of teaching is good. Children are prepared well for the future. Another service is healthcare. If people get ill, they can access hospitals, doctors and chemists. This is a big advantage. In short, there are many upsides to living in cities.

Urbanization is bad for communities in some respects too. Firstly, all these people living together means that there is a lot of pollution. The air is polluted by traffic, factories and homes. The water is polluted by waste from factories and homes. Noise and light pollution are chronic problems. In short, cities are dirty places. The reason that they are dirty is overcrowding and this is the second problem. Living on top of each other means people live in apartments. They don’t know each other and they don’t support and help each other. Everybody leaves for work at the same time. This means there is a lot of traffic and public transport is full. Schools are crowded; parks and gardens are full of people and there is a lot of noise everywhere. This goes on 24/7. The city never sleeps. In short, living in the city is not all it is cracked up to be.

In conclusion, many factors determine where people live. These are family connections, job opportunities and the like. Every place has its downsides and upsides. People should learn to deal with them. Cities are no different. The choice of whether or not to live in cities is a personal one 

EXPERIENCED WORKERS

People want to be promoted immediately, especially the young. They try to increase their abilities in order to reach the top level of companies. However, they are not aware that if they don’t integrate their abilities with work, they won’t be successful in their  careers. Due to the conflict between work and abilities, they can’t reach their aims. Therefore, they need a long time to acquire experience. With the help of experience, they deal with problems instantly. It can be said that people should be rewarded according to their age and experience.

To begin with, some big companies determine areas of responsibility and every worker knows his mission in companies. They don’t make so many changes .After organizing the distribution of work and workers, they need to check if the work is going well or not. Therefore, the companies have to be ruled by means of a hierarchy in order to continue the regulation of companies. This hierarchy can be provided by only older and experienced managers.

Secondly, experience is hard to obtain. It can’t be reached whenever people want. It requires a long time period. People have to face  serious problems to acquire experience. This helps people gain wisdom and diverse views. Moreover, these qualities assist them in deciding rationally. Therefore, when companies promote people , they should take into consideration the age of workers and their level of experience.

Lastly, sceptics point out that the young are competent and they are eager to  succeed and  be well educated. Maybe they are right ; however, well educated people have only theoretical knowledge. They don’t know how to apply it in the workplace . They must be ready for the worst conditions. Therefore, it is hard to be successful just with a good education. 

To sum up, experience gives people the ability  to decide immediately and logically. We can’t completely rely on  youth.  They should be given time to prepare for the problems they will confront. 

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

Capital punishment, in other words the death penalty, means that a person who is convicted of a serious crime is hanged or poisoned by a court decision. This practice has been abolished in many countries, such as England, Germany, and France. However, some countries, especially non-democratic ones, have imposed it for many years. Proponents of capital punishment claim that it is necessary for the protection of society from criminals due to the fact that  taking care of criminals in jail is a burden for the country. From my point of view, capital punishment must be banned because of moral concerns and political reasons.

To begin with; one of the most significant reasons why capital punishment must be banned is that the right to live is a fundamental right for all human beings. This right is given by God and it is not ethical to take it away  from a person by implementing a law. Many religious experts think that alternative punishments must be considered rather than the death penalty because  killing a person has been banned by God. In short, capital punishment is immoral  .

Moreover, governments which impose capital punishment are more likely not to care about public rights. If capital punishment is enforced by a dictator, then, this power may be used to threaten  opponents. Therefore, it poses an immense threat to  democracy. In Egypt, for instance, capital punishment is a legal implementation and the government invokes this law to stop the opponents.

On the other hand, supporters of the death penalty assert that it is crucial to get rid of criminals because they are a burden for the country for financial reasons , such as food costs. However, in the 21^st century, capital punishment is an unacceptable practice. Instead of killing them, criminals should be rehabilitated and turned into beneficial useful members of society, so they can contribute to their countries. According to research, in the U.S., although the death penalty is legal, the incidence of crime is higher than in European countries, where the death penalty was  abolished many years ago. Briefly, capital punishment is not a precise solution.

In conclusion, capital punishment is not practical for many reasons, such as political and moral concerns . Apart from these, it can constitute a threat to the modern societies. It should be banned in favor forms of punishment that will help regain the individual to society.

ABORTION

Recent advances in genetic science allow us to detect defects and anomalies in the fetus. Thanks to innovations in  genetic science, (body) deformations, mental retardation, fatal diseases, genetic disposition to cardiac disease or diabetes can all be detected. In such a case, the parents are in a situation where they have to make a very difficult choice: to let the baby live or abort it. It’s my contention that a fetus with serious physical defects should be aborted.

Some people emphasize the fact that every baby should be given a chance. According to them, nobody has the right to decide who lives and dies. With the same argument, parents don’t have the right to decide whether their baby continues to live or not. However, although everbody has the right to live, including a fetus, a fetus with serious physical defects may always depend on his/her parents. Parents generally die before their children, which makes it difficult for individuals with serious physical defects to live without their support. Moreover, this situation is a burden on parents, psychologically, physically and financially due to the fact that these children may change their parents’ life. If the parents don’t feel strong enough to handle this situation or can’t afford to provide the necessary care, they should abort a fetus with serious physical defects.

People who claim that a fetus with serious physical defects should be allowed to live emphasise the discrimination. That is, saying only the perfect or healthy have the right to live is discrimination. However, this discrimination leads parent to abort their children. Before making a final desicion , they should first think about the possible challenges their child might face. They may be excluded by others. Furthermore,  if parents let the babies live, they may not enjoy life to the fullest due to the fact that their lives might be filled with pain.

In conclusion, before making this very difficult choice, parents must think hard  and consider all the possiblities. If they don’t feel strong enough to handle this challenge, they should abort their babies.

SURVEILLANCE SOCIETY

The world’s population has been increasing since the beginning of time . Along with this, a lot of technological developments have occurred. Although the technological revolution has contributed enormously to social life, it also prevents privacy. For example, there are a lot of cameras which monitor people’s daily lives. Thus, a new social concept has emerged : The surveillance society. It is a much debated topic as there are some advantages and disadvantages that surveillance brings.

To begin with, there are many advantages to monitoring a society. Criminal tendencies  become less widespread in such a society because people know that if they commit a crime in a public area, they will  be identified, caught and punished easily. Cameras have become  the  eyes of the public conscience and they are everywhere even if there are no people around . Thus, there isn’t any crime without a penalty Besides these, the pursuit of public work and intervention is  easier in these societies. For example, traffic cameras observe the roads and check the cars to see if they  obey the rules or there can be a speedy response to a traffic accident thanks to city surveillance cameras. Moreover, families can observe their children at home when they work. In terms of security, cameras are necessary and they facilitate  daily life.

Beside the advantages, there are many disadvantages of constant surveillance. It is not always right for there to be a lot of cameras everywhere which observe daily life. It kills (eliminates)  privacy. In addition, observation can lead to anxiety in some people if they are aware of it. For example, a person who knows he is being observed at work by her/his boss can grow anxious (behave anxiously) ; therefore, her/his performance can decrease. Furthermore, surveillance includes the use of  some communication channels such as social media channels. Although people use these channels for fun or to communicate with their friends, they don’t know that other malicious people might also hack into their private life easily. For example, shared photos or information can be used by others for bad purposes. Another example, when a person applies for  a job, bosses gain a misleading impression before they know the applicant because of social media accounts belonging to her/him.

In conclusion, almost every society has begun to become a surveillance society now  with the entry of technology into their lives. Although monitoring  life creates a bad image in people’s mind, there are both advantages and disadvantages of  surveillance. However, surveillance is here at stay. In the modern world, people should know that they can be observed any time by others in their daily lives and act accordingly.

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REFERENDA

Most countries in the modern world are governed by democracy, which is defined as the rule of the people. In democracy, the public selects representatives to govern in their name but in some countries, the public continues to take an active part in decision making through referendums where they are asked yes/no questions. Yet is this really a good idea and should the public be asked to make policy decisions in this way? Referendums and whether or not they are good idea is a very controversial topic; there are both advantages and disadvantages.

        There are several advantages of referendums but the most significant one is that they educate the public about political issues. When there is a referendum which is approaching people start to look for information about the  issue in question because they need to have enough knowledge before they make a decision about it; therefore, they read  about it and they become aware of what is going on.  Besides this, referendums can solve conflicts and secure consensus in the government because when the government itself is divided, it may  not be able to make the right decision about a critical issue.

        On the other hand, direct democracy, which referendums provide, has many disadvantages too. The most important problem is that the issues are usually too complex for a normal person who has no education about politics. Although people read  about an issue, most of them can’t understand it properly. Complicated issues cannot be dealt with by means of a simple yes/no question. Moreover, referendums are also likely to cause unsatisfactory conclusions if there is a very close referendum vote. If the result is very close, the referendum may lack legitimacy. Similarly, if voter turnout is low, the results could be questionable. In short, referenda are not as useful as they seem at first glance.   

         In conclusion, referendums  have both advantages and disadvantages. While they make many things easier in democracies, they can also cause conflict because of their unsatisfactory results. Although they provide an opportunity to educate the public, it is not certain that they will be turn out to be useful.

HOW TO PREVENT TERROR ATTACKS

Terror attacks have become the plague of many nations like the UK, the USA, France and many others. Not a day goes by when a bomb doesn’t explode in a public place or suicide bomber doesn’t blow himself up in a market place. The tragic loss of life is on an industrial scale. Countries are on tender hooks waiting for the next attack and wondering where it will take place. That the problem needs to be tackled is obvious but both short term and long term measures are required to make a serious impact.

The immediate measures that should be taken mainly involve the security services; especially, Interpol and similar organizations. The latest technology should be used by all security services and no expense should be spared to upgrade the existing technology. The world is a global village and terrorism is an international problem so the sharing of information is paramount. The likelihood of preventing an attack is much higher if the whole world is watching. Countries that are suspected of aiding and abetting terrorists should also be held to account. Naming and shaming can be an effective way of addressing the problem. If that doesn’t work, economic sanctions may be considered. In short, there is a lot that can be done in the short term but it isn’t enough.

There are safeguards that should be put in place to prevent the proliferation of terrorists as well. Firstly, internet providers should instal better checks and measures to eliminate harmful content from the internet. Propaganda videos are a case in point. These videos are the major way terrorist organizations recruit disenfranchised youth. Talking of the young generation, better attention should be paid to the problems of the youth to prevent them from turning to terror organizations. They should be provided with an education, trained for a job and provided with the means to support themselves. Economic problems lie at the root of a lot of problems and the social problems resulting from them should be addressed. Happy and satisfied people get on with their lives as useful members of society.

In conclusion, the police force, the government, educators, parents and the extended family all need to work together to keep youth on the straight and narrow. Young people are not pot plants that can be placed in the sun and watered regularly. They have psychological and social needs as well. Dealing with the whole person rather than one aspect of his life will help address the problem.

FACTORY FARMS

Eating is one of the most vital and basic needs of people. Food gives us the necessary energy to survive. We build up our muscles and get strong thanks to the food we eat, so what we consume during a day is very important. Factory farming presents us with several varieties of daily food such as milk, eggs, and beef. Factory farming produces some of the food we need systematically. At first glance, it seems very profitable and harmless, but actually, its dangers and the harm it does are more serious than its positive side. That is to say, factory farming is neither safe nor suitable.

Proponents of factory farming argue that it is inexpensive and also a very lucrative business. Food requirements of people can be more easily provided with the use of factory farms because there is an appropriate and rapid system, yet it is risky because of the occurence of animal cruelty. On many factory farms, animals encounter  terrible violence. Additionally, their suffering starts in the beginning. For example, piglets are castrated and workers cut their tails off in a ruthless way. After they become mature, pigs are packed into incredibly small areas. They wait for the time to go to slaughter without moving but the suffering continues during slaughter because the procedure  sometimes takes place while they are conscious. Factory farming, therefore, entails untold cruelty and is completely inhuman.

On the other hand, people in favor of factory farms also maintain that factory farming is less dependent on human labor and allows new job opportunities. However, the farming system only considers the profits not the health of people. The decrease in the cost of food is very helpful for every consumer but  the production process is dangerous for human health. It can cause infections and possible diseases because there is no real hygiene on most factory farms. Factory farms use more modern technology compared to many farmers of course, but along with this, the environment is stuffy and unhealthy. There is also the fact that workers have to witness the cruelty inflicted on animals on a daily basis . Factory farms are far from being the ideal workplace.

To sum up, we cannot deny the fact that the technique has several benefits; however, it also has serious and deeply distressing  consequences. The unhealthy and risky products may easily affect human health. Moreover, factory farming is very cruel for factory animals. Plenty of animals die due to stress, disease, and even heart attacks. Therefore, we should refuse the system for both our health and that of the animals until a genuine and ethical factory farm is established.

ECOTHERAPY (This a more complex version)

Throughout history, nature has provided a home for human beings. Humans have been connected with nature and lived in nature in peace. However, the development of technology and industry has had a huge impact on peoples’ life styles. Accordingly, people started to construct cities to live in better conditions but they didn’t notice that they had built a wall between themselves and nature. In the modern world, people spend a majority of their time  in front of a computer or at work, which leads to stress and tension. Today, people prefer cities more than ever and this separates them from nature. Nevertheless, no one can reject the fact that humans are a part of nature. The latest research proves that nature has a significant effect on humans .Investigators demonstrate that harmonizing with nature has a therapeutic influence on patients. The observation of researchers shows that  nature can help patients while they are trying to recover . This process of connecting with nature is called ecotherapy or green therapy. Ecotherapy can be described as a technique which includes a wide range of activities that aim to promote mental and physical well-being.

There are a few techniques that enable people to connect with nature in order to enhance their well-being. One is nature meditation: This meditation provides people with a place where they can communicate with nature and other people who take part in meditation . Individuals can see what other patients are struggling with and feeling, consequently, people may learn from others' experiences and can use them  to cope with their own problems. In addition, this process can be an opportunity for people who suffer from loneliness because they can make friends from their therapy groups. This far from all though.

Another technique  to help people to struggle with problems with  the help of nature is the use of plants and garden-related activities. Garden related activities include digging the soil and planting seeds. In brief, these activities connect  individuals with soil and plants. This technique gives individuals an opportunity to feel more valuable. Moreover research shows that digging the soil reduces stress and makes people feel calm. There is, in other words, a lot to say for the rural lifestyle.

A third technique is animal assisted therapy:  Animals have a significant effect on people even though there is no evidence to prove that. However, recent research points out that playing with or petting an animal decreases the heart rate and reduces stress. Furthermore, patients can ignore their illness thanks to the animals. Nowadays there are specially trained dogs or cats that are brought into hospitals to help calm patients.

One important point one needs to be aware of is that nature therapy doesn’t mean walking in a natural place or doing an activity in a natural place. Merely a glimpse of nature such as a photograph of the coast or a garden that can be seen from a window reduces stress and helps patients to boost their mood. Attaining happiness and relaxing may be as simple as hanging the right pictures or posters on the wall or having large windows opening on to parks or well kept terrace gardens. There is a lot one can do even in big metropolises.

There are a large number of benefits of ecotherapy. Ecotherapy provides individuals with an opportunity to explore their relationships with the environment and other people, thanks to the activities that they can practice with a social group or even alone. For instance, an old person may notice the importance of old trees while he is walking in a forest, ultimately, he can cope with his feelings of worthlessness. A lonely person may benefit from working in an allotment and chatting to others who own plots.

Secondly, outdoor activities have significant effects on the brain. For example, being in nature promotes creativity and concentration. Our minds process less information when we are digging the  soil or even looking at a photograph of nature. Accordingly, nature clarifies our minds and makes it easy to concentrate.Moreover, natural environments stimulate curiosity which can promote learning abilities and creativity.As you know many  artists  are inspired by nature.

In conclusion, nature is our home and being connected with nature improves peoples’ physical and mental health. If we want to boost our overall mood, outdoor activities can provide us with opportunities which can reduce stress and depression. Despite these benefits of nature, people are becoming more isolated  from nature day by day because of the popularity of the urban life style but nature is not only our home  but also our children’s so we should learn from nature and protect it.

THE ADVANTAGES OF ECOTHERAPY (Simpler version)

In recent years, humans have become aware of a powerful new form of therapy, which is just as effective as normal medical therapies. The amazing thing is that you do not pay for this therapy. This revolutionary form of therapy, called ecotherapy, is completely free and easy to access  at anytime. It has a couple of advantages which maintain and increase wellbeing and health.

Firstly, ecotherapy can help you manage an existing health problem such as depression and anxiety. Researchers have shown it can be a successful form of treatment for severe to moderate depression., Ecotherapy offers a chance to do more physical activities, which is known to have numerous benefits for mental health. Furthermore, if people allocate time to nature, their mood and sense of wellbeing will gradually increase. Thus, the effects of depression will be decreased without using any antidepressants.

Secondly, ecotherapy builds your confidence. Imagine that, when you join a horticultural group, naturally you will meet some challenges such as digging soil, lifting heavy stuff etc. However, if you do not give up, you will finally overcome these challenges. Thanks to this, you will feel successful and this feeling will  boost your motivation. Moreover, you will want to allocate more of your time to natural activities. Therefore, you will gain more qualifications.

To sum up, when everything is taken into account, people can benefit from nature either for their health problems or the strength of their character Nature is always generous to anyone who wants a remedy. Thus, we should spend more time in nature.

THE ADVANTAGES OF BEING BILINGUAL

More than half of the people around the world speak at least two languages. This rate indicates that one out of every two people on the earth is  bilingual. Speaking one or more than one language, in other words, being bilingual or multilingual has some physical, social, psychological and life style advantages.

The first advantage of being bilingual is becoming healthier. Maybe, the most exciting benefit occurs in ageing. Being bilingual can delay the onset of dementia and also Alzheimer’s.  This is because, the bilingual brain works harder than that of a person who is monolingual, which means monolinguals should do more cognitive exercises to maintain their mental health compared to bilinguals.  Moreover, research has found that bilingualism can also offer protection after  brain surgery. This is another advantage of bilingualism. In short bilinguals are fortunate health wise.

The second advantage of being bilingualism is having social, psychological and life style advantages. Acquiring a second language makes people’s life more social. It’s due to the fact that the more languages people speak, the more communication people have with others. This communication can be for trade, travel and so on. In addition,bilingualism brings people more job opportunities. Most of the time, employers prefer employees who speak two languages compared to monolinguals. Because a lot of people speak at least two languages, some employers now want  workers who are  multilingual. Furthermore, psychologically, people who are bilingual say that upon speaking other languages, they feel like different persons/ feel different. This is because cultural differences are associated with each language.  According to some research, this feeling makes people  more self-confident. Bilingualism, in other words, makes living a richer experience.

In conclusion, there are countless advantages of being a bilingual.  Acquiring more than one language creates more opportunities in our lives; it helps us to become more fulfilled and as a result happier. We have the potential to learn languages, so, why don’t we use our capacity? 

MODERN SLAVERY

In contrast to what many people assume, slavery is still rampant all around the world even though it is illegal. So, why people don’t pay attention to that problem and why we still know very little about it is hard to understand. To understand how people suffer from the slave trade, it is important to know the details of what exactly they are forced to do.

Firstly, I would like to explain in what conditions slaves are forced to to work. They have to work for 17 or 18 hours a day without any break, in very hot and dusty weather. For example, the ones who work as miners stay under the ground and in the dark for 72 hours. They have no guarantee that after that 72 hour period they will be able to get to the surface and that they won’t get injured or even die before seeing the sunlight. A body covered with sweat, in the dark, dusty air and voices of coughing everywhere… that is the life of the coal miner slaves. If we take slaves in the textile sector as another example, we could say that their conditions are no different from the former. They also have to spend all their lives working without any pay and being terrified of the masters, suffering from diseases caused by the toxic paints and dyes.

Secondly, it is also not important whether the slave is young or old, male or female. Everyone suffers from the same circumstances and everyone has the same destiny. Some children are even born as slaves. There are child slaves all around the world carrying stones that weigh more than themselves or going fishing at 1 o’clock in the morning without even knowing how to swim. Just like the children, women are also forced to obey the unwritten rules of slavery. They can be seen on plantations, in gold mines or in brothels. They have fear, no hope of running away and no reason to be happy.

Lastly, why are we not aware of this problem? I am personally ashamed of my lack of knowledge. People suffer whereas we sit and enjoy our freedom. Some people would say that it is impossible to free them unless you are a citizen of the country that they belong to and they would be right but there is also something that they don’t see. There are lots of organizations such as “Free The Slaves”, and with their help some slaves get their freedom back every year. What we can do is be sensitive, learn about the details of the issue and pay attention tot his illegal trade. They just want support. At least that is something we can do,isn’t it?

To sum up, many people think that slavery is not a global problem at present but they are actually wrong. The number of slaves is not decreasing even though slavery is forbidden everywhere. The cause of such thoughts is that they don’t know enough about slavery, about their working conditions and about their suffering. What should be done is research the problem and spread awareness all around the world.

http://www.ted.com/talks/lisa_kristine_glimpses_of_modern_day_slavery.html

HUMANE END OF LIFE PRACTICES

Whereas everybody wants to live happily and in good health in the world,diseases are also the reality of life.Indeed,when people are sick,they are cured to get better. Neverthless,in some conditions,treatments cannot be helpful for the patient because of fatal diseases.In such situations,dying patients need to be comfortable and peaceful rather than forced to take medicine.Therefore,humane-end-of-life practices should be legal to reduce the levels of pain for the sufferer.

            To begin with,humane-end-of-life practices should be legal in order to allow the patient to die a dignified death.Actually,endeavoring to treat the terminally ill patient only means prolonging his suffering.The dying patient wants to live his last days calmy and without pain.For example,he wants to spend his time with his loved ones by doing entertaining activities and laughing a lot.In such circumstances,the patient should be provided with the opportunity spend the rest of his life comfortably rather than giving more pain to the sufferer or proceeding with chemotherapy.

            On the other hand,some argue that doctors will lose huge incomes if terminally ill people are cured by using the resources of hospitals.Naturally,every form of treatment generates new income to private hospitals since patients pay enormous costs for medicine.They are right to some extent.However,doctors already get sufficient revenue to live comfortably.In fact,they are employees who get the highest salaries in society.For instance,if they operate on anybody,they get $2.000 at least in private hospitals.Humane-end-of-life practices do not have an adverse impact on the revenue of doctors.In addition,the income of a doctor cannot be compared with the last days of a person.

             Taking everything into consideration,legalizing humane end-of-life practices will be beneficial for dying patients in many respects.They are provided with a dignified death.Patients have a right to die in whatever they want.And people should die so honorably.

                                     

WHAT COULD BE DONE TO PROVIDE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (This is a 60)

Sustainable Development basically means meeting the human needs without harming the environment. The world has tended to produce new sustainable things since people became aware of unplanned urbanization and global warming. These days, people are debating a question that is how to save the world? However, there are various measures that should be taken to create a new world.

The first solution to save the world is saving the water. Humans need water like all living things but we are consuming it wastefully. For example, in agricultural irrigation farmers can use distilling water technology to avoid wasting water. Another example is to generate harvesting rain water systems for homes and buildings. In this way, people can gather the rain water and disinfect it before allowing it to mix in the soil.

The second is creating more bright green cities. One way to achieve this aim is to make zero energy buildings which are using smart green technology. For example, solar panels, smart light switches which can control themselves according to sunlight and smart heating and cooling systems to minimize energy use. Another way is growth management. When cities are growing, nature should not be changed and population must be controlled against the rapid growth.

The last solution is changing the political perspectives. Obviously, The Kyoto Protocol does not work completely and effectively. Governments have to strive to prevent global warming and uncontrolled urbanization. Governments' approaches are very important to run a green policy. For example they can strengthen the law against factory waste, inappropriate structures, illegal hunting and they can improve renewable energy systems.

Finally, there are several measure to create a sustainable world. Living in a new world is not impossible if we save the water, protect nature, practice energy saving policies and change the political approaches. These solutions are very important to provide sustainability.

THE IMPORTANCE OF LETTERS

        As the world has been  growing and technology has been developing day by day , some valuable feelings have been getting lost. Such activities as talking to each other, visiting old parents or writing emotional letters were very prevalent in almost every person’ life. Nevertheless, today it is hard to see these habits because people’s attitude has changed. But there are a few people trying to return to the old days when people were writing letters. But why do they try to do it instead of using technology?

These people think letters have many powerful influences on people’s feelings. People who were far away from their parents or lovers wrote letters because it was the only way to expose their emotions or hear the news. There was paper and pen; that was all they could have. Writing was endless, because they could write many words and sentences, which are now limited to only 140 characters in the social media.

The media has been developing itself but destroying the cultural connection between people. Today, almost every person is using Facebook or Twitter just to write some words that do not make sense, when someone reads them. People are writing wrong words and punctuation that shows us the knowledge of writing and reading their native languages has been decreasing. In fact, most of them are not able to express their feelings. Their walls are full of pictures and nonsense headlines which do not wake the connections with people. Moreover people have forgotten to talk; even saying ‘hello’ is very hard because they know if they say it, a conversation starts and they must not spend their time on a stupid conversation instead of their phones.

There is no need for people to write long sentences because they are old and odd, they think. In this century, people must be in step with technology. Writing letters is considered just as an old popular hobby which old people used a long time ago.

To sum up, people have forgetten the importance of letter writing because of the speed of technology. Touching a pen and  paper does not mean anything to them because they all do their work on a screen which is always in their pockets. If we think why people are getting angrier today than before and why the happiest couples are divorcing, we can see the monster of this century is destroying every good connection between people.. In a person’s  life, just writing one or two letters may change thoughts and feelings about people and the world.

                                                           

http://www.ted.com/talks/hannah_brencher_love_letters_to_strangers.html

A BROKEN BODY ISN'T A BROKEN PERSON

             

As Janine Stephend told us clearly, there is nothing mankind can not do in his life. She is a brilliant example for us to realize we have a big chance because we have a soul to improve even if we are broken. We are healthy but do not know what an excellent thing it is to have good health. We always complain about unimportant matters and make ourselves unhappy.

It is very easy to find a negative event or thing instead of good ones to feel we’re unlucky. We tend to start thinking that the situation we live in is unfair and we don’t deserve it when we encounter a hardship. We always compare ourselves to someone because he has more qualifications than we have.We  always have big dreams that have to happen in a minute or else we consider that we have been dealt a bad hand by God. We are always in a competition that finishes with just one person and this person must be ourselves. If we really care about our family, we think, it affects  this ‘important’ work badly and wastes our ‘valuable’ time. We are always in a hurry when we prepare our schedules. There is no time to sit and think for a while about what we are doing.

We call some people ‘blind’ but we are the only blind ones because we can not see how beautiful life is. We call some people ‘deaf’ but we are the only deaf ones because we can not hear the good words that people say; how intelligent or beautiful we are. We call some people ‘broken’ because they can not walk or use some parts of their bodies but we are the only broken ones because we can not move in our little dark spaces and can not use our brain  to hug people with our behavior and words. We call them broken or blind but we do not realize that they have a comparable heart which lifts them from their wheelchairs and they have an eye that they can not only see the objects we see but also feel a person’s emotions in all their variations. They all have a sense of humour that we never had. If we see those people all around the world, we can understand they have bigger ambitions than we had because they know that they are very capable of doing whatever they want.

To sum up, it is very sad that we do not consider our amazing features which make us live and achieve something. We all deserve good things but they are always in someone’s hands. They know what they have and thank God everyday because it is a new day to breathe one more time. And it is not worth wasting this amount of time on unnecessary conversations or works. When we all see a broken person, then, we are thankful for our health. Yes, it is good to pray but actually, they are not broken. The only broken thing is our hearts.

                                                                 

http://www.ted.com/talks/janine_shepherd_a_broken_body_isn_t_a_broken_person.html