Response to " Don't Plagiarize, it's a crime!"

Basically, the student copied from the source word for word. Even though, every once in awhile, the student changed a word, it is pretty clear that the student copied the words and ideas from the original source. The student should have either summarized, paraphrased or quoted the other person’s work and included proper citation to the source.  Something like:

One writer suggests that “Starry Night” is so popular because although it is a wild looking painting it contains familiar and comfortable images of the sky, clouds, stars, moon and a small town with a church and steeple. (“A Brief Understanding of the Starry Night Paintings”).       

A student can avoid plagiarizing by first understanding what plagiarism is: plagiarism is using someone else’s words and ideas without citation and passing it off as his own original work.  Second, if the student does not understand the material/assignment well enough to come up with his own idea and use his own words, the student should look at multiple sources.  Looking at multiple sources will usually make it easier to understand the material, gain different perspectives and spark ideas.  The student will then be able to write about the material in his own words. Third, the student should think about the topic, plan his thesis, use his own words to make his point and then either quote, summarize or paraphrase from anther person’s work correctly citing the source. The citation ensures that readers know which work is the student’s and which work is somebody else’s. This not only eliminates the plagiarism but also makes the student’s writing more persuasive because readers can see that the student’s argument is supported by other writers who have looked at the same issue/material.

Trayvon Martin case shows Florida Law needs to be reviewed

The shooting and death of  17 year old Trayvon Martin relates to the Florida “stand your ground law”.   Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by a neighborhood crime watch volunteer who followed Trayvon after calling 911 to report a suspicious person walking in the neighborhood. The PBS article“ Shooting Death of Teen Raises Questions about Florida law” made me think that the law should be reviewed. This is because the law is based on a self-defense claim, which some people can take advantage of to appear innocent when they were really the initial aggressor.

            The Florida “stand your ground law” has many problems.  First, the law allows for a broad self-defense claim. If an accused person believes they are in “ imminent danger” they are not forced to retreat and can defend themselves.  This is a problem because it is subjective which means that a person may not actually be in danger but feel and act as if they are. In addition, since 2005, after Florida passed the “stand your ground law”, 31 states have passed similar laws.  Claims of self defense in murder cases have gone up drastically.  According to a New York Times Article, “ A Florida Law Gets Scrutiny After a Teenager’s Killing”, which is cited in the PBS article, the problem is especially serious in Florida because Florida law allows almost anybody to own a gun. Therefore, the “stand your ground law” often comes up in murder cases.

Another issue with the “stand your ground law” is that it’s very hard to disprove self defense claims in murder cases. According to the New York Times article, police and prosecutors are often unable to show that a person was actually the aggressor or didn’t act in self defense.  This is because the victim is dead and can’t tell their side of the story.  In fact gang members and drug dealers have used the “ stand your ground law” against murder charges.

The Trayvon Martin case and other cases like it demonstrate the serious problems with the Florida “stand your ground law.” The law has increased the number of self defense claims but also has made it much harder for the police and prosecutors to show where people accused of murder who are not innocent are using the law to avoid being convicted of murder.  It’s really scary to think that gang members and drug dealers can use the “ stand your ground law” to their advantage. Because of these problems the law should be reviewed

In My opinion ...

My two favorite blog posts were Eliza’s and Gabby’s (and not just because they’re my friends)!  Both of these bloggers were really thoughtful and expressed their personal opinions. I’m so impressed with Eliza’s writing style it’s like I’m talking to her! I love how Gabby expressed her opinion as she described the character’s actions. I am working toward being more personal and connecting to the readers in my own blog entries.

Eliza’s blog post about misfortunes in Harry Potter and  the Goblet of Fire is really engaging and thought provoking! Her voice and tone are a real reflection of her interesting personality.  She explained complex issues in simple, understandable ways. For example, she described her thesis this way “ So I decided to analyze the difference between the two of them and see who really had it worse.” I also like how she talked directly to the readers. Towards the end of her response she asked questions and requested comments like “But what do you say readers?”  The second element that I liked about Eliza’s entry was her intriguing lead.  It drew me in and kept me reading. Her first sentence was “ Everybody in the world has baggage to carry.”  I like how she starts off with a strong text to world connection.  It is so relatable because everyone does have problems.

Gabby’s blog post on Glass is personal and detailed. I like how Gabby included her own opinions throughout the response while she explained the main character’s actions.  As Gabby described the plot and conflicts she added “ Which I find is strange,” “ It was weird” and “ The scary thing is.”  These subtle comments put her own spin on the book.  The second element that I liked about Gabby’s entry was the structure and detail.  It was well planned out with a thoughtful introduction, body paragraphs and conclusion. I like that Gabby gave a lot of text evidence in different ways.  She summarized, paraphrased and quoted and always cited the source.

After reading Eliza’s and Gabby’s great blog posts, I have realized what I can do to improve my own blog entries. Like Eliza, I would like to improve my writing fluency by including my own voice in my entries as a way to connect to the readers. Similarly to Gabby, I’d like to discreetly include my personal opinion of the action as I retell it.  Both these bloggers have inspired and reminded me to express myself and include more of me in my entries because it is my blog!