Rethink.Women Leaders

How far do you agree with the claim that women are more suited to be Political Leaders than man because they are gentler and less aggressive?

I do not agree that women are more suited to be political leaders than man just based on the

very controversial view that women are more gentler than man. There are countless modern and historical examples of women leaders displaying aggressiveness. Also, is being gentle rather than aggressive more suited for a Political leader?

Countless generations of Men and Women have been brought up on the notion that women are inherently the gentler sex. They are seen as more nurturing, more sensitive and more cooperative than the belligerent, aggressive and destructive male gender. A world dominated by female leaders would be more peaceful than one dominated by men because men are biologically more inclined towards violence than women. The past is filled with nothing but bloody periods of warfare and genocide, with male leaders focused on conquest and domination to the detriment of their people. Women, as agents of peace would prefer to resolve differences by bonding over a cup of tea rather than confronting each other on the battlefield.

However, many historical women leaders have waged war at one point or other during their reigns. Just to cite one example, Catherine the Great of Russia annexed Poland and fought wars against Turkey and Sweden. Indira Gandhi (a modern day democratic ruler) ordered an attack on the holy shrine of the Sikhs. The behavior of these women in power only begs to question the assumption that they would be gentler.

Political exigencies and socio-economic needs can create situations where women can be as violent as men and make similar combative decisions. Both men and women have shown equal determination in times of scarcity and will do whatever it takes to survive.

Leadership in the world of real politics is not always effective when it is caring and sensitive.

More often than not, ruthlessness and a competitive will to win at all costs are shared characteristics of our most successful leaders. Getting to the top and staying there remains tough and brutal. Hillary Clinton’s run in the 2008 US presidential elections should be enough to convince anyone of this particular truth.

Lastly, the issue of gentleness versus aggressiveness can only serve to judge which sex is more suited as political leaders only in terms of going to war. There are other aspects of a good political leader, and of course these should be considered as well when judging which sex is more suited…..

Commentary

Ever tagged along with your mums to flea markets for bargains? If you have, you would definitely know that everything could be found at Flea markets…well, almost everything. Mr. Merritt Eggleston was booted from a flea market for selling coffins on the 22nd of August. In my opinion, Mr. Eggleston should not have been booted off the flea market as this brings about negative implications for the company (Trader Marc), Mr. Eggleston, and the shoppers.

Firstly, negative implications for the company would emerge. Trader Marc’s would stain its credibility and reputation by booting Eggleston from the flea market. Eggleston’s request for rental of space was approved by Trader Marc and he has already started business. Assuming that Trader Marc was unaware that Eggleston was selling caskets and that they would most certainly reject him if they knew, it is still no excuse for going against their word. It is one of the employees who approved Eggleston’s rental without properly checking what he intends to sell. In my opinion, the employees represent the company; they are seen as one entity – the company. Hence, when an employee makes a grave mistake such as this, the reputation and trustworthiness of the company gets sullied. For example, I once went to a restaurant and was greeted with hostility by the waitress; I was displeased with the waitress’ bad service attitude and from then on did not go to that particular restaurant anymore. The waitress was at fault but the restaurant pays the price. The same situation applies here.

Next, this act has caused great loss for Mr. Eggleston, in time, effort and money. Eggleston was given unfair treatment; he has as much right to sell his products as anyone else. Furthermore, he paid money and spent hours setting up his display, yet he was denied the chance to do business. Although he got back twice the amount of money he paid, I believe that the time and effort he put in is worth tons more! Also, as the man himself has mentioned, “I was approached by several interested people”; this implies that his business was doing good and he would be able to earn much more than the $100 refund by Trader Marc if he was not booted from the flea market. “Just let the guy make a living. I'm sure he would have had a few potential buyers.” says a shopper.

Some shoppers lodged complaints about Eggleston selling caskets at the flea market. They are uncomfortable with it as caskets remind them of death. “We’re all going to die, we just don’t want to be promoting it at the markets.” says the owner. However, booting Eggleston from their flea market because of this reason is really ridiculous and senseless for me as well as for many others. Here is a comment on an internet forum, “Just watching the news everyday makes me think about death. We’re all going to die and if people who shop at this flea market can’t handle that fact, then they should stop living so that they don’t have to worry about dying.”I absolutely agree with this comment!
Lastly, chasing off Eggleston deprived shoppers of a cheap deal. As stated above many shoppers expressed interest in Eggleston’s business at the flea markets. “I’m trying to help anybody I can,” Eggleston said, noting his caskets cost thousands of dollars less than the most basic model offered by funeral homes. “With the recent outbreak of the H1N1 virus, there are many deaths and the prices at which funeral homes sell their coffins for is unbelievable, many families are not able to afford them!” This cheap deal can save some poor people of their money woes.
I conclude by reiterating that Mr. Eggleston should not have been booted off the flea market because this act deprived shoppers of a cheap deal, caused great loss to Eggleston and sullied the company’s reputation and credibility. After this incident, perhaps now we would start to see caskets popping up at flea markets.

(669 words)

Article: Casket seller booted from flea market

12:48 PM EDT on Wednesday, August 26, 2009
By MARK BOONE / NewsChannel 36
E-mail Mark: MBoone@WCNC.com
FORT MILL, S.C. -- Hours after he set up his display inside the large warehouse turned flea market, Merritt Eggleston was asked to leave.
“This guy comes up to me and ‘says you’re not supposed to be here,’” Eggleston told NewsChannel 36. “He says ‘I can’t have you selling this here.’”
An employee of Trader Marc’s, a six-week old flea market, had approved Eggleston’s request to rent space last Saturday.
But when the market’s owner, J.R. Pettus, noticed Eggleston was selling caskets, he pulled the plug on the booth.
“We studied a lot of flea markets before we opened this one and we didn’t see anyone selling caskets at any other flea market,” Pettus said.
Eggleston, who builds caskets in the back yard of his Rock Hill home, said he was approached by several interested people while manning his booth at the flea market.
“I’m trying to help anybody I can,” he said, noting his caskets cost thousands of dollars less than the most basic model offered by funeral homes.
He said a flea market seemed like a logical place to market his wooden boxes, which are aimed at older people on fixed incomes.
Shoppers at the market had complained, Pettus said, adding that the sight of caskets forces onlookers to think about death.
“It is a difficult subject,” he said. “We’re all going to die. We just don’t want to be promoting it at the market.”
Eggleston was given $100 for his trouble, double what he paid for the two booths his casket display had occupied at the market.

article source: http://www.wcnc.com/news/local/stories/wcnc-082509-mrn-casket.1180dc145.html

ERP

2a) Write about a place that you would like to share with others, and describe how it became significant to you.

I can still remember myself as a spineless person. I was afraid of heights, afraid of the dark, afraid of punishment, afraid of public speaking. I had no friends as I kept to myself, afraid of opening up and initiating a friendship. However, my gutless self changed for the better in my primary four class outing, at a very special place.

Upon entering “Escape Theme Park”, I was stunned by the spectacular sight. There were gargantuan park attractions and numerous rides; people were everywhere. I sat at a bench near the entrance as I dared not participate in anything.

“Hi! I’m Tom!” exclaimed a boy as he approached me, “Would you join me for some games?” I was pleased about having new company.

Tom brought me to “wet and wild” where we sat in a small boat moving along a rail, traversing slopes. I have always been fascinated by carnival rides. It amazes me that people eagerly trade in the serenity of the ground for the chance to be tossed through the air. We were next in line and my heart was pounding furiously. Engulfed by fear, I stood rooted to the ground upon being called. I encouraged myself, “Come on! You can do it!” but to no avail; my body refused to budge. Tom shoved me onboard and off we went. As the ride gained speed while travelling upslope; the resistance to gravity built up against my body and I was unable to move. An imperceptible pause as the boat reached the peak allowed me to relax for a brief moment. The boat then started descending back towards the earth with increasing acceleration. I felt as though I was falling to my death. “Boom!” the sound of the crash vibrated through the air as we smashed against the shallow waters of the ride. I had never experienced such ecstasy; this experience greatly boosted my confidence. I took other rides without much difficulty and soon it was time to leave.

As we walked, I exclaimed, “I had fun today. Thanks!” Expecting a reply, I turned around, only to find Tom gone. He left without saying goodbye!

Escape Theme Park is the most memorable place I have been to and the one which is most significant to me. From there I met my first and unforgettable friend. From there, I learnt that fear has to be tackled and that there is always a first time for everything. Leaving my safety zone was the only way to overcome my fears. Escaping from fear is a cowardly act; it is the equivalent of giving up on something before even trying. Whenever faced with a challenge, I would recall how Tom and I challenged every ride at Escape Theme Park and the task would seem as easy as “ABC”. Facing all my fears and always seizing the opportunity to try something new, I am no longer the coward I used to be. I now enjoy carnival rides instead of being fearful of them, the thrill and excitement of having survived the rides tempts me for more. I am no longer afraid to initiate conversations and make friends.

Occasionally, I would visit Escape Theme Park with the intention of revisiting my precious memories. Tom was like an angel sent by god, to enlighten me and Escape Theme Park was like heaven, its aura eliminates darkness and fear.

Personal Response: The Evolution of Goodness

Drawing from this article and your personal experience, say why you believe human beings are willing to do good to others?

I do not agree that only when the cost of an act of goodness is equals to the benefits received by one's genetic relatives would someone perform a good deed. In my opinion people are willing to do good to others due to the following points:

1) People are willing to do good to others in the expectation that they will be helped when they need it. By putting themselves in other people's shoes, people understand the logic behind the principle of reciprocity.

2)goodness in this world originates from love. Love for your children, love for your parents, love for your friends, love between couples; these are commonly seen all around us. People are willing to be sacrificial when it comes to their dear ones.

Commentary Assesment

Title of Article: Deaf of the World

1) Summary of article
Youngsters absorbed in their cellphones or music players face greater risk of accidents on the road. Distraction from handheld electronic devices such as mobile phones, ipods and MP3 players are one of the major cause of road accidents. Singaporeans are among the highest text-messaging users in the world. Many youngsters find that without their cellphones or music, it will be boring. Thus many developed the habit of text messaging and listening to music at high volume while on the road. Also, another mindset of these youngsters would be that it is the responsibility of others to look out for them as they are occupied by what they are doing.

2) Commentary
I was walking home as usual when I realized that a teenager, looking down and pressing away on his mobile phone, was heading straight for me. I refused to budge and we collided. Even though I was wrong, I really hate people like him, regardless whether they are listening to music or texting on their phones. These teenagers have one thing in common, absolutely no regard for their own safety and the safety of others. They think that it is the responsibility of others to look out for them, which cannot be the case! In my opinion, teenagers should not be absorbed in their cellphones or music players as they get distracted, and face greater risk of accidents on the road. Also, safety comes above everything and it is the responsibility of these teenagers to look around and confirm their safety.
Youngsters get distracted when using their mobile phones or listening to music on the road, which leads to greater risk of accidents. Studies found that distraction from handheld electronic devices is one of the major causes of road accidents. Although people might say that it is possible to multi-task, a person cannot focus as much on his surroundings as how he normally can. As proved by RAC foundation’s recent study which found that sending messages and driving simultaneously reduced reaction time by 35 percent. Also, in a test conducted by reporters on 60 teenagers, out of the 30 who were sending messages, 5 bumped into the reporters; out of the other 30 who were listening to music, 12 did not hear the bicycle bell. We can see that people are distracted by text messaging and music and this causes accidents. We do not want ourselves to be involved in an accident, do we? So, it is always better to be on the alert, to do that, people should not plug into music or text message while on the road, regardless whether driving or walking.
To some teenagers, the short journeys of going home and going out might be monotonous and boring; listening to music or text messaging on the road cures that bore. In the cases of most teenagers, this has already become a habit. Student Phyllis Ng who almost bumped into a reporter while texting said: “I often bump into others but I’ll still text away as it’s already a habit”. Miss Farhana is also one of those who think this way, she admitted that she knew how dangerous it is but would not stop listening to music at high volume as it just sets the mood. I think otherwise, for me, safety comes before everything. Text messaging and listening to music at high volume while walking or driving would mean constantly putting yourself in danger. As far as I’m concerned, no one should take their lives so lightly. Some might say that it is safe since nothing has happened yet. Nothing has happened so far does not mean that nothing will happen in the future, when an accident occurs, it will be too late. From another perspective, the word “habit” means routines of behaviour that are repeated regularly, and tend to occur subconsciously. People who developed such habits should try to curb it, or reduce the volume in which they are listening to music to a level of which they can hear what is happening in the surroundings.
Some feel that it is the responsibility of others to look out for them when they are occupied by their phones and music. Seah Jia Hao, one of the teenagers who did not hear the bicycle bell behind him, said, “I don’t think it’s dangerous. If I can’t hear a car when it’s behind, it’s the driver’s responsibility to look out for me because I’m in front of him”. Although in most cases the driver is wrong, that does not mean that the victim is has no responsibility in this. Pedestrians must be alert and care for their own safety and not blame drivers when accident occurs. Thus in this case, I would say that Jia Hao is at fault because he had absolutely no regard for his own safety. In some cases of traffic accidents, pedestrians are at fault too; an example would be students dashing across roads. By doing this they are endangering themselves and not being responsible for their own safety. Instead of risking everything on the driver, we should also account for part of the responsibility and ensure our own safety.
Till now, on the streets, I still dislike people who text away on their phones and people who left their mind and soul in the musical realm. They should not be absorbed in their text messaging and music, as this distracts and increases the risk of accidents. Also lives should not be taken lightly and they should be responsible for their own safety.

Ng Guo Xiang (18) 3B