the legal system

The law is merely a social manifesto designed to cater for the needs of mindless citizens. These people require guidelines on how to
live their lives “properly” and they depend on the laws of society to accomplish this. Others have the audacious belief that there are
ways in which the current laws can be manipulated to their benefit. These civilians “sense their own laws within”, the ones that control
the rest of us.

Speed cameras are a palpable example of how people find ways to avoid the power of the law. While many of us consciously drive at a
safe speed below the limit, there are others who are “tipped off” as to the whereabouts of the speed cameras on the morning radio. To
them, their outrageous speeds are only muffled as they pass the “speed detectors”. Laws are created to provide a safe and acceptable
environment for society to live in. However, the local news is always flooded with road deaths which would be non-existent if these
laws were fool-proof. Although these people are breaking the law, as long as they are not caught, they will thrive on our roads.

Another notorious case of law manipulation is the common “one-hour parking” spots. With the technological advances that permeate
throughout our existence, it is amazing to see that the local parking ticket checker is only equipped with a piece of chalk. Striking this
sophisticated weapon across the tyres of hundreds of cars has convinced them to be an efficient way of tracking the duration of cars
parked in a certain place. Extremely zealous citizens will find themselves fashing for their cars every five minutes between the hours to
erase this chalk mark from their tyres. “Those who are too lazy or comfortable to think for themselves” miss out onthe luxury of
limitless parking spots that others enjoy.

Laws are merely designed to maintain balance within society. The problem is not within the laws themselves but the ways in which the
“law enforcers” go about maintaining these laws. With the police protecting our laws, they will always be outnumbered by the masses
of culprits who walk our streets. It is a dilemma in itself that there is a price for everything including recruiting law enforcement and it
is ultimately cheaper to let people continue tobend the rules than be a witness to it.

Marker’s appraisal: The introduction to Laws were made to be broken clearly outlines the point of view of the author but, as the essay
progresses, it is difficult to ascertain where the author stands in regard to obeying laws and enforcing laws. Nonetheless, the topic
sentences are clear and well-linked with relevant supporting detail. The conclusion needs to develop the ideas that have already been
presented and should not present totally new ideas.
international business and investment is starting to claw its way back to all time highs following the recent financial crises. They key to
success in business, or any organisation for that matter, is to create and maintain a great reputation. This involves using morals when
making large business decisions, which is rarely what happens in practice. The upholding of good moral practice does not hold a very
influential seat at the board meetings when it comes to the decision making process of most businesses. In the past 20 years, the
industrialisation of China has resulted in devastating damage to nature. Stories of human rights violations of common workers are also
existent. James Hardy’s building company elected to use asbestos in roofing in the 1990’s, and is still paying for this immoral decision.
Often what occurs is that if a decision benefits the business financially, such morals are of little concern or are somehow worked
around. Immoral procedure and not holding true on promises are usually linked in the downfall of business. Promise is the soul of
advertising, however not holding true on those promises can prove disastrous. When elected in 2007, Kevin Rudd’s Government team
made two large promises for reform, on health care and carbon emissions. After the unsuccessful summit held in Copenhagen in 2009,
and the lack of a policy to reform the public sector of Australia’s health care industry, Kevin is not holdingtrue on his promises.
Evidence of the affect of breaking promises can be seen in recent polls, which indicate that Tony Abbott is slowly closing the gap on Mr.
Rudd. Breaking promises ruins reputation, and good reputation is necessary for success. Reputation of a business, or any organisation,
is key to survival. Berkshire Hathaway, one of the world’s most successful businesses, has a policy that when making a business
decision, he who makes it must be happy for that decision to be published in every news paper in the world, for his friends and family
to see. This ensures decisions never lead to the generation of a bad reputation for the company, and also that individual. Reputation is
so important because it affects your investors, people will happily invest their money in a company that is mindful of the environment
or gives to charity. Reputation is proportional to success. The reputation of any business or organisation will determine how successful
it will be. When companies do engage in immoral acts, it is important for those acts to be broadcast so that their reputation can be
damaged, along with it the success of that organisation.
Technology, progress, modernisation, globalisation. These words are heard continually these days in defence of the widening gulf
between the skilled and the unskilled, the educated and the uneducated. The simple fact is that those who don’t keep up are left
behind only to lament the ‘good old days’. And those who are left behind are dismissed as not keeping up and not knowing what they
are talking about. The education system in Australia and other western nations is a prime example of the widening gap between the
rich and the poor. Private schools use the latest technology in laptop computers and the internet in teaching their students. Private
schools have more money from a combination of fees and Government spending on their students. The public school system faces
hardships in trying to keep its library up to date and is attempting to reduce the number of students it can cram in front of a single out-
dated desktop computer. Private schools can employ the best educated teachers while the public schools get what is left. The rich
promote their own and ignore those who are outside their realm of experience. Freedom of choice? Nonsense. Students oftoday have
only one option –go to university or fall behind. Maybe there are increased options at universities in the courses that can be
undertaken. However, there is an increasing trend away from apprenticeships and skilled labour. Technology and modernisation have
decreased the number needed for labour whilst not giving another option for those it replaces. The benefits of technology are great.
No one in their right mind could argue against the better standards of living present in Western nations today. But economic
rationalism and ‘progress’ have allowed the affluent to leave behind the common modernisation to help those who are straggling.
After all, a nation is only as strong as its weakest link. We can’t progress if we have people lagging behind.

Marker’s appraisal: Can’t progress if there are laggers explored issues of inequality in education and focuses on the differences in
availability and sophistication of technology in private and public schools. The rich are purported to be favoured and seem to promote
their own at the expense of others. The writer’s viewpoint is that the only way out of this is to get a university education and in this
way the common people can keep up with the affluent. The essay concludes with a plea for us to be the “kind” society that helps
stragglers rather than be too competitive. The arguments are well reasoned and, though lacking and specific examples, logically
developed.
Every so often the quiet serenity of nature is disturbed by a storm sweeping aside the established environment and setting the scene
for new growth, new seasons and new life. So it is in government and politics. Thomas Jefferson expressed this clearly: ‘Rebellion is a
good thing and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical’. Why good? Sever reasons come to mind. The established
protocols are not necessarily the best for the present issues a country is faced with, having been created during a different
dispensation. As such they can stifle growth. Look at South Africa and the changes that occurred there after democracy was established
in 1995. Today opportunities exist for allirrespective of race. Another reason is the need for continuous improvement, enhancement
and striving to be all that humans can. This implies change and rebellion stimulates change, forcing governments into initiatives to
achieve a higher quality of life for the citizens. Yes, there is a risk in rebellion and in particular the means in which it manifests itself.
Let’s look at the Dayaks presently attempting to topple the leaders in Indonesia. This is a rebellion inviting world outrage. But in a few
monthstime, no one will remember their cause, only the horrific means by which it was pursued. Thomas Jefferson would have agreed
that while its aim seems to some to be necessary and good, such means of rebellion are not supportive to any cause. Like storms,
rebellion should be short, even spectacular, but, above all, leave the field they swept over clean, fresh and receptive for new thought
and growth. The city of Darwin was nearly destroyed by cyclone Tracy and the population dropped to half of what it was previously. Six
months later, people were coming back and today it is a thriving commercial centre. So it should be with rebellion. Storms heed the
laws of nature and have their place in earth’s climate. Rebellion to have its place in politics and achieve agood end, should aim to
prepare the path for a better life. Marker’s appraisal: In Rebellion can be good the writer has a clearly defined position which he
establishes early in the essay. He has effectively continued the storm metaphor from the chosen comment at several points in the
essay and this weaving of the argument and comment is clever and intricate. He uses illustrations from past and present to support his
argument but his final sentence fails to capture his viewpoint. Nonetheless, paragraphs are well crafted to produce a fluent and
interesting text.
I was born in the country, and grew up in a city. There is a great contrast between the two in the way that people act to one another,
the lifestyle each place allows for and the amount of opportunities on offer. Both have positives and negatives, and as is
chronologically relevant for myself, the first to be dissected is the country. The country lifestyle is filled with family values, friendship
and a relatively stress free environment. As a child some of my fondest memories were chasing the goats around the paddock, falling
asleep in front of the fire and playing in the local ponds with the neighbours. The pace of life in the country is rather slow, and little in
terms of opportunity are present. The country is a great place to raise children, but as they grow older it is unfair to limit their potential
by remaining there. A lifestyle shift needs to occur, and that shift is to a city. The city lifestyle posses those attributes that the country
cannot offer, while being rather deficient in those the country displays. The focus of life in the city is often on work and careers rather
than family and friendship. Divorce rates in the city are ever increasing, more children are being shoved into childcare until it is dark
and most people treat strangers with fear rather than an open handshake. But that is the price of opportunity –a cardiac arrest pace
lifestyle. In the end, the lifestyle a family wishes to have comes down to the values. The decision of where to live is really based on the
values one holds grandest. Simple folk, who enjoy a stress free lifestyle in the presence of family often elect to reside in the country,
whereas those who dream of wealth and opportunity live in the city. I personally could not imagine life away from the city. I place
great value on education, potential and excitement, all of which are in abundance in the city. Lifestyle decisions are based on opinions,
on viewpoints of certain topics. There is no wrong or right choice in choosing to live in the country or the city, there is only the choice
of one’s values. Marker’s appraisal: The author shows a good understanding of the structure of a discursive essay and the viewpoints
flow from one to the next, creating a cohesive text. It is recommended to avoid lines such as ‘as is chronologically relevant...’ in the
introduction. The conclusion is loosely brought together and needs written more effectively to receive a higher mark.
Sure, it is the good experiences in life that make us happy and allow us to enjoy life. To an extent these experiences can be learnt from
and are character building. But on reflection, it is the bad experiences that we hated, that we learnt most from and that allowed our
character to take on a new dimension –endurance and strength. It is through enjoying the little things like family and friends, holidays,
successes from hard work that allow people to be positive and determined hard working and honest, loving and kind. All these qualities
provide the essence of an excellent character. These cirtues in people make them pleasant and fun loving to be with and to work with.
But, it is the dark and miserable, hateful things that happen to us on our journey through life that build strength and endurance in a
person’s character. It is the sudden death of a loved one, the oppression of a race, the failing in an important goal, personal
persecution, poverty that we all hate, and hate it more when it happens to us. But it is these events in their lives that shaped some of
the best of characters: the Mahatma Gandhis, the Nelson Mandelas. These ‘bad’ and hateful events may not necessarily have to
happen personally to the particular character being built, but they inspire even the Princess Dianas and Mother Teresas to be better
people. So it is the things we hate and ought to hate that build strength and thus excellence in character. But sometimes they can also
discourage a person from growing. This is where enjoyable aspects of life are also needed to eventually bring out the best and most
charming characteristics of people. It is this interaction of events and pathways that people take in their stride that ultimately leads to
excellence of character. A person must take the hateful events and hate them, while rising up to take on the enjoyable things to
achieve excellence and goodness in character. Markers appraisal: The building of character is a very good attempt to address the ideas
presented in a complex comment. There is a clear point of view expressed and a logical conclusion drawn. The writer however does not
give any insight into her personal experience. The opportunity to do so in paragraph four is replaced by a reference to others and the
addition of personal evidence would have avoided the repetition that characterised the latter part of the essay.