Gay Marriage Should Be Legalized by Arya Murthy

Gay Marriage Should Be Legalized

I have a firm belief that every human being has the right to be treated equally and that every person has a right to be happy. In the present world, the idea of two men or two women falling in love, getting married and starting a family is still strange, sometimes even shocking to many people. However, in this day and age, I question whether it is right to deny two human beings access to equal rights and a chance at a happy life. In this essay, I will go over a few reasons why I believe that gay marriage should be legalized.

One of the main reasons that gay marriage is banned is the religious belief that homosexuals are “sinners”. This has influenced the court rulings of many countries, even ones that claim to be secular.  The fact is, at least in secular countries, that religion and law are two separate entities altogether.I understand the fact that many people have been taught to believe certain things all their life and do not question them and that religion can form the fundamentals of morality for some people.However, I firmly believe that the modern ideals of basic human rights and equality should be prioritized over the beliefs and guidelines set by ancient people in times long gone. In secular societies, religion and law are two separate entities and should remain that way.The religious beliefs of some people should not be imposed on others.

At this point, it is worth mentioning that not all religions are against homosexuality. One of the world’s largest religions, Hinduism, is actually not opposed to homosexuality. Many Hindu texts, such as the Vedas, the Kamasutra and the Smriti texts have directly or indirectly implied that it is not a sin to love someone of the same gender and regularly speak of the ‘third gender’, a category that includes all LGBTQ people. Many modern Hinduscholars, such as Sri Ravi Shankar, have concluded that since the soul has no gender, two members of any gender might love each other. The concept of duality, which means there is a male and female within each person, has also been cited as supportive of gay relationships.Overall, Hinduism’s ideas of the soul and of duality suggest that it is a homosexual-tolerant religion, although ideasvary from sect to sect. It is ironic that in India we have adopted Victorian England’s narrow views on the matter instead of being true to our own cultural beliefs.

            For those opponents who say homosexuality is a “modern” concept, I have to point to the fact that same-sex relationships havelong been accepted as a norm. An interesting fact is that in ancient Rome, the area in which Christianity first grew and flourished, there was simply no concept of homosexuality at all.  A man could have a relationship with another man and not be labeled as “homosexual” and “bisexual’. And it doesn’t stop there. Polynesian, African, Japanese, ancient Mesopotamean, Native American and Greek civilizations all accepted homosexuality and in many instances it was clearly celebrated. Most of these cultures only changed their morality under the influence of European colonial powers. If ancient societies could be open minded enough to accept the various different sexualities that human beings exhibit, why can’t we?

Another counter argument used very commonly against homosexuality is reproduction. Since it requires a male and a female member of a species to reproduce, love or attraction between two members of the same gender is considered wrong. For example, a California Supreme Court ruling in 1856 stated that “The first purpose of matrimony, by the laws of nature, is procreation.”I find this argument to be flawed, as in today’s world, with depletion of natural resources and overpopulation, what does it mean to say that the sole purpose of marriage is to have children? In any case, the number of couples who either cannot have children or don’t want to, means that marriage could not possibly be only about procreation. If so,these unions would be meaningless.

A very commonly used argument against homosexuals is that, since homosexuality is not natural, homosexuals are immoral. An interesting piece of information that not many people know is that homosexual behaviorhas been observed in a huge number of animal species in the wild such as, to name a few, lions, dogs, apes, monkeys, sheep, hyenas, dolphins, giraffes,birds (especially penguins), and dragonflies. In zoos, 20% of penguin couples are homosexualand remain with their mates for their entire lives.  Almost 50% of orange fronted parakeet matings are homosexual, and 90% of sexual activity of wild giraffes during mating season occurs between males. This indicates that homosexuality is in fact a natural occurrence. In any case, even if one does consider homosexuality to be an unnatural occurrence, one must question the worth of outlawing a completely harmless act simply on the grounds that it is “unnatural”.  Flying in a plane, using a phone, operating on another human’s heart, taking medication and using in-vitro fertilization are all practices that could never occur in nature, but humans continue to do these.  Humanity progresses; it has never been bound by the laws of what is “natural” and what is not. And neither should the LGBTQ population.

I would also like to mention that many people who oppose gay marriage on the grounds that homosexuality is immoral do so presuming that homosexuality is nothing more than lust. This is a flawed view as it reduces a relationship to being only about sex. A homosexual relationship is far more than that. Like any straight relationships, homosexual relationships are about mutual love, trust, security in hard times, companionship in old age all leading to the general happiness of both partners. Why would we deny anyone these basic human needs?

Many opponents to gay marriage claim that legalizing it would lead to “social instability”.  Some claim that legalizing one kind of non-traditional marriage would then allow other kinds of non-traditional relationships the right to marry, such as polygamous, bestial or incestuous relationships. James Dobson, a conservative preacher in the USA, predicted in 2005 that gay marriage would lead to “group marriage”, “marriage between daddies and their little girls” and “marriagebetween a man and his donkey”.  However, gay marriage is simply about two consenting adult members of the same sex getting married, which is a similar concept to heterosexual marriage, in which two consenting adult members of opposite sexes are married.  It is in no way similar to bestiality, which involves a human and an animal, or polygamy which involves more than two human beings. Any assumptions that legalizing gay marriage would lead society down a ‘slippery slope’ stem from a fear psychosis around homosexuals. One simply needs to look at all the countries in which gay marriage is legal:  Canada, France, the Netherlands, Spain, South Africa, none of which have shown a rampant increase in such immoral behavior as many conservatives claim.

Other people claim that gay marriage would somehow “weaken the institution of marriage”, leading to increased divorce rates and illegitimate births. Former US senator and Republican Party candidate Rick Santorum said that “Legalization of gay marriage would further undermine an institution that is essential to the well-being of children and our society. Do we need to confuse future generations of Americans even more about the role and importance of an institution that is so critical to the stability of our country?” This point is probably the most baseless claim ever made against homosexuals.  In what way would allowing marriage between two members of the same sex leads to other completely unrelated couples getting divorced, or having children before marriage?  These claims are usually made by people defending the argument that “marriage is only for procreation.” The majority of arguments against homosexuality stem from primitive and narrow-minded thoughts and ideas that have little or no basis in fact.

Finally, the most important reason to legalize gay marriage is to assimilate the LGBTQ population into society and protect their rights. Gay people are regularly discriminated against at school, workplace or society. While it may seem that this has very little to do with whether or not gay marriage is legalized, the fact is that, by denying certain people rights, the law effectively creates ‘second-class citizens’. This may send the signal to many people that homosexuals are not protected by law, thereby encouraging their mistreatment. Hate crimes such as the Orlando nightclub shooting earlier this year are far more common then we expect – 14% of hate crimes reported annually to the FBI are homophobic. Around 42% of American LGBTQ people report living in an unwelcoming environment and 80% of LGBTQ youth report social isolation and discrimination.Members of the LGBTQ community are three times more likely to experience depression, due to social discrimination and homophobic sentiments in the population, says the Australian Human Rights Commission. Worldwide, although awareness and tolerance have increased over the years, there is still very little being done to protect the rights of homosexuals, at least compared to the efforts being put in for women’s rights, racism and other forms of discrimination. This is why it is so important to encourage tolerance and sensitivity, a crucial step of which would be the legalization of gay marriage. Inter-racial marriage was an impossibility less than seventy-five years ago, but these laws have been abandoned because a progressive society saw them as unjust and cruel. Legalizing gay marriage would provide a chance for a normal happy life for many people while protecting their rights as human beings and not affecting the heterosexual community in any way.

After researching, reviewing the facts and contemplating about the issue, I have come to the firm conclusion that there is absolutely no valid reason to ban gay marriage.  Article 16 of the U.N.’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights states – “Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or sex, have the right to marry and found a family.” This says nothing about whether or not the two people are male or female. A loving and supportive relationship is one of humanity’s basic needs. No one should have the right to deprive anyone of that.  I sincerely hope that this article has broadened the reader’s mind and convinced them of my point.

The media impacts teenagers in unhealthy ways by Mitali

Hot, angry tears slashed down her pale cheeks as she touched the glass in front of her. And as she did, she couldn’t help but stare. She stared at her distorted reflection, at her eyes, emotionless and bloodshot. She stared at the long waves of brown tumbling down her back, hanging in limp clumps. She stared at her dull, lifeless skin, trailing a finger down the cold flesh. She shook, faced with the cursed, dangerous thing, her worst enemy. The mirror. Staggering back, her knees wobbled violently, unable to support her weight. She choked back a strangled sob when she gingerly touched the bare skin, pinching her sides, grimacing at the sight of her ribs protruding out. She cringed at the person she’d become, averting her eyes from the dark, black circles that tauntingly rimmed her eyes, a constant reminder of the endless nights tossing and turning, wishing she could become like them. Tears blurred her vision, and falling to the floor, she screamed, eyes wide with terror. She balled her fists, cracked fingernails digging into her arm. Gritting her teeth, she kicked down the mirror, pushing it down, slamming it hard against the floor. It fell to the floor with a heavy crash, glass fragments flying everywhere. Bits of shards poked her skin, forming tiny beads of crimson. Uncaring, she squeezed her eyes shut. The monster inside her raged as she screamed, baring her teeth and punching every part of the mirror she could reach, stamping and smashing the crumbling pieces. She pounded, her eyes watery and wild, face red, fingers twitching. Cheeks slick with tears, she cradled her bleeding fingers, groping around for more glass to destroy. Ugly. Ugly. Ugly. Perhaps they were right.

An estimated one thousand women die every year of anorexia. When a child hits the age of 18, he must have seen about 200,000 acts of violence alone. In a survey conducted from 9 and 10 year olds, 40% have tried to lose weight. A study found that adolescent girls were more fearful of gaining weight than getting cancer, nuclear war, or losing their parents.

Whether they accept it or not, the media plays a big role in the lives of teenagers, and end up doing more harm than good. The media is like a wild, dangerous fire that rages and burns so fiercely it can rip down whole cities filled with hearts. It can spread. It can burn, rip apart, and brutally shred. The media can destroy innocent lives. And it can change you, for the better, or for the good.

I believe the media impacts teenagers in unhealthy ways. The media is essential and important in a teenager’s life and whether it’s from the television, films, music, or even magazines, the media deeply influences teenagers, who, still trying to navigate the world are prone to falling into its trap. The media lowers the self esteem of many, images of an unrealistic yet ‘ideal’ body firmly being pressed into the minds of many, and the increasing ignorance of portraying men and women from all racial background and/or portraying them in stereotypical ways causes immature stereotyping amongst young teenagers, which could also causes self esteem problems amongst ethnic minorities. Also, the dangerously casual portrayal of violence, ranging from fistfights to downright murders, along with over sexualized TV sitcoms, causes conflict and confusion, leading the youth to make grave decisions. The media also has an impact on the physical wellbeing of teenagers. Obesity, a rising problem has increased due to long periods devoted to the television. Overall, the media has negative effects on a teenager, causing both emotional and physical damage to these developing beings. “Television and other media represent one of the most important and under recognized influences on children and adolescents’ health and behavior in the 1990’s. Their impact should be eliciting serious concern, not just from parents and educators, but from physicians, public health advocates and politicians as well,” The Journal of Pediatrics, 1999.

Throughout the media, messages of a ‘perfect body’, which defines you, influences youth deeply. By portraying men and women with unrealistic bodies, causes many teenagers to turn against their bodies, and in turn, aching for a super slim physique to ‘fit in’. Yet, in reality, most models weigh an average of 23% less than the average women. Refusing to portray women with different body types causes self-doubt. The belief that being beautiful, or popular is defined by your weight is another message being spurted out. This distorted image can cause risky disorders. According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and associated disorders, 69% of girls between fifth and twelfth reported that magazine pictures influenced their idea of a perfect body type.

Some many argue that young teenagers should have the self-esteem to ignore the discriminative portrayal or that dissatisfaction with their bodies is largely due to comparison with peers. However, social media, is used as a tool for peer competition and was introduced to connect with peers. Therefore, the media ultimately affects teenagers’ opinions about themselves.

The increasing ignorance of portraying women and men from all racial backgrounds and depicting them in stereotypical ways, particularly in the film industry, causes lack of diversity and creates thoughts and preconceived notions for young people, who are sensitive and affected by the media. It could be said that the media only conveys the thoughts of people and society, and does not intend to insult ethnic minorities, just to poke fun at the, and that the media simply reflects and reproduces the thoughts of people. However, the media is responsible for engraving thoughts in the minds of millions of people and shapes the future. And if that’s the case, it is up to the media to show diversity instead of reflecting the already existing, and negative thoughts of society.

The media’s casual portrayal (through movies, music, the internet, etc.) of unhealthy behavior such as drinking, drugs and smoking can confuse teens and due to peer pressure could lead to them giving into self harming methods and impulsive actions. Also, because of the way violence is depicted, many teens develop aggressive attitudes. Teens may sometimes find it hard to differentiate between what’s real and what’s not, and what’s okay, and what’s not. A real life example of this is the shocking amount of school shootings that have occurred, most being done by teenagers. The media normalizes violence. Some may develop fears of being attacked, causing mental instability. According to a biennial study released in 2005 by the Kaiser Family Foundation, the number of sexual scenes on TV has increased since 1998. Studies have assessed the association between that, and adolescent behavior.

But here’s the apparent weakness. By portraying things that happen in real life, the media is clearly a reflection of the society. Some say the media doesn’t try to encourage teens to adopt unhealthy behavior, nor does it attempt to trigger compulsive reactions. It’s not up to the media to assist teens in differentiating real life from illusions. This leads me to the obvious fact that the media holds immense power, which should NOT be misused.

The problem of obesity, especially a rising concern in the United States, has increased significantly due to large periods of time spent browsing sites, and flipping through channels- instead of engaging in physical activity. Obesity has negative effects on the child, both mentally and physically, and falling into the media’s lure can be a harmful addiction. The television is nowadays believed to replace physical activity. It can increase the risk of acquiring heart diseases as an adult.

It could be said that obesity is not directly influences by the media and that it lies in your hands, and that it’s up to you to control it, leading the belief that it’s solely the responsibility of parents and teachers. The media might just be an entertainment platform, yes, but here’s the thing: The media aims to appeal to a certain age group, with coming of age TV sitcoms and fashion magazines. The media holds the rapt attention to those much more likely to be seduced by its ways- a vicious trap which could lead to serious consequences. There is no denying the media is clearly aware of this, and it’s why they target teenagers.

The media plays a huge role in the lives of teenagers across the world. The media has a choice to either impact the youth positively, or negatively, the latter of which has been rocketing. The media is capable of turning people against themselves, causing young girls and boys to obsessively develop disorders, capable of causing out lashes and vicious stereotyping, capable of unintentionally causing violence in everyday life, and capable of causing teens to fall into its illusion and make decisions that they may come to regret. If the influence of the media is so powerful shouldn’t it be used wisely? Shouldn’t the media be used to spread positivity and love, instead of hate, discrimination and conflict?

The media has the power to destroy lives, or enhance them in the best way possible. It’s all up to US to educate the youth of today, and teach them to appreciate themselves, and others, before the media forms a twisted image in their mind. We can’t let the fate of the generations to come rest in the media’s hands. It’s up to us. It’s up to you. Will you let the media continue to misuse their power, or will you take it into your own hands?

I took down the mirror today

Smashed it to smithereens

Tests like Asset should not be compulsory by Sunidhi

Argumentative Essay

When I first wrote Asset exams, I assumed it would help me with my performance in school. I started to write these exams since 3^rd grade – but it was only when I reached middle school that I realized what horrible things these exams can do. Hence, I strongly believe that exams such as Asset should not be compulsory. They create high test anxiety, although you may think it’s not a big deal-children cannot face such a feeling. Schools also give consequences for performing poorly in these exams. Lastly, children mugging-up answers to score well in these exams do not develop long-term thinking.

Many students across the globe experience test anxiety while writing an exam. And such anxiety differs from person to person – so while some of use just feel our heart beat a little, others can even end up becoming sick and also start to feel nauseas. This test anxiety happens during standard that as well. But is it really worth for students suffering from test anxiety to feel double the pain? Besides the anxiety created by standard tests, do they really have to go through another round of it? Although some of us don't feel so tense, what about the others? Many may think test anxiety is just a not-so-good feeling, but it’s much more than that. Recent studies have found out that highly-anxious students perform a minimum of 12% worse than their low-anxiety peers, or those who don’t feel anxious at all. And you must be wondering why students stress so much about these exams. Well, some schools have exceptions for those students who perform poorly.

A student writing Asset exams says “We are given consequences by our school if we don’t get good grades. But I personally think this is a good way to teach the student to do better so the school doesn’t get a bad name.” I, as a student who has taken Asset exams, think to give consequences for performing poorly is OK. I did support this student’s statement. But then I realized that schools already have consequences for not scoring well in their standard tests. So why do they have negative consequences for not scoring well in exams like Asset? And, of course, not many schools understand student’s feelings of anxiety and tense. They would take this as a reason as some excuse for not studying. And these children are left to face consequences while the rest of us sit back at home and watch the Asset top rankers get medals, certificates etc. on T.V and say “Wow, Asset really brings out a child’s true potential”. But we don’t understand is standard tests can bring out your ‘true potential’. So why Asset? It’s not of much use, it’s just another dreaded and feared exam.

“Exams are necessary for improving a child’s performance.” A majority of people support this point. And as a matter of fact, I do think exams are necessary for students. But I think Asset are necessary for students. One of the reason being many students think of it, with so many exams in a term, “just another exam”. But still afraid to face the consequences, they do not want to take it Asset lightly. So, instead of taking the long, hard route of studying, they take a short route and begin to mug-up answers. The side effects of mugging-up answers can be very harmful in a way to children not only attending school, but everyone else who chooses to take a shortcut. This is because it does not allow them to develop long-term thinking. This means when you mug-up answers, neither are you understanding what you repeat continuously nor does it stay with you for long. So you tend to forget them at some point- without knowing what the answer said in the first place.

I’ve heard many students say with a sigh “Although I don’t like Asset, it is a necessary evil”. But I strongly feel it should be changed to ‘unnecessary evil’. Asset is just another one of those exams that are dreaded by many students. The aim of which Asset looks upon is a good and beneficial goal. But the path which they take is not right and hence end up doing unfair things to students. They intend to improve a child’s performance but instead makes it worse.

Why Sugary Soft Drinks Should be Banned By Aaryan Maini (6-C)

Why Sugary Soft Drinks Should be Banned

By Aaryan Maini (6-C)

I strongly believe soft drinks should bebanned. There are three reasons why soft drinks should be banned. First it is bad for your teeth. Secondly it causes a lot of obesity and finally it causes diabetes.  About 1.8 billion coke bottles are sold every day. This is only for Coca Cola. If you include other softdrinks it would be even more. You find soft drinks everywhere.I am going to convince you why soft drinks should be banned.

The first reason I feel soft drinks should be banned is because soft drinks are bad for your teeth. When we drink a lot of soft drinks it ruins the enamel.  Kids are most at risk because their enamel is thinner than adults.  It would be better if you drink water instead. The sugarinteracts with bacteria in your mouth to form acids which ruin your teeth. Each sip causes damage that lasts twenty minutes.  The two main effects are erosion and cavities. Studies done by the National Institute of Health and the Wisconsin Dental Association have proven this. People who like soft drinks may say if you drink soft drinks quickly or brush your teeth afterwards you canprevent cavities. This can help your teeth but drinking soft drinks will also cause obesity.

Soft drinks cause obesity. This is the second reason why they should not be allowed for children.  About 91 per cent of kids in the world consume soft drinks. Even though a lot of people like soft drinks many of them end up becoming obese. Soft drinks end up leading to heat diseases and other things. 82 per cent of the adults in the world like and drink soft drinks. There are many more drinks healthier than soft drinks which are both healthy and tasty. Some of the soft drinks that cause obesity are Coke, Fanta and Pepsi etc. A 20 ounce soda can has 240 calories. Many Americans get 10 percent of their calories from sugary drinks.  People who drink this “liquid candy” do not feel full so they do not eat less.  They consume more calories than they need and this can cause them to become fat.   Some people may think if you do not drink too much you will not get fat.  However, studies show that drinking just one soda every day increases your chances of being overweight by 27%.

Drinking soft drinks not only increase your chances of being overweight, they can also increase the risk of diabetes.  The Diabetes Association recommends that you should avoid sugary sodas because it raises the blood sugar. The high level of quick digesting sugar combined with a sedentary lifestyle is a big risk factor for diabetes. The extra energy is not needed and is stored in the body as fat. Obesity is one risk factor for diabetes. In addition thehigh sugar from the drinks requires the body to make more insulin. This over works the pancreas and can lead to diabetes.

However many people still find soft drinks tasty. They want to be allowed to drink soft drinks if they choose. If the government bans soft drinks they might as well ban all other unhealthy things like chocolates, candy etc.  This takes away their ability to make their own decisions.  However kids are very likely to make bad decisions when it comes to sweet things and their health.

Would you choose taste over health?  I think soft drinks should be banned, at least in all schools.  I hope you all agree with me.  Even though most of you like soft drinks I hope you can go with your health over taste and prevent more kids from ruining their health.

Pokémon Go Should not be banned Dhruv Pandey

Pokémon Go Should not be banned

Dhruv Pandey

Class VI-C

Pokémon Go is a location-based, free to play reality game, which I believe shouldn’t be banned, because it gets people out of their houses to get some fitness, they get to battle other players,  and compare their own experiences with others. One can discover new places at Pokestops like historic sites, water bodies etc. It has already been banned in Saudi Arabia, but I really hope that the game doesn’t die out. The main part of the game is that it is fun, people enjoy playing it, and that matters the most.

Pokémon Go makes the player go out of their homes, and catch Pokémons, instead of staying in their homes like a couch potato. Research has proven that the more Pokémon you catch, the more weight you lose. A hospital in Michigan has encouraged patients to plan Pokémon Go as a part of physical fitness and for health benefits. People are also walking their dogs more often because they are going outside to walk and jog in an attempt to catch Pokémons. People who take care of stray dogs and are trying to get them adopted are making progress because players don’t mind having a dog walk with them.

At level 5, you get to pick one of the three teams and play by their side. When you move around looking for Pokémon and are at the Pokestop, you might find another player and start comparing your experiences. That other player might be your friend or someone you don’t even know! So you get to meet new people and interact with them if you want to. When I saw people playing the game in Singapore, I felt like asking them things about the game, but I chose not to. At gyms, you get to battle the Pokémon others have left, and view the other Pokémon’s skills. The hospital at Michigan is also helping their patients interact and connect with other patients.

It is educational. As you are running out of the Pokéballs to catch Pokémon with, you have to go at Pokéstops. When the game came out, Niantic Inc. made sure that most of the Pokéstops were located at famous or historic places that people should know about. Some cabs also used to take you through a guide in the city to some of the Pokéstops that are famous tourist spots. At the start of the game while it is loading, it clearly states: ‘Stay aware of your surroundings’. Now if you listen to the game, you will probably also see the places where the Pokéstops are located and their historic significance. You get to see the place and catch the Pokémon. Double the fun!

People may think that the game is unsafe, and may cause accidents or kill people. Well, it is not the game’s fault. It is the player’s own fault. That is just like saying that it is the car’s fault that road accidents happen, or it is the knife’s fault that your hand got cut while cutting the vegetables. I will give the same reason if anyone says it’s too addictive. As I said earlier, it even warns you to stay aware. You certainly can’t play the blame game with this game.

All of this is what makes me argue that this game, namely Pokémon Go should not be banned. You go out, get fresh air and sunlight, play with friends and get to know about places you don’t even know. Don’t you think that is a great advancement in game technology and doesn’t deserve to be banned?

Importance of Sports By Kavin Shanmugam

Importance of Sports

  By Kavin Shanmugam

Do you think sports should be given equal priority as studies? If you think NOT, then I think you are wrong in the current Indian context. Sports should be given equal priority as studies in India, in order for the people who excel in sports to succeed in life and to make the nation proud in sporting events.Me and a lot of my school going friends strongly believe that sports should be given equal priority as studies as it improves physical and mental health of students and will eventually make the nation proud.

We all know that good amount of physical activity improves health. WHO recommends at least one hour of physical activity for growing children as helps in developing muscles and bones. It also helps in maintaining a healthy body weight. In today’s schedule, with long commutes school going children hardly get time to play at home. In schools like Inventure, where sports are given some importance we have only 40 minutes of PE per day. This amounts to 5/45 periods a week. This falls short of WHO recommendation by 20 minutes. And PE is the first thing to be cut on any special occasion. In many other schools, there are far less number of hours of PE. The following table shows data about schools nearby.

School	No of Hours of PE/week
Greenwood High	2 PE, 1 Yoga
DPS East	1 PE, 1 Yoga
NPS	1 PE

But more hours of sports is considered a distraction by many people. This can be managed by putting a schedule for play and sticking to it.  Talented students who would like to take up sports as a career can be given exception in attendance.

It is proven that sports also helps in brain development by expanding memory and increasing focus. It requires repetition and practice to master a shot in tennis or a drive in cricket, thus expanding memory.  Over and above, we have to admit that team sports help improve team work. Carl Lewis said “The best kids are going to become the best, but the best thing about it is that you are going to learn in playing is about winning and loosing and team work. Teammates and arguments are going to influence positively for the test of your life”. Remember that team work is the most important life skill, best learned through team sports.

In today’s world, many children don’t know how deal with failures. Winning and losing is a daily part of sports and kids get used to it. Michael Jordan said “I’vemissed more than 9000 shots in my career, I have lost almost 300 game winning shots, 26 times I missed the winning shots, and that is why I succeed”. This shows that, no matter how much he failed, he wanted to do better.

India’s track record in Olympics is very bad. Don’t we remember the statement Pierce Morgan made, “Country with 1.2 billion people wildly celebrates with two loosing medals, How embarrassing is that!” Why did this happen? One reason is the lack of importance given to sports by Indian Politicians and parents. Indian parents wants their kids to study and become doctors or engineers. And politicians do not build enough facilities. If this continues, we will stay at the same Olympics rank or move lower.

Some people say that the money required to make facilities is a lot.  India’s GDP rank is 3. If Jamaica, with far lower GDP can make facilities for sports, we can make more facilities. That is why they have players like Usain Bolt.  We just need to give sports the right importance and attention to get ahead.

By now, I hope you are convinced that sports should be given equal priority in the current context.  Otherwise we will be facing a worse medal tally in Olympics and would be left with lots of unfit citizens.

Capital Punishment – An Essay by Joe Alapat

Capital Punishment – An Essay

              Capital Punishment is when someone is sentenced to death for a crime they have committed. Though in most countries Capital Punishment is banned, in India, it is actually legal. The following is a quote I agree with :

 “As if one crime of such nature, done by a single man, acting individually, can be expiated by a similar crime done by all men”.

This means, by killing someone by means of capital punishment, even though it has been decided by a group of men in a jury, will not make the crime already committed disappear. My first point is this, that crime committed has already been done. Killing the person responsible does not change anything.

               Secondly, revenge should not be the aim of punishment. It should be reformation. Let me tell you a true story to prove my point. There was a man called Remi George in Kerala. He had a habit of using drugs with his friends. To buy the drugs they used to steal money. Once he and his friends robbed and killed an old couple who looked on him as their son. They were caught by the police and put in jail. They were sentenced to life imprisonment by the court. During his time in jail, he was reformed. After fourteen years, when he came out of prison, he was a changed man. Now he runs an orphanage for prisoners’ children in Bangalore. He is saving so many children from drugs and going on the wrong path. He is now a role model to many.

               People do argue that capital punishment will act as a deterrent to other criminals. But it does not seem to have worked that way at all. The lowest crime rates are seen in countries like Cyprus, Denmark and Iceland. Denmark has a murder rate of 0.1 per hundred thousand. India has a rate of murder at 2.81 per hundred thousand. Yet in Denmark, Cyprus and Iceland as well as all European countries, Capital Punishment is banned. So if capital punishment really does lower crime rates, why is it that India still has a higher crime rate than these countries? In Iceland, there are only around 200 prisoners in the whole country! This shows that capital punishment does not bring about any benefits at all.

               Most criminals come from broken families. So we have to understand first the social issues that make someone a criminal and address that to bring the crime rate down.

             I will now conclude my essay on capital punishment. I hope I have made you think about why capital punishment is wrong. It is a cruel act that does not give a person a second chance. It is time this law is abolished in India. Let me leave you with another quote by the famous French philosopher, Albert Camus :

“Capital Punishment is the most premeditated of murders”.