Wednesday, January 14, 2009
A Signature Then and Now
America was founded upon the ideals of the pursuit of happiness, equality, and freedom. The winds of time have molded our society into a very different shape today than what it was in 1776, some changes have been for the better and some for the worse. Back then, your signature meant something. The signers of the Declaration of Independence did not sign the document planning on taking it back if the British ever laid hands on them. John Hancock did not sign the Declaration of Independence in such a bold fashion because it was something worth living for, but because it was something worth dying for. The signatures of those men held their honor and integrity, something not even the royal crown of England could take away. Except when questioned under law, our personal integrity no longer seems to be attached with the name we sign, as seen by those who sign the honor code, but give no regard to obeying all of its components. We do not have the right to pick and choose which aspects of the honor code apply to us. We all signed the document. We will obey all of its statutes. That is it. No more, no less. It's final. Our signature is a personal oath of obedience and, if broken, we will be required to accept the appropriate consequences of our actions.
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7 comments:
I agree with your assertion that a signature is more than just writing, it's our inner, moral sense But certain aspects of the honor code could be revised. In my opinion the curfew here at BYU should be abolished. We are all adult and should be treated like so.
I agree that some aspects of the Honor Code could be revised. I am just arguing that if you sign the honor code, you have a duty to live by it. If there is something you don't agree with, you could look into petitioning for a change, but for the time being you must abide by the rules. I'm not trying to argue that the Honor Code is perfect, just that if you sign it, you live by it.
I love the way you compare our signature today to the signatures of the founding fathers. It will really make the reader think about how important it is to abide by a document they sign, like the Honor Code.
I think your paragraph was very powerful because of the comparison of the past to the present. I agree with you, a signature should have the same implications attached to it today that it used to have.
I really like the way that you lead into your argument about obeying the honor code. I for one agree with you. I am sick of seeing people do things that go against the honor code. Whether they agree with it or not, they have made an oath to comply with it and their actions should portray that commitment.
I think this is a strong first paragraph. One thing you'll have to think about is the people you're trying to convince to change their actions may not think they're truly breaking the honor code. They have justifications that in their own minds work. You'll have to balance showing them that yes, they are the ones that need to improve, but not offending them so they don't read your opinion editorial.
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