WRITING COMPETENCY EXAM TOPIC – SPRING 2017

ideas:

“I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice.” – Abraham Lincoln
·  16th president of US (1809 - 1865)
·  post-Civil War, 1865

·  ANALYZE the QUOTE:

o  key terms = “mercy” & “strict justice”

o  gist = mercy is better than strict justice (a contrast)

§  Lincoln, trying to mend the wounds of a country after the Civil War

§  “spirit of the law” vs. “letter of the law”

§  with the “richer fruit” a healed, healthy nation

o  bearing richer fruit = better for both/all involved, moving on, healing, reuniting, coming back together, for a better future, reconciling, rebuilding,

o  synonyms for mercy = compassion, forgiveness, pity, clemency, sympathy, empathy, understanding, leniency, grace, generosity, spirit of the law,….

o  synonyms for strict justice = letter of the law, there in black & white, cut & dried, pound of flesh

·  REPHRASE the QUOTE:

o  Shortly after the end to the American Civil War and shortly before his assassination, the sixteenth president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, is claimed to have suggested that showing compassion, understanding, and forgiveness (“mercy”) is better for everyone involved than abiding by the often harsh letter of the law (“strict justice”).

o  According to Abraham Lincoln, we ought to adopt an attitude of “mercy” toward others.

o  Portia in The Merchant of Venice: “the quality of mercy is not strained…”

o  Judge Dredd: “I am the law!”

o  J/C Bible: “’Vengeance is mine,’ sayeth the Lord” or “To those who show mercy, mercy will be shown”

·  LIST of CONTEXTS:

o  *Lincoln’s context is that of the US Civil War

o  BUT

o  It can be and often is applied to the following situations:

o  enemy combatants

o  capital punishment (death penalty)

o  teacher-student issues

o  politics/elections

o  sports (the handshake line at the end of a series)

o  relationships

·  APPROACHES

o  You can agree with Lincoln, that showing mercy is often better, more mature, healthier,…

o  OR

o  You may disagree with Lincoln, that showing mercy is wrong, shows weakness, …

§  your decision will dictate the direction of your topic

·  PROCESS:

o  how to –

o  teach mercy

o  teach justice tinged with mercy

o  *enforce laws or rules in a merciful manner (as a police officer, as a Supreme Court justice, teacher, office manager, head nurse, customer service representative, store clerk, ….)

o  bring two divided people or groups together

o  deal when wronged

o  heal after a divorce

o  “move on” (grow, evolve, mature, advance) as a person, country, society, species, race, …

o  *not to be a “sore winner”

o  resolve a serious, divisive societal issue

§  you have the answers, you have a plan; tell us how to resolve this, step by step

·  (directed at Washington, powers-that-be)

·  CLASSIFICATION:

o  types of—

o  merciful groups or organizations in the world

o  people with regard to mercy (police officer, as a Supreme Court justice, teacher, office manager, head nurse, customer service representative, store clerk, ….)

o  people after a divorce

o  winners with regard to mercy (sore winners)

o  leaders (politicians) after a victory (war, election – Chairman Mao: “Politics is war without bloodshed…” – passing a bill, repealing a law, Bin Laden,…)

o  people or institutions or organizations or companies that take advantage of mercy

o  ?? social situations or societal issues (*NOT* examples of them) in which this quote might be applicable

§  group societal issues under common headings

§  perhaps by age, race, sex, sexuality, …

§  or group them by religion or politics

§  or group them by their shared characteristics (their subject/focus or the status of their resolution)

·  COMPARISON and CONTRAST:

o  similarities AND differences—

§  1 similarity, 2 differences (while similar in 1 respect, they = quite different)

§  OR

§  1 difference, 2 similarities (while different in 1 respect, they = fundamentally the same)

·  *with regard to mercy

o  two specific (only 2) individuals or groups (organizations, countries, religions, sports leagues, teachers/schools, … ) who have demonstrated mercy and/or strict justice

o  ?? the theory vs. the practice of this concept/belief (US Reconstruction period, justice system, terrorists, …)