Author: Daniel

Dear Miss Kerr

I take the side of your argument in your article “Twerking, selfie and unlike? Young people don’t speak like that – I should know”. I believe that slang terms are more of a fashion statement, they are always changing and adapting to the world we live in. The Oxford dictionary has changed on numerous occasions bringing “slang terms” such as “bird” instead of it being an elegant word to describe this creature it refers to a woman. This word is still used but has grown out of “fashion” and is most likely replaced with a new slang term instead.

I am in a generation full of people using slang terms I am not against the use of it however, it has no place in the Oxford dictionary, as you said “pitiful emblems”. Reading your post I believe it does come across self centred and not a legitimate representation of young people or your generation. I think that this is more of a façade the slang terms that are used will just fall out of fashion like they did before, however I do believe some slang terms that are used today do deserve a space in the Oxford dictionary. Words such as “ta” which was used in the 18th century for the word thank you its still used today. Slang terms such as “groovy” are in our memory, these words will be forgotten and should not be placed in the dictionary. This slang terms definitely should not be used as our idiolect.

In our daily lives anyway we change our speech depending on who we talk too, lets say I was talking to my boss at work I wouldn’t say “Rofl” “Jk” “Snm” etc. as I want to keep up my status with them. Most of the time people would use slang with their friends and not to people of authority. In this era the younger generation use these acronym as they are fast, when they speak and talk to each other they convey messages quickly.

Lets use William Shakesphere as in example in his writing he used many slang terms, these terms are now in our society and are used by numerous people. He created words such as “assassination”  and “champion”. This was done while writing his plays, these words are slang terms but they convey the message very quickly and becomes our natural idiolect to use. Many generations before may view that as what you would refer as “unhealthy culture”, however they are now accepted and have their rightful place in the Oxford dictionary. If it has happened to these words wouldn’t in turn happen to words that our generation use? Instead I see this as a way to improve the English language.

I sit atop of the moonlight creating shadows in the night, the birds chirp awakening almost soothing. With my eyes closed a light breeze fills my body, the rustling in the trees awakens the forest. The trees around me closed in, the sun rises from its dusk to dawn. The scent of life awakens all around me chirps appear louder, more frequent the wind whistles softly in my ears. My eyes closed as the sun appeared it almost blinding. Slowly I open my eyes to the once dark forest to a vibrant one. I feel unbound, unchained, the sweet sound of the wind disappears. The wind now runs along across my wings.

My mind is now left to wonder I am truly free. I spread my wings opening them up to feel the embrace of the wind, an urge compels me to fly in the sky where the ground cannot see. I dig my claws into branch I lay upon readying my descent upon the forest. I go where I please as I am unbound, I kill when I need to satisfy one, I am truly free. I stare at the world, it is beautiful. This world belongs to me, those who control the sky rule the ground. There is no sophistry in my body, my claws grow tighter around the bark my curved beak yearning for death.

My life fulfilment is through death, I am unchained nothing will get in my way. This is the path I choose to live throughout my days. The sun is behind me, I will not allow for change, I am designed for my sole purpose this world mine. Nothing has not changed as I flew this path. My eye has permitted no change. I think I am going to keep things like this. With a wing-beat I set off in this little world of mine and descend upon the world, I am a hawk and this is the path I follow.

Imagine a terrorist threatening the lives and safety of your country has a bomb hidden. There is very strong evidence that they are the perpetrator. What would you do? Now I am quite a young person so my views may differ among others my age, however I want to express my view as an individual. I am for the act of torture. In today’s society it is no longer what we call “secure”. Quite recently in the news I saw France attacked, they stood for “free speech”. Who broke the peace, who broke the bounds of what we call a “society”. I will tell you what has bought about this, terrorism. I may just be young but I know what it is like to lose someone. What if someone tried to take people from you who were important. Would that mean something to others how would you react to this? Maybe its just one person at risk, a child an adult it makes no difference on what we consider the human life to be worth.

Torture is a means against terrorism it protects the civilians, the terrorist wont care if you treat them in the bounds of law because they want to to be treated like they were one of us. Citizens have taken oaths to follow the laws of the society they live in. Terrorists are going against the country outside of the bounds of what we call “right”, they can do whatever they choose. Why should should we treat them as one of our own when they are breaking the social contract. What I believe is that the objective of torture is to preserve life, causing pain to the “perpetrator” could save a life. If we treat them with rights it will only happen again, if I was the terrorist for all I care it is my objective to cause harm. Its because the terrorist know they are treated with rights. Meaning that they can get away without getting hurt while hurting others. Even get away with murder.

If we decided not to torture would could happen in the coming months, weeks even. Demands being made, conflict occurring daily, retaliation because of this, when will it end? With war all these things would break out, a man could drag down a nation to its knees and though the dirt. How much is a nation worth, a nation contains numerous amounts of people. That leads me to what I said as a previous statement “what is the worth of a human life”. I have witnessed what one death is like. What would happen with a hundred or even thousands. How many people will feel what I felt over the one death.

Fear is often used successfully as a motivator: for example, children forced into war in Sierra Leone. The children are afraid to fight the one with the knife at their throat and would rather listen to their demands and follow. If fear is so effective, it can equally be used as a deterrent. What can stop the fear people instil, what protects the human life. Torture. The torturer is the only one effected by this, they would be treated outside of the social contract because of the acts they are conducting. Not only that in this day and age torture is a means to an end, in time this will no longer be used as a weapon, people will understand that terrorism will not work. Its still an on going issue today due to ethical issues. The possibility of causing suffering to one could then bring a stage of peace among people.