Assignment #6: Smoking in public areas

During the last years and decades the issue of smoking importantly has gained in importance. We can observe increasing rates of smoking and without a doubt people start smoking in their younger years. Experts, scientists and also politicians as well as the citizens have started a big debate concerning this problem. In the following I want to declare why smoking should be banned in public buildings and institutions in my opinion.
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Firstly, it can be helpful to have a look on countries with such barriers that forbid smoking in public areas. One is Germany, the country where I come from. In 2007, the government decided to forbid smoking in all public buildings as well as in bars and pubs. In addition to that, every Federal State has a kind of self-determination due to that question. Hence, the Bavarian government forbids smoking on the Oktoberfest, which was an initial point for widespread debates. In the end, the government abolished that law because of the public pressure. Compared to that, the situation in Sweden seems to be similar. People are not allowed to smoke where it can definitely endangers others peoples health.
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Secondly, one has to think about the reason why those laws can be called a good idea. For sure, I am speaking in favour of a non-smoker. However, the issue can be handled with rational approaches and ideas. In general, there cannot be a discussion about the fact that smoking worsens people’s health. Therefore, the problem related to that is that smokers not only hurt their health but also the one of third parties. The danger of cancer because of passive smoking is perhaps not as small as one generally tends to think. For this reason, I think that non-smokers should not be punished by that in public areas.
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Thirdly, there is one strong argument from smokers who want their freedom to do so wherever they want. In their opinion alcohol should also be forbidden in a lot of areas, buildings and institutions because it also hurts the health. In general, this is absolutely true but people drinking alcohol don’t hurt others – you are responsible for yourself. Of course, one can come up to the question if drunk people hurt others mentally or/and physically by doing so but for me this discussion would go to far.
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Summing up, I think it is a good way to forbid smoking in special parts and areas of our daily life to safe the health of the majority. However, this definitely does not mean that smokers should be excluded from your society. In my opinion, smoking areas in bars and pubs are a good way to handle this problem and lead to the result that everyone is able do what he or she thinks is the best - without hurting others.

Assignment #5: Big Brother is watching you

The increasing surveillance by governments is a sign of today’s Western democracies. In the same way there exist proponents concerning this issue, there are opponents who fight hard against this expanding state-observation. While some people think this way of acting is necessary to save our lives and territories, others argue that surveillance leads away from freedom and the privilege of self-determination. In my opinion interventions by governments and their institutions is absolutely necessary. Of course, this means that we as the citizens cannot have the same freedom as before, but in a more important way this means that our lives are protected at the best possibility. Therefore, I agree with measures in order to preserve democracy even though they restrict my personal freedom and my own identity.
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Certainly, I think most of us who live in democratic countries have made experiences with restrictions concerning our personal freedom. For me the most common example is the situation one can observe at the airport. This is a place with total control over human beings. High security standards and of course the controls to reach this safety are the daily business. Everybody who has been flying since the 9th September 2001 knows what I mean. The happenings related to that date have enforced the aspect of safety whereby the controls increased in a dramatic way. However, what is the alternative to that? Is it more likely to get into the grip of terrorists in an airplane? Without a doubt, this is the worst-case scenario, but it still has happened. Therefore, it should be possible for everyone to let nail files and penknives out of the hand luggage – it should not be this essential. For sure it is not the best feeling concerning the fact that your personal luggage is x-rayed in the terminals, but this seems to be the lesser evil. Even if the security staff know the colour of my boxer shorts it is better than becoming the victim of terrorism.
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In order to emphasize the aspect of freedom I want to speak about an own experience I made. It was long ago in the year 2000, but the situation is still aware in my thoughts. I was participating in an school exchange organised by my German school and one in England. We travelled by bus and on our way to Great Britain we passed Belgium and France. There we took the ferry from Calais to Dover. As I have mentioned before this incident was before 9/11, but high security standards were a big issue already at that time. On this account we were completely scanned before we could enter the ferry. The security staff rifled through our personal things and documents and for us as children this situation was inconvenient as well as completely not comprehensible. It is needless to say, that you want to have a piece of privacy especially in these young years. However, some years later one can understand and comprehend the importance this measurement for the overall safety.
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In addition to that I also want to discuss the issue of data privacy protection. Undoubtedly, it is important to protect everybody’s privacy and therewith data secrecy should be a main principle. However, in my opinion there are interventions and measures that justify supervising operations on the part of the state. Related to this, a popular example is the one of emails. I think that persons who have nothing to disguise need not be afraid about this point. For sure it is a strange feeling to know that third parties could read the personal massages one writes with his or her friends, the family or the life partner. However, if this can help to protect my country and me I feel a big favour for the government to do so. Similar to this is the question of genetic fingerprints. Experts and the population of the most countries argue about this topic and the fact that this is also a way to restrict our personal freedom. Once more I have to reply, that this is necessary not only regarding the danger of terrorism, but also the fact of increasing violence all over the world. According to this, the innocent citizen has nothing to suspect.

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Summing up, I think it is necessary that everybody of us give up a peace of one’s own freedom and privacy, in favour to perpetuate the overall safety. If everybody who wants to fight against the grievances on the earth follows this way, the community can gain in the same extent it loses by giving away a piece of its own integrity. That is why I think restricting the freedom of a democratic country in order to preserve democracy itself is a good measure. Notwithstanding, this requires reliable and faithful institutions which must be controlled by a ourselves regarding the danger of misuse of powers.

Assignment #4: Grades

Grading of children is a topic that is often discussed in several countries all around the world. The controversial point is, if it helps children to grade them in this early age. Proponents and opponents argue about the question if it can motivate children or discourage them. I want to have a brief look on the pros and cons in the following. In general, I think, that grading is a good system to introduce children to our ‘cruel’ world. However, the way of grading has to be reached in a moderate modality, which leads the children step by step to our success-oriented society.
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First of all I want to have a short look on the system in Germany, because it is a little bit different in comparison to Sweden. Since I can remember, grading begins with the start of the school carrier in primary school. In the beginning of the 1990’s when I went to primary school, I was also confronted with the German grading system. In the Federal State Hessen, where I come from, teachers start grading you in first class. Until the end of your second year you get a written report from your form master with hints for you and your parents, concerning what your strengths and weaknesses. After that you get grades in form of a given grading system until the end of primary school. Thereby every children is graded with expressions like fail (ungenügend), which stands for the worst grade, up to very good (sehr gut) which is the best grading. However, one can regard little differences between the 16 Federal States in Germany, because education can be dedicated by themselves and does not subject to supervision of the state.
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Back to pros and cons concerning this topic it is necessary to mention the problems related to the idea of grading. Firstly, one can argue that bad grades discourage weak schoolboys and schoolgirls more than to motivate them. The principle of reward and punishment more detracts from the fact of learning than support it. Of course, this can lead to big pressure for the children. Especially in the early school years it is important to show them ways how to learn the best and manage the increase of knowledge in general. In addition to that different teachers grade different because of different purposes. If three independently targeted teachers have to grade a child, this can lead to three different grades and the question of justice arises.
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However, the facts of pros outweigh the cons in my opinion. Thus, grades are the basement of motivation, also in the early years of a child. Especially in their young years one has to motivate and monitor their development in order to guide them on the right track. Concerning this aspect grading is helpful as a performance test and on the other as a performance comparison between lazy and studious children. Especially the system in Germany with personal hints during the first years seems to be a good way to lead children into the world of grading. With first impressions and a good grading, children get satisfied, because they have the requirement of acknowledgement like every older human in our society. These experiences are an incentive for children even to learn things they are not interested in but which they probably need in their later life. This aspect to guide children through their life seems to be very important an can be reached by grading.
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As I tried to examine in the text above, I think that grading is important in our today’s society. For this matter children have to get used to it very early. Of course it is important not to separate assumed good and bad scholars too early. Examples like children that have to learn languages in kindergarten seem to be the wrong way. Even in our knowledge-based society we have to take care not to overburden our children, but a measured way of grading does not offer this danger.