Collaborative Argumentation- The priority seats should not be abolished

陳以柔 04121121 李宗珉 04121127王舒瑀 04121135

Professor Chen

ENGLISH WRITING II

6 June 2018

We think the issue about abolishing priority seat should concern the sense of morality first. Most people think the priority seat takes too much room, and if it is crowded no matter we are in MRT or bus, there is no one will seat on the priority seat. However, it is not the problem about abolishment of priority seat, it is about our thought.

In our opinion, the sense of morality is more important than abolish it.

As a consequence, we disagree with abolishing the priority seat. According to United Daily News, there is lots of news that showing the elder got hurt when they were not yielded the priority seat from the others. Also, according to The Merit Times, some countries have less sense of yielding their seat for people who in need. Therefore, having priority seat can prevent those people from being in risk. First, we talk about the sense of morality. Second is about cost and law. Last but not the least, we discuss about the importance of having the priority seat.

About the sense of morality, we should learn the importance of offering your seat for the people in need rather than standing there and being crowded with people. Moreover, we can improve educational propaganda about the priority seat is for the people who in need; however, you can also seat there when no one needs it.

Secondly, it is the significant moral dilemma aroused by “moral warriors” make a certain groups of people seek the abolition of the priority seats. Yet, if there is no priority seat set up in any public transportation, will it stop the arguments erupting over priority seats? In our opinion, removing priority seats can only deteriorate the argumentative situation. First of all, the process of amending a law is time-consuming as well as costly. According to the People with Disabilities Rights Protection Act, priority seats should account for 15 percent of the total seats in public vehicles. Thus, the government has to reopen the legislation to amend the law if we think the space of priority seat is not required. To execute a change through political power, people have to reach consequence on the issue. But there is actually no consensus recently in our society. Then suppose the law is amended, the labors have to spend a large amount of time on converting thousands of priority seats into ordinary seats. The process must be a tough work. Secondly, if we get rid of priority seats, we not only would fail to stop conflicts from happening, but worsen the problem of whether to yield seat to the needed. Removing priority seat simply widen the problem to take place in every single seat on a bus or MRT which result in more criticizes by moral warriors. Therefore, we consider the best way to solve the problem is to maintain the status quo.

The last one is the importance of having the priority seat. Is it really imperative to set “special” seats in public spaces? Setting those seats are not to force people to follow a certain rule. Instead, remaining the priority seats in public space has the function as a reminder to people. It is the same as those commercials on TV in our daily life. As we can see it from time to time, over and over again, little chance we’ve got to forget this concept. So it is not that “special” at all.

People in modern times get lazy easily. We would physical feel tired even just a bit of walk. However, the setting of the priority seats plants in our mind an idea that there is someone else needs to take a seat more than regular people do. That is, the true meaning of the seats. They are just normal seats in a different color yet play as a reminder to our conscience. Yielding your seats to others only makes you a nice and considerate person, not makes you a law abiding citizen.

Indeed, keeping the priority seats system with no further adjustment won’t improve the situation. We can see that recently government and companies are cooperating with well-known designers like Duncan and Maji Meow. Cute posters indicating genuine ideas of the priority seats are implements in many places. For that people can be truly “polite” to each other and make the world a better place.

To sum up, we disagree to abolish the priority seats due to the factors above. Instead, we should change our mind into being kind to others and put more attention on those needed the seats to prevent them from the risks. Although it is not a special seat at all, it is more than just a seat. Take some kindness into our daily life and make the seats to be the caring and lovely ones. Simply take a seat gracefully when you need it but yield a seat to someone needed it more than you do.

Works Cited and reference materials

http://www.merit-times.com.tw/NewsPage.aspx?Unid=453940
https://udn.com/news/story/7328/2528413
https://international.thenewslens.com/article/48626
https://www.dailyview.tw/Popular/Detail/344
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqFDXyFThW4
https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/vp/ecdafa20492ac0c4cc43084920b147ac/5B81D29E/t51.2885-15/s640x640/sh0.08/e35/32307990_207530226524523_2742395897634619392_n.jpg
https://www.ettoday.net/news/20161230/839369.htm
https://tw.news.yahoo.com/poll/fcbf7910-6b3e-11e6-958d-edb058a0adb9/
https://international.thenewslens.com/article/48626
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2016/10/15/2003657181

PPT of the presentation of ''The priority seats should not be abolished"

An interesting short film about priority seats- DeluCat

More Than Job Sanctification by Kristen Weir- Summary

    The arthur, Kisten Weir points out that although working takes a huge part in most adults life, a report shows that 70 percent of American workers are either “not engaged” or “actively disengaged” in their work. This could even lead to the loss of plenty money. The solution to the problem is, to find meanings in work. 
Michael G. Pratt, a professor says there are many ways to find why a person does something. Through the pride of doing their job well, the ability to support their family, the sense of achievement and the closer relationship shared with co-workers, multiple benefits will come across. The author then uses zookeepers as an example. Even though they are not in a high social position, those zookeepers feel more involved and have personal connection with the job and tend to do their best at work.
    Jane E. Dutton, a professor in the last part indicates “job crafting” to be a method for finding meanings at work. Through spending more time to explore positive aspects at work and moreover changing the values towards work, can shape a job and creat meaning. Nevertheless, job crafting could be used in some bad ways to workers. But if people practice it positively, improvements are to be seen.

2018.06.20 Writing II Final

Writing Final

        “I know that it is traumatizing for you to stay without your parents and brother, but you still have us, your grandpa, friends and lover. It’s not selfish to make your decision this time. Either your choice is to leave or stay, I’ll be on your side.”

        One of my favorite movies called “If I stay” describes a talented young musician who lost her parents and her little brother after a car accident. She lay in the hospital in coma for days and her condition was worsening. Yet she found herself was able to look upon the world from the third person perspective. After knowing the bad news of her family, she couldn’t suffer the tremendous sorrow and even wanted to give up living. Eventually her grandfather came to her and said those words above to her.

        I started to think about the issue since then. From news, social media, sadly to say’ it is quite common for us to see people facing this kind of dilemma. What if, someone has been taken care of the physically challenged for years and years that he or she finally felt exhausted? Do they have the right to give up holding on hope?

        The answer may be yes. With the kind heart, they have already done their best. Maybe the patients themselves prefer to end the pain but they just can’t say. People mostly are not willing to let the last thing in Pandora ’s Box go. If there is still a tiny chance, we might eager to put faith in it and pray to whoever you believe in. However, with the professional indications of doctors and the agreement of the family, I think it will be alright to let the patient go. I believe in the kind heart of the people; therefore, this move shouldn’t represent any evil things. Patients sometimes can be free through a mercy.

☆ 

A trailer of the movie "If I Stay"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFO2aPa904A

Third Culture Kids by Bilal Ahmed- Summary&Respond- second ver.

    The author, Ahmed, first introduces to us the term TCK (third culture kids) with the origin of it and a more detailed definition. They adjust their identities to reflect the new society with parents, but not having full ownership in all of cultures they built relationships with.     

    Ahmed himself is a TCK. He is from a middle class family in which due to his parents’ job, they would relocate from time to time quite frequently to nations. He then emphasizes the difference between immigrants or refugees and TCKs. They both mix their original culture and the foreign culture into a personal third one yet differ in wealth. With the support of money from parents, TCKs are carefree of financial worries. Moreover, since TCKs have the background of flexibility on moving houses, they often take the advantages to become an easily-adaptable citizen. They don’t like fixity and rootedness.

    Last, the author argues that TCKs still have the strong connection with their family. In order not to act abnormally, TCKs must accept their special identities and make the direction for their happiness clearly. If not, the loss of giddiness would lead to weird behaviors.
    I think adding the author's own experience makes the special identity more understandable to us. For that I went through my childhood in many different places, the circumstances of the TCKs are at some degree similar to mine. My parents were busy working when I was little. Therefore, during day time then, I was taking care of by different relatives. I got used to switching growing up environment. That is, meanwhile I consider that also a training  to develop high ability of adaptability. Although I barely can remember those memories then, it definitely help me in some ways to grow up as a more independent individual. I am so graceful that my parent didn't just leave me behind. Instead, they are still showing love and cares to me.
    Now I learned more about TCKs. If I luckily bump into the opportunity to meet one of them, I would really like to ask them to share their colorful growing up stories with me. I shall share mine to them. The exchange of cultures and friendship isn't the magnificent beauty in the world?

A Tax on Unhealthy Food by Michelle Embrich- Summary

    From the very beginning, Michelle Embrich suggests that a serious overweight problem is occurring in the United States. Over two-thirds of adults are overweight or obese from the research in 2014. This health crisis leads to more cost on health care and insurance for people. Therefore, Embrich then make a propose to put a tax on unhealthy food, including food high in fat and high in sugar. 
    Taxes on similar unhealthy products have been implemented. It is quite useful on discourage smokers to spend more money on smoking. Also, a research does show that if a tax of 18 percent were put on soda and pizza particularly, the average American could lose five pounds.
    However, the difficulty is, American mostly don’t like government to interfere in their life. Unsuccessful case as the attempt to ban oversized sodas in New York City restaurants made people upset. Sixty percent of New Yokers considered it a bad idea according to a poll by NBC. 
    But still, adding taxes on unhealthy food is much acceptable to Americans when they pay more to eat unhealthier. Only if people started to realize by 2030 the annual health care costs in the country would be doubled to $380 billion will they agree with the policies and save their own lives.

Third Culture Kids by Bilal Ahmed- Summary- first ver.

  The author, Ahmed, first introduced to us the term TCK (third culture kids) with the origin of it and a more detailed definition. Not only they adjust their identities to reflect the new society with parents, but not having full ownership in all of cultures they built relationships with.  

    Ahmed himself is a TCK. He is from a middle class family in which due to his parents’ job, they would relocate from time to time quite frequently through nations. He then emphasized the difference between immigrants or refugees with TCKs. They both mix their origin culture and the foreign culture into a personal third one yet differ in wealth. With the support of money from parents TCKs are carefree of financial worries. Moreover, since TCKs have the background of flexibility on moving houses, they often take the advantages to become an easily-adaptable citizen. They don’t like fixity and rootedness.
    Last, the author argued that TCKs still have the strong connection with their family. In order not to act abnormally, TCKs must accept their special identities and make the direction for their happiness clearly. If not, the loss of giddiness would lead to weird behaviors.