Writing Feedback / GRE ISSUE: People most respect the powerful not when they exercise their power, ..... [3]

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"People most respect the powerful not when they exercise their power, but when they refrain from exercising it."

With great power comes great responsibility. Powerful people are revered when they use their powers responsibly and for the right reasons, be it exercising the power or refraining from using it. It is only when powers are used with discretion that they elicit respect.

Consider the case of nuclear weapons. Having witnessed the impact of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, the world has not only dreaded the use of nuclear weapons but also execrated them. The weapons were so powerful that people of Japan are still coping with the after effects of this act. Several people are suffering from hereditary disorders that are a result of the bombings. When enormous powers like these are utilised for negative reasons like war, people do not respect the powerful. This is the reason why nations like USA, India have refrained from using nuclear weapons. In choosing not to utilise powers that have the potential to obliterate the entire world, nations like these have definitely gained the respect of the world.

Conversely, like refraining from using destructive power is a venerated act, so is utilising constructive power. History has been witness to great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru who had been exceptionally influential in leading Indians to their independence. It is powerful personalities like these that people look up to and also try to emulate. When one has the power to influence something good, he/she is greatly respected in doing so. Not only political leaders, but also other powerful personalities who are celebrated and famous in their fields, be it sports, cinema, medicine, etc. have the responsibility of contributing in a positive way to the society. The impact that these celebrities have over the masses is huge and hence must be cashed upon. For example people will be more willing to give up smoking if this thought is advocated by a famous celebrity they look up to. This kind of positive use of fame and influential power is a respectable act on the part of the powerful.

In conclusion, powers that are used with discretion for the betterment of the masses are sure to elicit respect for the powerful. The powerful must know to utilise constructive power and refrain from using destructive power in order to gain the respect of the people.

Writing Feedback / GRE Argument Essay; Letter to the editor from Central Plaza store owner [3]

The following appeared as a letter to the editor from a Central Plaza store owner.
"Over the past two years, the number of shoppers in Central Plaza has been steadily decreasing while the popularity of skateboarding has increased dramatically. Many Central Plaza store owners believe that the decrease in their business is due to the number of skateboard users in the plaza. There has also been a dramatic increase in the amount of litter and vandalism throughout the plaza. Thus, we recommend that the city prohibit skateboarding in Central Plaza. If skateboarding is prohibited here, we predict that business in Central Plaza will return to its previously high levels."

Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the recommendation is likely to have the predicted result. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the recommendation.

Although the argument appears valid at first glance, it does not hold its ground on further close scrutiny. The author makes claims based on many unwarranted assumptions and also fails to address other equally likely possibilities.

Firstly, the letter, being from just a single owner in Central Plaza does not vouch for the opinions of other owners. Do all other owners agree with the suggestions made in the letter?

Secondly, the owner fails to provide any statistics regarding the decreasing number of shoppers in Central Plaza and also that showing increase in popularity of skateboarding. Also, can the decrease in the business of the shopkeepers solely be attributed to increase in skateboarding users. There may be other factors like decrease in quality, lax service, etc. that may have driven down the clientele of these shops. Also, it may be possible that the increasing number of people going for skateboarding may not be locals at all, but tourists. The author fails to mention what kind of shops he is talking about. Would a flower shop be really affected by increase in skateboarding?

The owner further complains about the dramatic increase in litter and vandalism throughout the plaza. However, is he justified in linking this to skateboarding? Do only people who come for skateboarding cause litter or vandalism around? Assuming skateboarding is prohibited in the plaza, will this also guarantee no such further actions?

The owner suggests prohibiting of skateboarding in order to restore business in shops of central plaza to the previous high levels. However, if skateboarding is not at all the reason for the decrease in business, will this move benefit the shopkeepers? In fact, the plaza may lose out on a large number of customers by prohibiting skateboarding.

In conclusion, the owner's claims and suggestions are based on various unjustified assumptions. Further, if any of the assumptions made by him were to be wrong, the argument proves to be fallacious. In order to support his argument, the author must substantiate it with required commensurate statistics.