OK so here is my first practice essay, please give me any feedback thanks!
Prompt: It is important to take side in any conflict.
Many people hold a view that suggests there is either the 'good' or 'bad' side in any conflict, this is demonstrated by many people in history and must be accounted for as it may help or hinder your relationship with others. Taking a side in any conflict is important and not taking a side will usually result in a forced action in order to sway you to one side.
Conflict can be forced onto you if you don’t take a side, it is however important to take a side to keep you safe from the dangers of not doing so. This is shown by President George W Bush on September 20 2001, When Bush asserts “Your either with us or your with the terrorists.” This very strong statement removes the freedom of speech and forces an individual to take a side so that a certain party does not view them as hostile. This draws a parallel to The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller, in which Danforth proceeds to say “a person is with this court or they must be counted against it, there is no middle ground.” Here Danforths high rank and seemingly aggressive tone gives an individual no choice but to be on the courts side, as if to say if you don’t agree you will be hanged. This demonstrates the importance of taking a side in a conflict.
Extending on The Crucible, it can be seen that the girls, who are led by a strong character, Abigail, are in a situations where they must deny any accusations of witchcraft having a role in the dancing in the woods. The girls cry witch on other people in the village in order to keep them self safe, in doing so they take a part in the conflict and join Abigail which leads into mass hysteria in the village, thus proved a necessity in taking a side so that their own life wouldn’t be in jeopardy. The naming of others for reasons such as greed and vengeance is also evident at the time when the House Un-American Activities Committee(HUAC) was in power. This rather strong and determined group was led by senator Joseph McCarthy and their aim was to expose those who were thought to have been members of the communist party. This would result in mass hysteria in the community, much like that of the Salem Witch hunts, as a result of people blaming others most of which had naught to do with the communist party.
Contrary to many beliefs conflict cannot be resolved by forgetting about it and hoping that time will be the answer to their problems, history has shown time and time again that you must make a stance and takes a side for it to be resolved. This was the case for the indigenous Australians that suffered harsh punishment by the European settlers some 400 years ago. Many tried to forget this past but this was no way a resolution to the suffering that these indigenous people encountered. Early this year on 13th February Kevin Rudd made a historical apology to the to the ‘stolen generations’, this caused happiness amongst this community to whom “we say sorry.” This apology was widely accepted even though it happened some 400 years later, this conflict was resolved in a civilised and rational manner.
Not taking a side in a conflict can destroy the relationship you hold with others. In the even of two individuals disagreeing with one another, it was be spread to others and they will be positioned to submit their view point. Here if you disagree to agree with a certain stance you could find yourself in a position where a colleague views you as a person that is not trustworthy and can easily ruin a relationship. In the usual case one would take the side of his colleague to prevent an outbreak of disagreements and the possibility of the individuals relationship falling apart.
Conflict is associated with a negative connotation and the outcomes of not taking a side in a conflict can end relationships, trigger hostility and in some cases lead to death . The importance of taking a side in any conflict is emphasized by the consequences you possibly face in not doing so. It is therefore a necessity to come to a conclusion and take a side in any conflict.
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