2017 – 7th Grade National 2nd Place Winner

Kelly Benitez, Florida.

Over centuries of evolution people have tried to figure out which is mightier: the pen or the sword; the question is not whether it is more ethical or morally justifiable. The pen can be good and evil, but unlike the sword, the pen carries the power to reverse itself. The pen educates people, writes laws that help fix injustices in our society, and fights battles with the idea of no casualties.

The pen holds a power like no other, the power to educate. Countless people make false judgements based on the stereotypes they hear as children, when they are most impressionable. People are no guided by assumptions based on faulty information. These evil and influential words have been spoken and written by people who have chosen the path of the sword. Hitler once said, “...the devil as a symbol of all evil assumes the living shape of the Jew.” This confirms that those without the power of the pen for good, cause destruction like in the Holocaust and the Jim Crow laws. Hitler was influential and convinced the Germans of the “evil Jews”. The power of the pen allows the spread of ignorance with ease. Furthermore, the pen has the power to educate as long as the one in control has the intentions to do good.

Since the beginning of the universe, the pen has made mistakes, such as allowing for the creation of weapons and the ability for humans to negatively influence others. The pen has the power to write books which teach people things that make them believe in ideals that hurt others. Nevertheless, the pen reaps benefits such as reversing its mistakes. (Disclaimer). On Friday, June 26th, the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage, allowing people who truly love each other to get the piece of paper that binds them together. This is one great example of how the pen carries the power to write laws that change society for the better. The pen allows progress, while also allowing peace.

The pen is associated with peace. Throughout history, the pen’s power has been used to stopped tragedies. Gandhi once said, “Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” He took the pen and used it to its highest ability to spread his ideas to the world. Gandhi protested with many other people to stop the horrifying laws. The black act was among them, stopping people of Indian ethnicity from getting married along with other restrictions. He took the power of the pen and combined it with his devotion to satyagraha and he fought back until victory. The government of India fought him with violence, the power of the sword, winning the battle but the power of the pen allowed him to win the war.
Thus, proving the pen is mightier because it carries more power than the sword. By educating the mind of those misguided, writing laws that further the progress of society, and avoiding casualties and violent approaches to “solutions”.

 

 

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