<p>Using feedback from the last essay I posted on CC I've written a new one with a new prompt. </p>
<p>Question: Is it important to question the ideas and decisions of people in positions of authority?</p>
<p>Essay:</p>
<p>In the 20th century, the doctrines of famous authoritarian governments claimed that the ideal citizen is one that is faithfully obedient. He does not ask questions. He does not challenge authority. And most importantly he never disagrees with those above him. However, it did not take long for it to become apparent that in contemporary society, the questioning of authority is of the utmost importance because it allows for injustice to be purged from the world around us. </p>
<p>In the novel Little Brother by Corey Docktorow, Marcus Yallow is a regular citizen of the United States. He is proud of his country and initially believes that his government is the epitome of just authority. However, he is later on detained by the USA's own Department of Homeland Security and after being tortured for days, his opinions change. He chooses to question authority because he believes that the Department of Homeland Security is incorrect in their belief that security should be prioritized over the wellbeing of a country's people. Thus, he leads local rebellion and casts the media's attention on the doings of the DHS through his computer-related talents. By the end of the novel, the authority of the DHS is nonexistant, and they undergo an audit by the US government for their questionable actions. By challenging the authority of a system that he once thought was just, Marcus Yallow changes it for the better by exposing it's faults.</p>
<p>Similarly in the 1970's my home country Iran underwent a revolution. The power Shah Reza, an Iranian king whose family had been exploiting the country for decades was questioned by its people, who were highly religious and disagreed that with the Shah's belief that all countries should be westernized. In 1963, the Shah had used his authority to pass the controversial "Immunity Doctrine" that gave Westerners the right of extraterritoriality when visiting Iran.* Abused and betrayed, the people of Iran, including my parents, undertook a revolution to put power back in the hands of the people. Despite years of bloody protests and the torture of revolutionaries by the SAVAK, the Shah's secret police, the Shah was eventually overthrown. Then, when a vote was cast, it was discovered that 99.8% of the people were for the foundation of theocracy in Iran, my parents included. Revolutionaries like my parents saw their friends and family tortured and executed for their beliefs, but it was for the greater good because an entire country was liberated from the hands of a dictator.</p>
<p>Challenging authority may seem like a dangerous and risky affair and that it is because it is. But this does not mean that it is not essential. If people do not question the ideas and decisions of those in power, there will never be change. Thus, in order to make a system more fair and improve the conditions of its people's lives, there is in fact nothing more important that the questioning and challenging of authority.</p>
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<p>*Made this up</p>
<p>I think this overall went better than the last one, although there are still some errors b/c I didn't have time to proofread.</p>