Friday, November 29, 2019

ACT Scores Matter for College Admissions

When Don't SAT/ACT Scores Matter for College Admissions SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Have you started researching how to apply to college?You may know that most college-bound students take the SAT and ACT. But just how important are they, and when can you get away without taking them? Let's look at when SAT and ACT scores are important for college admissions, and when they're not. When SAT/ACT Scores Matter Generally speaking, four year colleges place a lot of importance on your SAT and ACT scores. Your grades and high school classes may have different curriculum and levels of difficulty among schools. Because of this, it's hard for admissions officers to compare candidates' academic readiness on high school classes alone. The SAT and ACT represent an attempt to measure students' skills, knowledge, and potential on the same playing field. If you're applying as a strong academic archetype - for example, you have high grades and strong extracurricular involvement - you want your test scores to reinforce your academic achievement. If this describes you as a student, then your SAT or ACT scores matter a great deal.(Below, we'll discuss how scores factor into the equation for students applying as athletes or to pursue a special talent, like dancing or the arts.) Especially selective schools also want to see SAT Subject Tests, as a standard measure of your mastery of a particular subject in school, like biology, math, or Spanish. Click here to see the complete list of SAT Subject Tests and learn about what they cover. How to Find Your College Requirements Colleges state their standardized testing requirements on their admissions websites. In addition to which tests they require, you want to know what scores you need to achieve. This article tells you step by step how to set target scores that will put you in the best position for admission to your chosen schools. If your high school uses Naviance, you can also see data from students that attended your own school. Naviance shows you what scores they had and if they were accepted or rejected from your schools of interest. With clear goals and effective test prep, you canachieve your target scores and apply to schools where you have a strong chance of admission. For the many of you to whom SAT or ACT scores are very important, you can start preparing by answering any and all of your questions about the tests. When are the best dates to take the SAT or ACT?How can you aim for and achieve a perfect score? And how is the SAT scored anyway?The ACT? By thoroughly understanding the tests inside and out and doing some serious prep to get yourself ready, you can achieve scores that reinforce your high school record and prove your academic excellence to admissions committees. Now let's look at some exceptions - schools with test-optional and test-flexible policies. When Scores Don't Matter (or Matter As Much) - Test Optional and Flexible Schools Recently, more and more schools are de-emphasizing, or even doing away completely, with standardized test scores in their admissions decisions. Some schools have a test optional policy, which suggests that it's up to you whether your scores reflect your academic ability and you want to send them. Some schools merely suggest you can opt out, while others emphasize that scores truly are optional and will not affect your chances of admission one way or the other. This is frustratingly vague, right? I'd suggest researching the school's website or calling its admissions office and asking them to clear it up. Unless the school really stresses that scores are truly optional, it's probably a good idea to still take the test and send them. Considering how competitive admissions are, strong test scores could be one more way to gain an edge and stand out. Here we've compiled the comprehensive list of all the test optional and test flexible schools, along with their specific expectations. Check it out to see if any of your schools of interest don't require the SAT or ACT for admission. If you feel you are unable to achieve strong scores and the tests would drag down your application, then it might be a good idea to hold off on sending those in. Again, you should always check with the school to clear up what their stance toward SAT and ACT scores really is. One notable exception is Hampshire College in Massachusetts. They will simply reject any test scores that are sent their way. Their policy states, "Unlike 'test-optional' institutions, we will not consider SAT/ACT scores regardless of the score. Even if it's a perfect score, it will not weigh into our assessment of an applicant." Some test optional schools are Bates, Bowdoin, Smith, University of Texas at Austin, and Wesleyan, among numerous others. Another approach that schools have adopted is to be test flexible. This means you can send the SAT or ACT, but there are other options as well. Usually these other options are sending three SAT Subject Tests or three AP exams, if you feel they better reflect your work as a student. NYU, for example, says, "To be eligible for admission, applicants are expected to submit results fromone of the following testing options: The SAT Reasoning Test; or The ACT with Writing Test; or Three SAT Subject Test scores; or Three AP exam scores." We've looked at the policies of four-year colleges, but what about your unique profile as a candidate? First, what are your SAT or ACT requirements as a recruited athlete? Applying as an Athlete If you're being recruited as an athlete, you are most likely going through NCAA Clearinghouse. You will still have to take the SAT or ACT, if your college requires it, but your scores don't have to be as high as non-recruited students. Your SAT and ACT scores are compared on a sliding scale with your grade point average (GPA). So if your GPA is on the higher side, you can get by with lower test scores. If it's low, then you have to score higher on the SAT or ACT to make up for it. Click here to read about all the NCAA requirements, what SAT scores you need, and how to achieve them.This article is for you if you're a student athlete planning on taking the ACT. Your score requirements may also be less stringent if you're applying with a special talent. Applying With a Special Talent Have you published novels as a teenager? Or won national competitions in spelling or math? Did your 9th grade science experiment help scientists make a breakthrough discovery, or have you played violin in a symphony since the age of 14? If you're regarded as one of the top achievers in the country or world in a well-regarded talent, like music, academic competitions, chess, theater, or dance, then your SAT or ACT score might not matter that much. It might be especially inconsequential if it doesn't align with your strength. For instance, a college might not care how well a published teen author scores in math. Many of these students receive some media attention for their exceptional talent and will likely be in close contact with colleges to discuss exactly what scores they need for admission. If the college finds you a desirable candidate, then it will probably waive the usual SAT/ACT score expectation and accept you with a lower minimum score. Want to learn more about the SAT but tired of reading blog articles? Then you'll love our free, SAT prep livestreams. Designed and led by PrepScholar SAT experts, these live video events are a great resource for students and parents looking to learn more about the SAT and SAT prep. Click on the button below to register for one of our livestreams today! Applying to Art Schools If you're looking to pursue studio art, photography, dancing, acting, music, or another field in the arts, then you may not have to take the SAT or ACT. Usually these schools are more concerned with your portfolio or audition. Juilliard, one of the world's leading music schools and most prestigious arts programs, does not require the SAT or ACT. Some other art schools with no SAT or ACT requirement include, Academy of Art College in San Francisco American Academy of Art in Chicago California College of the Arts International Fine Arts College in Miami Illinois Institute of Art New England Institute of Art and Communication New Hampshire Institute of Art Two other types of schools that don't usually require the SAT or ACT for admission are community colleges and trade schools. Community Colleges As far as I know, no community colleges require SAT or ACT scores. They usually have open enrollment and have students take a placement test in math and English to determine their level in these classes. SAT or ACT scores could exempt you from these tests and determine your placement. Community colleges offer two-year Associate's degrees in a huge number of programs. Some students go into community college with a "2 + 2" plan, meaning they'll complete two years at community college and then transfer to a four year school. After an additional two years, they'll receive their Bachelor's degree from that four-year institution. There are several reasons why students might choose this plan. Two major ones are saving money or improving their academic record. Community colleges tend to be much less expensive than four year schools, so spending a couple years at one could be a huge tuition-saver. For students who are not satisfied with their high school grades, they could achieve higher grades in community college and then have more options for four year schools. Community colleges also often have partnerships with state schools that make it easy to make this switch. If you've already been at a community college for two years, you usually do not have to take the SAT or ACT or send your scores in order to transfer. The other type of schools that don't require SAT/ACT scores are technical and trade schools. Technical and Trade Schools Students who are primarily looking for professional training may be interested in technical or trade schools. Many of these schools don't require the SAT or ACT, or, if they do, they may only require it for certain sections. ITT Tech, for example, gives students the option of either passing an admissions test or taking the SAT or ACT. As with all college applications, research your school to find out its specific admission requirements. If you attend a vocational high school, or have one in your district, the teachers and counselors there might also be a great source of information for post-secondary options in technical and trade schools. To Sum Up... As you can tell, there are lots of different post-secondary options! Make sure to research your options well in advance of senior year so you can make a plan and fulfill all of your requirements in time for your deadlines. If you experience a lot of test-taking anxiety or cannot take the SAT or ACT for other reasons, there are selective four year schools, community colleges, and trade schools that do not require or do not heavily emphasize standardized testing scores. If you have financial concerns about the tests, check out our article on SAT fee waivers and ACT fee waivers to see if you might be eligible to waive the cost. If you are, you can also get free score reports sent to colleges. The SAT and ACT can be a personal milestone on the path to college for students, but these tests are not for everybody. Explore your options so you can make the best post-secondary plans for you! What's Next? Feeling worried about the SAT? Read these strategies for managing anxiety and how to use mindfulness to clear your head, focus your energy, and perform your best on the SAT. The new SAT is fast approaching! With that in mind, should you take the new SAT in 2016 or the current SAT? Figure out the answer to this important question here. Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Monday, November 25, 2019

Amerindians essays

Amerindians essays In this study, I shall follow the protagonists on their journey from innocent people to people filled with hatred. I shall be primarily concerned with the responses, challenges, opportunities and attitudes of the Amerindians, putting special notice on how they were annihilated by the Spanish. The sources we will use we be short accounts by Bartolome de Las Casas and Bartolome Arazans de Orsua. The Amerindians were burned alive, hung, raped and eaten by dogs. The Amerindians noble and innocent characters led them to be abused by the Spaniards. The Spaniards greed was the true motivation that led them in the fight against the unarmed, pure at heart, Amerindians. Bartolome de Las Casass accounts began approximately one century after Christopher Columbus had discovered the Americas. He arrived at the New World for many reason in common with other conquistadors. Yet later changed his ways and became known as the Defender and Apostle of the Indians, the most controversial figure in the long and troubled history of Spains American empire. (Bartolome de Las Casas, Short Account in the Destruction of the Indies. Published by Penguin Books 1992. xiii) Bartolome de Las Casas did the only thing he could, he informed everyone in Spain about the massacres that were occurring in the New World. Bartolome de Las Casas was a great man with much valor and what he did will never be forgotten. Another source that historians can use to demonstrate the difficulties suffered by the Amerindians are the Tales of Potosi. Bartolome Arazans de Orsua wrote Tales of Potosi. He lived in Potosi all of his life and was a witness to all the massacres the Amerindians faced. In these tales we see once again the horrific treatment of the Spaniards towards the Amerindians. We can also see that the Spaniards were nothing more than greedy men with only money as their true motivation. The Spaniards use Gods name in their doings but man...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Analyze a School's Emergency and Crisis Response Plan Coursework - 1

Analyze a School's Emergency and Crisis Response Plan - Coursework Example This paper will outline the context of Murrell Taylor Elementary School, and evaluate it based on its breadth, specificity, clarity regarding roles, communications, and routine (including both exercises or drills and training requirements). It is important, before reviewing any emergency or crisis response plan, to ensure that one is properly aware of the context of the institution creating it. A school in a major urban area will have many different resources and challenges than a school in a rural area, for example. Murrell Taylor Elementary School is placed on the furthest west corner of Jacksonville, a distant suburb of Little Rock, Arkansas. The town of Jacksonville is quite small, with a population of only 22,000, but the school is none-the-less only a dozen and a half miles from the centre of Little Rock, which has a metro population nearing 700,000. Thus Murrell Taylor is strongly a suburban school, almost bordering on a rural school, with ready access to the resources (and sometimes problems) related to a major metropolitan area. In terms of micro-geography, the school is located on a mostly-empty lot, which abuts onto a small subdivision of houses on one side, and a shopping centre on the other. The school fea tures one central building and no outbuildings, with a large field to its front and several small recreational areas surrounding it. Murrell Taylor Elementary School’s crisis response plan has a fairly good deal of breadth. The plan opens with a description of generalized emergency procedures, including who can declare an emergency (the principal or designate) and who the next calls and decisions would need to be made by (in most cases district officers/ the office of the superintendent). This allows for a highly flexible, if somewhat broad and vague, framework for which any emergency can be used. The strength of this opening is that it can apply to

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Oppression and power within diversity and inclusion Essay

Oppression and power within diversity and inclusion - Essay Example The concept of oppression and power within educational systems and from social stigmas create different expectations within society. Specifically, there is a sense of oppression and power that is based on creating and defining boundaries and expectations among specific identities. While the forms of oppression come with associations from race, class and gender, there are also more subtle forms of oppression which I have noted among the classroom and those that are categorized according to various formats. For the terms and conditions of oppression and power to change, a different concept of power needs to be formed. This is based on changing characteristics of leadership while redefining both personal and institutional powers that lead to forms of oppression while creating a sense of diversity and inclusion. The concept of oppression and power is one which is formed with a sense of lacking equality among groups. Specifically, there is social stratification that takes place among grou ps and which creates an imbalance among groups that hold a specific identity. The problem which arises is one that is based on social and institutional powers that combine to change the lack of justice and equality among groups while defining and creating boundaries that are accepted among groups at higher levels. As this moves into the individual mannerisms, it begins to create social stigmas and formats of how one should behave and approach others. The dividing lines then begin with the powers of those who define the institutional and social powers that are unequal and lead to individual behaviors that continue with this particular problem (Sensoy & DiAngelo, 2012). While the power of oppression has led to institutional and social alterations, there is also an understanding that the group and individual powers have altered with the understanding that this needs to change. The result has been a backlash in the format of oppression and power. This has led to a sense of deculturaliza tion within institutions. Not recognizing differences or identities has become one of the growing trends, specifically with promises for equality and justice that have become more important. This particular concept is based on changing the levels of education and development within society while creating even more value to the educational expectations among those that are receiving an education (Spring, 2006). The backlash that has been taken with oppression and power is one which I have found to not create consistent efforts for change. The first problem is that many within social orders still recognize the identity differences. At the same time, many teachers and administrators continue to exercise a sense of oppression by labeling others in a different way, such as through learning systems. The concept of inclusion by trying to not notice the culture within a classroom is creating even more difficulties with developing a sense of inclusion from other formats. While the concept of deculturalizaation works at an institutional level to form policies while creating gaps within the system at a social level, others are formatting different responses which are expected to alter the educational system and the sense of oppression or inclusion. The recognition and trend has moved from not recognizing culture and focusing on equality into one which is based on the multicultural classroom. The initiative which this is creating is one which is based on understanding the different levels of diversity while noticing that there are differences between each student based on various cultures and formats. This particular application is one which demands equality but at the same time recognizes a sense of diversity is required for those that are within the classroom. This is continuous with trying to define the identity and behaviors while welcoming the diversity that is within the school system and which is a part of the main format for those that are working at an institutio nal level (Pang & Shimogori, 2011). It is the format of believing in multicultural

Monday, November 18, 2019

Ethiopia and Eritrea Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Ethiopia and Eritrea - Research Paper Example After about four decades of enjoyment of its sovereign right, Ethiopia is once more on the verge of permanently becoming a landlocked country. The present governing body of Ethiopia has approved and signed the Algiers Agreement that might make their nation landlocked (Healy & Plaut, 2007). If the opposition, triumphs in the next election or any election afterward, it might officially condemn the Algiers Agreement and insist on a new arrangement that identifies the right of accessing the sea. It is deemed accessing the sea is one of the burning topics that contributed to the achievement of the opposition and the decreasing support of the government in the last election. In this thesis, this paper will argue that Ethiopia has a legal right of accessing the sea as accepted by the regulations of the UN General Assembly of 1950, which was executed accordingly by merging Eritrea to Ethiopia. This paper recognizes the right of self-government along with the independence of the Eritrean citizens. Even though, it recognizes the independence of Eritrea, it also recognizes the sovereign right of accessing the sea by Ethiopia. The legal system that governs the territorial disagreements between Eritrea and Ethiopia is the treaty between UN and Ethiopia. The treaty was also referred to as the agreement between Ethiopia and the Victorious Four Powers of World War II in line with Eritrea, which was merged to Ethiopia, in 1952. The citizens of Eritrea fought for their fate and have become sovereign. Their desires have been accomplished by the blood that they paid during the fight for their independence (Healy & Plaut, 2007). The treaty of the Four Powers and Ethiopia is about the deliberation of the security of East Africa and the rightful need of Ethiopia to access the sea. In reality, the main purpose and objective of the treaty is the right of Ethiopia to access the sea. However, the people who appear to benefit mainly from the treaty are the Eritreans. The basis of any agreement that is meant to resolve the territorial disagreements between Eritrea and Ethiopia should adapt the recommendation of the United Nations General Assembly of 1950, as well as the international law, which gives Ethiopia the right to access the sea. Background The Horn of Africa, which comprises of Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia, is approximately three-quarters of a million square miles in the northeast of Africa (Interna tional Group Crisis, 2003). The region borders hundreds of kilometers of the Arabian Sea. It also lies along the southern border of the Gulf of Aden. Ethiopia stands at the center of the Horn of Africa. The country is bordered by Eritrea 912 km, Djibouti 349 km, Somalia 1600 km and Kenya 861 km, as well as Sudan 1606 km. The country shares diverse cultural groups with its neighbors (International Group Crisis, 2003). There is a wide range of ethnic groups living in Ethiopia, Kenya and Sudan. The

Saturday, November 16, 2019

The Past And Present Of Immigration

The Past And Present Of Immigration Everyday news outlets report on topics and trends that correlate to our history. Following these news outlets gives a better understanding of these trends in todays America. This paper will look at these trends from our past and compare is to the present condition. It will analyze differing viewpoints on the topic, and it will explain the change over time. The world hears of America as the land of opportunity. Because of this, millions of people flock to the US each year. Some come through our borders legally, eventually becoming neutralized citizens. Some come here as tourists or students and decide to stay when their visas expire. Others are so desperate to better their lives they paddle onto our shores in bathtubs and homemade rafts. People want to get here in any way they can. This paper will specifically analyze two major migrations of people: the Irish from the 19th century and the current Mexican migration. In 1845 Ireland experienced the greatest potato famine up to that date. The source of food wiped away from the population, this event catalyzed a mass migration. Five weary years of undependable crops plighted the country, throwing the lowly peasant class into starvation. All hope gone, survivors only wished to flee. The only way out was emigration. Starving families could not pay landlords and had nowhere else to turn except for America. America, the land of opportunity. Irish immigration into America was already a rising trend. However, in the 1940s the number of immigrants skyrocketed. Nearly 2 million Irish came into the country in that decade. The flow increased for five years. Slowly, the first immigrants saved the money to bring family over the Atlantic, increasing the number of immigrants exponentially. There began a slight decline for ten years after 1855 until 1865. Nonetheless, small groups of families still continued to arrive after the Civil War. Between 1820 and 1880 nearly 3.5 Irish men immigrated to the United States. Emigrating to the United States was not an easy feet, and it was not the easy life some had expected. However, it did offer a better environment than the barren old country. Poor refugees arrived with nothing. They had little to no resources to start a farm or business and had a grueling time providing for the family at all. Very few immigrants were put into a position that allowed them to make their own decisions on their way of living at all. Fortunately for them, the expansion of the American economy created heavy demands for muscle grunt. The great canals, which were the first links in the national transportation system were still being dug in the 1820s and 1830s, and in the time between 1830 and 1880, thousands of miles of rail were being laid. With no bulldozers existing at the time, the pick and the shovel were the only earth-moving equipment at the time. And the Irish laborers were the mainstay of the construction gangs that did this grueling work. In towns along the sites of work, groups of Irish formed their small communities to live in. By the middle of the nineteenth century, American cities began to rapidly expand and began to develop an infrastructure and needed personnel to run these cities. This is the Irishs first break in America. Irish men filled the ranks of citys police force and firemen. The Irish all almost monopolized these jobs as soon as they were created. Irish workmen not only began laying the horse car and streetcar tracks, but were some of the first drivers and conductors. The first generations worked largely at unskilled and semiskilled occupations, but their children found themselves working at increasingly skilled trades. By the turn of the century, Irish made up nearly a third of plumbers, steamfitters, and boilermakers. Irishmen soon found themselves being given positions as managers as unskilled laborers began coming from other areas of Europe. While immigrants can change the shape of a culture, as seen with the Irish migration, those same immigrants are benificial to industrial growth. That same idea also holds true for Mexican immigrants. Now this research paper will take a look into the Mexican migration that this country is witnessing now. It will begin with a historical background. Fifty-five thousand Mexican workers immigrated to the United States between the years 1850 and 1880 to become field hands in newly won regions of the US that had been Mexico a few years previous. This is the time period in which commercial agriculture, the mining industry, light industry and the railroad all became dependant on the Mexican laborer. Needless to say, working conditions and salaries of the Mexicans were poor. After the Mexican Revolution of 1910, the new Mexican government was not able to improve the lives of its citizens. Soon after this event became a crisis, the fields of Mexico harvested increasingly smaller bounties and employment soon became hard to come by. Much like his Irish counterpart, Mexicans had to move to survive. World War I also stoked the fire of Mexican immigration. Mexican workers worked well in industry and service professions, working as machinists, mechanics, painters and plumbers. These years fostered employment opportunities for Mexicans because much of the existing U.S. labor force was across the Atlantic fighting in France for the Allies. Entrepreneurs came to Mexico searching for workers who could fill jobs in the railway and agriculture industries of the United States. Mexican workers complaints about the abuse of their labor rights eventually led the Mexican government to action. Led by Venustiano Carranza in 1920, the Mexican government composed a model contract that guaranteed Mexican workers certain rights named in the Mexican Political Constitution. The contract demanded that U.S. ranchers allow workers to bring their families along during the period of the contract. No worker was allowed to leave for the United States without a contract, signed by an immigration official, which stated the rate of pay, work schedule, place of employment and other similar conditions. Thus, this became the first de facto Bracero Program between the two countries. In 1924, the U.S. Border Patrol was created, an event which would have a significant impact on the lives of Mexican workers. Though the public did not immediately view Mexicans as illegal aliens, the law now stated that undocumented workers were fugitives. With the advent of the Border Patrol, the definition illegal alien is born, and many Mexican citizens north of the border were subject to much suspicion. The Mexican work force was critical in developing the economy and prosperity of the United States. The Mexican workers in numerous accounts were regarded as strong and efficient. As well, they were willing to work for low wages, in working conditions that were questionably humane. Another measure of control was imposed on the Mexican immigrant workers during the depression: visas were denied to all Mexicans who failed to prove they had secure employment in the United States. The Mexicans who were deported under this act were warned that if they came back to the United States, they would be considered outlaws. It seemed whenever the United States found a reason to close the door on Mexican immigration, a historic event would force them to reopen that door. Such was the case when the United States entered World War II. In 1942, the United States was heading to war with the fascist powers of Europe. Labor was siphoned from all areas of United States industry and poured into those which supported the war efforts. Also in that year, the United States signed the Bracero Treaty which reopened the floodgates for legal immigration of Mexican laborers. Between the period of 1942 and 1964, millions of Mexicans were imported into the U.S. as braceros under the Bracero Program to work temporarily on contract to United States growers and ranchers. Under the Bracero Program, more than 4 million Mexican farm workers came to work the fields of the United States. Impoverished Mexicans fled their rural communities and traveled north to work as braceros. It was mainly by the Mexican hand that America became the most lush agricultural center in the world. The braceros were principally experienced farm workers who hailed from regions such as Coahuila, la Comarca Lagunera, and other crucial agricultural regions in Mexico. They left their own lands and families chasing a rumor of economic boom in the United States. The Bracero Program contracts were controlled by independent farmer associations and the Farm Bureau, and were written in English, and many braceros would sign them without understanding the rights they were giving away nor the terms of the employment. The braceros were allowed to return to their native lands only in case of emergency, and required written permission from their employer. When the contracts expired, the braceros were mandated to hand over their permits and return to Mexico. The braceros in the United States were busy thinning sugar beets, picking cucumbers and tomatoes and weeding and picking cotton. At the end of World War II, Mexican workers were ousted from their jobs by workers coming out of wartime industries and by returning servicemen. By 1947, the Emergency Farm Labor Service was working on decreasing the amount of Mexican labor imported. By the 1960s, an overflow of illegal agricultural workers along with the invention of the mechanical cotton harvester, diminished the practicality and appeal of the bracero program. These events, added to the gross humanitarian violations of bracero employers, brought the program to an end in 1964. Once we step back from our emotional opinions, we should see that the Mexican migration is much like the Irish migration. We can choose to embrace that, or we can choose to fight it. Either way it will be very hard to stop if it can be stopped at all. But we must ask ourselves a simple question. Why stop it? America was founded on people like these, struggling to survive. They came and made America what it is. The Irish came and transformed America. Why shouldnt we allow these immigrants to do the same (if they enter legally of course)? Is our pride getting in the way of progress?

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

John Stuart Mills On Liberty Essays -- essays research papers

John Stuart Mill's On Liberty Imagine going through life not questioning anything that anyone tells you. Anything that is said to be true you would just agree with and not question the statement for yourself. Imagine how blindly you would go through life not finding anything out for yourself. A good example of this is something that just happened to me today. I have always been told that the population of the United States is 240 million and I have been told that for the longest time, even recently within the last month. I was always under this assumption and never questioned it. In my sociology class, my teacher told me that it is now 260 million and has been for quite some time. I took it upon myself to look up the census information on the Internet and found out that indeed, the population is 260 million. Without ever questioning the â€Å"truth† about the population, I never would have obtained the real truth. John Stuart Mill illustrates this point in his book, On Liberty and I will discuss how he mak es these certain points.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mill claims that we may not interfere with a person’s liberty unless her or his acting freely will bring harm to others. In addition, he claims that the root cause for most of our errors in action and thought is â€Å"the fatal tendency of mankind to leave off thinking about a thing when it is no longer doubtful.† This statement is part of Mill’s initial argument promoting total freedom of both thought and discussion. The statem...