Elderly Woman Arrested for Chopping Down Tree: Policing Gone Mad

1. Read the following newspaper articles. What do you notice? How are they alike? How are they different? Ain’t they got anything better to do? Imagine the scene: you’re a poor, lonely 87-year old woman, fiercely independent and used to living alone. The house you have lived in all of your life becomes freezing as temperatures plummet in winter. You have no central heating and little money. In desperation you walk 3 miles to a local park and cut down a tree for firewood. Whilst lugging the heavy wood home, you are stopped by the police and arrested for destroying public property! This is policing gone mad. Why arrest the poor and helpless when real criminals are roaming the land? Woman arrested for chopping down tree Brenda Haindrock, 87, was arrested yesterday for chopping down a tree in Pumley Country Park. Police Constable U. R. Nicked said the pensioner was apprehended at 5pm on High Street as she dragged a tree along the pavement. Mrs. Haindrock, when interviewed, said: “I have no money for coal or firewood, so I chopped down a public tree. I’m a member of the public so why I can’t I do that.” A police spokesman said: “Destroying public property is a crime.”

2. Fact vs. Opinion • Facts are statements that can be proven. • Opinionscannot be proven. They are based on someone's thoughts, theirfeelings, and their understanding. • Although you may be able to use facts to add credibility to an opinion, it is still an opinion! • An opinion may be widely accepted, but that does not make it a fact.

3. Biased or Unbiased? • If a newspaper or magazine article is biased, it means that it takes sides and does not give a fair representation of both sides of an issue. Something that is biased presents information from a single point of view. • If a newspaper or magazine article is unbiased, it means that it is balanced and does not take sides. Something that is unbiased considers both points of view on an issue equally.

4. Biased or Unbiased? When a person is biased, he makes an assertion based on his own opinions and perspectives about a topic or issue. For example, someone who does not like dogs might say that “all dogs are vicious”, making a statement based on his own view rather than on facts. assertion = a statement that you strongly believe is true perspective = to understand something through your own senses and logic; your point of view

5. Subjective vs. Objective What does subjective mean? Subjectivemeans based on individual opinion or experience. Subjective information or writing is based on personal opinions, interpretations, points of view, emotions, and judgment. It is often considered ill-suited for scenarios like news reporting or decision making in business or politics. What does objective mean?Objective is an adjective, meaning not influenced by personal feelings or bias. As such, it is a synonym of impartial or neutral. Objective information or analysis is fact-based, measurable, and observable.

6. Subjective vs. Objective Various genres of writing require either an objective or subjective voice. • Use objective for an unbiased observation, independent from personal views. • Use subjective for a biased evaluation, influenced by personal opinion. • Here is a helpful trick to remember subjective vs. objective. Since objective and observation both begin with the letter O, you can use this letter to link the words together in your mind. • Also, subjective and feelings both contain the letter S, which you can use as an additional mnemonic.

7. So, which article do you think is biased and which unbiased? Why? Ain’t they got anything better to do? Imagine the scene: you’re a poor, lonely 87-year old woman, fiercely independent and used to living alone. The house you have lived in all of your life becomes freezing as temperatures plummet in winter. You have no central heating and little money. In desperation you walk 3 miles to a local park and cut down a tree for firewood. Whilst lugging the heavy wood home, you are stopped by the police and arrested for destroying public property! This is policing gone mad. Why arrest the poor and helpless when real criminals are roaming the land? Woman arrested for chopping down tree Brenda Haindrock, 87, was arrested yesterday for chopping down a tree in Pumley Country Park. Police Constable U. R. Nicked said the pensioner was apprehended at 5pm on High Street as she dragged a tree along the pavement. Mrs. Haindrock, when interviewed, said: “I have no money for coal or firewood, so I chopped down a public tree. I’m a member of the public so why I can’t I do that.” A police spokesman said: “Destroying public property is a crime.”