EDUCATION: A Response on Plagiarism

Just received a comment from someone whom I’d quoted via an article in one of my posts on the education system and today’s students and want to highlight it here as it has somewhat restored my faith in mankind, even as it points out another failing:

It is I- XXX, here to respond to you’re misled beliefs on this story. First of all, its true that I contacted an essay website, I was in a panic, and I wanted to give it a try. I never had any intention of turning in the paper custom-written for me because that would obviously be plagiarism. I was hoping that it would spur some ideas of my own because I was having a huge mental blank. The day after I hired the service, I wrote the paper myself and got a top 3 grade in the class. I realized that I do have the confidence and ability to write a good paper. Yes, I was wrong for attempting to ask someone to do my work for me, but hey I made a mistake, and I learned from it. My problem is with this reporter-Thomas Bartlett who like most reporters, never accurately record quotes. I NEVER said that it was acceptable to have someone research for you. Furthermore, I did not say I defend the idea of paid research either. This reporter took some of my words out of context and embellished it with his own words to prove his point. Talk about ethics, this reporter needs to check himself out. My professor actually refused to be included in this article because he thought the reporter had suspicious techniques for gaining and reporting information. In conclusion, I do not condone academic paid research or false statements by obnoxious reporters. I learned that reporters are like rappers- you can’t believe everything they say (they might be high on something).

I apologize to XXX as he claims he has been misquoted by the reporter and I believe that it is highly likely to be the case. And knowing that XXX is majoring in philosophy and religion, I would think that his intentions are pure and that the inexperience and judgment of youth had been the mitigating factors in his decisions and are highly forgivable.

However, I might suggest that this same youth factor has affected his reaction here as well in his suggestions that “Thomas Bartlett, who like most reporters, never accurately record quotes” and “I learned that reporters are like rappers- you can’t believe everything they say (they might be high on something).” would indicate a sweeping generalization and stereotyping of reporters (and rappers) that he no doubt instinctively finds as distasteful as plagiarism and twisting of facts in reporting. I’m also a bit wary of the excuse of “panic” and a “huge mental blank,” but I’m a hard-ass on cheating but have faith that XXX is on the right track.  As many philosophers have noted, there cannot be good without evil, and sometimes we all have to taste the bad to convince ourselves rather than believe someone else’s word–which as XXX has noted, cannot always be believed.

So thank you, XXX, I appreciate your honesty and willingness to come forward and wish you the best of success in all your achievements both at James Madison and your promising career ahead.