EDITORIAL FOR VERONA TIMES USING ONE RJ MESSAGE

JUDGING CRITERIA

What to include in your editorial

1. Thesis sentence
2. Substantiation/justification of your thesis with details/event from RJ
3. Conclusion with Generalization (Why is this value, thesis or message important?)

Choose one theme/message to cover in your thesis. Below are ideas themes proposed by your classmates.

1. Honesty is the best policy.
One lie begets another. Life is much less complicated when you are honest. Dishonesty can be self-destructive.

2. Prejudice and hatred are self-destructive

3. Nothing good can come out of holding a grudge against someone.

4. Violence is bad and doesn't solve anything.

5. Prejudice towards others is counter-productive.

6. Prejudice and discrimination hurt everyone.
When feuds, conflicts and problems between people are not solved but allowed to continue on through generations everyone ends up hurt.

7. It is how good a person is on the inside that counts.
It is not what is on the outside of a person, like whether they are rich or poor, of from a different ethnic origin, smart or dumb or pretty or ugly, but what is on the inside.

8. It is self-destructive to not think things through and let emotions rule.

9. Hate does not solve problems.

10. Anger is wasted energy.

11. With hate you end up losing.

RJ MESSAGE IDEAS FROM The Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District and the English Department of Calhoun High School

1. There is more to love than lust.
Romeo and Juliet did not take the time to get to know each other and form a deep intimate relationship.

2. Labels mean nothing
Their last name was a label. Their names were what almost kept them apart. . But love saw through that. They saw each other in secrecy and soon fell madly in love. Love sees no barriers.

3. Listen to advice
If the families had listened to the Prince of Verona and made peace, then Mercutio and Tybalt would not have died. If Romeo and Juliet would have listened to the advice given to them by the Friar then they would not have died so young. The Friar cautioned them about acting hastily and irrationalyl. But instead the star-crossed lovers meet the fate of death.

4. Don't seek revenge
The families sought revenge for things that did not even involve them and happened years ago. They needed to forgive and forget.

5. Don't act hastily
R&J should have thought things through first before they jumped into matrimony.

Sample Editorial on selfishness, adapted from an imperfect but interesting student paper fround at:
Romeo and Juliet. 2000.

Selfishness is a huge factor in the events that took place this past week. Each person involved could be

related to selfishness in one way or another. Romeo and Juliet's parents were too selfish to resolve the petty conflicts

that laid between them. They were too selfish to allow their children to choose their own paths in life. Romeo and Juliet

appeared somewhat innocent, but their selfishness contributed to the tragic ending. The lovers

were too selfish to notify their parents of their love for each other and of their marriage. Juliet was so absorbed in

herself that she faked her own death just to get her way. If she had cared about others, she would have told her

family the truth and respected their opinions. If they had disagreed with her choices she could have left, despite their

opposition and lived her life the way she chose.

Romeo and Juliet's lives did not have to end the way they did. They could have acted differently and

spared the lives that were lost. If Romeo and Juliet were truly in love with each other they would have told their

parents, despite the fact that they may have disagreed. When you are truly in love nothing will discourage you, but you will

still have the respect to notify those that have raised you. Selfishness is something that could have been prevented

and was a huge factor in the deaths of these two lovers. If everyone cared about those around them, they would

never have let selfishness divide them. Everyone played a part in these tragic events and therefore

everyone could have prevented it.