Plagiarism, eh? Is seems nigh impossible participating in any class that requires opening one's word processor of choice without beating the dead plagiarism horse to a mushy reddish pile. That vivid image aside, I think plagiarism is an over-covered topic. Take any sentence from any book. That particular sentence has been written word for word at least one hundred times before.
Now I'm not saying to go wild with the CTRL+C/CTRL+V, but we have to realize that absolutely none of our thoughts are unique to us. As depressing as the previous sentence sounds, It's true. Take this sentence, for example: 'He said'. Basically any book with a male character includes the sentence 'he said'. Does this mean my works cited page(s) should include every author under the sun? This is what I mean when I say that plagiarism is radically over-enforced.
That tirade aside, I'm not by any means defending copying and pasting of entire paragraphs. I believe that as long as a student re-words the passage enough, as well as brings some additional information to the proverbial table, it shouldn't be a problem. It's impossible to write a unique sentence, or have a unique idea. In the age of technology, any outspoken voice is available for instant and widespread perusal. Is it wrong for someone to have the same exact ideas as you? I wouldn't like my work to be copied outright, but after all, imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. So I believe that the plagiarism police, while noble in their cause, should take a donut break from slapping the wrists of 'accidental' plagiarists.
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