While reflecting on this last essay I do not have much to say. I had made a simple mistake that I was unable to correct on a rough draft. In the future I will have to make sure I re- read my rough drafts and my final copies very carefully before I get in trouble again. Over all I have learned my lesson and it was a good mistake for a freshman to make before I found out to late.
Class:
Overall the class was almost the same atmosphere every time you stepped into the classroom. It was a good learning experience because you could see how everyone else was writing their essays on the same exact topic or style of writing that you were. It also helped because we talked about essays everyday. Even though i did not talk a whole lot in the classroom it was good to hear from the students and the professor that know what they are talking about. I got to learn a couple different styles of writing essays and it really broadened my horizons. It was a great class and I wish I could have done better.
Colby
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Reflectoon 4.1
While doing this essay on Concussions I feel like I might have just said to much about my stories and not talk about concussions enough. But I liked this essay because we were allowed to pick what we wanted to do and I really wanted to do a paper on sports and concussions was perfect because of the fact that kids on my team in high school went through the concussion problem and were forced to go tot he hospital. That's another thing I may have done poorly on my paper because my title is "Sports Related Concussions" and only talk about football and how many injuries occur in football, I do not really talk about sports. I will defiantly have to workshop this paper very well and make sure that I have exactly what I want. I feel I have a good beginning but I also have a good amount of time left to work on this paper.
Rogerian Reflection 3.2
While doing my Rogerian Revision I wanted to make sure I went through everything and made sure that I had everything that I wanted. My main concern was to point out both sides of Abortion and not choose a side but let the audience know what side of the argument that I was for. Also I felt really good about this essay because I really rushed through the rough draft so I had to do the second paper like it was my first and rearrange everything. I really enjoyed the rogerian argument because I got to learn about the other sides argument more then you thought you would. And I also used several sources for this paper which I feel like I benefited from.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
essay 4.1: Sports Related Concussions
Sports related concussions
Sports related concussions are becoming very relevant in the athletic world. Every level of age groups you start to hear about the severity of concussions and what there effect is on the game. Sports related concussions are beginning to become a problem because after a certain amount of people are getting them the sport decides to change the sports rules or modify what it uses for equipment. In baseball they have changed the metal bat rule to a BBCOR (Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution) instead of BESR (Ball Exit Speed Ratio) to slow down the velocity of the ball of the bat to make the game safer for the infielders. In football they have changed the helmets to make them absorb the impact better with more cushions in the helmet. In the United States there are over 300,000 concussions annually that are sports related (Sports Related Concussions. pgph. 1). Many sports are taking drastic measures to make sure everyone in the sport is well protected.
While playing sports I have had a couple of teammates have severe head trauma because of the fact they had a mild concussion and they kept playing. I used to play football in high school and I had two teammates that had concussions so bad that both of them were hospitalized. There are more then 62,000 concussions alone just for contact sports in high school (Sports Related Concussions, pgph 1).
The first kid named Derek White used to free safety. Free safety is a defensive position that plays in the back field and tries not to let anyone get behind him because he is the safety man. When he would tackle people he would lead with his head and constantly hit people really hard but you would never see any signs of injury or concussion come out of him until one day late after practice. One day late after practice he texted his old girlfriend and asked her when they were going to see each other or when he was allowed to come watch a movie in her basement. In the meantime she had no idea what he was talking about because nobody knew that he was concussed so severely. So she just played it off cool and told him that he was not able to come over and to stop messing around with her. But then everything got worse. Derek had begun to show up at her doorstep in the pouring rain to ask if he was allowed in. The girl meanwhile had another boyfriend and has not been with Derek for over a year or two now because they just used to date in middle school. The girl got scared and ended up calling for her mom which ended up calling the parents of Derek. After Derek returned home he kept talking to his parents about Caitlyn and why she would not talk to him and that is when his parents began to realize that something was wrong. Derek also began to stop eating because he always felt nauseous due to his concussion and every time he ate it gave him the opportunity just to throw it right back up. The parents were forced to hospitalize him and make sure that everything was alright in his head and there was severe damage to his brain. The whole football team went out of there way to go see him and make sure he was alright, but he was never the same after that. Even today when you see him it is awkward because he remembers you but he does not remember much about you. It is a strong case of how severe a sport related concussion can be.
The next individual I am going to talk about is Willy Enslow who was a nose guard. A nose guard is the player that lines up across from the center and hits the center who snaps the ball as hard as he can every play. Most of the contact from a center and nose guard is with there heads and it is very hard to prevent them from colliding with their heads just because of where they are positioned. So during one game after a play Willy had laid down on the field and was not really moving until the trainer came out to make sure everything was alright. He was showing a small amount of having a concussion so he was benched for the game and possibly the next game depending on doctor’s orders. But this is when it took a turn for the worst. When Willy got into the locker room after the game all he was doing was throwing up and then dry-heaving because he had nothing in his system from constantly puking. His parents brought him home in full uniform just because it was too hard for him to change while he was constantly puking. While he was at his house he would not stop dry-heaving and puking anything that they made him drink or eat. So then the parents decided that they were going to have to put him into the hospital to make sure that anything was not severely messed up. It ended up just being a severe concussion. The concussion had him out of school for the rest of the year with him having to have a tutor come to his home so that it was possible for him to graduate. He still graduated, but every time you see him it still looks like he is sick because of how pale he always is. Concussions are a severe problem.
There are many signs and rules that could be changed in the football world to make the game a lot safer. When looking for a concussion you need to look for confusion, disorientation, dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting and extreme fatigue (Staten Island Advanced Sports Desk). All of which if you do not notice, the injury to the brain will only get worse. Some changes that could be likely are to completely take the head out of blocking and hitting in football (Staten Island Advanced Sports Desk) but that could be really difficult because of how hard everyone plays the game and at how fast of a pace the game is played. Concussions are going to happen no matter what, no matter what you decide to change on the player’s equipment.
The number of individuals who have suffered from a concussion has doubled in just a decade (Salynn Boyles, pg. 1). It can also be severely worse for a young individual to attain a concussion then an adult because a younger individual is still having their brain form and with a concussion at a young age it could effect how the brain developments for the rest of their lives. Roughly half a million ER visits for concussions occurred among 8- to 19-year-olds between 2001 and 2005. About half were sports-related, and 40% of sports-related concussions involved children between the ages of 8 and 13 (Salynn Boyles, pg 5 & 6). That just goes to show that at such a young age contact needs to be limited because a concussion at such a young age like that could ruin there entire lives for being able to play a sport or just ruin how they function period. Concussions are an issue that needs to be taken very seriously.
Works Cited
Boyles, Salynn . "Sports Related concussions on the rise of kids." WebMD. WebMD health News, 30 Aug 2011. Web. 19 Apr 2011.
"Scary Statistics about Concussions." silive.com.
03 Oct 2010. Web. 19 Apr 2011.
"Brain Trauma Research center (Sports Related Concussions)." Department of Neurological Surgery. University of Pitsburgh , Web. 19 Apr 2011.
Friday, April 15, 2011
prewriting 4.1
After working with my group I figured I would do sports and concussions because of all the most recent issues in football and hockey about the concussions. For my climax I will probably tell the story of the individual who I know that went through the concussion problem. Also after the story I will put much detail in the information on concussions and why they are so serious. Also there are a lot of stories with pro athletes that talk about there concussions and why they can not play so I can always mention them. I have to make my essay almost lead straight to the climax then have a nice slow ending to my essay. My climax scene will most likely be when the individual I know tried to go back into the game to early from his concussion, then made play with his head then ended up puking because his head was still not over the first concussion. Also a player of my football team was hospitalized due to to much contact with his head. A lot can happen with concussions and it is a very strong aspect that I can talk about. You need to take them seriously.
prewrite essay 4.0
For my narrative essay I want to write about something that people will really enjoy. But honestly I do not have much besides sports and having fun with my friends. I have gone very far in sports and I could defiantly write about something interesting that I have done with sports such as a state championship or going to the national tournament, both events that a lot of people do not get to experience. My problem will be making a strong claim of what I am trying to write about. But if I do choose to write about sports I could mention how great they are for a kid growing up and what they will do to a persons social identity. Sports can teach a human being a lot about respect and how to be a good sport when you encounter a loss. There are a lot of issues that could be changed in sports to make more people play but that is why there is a variety of sports for people to choose from.
And prewriting is always hard because I do not know exactly what I am going to be talking about in my essay yet so I end up just rambling on about an issue which I might possibly pick.
And prewriting is always hard because I do not know exactly what I am going to be talking about in my essay yet so I end up just rambling on about an issue which I might possibly pick.
essay 3.2. Abortion: A Controversial and Timely Topic
Abortion: A Controversial and Timely Topic
Abortion is a controversial subject that can be viewed by two opposing points of view. There is the pro-choice side of the argument and the pro-life side of the argument. A person can either agree with you on the issue or they can be on the total opposite end of the spectrum. The issue of abortion is very timely right now with the Federal Government threatening to take away all funding for Planned Parenthood, where the majority of abortions are performed and where women get birth control (Ertelt, 2011). The statistical rates of abortions, the reasons for having an abortion as well as arguments for both sides of the position will be examined in this paper.
The likelihood of having an abortion is much greater when a person is young. Fifty- two percent of all abortions happening in the United States occur in women under the age of twenty- five. Women in the ages of twenty through twenty- four obtain thirty- two percent of all abortions. Teenagers obtain around twenty percent and girls under the age of fifteen only account for under two percent (Abortion Facts).
The rates of abortions vary by race, marital status, religion and age. White women lead the abortion rates with sixty percent. Sixty- four percent of all women who have abortions are never- married women and married women only account for eighteen percent of all abortions. Catholic women account for thirty- one percent of all abortions and forty- three percent of all women will have one abortion by the time they are forty- five (Abortion Facts).
In researching why women obtain abortions in her article “Why Women Choose Abortion-Reasons Behind the Abortion Decision”, Linda Lewin (2011) examines a study released by the Guttmacher Institute in 2005 which point out three main reasons why women have abortions. One is a negative impact on the mother's life. She explains that taken at face value this reason may sound selfish. However, a pregnancy that occurs at the wrong place at the wrong time in a woman's life can have a detrimental effect on her ability to raise a family and earn a living.
The other two reasons cited as to why a woman might have an abortion are financial instability and relationship problems and/or unwillingness to be a single mother. Further, when women were asked to provide reasons why they chose to have an abortion (multiple responses were permissible) of those who gave at least one reason: 89% gave at least two, 72% gave at least three. Nearly three-quarters said they could not afford to have a baby. The answer of not being able to afford the baby was most frequently followed by one of three other reasons: pregnancy/birth/baby would interfere with school or employment, reluctant to be a single mother or experiencing relationship problems, and done with childbearing or already have other children/dependents (Lowen, 2011).
A person's political stance on abortion as well as their values will ultimately have an impact on how a woman makes a decision about whether or not to have an abortion. A person who is pro-choice would be more likely to have an abortion and a person who is pro-life would be against having an abortion. The pro- choice side believes that government should not have a say in what a women does with her own body (Pro-Life vs. Pro-Choice, see cartoon below). Whatever they want to do with their body they should be allowed to do without anyone trying to make them stop (Abortion: pros and cons). The U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortion as a result of Roe vs. Wade on January 22, 1973 (Pro-Choice-An Informed Choice?). This issue has been a controversial and a widely debated one ever since.
The pro-life side of the argument believes in the notion that people do not have the right to kill another life in order to preserve a woman’s right (Abortion: pros and cons). The pro- life side believes that all life deserves an opportunity and that life starts at conception. However, the other side of the debate disagrees and believes that life does not begin until a baby is delivered and breathing their own air (Abortion: pros and cons).
There are other factors that affect the abortion argument as well. People who are very religious, for example in the Roman Catholic faith do not believe in abortions. They believe that government has an obligation to preserve all human life, regardless of intent, viability or quality of life concerns. The Roman Catholic Church prohibits abortion, euthanasia and assisted suicide, the death penalty and war with very few exceptions (Pro-Life vs. Pro-Choice).
There are other factors that affect the abortion argument as well. People who are very religious, for example in the Roman Catholic faith do not believe in abortions. They believe that government has an obligation to preserve all human life, regardless of intent, viability or quality of life concerns. The Roman Catholic Church prohibits abortion, euthanasia and assisted suicide, the death penalty and war with very few exceptions (Pro-Life vs. Pro-Choice).
The religious and scientific aspects of agreeing or disagreeing with abortion can also be looked at by thinking about the soul of the baby. The pro-life side of the issue would say that the soul is developed at the moment of conception. However, the other side believes that the soul is implanted when quickening occurs, or when the fetus first begins to move. To further complicate the issue of when the soul is implanted, the United States government cannot acknowledge the existence of an immortal soul implanted at conception without taking on a specific, theological definition of personhood (Pro-Life vs. Pro-Choice).
Also, there is no scientific basis for the existence of the soul. If we look at science to help define when a life begins you first have to understand the brain. In that case, neo-cortical development, which scientists believe makes emotion and cognition possible does not begin until the late second or third trimester of pregnancy (Pro-Life vs. Pro-Choice).
A recent development in the abortion debate is that the Federal Government is threatening to stop funding planned parenthood which does more than 324,000 abortions annually and receives more than $363 million in federal, state and local taxpayer funds. The House of Representatives approved the Pence amendment which takes away funding for Planned Parenthood. In leading the way to support the amendment Congressman Mile Pence of Indiana said, “I believe that ending an innocent human life is morally wrong. I also believe it is morally wrong to take the taxpayer dollars of millions of pro-life Americans and use them to fund organizations that provide and promote abortion-like Planned Parenthood of America” (Ertelt, 2011). Abortion advocates said if Planned Parenthood loses its government funding that women would be hurt. “Planned Parenthood has provided health services to one in five American women” Rep. Nita Lowley of New York said (Ertelt, 2011).
The fact that the government is going to stop funding Planned Parenthood is adding fuel to the fire of the abortion debate. The issue of abortion can make people very upset and emotional on both sides of the debate due to their own religious, philosophical, political, and personal beliefs and experiences. Unfortunately, it is an issue that will continue to be argued by both sides of the debate on a yearly basis. Reducing the number of abortions is the goal for both sides, however, how to attain that goal is the question.
Works Cited
"Abortions: pros and cons." Abortion Support. Designed by realcubes, Web. 30 Mar
All About Popular Issues “Pro-Choice Abortion- An Informed Choice?”
Ertelt, Steven. “House Overwhelmingly Votes to Scrap Planned Parenthood Funding.”
http://www.lifenews.com/2011/02/18/house-overwhelmingly-votes-to-scrap-plannned-parenthood-funding/LifeNews.com Feb. 2011
Finer, Lawrence B. and Lori F. Frohwirth, Lindsay A. Dauphinee, Susheela Singh and Ann F. Moore. "Reasons U.S. Women Have Abortions: Quantitative and Qualitiative Perspectives."Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, Guttmacher.org, September 2005.
Guttmacher Institute. "Abortion Facts." The Center for Bio- ethical reform. Web. 30 Mar 2011.2011.
Head, Tom. “Pro-Life vs. Pro-Choice.” About.com. Civil Liberties http://civilliberty.about.com/od/abortion/tp/Pro-Life-vs-Pro-Choice.htm
Lowen, Linda. “Why Women Choose Abortion - Reasons Behind the Abortion Decision
Majority of Women Who Terminate a Pregnancy Cite One of Three Reasons” http://womensissues.about.com/od/reproductiverights/a/AbortionReasons.htm
2 Mar. 2011
Keep Your Big GOP Government Off Of My Body!
March 7, 2011
tags: Paul Jamiol, Political Cartoon
by Zooey
All cartoons are posted with the artists’ express permission to TPZoo.
Paul Jamiol, Jamiol’s World
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
relection 3.1
While writing my essay i realized it was easier to write a rogerian argument then i thought it would be. It was really easy to be nice and comment on the other sides point of view. Like i could write exactly what i wanted to write about my own view then i could touch upon the other sides view with what they were feeling. I also found this essay was easier to write because we got to pick the topic and i could write what i wanted to write. I also felt like i found good citations which helped me with information in my essay. It was also a good learning system because i got to learn the other opinion because it was the exact opposite of what my opinion was. It may have been defiantly a rough rough draft so i am looking forward to correcting it and making my paper better.
essay 3.1
Abortion: What a touchy issue
Abortion too many people is viewed in different aspects. You can either be on the same level of the issue or you can be on total opposite ends of the spectrum. Abortion can also be for many different reasons. When somebody is young the chance of them having an abortion is more likely then that of people of older age. Fifty- two percent of all abortions happening in the United States are from women under the age of twenty- five. Women the ages of twenty through twenty- four obtain thirty- two percent of all abortions. Teenagers obtain around twenty percent and girls under the age of fifteen only account for under two percent (Abortion Facts). As you can see abortions relatively happen at a young age and I find that to happen because growing women have so much ahead of them and to add a baby to their lives would just cause to much stress and cause them to maybe not achieve what they really wanted to. Also as women settle down they could have possibly already had too many children and do not want anymore and abortion could be a way to prevent them from having a baby. But I do not mean that they should use abortion as a way of contraception. Lastly, there is also a way to find out if you are going to have a deformed baby, such as a baby that will come out of the womb with a mental illness and you could use abortion if you think it would be a struggle to have a child in that condition. Abortion will always be a touchy issue because of the fact everyone deserves the right to live.
Abortion has many pros and cons that will be the basis for how people make their own decisions. On the pro- side is that women have the right to do what they want with their own body. And then whatever they want to do with their body they should be allowed to do with out anyone trying to make them stop (Abortion: pros and cons) After people say those two examples people will come back with the notion of that does not give them the right to kill another life in order to preserve the woman’s right (Abortion: pros and cons). The con- side of abortion strongly argues that all life deserves an opportunity at carrying out life and that life starts at conception. But many people will argue that life does not start until they are delivered and breathing their own air Abortion: pros and cons). Then the con- side also has the very basic scheme of saying that companies performing abortions are only doing so because they are getting rich off of it and it has nothing to do with the health or welfare of the women (Abortion: pros and cons). I personally do not believe that any company would just do it to become rich they would only do it because that is their living and they have to do what is being done. Also the companies that are performing the abortions probably make sure that they are doing everything correctly, so they are technically looking after the health and welfare of the women. The pros and the cons of abortion can be an ongoing argument because both sides have one main strong point.
Personally I believe that women should be able to have an abortion. I have many reasons why women should be able to have an abortion. My main reason is what I had mentioned earlier in the essay where young women should have the right to abort the child. If they are going to have a hard time at caring for the baby it is better off being aborted then living in a world of poverty and pain. Many teen mothers are not mature enough to even take care of a child and that could mean the child being shipped from house to house being taken care of and that is not good for the baby. Then the baby could grow up alone because the mother is never there because she is trying to make a living for the baby that she had at such a young age. The other side then could always say to put the baby up for adoption and it will be well off. But then the mother of that baby becomes emotionally attached to the baby for the nine months that it has it in her womb and then just has to get rid of it and barely ever see it again. I know the whole aspect of abortion is the woman’s right or the child’s right and I find this to be a woman’s right because they will just have to let go of a child that they cared for almost a year. Also I mentioned that a child could be mentally retarded when it comes out of the womb. And I am not saying that women should only abort the child because it will be mentally retarded but there is much reason behind that. The two parents could have steady jobs and it would make care for a child that much harder when the child has challenges. Also you do not know the expenses for having a child with disabilities because they may have to go to a different school, and you may need to buy private instructors for your child. Depending on the problem they have also matters what you have to constantly get them for the problem that they have. It would just make the parents lives a lot more stressful. Six percent of all abortions happen because of the health of the woman or the child in the womb (Abortion Facts). There are many views about abortion and those are my main points to why I believe woman should be able to have an abortion.
Personally I believe that women should be able to have an abortion. I have many reasons why women should be able to have an abortion. My main reason is what I had mentioned earlier in the essay where young women should have the right to abort the child. If they are going to have a hard time at caring for the baby it is better off being aborted then living in a world of poverty and pain. Many teen mothers are not mature enough to even take care of a child and that could mean the child being shipped from house to house being taken care of and that is not good for the baby. Then the baby could grow up alone because the mother is never there because she is trying to make a living for the baby that she had at such a young age. The other side then could always say to put the baby up for adoption and it will be well off. But then the mother of that baby becomes emotionally attached to the baby for the nine months that it has it in her womb and then just has to get rid of it and barely ever see it again. I know the whole aspect of abortion is the woman’s right or the child’s right and I find this to be a woman’s right because they will just have to let go of a child that they cared for almost a year. Also I mentioned that a child could be mentally retarded when it comes out of the womb. And I am not saying that women should only abort the child because it will be mentally retarded but there is much reason behind that. The two parents could have steady jobs and it would make care for a child that much harder when the child has challenges. Also you do not know the expenses for having a child with disabilities because they may have to go to a different school, and you may need to buy private instructors for your child. Depending on the problem they have also matters what you have to constantly get them for the problem that they have. It would just make the parents lives a lot more stressful. Six percent of all abortions happen because of the health of the woman or the child in the womb (Abortion Facts). There are many views about abortion and those are my main points to why I believe woman should be able to have an abortion.
Abortions can be reduced though with the use of safer sex. If safer sex is used more often and practiced more it can reduce the uses of abortion. Contraceptives should be used more especially with younger woman who is having sex (Robinson, Bruce). But the use of abortion is that the woman is able to remove of the baby because they did not think that they were either going to get pregnant or the timing of the pregnancy is just not right.
Abortions are performed by many different individuals and races. White women lead the abortion rating with sixty percent (Abortion Facts). Sixty- four percent of all women who have abortions are never- married women and married women only account for eighteen percent of all abortions. Religion also can play a role in who is having an abortion because of their own common beliefs. What I found really interesting is that catholic women account for thirty- one percent of all abortions and catholic is a religion that disagrees with abortion (Abortion Facts). That just goes to show that abortions are needed and should be performed if the child is not wanted or will not grow up in the proper manner. And the most interesting fact that I found is that forty- three percent of all women will have one abortion by the time they are forty- five (Abortion Facts).
Abortion will always be an issue that can either be pro or con. I also find your views to be just like politics and what you grow up in will determine what you think on this issue. If you have had a family member that has had an abortion it will make your view on the issue that much more positive in one way or the other. The right should always be the woman’s right because she is the one that has to care for the child regardless of what happens after the baby is delivered. It is a strong issue and will continue to be talked about on a yearly basis.
Works Cited
"Abortions: pros and cons." Abortion Support. Designed by realcubes, Web. 30 Mar 2011.
Robinson, Bruce. "Abortion access: All sides of the issue." Religious Tolerance. Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance, 15, May 2010. Web. May 30, 2011.
Institue, Alan Guttmacher. "Abortion Facts." The Center for Bio- ethical reform. Web. 30 Mar 2011.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Reflection 2.2
For this paper i actually work shopped it myself. Instead of just editing the paper once then re doing the second paper i went through a first time and re wrote the paper then edited that and finished another paper. I did the post the in between paper just because it was my own personal copy that i was working on. Also i had trouble with the scholarly source because i thought i had found a reliable source that was scholarly. I also handed the paper in on the proper date that i though the paper was due so it was hanging over my head for a solid weak of whether or not i should go back and do even more work on the paper. I hope i used what the class had told me and made my paper better then it was before.
Friday, March 25, 2011
prewrite 3.0
Well for my rogerian argument its going to be hard to stay away from a straight rebuttal, so i will have to really concentrate on that aspect of the paper. But i i do feel it will be an easier style of argument because you can remain nice and point out what at least are the positives. I as of right now do not have a good topic to write about besides possibly the problems that are going on in Japan and what we are doing as Americans to help them. If not that possibly something that has to deal with sports because i feel connected to sports and could be very interested in a topic. I am able to right better when i am interested in my topic because i go farther into research.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Revision of rebutal. Essay 2.2
Huck Finn: And why I think the N-word should remain in the novel. Rebutting: “Huck Fin: Censorship? Sure, it is, but changes to ‘Huckleberry Fin’ are warranted”
Mark Twain was a scholar who wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer in1876 and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in 1884. When Mark Twain was writing these two pieces of classic literature he used the N-word to reveal the oppressive culture of the South at the time of these novels. He did not use the N-word with the intent to offend anyone, instead he used the word in the proper context of the time in which the novels were written to depict the historical context and to assist in the development of the characters. In today's society the N- word is generally thought to be offensive, racist, and culturally insensitive. It is my belief that by censoring the novels by changing the N-word to something less offensive would comprise the integrity of the novels.
In the article, "Huck Finn, Censorship and the N-Word Controversy (2011), Delia Lloyd explains that it is the fourth most banned book in the United States because the novel says the N-word over two-hundred times. Lloyd goes on to argue that when a famous piece of work is censored for the general education it loses all sense of history behind it. Further illustrating the point that the censorship affects the historical context, she gives the example of an editor in the 19th century who created a family version of “Shakespeare” by removing all of the sex scenes so it did not offend the Victorian wives and children. If the vocabulary in a book needs to be changed to make the language more appropriate for the reader then maybe the reader should wait until they are older and more mature to read the work in order to understand it in the proper historical context of the time in which it was written.
In the editorial that I am refuting the author says “We don’t blame elementary school educators for holding back the original versions of “Huckleberry Finn” and “Tom Sawyer” based on the language” (Editorial. par. 3). If the language is being changed for elementary schools than a change like that seems ridiculous as the students are already too young to be reading the book to really understand what is actually happening. People do not understand the social constructs of racism and discrimination until they are at an older age such as when they are in high school or even older. Thomas Quirk an English professor stated that if he were a middle school teacher he would not assign the sanitized or un-sanitized piece of literature because of the difficulty to comprehend (Davis. par.16). The editorial also states that the new version of the literary works is for lower- level grades in the school. If the new novels are for lower levels, why couldn't they wait until they are perhaps a junior or senior in high school to read the books?
If a person prefers the historical value of the book it will always be there for the reader to find (Editorial. par.4). However, that is not the point that I am trying to make. It does not matter if someone else likes the historical piece over the new piece it is what the younger generation will think after reading the censored piece of literature. When reading Mark Twain, he wanted people to know what was happening in the south and the harsh punishments that people endured. When changing words there is the possibility that people could misinterpret the meaning of what Twain was actually trying to say and it could change the whole perspective of the novel. Peggy Placier, who is an associate professor in MU’s College of Education believes that “Changing Twain’s work ‘still does damage to the authorial voice and the historical reality’ of the text” (Davis. par.13). Quirk also states that the book is not for boys, it is for adults who used to be boys (Davis. par.17). He states this because the book should not be read until a person is at an age when they can fully comprehend what is actually going on in the story and they can understand the racism of the novel and why the N-word is actually used. If we all listened to Quirk and did not read this novel until the last couple of years of high-school or even into college then there would be no need to revise the book. The revision of the N-word is meant to protect and shelter younger adults at the risk of ruining the voice and meaning of the novel. Instead, people should wait until they are older to understand the word was used to illustrate a difficult time in the past of America's culture.
If a person prefers the historical value of the book it will always be there for the reader to find (Editorial. par.4). However, that is not the point that I am trying to make. It does not matter if someone else likes the historical piece over the new piece it is what the younger generation will think after reading the censored piece of literature. When reading Mark Twain, he wanted people to know what was happening in the south and the harsh punishments that people endured. When changing words there is the possibility that people could misinterpret the meaning of what Twain was actually trying to say and it could change the whole perspective of the novel. Peggy Placier, who is an associate professor in MU’s College of Education believes that “Changing Twain’s work ‘still does damage to the authorial voice and the historical reality’ of the text” (Davis. par.13). Quirk also states that the book is not for boys, it is for adults who used to be boys (Davis. par.17). He states this because the book should not be read until a person is at an age when they can fully comprehend what is actually going on in the story and they can understand the racism of the novel and why the N-word is actually used. If we all listened to Quirk and did not read this novel until the last couple of years of high-school or even into college then there would be no need to revise the book. The revision of the N-word is meant to protect and shelter younger adults at the risk of ruining the voice and meaning of the novel. Instead, people should wait until they are older to understand the word was used to illustrate a difficult time in the past of America's culture.
The N-word would be changed to the word “slave”. I find that to be heart wrenching because now when the N-word should have been used it would say the word “slave” and that could change the context of the story. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary both of these terms have completely different meanings. The N-word is defined 'as a member of a socially disadvantaged class of persons, one who may feel completely out of the political process'. While slave is defined as ‘a person held in servitude as the chattel of another’. Whenever I hear the word slave I automatically think of an African- American person working for someone else because that is how I was raised and what was taught in school. I do not ever hear the word slave without it meaning to work for someone else. When I hear the N-word it affects me a lot differently then the word slave because I have grown up in a household where that word was inappropriate to use. When the N-word gets replaced with slave I would begin to misinterpret what the text is telling me because now I am thinking that this black individual is working for someone and is not actually a poor man, but just has to work hard to live. That meaning is completely different from the N-word because that could mean they are actually poor and do live on the streets where every day is a struggle. John Hudson who wrote an essay on this issue stated "Race matters in these books. It's a matter of how you express that in the 21st century” (Hudson. Censors the N-word.). A person has to be able to relate to the past and the issues that happened in this country, and changing a word does not teach the younger generation the harsh realities of what the time was actually like when the novels were written.
The N-Word should not be changed to the word “slave” because it leads to misinterpretation of the novel and the context of how the word is being used. Mark Twain wrote the literary works The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The adventures of Huckleberry Finn a long time ago to depict the oppressive culture of the South and what the lives of people were like every day during that time period. These two books are literary classics. When a word is removed that defines the harsh reality of the times it is insulting to the famous author who chose the vocabulary to depict the historical context of the time and the development of the characters in the book. It would be scary and upsetting to think of what the new context would sound like and how much changing one word would actually change the whole context of these literary classics.
Works Cited
Lloyd, Delia. "Huck Finn, Censorship and the N-Word Controversy." Politics Daily
Feb,1 2011: Web. 1 Mar 2011
Hudson, John. "New Edition of 'Huck Finn' Censors the 'N Word'." the Atlantic Wire, Jan, 24 2011. Web. 1 Mar 2011.
Davis, Michael. "MU scholar defends Huckleberry Finn revision." Missourian, Feb, 8 2011. Web. 1 Mar 2011.
The Lufkin Daily News. “Editorial: Huck Finn: Censorship? Sure, it is, but changes to ‘Huckleberry Finn’ are Warranted”. The Lufkin Daily News, Jan, 6 2011.
Web. 1 Mar 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Reflection essay 2.1
I felt as if I was writing another rough draft so i was able to go through it pretty steadily and really get out what i was trying to say. On my next draft i will really have to edit and go through to make sure that my sources are accurate and all my citing is precise. I will hope to come in for office hours and maybe even go to the workshop. I hope to do better this time then on my last one.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Essay 2.1 Huck Finn: And why I think the N-word should remain in the novel. Rebutting: “Huck Fin: Censorship? Sure, it is, but changes to ‘Huckleberry Fin’ are warranted”
Huck Finn: And why I think the N-word should remain in the novel. Rebutting: “Huck Fin: Censorship? Sure, it is, but changes to ‘Huckleberry Fin’ are warranted”
Mark Twain was a scholar who wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. When Mark Twain was writing these two pieces of work he used the N-word to reveal the dirty culture of the South at the time of the story. He did not use the N-word to offend anyone and he used the word in the proper manner. Many people today dislike the word because it is used so often and taken advantage of, where as most people do not know the actual meaning of the word.
Although the book does say the N-word over two-hundred times and it is the fourth most banned book in the United States is what Delia Lloyd explains (N-Word Controversy. Par.5). Lloyd wrote an essay for “Politics Daily” on the Web which explains that when you censor famous pieces of work for the General education it loses all sense of history behind it. There was also an editor of the 19th century that created a family version of “Shakespeare” that removed all sex scenes so it did not offend the Victorian wives and children (N-Word Controversy. Par.7). If you have to change the vocabulary to make the language more appropriate for the reader then maybe the reader should wait until they are at an age where they are mature enough to read the work and understand it in the correct terms. The editorial that I am refuting the author says “We don’t blame elementary school educators for holding back the original versions of “Huckleberry Finn” and “Tom Sawyer” based on the language” (Editorial. Par. 3) If they are changing the language for elementary schools that ridiculous because they are already to young to be reading this book to understand what actually is happening. People do not understand racism and discrimination until they are at an older age, such as when they are in high school. Thomas Quirk an English professor stated that if he were a middle school teacher he would not assign the sanitized or un-sanitized piece of literature because of the difficulty to comprehend (Fin Revision. Par.16). The editorial also states that they new version of the literary works is for lower- level grades in the school. If the new novels are for lower levels, why could they not wait until they are perhaps a junior or senior in high school?
If you prefer the historical value of the book it will always be there for the reader to find (Editorial. Par.4). That is not the point that I am trying to make though. It does not matter if someone else likes the historical piece over the new piece it is what the younger generation will think after reading the censored piece of literature. When reading Mark Twain, he wanted people to know what was happening in the south and the harsh punishments that people went through. When changing words people could then misinterpret what Twain was actually trying to say and it could change the whole perspective of the novel. “Changing Twain’s work ‘still does damage to the authorial voice and the historical reality’ of the text” says Peggy Placier (Fin Revision. Par.13). Placier is an associate professor in MU’s College of Education and she had stated that for the Missourian which is the Missouri University newspaper. Quirk also states that the book is not for boys, it is for adults who used to be boys (Fin Revision. Par.17). That is because the book should not be read until you are at the age where you can fully comprehend what is actually going on in the novel and you can relate to the racism of the novel and why the N-word is actually used. If we all listened to Quirk and did not read this novel until the last couple years of high-school or even into college then there would be no need to revise the book. The revision of the N-word is just of that for younger adults who now will not know how a famous scholar like Mark Twain actually wrote.
If you prefer the historical value of the book it will always be there for the reader to find (Editorial. Par.4). That is not the point that I am trying to make though. It does not matter if someone else likes the historical piece over the new piece it is what the younger generation will think after reading the censored piece of literature. When reading Mark Twain, he wanted people to know what was happening in the south and the harsh punishments that people went through. When changing words people could then misinterpret what Twain was actually trying to say and it could change the whole perspective of the novel. “Changing Twain’s work ‘still does damage to the authorial voice and the historical reality’ of the text” says Peggy Placier (Fin Revision. Par.13). Placier is an associate professor in MU’s College of Education and she had stated that for the Missourian which is the Missouri University newspaper. Quirk also states that the book is not for boys, it is for adults who used to be boys (Fin Revision. Par.17). That is because the book should not be read until you are at the age where you can fully comprehend what is actually going on in the novel and you can relate to the racism of the novel and why the N-word is actually used. If we all listened to Quirk and did not read this novel until the last couple years of high-school or even into college then there would be no need to revise the book. The revision of the N-word is just of that for younger adults who now will not know how a famous scholar like Mark Twain actually wrote.
The N-word will be changed in with the word “slave” I find that to be heart wrenching because now when the N-word should have been used it will say the word “slave” and that could be completely out of context. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary both of these terms have completely different meanings. The word nigger is defined as a member of a socially disadvantaged class of persons, one who may feel completely out of the political process. While slave is defined as ‘a person held in servitude as the chattel of another’. Whenever I hear the word slave I automatically think of an African- American person working for someone else because that is how I was raised and what was taught in school. I do not ever hear the word slave without it meaning to work for someone else. When I hear the N-word it hits me a lot differently then the word slave because I have grown up in a household where that word was inappropriate to use. I represent the N-word with poor African- Americans that most likely live in a ghetto. When the N-word gets replaced with slave I would begin to misinterpret what the text is telling me because now I am thinking that this black individual is working for someone and is not actually a poor man, but just has to work hard to live. That is way different from the N-word because that could mean they are actually poor and do live on the streets where everyday is a struggle. John Hudson who wrote a small essay on this issue stated "Race matters in these books. It's a matter of how you express that in the 21st century” (Censors the N-word.). You have to be able to relate to the past and the issues that we did have in this country, and changing a word is taking the easy way out and not teaching the younger generation what time was actually like.
The N-Word should not be changed with the word “slave” because it leads to misinterpretation of the novel and the Context of how the word is being used. Mark Twain wrote literary works such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The adventures of Huckleberry Finn to reveal the dirty culture of the South and what people every day had to live with. When you remove a word that defines those hard times it is scary to think of what the new context will sound like and how much it will actually change the novel.
Works Cited
Lloyd, Delia. "Huck Finn, Censorship and the N-Word Controversy." Politics Daily Feb,1 2011: Web. 1 Mar 2011.
Hudson, John. "New Edition of 'Huck Finn' Censors the 'N Word'." the Atlantic Wire, Jan, 24 2011. Web. 1 Mar 2011.
Davis, Michael. "MU scholar defends Huckleberry Finn revision." Missourian, Feb, 8 2011. Web. 1 Mar 2011.
The Lufkin Daily News. “Editorial: Huck Finn: Censorship? Sure, it is, but changes to ‘Huckleberry Finn’ are Warranted”. The Lufkin Daily News, Jan, 6 2011.
Web. 1 Mar 2011
Monday, February 28, 2011
Documentation Quiz
1.) We will be using the MLA format. Which stands for Modern Language Association.
2.) A work citation page, or works cited page
3.) Author, Title of the web page. Name of the site. Date the website and information was posted or revised. The name of the institution or organization affiliated. No url just say WEB. and the date that i accessed the website.
2.) A work citation page, or works cited page
3.) Author, Title of the web page. Name of the site. Date the website and information was posted or revised. The name of the institution or organization affiliated. No url just say WEB. and the date that i accessed the website.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Prewriting essay 2
People are trying to take the N-word out of the Huckleberry Fin books so they can bring them back to schools, or just start the reader at a younger age. What i really think needs to happen is that schools should not read the book or should wait until the students are mature and ready for the reading. The point of the book is not to use the n-word in a derogatory manner but to use it in the correct context. When the use of the word is used out of context is when there gets to be a problem. I find that if the word is used correctly it should be allowed to remain. Also they talked about replacing the word with "Slave" and i honestly think that is worse because now slave will not even sound right and can completely change how the story is written. My claim is mostly going to stick on the word and talk about how the n-word should be used if it is in the correct context. I will need to find other sources such as historical context or even songs that get changed for the radio. Many people do not like the usage of poor language, but i feel if they do not like the language then they shouldn't be exposed to the language. A lot worse can happen to someone besides negative language.Leave the story the way it was written!
Friday, February 18, 2011
Revision 1.2
By revising i feel like i made more changes that made my paper more complete. I usually do not revise because i just have a final copy due, so i usually just proof read. The only problem with the revising was i did not know of everything i was actually changing was correct, i almost kind of want a third revision paper to make it even more complete. The problem with next time is that i wont have a professor correct it so that makes me nervous that i wont have a good revision.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Essay 1.2 “Controlling of Guns: A rhetorical Analysis of Megan Weintrauts Government should create stricter gun laws.”
“Controlling of Guns: A rhetorical Analysis of Megan Weintrauts Government should create stricter gun laws.”
“Government should create stricter gun laws,” by Megan Weintraut was written on January 26th of this year and was published in the Ithacan. Megan Weintraut is a senior mathematics major who felt that she needed to discuss the issues of gun law. Her argument really explains how it is just too easy for anyone to get a gun.
The second Amendment says, “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed” (par.1). Weintraut states that this was established to create a nationwide civilian army during a time when Britain’s organized and professional army threatened the development of America (par.1). Now people will have guns because they feel they need it to be protected on the streets. Most Americans today can live on a daily basis without the worry of having to use a firearm (par.2).
The essay I read really speaks to anyone that does go out and lives a life away from their own home. When you are leaving your house you are putting yourself into danger at any given time because you can not control what other people do. Megan explains that 70 million American gun owners only own a gun for self defense (par.3). Because more people own firearms it increases the rate of homicide. Also, the federal law does not restrict the number of guns that can be purchased at one time. Four states -California, Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia- limit their citizens to one gun every thirty days (par.5). The age at which you are able to buy a firearm is when you are twenty= one years of age. Many twenty=one= year olds are still in college and are still immature young adults. Weintraut does a good job of telling her audience that shootings at schools do take place when young adults do get their hands on a fire arm. Shootings have taken place at the Columbine High School, Virginia Tech, and the most recent being Arizona. The issue around the school shootings has introduced us to possibly changing the rules behind the right to bear arms, but the Second Amendments right to bear arms puts a damper on that issue (par.6). Many individuals under the age of twenty- one who have a firearm is probably because they have stolen it from their parents. It is hard to actually know how many people get weapons illegally. Gun control is a rough topic because of the fact that our constitution tells us we have the right to bear arms.
The article uses the rhetorical appeal of mostly ethos and logos, with a small amount of pathos. Weintraut uses mostly ethos and logos because she really connects the issue to the real world and uses logic behind her examples. For instance she says that “Guns have become decreasingly essential for personal survival” because we have companies that raise and kill animals for our mass food production (par.2). Also she uses a lot of statistical information to let the audience know what actually happens when people own fire arms. Some of her information is logical such as when she quotes Chris Rock because he said “if a bullet costs $5,000, there would be no more innocent bystanders” (par.6). If every bullet had a high cost it would make the usage of firearms more valuable and people would have to figure out what is the most correct way to use a firearm, such as actual self-defense and not gang related violence. The emotion of the article, or mainly known as pathos comes from when she discusses the school shootings and the fact that sixty-six percent of television shows contain violence (par.4). When you read that it hits you of how dangerous firearms can be especially when they get into the wrong persons hand. The article connects to the real world of how important stabilizing gun control can be.
The overall article I felt was very good and really spoke out to the reader. The audience who would most likely be reading this is mostly people interested in gun control and safety of gun violence. I honestly do no see many young people reading this audience and also not many people in Ithaca, New York because of all the hunters around this area. The one problem I had with the article been the fact that the other side was not introduced more; the actual people with the guns. She states that 70 million people say they have the gun for self defense, but why do they need to feel like a gun is protection. What was the actual lifestyle of these seventy million people? Also how many of the people with firearms, only use their firearms for hunting purposes? Gun control is not a very common topic for me because I am from a small town outside of Ithaca where gun violence is only heard of from the people in Ithaca. The only kind of gun control I hear about is the usage of weapons for hunting. Gun control will always be a rough topic and one that no matter what, one side will get mad.
“Government should create stricter gun control,” by Megan Weintraut really spoke to me about how important bearing firearms is to the human life. Many people do not understand that when people do not use a weapon correctly other people pay for their consequences. Also many people do not worry about firearms issues because it is not relevant in their own lives, such as myself. Weintraut does a really good job at pointing out the Ethos and Logos of the essay to the reader.
The essay I read really speaks to anyone that does go out and lives a life away from their own home. When you are leaving your house you are putting yourself into danger at any given time because you can not control what other people do. Megan explains that 70 million American gun owners only own a gun for self defense (par.3). Because more people own firearms it increases the rate of homicide. Also, the federal law does not restrict the number of guns that can be purchased at one time. Four states -California, Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia- limit their citizens to one gun every thirty days (par.5). The age at which you are able to buy a firearm is when you are twenty= one years of age. Many twenty=one= year olds are still in college and are still immature young adults. Weintraut does a good job of telling her audience that shootings at schools do take place when young adults do get their hands on a fire arm. Shootings have taken place at the Columbine High School, Virginia Tech, and the most recent being Arizona. The issue around the school shootings has introduced us to possibly changing the rules behind the right to bear arms, but the Second Amendments right to bear arms puts a damper on that issue (par.6). Many individuals under the age of twenty- one who have a firearm is probably because they have stolen it from their parents. It is hard to actually know how many people get weapons illegally. Gun control is a rough topic because of the fact that our constitution tells us we have the right to bear arms.
The article uses the rhetorical appeal of mostly ethos and logos, with a small amount of pathos. Weintraut uses mostly ethos and logos because she really connects the issue to the real world and uses logic behind her examples. For instance she says that “Guns have become decreasingly essential for personal survival” because we have companies that raise and kill animals for our mass food production (par.2). Also she uses a lot of statistical information to let the audience know what actually happens when people own fire arms. Some of her information is logical such as when she quotes Chris Rock because he said “if a bullet costs $5,000, there would be no more innocent bystanders” (par.6). If every bullet had a high cost it would make the usage of firearms more valuable and people would have to figure out what is the most correct way to use a firearm, such as actual self-defense and not gang related violence. The emotion of the article, or mainly known as pathos comes from when she discusses the school shootings and the fact that sixty-six percent of television shows contain violence (par.4). When you read that it hits you of how dangerous firearms can be especially when they get into the wrong persons hand. The article connects to the real world of how important stabilizing gun control can be.
The overall article I felt was very good and really spoke out to the reader. The audience who would most likely be reading this is mostly people interested in gun control and safety of gun violence. I honestly do no see many young people reading this audience and also not many people in Ithaca, New York because of all the hunters around this area. The one problem I had with the article been the fact that the other side was not introduced more; the actual people with the guns. She states that 70 million people say they have the gun for self defense, but why do they need to feel like a gun is protection. What was the actual lifestyle of these seventy million people? Also how many of the people with firearms, only use their firearms for hunting purposes? Gun control is not a very common topic for me because I am from a small town outside of Ithaca where gun violence is only heard of from the people in Ithaca. The only kind of gun control I hear about is the usage of weapons for hunting. Gun control will always be a rough topic and one that no matter what, one side will get mad.
“Government should create stricter gun control,” by Megan Weintraut really spoke to me about how important bearing firearms is to the human life. Many people do not understand that when people do not use a weapon correctly other people pay for their consequences. Also many people do not worry about firearms issues because it is not relevant in their own lives, such as myself. Weintraut does a really good job at pointing out the Ethos and Logos of the essay to the reader.
Works Cited
Weintraut, Megan. “Government should create stricter gun laws.” Jan. 26th, 2011.
Published in the Ithacan
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
College freewrite
I found the two essays to be the typical argument of what one generation thought compared to the next. In "Whats the matter with college" he discussed how college now was nothing new because of internet and that when he was in college they have brand new movies and when you went to college it was supposed to be a new environment. Then in "Why college matters" it was from our generation where he was arguing now you need to go to college and everything is beneficial even if everything can be found online.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Reflection 1.1
I really did not mind writing the first paper. My only problem was that i felt like i might have rushed it because i knew it was a rough draft and it was going to get corrected. But mainly i liked writing it because i only had to write about one essay and i did not have to go keep looking at all of these different sources. This was the first time in college I have done a rough draft and it almost gives you a sense of confidence because now i know i can go back and make changes. It was kind of like the women in "shitty first drafts" because i just sat down and wrote it all at one sitting. The women in "shitty first drafts" wrote all hers on Mondays and it would hang over her head, that was kind of like me until i actually got it finished.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Essay 1.1 Gun Control: A rhetorical analysis of Megan Weintrauts "Government should create stricter gun laws"
“Gun Control: A rhetorical Analysis of Megan Weintrauts Government should create stricter gun laws.”
“Government should create stricter gun laws,” by Megan Weintraut was written on January 26th of this year. Megan Weintraut is a senior mathematics major that felt the need that she needed to discuss the issues of gun law. Her argument really explains how it is just too easy for anyone to get a gun. The second Amendment says, “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.” (p.1) Megan states that this was established to create a nationwide civilian army during a time when Britain’s organized and professional army threatened the development of America. Now people will have guns because they feel they need it to be protected on the Streets. Most Americans today can live on a daily basis without the worry of having to use a firearm.
The essay I read really speaks to anyone that does go out and lives a life away from their own home. When you are leaving your house you are putting yourself into danger at any given time because you can not control what other people do. Megan explains that 70 million American gun owners only own a gun for self defense. (p.3) Because more people own firearms it increases the rate of homicide. Also, the federal law does not restrict the number of guns that can be purchased at one time. Four states California, Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia limit their citizens to one gun every thirty days. (p.5) The age of which you are able to buy a firearm is when you are twenty one years of age. Many twenty one year olds are still in college and are still immature young adults. Megan does a good job of telling her audience that shootings at schools do take place when young adults do get their hands on a fire arm. Shootings have taken place at the Columbine High School, Virginia Tech, and the most recent being Arizona. The issue around the school shootings has introduced us to possibly changing the rules behind the right to bear arms, but the Second Amendments right to bear arms puts a damper on that issue. (p.6) Many individuals under the age of twenty- one who have a firearm is probably because they have stolen it from their parents. It is hard to actually know how many people get weapons illegally. Gun control is a rough topic because of the fact that our constitution tells us we have the right to bear arms.
The article uses the rhetorical appeal of mostly ethos, with a small amount of logos and pathos. Megan uses mostly ethos because she really connects the issue to the real world. For instance she says that “Guns have become decreasingly essential for personal survival” because we have companies that raise and kill animals for our mass food production. (p.2) Also she uses a lot of statistical information to let the audience know what actually happens when people own fire arms. Logos is introduced because some of her information is what she thinks is most logical such as when she quotes
Chris Rock because he said “if a bullet costs $5,000, there would be no more innocent bystanders.”(p.6) If every bullet had a high cost it would make the usage of firearms more valuable and people would have to figure out what is the most correct way to use a firearm, such as actual self-defense and not gang related violence. The emotion of the article, or mainly known as pathos comes from when she discuss the school shootings and the fact that sixty-six percent of television shows contain violence. When you read that it hits you of how dangerous firearms can be especially when they get into the wrong persons hand. The article connects to the real world of how important stabilizing gun control can be.
The overall article I felt was very good and really spoke out to the reader. The only problem I had with the article been the fact that the other side was not introduced more; the actual people with the guns. She states that 70 million people say they have the gun for self defense, but why do they need to feel like a gun is protection. What was the actual lifestyle of these seventy million people? Also how many of the people with firearms, only use their firearms for hunting purposes? Gun control is not a very common topic for me because I am from a small town outside of Ithaca where gun violence is only heard of from the people in Ithaca. The only kind of gun control I hear about is the usage of weapons for hunting. Gun control will always be a rough topic and one that no matter what, one side will get mad.
“Government should create stricter gun control,” by Megan Weintraut really spoke to me about how important bearing firearms, is to the human life. Many people do not understand that when people do not use a weapon correctly other people pay for their consequences. Also many people do not worry about firearms issues because it is not relevant in their own lives, such as myself.
The essay I read really speaks to anyone that does go out and lives a life away from their own home. When you are leaving your house you are putting yourself into danger at any given time because you can not control what other people do. Megan explains that 70 million American gun owners only own a gun for self defense. (p.3) Because more people own firearms it increases the rate of homicide. Also, the federal law does not restrict the number of guns that can be purchased at one time. Four states California, Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia limit their citizens to one gun every thirty days. (p.5) The age of which you are able to buy a firearm is when you are twenty one years of age. Many twenty one year olds are still in college and are still immature young adults. Megan does a good job of telling her audience that shootings at schools do take place when young adults do get their hands on a fire arm. Shootings have taken place at the Columbine High School, Virginia Tech, and the most recent being Arizona. The issue around the school shootings has introduced us to possibly changing the rules behind the right to bear arms, but the Second Amendments right to bear arms puts a damper on that issue. (p.6) Many individuals under the age of twenty- one who have a firearm is probably because they have stolen it from their parents. It is hard to actually know how many people get weapons illegally. Gun control is a rough topic because of the fact that our constitution tells us we have the right to bear arms.
The article uses the rhetorical appeal of mostly ethos, with a small amount of logos and pathos. Megan uses mostly ethos because she really connects the issue to the real world. For instance she says that “Guns have become decreasingly essential for personal survival” because we have companies that raise and kill animals for our mass food production. (p.2) Also she uses a lot of statistical information to let the audience know what actually happens when people own fire arms. Logos is introduced because some of her information is what she thinks is most logical such as when she quotes
Chris Rock because he said “if a bullet costs $5,000, there would be no more innocent bystanders.”(p.6) If every bullet had a high cost it would make the usage of firearms more valuable and people would have to figure out what is the most correct way to use a firearm, such as actual self-defense and not gang related violence. The emotion of the article, or mainly known as pathos comes from when she discuss the school shootings and the fact that sixty-six percent of television shows contain violence. When you read that it hits you of how dangerous firearms can be especially when they get into the wrong persons hand. The article connects to the real world of how important stabilizing gun control can be.
The overall article I felt was very good and really spoke out to the reader. The only problem I had with the article been the fact that the other side was not introduced more; the actual people with the guns. She states that 70 million people say they have the gun for self defense, but why do they need to feel like a gun is protection. What was the actual lifestyle of these seventy million people? Also how many of the people with firearms, only use their firearms for hunting purposes? Gun control is not a very common topic for me because I am from a small town outside of Ithaca where gun violence is only heard of from the people in Ithaca. The only kind of gun control I hear about is the usage of weapons for hunting. Gun control will always be a rough topic and one that no matter what, one side will get mad.
“Government should create stricter gun control,” by Megan Weintraut really spoke to me about how important bearing firearms, is to the human life. Many people do not understand that when people do not use a weapon correctly other people pay for their consequences. Also many people do not worry about firearms issues because it is not relevant in their own lives, such as myself.
Works Cited
Weintraut, Megan. “Government should create stricter gun laws.” Jan. 26th, 2011.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Prewriting Essay One
Gun control should be different. The author of the article explains how much of the death happening in the United States now is because of guns. There is not much that you can do besides change the laws or possibly make bullets more expensive. By making bullets more expensive it would make it harder for gang bangers to get there hands on bullets.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Rhetorical Analysis
Textual analysis is the text itself. Textual analysis is more of the language and voice of the writing. It also can differ in the style and structure depending on what you are talking about. Contextual analysis is more of an analysis that places an argument with a larger conversation. It is more of the five W's (who, what, where, when and why). Contextual analysis has more of a purpose or a specific audience it is looking at. Textual analysis also hits on the rhetorical appeals such as logos, ethos, and pathos.
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