*****

Today I have been talking to various people about their senior rights and this has allowed me to further my paper.Some people that I have talked to were Sonia, Erin, and Lauren. They said the following: 

Erin: I think we should have them depending on what they are. We should consider community and not lose the sense of community that University has. 

Lauren: I think that we should have senior rights because it is our last year of high school and we deserve something special to look forward to. 

Sonia: I think that we should have senior rights because we have been at University and we deserve it. 

**

Today  I talked to various people about their position on Senior Rights at university high school. I got some opinions that i would not have expected. Many believed that we should have senior rights and I could not find any, today, that believed the opposing view. I hope to find this out tomorrow.  

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I have made little progress since the last time that I blogged. I have simply been writing my paper and I so far have an introduction paragraph and I have mapped out where i want it to go. I plan on getting sources tonight by asking some people from various high schools in indiana what their senior privileges were, after i do this i will be able to write more in my paper. 

Senior Rights

I am just beginning my second paper for the proposal and i am having a small amount of trouble talking about both sides of the argument because I so firmly believe in my own side of the argument. I think i need to question some teachers this week so that i can get a better feel for their side of this issue. By doing this i hope to broaden my horizons and right from a better perspective.

***

I have once again been researching various senior rights. I talked to my brother who was a senior last year about the rights that he had. I am also thinking about talking to some of his and my friends from various schools because i think that it will be helpful to discuss various views and it will strengthen my proposal. 

Proposal 3

I finished typing my paper yesterday and I think that the proposal is coming along well. I have been asking around and many students are agreeing with me that it is necessary for us to have senior rights next year. As i stated in my paper i have also been discussing this with parents and they seem to agree as well. I think that this could help the proposal because it will further the audience of the paper. I think that in my actual proposal i will say that as long as the students earn the right to leave campus and respect it they should be allowed to go. I also think that as long as the parents, who pay for our education, sign a sheet that allows us to go we should be able to. 

I.C proposal (progress) 2

I have begun researching different rights and privileges given to seniors in various high schools all over America. I was thinking about writing about the most common privileges that we do not have. 

These Include: 

Right to leave for lunch 

Right to leave during a study hall (or double study hall) 

Special Parking (decorated parking spots) 

Wearing the traditional cap and gown for graduation (possibility) 

I think that I need to find more rights all over America given to seniors in order to make the paper more of a proposal. I also think I am going to talk to the teachers and students. So far my proposal is coming along I just need more facts. 

I.C proposal (progress)

I was thinking about various topics for my Inquiry contract proposal and I think that I finally settled on an idea. I was thinking about doing a paper on senior rights. I have always felt very strongly on the topic so I figured it would be a good topic to work on for the following months. I wanted to write about the senior rights that seniors all over the country enjoy and how here at University we are not allowed to earn these rights. I figured that this would be a topic in which i would be able to represent the view of the students and the view of the faculty or the parents. There are  many different views on the subject. It will also be easy to get information because i will simply talk to students from other high schools and i can talk to different teachers. 

Let a thousand Licensed Poppies Bloom Essay Proposal

I thought that this proposal was somewhat effective in trying to convince me that opium should continue to grow in third world countries regardless of the contribution it makes to the Drug society. 

The proposal was successful in doing this because it used factual information and statistics to help prove its point. It used many examples when it came to discussing how important Opium is in the medical community. For example, "Senlis estimates that meeting the global need for pain medications would require 10,000 tons of opium a year- more than twice Afghanistan's current production (354). It was facts like this that made the essay effective. 

The author believes that Opium should continue to be grown in third world country because of the need of opium for medical reasons. The author also believes that we should not pay attention to Opium in the drug world. 

I think that in order to make the essay more effective the author needed to stay focused on one subject more. I found myself distracted by the various examples the author used, some of which carried away from the original point. Other than this I found the proposal to be very effective.  

Ellis

I think that Ellis' story offers a credible way of overcoming misunderstanding and hatred between races for him. Ellis was a member of the KKK and he felt hatred towards African Americans. He overcame the racism that he showed towards African Americans by working with and eventually accepting them.

 I think that this is a credible way of overcoming hatred for him but I do not think that this solution would be workable on a large scale. I do not think that this is workable because not all people are going to be willing to work out the issues that they may have with another race. It is unrealistic to believe that everyone would be willing to do this. There are those who are even more racist than Ellis and I think that those people would not be willing to accept those that they hate. 

The Pressure to Cover: Yoshino

Yoshino says that mainstream is only a myth. By saying this he means that mainstream is a myth because it does not truly exist. He says that it does not exist because mainstream means being normal and no one is completely normal. People can not be normal, not only because there is not a true definition as to what normal is, but because there will always be a characteristic about someone that does not fit into the "normal" category.

I think that Yoshino is persuasive with his argument. On page 605 he states, " Because Human Beings hold many identities, the mainstream is a shifting coalition, and none of us are entirely within it. It is not normal to be completely normal." I found this very persuasive because it says that because humans have so many characteristics the definition of normal changes. I found the final phrase, "it is not normal to be completely normal", very persuasive and powerful because it makes the reader believe in exactly what Yoshina is saying, that no one can become normal. 

I would define mainstream as a person who is average in all abilities and characteristics. In my opinion, it is impossible to be this definition because it is impossible to be exactly average in every characteristic.

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (the North)

The North was not what Linda had hoped it would be. Linda expected the North was a place where she would be accepted regardless of her skin color. She was told that the North would not question her because of her race. When she got to the North she found out differently. On page 135 Linda discusses how she was not able to sit in the best cars, not because she did not have the money to sit there, but because colored people were not allowed in the best cars. Instead Linda was forced to sit in the back car which was unsanitary. She states that in the South she had to sit in that car but at least she was not expected to pay for that type of treatment. Linda finally attains her "freedom" by having Mrs. Bruce pay for her. Linda does not think that this is freedom because she does not believe that someone should have to pay for her. This gives her mixed emotions because she does not find it fair that Mrs. Bruce should pay for her. Linda wanted to obtain freedom her own way and she thought that by going to the North she would obtain it. 

Jacob's appeal to emotions

In the first full paragraph on page 66, we see Linda's reaction when her master Dr. Flint tells her that by selling her children it will "humble" her. This passage stood out to me for a variety of reasons. I first noticed it because of the reaction Linda had when her master told her this. Although she kept it to herself her anger was so intensely written I felt a connection to it. 

I think that Jacob's appealed to emotion is evident whenever she writes about Dr.Flint harming or selling Linda's children. It appeals to my emotions because the tone in the writing comes to life and i feel as though i am witnessing her anger first hand. 

The Style of writing also changes. Jacob's becomes aggressive and to the point whenever this is occurring. I think that this appeals to my emotions because it forces me to read and listen to what Linda is saying and feeling. It also allows me to understand that this subject is difficult for linda and it makes her into a true person in my eyes. 

Incidents in the Life of a slave Girl Response

In my opinion, it is very important that this book is true and not fiction for many reasons. The most obvious reason that it is important that this book is true and not false is that it helps to show us what slavery was truly like. I believe that it is incredibly important for us to understand the hardships and profanity that slaves were accustomed to dealing with. If the author did not right the book truthfully we would fully comprehend slavery and the issues that slavery brought about. For example, when we hear about the author's issues with her master involving their relationship it helps to further her appeal to pathos. The fact that this actually happens helps to make the reader emotionally invested into the book. 

I think that it is important that the author did not clean up the language and content because it furthers the appeal to the reader. By writing the truth it allows the reader to understand the harshness of the slave world. It is very important to understand what actually happened during this time so that we do not relive it, we must learn from our mistakes and in order to do that we must know what actually happened and we can not sugar coat it to make it appear better than it actually was. 

political news

I am watching the Fox Network. In my opinion this is the only network, which remains even remotely fair regarding the election. So far the most interesting thing that I have seen is about the Black Panthers. The Black Panthers are a group, which dislike white people. The issue is that they are standing outside of a voting area and attempting to persuade everyone to not only vote for Obama but to go against Mccain. I thought that this was interesting because it portrayed a different side of racism.

            Fox also discussed Indiana and how we have been a republican state for many years. It discussed that in this moment that Mccain and Obama are equal. It also discussed how if Obama won Indiana Mccain would have a, “long night.” I think that the media is definitely politically biased. In my opinion many of the news stations completely bash republicans and everything that they stand for. This is ridiculous. I believe that Obama is so popular because so many Americans do exactly what the media portrays. I would hope that Americans would begin to look at the actual issues instead of simply following the lies that the media creates. 

Talking about Racism

My entire life I have attended private prep schools which praise the idea of diversity. It is because of this that I have never truly witnessed or been involved in a confrontation about race. I am, however, very aware that the racism issue exists. Each of the schools that I have have discussed racism and do a good job at educating the youth to grow away from the injustice that lives in our society. 

I first heard about racism, seriously, in  the fifth grade. At Orchard we participated in injustice plays and this is truly the closest I have ever come to experiencing racism. We broke into small groups and touched on woman's rights, slavery, and the treatment of native americans. I was in the play about the famous Indian Chief, Sitting Bull. I was shocked at how cruelly the Native Americans were treaty. 

At the schools I have attended we also watched movies and read books regarding racism and injustice. It was always amazing to me how much these awful ideas influenced and were apart of our society. As Wachtel states, "our society is deeply flawed by racial inequities." These inequities, I believe help to shape our society and did shape our society into what it is today. 

Causes Of Prejudices

According to Parillo, the "socialization process" is the idea that children follow the belief of their parents. Parillo says that children become prejudice against people who are different from them because their parents are prejudice. The ideas that the parents have influence the ideas that a child will have about those around him or her. Parillo thinks that because they are our parent we will agree with them no matter what their specific belief is. 

I think that this process is true. Young children are greatly influenced by their parents and by the ideas that their parents have. I personally believe that as children get older they begin to change their opinions and they begin to have their own ideas. When children are still young they can not understand difficult topics and because of this I believe that they simply follow the beliefs of their parents. One of the largest examples of this relates to politics. I believe that many kids and teenagers try to argue for one candidate when they do not truly understand the issues and they don't understand the position that a candidate is taking. I agree with Parillo that children believe what their parents believe, but I think that as a child grows up they begin to have their own ideas and beliefs. 

Engaging the text # 2

According to Cose, official investigation, apology, and restitution are very important  to the victims of great historic injustices or to their descendants for many reasons. One of the main reasons that this is important is because it allows the victims of traumatic historical injustices, or their descendants to receive the closure that they need in order to move past a specific horrific event in their life. 

Cose says that not only are official investigation, apology. and restitution important to the victim but that it is also important to the community which bestowed the injustice on the victim. it is important for this community to accept the wrong doing that they participated in so that they can learn from their mistake. On page 494 Cose states, "By finally admitting a wrong, a nation does not destroy its integrity, but rather reinforces the sincerity of its commitment to the Constitution , and hence to its people."

These three things are important to both the victim and nation who harmed the victim because it allows the parties to either move forward and start a life over or to own up to the pain that they caused and learn from their mistakes.

Cora vs. Willy

 I think that Cora Tucker and Willy Loman are completely opposite in the way that they view success and in the way that one obtains success. As we read over Fall Break, Willy Loman is a man who likes to play by the rules in order to get ahead. He does not question what his superiors say, even though he may be opposed to what it is that they are stating. To Willy Loman Success is defined as wealth and popularity. But that is not helpful towards the success of a community, it is only helpful to the success of and individual. 

Cora Tucker on the other hand strives for the success of a community as a whole as opposed to the success of an individual.  Cora did not play by the rules what so ever. When she grew tired of her housewife days Cora began to make a difference in the world. Cora helped those who could not help themselves and she did this by breaking the confinement that she was put in and by speaking out to those who surrounded her. 

I think that Willy Loman's idea of success fails in comparison to Cora Tucker's idea of success because Cora is attempting to make the community more aware of what was wrong, she did this so that they community (no matter how small) would become successful, while Willy Loman was sully focused on himself and his sons. 

Death of a Salesman response

Willy Loman believes that individual opportunity and success comes when an individual is smart and works hard for what he or she wants. In order to be a success, according to Willy Loman, you must be well liked and it is incredibly important to be well known in not only the area you are from but in all areas. In his opinion this is a large definition of success. We see this numerous times throughout the book. For example, when Biff attempts to get a job the first time. He goes through all of the stages that becoming successful entails. He begins in a low position and seems to work his way up. His father Willy was happy when his son did this because he created his name in his industry and he showed that he earned the success that he would one day receive. We also see this when Willy discusses how many people "know" him in other areas of town and in other cities. 

On the other hand, the author, Arthur Miller, shows in  almost every other character that they are given the success that they obtain. Whether it  was based on who they know or where they came from the other characters get the things that they want. It is because of this that they are considered successful. For  example, Willy's boss obtained his position as the head of the company because he was the son of the owner of the company. The company was not passed on to the person with the most skill, but rather it was passed on to the next generation of the family. Being a smart and successful person had nothing to do with who would obtain this company and it was very evident that they author believed that success is simply given to individuals rather than to individuals who truly deserve the success. 

Death of a Salesman

Throughout the entire play Biff and Willy don't get along. In my opinion it seems as though all Willy wants is the connection that he and Biff had before Biff found Willy having an affair. After this key moment in the play, Biff and Willy no longer have the loving father son relationship that they once had. In the end of the novel Biff and Willy finally make up. It is right after this that Willy gets in his car and kills himself. Why did he want to kill himself when he and his son finally made up? 

Speech Presentations 2

I felt that Matt's speech about School on Wheels was a very good speech. I felt a connection to the organization and I was encouraged to volunteer my time and to donate money. I think that Matt did a very good job persuading me to volunteer, he looked calm and at the same time he was incredibly persuasive. The organization was also one in which I would want to donate my time to. 

I also enjoyed Cate's speech. I thought that the organization that she chose, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, is one that I have always wanted to find time to be apart of. Cate's speech helped to remind me why I wanted to be a part of it. The success stories from this organization are incredible. I think that Cate did a very good job using statistics in her presentation, this appeal to logos persuaded me even further. The speeches today were very good and I was persuaded by many of them. 

Speech presentations

I felt that Jim's speech was one of the best presentations today. His speech affected me because not only did he have statistics and a calm way of speaking but Jim also used personal stories to influence the listener. I think that this was a very good way to go about the speech. Jim started by discussing that 9 individuals arrived at University on Saturday morning. This attacked my emotions because I immediately felt guilty that I did not show up to help at the Lord's Pantry. Jim also included many personal details which strengthened his speech greatly. 

Erin's speech also affected me greatly. I think that Erin's speech motivated me because I volunteer for both the bowling and track and field special olympics. Erin discussed the affects that her experience in the Track and Field olympics brought to her. Her speech was motivational and it brought me back to the times when I first began volunteering. I was able to see the faces of the competitors and that proved that her speech appealed to my emotions. I really enjoyed that Erin discussed that she did not only want money for the Special Olympics but that Time was also valuable. Both of these speeches strongly appealed to my emotions. 

Speech reflection 2

My speech seems to be moving along. I wrote out the claim, reasons, grounds, warrant, backing, rebuttal, and qualifier. 

I decided to go for the angle in which the appeal to pathos is very evident. Because the Julian center is a center which was developed by influential women in the State of Indiana for victims of domestic violence i decided that one of the major hooks for the donation of time and money to the center would be to make the listener feel something for the victims. I think that by appealing to the listeners emotions they will want to donate money and they will want to help the victims of domestic violence. 

Domestic violence is very prominent in our society today. I think that because there is a desperate need for help when it comes to domestic violence the listeners will feel a connection to the issue and they will want to help those who deal with fighting for their own safety on a daily basis. 

The Julian center provides therapy, community, and love to the victims of domestic violence. The center is very helpful but it needs more money so that it can help more victims. Hopefully my speech will get it just that. 

Speech Reflection

For my speech I chose to discuss the Julian Center in downtown Indianapolis. The Julian Center is a place for women and children to go if they have been abused or harassed. The center is safe and has cameras surrounding all entrances and exits. The woman feel safe in the Julian center and it was set up so that abused women and children could begin a new life. 

I chose to make my speech about the Julian Center because i did a seminar there my freshmen year. When I went we heard stories from some of the women who were in the center and hearing their stories impacted my life greatly. I also had the opportunity to sit down with some of the children in the shelter and I was able to connect with them and hear how they survived. 

I learned from this that the Julian Center is a place of rebirth for the people who are in desperate need of a safe house which will allow them to start over. It is necessary for many to donate money to the Julian Center because it goes straight to the advancement of those truly in need. 

Self Reliance

Emerson writes that the only way to be successful in life is to put yourself above all else. He says that you must reject everyone else and there beliefs and work solely to further yourself. Emerson thinks that if you put people down along the way and your actions are solely for yourself than you will be successful over all. 

I disagree that this is the way to be successful. If you only work for yourself then you may become successful but that success will only benefit you and it will not help others around you. Personally, I think that it is more important for a person to work with others while he or she is trying to become successful. Success is important in our society but not success which only helps the individual. I think that the only important success comes from the person who helps others through his or her success. 

Success through only improving yourself and not others is not easy to achieve. You can not simply step on others and magically become successful. In order to be successful you must demand respect from others. In order to get that respect you have to be liked and appreciated and if you step on others constantly just to better yourself you will not be respected. Which in turn, means that you will not become successful. 

Class In America

 I think that this article is saying that the wealthy take advantage of the poor. In a way it is saying that many of the wealthy do not understand how good they have it in relationship to the poor. It also discussed the idea that all Americans do not have a level playing field when it comes to achieving the American Dream. I think that the wealthy exploit the poor with the assumption that they had to work as hard as the poor did to obtain what they have. The article also says, "when social commentators or liberal politicians draw attention to the plight  of the poor, they do so in a manner that obscures the class structure and denies class exploitations." (309) This proves that the wealthy know how the poor are treated but that they simply ignore it. 

Some could read this article and think that the wealthy are just clueless as to what the poor have to endure, and how hard the poor have to work to get to were the wealthy are. However, I think that this article clearly states that the wealthy truly believe there is a level playing field and feel as though they have worked as hard as someone who began with nothing. 

Cruz Vs. Alger

Stephen Cruz has an incredibly different view of what the American Dream is than Horatio Alger. In fact, they are almost completely opposite. Horatio Alger believes that in order to achieve the American Dream you must work hard or do one heroic thing. In his story, Ragged Dick, his main character was a hard worker and he rescued a small boy from death. Because of his actions the young boy was rewarded with the American Dream. Horatio Alger also believes that everyone, rich or poor is set on a level playing field.  He thinks that you obtain the American Dream based on either how heroic you are or how hard you work. 

Stephen Cruz has a completely different perspective of the American Dream. In his argument Stephen Cruz uses personal experience to persuade us that minorities are in a high demand and if they agree to "stay in line" they will be rewarded with the American Dream. He also stated that certain minorities are in a higher demand than others. I think that Stephen Cruz is basically saying that he feels the American Dream is an illusion that was simply made up. This completely contradicts Horatio Alger who believes that the American Dream will come to those who work for it. 

Ragged Dick response

In this short story Dick was rewarded for his success when it came to saving a young boy. He was seen as a hero because he took the initiative to save someone that he did not know. Whether the boy lived or died would have not affected Dick in any strong way but he dove into the water anyway. Because he did this brave deed the boy's father rewarded Dick with the job opportunity of a lifetime. Dick's good deed changed his life forever and made him a more successful man. 

I think that this short story is implicitly telling us that one small deed, which may not directly affect you, can affect someone else so greatly that they are willing to change your life. Even though the small boy's life did not mean much to Dick he dove in to save the boy regardless of what he would get in return. This indirectly tells us that successful people are willing to take risks and in  a way be heroes. Dick's life was drastically changed by the boy's father. He was given new job and because of this was paid much more money. Dick became successful because of one action and the book tells us that one think can dramatically alter your lifestyle. 

Visual Arguments

Our society is quickly becoming a visual society in which we use photographs, drawings, and graphics to enhance our arguments. Using a visual is helpful to the author of the argument because it strikes the pathos of the viewers greatly. Using visuals allows the viewer to connect with the argument on a different level. 

I think that a visual argument is more persuasive because it enables the viewer to see exactly what the author is saying. Using visual arguments keep viewers engaged in what it is the author is attempting to say which makes the viewer act on the argument. In order to use a visual argument the author must have a deep understanding of his or her viewers. This is true because visuals allow people to come up with there own ideas about an argument. A visual argument is always open to interpretation, because of this the visual the author chooses to represent his or her argument must be one in which the viewers can only view one way, the authors way. Regardless of this, visual arguments are more persuasive because they connect the viewer to logos, ethos, and pathos. Instead of simply reading about an issue or argument the reader can now relate what the author is saying to a powerful image. This makes the argument much more persuasive to the viewer. 

Ethical responsibilities in Ethos and Pathos

An author has many ethical responsibilities when it comes to Ethos and Pathos. An Authors job is to connect to a reader in an emotional (pathos) way or in an ethical (Ethos) way. In order to do this the author must understand the different points of view that his argument can have. In order to be ethical the author must address the ethical and emotional issues that the reader may have in regard to the argument. 

Ethical responsibilities play a major role when it comes to the emotions of a reader. An author must be sensitive to the fact that each reader may have various emotions in regard to the problem that the author is addressing. It is only right to understand all views of a problem to argue and address it. 

There are also many responsibilities when it come to Ethos. It is important to show that you can empathize with the opposite side of your argument. This allows the reader to see that the author is ethical and that the author is sympathizing with their point of view. By sympathizing with the readers ethics the author is also making their own argument stronger. The author should also be ethical when it comes to putting down a readers opposing view. 

Many times our media and our government do not live up to these ethical expectations. The media is simply looking for a story which exposes a person or a group of people. They do not think about the effect their story will have on these groups of people. The government and media often only think about one side of a story, they hardly ever express a view and an opposing view. This is true because the media and the government want you to believe what they believe and to know nothing else. Ethical responsibility plays a major role in arguments and should be expressed in our media and government. 

Evidence in Skateboarding Article

David Langley uses evidence thoughtfully  throughout his essay, "'Half Criminals" or Urban Atheletes? A plea for fair treatment of skateboarders".  David uses personal experience to make his argument more appealing to the reader. The Essay begins by the writer discussing his experience, by doing this he allows the reader to understand that they argument he is attempting to make is in fact true. Because the reader may not have a personal experience about the argument it is important for the writer to share their story in order to catch the emotions of the reader. 

The author also expressed how cities have attempted to treat skateboarders fairly. It then goes on to discuss that because the cities do not understand skate boarding they continue to treat the skate boarders less fair. This is a good technique when it comes to using evidence because the reader can understand both views and it allows the reader to side with the writers argument more. 

In  A Case For Torture we are told what to believe and we are expected to trust the evidence that one man gives us. In this article we are given specific examples from a personal experience. This allows me to relate to the argument more simply because the evidence is more personal. 

Pseudo Arguments

A pseudo argument is when someone can only understand their view of a specific argument. It is when you cannot except any information against your argument because you refuse to believed that the opposing argument is correct in any way. 

Pseudo arguments are seen daily when it comes to politics and political discussions.  For Example, The war in Iraq is a pseudo argument that is discussed constantly in politics and on the news. When people discuss the war they normally have debates. It is common for there to be a representative for the opposing party and a representative who is for the war. It is incredibly rare for someone to change someone else's mind when it comes to this pseudo argument because it relates to your personal beliefs and ethics. As much as the debaters attempt to prove each other wrong and provide evidence to support their own argument they can not sway their opponents mind. This is a pseudo argument because the politicians or debaters are only aware of their view and do not even think about the possibility that their opponent may be correct. There are many common pseudo arguments when it comes to politics and in some cases in my everyday life but as of now the war is one that is constantly shown. 

Appeal to Pathos

Pathos is one of the most important appeals because it relates to emotion. This is significant because in order to capture a reader and persuade them to believe your argument you must capture their emotions and make the reader create emotions of their own simply by reading your seeing your argument. 

Pathos is also an important appeal because it allows the reader to see and feel exactly what the writer felt and saw. By capturing the emotional appeal of the reader you are persuading them to believe what it is that you want them to believe. It is also important for the writer to tell the reader what emotions they should feel because it makes the argument that much stronger. 

Pathos is important because, "it engages the imagination and feelings, moving the audience to deeper appreciation of the argument's significance." By moving the audience with your argument they feel a deeper connection to that argument and may want to take action or become more involved. Pathos furthers the connection that they feel to the argument because it connects to the readers emotions. 

A Case of Torture Response

Michael Levin discusses the need for torture in our country when it comes to certain situations in his essay, "A Case of Torture Response." He states that torture is a necessity when it comes to the moral obligations in our life. He makes a good point as he discusses putting one person in pain if it means saving many. 

I agree with Michael Levin. I think that it would be necessary to torture a terrorist in order to save those innocent victims that he would be attempting to kill. The author of the essay states, "If the only way to save those lives is to subject the terrorist to the most excruciating possible pain, what grounds can there be for not doing so? I suggest that there are none." I agree with him on this point. If the cost of saving the lives of the innocent victims is putting the terrorist in excruciating pain, I think that it would be a cost that I would be willing to take, regardless of what our constitution states. He also claims that life in an incredibly valuable thing and that you must save the lives of the innocents rather than the one that endangers them. I think that this statement is true. Life is one of the most valuable possessions and saving lives is more important than putting the person who is trying to take life away in pain. 

As I said, I agree with the ideas that Michael Levin has brought up in this essay. Torture is a moral question. Putting someone in pain for information is a drastic method and I think that the only reason we should do this is to prevent the loss of life. 

Reflection on biotech food debate.

The biotech food debate is one that has caused trouble between activists and scientists. The biotech foods are tested by scientists to make sure that they are safe to eat and that they provide the same amount of nutrients as the original food. The debate is about whether or not the foods should have labels stating that they are in fact genetically enhanced. 

Although I can see why many activists would want to know that the foods they are buying are in fact genetically enhanced, I think that if there is no difference between the genetically enhanced foods and the normal foods then they should not have to be labeled as a biotech food. If the label would simply state how the food was developed I see no reason for the common consumer to have to know that it was a biotech food. These genetically enhanced foods apparently hold the same amount of nutrients and are proven to be just as safe as the food that farmers grow. Because of this, I do not think that they need to be labeled. As the essay on page 41 states, "There hasn't been a single documented case of an illness caused by biotech foods." Because of this there is no need for a label. The essay does tell us that some of the nutrition levels are different than there conventional counterpart, if this is the case I think that that specific food should use a label. 

Ad vs. Cartoon

The add on page 24 and the cartoon on page 1 are both meant to have a lasting affect on the reader. The purpose of these two pieces of advertisements is to let the reader or viewer know about genetically engineered foods and their affect on our society. Although both of these different genres influence us they tend to do so in very distinctive manners. 

The cartoon is meant to give the viewer a visual rather than overload the viewer with information. It is a quick way to catch the eye of a reader but get a small point across while they read. This is a good way to get a point across because it allows the reader to see a problem, relate to it, and eventually move on. 

The advertisement on page 24 goes about this process in a different way. I preferred this add because the image captured my eye but the ad allowed information and facts that helped to back up the image.

The cartoon influenced its argument by using a catchy and somewhat flashy drawing. It addressed the problem and allowed the viewer to take it in but it did not overload the viewer with information. The ad was able to catch my attention and it pulled me in with its facts and information about genetically engineered foods. It influenced its argument by providing me with detailed information which allowed me to believe its argument more. 

Implicit Vs. Explicit Arguments

Implicit and explicit arguments are both used in order to convince others of a specific point of view. They are both different forms of arguments which present themselves in completely opposite ways. 

Explicit arguments are commonly used in formal essays. Explicit arguments shows us exactly what the problem is and responds to it with supporting evidence. Explicit arguments are more common because they are used in books, essays, and in everyday speech. 

On the other hand implicit arguments are used in poems, songs, and short stories. They portray their points of view in a more creative and thoughtful way. Implicit arguments are used in order to persuade a reader or viewer to a different point of view. 

The book gives us two examples of implicit arguments. The first is a picture that shows us the raw emotions of members of the army. It persuades us to support the troops and show emotions towards them. The second is a poem which by contrast, urges us to not support wars due to the problems that wars bring. It describes the soldiers during the wars and vividly describes the issues that they are having during the war. Explicit and implicit arguments both help to deliver a point of view and persuade others to follow the view. 

Class Activity.

My blocks were set, my thoughts were on the finish line, and I was ready to run. As far as I was concerned  it was "just another race". All that I wanted to do was beat my own time. My leg had been feeling tight and had given out at the last practice but I was so focussed on winning that  all thoughts of pain left my mind. 

The official slowly moved his hand up towards the sky with the gun in his grips. It went off and I sprang quickly out from the blocks. Immediately all of the pain rushed right back into the upper part of my thigh. I felt the pain stretch down my entire leg. All that I could think about was losing and the enormous amount of pain that my leg was in. Stupidly, I decided to keep running. After a few more seconds I had crossed the finish line in 3rd place. Immediately I hobbled to our camp in the center of the track and burst into tears. After the race my leg seemed to double its feeling of pain. My teammates brought me a bag of ice to stop the swelling and I laid down on the floor clutching my leg.  I have never felt a sense of failure as much as I felt it at that moment. Even though a doctor had not told me I knew that I had pulled my hamstring. I lost my season and my chance at regionals for sophomore year, but in some way my injury made me care about the sport more. 

Reflect on Anything from the class so far

In class we have been discussing the various ways that people perceive you and what it is that makes them perceive you in such a way. We have talked about the fact that your own perception of yourself and they way that others perceive you contradict each other which creates your persona. I have to admit that I have never actually thought about this until class. The idea that two different perceptions of yourself creates your true persona never seemed to cross my mind. I think that this is interesting because the person you proclaim yourself to be (or se yourself as) may be completely different than how others view you. 

I also think that the idea of humans being obsessed with obtaining material possessions or dreams that they can not realistic reach is interesting. We have been talking about this because of The Great Gatsby and how his dream was to capture the old Daisy. I found this discussion interesting because you had to choose which was more important: Striving for your dreams even though you may fail desperately or settling for what you already have in fear of disappointment. I chose to strive for your dreams because even if you fail you will have some sense of fulfillment. So far I have enjoyed this class because of the broad range of topics we seem to cover and how deep we go into each individual topic. 

How to Tame a Wild Tongue Response

Throughout history every language that has survived has evolved and adapted in some way. Languages are almost forced to evolve because of the cultural migration and the influence of other languages. If a language did not evolve and incorporate new languages then the people that speak that language would not be able to comprehend the new society and their way of speaking. Language is the most important form of communication, in order for a language to survive it must adapt to the changes in the world surrounding it. 

I think that there is a time when the language that you speak changes. From generation to generation each language incorporates new words and a new way to relate to one another. For example, some of the words that I may say today my parents or grandparents may not understand or they ,ay thing that what I am saying means something different. Throughout time words pick up different meanings. As our society develops and changes the languages and the words themselves pick up new words and different meanings for older words. The Languages have been developing for many years in order to fit all societies, some have been lost and others have changed drastically but each language is important because of its influence on our world.  

Red Sky in the Morning Response

Patricia Hampl vividly describes the meeting of a middle aged woman who has, to her surprise, captured the love of a young attractive man. This experience changed the author's view of love and herself. Patricia Hampl was confused at how such an attractive young man could love a woman less attractive and older than himself. This mysterious woman and her husband allow the author to understand that she , "  lived on pride, not love." (16) Her brief interaction with these two strangers allowed her to have a deeper understanding of herself. 

When I first read the question, "describe a situation that moved you in a similar way" I was surprised by the thought that came to mind. I hadn't thought about this person since I last saw him but his memory has seemed to stick with me forever. His name was Chris and he played basketball with my older brother on his little league basketball team. Aside from being the only one on my brother's team who would take the time to see how my day had been, Chris was special. Chris was deaf but he never complained or became frustrated with himself during the game. I was around 7 when I met Chris for the first time, I would sit and talk to Chris through his mom before and after their games and practices. During the games Chris couldn't hear the buzzer and would therefore continue to run, even when everyone else stopped. When he finally realized the buzzer went off his simply shrugged his shoulders and laughed. Even though it seems like a small task, I was amazed at how brave and kind he was. Chris knew he was special but it didn't stop him from becoming an amazing person. Eventually my brother quit the basketball team and moved on to other activities and unfortunately my family lost contact with Chris. The last time I saw Chris was by pure chance. We were signed up for the same tennis class and even though it was around 5 years later Chris and I remembered each other well. Although Chris probably doesn't know it he changed my life drastically. He changed the way I viewed handicapped people and allowed to see that they were the same as me and therefore should be treated the same. He also inspired me to volunteer at the Special Olympics. Chris was an extraordinary person who influenced my life every time I was around him. 

YESS

hurrayyy