Last day of this ENG class was awesome I am going to miss everyone I had grown to appreciate. In the class we discussed logical fallacies and we wrote 6 fallacies that we had to find a definition for as well as an example for that fallacies. The six we had been Red Herring, Straw Man, Either/Or, Hasty Generalization, Slippery Slope, and Circular Argument. The first topic was Red Herring the group had a little trouble with this one and Mr. Mangini had to help us with an example, but basically Red Herring is a diversionary tactic that avoids the key issues, often by avoiding opposing arguments rather than addressing them. An example of a Red Herring found on the website PurdueOwl.edu says "The level of mercury in seafood may be unsafe, but what will fishers do to support their families?" Another Logical Fallacies is Straw Man. This is when someone oversimplifies an opponent's viewpoint and then attacks that hollow argument. An example of Straw Man is "People who don't support the proposed state minimum wage increase hate the poor." Either/Or is a straight forward fallacy. This is when a conclusion oversimplifies the argument by reducing it to two sides. Purdue Owl gives the example for Either/Or by saying "We can either stop using cars or destroy the earth." Our next example is Hasty Generalization, and this is when a conclusion is rushed before you have all the relevant facts. An example by Purdue Owl for Hasty Generalization is "Even though it's only the first day, I can tell this is going to be a boring course." Slippery Slope is a logical Fallacies Purdue Owl gives the definition by saying "on the premise that if A happens, then eventually through a series of small steps, through B, C,..., X, Y, Z will happen, too, basically equating A and Z. So, if we don't want Z to occur, A must not be allowed to occur either." They also give an example of Slippery Slope by saying "If we ban Hummers because they are bad for the environment eventually the government will ban all cars, so we should not ban Hummers." Our final Logical Fallacies we talked about in class was Circular Argument. This restates the argument rather than proving it. Purdue Owl gives the example by saying "George Bush is a good communicator because he speaks effectively." These Logical Fallacies are very helpful because I can now see I was using these in my own writing. I went back into my MLA research paper and looked it over to make sure none of these fallacies were in my paper. Luckily there were none but now I know what they are I can be aware of them for future papers and assignments. Though we only talked about six in the class Mr.Mangini told us there are many more logical fallacies and we could actually take up the whole semester learning about them. I am glad I got this knowledge and will miss this class. I hope everyone has an enjoyable summer!!
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This blog post is a way for me to show my reflective thinking for my MLA research paper. My topic I chose was "Is American prison system 21st century slavery?" I chose this topic because I strongly feel like American prison system needs to change before it's too late. This reflective writing will help me analyze my thought process as well as give me new ideas on what I should think about when I am writing this topic. I will go into idea on where and how I hope this blog post is insightful for anyone who reads it. Who did you work with to compose your research paper? Was this a good approach?
I worked with myself for my research paper. I usually work at home on my desk with some music playing and a drink near me. I also sent my MLA paper to an online tutor on delegate and they gave me some insightful feedback on what to write. I also got some help form my teacher Mr. Mangini. I think this approach was a good approach because I tend to work my best when I am focused on the topic at hand and have no distractions. What rhetorical mode and genre are you using? My rhetorical mode I used the most was to inform people about the way prison system runs as well as how prisoner is forced into labor for almost no money. My audience is towards a general population of mixed people who are interested in prison and how the prison system functions. I go into many details about prison labor force as well as prison living conditions. These help me understand my topic more and form a better structure to complete my topic. When did you write this project? Good approach? I wrote this project on my phone at work then the rough draft I made on my phone I email to myself and work on a better draft on word at home. I usually would write in the night because I am usually busy during the day. I feel like this is a good approach because the rough draft on my phone helps me get key ideas written down, while I can finalize my ideas in a word document. Where did you write this project? Good approach? I wrote this project at work most of the time when I wanted to get key ideas down. I couldn’t do any research when I was writing on my phone at work, so I had to look up the research later in the day when I got back home. I feel like this approach was good for me, so I wouldn’t forget important details I wanted to include in my story, but also didn’t help when I needed to find a research topic to back up my topic. Why did you choose to write about your chosen topic? Good choice? The topic I chose was is "American Prison System 21st Century Slavery?" I chose to write about this topic because I feel like a major topic America needs to change is the prison system. I haven't personally had any tragic family or friends who suffer from prison life I do see the pain and impact it causes to other people around the country. How did it feel to write this argument ("during, after, and since")? Do you have any "if only" moments that can help you revise the draft? I felt very strong writing this argument at first. Then when I was working through this more trying to find more research I got more stressed out trying to find the right research. I haven't had an "if only moment" because I know I can go back to revise my MLA research material. Overall, I am very satisfied of my research and the argument I wrote. How will you revise your argument? I chose to revise a lot to my paper. I changed the whole first paragraph and put what I made the first paragraph for the first draft more of a middle paragraph for the second MLA. I also got more MLA citations for my research and even found some articles that counter my argument. With these counter argument topics, I can look at the way other people think about my topic and how I can figure out counter arguments for those topics. I also added more paragraphs that added new ideas of inmates living conditions which I feel is very important to understand for my topic. In this blog I am going to find 6 sources that relate to my question "Is the american prison system 21st century slavery?". I then will try and summarize what I read in a short paragraph. As well as evaluating the text of the article and then explaining how I feel this relates to my topic for my research paper. The first source I have found comes from the movie "Where to Invade Next" which I have discussed in previous blog post on many different topics. I feel this blog post is a good start towards my MLA paper and will help me with the final project. "Where to Invade Next.” Cecchi Gori Home Video. 2016. McGrew, Annie, et al. “It's Time to Stop Using Inmates for Free Labor.” Talk Poverty, 5 Mar. 2018, talkpoverty.org/2017/10/20/want-prison-feel-less-like-slavery-pay-inmates-work/.
Cooper, Rebecca, et al. "Hidden Corporate Profits in the U.S. Prison System: The Unorthodox Policy-Making of the American Legislative Exchange Council." Contemporary Justice Review, vol. 19, no. 3, Sept. 2016, pp. 380-400. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/10282580.2016.118594.
The intercept. “Florida Prisoners Prepare to Strike, Demanding an End to Unpaid Labor and Brutal Conditions.” The Intercept, 14 Jan. 2018, theintercept.com/2018/01/14/Florida-prison-strike-unpaid-labor-brutal-conditions/.
Peláez, Vicky. “The Prison Industry in the United States: Big Business or a New Form of Slavery?” Global Research, Jan. 2018, www.globalresearch.ca.
McGrew, Annie, et al. “It's Time to Stop Using Inmates for Free Labor.” Talk Poverty, 5 Mar. 2018, talkpoverty.org/2017/10/20/want-prison-feel-less-like-slavery-pay-inmates-work/.
In this blog I am going to give three topics I believe should be discussed. I am then going to give a question about the topic and a argument for the question. I have chose these topics from the film "Where to Invade Next?" by Michael Moore. I believe these topics are some of the major topics we need to discuss in america and act on before it gets worse. Though I cannot go through every topic Michael Moore went through in his film I do hope you can see why I thought these topics to be most important when you read this. Topic: American Prision System Question: Is the American prision system 21st century slavery? Argument: American prison system is 21st century slavery because many corporations use prisoners for labor with unsatisfactory pay. An example of this is the company BP oil, they used prisoners to clean up 4.2 million barrels of oil instead of hiring labor workers many of these workers were unemployed. These prisoners only made .40 cents an hour and some even less. This underpaid labor force is making the prisoners do hard work for many hours a day, and that could be classified as cruel and unusual punishment which violates our 8th amendment as US citizens. BP isn't the only company that uses "Prision Labor" to gain cheap workers for many necessities we use today. Some examples of these companies are McDonalds, Whole Foods, Microsoft, Starbucks, and UPS. Topic: Political Issue Question: Could a single person save society? Argument: A single person can save society and even help improve the way society can become. Many single individuals have changed the way people act and think just by themselves both in a corrupt and uncorrupt way. A prime example of someone who influenced society as whole was Martian Luther King Jr. He influenced all of America, and not only saved all African-Americans from segregation and separation he also saved America from an ugly way of thinking and brought many people of many races together even years after his death. He changed society and though he had much help throughout his trek it was he himself that became the symbol of the change he hoped for. He not only saved society when he was alive, he continues to save society and we remember him as a symbol for it. Saving society mean helping the people think for the better of the whole and I believe a single human can do this. Topic: Economic Issues
Question: Does gender make a difference in the financial world? Argument: Gender does make a difference in the financial world. Women take up 39% in the finical world and though that is a small margin many women have shown that they can compete with them men if not do better. Its said that women a more unsure of their knowledge and tend to not take as many risks as men. This can help women by allowing them to think more about their money before buying into the next big stock unlike men who tend to take more risk and lose more money. This blog post is about the film Where to Invade next which is a documentary about government in other countries and how they deal with political issues. I will discuss the movie and give a summary on it. Then I will evaluate the ideas of Pathos, Ethos, and Logos and give examples of each from the movie. Summary of Where to Invade Next In the documentary Where to Invade Next, Michael Moore visits other countries and views what he believes are there best ideas on government issues that the country has to offer. For example, when Michael went to the country Norway and viewed how their prison system worked and then compared it to Americas prison system. He showed how in Norway the highest sentence anyone can get is 21 years. He also went inside the prison and views what looked like a normal person's house with TV, Fridge, Stove, and many other benefits. After he views the Prision system he then goes into facts about how the American system is different than the Norway system. He shows this with statistics and footage of American system which seems way worse and more violent than the Norway system. This is the same with the other places he visits only with different topics such as Collage Tuition, Healthcare, War on Drugs, and many more. This Documentary is very informal on how other countries run their government and sheds a light on the dark topics of American government that people try and avoid. Rhetorical Analysis The documentary Where to Invade Next, Michael Moore shows various forms of persuasion in his movie to show the audience about foreign policies. Michaels Telos of the film is trying to show audience about American flaws and how foreign government can help these flaws. Three forms of persuasion that Michael uses are Ethos Pathos and Logos. Michael shows Pathos in the film by showing dark pictures and very intense music in parts showing the prison system or war to create a melancholy tone and insight fear into the audience. A form of Ethos that Michael uses in the film is when he interviews three female CEOs from Iceland and asked them questions about work ethics and women's rights. Finally Michael uses Logos in his film by using Germany and discussing their dark history about WW2 and giving examples of how they still try and not forget about their tragic past. He shows how they still post laws abolishing Jewish freedom and teach their students about their history. Michaels kairos appeals to many Americans of all ages and sex who are both leftist and rightist can agree with because he sticks with facts and isn't forced to one side in the movie.
This blog post is a reflective narrative about me and my thought process on writing my memoir. I hope this can help with a good insight on how I write. Reflecting on my writing helps me see things that I might not have seen before writing it. I can step back and ask questions as to why I wrote that. Who did you work with to compose your life-choice memoir? Was this a good approach?
I chose to work with myself on this life-choice memoir. I made this decision because I fell like no one else can explain the story any better than myself. I also find comfort in being alone when I am deep in a thought process. What rhetorical mode and genre are you using? The rhetorical mode i chose was to inform the reader about a important decision I had to make in my life. When did you write this project? Good approach? I started a super rough draft a couple weeks ago just to get some kind of idea. I finally chose the topic about a week ago and I completed a first draft already. I feel confident about this memoir and I am content with the pace I am going to complete it. Where did you write this project? Good approach? I wrote my first thought draft at work on my phone. After that I spent alot of time in my room writing the first draft while taking breaks throughout the process to stretch or get something to drink. I also finalized my first draft on my phone at my job again. I don't like writing on my phone, but sometime I have to. I always enjoy sitting in my room with a dim light and something to drink when I am writing a long period of time not around activity. Why did you choose to write about your chosen topic? Good choice? I chose to write about this topic because I feel like it is a very important first step for me or anyone else trying to become independent for themselves. Moving is very difficult for anyone and everyone has to move at some point in there life. I hope that this memoir might help people in my position moving into there first place and tell them they are not alone. How did it feel to write this narrative ("during, after, and since")? Do you have any "if only" moments that can help you revise the draft? I feel very happy after writing this draft. I think re reading this narrative it shows alot about me. It shows how much I have grown up from being in high school and dropping out of school. Now I read about someone stepping into the world on his own ready to make his own decisions. How will you revise your narrative? I was reading this and saw I focused on some details about a apartment I didn't buy so I am going to revise that and maybe cut some things out to shorten it. I also talk about my grandmother alot but this isn't her story it is mine. In the story Hills Like White Elephants Ernest Hemingway write about two people, one is a male and the other one is a female. This story takes place at a train station and the two are having a conversation while waiting for there train to arrive. In the conversation it shows that the female is nervous about something and the man is trying to comfort her. Does she stay in her relationship with the man? I believe that the female Jig does not stay with the male after the operation. In the short story the man says "You don't have to be afraid. I've known lots of people that have done it" and after Jig replies "So have I and they were all so happy." When Jig says this, I feel like this is showing foreshadowing to an ironic future for them where they don’t end up happy. Another quote Jig says is "And we can have everything and every day we make it more impossible." When Jig says this, I feel like she is saying how everyday she will have to live with him knowing of what has happened after this operation and seeing him will only remind her of this operation. I feel like they know something is being taken away from both of them. Though they will live on after it Jig feels like she cannot go back to the way things were. When have you made a important choice to stay in a relationship or leave a relationship ? Around Jr. Year I'm high school I started to date this girl named Susan. We started to date mid year and dated for about a year and a half. During this whole year Susan became a whole different person than what I knew beginning of Jr. year. Susan became very verbally abusive to me calling me a loser and other insults worse than that. Eventually Susan's insults were starting to get to me making me think I was a loser and worthless, so I started to do worse in classes thinking who cares about anything. Of course I only thought this because of what she constantly was saying to me. Even some of my friends confronted me about her telling me she was no good for me and she is making me become toxic for everyone. Eventually it got so bad I cut off alot of people and usually stayed inside with Susan. After a year of this I came to my senses about her and realized I can do better. After I told her we should be apart she threatened to kill herself. I didn't know what to do in that situation at the time, so I got back together with her out of fear for her safety. About end of senior year I was getting ready to graduate. I wanted to separate from Susan since the last separation just was to scared to. So I decided to confront her and not back out of the decision. After classes we both went to my house and I told her that I cannot live like this and she cannot treat people like this because it's not right. She didn't understand at the time but later on I saw her on facebook and talked to her. She apologized for how she treated me and how she has matured. It was nice to hear that from her and glad we both learned and became better from the relationship.
In What You Don't Know by Lulu Wang writes about a time when her family lied to there grandmother who was diagnosed with lung cancer. Lulu's family then decides that instead of saying there goodbyes and having the grandmother know of her diagnosis. They decide to throw a fake wedding and have the whole family come visit her in China. Many years after the diagnosis the grandmother is still alive and well. Did you agree with the family's choice to deceive Wang's grandmother? Yes. I believe this was important to the family and NiNi to not tell her about the diagnosis for her mental well being. In the story NaiNai tells LuLu about how when NiNi was younger her husband was diagnosed with cancer and NiNi didn't tell him till he was on his death bed. I feel like NiNi doesn't like to put more worries on people she loves any more than she feels like she already is. So if they told NiNi about the cancer when the diagnosis was announced it seems like NiNi is the kind of person to think how it will affect others before she thinks about herself. It wouldn't be healthy to have a negative thought process, and in my opinion worrying about others is more stressful than when you worry about yourself. Another example is when LuLu's father told her about how NiNi was diagnosed with breast cancer six years before her new diagnosis for a whole new form of cancer. During this time she never told anyone about her Brest cancer and even hid that she wore a fake breast. As I said before I feel like she hid this from the family in order to not have them worry about her well being and for them to focus on there own lives. Nini is caring and has a lot of love for her family she is the one who basically created the family anyway. I feel like the family not telling her allows her to enjoy her family without worries about what they are gonna do after her death. So that is why I agree with the family’s decision to hide the diagnosis from NiNi. When have you made an important choice to tell someone a difficult truth or you made an important choice to tell a lie that had a major impact on you and/or someone else? A lie I had to tell someone was more of a celebrated lie but still I had to make up this lie in order to save my friend from danger as well as others. It was Super Bowl night and me and my friends made plans days ahead to watch the game at my one friend Chris's house and sleep over there so we didn't have to worry about driving home that night. My friend Mike had off Monday from work and didn't have work on Superbowl Sunday so around 4pm I get a call from Mike saying "E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES" I could tell right from the slurred S that he was already in party mode. Later that night we all were watching the game having a great time. Mike was very intoxicated, but was still hilarious and joyful. After the big win we all had a celebration drink and after that Mike insisted he drove home. We all reminded Mike that we agreed to sleep over, but Mike kept saying he needed to go home. I knew Mike lived on a busy street So I decided to make up a lie and say that I heard on the news that there was a traffic stop on his street. Mike looked at me with a very scared face and says "really!?.........that f**king sucks." After that he calmed down a little bit since he realized if he went home the police would stop him. Even though no police were even on his block.
In My Name is Margaret Maya Angelou writes about a African American girl named Margaret who works as a maid in a home of a rich upper class woman named Mrs.Cuillnan. In the story Margret is being mistreated by Mrs.Cuillnan saying her name is Mary instead of Margret. Margret than takes action in to her own hands and breaks Mrs.Cuillnan serving tray and cups. This causes alot of devastation for Mrs.Cuillnan and Margret quits the job as her maid. Did you agree with Margaret's choice to break the casserole dish and two green glass cups? Yes. I agree with what Marget did breaking the two glasses and the serving tray. I feel like Margret decides to do this due to the mistreatment that Mrs. Cullinan has given to her. In the story Mrs. Cullinan calls Margret "Mary" knowing that her name is Margret. Even the other maid Mrs. Glory says "Twenty years. I wasn't much older than you. My name used to be Hallelujah. That's what Ma named me, but my mistress gave me "Glory" and it stuck." This proves that Mrs. Cullinan isn't bad with names and is just ignorant to people of other races. An example of this is when in the story Mrs. Cullinan says "I want Mary to go down to Mrs. Randall's and take her some soup." Calling Margret "Mary", but calling Mrs. Randall her actual name. Knowing a person but blatantly ignoring who they are and continuously bashing their character is extremely disrespectful and the person being disrespected has all the right to treat the person the same way. Like the saying says Treat others the way you want to be treated. Finally, after breaking the glasses and serving tray Mrs. Cullinan says "That clumsy nigger. Clumsy little black nigger" making my point of her ignorance to different races even more factual. When have you made an important choice to either resist or not resist oppression, challenge the status quo, or refuse to obey an authority figure? A important choice I made that refused to obey authority was when I didn't show up to work in order to see my little sister's concert. I was about 18 and working at Giant as a baker. My sister Eva and her class were singing in a school concert on Sunday for celebrating graduating 2nd grade. I was trying to plan ahead so I told my boss about this event and even requested off a week ahead of time for it. My boss said "as long as I can find someone to cover for me I can take off Sunday." So I talked to my Coworker Zach and he agreed to cover my shift on Sunday for me. Everything was going perfectly and I was getting ready to go to Eva's concert with her classmates. While I was home getting dressed and cleaned up I get a call from my boss saying "Zach never showed up so we need you to come in now." Then there was the longest moment of silence I have ever had on a phone conversation. Finally I said "sorry I cannot come in I planned to see my sister's concert." After that my boss sounded surprised over the phone that I said no and eventually said "okay" an hung up. This event was really important to my sister and I made a promise to go see her. I feel like family and friends are always more important than money or a career. That is why I am glad I made that decision to not go into work and disobey my boss.
This Blog will show reading of writers and how they go through there writing process and ideas before writing. I will introduce some quotes from the readings about the writing then I will write how I do my own process to writing. Enjoy!
My Process
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