Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Drafting an introduction for your essay
Now, I’d like you to apply some of these arrangement strategies to your current essay by composing an introduction for it. (If you’ve already drafted one, take this opportunity to try out a different introduction.) Imagine your case as a difficult one, in which your audience is hostile (or at least weary) to your topic or argument. Use insinuation as a tactic to open your piece, as well as any other topics of introduction that might be helpful. How could you admit the difference of opinion on the issue, but still find some common ground on which to develop your argument?
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The Denver light rail system is one that is used by thousands of commuters every day. They head northbound towards jobs in the city, and at the end of the day pile back on the train to return to the city's many sprawling suburbs. The RTD light rail follows I25 most of the way into town, with stops that can be associated with highway exits. Anyone on the light rail can see the same things that those do on the freeway. Billboards are everywhere, advertising for fast food, shopping, upcoming events, and general messages. Most people drive or ride by these every day, their messages so overlooked that only the subliminal message from their general presence is absorbed. But in these generally boring signs are some messages that are overlooked, despite their subliminal messaging. One of these billboard campaigns is the line of billboards created to promote vehicular security. The billboard states "leave it unlocked, leave it running leave it for me". The words are clear and intimidating, placed strategically over the image of a young black man. Although in it's words it says simply to protect your car from robbery, this billboard is profiling the type of people who steal cars with one attribute--they're black.
ReplyDeleteHuman sponsored animal fights have been going on for centuries. Many of them result in grotesque scenes ridden with blood and spilled organs. There are numerous cases where dog fights have resulted in intestine-less opponents and even cannibalism. It's more than just vomit-inducing; it's blatantly wrong. However, there are many people out there who believe that the treatment of animals, no matter how absurd, doesn't matter at all. There are people who think that tortured circus elephants aren't conscious enough for humane treatment. Animals, have clearly shown consciousness in a number of ways. But, then where is the line drawn. Is, it wrong to squish bugs until the green syrup spills through the crevices of their bodies? Is it wrong to smack mosquitos that suck your life juice? It seems that consciousness isn't simply black and white, but rather a spectrum. Insects may indeed have cognitive awareness, but this awareness is still far less than primate awareness. In society, a line is drawn. We must consider whether or not it is important to examine not only the line between human and animal rights, but also those contain within the animal kingdom.
ReplyDeleteI am a college student at the University of Denver and a pretty typical one at that. White (German-Irish), upper-middle class, female. I have not faced many hardships in my life because of the situation I was born into, but one problem that I see arising in my future and the future of all is employment after finishing formal education. And I think no matter how fair or pacifistic a college graduate may be there is a part of them, a part that alos lies within me that does not not want people coming in from an other country and taking our jobs. However, I do not think this small aggressive patriot who lives inside almost all Americans would be happy with denying people from other countries the opportunity to come to the United States, gain citizenship and create a better life for themselves, or just a life they want to live. The patriot would remember that we live in a country of immigrants, Native Americans actually make up a very small portion of the US population, and that denying others the rights that have allowed America to become the melting-pot it is today is quite frankly, unpatriotic.
ReplyDeleteA while ago I was at the DMV to get a new driver’s license with my grandfather who also needed one. When we finally got to the clerk after hours of waiting and jumping through the government hoops the clerk asked us if we wanted to register to vote. We were presented with a several choices, but I settled as a democrat while my grandpa chose republican. As we were finishing up I thought about how odd it was that my grandpa, who had voted democrat in the past several elections chose to be a republican. I mean, is it possible anymore to be a republican and vote democrat or vise-versa? The current claim is that the political polarization in the United States is worse than it has been since the Civil War. Congress has an 8-9% approval rating, and no one seems to have any idea what to do. Democrats and Republicans are constantly bickering, and it is truly uncomfortable anymore to share one’s political beliefs, for worry of being mocked or attacked. We as a country are constantly at each other throat’s villainizing the other party simply because they are other party. Should we criticize President Obama for compromising with the Republican Party? Should we criticize the Republicans/Democrats for not compromising? When did republican or democrat become a dirty word? Everyone has a different belief of how the government should operate, which is why the political parties came about in the first place. Yet why is it now that someone’s political party is more important than their belief? In the last several elections candidates have chosen to run on fairly successfully as “I’m not the other guy.” This is abundantly clear in the Republican debates for the 2012 election year where all of the candidates are running on anti-democrat/anti-Obama platforms to appeal to the extreme voices in their parties. Democrats, even though they have already chosen their candidates are attempting to counter these platforms and appeal to their own extreme members. This is where I become lost. Where are the people hanging in the middle? Where is my grandpa? Why have we, the atypical American been lost in the voices of the extremists?
ReplyDeleteThe hostility surrounding the issue of abortion derives from private religious norms and sexual morality. While these respective values are important within our society, they become detrimental when converted into public law, especially in the ‘Bible Belt.’ In Oklahoma, for example, the extremely conservative and hostile environment has sparked several fire bombing attempts on local abortion clinics. As a native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, I have witnessed this antagonistic attitude towards abortion firsthand. Some would even say that this integration of church and state has resulted in “An erosion of women’s autonomy and reproductive rights in these states” (Abortion in the United States’ Bible Belt). Over the last several years, Oklahoma has enacted especially severe and personally intrusive abortion legislature. These laws unjustly neglect the wellbeing of the mother because the fetus or unborn child is considered the only victim. The recent restrictions imposed upon a woman’s right to abortion, illustrate that the concern is not for the woman’s mental and physical health, but rather to guarantee that she give birth. Considering the mother, “An end to abortion will only come the hard way, when society can offer the pregnant mother a viable alternative to a life of deprivation for a baby born into poverty or born with a handicap, in addition to the adoption alternative” (Mark Hatfield).
ReplyDeleteI live in Colorado. The winters are cold and sometimes snowy. There is never a year that goes by that I am not grateful that I can get out of the cold and into a nice warm bed at night. But each of those frigid nights there are people who have their lives on the line because they have nowhere to escape the cold. These homeless must do their best to bundle up, keep moving, and find shelter to survive another few hours. They must combat the most extreme situations with very little, usually only that which they can carry on their back. The most common reason for homelessness is being unable to find a job. For many, this is because of an inability to get a good enough education to have job security for life. The homeless have to constantly be working to stay alive because they cannot find paid work.
ReplyDeleteI have encountered a fair number of homeless individuals personally. I often go to a place called Senior Support Services which helps homeless seniors during the day and provides food and clothing when available. The first time I walked through their door I met George. George is always either talking or laughing. As far as he is concerned, if you have met then you are good friends. He will joke with anyone he sees. He only has two teeth, but there is hardly a moment they aren’t showing. George is easily the shortest man in the room. George is a sixty-three year old African American man, but here he is not a minority. There are few Hispanics, and only a couple of Caucasians. Almost every person who comes here for help, is a Black man with a tough life. And this is fairly representative of the larger homeless community. The vast majority of single homeless people are African American who have no way of changing their situation. They have been forced to the bottom of society through unfortunate circumstances, and are held there. It is illogical to think that the large percentage of African Americans is merely coincidence. There has to be a reason.
In the last few decades, there have been countless, fierce debates in this country over the issue of same-sex marriage. Currently, the federal government does not recognize any sort of same-sex union, and there are only a handful of states that do so. This is a very controversial issue since both sides of the argument are based in opinions of morality. Those who are strongly opposed to gay marriage may never be convinced to believe otherwise. I ask that anyone reading this who opposes the legalization of gay marriage to set aside your own opinions and judgments about this issue temporarily and consider the arguments presented here.
ReplyDeleteA work in progress...
ReplyDeleteThe American democratic system is not one that can be bought. In a land of equality, in a land where all persons should have an unalienable right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” how can money buy power? How can rulings such as the Citizens United v. Federal Election Committee, which allow corporations certain rights of natural persons, those same persons given unalienable constitutional rights, be condoned? This ruling allows corporations a place in our political system. It allows them to spend money, unregulated amounts, on candidates, essentially granting corporations worth billions of dollars the right to free speech, a right previously reserved for those citizens who walk, talk, sweat, cry, hurt and prevail.
Everyday brave men and women give up their lives so that we can live freely in this nation that we call home. Selflessly they travel halfway across the world to protect the values, freedoms, and overall lifestyle that we take for granted in the United States. Those honorable men and women should be treated like the heroes they are when they return home, they should be taken care of as they have taken care of us. They should be icons in our society. However, when society is not degrading their contribution to our nation, it is feigning ignorance of the need to return the help that was so freely given to us, to those that sacrificed for us to receive it. Though many of our modern day heroes have returned home without injury, this does not mean that they have returned undamaged. Underneath the hard shell that they have formed lies the problem that our heroes cannot easily integrate themselves back into the society they work to protect. The mental repercussions of events that no human being should ever have to witness, much less live through, have, and will, continue to harm our military veterans and the people within our society for the rest of our lives. I’m talking about the rise in the prevalence of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) within military societies, like Colorado Springs Colorado. As the social repercussions continue to present an ever growing problem within Colorado Springs, action needs to be taken on providing the aid to our veterans, not just in repayment of their sacrifices, but because following our American values, it’s just the right thing to do.
ReplyDeleteThe advertising geniuses of the nineteen sixties sought to find ways to convey that products be necessities for certain specific groups in the American population. However, once an idea and advertisement of their message was crafted, the means by which it was to be communicated, whether via television, radio, or otherwise, had to be addressed to target an idea audience. In the internet-centric world of modern day America, a medium of communication has developed that allows for messages to be delivered to extremely individual and unique audience. Social media, via avenues such as facebook, twitter, or youtube, has created a fundamental change in the way that issues and events are communicated through and discussed by members of society. Social media is indeed a valuable tool for strategic advertising of products and services to specific audience. However, it is social media's voluntary participatory nature that makes it such an effective tool for creating social change in American society.
ReplyDeleteAs a Freshman in high school, I was an extremely reluctant entrant to the facebook phenomenon. After several weeks of convincing, my sister finally got me onboard to become a user. Within the first week of using the website, I became aware of a canned food drive going on in my high school and an opportunity to volunteer at a animal shelter in my area.
Facebook as an internet institution relies on connections where one creates a group of friends and is made aware of their actions and activities as well as their interests and events they are participating in. By having access to a group of people sympathetic to your interest as an audience, social media's speed in communication of important events is striking.
Brand new paint, brand new siding, brand new carpet, brand new furniture. That new house smell you sense when you first walk in. Everything looks just perfect, chic and modern. The feeling of walking into a newly made house is exhilarating, especially when that house belongs to you. The feeling isn’t just exclusive to houses either. Apartments, condos, anytime you get to move into a new living space, the feeling of joy and wonder at your new space are always there. In cities, when a whole district is renovated to look like new, you get that same feeling walking around and finding your new favorite upscale restaurant, that one coffee shop that has handmade gelato, or the most amazing boutique that caters just to your style. When an area of a city is renovated, it becomes new and interesting, evoking the same feelings as getting a new living area does. Recently, this commonplace occurred within the Pearl District of Portland, Oregon. What once was a run down, industrial and low cost housing area has become one of the chicest, youngest, and most refreshing places to live and explore in Portland.
ReplyDeleteRenovation is important. It pushes people and communities forward. However, it is important that we consider the past before looking to the future. Though the Pearl District has been a great source of income (through tourism and city-sponsored events) for the city as well as business leaders with interests there, its creation created serious problems for those who used to live there. Before the Pearl District underwent renovation, it was boasted lots of low-income housing and affordable living. People living on minimum wage or disability checks could afford to live there. After the renovations, the Pearl District became one of the most expensive places to live in Portland. Those who used to live there, who could no longer afford to do so, were pushed out and left no option but to find somewhere else they could afford. This phenomenon is known as gentrification. People of lower income are often pushed out of their houses when the city makes renovations to benefit itself and the upper class. This is especially prevalent in Portland, as it’s a national leader in urban growth and development.
History is a tool that society uses to better itself and prevent the repeating of mistakes however, when a group fails to learn from their history, they may soon find themselves repeating the past. In 2008, during the campaign for Proposition 8, a ballot initiative to remove rights from same-sex couples, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints came to the forefront of the debates on gay rights. It wasn’t long before the church found itself taking on a leading role in defense of the current definition of “traditional marriage” of being between one man and one woman. The fight for Proposition 8 was not the first time that the church found itself at the center of a debate on the traditional family and the rights of individuals, but the last time they were in such a fight, they were the ones fighting for their rights. Throughout the history of the Mormon church they have been subjected to religious intolerance and flat out persecution for their earlier beliefs in polygamy. Just as the earlier saints fought for their own acceptance, the supporters of the gay rights movement fight for those same rights today. With historical analysis it can be seen that the Church and the gay rights movement are not so different after all, in fact the two are fighting for the same thing, the right to live your life in your own way.
ReplyDeleteBarack Obama, Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan, and Richard Nixon are globally notable names. These gentlemen have all sat in the Oval Office in Washington D.C. as the President of the United States of America, a country founded upon the tenets of liberty and opportunity. By establishing a new form of government, the United States strayed from a tyrannical argument to ensure equal opportunity for all of its citizens. In its short time since its inception, the United States has catapulted itself to a world power. As time has progressed, the common beliefs of the United States has been molded and reinterpreted. The founding ideologies are now often applied where the founding fathers never would have imagined. One fine example is the new concept of corporate personhood, or the idea that a company has the same rights as an individual citizen. This has heavy implications when it comes to national elections. Campaigning for office now has become more intense than ever. Not just on the candidate from long hours and speeches and appearances, but also on their pocketbooks. The cost of a campaign has risen to astronomical levels in the past few decades, meaning that no individual can support a campaign alone. The new campaign finance techniques and their attempted reform leave the people of the United States wondering if the best person has been put into office.
ReplyDeleteThree hundred million. That is the average number of people who spend their nights homeless in the United States each year. The United States of America currently lets 7% of its population be without a home or a regular place to sleep for some portion of their lives. Despite our country’s wealth, and knowledge of effective programs and policies that help people in need, the issue of homelessness persists, and has been increasing over the past four years. The impact of homelessness is huge: it is a human tragedy that results in poor health and high mortality rates, as well as increased costs for cities. It is a perpetuating cycle that once you are caught in, it becomes almost impossible to escape. In total, homelessness represents an injustice in the United States system of government.
ReplyDeleteThere were few days in my high school career that I did not have a test, or a paper due, or a presentation, or a debate in one of my classes. So my weekday routine developed a rather dependable pattern. Wake up early, practice Spanish conjugations in the shower, drive to school, write or talk about my reactions the class reading, drive home, do homework. I was a hardworking student, creative when necessary, submissive when appropriate. Through four years of this routine I ended high school with a hardworking student GPA, and enjoyed many hardworking student college opportunities. It is easy to assume that that opportunities that have been open to me are a direct result of the countless late nights spent in front of my computer screen, eating starbursts, and creating incredibly original thoughts on the long-term impact of Jim Crow laws. As a current college student at the University of Denver, I am today the product of my own arduous work, right? Now retell this story with out a computer I could work on every night, and without a quite place to do my homework. Retell this story with a part time job that I have to go to every day after school until 8pm at night.
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