Graff, Gerald., Birkenstein, Cathy., Durst, Russel. They Say I Say and "The Decline and Fall of Declinism." .New York: Norton, 2009. Print
Chapter five explains how to tell which side a speaker is taking. Sometimes listeners do not understand which point the speaker is taking and there are key words to listen for to view their side. The chapter also explains how to explain your position more clearly.
"When writers fail to use voice-marking devices like these, their summaries of others' views tend to become confused with their own ideas- and vice versa."
My English class in high school used to have socratic seminars very similar to what we do in English 155. After I read the above quote from the reading, my first thought was that our class had a problem of understanding each others' viewpoints. A lot of times during discussion, a classmate would ask the other what position they were taking. This chapter of the reading really motivated me to take a position and explain clearly why I chose that side. When someone speaks out their opinion it is important to have an understanding of what they said, and then clearly explain whether you agree or disagree. During our seminar it was easy to understand which position someone was taking. Our class did well picking sides but there were only a few occasions when I did not understand which position they were taking. I believe our next discussion together will be a lot better than the last. A lot of the reading from the book helps me get a better understanding of how discussions should be reviewed. After practice and more reading, I think the next discussion we have as a class will be really interesting because every one of us will know how to respond.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
A Stigma That Never Fades
"A Stigma That Never Fades" The Economist. The Economist. Print. 8 Aug. 2002.
The reading was mostly about the prison systems of the U.S.Throughout the text there were statistics and numbers about the number of prisoners and the rate at which they return to prison. According to the print, people that are released from prison are most likely to go back to prison because they are uneducated and some of them still have some sort of drug addiction.
"A survey of Californian inmates found that half were functionally illiterate. Prison could fix some of those social disadvantages; usually it does not. So the typical inmate is released from prison with all the problems he went in with- plus a prison record that makes finding a job or a place to live even harder."
I don't see how prison could help change social disadvantages for inmates. Unless prisons become somewhat like schools, most of the prisoners will go away uneducated and with the same problem. Prisons should have some sort of system where they can educated and rehabilitate inmates which are most likely to be released out into the world. A lot of times people are reintroduced to the streets, only to be locked back in. However, if the inmate had some rehab before being let free then he would probably be okay instead of returning to drugs and violence. According to a statistic in the text, treatment rather than incarceration would reduce serious crime 15 times more effectively. That to me is a strong statistic and we should focus more on fixing these people rather than putting them in time out. If the people that are released from prison at least know what to do in the real world, most would have the ambition to change their life compared to one who wasn't in rehab. I think most inmates should learn how to cope with their problems in the real world so when they are released, they at least have some minimal knowledge of what to do once they are out.
The reading was mostly about the prison systems of the U.S.Throughout the text there were statistics and numbers about the number of prisoners and the rate at which they return to prison. According to the print, people that are released from prison are most likely to go back to prison because they are uneducated and some of them still have some sort of drug addiction.
"A survey of Californian inmates found that half were functionally illiterate. Prison could fix some of those social disadvantages; usually it does not. So the typical inmate is released from prison with all the problems he went in with- plus a prison record that makes finding a job or a place to live even harder."
I don't see how prison could help change social disadvantages for inmates. Unless prisons become somewhat like schools, most of the prisoners will go away uneducated and with the same problem. Prisons should have some sort of system where they can educated and rehabilitate inmates which are most likely to be released out into the world. A lot of times people are reintroduced to the streets, only to be locked back in. However, if the inmate had some rehab before being let free then he would probably be okay instead of returning to drugs and violence. According to a statistic in the text, treatment rather than incarceration would reduce serious crime 15 times more effectively. That to me is a strong statistic and we should focus more on fixing these people rather than putting them in time out. If the people that are released from prison at least know what to do in the real world, most would have the ambition to change their life compared to one who wasn't in rehab. I think most inmates should learn how to cope with their problems in the real world so when they are released, they at least have some minimal knowledge of what to do once they are out.
Monday, February 7, 2011
The Meaning of 9/11
Graff, Gerald., Birkenstein, Cathy., Durst, Russel. They Say I Say and "The Decline and Fall of Declinism." The Meaning of 9/11. Ed. Morris Berman. New York: Norton, 2009. Print
In this anthology by Morris Berman, a further truth is revealed about 9/11. Berman gave a deeper look into the reason why we started a war with Iraq. The U.S. had a military and we were willing to use it. Our war was againt Iraq with the help of Great Britain.
"If the U.S. were not preparing to attack Iraq, it would be preparing to attack another nation. The U.S. will go to war because it needs a country with which to go to war."
After the reading I became more aware of the 9/11 attack. The way I see it, the attack was more of a conspiracy than a terrorist attack. Our nation is a huge consumer of oil and areas like Saudia Arabia oil is abundant. Bush wanted to start a war with the weaker country so that we could gain either territory and/or the oil. Imagine how our country with fluorish with the black goo. We would be able to manufacture, sell, and have our nation prosper for all eternity! But at what price? According to a research team at Johns Hopkins there was a total of about 100,000 civilian deaths.(450 Berman) A lot of innocent people were killed "accidentally" in bombings. It was not fair for those people to die. My father fought in the military for twenty years and even fought in the war in Iraq. I asked for his opinion on the war and he told me "...we fought for the oil". Bush wanted to fight for the oil and make a lot of money for the States. After the attack of 9/11 Bush decided it was a good enough reason to go to war.
In this anthology by Morris Berman, a further truth is revealed about 9/11. Berman gave a deeper look into the reason why we started a war with Iraq. The U.S. had a military and we were willing to use it. Our war was againt Iraq with the help of Great Britain.
"If the U.S. were not preparing to attack Iraq, it would be preparing to attack another nation. The U.S. will go to war because it needs a country with which to go to war."
After the reading I became more aware of the 9/11 attack. The way I see it, the attack was more of a conspiracy than a terrorist attack. Our nation is a huge consumer of oil and areas like Saudia Arabia oil is abundant. Bush wanted to start a war with the weaker country so that we could gain either territory and/or the oil. Imagine how our country with fluorish with the black goo. We would be able to manufacture, sell, and have our nation prosper for all eternity! But at what price? According to a research team at Johns Hopkins there was a total of about 100,000 civilian deaths.(450 Berman) A lot of innocent people were killed "accidentally" in bombings. It was not fair for those people to die. My father fought in the military for twenty years and even fought in the war in Iraq. I asked for his opinion on the war and he told me "...we fought for the oil". Bush wanted to fight for the oil and make a lot of money for the States. After the attack of 9/11 Bush decided it was a good enough reason to go to war.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
The Growing College Gap
Graff, Gerald., Birkenstein, Cathy., Durst, Russel. They Say I Say and "The Decline and Fall of Declinism." The Growing College Gap. Ed. Tamara Draut. New York: Norton, 2009. Print
In this anthology Tamara Draut, director of the Economic Opportunity Program at Demos, explains an invisible gap between the educated and the people who want to become so. Today, many students who can afford to graduate usually do while the people who struggle to pay for school become less likely to succeed. Draut also mentions how school is affordable to some and why mainly the wealthy graduate.
"The paradox facing young adults today is meeting the demand for more credentials in a context of declining financial aid support and skyrocketing tuition. The more diplomas you earn, the better your chances of getting into the middle class and staying there."
After the reading I was very interested in knowing when the GI Bill was passed. My father was in the military for twenty years and thanks to his commitment in the military, much of my education is being paid for by the government. Without the bill I probably would not be able to attend any four year university in California. This quote really caught my attention after reading how diplomas ensure ones class in society. It is unfortunate to believe some high school graduates cannot afford to go to secondary school. I suggest education be everyones' right no matter what background. If our country has hope for a good future then the majority of people should be educated after highschool. Although some kids do need to go to work to support a family, most are still capable of having at least five units. In that sense at least everyone will have some education. Eventually more will become educated and as will the next generation. My solution might be a good one, it might not. Regardless however, if a future candidate for presidency proposes one I will vote for them. There is no possible way for our nation to prosper if no one is educated.
In this anthology Tamara Draut, director of the Economic Opportunity Program at Demos, explains an invisible gap between the educated and the people who want to become so. Today, many students who can afford to graduate usually do while the people who struggle to pay for school become less likely to succeed. Draut also mentions how school is affordable to some and why mainly the wealthy graduate.
"The paradox facing young adults today is meeting the demand for more credentials in a context of declining financial aid support and skyrocketing tuition. The more diplomas you earn, the better your chances of getting into the middle class and staying there."
After the reading I was very interested in knowing when the GI Bill was passed. My father was in the military for twenty years and thanks to his commitment in the military, much of my education is being paid for by the government. Without the bill I probably would not be able to attend any four year university in California. This quote really caught my attention after reading how diplomas ensure ones class in society. It is unfortunate to believe some high school graduates cannot afford to go to secondary school. I suggest education be everyones' right no matter what background. If our country has hope for a good future then the majority of people should be educated after highschool. Although some kids do need to go to work to support a family, most are still capable of having at least five units. In that sense at least everyone will have some education. Eventually more will become educated and as will the next generation. My solution might be a good one, it might not. Regardless however, if a future candidate for presidency proposes one I will vote for them. There is no possible way for our nation to prosper if no one is educated.
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