Monday, August 4, 2008
Rather Sad News
Unfortunately, I have to drop AP LIT, due to schedule conflicts. However, I will be taking Expos. and Brit. Lit this fall, so all is not lost!
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Trash Can Fiasco!
The neighborhood of Brightmoor is in trouble...But never fear! *doo-doo-doo!* Here comes "The Next Detroit initiative" to the rescue!
...or not.
Stephen Henderson uses examples to show the irony of the actions that the "Next Detroit initiative" is taking in Detroit's Brightmoor neighborhood. His main example is the ridiculous situation the Quades are undergoing. This tax-paying, elderly couple has to pay a $100 fine because they left the trash can out on the wrong day. Seriously? If that example is not enough to make the reader cringe, Stephen gives even another example: "Just south of the Quades on West Parkway near McNichols, squatters roam from one empty house to another, destroying their innards and setting fires. I counted no fewer than 10 burned-out heaps between Fenkell and McNichols, many with garbage piled high on their porches and behind their wide-open doorways." At this point, the reader must pause and reflect...'What?' And all for good reason!
How can this "initiative" claim "some real victories in its Brightmoor efforts, including reduced violent crime and some major trash cleanups"? Just what the "initiative" is doing to help the good, taxpaying citizens of Brightmoor? Apparently, trimming bushes;"...the neighborhood was crawling with city workers: tree trimmers, cutting back branches all over the place, even around the burned-out houses and garbage-strewn lots." Trash heaps, havoc reeking squatters and abandoned homes are being ignored but "at least the trees will be nicely pruned."
These examples are effective because they show the reader how completely illogical this plan to "clean up the city" is if the only help being given is in the botany area. It shows the author's point that ironically, the "Next Detroit initiative" needs to do step up to the plate and provide some real assistance.
...or not.
Stephen Henderson uses examples to show the irony of the actions that the "Next Detroit initiative" is taking in Detroit's Brightmoor neighborhood. His main example is the ridiculous situation the Quades are undergoing. This tax-paying, elderly couple has to pay a $100 fine because they left the trash can out on the wrong day. Seriously? If that example is not enough to make the reader cringe, Stephen gives even another example: "Just south of the Quades on West Parkway near McNichols, squatters roam from one empty house to another, destroying their innards and setting fires. I counted no fewer than 10 burned-out heaps between Fenkell and McNichols, many with garbage piled high on their porches and behind their wide-open doorways." At this point, the reader must pause and reflect...'What?' And all for good reason!
How can this "initiative" claim "some real victories in its Brightmoor efforts, including reduced violent crime and some major trash cleanups"? Just what the "initiative" is doing to help the good, taxpaying citizens of Brightmoor? Apparently, trimming bushes;"...the neighborhood was crawling with city workers: tree trimmers, cutting back branches all over the place, even around the burned-out houses and garbage-strewn lots." Trash heaps, havoc reeking squatters and abandoned homes are being ignored but "at least the trees will be nicely pruned."
These examples are effective because they show the reader how completely illogical this plan to "clean up the city" is if the only help being given is in the botany area. It shows the author's point that ironically, the "Next Detroit initiative" needs to do step up to the plate and provide some real assistance.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
From the Mouths of Babes
“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech…”- 1 Timothy 4:12 (NIV)
Young Detroiter Darnell Gardener Jr. certainly fulfills this scripture in his plea to Kwame Kilpatrick. Because of his age, Darnell’s outcry is difficult to ignore, realizing that it sometimes takes a high school teenager to knock some sense into “the old folk”. Age alone, however, is not what makes his essay remarkable. Darnell crafts a powerful essay through the use of his own perspective and metaphors.
Darnell’s perspective is essential to the effectiveness of his essay. He begins by explaining the utter importance of stating his opinion because as a lifelong resident and student of Detroit, it is his responsibility to defend the city. Because Darnell was raised in Detroit all of his life, he can truly attest to the depravity of its current situation. When criticizing Kwame, he uses the fact that he himself is African-American and a Detroiter to put to rest Kwame’s claims that all his critics are racist whites and suburbanites. “These words are not tainted with "bigotry" or a product of some "lynch-mob mentality." My words are drenched in tears -- for my people and my city.”
Another aspect of the city Darnell provides witness with his perspective as a student is the horrid condition of the education system. “I used to go to Renaissance High, another fading gem of this city, but last year I transferred to Davis Aerospace Technical High. The difference between the two schools is appalling, even though Davis is considered a top school in Detroit. The children are often out of control, rude and crude. Even worse, they are also devastatingly undereducated. Many cannot even write a readable essay because their grammar is atrocious. I have even heard teachers say that they could not grade some papers because they were unreadable. In fact, one of my peers asked me to proofread one of his essays, and I nearly began to sob halfway through it.” The fact that Darnell has had face-to-face experience with the depressing conditions Detroit education is facing makes the issue that much more tangible to the reader. Clearly something in the leadership of Detroit must be altered to improve these conditions.
Darnell uses powerful metaphors to make his points more contrite. He calls the city “fading” or “lost gem” in order to show the reader the splendor Detroit once held, only now its’ streets are polluted with crack addicts. He makes a point of saying that "Education is the backbone of any successful community" and "children are the future", but when neither are being fixed, the luster of Detroit will be reduced to nothing. He urges that this “gem” must be protected and what little beauty it has left should be saved. Instead, Kwame is squandering Detroit’s money on trials and compromising the city’s integrity through perjury charges.
Through Darnell’s wonderfully crafted essay, the only assessment that can be made is this: Kwame needs to resign. If he refuses, Detroit’s reputation will take yet another blow, and defenders of the city, like Darnell, will be saddened yet again by the ever fading shine of the city they love.
Young Detroiter Darnell Gardener Jr. certainly fulfills this scripture in his plea to Kwame Kilpatrick. Because of his age, Darnell’s outcry is difficult to ignore, realizing that it sometimes takes a high school teenager to knock some sense into “the old folk”. Age alone, however, is not what makes his essay remarkable. Darnell crafts a powerful essay through the use of his own perspective and metaphors.
Darnell’s perspective is essential to the effectiveness of his essay. He begins by explaining the utter importance of stating his opinion because as a lifelong resident and student of Detroit, it is his responsibility to defend the city. Because Darnell was raised in Detroit all of his life, he can truly attest to the depravity of its current situation. When criticizing Kwame, he uses the fact that he himself is African-American and a Detroiter to put to rest Kwame’s claims that all his critics are racist whites and suburbanites. “These words are not tainted with "bigotry" or a product of some "lynch-mob mentality." My words are drenched in tears -- for my people and my city.”
Another aspect of the city Darnell provides witness with his perspective as a student is the horrid condition of the education system. “I used to go to Renaissance High, another fading gem of this city, but last year I transferred to Davis Aerospace Technical High. The difference between the two schools is appalling, even though Davis is considered a top school in Detroit. The children are often out of control, rude and crude. Even worse, they are also devastatingly undereducated. Many cannot even write a readable essay because their grammar is atrocious. I have even heard teachers say that they could not grade some papers because they were unreadable. In fact, one of my peers asked me to proofread one of his essays, and I nearly began to sob halfway through it.” The fact that Darnell has had face-to-face experience with the depressing conditions Detroit education is facing makes the issue that much more tangible to the reader. Clearly something in the leadership of Detroit must be altered to improve these conditions.
Darnell uses powerful metaphors to make his points more contrite. He calls the city “fading” or “lost gem” in order to show the reader the splendor Detroit once held, only now its’ streets are polluted with crack addicts. He makes a point of saying that "Education is the backbone of any successful community" and "children are the future", but when neither are being fixed, the luster of Detroit will be reduced to nothing. He urges that this “gem” must be protected and what little beauty it has left should be saved. Instead, Kwame is squandering Detroit’s money on trials and compromising the city’s integrity through perjury charges.
Through Darnell’s wonderfully crafted essay, the only assessment that can be made is this: Kwame needs to resign. If he refuses, Detroit’s reputation will take yet another blow, and defenders of the city, like Darnell, will be saddened yet again by the ever fading shine of the city they love.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Kym Worthy Lays Down the Law
The Kwame Kilpatrick scandal has certainly won the concern of the public as well as the attention of the media. Journalists thrive on the sex scandals of major public figures, especially someone as infamous as Kwame. Dozens of articles have been written about his infidelity and propaganda is spread in order to capture the public’s attention. Few do not have a strong opinion of the mayor, be it positive or negative. Despite all of the press and celebrity-status Kwame has received, Prosecutor Kym Worthy refuses to lie on public opinion and sex scandal as a basis of the charges pressed against the mayor. Worthy makes it clear that a serious crime of perjury was committed, and there is solid evidence to prove it. By her use of logos and ethos, Worthy provides a strong message that justice will not be ignored in a case where the evidence is overwhelming.
Worthy uses ethos to show the integrity of her workforce and the methods of achieving vital information and evidence for the case. “For the men and women in this office, doing things right trumps doing things fast and easy every time. We serve you with independent thought -- unlossed and unbought we have taken orders and instruction from no one. The only body that has told us what to do is the body of the law. We started with clean slates and open minds. We have been careful, deliberate, thoughtful and analytical. Our decision is well reserved, supported by the evidence, and autonomous.” Worthy explains that her workforce has been entirely efficient in their duties and impartial to the case, relying only on solid evidence to sway their opinion on whether or not to prosecute. This statement reaffirms her message that just will be dealt according to the truth and evidence, not based on personal opinions of the mayor, or swayed by the rumors in the sex scandal in the media. Worthy even states later: “Let me be very clear. This was not an investigation focused on lying about sex.” Instead, Worthy uses ethos by discussing how her workforce made the right decision and focused on the undeniable evidence of Kwame’s perjury.
Worthy uses logos to show the simple, yet important principles of the justice system and the importance of truth. She logically explains that children are taught at a young age to “tell the truth, take responsibility for your actions, admit when you are wrong, be fair and play fair, don’t take or use things that aren’t yours, [and] there are consequences for bad behavior. Even children understand lying is wrong.” In this explanation, Worthy shows that it’s obvious telling the truth is the right thing to do. Truth is vital to the justice system and by lying under oath, it obstructs the entire justice system stands for. “Oaths mean something. They are critically important. They matter. They matter when the jurors take their oaths; they matter when lawyer, judges and elected officials take their oaths…And it is so important; it is perjury if they’re lying and perjury is a crime.” According to Worthy, there is no excuse for perjury, for even children understand the logic that lying is wrong.
Worthy uses ethos to show the integrity of her workforce and the methods of achieving vital information and evidence for the case. “For the men and women in this office, doing things right trumps doing things fast and easy every time. We serve you with independent thought -- unlossed and unbought we have taken orders and instruction from no one. The only body that has told us what to do is the body of the law. We started with clean slates and open minds. We have been careful, deliberate, thoughtful and analytical. Our decision is well reserved, supported by the evidence, and autonomous.” Worthy explains that her workforce has been entirely efficient in their duties and impartial to the case, relying only on solid evidence to sway their opinion on whether or not to prosecute. This statement reaffirms her message that just will be dealt according to the truth and evidence, not based on personal opinions of the mayor, or swayed by the rumors in the sex scandal in the media. Worthy even states later: “Let me be very clear. This was not an investigation focused on lying about sex.” Instead, Worthy uses ethos by discussing how her workforce made the right decision and focused on the undeniable evidence of Kwame’s perjury.
Worthy uses logos to show the simple, yet important principles of the justice system and the importance of truth. She logically explains that children are taught at a young age to “tell the truth, take responsibility for your actions, admit when you are wrong, be fair and play fair, don’t take or use things that aren’t yours, [and] there are consequences for bad behavior. Even children understand lying is wrong.” In this explanation, Worthy shows that it’s obvious telling the truth is the right thing to do. Truth is vital to the justice system and by lying under oath, it obstructs the entire justice system stands for. “Oaths mean something. They are critically important. They matter. They matter when the jurors take their oaths; they matter when lawyer, judges and elected officials take their oaths…And it is so important; it is perjury if they’re lying and perjury is a crime.” According to Worthy, there is no excuse for perjury, for even children understand the logic that lying is wrong.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
LEAVE KWAME ALONE!!!!! WAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
"N@#$%*...illegal lynch mob mentality... "My my, Kwame certainly has a way with words.
It's quite sickening to me that this man is still in office, but it seems as though he will cling to the position by using every method and angle possible. In his speech, Kwame used pathos and the "us vs. them" strategy in his defense. He immediately points out what a victim he has been in the past 30 days (who commited the crime again?) and even attempts to win the viewer's sympathy by bringing his family into the mess. In the next line Kwame uses the "us vs. them" argument to show how evil these "attacks" on his family are; "We've never been in a situation like this before. Where you can say anything, do anything, have no facts, no research, no nothing and you can launch a hate-driven bigoted assault on a family." Kwame is practically screaming: "HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO A FAMILY?!?!?! It's not fair!!! *uncontrolled sobbing*" He attempts to shift the attention on his crime to the "suffering" of his family through pathos. By this method, Kwame was once again able to dodge a bullet. This man is able to distract the citizens of Detroit by saying"look how upset you've made my family" while he slyly avoided the conviction of his crimes and hid his mess under the rug.
Here's the link for Kwame's scripted address: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/15568921/detail.html
It's quite sickening to me that this man is still in office, but it seems as though he will cling to the position by using every method and angle possible. In his speech, Kwame used pathos and the "us vs. them" strategy in his defense. He immediately points out what a victim he has been in the past 30 days (who commited the crime again?) and even attempts to win the viewer's sympathy by bringing his family into the mess. In the next line Kwame uses the "us vs. them" argument to show how evil these "attacks" on his family are; "We've never been in a situation like this before. Where you can say anything, do anything, have no facts, no research, no nothing and you can launch a hate-driven bigoted assault on a family." Kwame is practically screaming: "HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO A FAMILY?!?!?! It's not fair!!! *uncontrolled sobbing*" He attempts to shift the attention on his crime to the "suffering" of his family through pathos. By this method, Kwame was once again able to dodge a bullet. This man is able to distract the citizens of Detroit by saying"look how upset you've made my family" while he slyly avoided the conviction of his crimes and hid his mess under the rug.
Here's the link for Kwame's scripted address: http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/15568921/detail.html
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Flaming Liberals
Elder uses many "they say" arguments to present the Liberal view, but he does so in a way that makes Liberals seem idiotic and slightly insane. Instead of calling them insane himself, he lets the liberals speak for themselves. He starts out with telling the opinions of proffessional liberals, and gradually works his way down to include everyone. "They say" president Bush is evil, which progresses into the liberal belief that conservatives are Nazis. Elder makes it clear that this closed mindset has gone too far when he gives the example of his barber, who blames president Bush for 9/11, and says that Washington D.C. is involved in some conspiracy to murder Americans. At this point, Elder does not even have to insult the Liberals, because they have already said enough.
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