#10: Choosing my topic

            So after looking over many of the topics on procon.org, I think I have chosen to write about teacher tenure. I had created a list of different topics I could do, some on the website and some not, I was thinking that my decision would be based on something which could be influenced by religion. I was thinking about researching the debate about people being gay at birth, taking the side that yes in fact, some people are born gay but can overcome it, just as God gives pretty much everybody else difficulties which they could overcome, like a tendency for heterogenic immorality, pornography or drinking and drug problems. However as I further researched the idea I realized that I would not have as an enjoyable time without quoting our modern day prophets as experts in moral issues. Without the religious element, I do not think I would have enjoyed and learnt as much as I desired from studying this topic.

            So I kept looking and thinking about what kind of topic I would like to research. I decided that I want to research a topic where there might not be that strong of feelings, where it might not be that much fire and emotion on either side. I now expect to write with a lot of pathos, which will hopefully take the reader aback by the comparison of the emotions of all other players in this debate. I think that this will help establish my paper and make it stand out.

            As I looked over topics I thought about writing about teacher tenure. My big fear however is making it interesting enough to last for 8 pages, it’s like Sister Elliott said if I get bored of it before I’m done, my writer will definitely have a hard time.

            So now that I’ve chosen this topic, I am already second guessing myself. I’m now thinking about researching the debates: 1) Should America switch to Nuclear Energy? 2) Should America have the 2 party system? 3) Under God in the pledge? 4) Death Penalty? In the next few hours I hope that I will be able to choose from among these 5 worthy topics.

#9: Rhetorical Analysis

            K honestly I felt so good about my rhetorical analysis! I have never liked writing, but I just felt like I had done a good job finally! I was really focusing on using good powerful verbs and building on each argument and I think it made a huge difference in my writing.

Blog8: How's the paper going?

            My rhetorical analysis is going great! Great in the sense that I have no wasted any time on it, which basically mean I haven’t started really. The reason for that is I haven’t found a speech I’d really like to analyze. I was going to do “Blood, toil, tears, and sweat” by Winston Churchill, but it is too short so I’m looking for another one. Let me know if you have any ideas!

Blog7: Rhetoric of a King

            Can I first just say wow? I could stand silent for hours in respect and awe for Dr. King’s mastery in rhetoric.

            Ok, now that that’s over with, time to analyze and criticize.

            Martin Luther King Jr. truly understands his audience, the white clergymen of Birmingham, Alabama; knows them well enough that he has no problem speaking to them with integrity. The fact that he is so straightforward and open establishes himself as an honest man throughout his letter. He further develops his ethos by explaining his position in the south, establishing and enforcing the idea that although he is black, he is a major leader in the South. The reader then thinks even more of Dr. King as he explains through the course of the letter the responsible actions his followers have taken to obtain that which they see as justice.

            King’s credibility only increases by his powerful appeal to logos. The home base for most of his logic is Christianity, which works very well because he is addressing clergymen. He calculates when laws should be followed and when they should be disobeyed. The ability to be so understanding of an opposing view and really putting himself in basically his enemy’s shoes and not lose his cool really makes this paper.

            Lastly, King appeals to the belief that all men are children of God, and should be treated as such. He reveals to the white moderate the persecution his race has gone through, all the injustices and the fears. He appeals to the greatest emotion of all: love. If logic cannot sway these people, hardened by decades of conforming to norms, only love can.

Blog6: What Christians Believe

            C.S. Lewis’ article is a revealing assertion of what Christian’s believe. His daring Christian writing takes on one of the most important discussions in all of time, is there a God? And if there is, who is He? Once he answers this question, his purpose is to describe the kind of God his fellow Christians believe in.

            Lewis takes a message usually examined in a spiritual sense and argues his points through logical deduction. His purpose is to prove the inconsistencies of atheism. He then explains the nature of God from the Christian’s view. His purpose is not to force his readers to believe anything, but to make them think more seriously about the nature of God.

            C. S. Lewis originally gave this article over the radio during WWII to Allied soldiers, as well as all the articles included in his work “Mere Christianity.” His audience was a diverse collection of soldiers: some hardened by the death around them, some striving to know more and some striving to forget everything.

            These men were conditioned for no-nonsense, and Lewis certainly didn’t waste their time. He quickly gets on the same page as the reader then leads him on a quest to discover God. He establishes his ethos by his honesty, telling every one of his disbelief and efforts to be ignorant to fact. For the bulk of his argument he implements logos, analytically looking at the necessity of a God by presenting the atheist’s ideas and proving them impractical. He finally appeals to the reader’s pathos by describing the enemy of God.

Blog 5: Veil of Fears

Genre: Informative, Persuasive Commentary

Purpose: The writer is informing the reader of the sensitive nature of veils in Islamic society, and the reasons and rules for the custom.

Central Message: We should be respectful of others’ views and not force our Western view of feminism on other cultures. If we want them to change, start by focusing the pressure on the political system.

World View and Assumptions: That Americans want to change the Islamic lifestyle, and that many Islamic women want it to change as well.

Use of Tools and Evidence: He establishes his credibility well, especially establishing how he’s not an extremist in one way or the other, making it easier to believe what he’s saying. He uses a lot of logic and information.

Personal Narrative

I don't know how I really feel about my Personal Narrative, mainly because I was trying to find the right topic. My first instinct was to write about my conversion, because if anything has changed me, it would be that (I was born in the church, but when I was actually converted), but that would be too personal and I don’t want other people reading over it.

So I started thinking of moments in time that have changed me, and I decided to write about a kinda funny moment when me and a buddy decided to run as Student Body President and Vice President and how we flipped a coin to decide which would one we would be. Ran as a joke, but made it. My 2 pages of prewriting were actually on this.

After I wrote the prewrite I was bored of the topic, so I started thinking about a different one, realizing that I didn’t have much time left. So I wrote about my most serious concussion and how it made me value the memories we get. The paper turned out alright, but I realized I was missing an important flavor to these personal narratives, but it was already too late when I figured it out.

I was missing a real change. Yea, I learned something. Don’t let any moment pass you by, live so you have tons of good memories, etc. but I didn’t necessarily change much.

2 days before the paper was due, I was already pretty much done with it; I started just writing down memories. Not necessarily ones that changed me, but just memories. I remembered one memory though, and once I thought about it I really wish that I had written my personal narrative about it. It was my first time home alone, I believe when I was about 9. I looked all brave and macho till my parents left, then ran around the house locking all the doors. They were to be gone from 7-10, and I thought I could handle it. I watched a movie and ate some food, but after a while I just started freaking out too much, I couldn’t handle it. I ran into the backyard where my dog was and just held her and talked to her for an hour and a half, crying. When I knew they were close to being home (Mom called) I wiped the tears, ran inside and just sat on the couch acting like it was no big deal.

This changed me. Ever since then I can look totally fine, even when life is horrible, but I need someone to talk to. I need someone to be close too. Looking back on my whole life I’ve been that way since I was about 9. Kinda cool.