Blog 1

From the readings, I have learned that you shouldn’t panic when it comes time to answer the essay questions on an exam. Even though I am going to be under pressure, I will have to relax. I learned that even though I might have not studied a particular thing that is in the essay question, Imust read the entire question and formulate my answer from there. I must organize my ideas before I began to write, and then put those ideas in order on the paper. Anything that I write must be proven and details must be provided. I also learned that by being organized before hand, it can reduce the pressure of the time.

Blog 2

will there be a  limit on the responses to the essay questions on the exam?

how can i prepare myself for respecting the limits?

should i tell everything i know or summarize what i have learned and put that into my answers?

how can i regulate my time and not stress about will i finish on time?

will i have to provide outlines as a part of my responses to the essay questions on an essay exam?

will i be able to anawer the essay in the amount of time provided?

Argument and Counterargument

     In today’s society, there is the constant issue of power and who has the right to make decisions that affect the people of the world. One constant issue that the world faces today is Gay-Marriage, or Same-Sex Marriages; is it okay for people of the same sex to be a union under law and who has the right to decide on this issue? According to Gay Rights, Library in a Book, by Rachel Kranz and Tim Cusick, gay marriage “is not legal in some states, but there is not an explicit ban on gay marriage” (Kranz and Cusick, p.79). Gay marriage has been challenged in many states such as Hawaii, Colorado, Georgia, and many other states, causing new ideas and laws to be formed some protecting gay marriage and some opposing against gay marriage. Since there is no real way of  knowing whether gay marriage is right or wrong, who has the right to tell people how they must live? The answer to that question is, no one, but the government believes that it has the right to tell people how to live by making laws that ban certain lifestyles and marriages. These laws violate people rights and it is only the first step to reducing civil liberties. Even though people believe in the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, they constantly violate that amendment when there is a ban on the way people live there life.

     Some states in the United States as well as other countries believe that gay marriage is unconstitutional and it also goes against the way God wants his people to live. New laws are being introduced in congress to ban same-sex marriages as a way to give the American people what they want, expressed by their views.  

Argument, Audience and Fallacies

Who is your specific audience?

• For my paper, I am tyring to reach out to those people who are against gay marriage, and I will try to persuade them to believe that all people are created equal and that people who are homosexuals should be treated the same as heterosexuals.

Why did you choose them?

• I chose them because I believe that people should have an open mind to difference in our society today. I believe that people who are against gay marriage rights don’t understand that everyone is not the same and we all have different beliefs even though we are all created equally. I also want them to understand that just because someone is different from them that doesn’t meant that they are inferior to them or their beliefs. 

How will your audience affect the argument you intend to present?

• I won’t be able to start my essay by talking about how people who are against gay marriage are wrong for discriminating against homosexuals. I have to take into account of people’s feelings because I have a tendency to talk at people instead of with them. I also have to make sure that I don’t just express my views but provide counterarguments to my argument. I also need to watch the vocabulary that I use in my essay, so that my audience will understand what I am trying to persuade.

Which fallacies will you need to focus on keeping from your argument? Why are these (individually) important to consider in  your argument?

• Hasty Generalization
  • Some people believe that homosexuals are sinners and they are all going to hell. They believe this because they believe that this type of lifestyle is goes against what God wants his people to do. Some people believe that gay-marriages are unethical. This is important to my essay because I need to present arguments and counterarguments  that elaborate on this point to catch my audiences attention and to examine just what the Bible says.

Summary: Static Encephalopathy Fact Sheet

     Static Encephalopathy is brain damage that permanent or unchanging, and can cause other disabilities such as, seizures, hearing/vision disabilities, and fetal alcohol syndrome. There is no specific test that can diagnose it, but some test that can be done are MRIs, CTscans, blood/urine test, and genetic test. Some doctors don’t know what causes this but some doctors have relates this to severe head injuries, meningitis, and lack of oxygen to the brain. There is no cure for static encephalopathy but it can be treated with medications, surgeries and various therapies. Students with this medical disorder have to have special accommodations in schools because they don’t have the ability to preform the same tasks as students who don’t have this.

     I would consider this as potential research for the Ashley X case because it shows parents or caregivers of people who have brain damage how to deal with them and how to adjust to their medical condition. 

Narrowing Your Topic: Gay-Same Sex Marriage

Who is affected by same sex marriages?

     Same sex marriages affects people who believe that love between two people doesn’t have to involve a man and a woman, but it involves a bond between two people, gender doesn’t matter, who feel that they are ready to spend the rest of their lives together. It also affects the lives of people who have family members that are gay or lesbian.

Who is against this issue?

     People who against this issue are people who don’t believe that people of the same sex should have a family together because they beileve it is wrong. They also believe that people who are gay or lesbians should have the same rights as different sex married couples.

Who is in favor with this issue?

     People that are in favor of this issue are people who believe that same sex marriage is OK, and that as long as same sex couples are happy then they are happy.

Where is this issue a problem in today’s society?

     In today’s society, this issue is a problem in the government as well as in churches. It is a problem in the government because some people believe that same sex couples should have the same rights as heterosexual couples; they also believe that they shouldn’t have the same benefits. It is a problem in the churches because some people believe that homosexuality goes against what the bible teaches us today.

Is this issue specific to the U.S.? 

     This issue is not specific to the United states because all around the world in different countries, such as Italy, according to Amy Bourke, a writer for pinknews.co.uk. She says that the Italian government decision was split on deciding on a bill that will allow gay couples to gain inheritance and receive health-care. This is also an issue in other Europeans countries, such as the United Kingdom, as well as Canada. 

What is my stand on the issue?

     I believe that everyone, gay or straight, has the right to love anyone that they want to love and spend the rest of their lives doing what they believe is right and ensuring their happiness. People who are gay or lesbian shouldn’t be punished for what they believe in and they shouldn’t be treated differently from people who are straight. They should be able to love anyone one.  

your argument as you know it

The controversial issue that I would like to write my essay on is gay and lesbian rights-same sex marriages.

Are you writing on an issue that is actually controversial?

I believe that gay rights and same sex marriages is a controversial issue because it is always in the media and there are so many hate crimes going on in the world towards gay and lesbians. This issue is also controversial because their is the issue with the civil rights of these people and there is also controversy in the church.

Are you conscious of both sides of the argument?

Yes, I am conscious of both sides of the argument. Some people believe that gays and lesbians shouldn’t have the the same privileges as people who are not gay or a lesbian and that it shouldn’t be allowed on the United States. The other side of the issue is that gays in lesbians should have the same rights as other people and they shouldn’t be treated differently from everyone else. 

Is this a topic that needs to be expanded or narrowed so that you are not burdened with covering information in your essay?

I believe that this topic should be expanded because there is so many things to cover in this topic like the government and religion issues.

controversial issues brainstorm

gay and lesbian rights

abortion

parent rights

sexual education in schools

What’s Right with Your Essay? What’s Wrong? What have You Learned?

What comments have I received that emphasize the strengths in my essay? How can I maintain this type of writing in the future?

I received comments on some of the points that Ipointed out in my analysis and the content that I used in my analysis. I can maintain this in the future by doing what I did before by pointing out facts that were presented in my data and giving details and discussingthe purpose of this fact.

What did I consider the strongest part of my essay? Do the comments reflect this belief? If so, how? If not, what can I do in a revision to make this my strongest point?

I considered my strongest part of my essay was the part where I discussed Anderson’s facts about the states that did allow marijuana usage and the fact that he doesn’t provide enough proof to make his argument credible. Yes, the comments that I received for this part did reflect what I thought was the strongest part of my essay because on that part I discussed a lot of detail and I provided a counterargument to Anderson’s argument that would have persuade his readers in a different way.

What comments have I received that point out weaknesses in my essay? What do I need to do to begin improving on these essays?

I received a comment on my essay that said that my thesis was not clear enough for my audience to understand. I need to provide more detail and thoughts for my thesis so that it can be well thought out and much more clearer for my audience to understand.

Could the Write Site help me with these improvements? Why or why not?

Yes, Ido believe that the Write Site could help me to improve my essay. I believe that they could help me to present a stronger and more clearer thesis in my analysis. I also believe that they could have helped me to fix my grammatical errors that I made in my argument analysis paper.

Do you feel that you could adequately revise this essay and receive a better grade now that you are able to see where the weaknesses in your essay?

I feel that I could revise my essay to receive a better grade because I could use the comments that were made to fix my problems that I had when formulating and writing my essay.

Racially Directed

Respond to the two articles directly. How do they make you feel about common beliefs held by others? Have they made you aware of any racially motivated thoughts or actions you have had yourself?

      In the first article “Sold on a Stereotype,” it really saddens me that people of different races always want to be like or btter than the next race, but they classify the race that they want to be like in negative ways but not really knowing that it is in a negative way. In the second article “Secret’s Secret Revealed,” I am highly upset that there is still racism going on in the United States, and that some people can’t get into a club because of there skin color. This is supposed to be the land of freedom and equality, but the way people treat other people that isn’t a part of there race  is ridiculous.

What is the difference, as you see it now, between xenophobia and ethnocentrism?

     Xenophobia is a fear or a culture that is different from yours and ethnocentrism is thinking that one specific culture is better than another culture.

Do you know anybody who has any of these beliefs? What (speculate if you need) led them to these beliefs? Were they raised this way? Was there a life experience that changed their attitude?

     Some people that I know have these beliefs because they mostly get theirs views from their parents. If their parents feel this way then since their parents influence their views then they are going to think this way. Some of them have worked with people of different races and they got to know that person as a person and got to understand what they are all about.

Have you ever had an encounter with somebody who shared these views? Are you comfortable sharing this encounter? If so please do. If not, we will not delve into the experience.

     I have had an encounter with people who have shared these views. It made me a little uncomfortable, but i started a dicussion with them and asked them why they felt this way and what if they were in that type of situation.