Progress?

After class today I think I have decided what my topic should be. After much deep (trust me very deep :p) thought, I think my paper will be about the high costs of fuel prices and what should be done to lower it’s cost to the consumer.
However, I want to go back to my subject from my last post. While I don’t think I want to do a paper about that subject any more, my point that debate like that really isn’t done well in this school was proven perfectly. Ethan asked a simple question about if fathers had any rights about the status of an unborn child, and he was attacked. From the other side of the room came a series of yells saying her body her choice etc. While he only asked a question about a subject he was interested in without trying to start anything, the females in the back of the room seemed to feel differently. I actually felt a little bad for him because I’ve wondered about that a couple of times as well. Some of the girls’ responses seemed to say that they think that even discussion on this topic is unwarranted and that a paper doesn’t shouldn’t even be written on the topic. I think that Ethan is really on to something and I hope he does write his paper on this topic.

possible ideas

I’m really not sure what I want to write about. Its not that I don’t feel passionate about anything, but I really don’t feel motivated by something until it comes up in discussion somewhere. I have a feeling that my final idea will probably come to me in class when we talk about this project in more depth.
That being said I do have some starting ideas. I feel that this school avoids anything about gender issues and abortion because it seems that whenever it does come up even in passing, the majority of the conversation ends up with a group of girls shouting at the boys or anyone who feels differently than the pro-life feministic viewpoint that they are wrong, her body her choice, or any number of arguments. There is never really given a chance for the opposing party to respond and I think that anything about this area of life might be a good topic to write my paper on.

tips

I think that the first argument makes a good argument for several reasons. It is well written and straightforward, so I think that of the three essays it has the most opportunity to get something done.
Her argument is extremely modest and has strong reasoning, so it is very persuasive. I think that because she knows that she is writing to a man with very little time, her straightforward style fits the piece excellently.
I personally think that because her proposal is so modest that is has a chance of succeeding. From her arguments, it does seem like the hosts are underpaid for the amount of work they are expected to do, and a $1 portion of the servers’ salaries seems like very little. I think that an executive would see that the same way, and because a host is such a integral part to the smooth operation of a restaurant he would be willing to give them tips.

Ellis

I do think that Ellis’ story gives a credible way of overcoming misunderstandings between the races. I think that his story is a prefect example of how this can be done.
A tried and true Klan member convinced of his own race’s superiority over all others does a complete 180 and ends up working with a black woman at the detriment to his own reputation.
However, I do not think that this would be a viable solution for the problem as a whole. This situation was unique in a couple of ways. For one, the only reason that he was exposed to the intrinsic humanity of the people he used to loath was through a rather odd school board situation. Without this personal contact, I think even someone as open as Ellis wouldn’t have changed his beliefs.
Second, it does take someone with a rather open set of beliefs to change like he did. He allowed himself to be open to change, and I think that the average Joe in the Black panthers or the Klan would have serious issues doing the same. Also, Ellis loses a lot of standing with he friends and associates and I doubt that many others would be willing to lose so much of their standing.
While I applaud Ellis for his shift in beliefs, I highly doubt that his situation is replicable. Good for him, but not for many others.

Mainstream

I think that what Yoshino means when he says that mainstream is a myth is that mainstream isn’t a set in stones. Instead, what people consider mainstream is simply however people feel about what right and wrong at a certain time.
The fact that mainstream only exists in peoples hands is what makes it a myth. A myth is a story or example that is passed down through generations but might never have actually happened. Over time this story can change and become a new entity. This can be seen by the changes in popular culture over the ages.
I think that his reasoning is effective, but I don’t necessarily believe in his logic. For instance, in the case of the dreadlocks, I think that the airline was completely in their right to tell the person to cut their hair. If I were working somewhere, I would do my best to fit the standards that company sets for dress and conduct.
I would define mainstream as what people see as the “American Dream.” I see it as someone working their way through a corporation, reaching a comfortable position in life, and the cute house with the white picket fence. I also see mainstream in the idea of kids as well. Do you’re best in school, but don’t act like you’re trying that hard. Go to college, follow your parents to success.

End of Incidents

Linda finally achieves her freedom in the way that she probably likes least of all. I think she probably would have managed being a fugitive for the rest of her life, but instead she is given her freedom. Not by Dr. Flint, or his daughter, or any of the Flints. Instead she is bought by the new Mrs. Bruce. While she is happy that she is free once and for all. There is definitely some bitterness.
After all her struggles against the institution of slavery, that institution is what gives her freedom. There is certainly something ironic about how it all happens. I think one of the most powerful passages in the closing chapters of the book is when Linda mentions that for her freedom there is an actual bill of sale.
Throughout the book there are countless examples of Linda’s amazing humanity. Her feelings for her friends and family all set her above the slave owners. However, this is completely disregarded and even in the end she is treated as nothing more than another piece of chattel.

Jacob's effectiveness

I think that the most important set of experiences that Jacobs writes about is he sexual experiences with her masters. While a lot of her writing is very powerful, I think that this gives her writing the most credit.
The entire point of Jacob’s writing is to use true stories to show the evil side of slavery. One of the best ways to show this is to show how slavery dehumanizes the slaves. The most potent example she gives of this is how white masters use their slaves and then refuse to acknowledge their off spring. Then, to add insult to injury, they keep their illegitimate children as slaves. I can think of nothing that would be more insulting and degrading.
Her own personally experiences, while not actually amounting to rape, are no less potent. Her own master tries as hard as he can to force her into sexual relations, and when he can’t get that, he settles with degrading her sexuality verbally.
Jacobs does a great job describing her experiences in slavery, and he story about the sexual depravity of the white masters is especially effective.

Douglass Speach

Douglass appeals to Logos, Pathos, and Ethos, He makes a very effective speech that probably wasn’t what his audience was expecting. Instead of just saying how July 4 sound be accepted as the start of the country, he says that the holiday doesn’t mean anything to him.
One of the most powerful examples of rhetoric strategies that he uses is his comparison of the white and black races. He shows that even though the whites seem to value the blacks only as animals, they do the exact same things that whites do. This shows the hypocritical nature of the whites and is most likely a good strategy to get the whites motivated.
The other important part in his speech is the way he turns the conventional wisdom of the abolitionists on its head. He says that instead of trying to show people that slavery is wrong, people must get involved. People know that slavery is wrong so it’s not a challenge to get them to understand, it’s a challenge to get people to do something.
These powerful arguments all help to make his speech much more effective.