IC Work Blog

After thinking about the project I have decided to do my Inquiry Contract unit on Stem Cell research. I have decided to do this because I do not know that much about the subject itself and as such I have not been able to form any real concrete opinions about the idea itself. I hope to be able to learn about the process of Stem Cell Research and what makes it so controversial (I know that it involves embryo’s and harvesting cells from them but I don’t know much more than that). After learning about the process and why it is controversial I should be able to form an opinion on the issue which would help advance me as a person and also serve the purpose of the Inquiry Contract, though I do not yet know what that position will be, because I need more information on Stem Cell Research before I decide.

The Laramie Project Response

While watching the Laramie Project, I kept trying to think about many of the readings we had and how they related to the actual movie itself but it was fairly hard to do. This was because of the amount of emotional impact the movie had (because it stressed the fact that this was a true event) and how a single misdeed by two of its citizens against another could so drastically rock a town. Though it was a little less impressive because I knew everyone in the movie was an actor, the fact that they developed their lines straight from interviews lent the movie a little more impact. Throughout the movie they also stressed the idea of “live and let live,” meaning that people should be allowed to live the lives the way they want to, in this respect, leading the life of a homosexual. Most of the townsfolk seemed tolerant of homosexuals and even if they did not approve they were still shocked and appalled by the actions of the two boys. This idea finally came to a head when, even though he had lost his son, Mr. Shepard granted the request of one of the defendants to not have the death penalty sought against him. The whole movie was brought together very well, but I was not able to think about many of the ideas we had discussed in class because of the emotional draw of the movie.

Analysis of Yoshino

Exigence- His observations of people forcing himself or herself or being forced to adapt into the “mainstream,” and his dislike of this phenomena.
Purpose- To discuss the issue so that the people reading it can be enlightened about the problems in society and to try and come up with a solution to the problems.
Audience- Those who are either part of the mainstream and thus unaware of the discrimination or those who are forced to conform but don’t truly realize it.
Logic- Throughout the passage he discusses the fact that people will assimilate into other cultures and change themselves to the more mainstream ideal just to fit in better and have a better life, even if it isn’t right. He also talked about the idea that no one is truly “mainstream.”
Credibility- Personal experience as a gay person and the several stories he shared about people being forced to change who they were to fit in more.
Emotion- Uses personal stories (both his own and others) to create a connection with the audience that is hard to break.
Imagery- Creates the image of the “mainstream American” then tells of how people try to conform to it yet no one is truly completely mainstream.
Figurative Language- Comparing his argument to the many personal stories he told us about. He also used several other examples.
Diction- I was able to understand all the words he used and because I believe I don’t have an exemplary vocabulary I believe that he used fairly simple words that would allow most people to understand his points.
Syntax- His point always came across well, usually due to long sentences that fully outlined his beliefs.

Yoshino and Covering

When Kenji Yoshino expresses the sentiment that “the mainstream is a myth” in his passage The Pressure to Cover, he is not saying that there is no such thing as mainstream, but rather, that there is no one who is truly part of the mainstream. Because the mainstream is continually shifting, people will invariably have some part of them, which does not fit with the mainstream. Though there are people who fill nearly fit perfectly in with the “mainstream crowd,” no one will ever truly fit completely. I agree with his reasoning and found it to be fairly persuasive, especially when he stated that the word mainstream can be used in reference to a particular identity, but cannot be used generically. This definition agrees with my definition because, as he said, mainstream can be used for specific characteristics. To use his example, being straight is more mainstream than being gay, but just because you are straight doesn’t mean you are completely mainstream. Throughout his piece, Yoshino makes valid arguments that are intended to help bring about social change helpful to all, which is something the world should definitely be focusing on.

Former Klansman Article

The passage recounts the life of a former clansman (Ellis) who describes both his inception into the clan and his resulting actions in the Klan but also the process that began to reform his ideas and led to his leaving the Klan. Ellis first began to feel the need to join the Klan when he was forced to become the man of the house after his father’s death. He worked hard to try and improve his position but he never could, leading to a hatred of those he made into scapegoats (Catholics, Jews and Blacks). After awhile in the Klan, he began to realize that the people in power were constantly using the Klan to help them achieve their goals, which Ellis did not like. Ellis is also then asked to be a part of a committee designed to improve the areas schools. During this time he is forced to work with those he had hated and came to realize that they too were in fact people.
Though the method of forced interaction with people he hated worked with Ellis, it would probably not work well on a larger scale. In larger groups, people would become more obstinate about their beliefs and would be even less open to change when they feel that people are trying to forcefully change their beliefs.

Linda's Freedom

Near the end of the book, Linda finally obtains her freedom, which made all the times she had to run and hide worth it. The way she obtains her freedom, however, is not the way she desired, though she would in no way reject the freedom. She receives her freedom from the new Mrs. Bruce who buys Linda from her former mistress. Though Linda is grateful to be set free, she has mixed emotions about her newfound freedom. She does not like the fact that someone other than her original master set her free because she does not like feeling indebted to someone, least of all someone like Mrs. Bruce who had already been incredibly kind to her while she was a slave. Though she did not like having someone else pay for her freedom, she was still grateful to Mrs. Bruce and happy with her freedom.

Linda's Credibility

Throughout the novel Linda constantly utilizes her honesty and modesty to establish credibility with the readers. She tries to tell the truth to the reader, which not only serves to enhance the feelings the reader gets from the novel but also makes the reader believe her more when she talks about things the reader might doubt. A great example of her use of modesty and honesty is when, in Chapter 29, she describes her escape and, instead of emphasizing her courage and daring for undertaking such a dangerous job, she talks about the kindness, love and support of Uncle Philip, Peter and her Grandmother. Also, even though she is about to lose her grandmother, she still worries more about Fanny. These kinds of actions not only show the value of community that the slaves held, but also serve to establish credibility with Linda which she could then use later on.

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

The book Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl carries a strong message, which is due to two major factors. The first is the fact that the book is not fictional, meaning the whole thing is true. This makes it have a larger shock factor because, if it was fiction, people could easily brush it off as being something the writer just thought up. Being fact, however, makes people wonder how things like this really happened and as a result, draws them in even more into the book. The other factor that makes the book stronger is that the author who released it did not clean up any of the language/spelling or censor any scenes. It was released as the slave wrote about it because the author knew that a book directly from a slave’s point of view would have a larger impact than something that was altered. These two factors both lent an incredible amount of strength to the piece that made it much more interesting to read.

Extending the Critical Context #11

Though I cannot remember any specific times where I have been in a confrontation about race, I have overheard and been in several discussions involving the minorities present in America, and the disadvantages they have. Often times, the debate was over whether or not racism itself still existed within the United States. Both sides would agree that there are racist people out there, but would disagree on whether or not racism extended further than that. The debate never seemed to reach as far as the ideas posed by Wachtel did. Many people agreed with the idea that the opportunities were there but more could be done to improve minorities chances, and several times the idea came up of exactly what Wachtel said, “That’s not my problem.” No one ever stepped up and said “Racism is not the main problem, indifference is.” That might be why most of these debates never got very far, and why, in society as a whole, the plight of minorities isn’t advancing very far.

The Socialization Process

The Socialization Process is the system by which an individual adopts the beliefs and perceptions of the culture that surrounds them. This generally happens during childhood when the child will adopt the beliefs of the parents without questioning them. Though this is a significant contributor to the spread of prejudices, it is not the only thing that leads to the creation of said prejudices. While the environment is indeed very influential on a person, the environment does not always form the beliefs of that person. Other factors, such as the threat the person feels from a particular group can lead to them establishing their own prejudices, which they could then pass on via the Socialization Process. So while this process may indeed, and often does, instill the beliefs of their surroundings into a person, it does not always do so and does not determine what the person will believe.

Thomas Jefferson

Through our Advanced Placement United States History Class we have learned that Thomas Jefferson was the ever-famous Founding Father who wrote our Declaration of Independence and aided in the creation of the Constitution of the United States. This has led to him being constantly known as a great and selfless man who promoted the rights of the common man, when in reality he held slaves and even professed to believe that African Americans were inferior to Caucasians. This is a great shock to many who always believed that the Founding Fathers were perfect men. Jefferson was also a proponent of the idea of not outright abolishment of slavery, but gradually getting rid of it and shipping the freed slaves out of the country. This is a very stark contrast to the picture we were shown which shows people of many different backgrounds all sitting together, seemingly happy gathered around this very mans grave. This is not necessarily the future Jefferson would have envisioned, but it is what his historic documents have led to, a diverse and rich America.