While writing my common ground paper, many resources were helpful to my writing process. Including the essays I read in the book. “Lost Innocence” by Jeremy Bernard and “Laying Claim to a Higher Morality” by Melissa Mae were the main two influential essays that I referred to. In his essay, Bernard had many writing strategies and components that I found interesting and helpful when writing my own paper. One piece of his essay that I especially liked was his introduction. He began his essay with a quote from a famous person, which inspired me to begin my essay with a quote from someone with higher authority and knowledge on my topic: Wayne LaPierre, National Rifle Association’s President. Another component of Bernard’s essay that influenced
Debated as one of the most misrepresented cases in American legal history, Dr. Jeffrey MacDonald still fights for innocence. Contrary to infallible evidence, prosecution intentionally withheld crucial information aiding MacDonald’s alibi. Such ratification included proof of an outside attack that would have played a major role in Jeffrey’s case.
Though these essays share a few common threads, the one that I find to resonate most with myself, is how people and events can have a positive influence on us and our desire to strive for more. Both Malcolm X and Baca where both driven to self educate by seeing people who they shared commonalties with but who also achieved greatness, or who at least could express themselves with clarity, and command a respect with their use of
Alex Haley, the author of The Autobiography of Malcolm X, uses structure, style, and content in the first 11 chapters to describe his purpose and to contribute to the beauty and power of the text. Not every chapter specializes in structure, style, and content. One Chapter may have a unique style, but another may have a unique structure to support the author’s purpose. Each chapter helps contribute to the beauty and power of the text in that they each have something important to help support the purpose which is to show how Malcolm became what we know him to be. Content is very important in many of these chapters because they provide reasons and examples of how Malcolm X became radical and a very aggressive protestor.
After being jailed in the Birmingham city jail, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a Baptist minister who preached nonviolence, wrote this response to a published statement by eight fellow clergymen from Alabama. This letter was not only composed under somewhat constricting circumstances but was written in a way that can be analyzed to be considered as a classic argument. Not only does it contain the five elements needed in a rhetorical situation, but the letter includes the six parts of an argument, the five types of claims, and even the three types of proofs. Dr. King’s letter fully satisfies all requirements needed in order to be considered a classic argument.
Writing Arguments. Fifth ed. of the book. Ed. John Ramage, et al.
Writing with Readings and Handbook. 3rd ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2013. 52-57. Print.
In America we believe in the saying “you are innocent until proven guilty” but we the people are remarkably swift to point our fingers at someone we believe that committed the crime. This habit is frequently displayed within our criminal justice system when a crime is committed we quickly assume it has something to do with the first person we can link the crime to. We tend to naturally feel sympathy for the victim therefore; if the individual accuses one for a crime the jury has no reason not to believe the victim. Society does not bother to care if the individual did not do the crime because as long as someone was caught and accused of the wrongdoing, then we the people can proceed on with our lives knowing we punished someone for the crime
Forever remembered as the day the United States lost a great leader and man in the passing of John F. Kennedy. As seen through these different writers, some like Barbarese will question the type of the man the martyr was, some like Dove will always remember how deeply saddened they were the news of his death broke out, and some like Ball will analyze how he impacted the country through life and death. Even each author used this topic of JFK’s assassination, all three of them approached the subject with drastically different elements such as the point of view they each wrote from, the voice used in each of their writings, and the overall purpose for their writing. By using three dissimilar styles to three literary elements, each author brought a new argument to the assassination of
Martin Luther King Jr begins his essay with “My Dear Fellow Clergyman” in an attempt to form a sense of parity between himself and the men being addressed. More ever, he says that he believes that these criticisms are “sincerely set forth” and the men are “of genuine good”. Through this, he applies a Rogerian tactic, where the writer attempts to find a common ground as an alternative to further dividing the sides. His demonstration of equality due to the inter-connectedness of all people is a central idea of the entire letter. He notes that his “secretaries” can’t answer the amount of tedious “criticisms that cross [his] desk” since “constructive work” requires superior attention. In the informational second paragraph, King, “the president
Baseball, America's favorite pastime, with it being the sport to represent America does this one sport affect all of Americans even if they don’t play? Not everyone in America plays baseball or has even been near a baseball field. However, almost every American knows about the phrase “three strikes and you are out.” These phrases are used every day from regular people that probably don't even play the sport. That's only referring to one sport what about looking at a bigger picture, soccer. With soccer being played worldwide does it affect how we as a world function? Well, almost everything in life affects what we do either positive or negative. With soccer even if a person doesn’t play they know a red card is bad. We have sports all around us affecting our lives minuscule ways without most us
Do you remember when it happened? Do you remember when the innocence of childhood began to fade away only to be replaced by some hard truths of adulthood? It can be argued that Harry Crane can. The book, "The Bottoms" written by Joe Lansdale is a riveting whodunit mystery, narrated by an elderly Harry Crane who is reminiscing from his bed at a nursing home. Harry takes us back to when he was a twelve year old boy living in the racially charged east Texas town of Marvel Creek. A series of tragic events are starting to take place and the world he once knew begins to unravel. The story begins when he and his younger sister Tom find the body of a mutilated, murdered black woman, the first of many murders Harry deals with during the story. However, while this story is written in the genre of suspense and mystery, it can be argued that there is also a very strong sub-plot of the coming of age story that reads as loud as the suspense in "The Bottoms".
In the introductory paragraph, King introduces his reason for writing the letter and details who the audience is to be. He explains that he rarely answers criticisms and gives his reasons for answering this particular one. This grabs the reader's attention in the first three sentences of the letter and establishes the importance of the document, intriguing the reader to keep reading what becomes a gripping and moving letter.
Obama, Michelle. "Remarks to the NAACP National Convention." "They Say/I Say": The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing: With Readings. By Gerald Graff, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russel K. Durst. Vol. 2e. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2012. 417-33. Print.
Malcolm X's choice of words so that the reader can easily understand, the way he planned out his ideas. and his change of mind throughout the piece show how Malcom X’s experience was diverse and powerful. Two things remain the same throughout all of his writing, and they are his passion and power. These are what impose the importance and significance of the essay into the reader's mind.
In Martin Luther King Jr.’s essay, A Letter from Birmingham Jail he compares the issues of Moral acts verses Immoral acts. This essay was written in response to a letter some clergymen had written after a direct action march Dr. King had participated in. In their letter the clergymen had praised the local police officers and media for the nonviolent and calm manner in which the situation was handled. It was this praise that prompted Dr King to write: