Politics and the English Language Reflection — 2/5

         In his piece Politics and the English Language, George Orwell expresses his thoughts about what he considers "bad writing." He believes bad writing has unclear thoughts, poor sentence structure, and is filled with filler words. Poor writing also consist of elements such as dying metaphors, verbal false limbs, and pretentious diction. They stem from our "foolish thoughts" and bad writing habits. Orwell states, however, that these issues can be fixed if one were to take its time educating and correcting himself. In his piece, he uses an analogy to build his argument. He states, "A man may drink because he feels himself to be a failure, and then fail all the more completely because he drinks." This analogy shows that reading and emulating bad writing becomes a cycle and can form bad habits. Poor writing is hard to read because the writer fails to express himself clearly and efficiently. It sounds like he or she is trying to fit in as many details as possible into a sentence, but the audience ends up feeling lost. I agree with Orwell's claim because I have seen "bad writing" in social media, everyday conversations, and even on published texts. Over time, people misconstrue the original meanings of some phrases and even overuse some phrases to the point where the statement loses its original definition. This makes it more difficult to understand what people are expressing.

Affirmative Action Response — 1/14

         In this world, not everyone is born into a white, wealthy family. Most of the time, the minorities in this country don't get to have a rich education or live a comfortable life. They also need to put up with racial discrimination and face stereotypes that may come their way. Affirmative action is a policy that benefits minority groups in regards to education and employment. When the government created affirmative action, it was aimed to level the playing field for blacks, Latinos, and other minority groups to make it easier to get a spot at a university or a decent paying job. Affirmative action encourages diversity in schools, which will be beneficial to students when they start working in the ever changing economy with other people. Being exposed to different races also increases performance. Collaborating with other students from different backgrounds opens your mind to different perspectives and ways of thinking. Another benefit of affirmative action is that it minimizes discrimination. Blacks, Latinos, and other minority groups all get a chance to show their true colors, and abilities because they are also given the guidance and tools for success. More people will be able to reach their potential and see their worth. Although banishing racism in the US is a long, and arduous road, affirmative action is a great step in the right direction.

Tannen Marked Women Reflection — 12/19

                 In Tannen's piece "There Is No Unmarked Woman," she discusses how all women are marked women. Unlike men, women always have a label to them. The way they dress, speak, or act generate labels that people may seem to be appropriate. Although this may be true, Tannen's claim is not entirely true. Depending on how a man looks and acts, people "mark" them. In the Trayvon Martin case, he was an African American boy who was fatally shot because he had his hood on. The neighborhood watch volunteer, George Zimmerman, labeled Martin as a "suspicious person."As a result, Zimmerman shot this 17 year-old boy, who was unarmed. The only items he had was a pack of Skittles and iced tea. Additionally, if a man is very animated and uses a lot of gestures when speaking, they can be labelled as "gay." Although these first impressions are unfair, it is what happens everyday. Just like women, men are also affected by "markedness."

Pillow Angel Reflection — 12/4

                  Ashely was a six year old girl who had a rare brain disease called static encephalopathy. Her parents decided to put her under treatment to make it easier for them to take care of her as she grows up. They took it upon themselves to remove Ashely's breast buds and uterus to eliminate pain that will come as she gets older, and high doses of estrogen to stunt her growth. Although her parents mean well, their decisions were too extreme and unethical. These procedures would make Ashely have the body of a 6 year old forever. Although Ashley was only 6, she still has her own natural rights. She never gave her parents consent to make these permanent changes to her body, and her parents didn't respect her body. People who have brain damage develop a lot slower than regular people, so making irreversible changes so early in life is a "medical form of identity theft." Additionally, Ashely's parents are depriving Ashely of an enjoyable life because they assumed she would never have a job or a significant other, so doing this was good since she wouldn't have to endure the social consequences of being small. Arlene Mayerson, an expert in disability rights law said, "Medicine's role is to relieve pain and improve function, but Ashley was not sick, and the treatment was untested..." This suggested that the positive results her parents and other doctors wanted are not guaranteed, so they may be wasting their time and money on these treatments. If someone had the same condition as Ashley, their parents may not want to remove parts of their body to make it easier on their part. If her treatment was accepted by society, her case would not be controversial. Brain damaged patients can still function properly, so this is more of a social issue her parents wanted to avoid, rather than a medical issue. Ashely's parents wanted to protect her from harm's way, but they are inhibiting her from living to her full potential.

Logical Fallacies — 11/27

                       Logical fallacies are errors in reasoning that makes an argument invalid or unsound. One type of logical fallacy is loaded question. A loaded question contains an unjustified assumption about someone in order to make them look guilty and to weaken their character. The question is usually answered in a "yes" or "no" format, so people often find themselves in a trap and they feel compelled to defend themselves, which can make them appeared flustered. For example, the question can be, "Are you still cheating on me?" If the person answers "yes" then they admit to the cheating. If they answer "no" then it implies that they have cheated in the past before, but stopped doing it. Using loaded question is effective because the question can throw your opponent off when you ask them about a false claim you made up about them. This makes them look bad because they are denying what you have said. You can see loaded questions in debates, advertisements, editorial cartoons, and even interviews. In a 60 Minute show in 1996, Madeline Albright, a UN Ambassador, regretted answering a loaded question. She was asked a question regarding the US sanctions against Iraq; her interviewer said, "We have heard that a half million children have died. I mean, that is more children than died in Hiroshima. And, you know, is the price worth it?"Albright said, "I think that is a very hard choice, but the price, we think, the price is worth it." The question threw her off and made her say something she didn't mean to say. She later reflected on herself and wished she challenged the question instead. 

Social Media — 11/21

             Before you even open your eyes, you reach for the phone that is right next to your bed. You immediately check Facebook and Instagram to see the latest news or what your friends did yesterday night. Social media is incorporated into almost everyone's daily routine, regardless of their age. It is an easy way to connect with people from your town or another part of the world. This seamless connection is dangerous in retrospect. Young girls and boys are putting their private information online where anyone can see or hack into easily. Strangers can see what they look like, how old they are, and even where they live. This can put users at risk. In addition, many young teens specifically, compare themselves to the people they see online. They start comparing themselves to the person on their screen. Suddenly, they see fat thighs, rolls on their stomach, and a big nose. Their flaws make them feel insecure and like something is wrong with them. This is very dangerous because people are comparing themselves to a picture that has been retouched. Some people think the person looks like that in real life and they start having unrealistic expectations for themselves. Down the road, boys and girls can develop distorted body images and even eating disorders. Social media has also been used to bully people. Many LGBTQ teens have died because of their sexual orientation. The people hiding behind a screen managed to make them kill themselves. People waste their time sending cruel messages and tormenting others in hopes of making themselves feel better about themselves. Many people use and abuse social media and doing so can put themselves or others out in the open for anyone with access to Wifi to see. 

The Wisdom of Psychopaths Reflection — 11/7

           When people hear the word "psychopath", they usually think of someone who kills people with no remorse. But surprisingly, psychopathic attributes are more common in regular  people such as business leaders than actual psychopaths. Like psychopaths, business leaders are persuasive, lack empathy, and have superficial charm. In an experiment done by Harvard researcher Stanley Rachman, he discovered that bomb disposal operatives also have something in common with psychopaths: they both remain a cool composure under pressure. He had two groups: bomb disposal operatives who are decorated and those who are not. After having them complete tasks that required immense amounts of concentration, the decorated bomb disposal operatives' heart rates actually decreased. They were able to go into a state of "cold, meditative focus" where they become one with the device they were working on. The other operatives' heart rates remained stable. This discovery was shocking and fascinating because even though the two groups had at least ten years of experience in this field, the decorated group had an characteristic worth noting: confidence. Receiving accolades for their "courageous/fearless behavior" reinforced and enhanced their belief in themselves, thus the complex tasks were nothing to them. Both psychopaths and bomb defusers are insusceptible to the most minuscule amounts of anxiety. After reading this text, it seems that there may be more "psychopaths" among us than we know.