Letter from Birmingham jail

This essay can be found in our English books on page 280-294. Written by Martin Luther King Jr., this letter about the Civil Rights Movement was a response to a letter written by eight clergymen. King conveys his message of universal justice through his use of diction, pathos, and logos. 

Kings letter encompasses the message of universal justice. During the Civil Rights Movement there were horrendous amounts of racial injustice and King shows that through his diction. For example, King uses the words "reasonable" and "patient" when explaining his movement. These words show the audience that he and his group mean no harm; that all they want to do is make a difference. These words induce the readers to feel sympathetic to the African Americans in that time because they are being so "reasonable" and "patient" yet are still being treated unequally. Another example would be his repetition of the word "injustice" to emphasize the unfair nature of their issue. King has his readers understand with compassionate hearts that what he and his race are facing is unjust. Kings use of diction helped to convey his message of universal justice because it made his readers fell sympathetic and compassionate about his issue and show the entirety of the issue of civil liberties. 

Pathos was used as well as diction to demonstrate universal justice. For example, King stated "we know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded  by the oppressed" to cause a surge of empathy in his audience. The readers feel anger towards the oppressors for enslaving these individuals and urge them to move forward and right the wrongs. Also, pathos can be found threaded in the sentence "but when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hateful policemen curse, kick, and even kill your black brothers and sisters; when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty..." Because of the diction, imagery, and emotional response triggered from reading this. Diction such as "smothering" and "hateful" have strong connotative meanings of evil and violent out comings. These words paint a picture in your mind of a hateful white policeman kicking am innocent black man and urging you to act because of the anger you feel towards the policeman. Pathos was a very evident device King used to promote his message of universal justice. 

Finally, ethos was used by King to enhance his message as well. King constantly uses the words "us," "we," and "our" to show that he is just one of us. He is connecting with his audience by showing his persona as not only being that of a Civil Rights activist, but also just another man fighting for his rights.  He uses these words to show that he is fighting the same battle as we are therefore building his ethos because his audience is more likely to trust him. Also, Kings personal anecdotes allow his reader to step into his life and see that he has nothing to hide so they trust him more for that reason as well. King also possesses ethos from the start because of his standing in the community as a Civil Rights activist because he already owns respect and trust from his audience. Ethos played a strong role in enhancing his message of universal Justice. 

In conclusion, King used diction, pathos, and ethos to convey his message of universal Justice. Diction exemplified the Civil Rights movement and their strong connotative meanings. Pathos urged his audience to act on the issue and fight for what is right because of the sympathy and anger they experienced. Ethos allowed King to gain trust from his audience advancing his purpose of his audience understanding his meaning. In a time of segregating and injustice, King brought to life the societal defects and promoted his idea of universal justice  for all. 

Sanders for president? (SSR)

Bernie Sanders, a democratic senator running for president. Sanders is 73 years old and an independent of Vermont. According the the New York Times, Sanders admits victory against Hilary Clinton, the other democratic member running for president, will be a touch challenge. Sanders has been a Congressman for sixteen years before being elected into the senate. After all of his years of dedication he is finally running for president. New York Times elaborated on how Sanders announced his presidential campaign by issuing a statement to his supporters that "laid out his goals for reducing income inequality, addressing climate change, and scaling back the influence of money in politics."  Sanders plans to hold a formal campaign on May 26. 

Why vote for Bernie Sanders? There are many reasons his supporters give others. One reason is his experience as a politician. As I have previously mentioned, he was a congressman for sixteen years and in senate. His experience gives him the expertise he will need to lead our country. Another reason is is maturity. Sanders refers to himself as the "grumpy grandfather like"  and a "democratic socialist." He announced that he plans to "steer the Democratic Party in a mature debate" about the issues he holds with importance. For these reasons and more he and his supporters believe he is a strong candidate for president. 

As I have previously mentioned, Sanders admits victory may be difficult. He is going against his fellow democrat Hilary Clinton, a very outstanding politician. He has a budget of 4.6 million for his campaign yet still feels a little at ease with his position. Although his credentials are excellent and his budget secure, he still recognizes the importance and supporters that stand behind Clinton. Will he be our next president? We will find out next Election Day. 

Epic failure PB

 Being successful means making mistakes (or in other words: failing). But failing is not all bad. It’s a learning experience that allows you to be better the next time. Now, before you ask questions on why I am writing about failure, allow me to ask questions first. 

Have you ever failed a test? Have you ever done something epically embarrassing in front of a crowd of people? Or have you ever tried your hardest to win something but failed? I ask because that has happened to me many times before. Recently however, I did something more embarrassing then falling down stairs or waving back at a stranger whom you assumed was waving at you. I failed epically. 

I was at work doing my job and working hard-not hardly at all of course- and bam! It happens, one of the most epic failures I had that day (there are many). I work at McDonald's and during this time we were busy. Every customer wanted a happy meal and weren't very happy when they weren't getting it. Our McFlurry's were selling selling particularly well that evening due to the immense heat radiating from the outdoors. One customer ordered a McFlurry so being the outstanding employee that I most definitely am, I started to make it for them. Nothing was different about this one except for he fact that when I put the spoon in the machine to stir the McFlurry it exploded and went everywhere. My shirt was coated in ice cream, the wall was decorated  with Oreo pieces, and my face was painted red due to the laughing customers standing behind me, witnessing my epic failure. 

The point I am trying to get across is everyone makes mistakes and just like Hannah Montana would say "everybody has those days." Nobody is perfect and failures are inevitable. When you fall down get back up and do it again. You learn from your mistakes and grow from them. Some failures will teach you bigger life lessons then mine (I learned to be more careful while making McFlurry's) but they are advantageous all the same. As this blog comes to a close, reminisce about the unsuccessful moment you have had whether it is failing a test or getting ice cream all over your last clean uniform. You will make mistakes and you will be okay. 

Freebie

Sorry but due to having s full time job and quite a bit of work this week I have to use my precious freebie 😩

Excitement of updates (PB)

Recently, and by recently I mean last night, an update was available for iPhones. The iOS 8.3 included many new features but the feature that impressed the majority of iPhone users were the updated emojis. Everybody uses emojis to express what they are feeling or sometimes just use them randomly. For instance I can text my mother that I love her and use the heart emoji. Or I could text my mother that I love her and use the apple emoji. No matter what the use for emojis are the apple update iOS 8.3 gave its users a new and improved emoji keyboard. 

 These emojis have been very popular and now that there are new ones it is like a circus for all the iPhone owners. The screen looks different, there are options for the color of the people on your emoji board, there are even new emojis to choose from! Imagine being a scientist in an environment they have been to so many times. While researching you find a new animal species! That is what this update is like. We use the emoji keyboard every single day and we know where each one is. I knew where the hearts were, I knew where the animal were, and were the plants were. With this new update I find the new "species" of emojis hiding in the corners of my keyboard. The moment I clicked on my emoji keyboard and saw my new discovery my face lit up with interest and joy. I couldn't wait to swipe to the next part so I could see what was new; what was different.  

What is the importance behind this update? Well to be honest this is only a minor event but the excitement it brings isn't minor. As a teenager piled with school work, tests, a job, and let's not forget our extracurricular activities, small distractions aren't very small. This little distraction took minds off of the mind boggling radians in math and entertained it with new emojis in the iOS 8.3 update. In the end, the recent iOS update took our minds off of the stress we contain and put it on emojis   instead so maybe we can have enjoyment and relax for a couple minutes. 

Does our government have a controlling problem? (CRR)

In class we have read, discussed, and analyzed a Civil Disobedience by Thoreau and also Silent Spring by Carson. Although both essays were written for different reasons there was one connection I made between the two. A Civil Disobedience was about Thoreau's perspective on government and how we need one that governs less. Carson wrote about insecticides and how they do their job in killing the insects but they are also killing the life around it. You might not yet see the connection between the two but in Carson's section "The Obligation to Endure" there is in fact a connection between the two. 

When Carson wrote that agencies were giving us "little tranquilizing pills of half truth" I immediately thought back to Thoreau. Thoreau believed that the government is unjust and needed to change whereas Carson believes insecticides, or "biocides," are unjust and the governmental "agencies" are only telling us half truths about the issue. She believes that the public should be and needs to be more aware of these chemicals that are killing our Earth that we have lived on so peacefully for thousands of years. The connection I made was the unjust nature of both of their situations. Thoreau wanted to expose the government and Carson wanted to expose the government as well for their authorization of this chemical use. Without the government agencies authorizing this chemical use there would have been no killing of the environment therefore the government is unjust. Also, like Thoreau, she believes that the government was, in fact, trying to do something good by killing the insects. Thoreau believes the government did actually do some good things but overall they controlled citizens. In Carson's case the government was trying to do something good about the insect problem but in the end they were controlling the use of insecticides and having all farms use them. 

In both writings there was the outlining message of controlling governments "sugar coating of unpalatable facts."  Thoreau noticed the unjust nature of the controlling government that started the Mexican war and wouldn't end slavery. Carson noticed and unjust government that used chemical insecticides to kill not only insects, but also life around it. It was unjust that while the government was taking down the insects they would be taking us down with them. 

Is education like nature? (CRR)

In class we had discussed the essay written by Ralph Waldo Emerson "Education." In this essay he discussed the importance of being patient with our children when we are teaching them. We are patient with nature so why not be patient with children as well? I personally agree with Emerson. All students want to learn but not all students will learn the same way or at the same pace. Some students will inevitably take longer and other students will excel. The teachers must be patient with their students. Essentially, we need to teach more like nature teaches. 

I particularly enjoyed the paragraph where Emerson uses a metaphor comparing children to the fish in a pond. He paints a picture of a naturalist walking into a pond full of fish. When he is in the water the fish scurry away. It is not until the naturalist stays still and remains patient that the fish come to him. The fish represent the students while the naturalist represents the teacher. The metaphor explains how the teacher must be patient with his students in order for them to come to him and want to learn. 

I also enjoyed the metaphor with the "genius and drill" idea. The genius is the enthusiasm, the ideas, and the inspiration of learning something or discovering something new such as Fellowes had done. The drill is taking the initiative and acting. One can however use both drill and genius. For example, Emerson stated "genius always seeks genius." Essentially, the enthusiasm of the genius and the overflowing rush of ideas makes it so the genius needs to seek another genius because they must share their ideas and their genius. That is also drill because they are taking the initiative to find out information from others. 

The education system is under scrutiny. Teachers are being overloaded with state tests and new curriculums. Do you think Emerson and his philosophy would have agreed with this newfound school system? Emerson believes in a patient learning atmosphere in which students are encouraged to share with the class their ideas. The school system now is forcing teachers to teach an immense amount of topics in a timed period. Emerson would more likely than not disagree with this. For the schools to have time limits and score minimums and set curriculums that they believe students should know is against everything Emerson stood for. As this blog comes to a close, think about this; why do we not treat the class room the way we do nature? Why are we not more patient with our children so they can learn more? 

Caught red-handed (SSR)

Most people are aware of the current situation involving the well known terrorist group ISIS. Recently, three men from Brooklyn are are charged with providing support to the Islamic state. These men were your average everyday citizens. In fact, the one man named  Akhor Saidakhmetov was your average 19 year old who spent most of his time online; that is, until he watched ISIS beheadings and terrorists acts online. While watching these videos he found himself wanting to aid the terrorist group. According to The New York Times, Saidakhmetov was not the only man arrested. Along with him, were two other men named Abdurasul Hasanovich and  Abror Habibov Juraboev. In fact, this is the very first time in American history that terrorism charges have been brought publicly in the state of New York. 

What exactly did these men do? They were here in America not in Iran physically helping ISIS. In fact, these men roomed in an apartment together and their daily schedule never changed; they woke up, went to work, then came home. The act of defiance against this country that caught the FBI's attention those was a simple tweet. One of the men tweeted “Greetings. We wanted to pledge our allegiance and commit ourselves while not present there, I am in USA now but we don’t have any arms. But is it possible to commit ourselves as dedicated martyrs anyway while here.”  This is the tweet that changed their lives. Once the FBI saw that tweet they began to watch the men and soon concluded that these men were a threat. 

Their next step was leaving the country. Mr. Juraboev and Mr. Saidakhmetov purchased tickets — planning to travel to Turkey and then sneak into Syria — amd the closer these men got to leaving, te more excited te seemed. This is an obvious threat. Once the FBI heard this information they were waiting for these men at the airport in wednesday and arrayed them. It was said by an FBI agent, who wished to remain anonymous, claimed “These guys were for not doing much,” said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation was continuing. “They were spending a lot of time online, spending a lot of time at work, and that was it.” If they were not going to do much why arrest them? The answer is simple; these men were willing to break the law for ISIS, even though they would not have ended up doing much for the group. This threat is what scares the American people. Terrorist attacks, whether realistic or hypothetical such as the case may have been few, put the fear into Americans hearts. These men were American residants. They dressed as we do, they talked as we do, they were friends with other Americans. The thought that someone who lives here with us scares many individuals. They may not have fully went through with their plans but they had ventured far enough that they will be held accountable for their actions. 

One direction obsession? (PB)

Everyone is entitled to an obsession aren't they? Some people enjoy collecting stamps and some people enjoy reading books. While those hobbies are interesting, I have a different one; I enjoy everything one direction. One direction is a band including five young men: Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, and Liam Payne. These five boys started their careers by auditioning on a popular tv show known as the X-Factor. Why have I become so obsessed with this band? I heard of them one day and all I wanted to do was see who the curly-haired boy was and then I was sucked into this life of constant fangirling and obsession with five men that may never know I exsist.

Not only are these boys extremely talented, but also they have amazing personalities. While you constantly obsess about a band you come to know them very well. I have watched every single video diary numerous times and have come to love each boy for different reasons. Louis Tomlinson for example is the funny one in the band. He is constantly playing tricks and pranks on the other band mates. Harry styles is the flirt; he is smooth and cool. Liam Payne is known as the "father" of the group. He is not the oldest but he is the most mature. Zayn is the mysterious one and that is where his appeal comes from. Finally, Niall is the fun one with the forever young attitude. Many people believe that my obsession with one direction is like that of a child's obsession for spongenin, but it is so much more. These boys have changed my life.

One direction is a popular boy band like any other but there is something different about them. They are not afraid to be themselves and they have some of the most inspirational and meaningful songs on their albums. For example, the song titled "Diana" speaks to all of their fans. They sing about a girl named Diana and how she "saves their life." You can interpret their somg as being sung to a girl who is going through a tough time and thinking about harming herself. They sing about how they are saving her life and she is also saving theirs. One direction connects with their fans. For instance, they have their twit cams and also they had a "1D day" where they had a live video stream all day of them talking to us and singing and doing random silly activities such as Liam boxing a famous boxer. These boys are not afraid to be themselves, even in front of the camera and the paparazzi. Not only that, but they also love their fans and try to speak to us through songs like "Diana." That is why I love this band.

In conclusion,y obsession with this famous boy band is not misplaced. They are not just "some band" or "a group of attractive boys who do nothing," they are a group that wants to change the world one step at a time. The change the lives of every fan of theirs. They teach us to be ourselves and to love ourselves and it will never matter what others say. I will continue to love this band as they continue to change my life. You can have your obsession with books and I will continue to havey obsession with one direction.

Same-sex marriage in Alabama? (SSR)

Many states have legalized same-sex marriages while others have not. Alabama is currently in the process right now in legalizing same-sex marriages. In fact, "some Alabama officials lamented the supreme court decision, which denied a request by the Alabama attorney General to extend a hold on same-sex marriage." Many private judges are issuing marriage lisences to same-sex couples and ignoring the chief justices orders. Sunday night, the chief had ordered all probate judges not to issue marriage lisences to any same-sex couple. What is the difference tbough?  While reading this article on same-sex marriages from the New York Times, I contemplated the importance of same-sex over normal couples.

 In my opinion, any marriages should be legalized; whether it is same-sex or not. If two people of the same gender love each other, how is it different than two people of opposite genders loving each other. Just like Alan King, a probate judge, said, "this is a happy day for all of these couples, and if you ant be happy for people, than in sorry." I agree with King completely. I bieve that anybody that loves eachother shoul be given the opportunity to show their love through marriage.

As I previously mentioned, nor all private judges are issuing marriage lisences.  According to Susan Walson, an executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Alabama, she had heard of four counties where judges are refusing same-sex marriages. These judges face the risk of lawsuits and I believe that should be yet another reason to allow same-sex marriages. Also, in the Judge Callie vs.  Granade of Federal Court case, it was ruled unconstitutional for same-sex marriages to be denied. If it is unconstitutional, then why do these marriages still get banned?

In conclusion, I personally believe same-sex marriages should be legalized not only I. Alabama, but also in every other state that does not currently allow legal same-sex marriages. Every couple, regardless of their gender, should be able to recover a marriage license. Marriage is one of the most sentimental ways to symbolize a couples live for each other and depriving this sentimentality from them is wrong. There are many private judges already issuing licenses to same-sex couples and ignoring orders to do otherwise.  As long as these judges continue tobring justice and happiness to the lives of many Alabama citizens, I belive that Alabama will be on the right track. In the end, love is what matters; not the gender of couples.

This is my freebie!