Hands Up (Don't Shoot)

"U.N. Condemns U.S. Police Brutality, Calls for 'Stand Your Ground' Review"
By: Stephanie Nebehay
Source: Huffington Post
 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/30/un-police-brutality-stand-your-ground_n_5740734.html


   For a country that prides itself on its preachings of equality for all, America sure is hypocritical. One may not be surprised upon hearing news of teens belonging to ethnic minorities in the country being shot to death. As tragic as such news is, these incidents have become an ordinary occurrence in the United States. This surprise has now evolved into an aggrieved movement for justice. Some may argue that the victims' shooters acted in self-defense, in turn blaming the departed victim. However, it is quite difficult to believe that policemen trained to protect civilians can feel so "threatened" by unarmed adolescents as to shoot them an unnecessary amount of times under the immunity granted by "Stand Your Ground" laws.
   On Friday, August 29, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, chastised America for the excessive force administered by law enforcement officials. It shed light on the budding racism that is reflected in these crimes by questioning the "Stand Your Ground" Laws, which allow a person to use deadly force against a perceived threat in self-defense. These laws have been severely misused as a breeding ground for racism, as is the case with the recent tragedy in Ferguson, Missouri. Here, an unarmed African American teen, Michael Brown, was shot to death by a police officer using the same false pretense. This sparked outrage that was not limited to the city where the injustice occurred; calls for justice were heard from around the country. It is such an immense issue that even outside of the United States, the United Nations also demands change. They have observed racial profiling, notably by law enforcement, that has remained in the country. This discrimination  has stolen away the young lives of victims such as Brown, Trayvon Martin, and Jordan Davis, and has also grown to impede upon voting rights of minorities. The U.N. panel held on Friday about this obstinate problem called for a revision to the "Stand Your Ground" Laws, a revision that would serve the just purpose of protecting civilians. "U.S. Ambassador Keith Harper told the panel his nation had made "great strides toward eliminating racial discrimination" but conceded that "we have much left to do"" (Nebehay 1). Who would have known that refraining from discrimination is that difficult a task in twenty-first century America that worldwide panels have no choice but to intervene?

Her Majesty

           History has brought forth many impressive speeches. The “Speech to the Troops at Tilbury” delivered by Queen Elizabeth I is no exception.  Its subject revolves around the battle her people are soon to take part in against the Spanish. The occasion is the onset of the aforementioned battle against the Spanish Armada in 1588. Her immediate audience is the English army, but it indirectly addresses the English people as a whole. The purpose Her Majesty attempts to execute is to imbue, to inform, to prepare, and to motivate her army. The speaker, Queen Elizabeth’s tone is assured, strong, and inspirational.

            SOAPST is a highly useful method of digging deeper into a text. It allows the reader to gather important information from an excerpt in an organized fashion. This alleviates the process of analysis as all the basic necessities are laid bare to the person doing the analyzing.

            This speech is effective, as it takes into consideration its audience and achieves its key purpose. It uses powerful, emotional words that retain their impact until this day. She successfully displays her power, while simultaneously presenting an image of being one with her people. An effective text also features a concession and refutation of a counterargument. The Queen does not leave this out, as she concedes to being physically similar to a weak woman, but possessing the interior strength of a king. Perhaps its effectiveness can most logically be seen in the victory the English had over the Spanish Armada. Of course, other factors may have also caused this; however, it is still an immensely impressive coincidence in history. 

Heated Matter(s)

“Iceland Raises Aviation Alert as Subglacial Eruption Begins at Bardarbunga Volcano”
By: Scott Mayerowitz and Jamey Keaten
Source: Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/23/iceland-bardarbunga-volcano_n_5702657.html

            In a world where issues are constantly erupting, innocent civilians are under fire, and bombs ignite the sky in war-torn countries, it may be easy to forget that actual explosions take place in the natural world. On Saturday, August 23, an Icelandic volcano that runs by the name of Bardarbunga erupted. While there are no perceptible signs of this minor eruption on the surface of Vatnajokull, Europe’s largest glacier that covers the volcano, seismic activity serves as evidence of the contrary. Though the country’s aviation alert is set to its highest as the danger of ash emission looms, only the immediate area surrounding the region is marked as a no-fly zone, in attempts to avoid the thousands of international flight delays that arose as a result of the eruption of another volcano in Iceland in 2010.  

            With the “aid” of guns and other technological advancements, also known as “the backward spiral of humanity”, humans have adopted an illusory sense of power, ignoring their diminutiveness in contrast with the real power at hand: nature. It is important for one to be aware of this sort of news to understand the magnitude of natural phenomenon. While war and killings are the offspring of human shortcomings, matters such as this are produced by arcane sources (and seismological activity) which are beyond human control. However, technology can be and is used to understand the latter. The eruption of Bardarbunga poses a threat of immense ash emission if it is absorbed by the thick layers of glacial ice that blanket it. Though it is unlikely such an occurrence would cause direct fatalities, it is true that ash contains poisonous gases and particles. The harmful effects of these toxic products would not be limited to the area, as they may affect airplane engines and/or contaminate water supplies, in addition to the health risks that would impose upon the Icelandic and neighboring peoples, depending on the magnitude of the eruption.

Beatles for Sale

The advertisement above was published in 1964 in a health magazine known as Family Doctor. It is an effective ad that combines the persuasive appeals of ethos, logos, and pathos, and takes into consideration its audience. It cleverly uses the Beatles as the faces of its movement. It attempts to promote the healthy act of eating apples after a meal. This advertisement relies heavily on the persuasive appeal of ethos. This is due to the immense popularity that the Beatles retained in that time period. Their fame, however, was not unique to the sixties; it remains to this day. The ad targets adolescents as its primary audience because they made up the main fan base of the band. Of course, it assumes that people of various age groups would be able to identify the people pictured. For example, a middle aged woman browsing through magazines in the waiting room of her doctor’s office may have stumbled upon this particular advertisement, recognized the four handsome young faces of the men who have overrun her crazed teen daughter’s life, and knowingly used it as a ploy to get said daughter to add apples to her diet. There are a couple attempts at the appeal of logos in the image above. The first is found in the last line: “It’s nature’s toothbrush”, which is a logical reason to eat an apple after a meal, as the ad calls upon the viewer to do. This statement can easily be supported by additional research or a quick phone call to one’s dentist. The second evident sign of logical reasoning is in the teeth of the three smiling boys. They appear to be healthy and clean. Upon closer inspection of the advertisement, one may note pathos put into play. The faces of the Beatles each depict a similar emotion, that of happiness and contentment. This would appeal to the majority of people, as it appeals to their mutual values of health and happiness. The advertisement is effective in the limits of its time, as it uses many persuasive appeals and takes into consideration its wide audience.

In L.M. Montgomery I Trust

There are times when we are able to draw happiness from the stories of others. Perhaps this is when we are most human, when we allow ourselves to become aware of the bonds that inextricably knit us together and discover that the joys and sorrows of others are our own. This awareness was brought upon me four years ago after completing the 1908 novel, Anne of Green Gables. Despite having developed a love of books from a much younger age, this was the first time I had connected with a fictitious character on such a deep level. The young heroine, Anne Shirley, and I possessed no outward similarities. She did, however, come to embody all that I wanted to become. I admire Anne’s independence, headstrong persona, and peculiar frame of mind that surpasses her years. She is endowed with loyalty and the ability to love fervently. Anne recounts all that is around with her with such depth, transforming the shallow tides of adolescent sadness into beautiful "depths of despair" and "perfect graveyards of buried hope". After each reading of Anne of Green Gables I carry a feeling of contentment, having developed a new pair of eyes and a favorite novel to boast about.  

Anne with an 'e' in her reverie

Anne is not yet fond of Gilbert Blythe but I am