Chapter 14

The Gettysburg Address is a very “to the point” essay in terms that Lincoln didn’t stray off in anyway, but was clear and decisive. He truly was a eminent speech maker! The way he portrays his voice is a great example of his speech making skills. He does not plain out tell the people that slavery is wrong, doesn‘t even take a side, although he did remind them that they needed to show devotion for the dead’s cause. It reminds me of a grandfather telling his grandchildren Little Red Riding Hood about what happened, but making sure that they understood that there is something they can learn and take part in from the story. All in all this was a very creative, not to mention short, address that can definitely be looked at and considered by many Americans.

Chief Joseph’s Surrender Speech is extremely gloomy. You can tell two things might have happened during the speech making; the translation was a little incorrect, since there is numerous short sentences. Or Chief Joseph was so saddened from what was happening that he really didn’t want to talk. The details about all the dead and harsh conditions were examples of why he gave up. It is just sad that he and his people pursued a goal so eagerly, to end up getting caught after all the work and harshness that they had to endure. Even worse was the fact that they had traveled hundreds of miles an were only forty miles away before they surrendered. Can you just imagine being that close to achieving a goal that you have risked your life for, and yet be an arms reach away before realizing it’s not going to happen? I’m not sure if I’m just babbling my opinion, but while I’ve already started I might as well keep going. I ask people to consider this; Chief Joseph was born down in Oregon, do you think he would want to be buried there? Their has been many an argument on why he is buried in Nespelem, Washington since it is a very random place that I’m sure he wouldn’t want to be buried at. Point being this man had been very misfortunate for all of his struggles in life, yet even after life he was misfortunate for were he was buried. His surrender speech is definitely an insight into what he felt, what people went through, and the guilt he experienced.

Entitlement Education

Daniel Bruno's Entitlement Education paper is quit true. There's a difference between passing your class while actually understanding, and passing without truly understanding. You see it all the time. I often find myself jealous of those who can study right before a test and pass, yet i can't. How do they do it? Most of the time they don't really understand the material in the class, but somehow manage to pass with good grades.
There are many downsides to what Bruno describes as " being cheated in the long run." He mentioned that although the students have remembered all the facts they don't really achieve any additional intelligence. He brought up a good point that alot of people wouldn't have thought of in terms of a students education.
I do disagree with Bruno with the fact that as the students who lag behind in high school will later lag behing in college. It's not like the students were told not to push themselves or to take the easy route. They decided what they did. Do homework for a hour and really make their paper great or rush it before class. Simple choices like that can make a total difference in whether they really learned something or if they cheated themselves. I believe the students can decide if they want to suceed, and a lot of times after graduating high school they become more mature and realize education is the key and don't lag behind like they did in high school.
Daniel Bruno's examples in the paper were very insightful. They gave you a better understanding of what he was talking about, rather than having to guess. His example of Thomas Jefferson's quote was a very good example because Thomas Jefferson is a very inspirational figure for the U.S. and people will take his words to heart.

Is Hunting Ethical

Living in a very woody area, I've heard many arguments on hunting. Most say hunting is ethical, but they don't usually listen to the opposites opinion. I agree hunting is ethical, but only to a certain decree.
Whether hunting is ethical is a very good argument to write about, and Ann Causey did a great job on letting the reader see both sides of the argument. Hunting can be horrible. The fact that people are just blood thirsty and find fun in blowing off several different animals up. On the other hand you have those hunters that kill solemly for food purposes.
If people were to listen to the opposites opinion instead of just thinking they're wrong 24/7, this wouldn't be such a large issue. I suppose if people remain as ignorant as they are today this topic will never disappear.
I really liked Causey's sentence after describing a movie where a rockstar and a tour guide over emphasized killing an animal for fun. It goes like this,"To inflict death without meaningful and significant purpose, to kill carelessly or casually, or to take a life without solemn gratitude is inconsistent with genuine reverence to life." That to me was a very accurate statement that i totally agree on, and wish others would share that opinion.
Her introduction to the story was something i admired. The was she described the incident made you feel like you were there. Then she put a paragraph behind it showing that she wasn't a vegetarian, which was the impression she left you with from the first couple of paragraphs. It was a nice way to show what your story was going to be about without completly writing it out plain and simple.

Cruelty, Civility, and Other Weighty Matters

It's funny how when people hear or talk about the media, it always comes down to the whole weight issue. Whether your some annorexic, skinny girl to the overly obese lady you can't help but to pay attention to what the media says about being fat or overly skinny. What Ann Marie Paulin says is true. Being what the media calls "sexy" isnt the only important thing in life. She's definetly not the first or the last person to write a paper about how the media affects how people view themselves, but she does a really good job of backing up her opinion with actual book facts. The way she expresses herself through her writing is very inspirational to not be what the media wants you to look like just so you'll buy their products.

I thought that the story of when she was 12 and watching the news an seeing a girl getting hit by a bus, and only saying, " Yeah, but at least she's thin," was very sad. To see someone so young thinking that when she should be feeling great about herself. Not to mention the horrible story in Pipher's book Hunger Pains: The Modern Women's Tragic Quest for Thinness. Isn't it crazy that a mother would care so much into what her daughter looks like to tell her that she's fat.

Her point that being fat and wanting to lose weight shouldn't be for what other people want, but for being the healthy choice is a very good one that i think everyone should share. Personally i believe that obese people see how they're portrayed in the media, get sad, then eat some more. If the media used a more positive outlook on how bigger people could change to live a healthy life maybe that could actually make a difference.

All in all this was a very good persuasive draft with alot of added emotion, great book references and some personal experiences.

Crimes Agianst Humanity

I really enjoyed reading Ward Churchhill's perusasive draft on how the media is portraying the Native culture. I'm Native American and I also don't agree with school's mascots being the "chiefs" or "redskins." Most school's mascots are animals, so when they have the redskins as their mascot then they're calling Native Americans animals.

I thought his made up team mascot's kind of went a little far with the racial wording, but i suppose he was using it to prove a point and i think it worked. The way he mentioned Julius streicher and how he was killed for writing taking part in a raciest tabloid really made it look like the government did something that was wrong if they're not taking part in stopping the misuse of the native culture in the media.

It's crazy how people were taking part in involuntary sterilization of the Native American women. It's just sad how a race that was so great long ago had to suffer through so many illness', deaths, wars, and the stealing of land, and then to be portrayed as an animal.

I personally don't understand why the Native race has deserved everything that has happened to us. The US took away all our land, striped us of our culture, introduced alcohol to our systems. Throughout all of this it's still being done today. For instance the suicide race in Omak. Animal rights activist say that it's cruelty to animals, if you look at the statistics not that many horses get hurt. That race has been part of the Colville Tribes culture for thousands of years. Yet theres a chance that Suicide Hill is going to be closed down for horse racing. Then we're depicted as cruel "savages" in the old westerns you see.

We're being depicted as a lower unequal race compared to others. I'm happy to see that Ward Churchhill spoke up agianst the misuse of Native American culture in the media.

How I Lost the Junior Miss Pageant

I really like the way Cindy Bosley portrayed her emotions throughout the story. It gives the reader a special insight into what's really going on inside the writers head as she's experiencing this. An example is when she was crying after finding out that she lost and admitting to crying because of it being over not because of losing. She does use very good details in portraying her emotions.



The story was very sad, by the way she thought of herself and others. I don't think people should have to think of themselves the way that she did. She seemed to take everything her mom said into careful consideration, so that she kinda believed what her mother said. It was sad that she had to judge the ladies on the Miss America Pageant and make a point system on their flaws, even comparing herself to the other Junior Miss contenders. More sadly, was the thought that she had truly known that she was going to lose before she had even started.



The point that really got to me was in the last paragraph when every sentence began with "I'd lost..." To me it meant that the pageant wasn't really about the good characteristics about her, just the bad. She didn't want to do it. Her opinion was really laid out in black and white and I really liked how she concluded her story.

The Thrill of Victory...The Agony of Parents

As I read this the only thought that came to me was of course my own mom. She is probably my ownly true role model, besides those crazy out of the question miracles like Micheal Jordan. The more I think about it the more i believe that parents are crazy compared to the average teenagers like myself. They were ridiculous outfits, listen to those crazy bands that you've never heard of, and always seem to suprise you differently everyday.

Even though i think my moms a little crazy sometimes i do compare her to other parents, which leads me to a little story. In about 5 or 6 grade i became interested in wrestling. For a girl in a little town of 1500 people, that seemed to get quit a few people talking. I was the only girl wrestling. Somehow, beyond all the other parents snickering and trying to get me to quit my mom had my back. At one of the wrestling matches like many before i pinned a boy about my size, winning first place. Lets just say the father wasn't to excited to see his precious little boy lose to a girl. He actually got right into my moms face. The boy was bawling his eyes out as the father was then yelling at my coach and my mother. I felt really bad but what was i to do? It really did show me how crazy some parents can be!

That wasn't the only incident were i've seen parents get a little crazy. Basketball is one of the greatest examples. For me it's not as bad to yell at the officials just because it's hilarious, and most of the parents that yell know what they're talking about. Last year at the annual Freemen game my quiet, well-respected, on the school board neighbor, was kicked out of the game for yelling at the ref for a bad call. My god, it was hilarious! Not to mention, it just got our crowd even more louder. That's just one of the other incidents were parents really get involved in a game.

The wrestling story that i told is a great example of a what not to do for parents. It just cracks me up that parents always seem to get angry and frustrated about a game more than the kids do. Like my mom, parents should be supportive and there for their kids, even if they or other parents don't believe it's right. Also, parents sometimes should just bite their own tongue once in a while.