SRC on Resilience

Summary: In her article, "The Profound Emptiness of Resilience," Parul Sehgal ascertains that people tend to blame real social problems on lack of resilience and character. She discussed how nowadays government agencies and universities include in their mission goals the idea of resilience. However, people tend to think that college students are weak and need parents, which is pretty much saying that they lack resilience. Sehgal said that the use of guidance counselors at schools has almost doubled. Students are simply more emotional and let things get to them. However, we can't let this fact cloud our judgement regarding racial issues in school settings. Just because the students are more emotionally weak, does not mean that racial harassment isn't occurring as often. There is now a new form of resilience were these students have started to speak up against racial discrimination. They are being resilient by continually making a stand and growing as a result of their grit.

Response: Many of Parul Sehgal's points resounded with me because after all, this city of Memphis has been built on grit and grind. We strive to get better each day and go through trials and tribulations to reach success. However, Memphis still faces issues of racism as well. There is a large amount of division between different classes and races. Therefore, I think that we shouldn't look at college student's stands for racism as emotional weakness, but rather as resilience to push for a better and equal country. In Facing History and Ourselves, we strive to speak out, break down barriers, and remain resilient in these dark times. There have been countless police shootings against black civilians, which shows how out of touch two races can be. The powers of grit and grind have to be put to work to ensure an end of discrimination.

Citation:
Sehgal, Parul. "The Profound Emptiness of ‘Resilience’." The New York Times. The New York Times        Company, 1 Dec. 2015. Web. 7 Dec. 2015. <http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/06/magazine/the-        profound-emptiness-of-resilience.html?_r=1>.

Last Lincoln Blog

Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, in his Second Inaugural Address, claims that the South caused the war, and due to differences on both sides, the war was simply unavoidable. Lincoln supports this assertion by first summarizing the causes of the war, and then discussing his hope for reconstruction of the South. His main goal is to show the South as the producer of the war and depict how their future will look like, whether with vengeance or rebuilding. He uses a strong voice to address the whole country, but specifically calls out the South. 

Upon reading Lincoln’s speech, I found a few points that resounded with me. Lincoln points to the South as the perpetrators and calls for the blood of slavery to be redeemed. This was a strong statement, and at first glance, it seems that the South has two options: win and live or lose and die. Luckily, Lincoln doesn’t leave them out in the dry because he offers a solution to their troubles, which is “to bind up the nation’s wounds.” One of the most important traits in a leader is to fix the enemy and not neutralize them. This task is not an easy one because as we have seen in history, sometimes a nuclear bomb gets the job done. However, sometimes coming to an even ground with the enemy allows a chance to reach peace. Lincoln wants to “win the peace,” and this characteristic defines him as a good leader.

The Power of Drones

Gail Collins, an Op- Ed columnist for the New York Times, in her article “Dreading those Drones”(October 30, 2015), asserts that although drones can be used for recreational activities, they have the capability to put safety at risk. Collins supports this claim by first differentiating between toy airplanes and drones in accordance with the Federal Aviation Administration and discussing examples of drones harming safety in sports complexes, airports, and jails. Her main goal is to prove that drones need to be regulated in order to ensure security. She creates a relationship between her and anyone who might have or might want a drone by sharing the dangers of a simple flying device and urging the government to make regulations.

After reading Gail Collins’s response to drones, I discovered that although she may have made some good points, her overall logic is flawed. She claimed that drones are dangerous because they have gotten in the way of fires, have attempted to give weapons to prisoners, and have the ability to take pictures of anything from the air. Her points are valid, but she never mentioned the good that drones can do as well. They can be used to help intelligence organizations put bad people behind bars and can fight wars without having to send any troops to another country. It could help by sending medical supplies to hospitals, not just sending knives to a prison. In my opinion, the drawbacks of the drone do not outweigh the potential it has for success. Do the cons really outweigh the pros?

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/31/opinion/dreading-those-drones.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Lincoln Blog: Possible Uprising

     The American government and how people react to its decisions have not changed from the times of its creation. People tend to lose patience with the direction the government is taking, and lose faith in what it stands for. Lincoln in his speech discussed how overtime the lack of faith in a government can push people “who love tranquility” to “become tired of… a Government that offers no protection.” The start of this process is when laws are disregarded and people don’t have the energy to fight for justice anymore. Right now in America, the situation is at a point where people are losing hope in their government as well. There have been a few government shutdowns in the past few years due to issues with the budget. The end of the fiscal year came and went without a set budget. This resulted with a government shutdown, and certain programs were put in limbo. The current Americans today are on a similar path to that of the people in the angry mob that killed Elijah Lovejoy in 1838, due to impatience with government procedures.
     Lincoln stated a step by step in which normal people change into people that are “unrestrained.” Slowly as laws slide and crumble, people who would “spill their own blood in defense of their country” find themselves in dangerous situations. Their protection is forgotten, and their property is laid to waste. Once this occurs, these good citizens give up and feel no debt towards their country. These people lost sight of how special it is to be an American. They forgot about how much sacrifice has gone into its creation. They chose to mob, rather than to fight for change and liberty.
     The situation that current Americans are facing seems almost identical to what Lincoln was discussing. Many people have lost hope due to an increasing debt and an inactive government. The government is divided with the House controlled by Republicans and the Executive Branch controlled by Democrats. They have different goals, which lead to inconsistent budgets and turmoil. Before long, we will probably start to forget about tranquility and “pray for nothing so much, as its total annihilation.” Luckily, we are only in the early states of a revolt. Hopefully with time the government will be able to fix the issues, make every citizen feel important, and ensure protection.

Charles M. Blow: Thoughts on Terrorism

Charles M. Blow, an Op- Ed columnist for the New York Times, in his article “Police Abuse Is a Form of Terrorism”(August 12, 2015), claims that terrorism in the setting of Jihadists and extremists is no different than police officers attacking black citizens for no reason. He supports this by discussing the difference between state and community violence in regards to blacks fighting blacks and cops fighting blacks, depicting the feeling of nakedness due to lack of protection, and calling on the black community to respond to the violence like America responded to terrorism. His purpose of discussing the different types of violence is in order to explain how terrorism is synonymous with unfair black treatment. His logical approach to end the police attacks reach out to the black community giving them the right to protect themselves.

Charles M. Blow made many points about how similar terrorism is to black injustice, but I disagree with his solution to the problem. He seems to be suggesting that just like we as a country fought against the terrorists of 9/11, blacks should be able to defend against the police. This idea seems to be fighting violence with violence, which results in more violence. His answer to Americans killing Americans is simply unrealistic and irrational. Peaceful lobbying and other forms of peaceful government participation are better options. Cops are still in the fault for assuming that people of a certain race are guilty without attempting a crime. They have to be put in their place, but not with violence. The problem of police attacking blacks has to be stopped, but there are better ways of going about this.

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/13/opinion/police-abuse-is-a-form-of-terror.html?rref=collection%2Fcolumn%2Fcharles-m-blow&action=click&contentCollection=opinion&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=8&pgtype=collection&_r=0

Mac vs PC Rhetorical Analysis of Commercial

Apple, a computer software company, in its commercial “Choose a Vista” (2007), argues that Apple’s software package encompasses everything you need in one computer, while Windows has many different options, none of which combine product and price like Apple. They develop this claim by comparing the different Windows options to a spin wheel, in which there is no perfect option, while the Apple representative sits content with the software he has. The purpose of the author is to put down Windows in order to highlight the flawless Apple package, with the ultimate purpose of selling Apple computers. The audience is all consumers, and Apple tries to establish a trust relationship by using humor which appeals to pathos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5Yt30wrbl4

(commercial starts at 1:30 and ends at 2:00)

Op- Ed Columnist Nicholas Kristof, in “Kristof: Lessons From the Virginia Shooting” (2015) asserts that American gun laws are “demented” and in need of a change to prevent more deaths. He supports his claim by mapping out the bloody path America is on now, stating facts about firearm death rates, comparing gun laws to toy and ladder laws, and finally giving the solution of more background checks and gun laws. Kristof’s main point is that in order for homicide rates to go down, the gun laws must be altered to make the process of acquiring a gun more difficult. He seems to be calling for a movement, addressing the people of America and the government to change gun laws, and make America a safer place.

Upon reading Nicholas Kristof’s article on the Virginia shooting, I found myself siding with the gun activists of the NRA, who would disapprove of his writing. His sound argument proves that homicide rates are awful in America, but I don’t believe that they are directly related to guns. We live in a society that craves violence, whether in the form of video games, movies, books or music. The American people find enjoyment in watching a film where teens kill each other off and video games were soldiers try to kill each other. The guns are not the issue, but rather it is the American psyche. I am not calling for a mass ban of violent games such as Modern Warfare and not calling for a censorship of music, but the pain and violence has to be toned down. The mass shootings occurring throughout America are simply the product of our society. Kristof’s points on guns are true, but it doesn't start with gun laws, but rather it starts with changing the way we think and feel towards hate and brutality.

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/27/opinion/lessons-from-the-murders-of-tv-journalists-in-the-virginia-shooting.html?_r=1

August 20th, 2015
This past year Dr. Walter Palmer killed Cecil, a beloved lion from Zimbabwe, by seemingly luring it out of its sanctuary. Now Dr. Palmer is facing criticism and backlash for his actions. His dentist office has been shut down for the time being, and he is hiding in his home waiting for the ruckus to die down. In this situation I find myself siding with Dr. Palmer and feel sympathy towards him. He has taken heat for something that is considered an offense, but should not be a defining factor in choosing whether to use him as a dentist or not. There are bigger world problems that need to be dealt with, and I believe Dr. Walter had no evil intentions to begin with.
It isn't right for people to end their stay at his practice simply because he killed a lion. I highly doubt he will use his hunting equipment to pull out teeth. His business and a dead lion are totally unrelated. If he gives the best dentistry service in town then people should continue to attend. This lion fiasco should not be a factor when choosing a place to get cavities fixed. He may not be the best person and has faults to fix, but he can still do his job well.
The whole idea of mourning the loss of a lion seems a bit ridiculous. Cecil may have been famous and a piece of Zimbabwe culture, but he is just an animal. There are much larger and more important issues to be spending time and money on. People are butchered in Syria, while others are dying of hunger. These problems need more attention then a dead lion. I understand that the lion meant a great deal, but it is time to face the real problems in society.
I would also like to argue that Dr. Walter is not a blood thirsty, malicious man. He hunts simply for the sport and uses a crossbow. If he really wanted to cause optimum damage, a gun would be a better choice. A gun has more accuracy, fire power, and can kill in larger quantities. I don't understand why we are getting on his case for killing Cecil. He made a mistake because he didn't know the importance of the beast, but that should not cause a standstill of his practice. He made mistakes, but that doesn't justify his unfair treatment.

Link: http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/30/us/walter-palmer-whereabouts/