Staying on Topic in Your Essay

All,

A critical aspect of an essay assignment is to stay on topic. The overall theme for Essay Three is 'the justification of control,' and your essay must partake in that discussion.

Whether or not you have arrived at a specific essay subject, use the following to ensure that you are on topic and that you are beginning to develop profound analysis:

1) Given this spectrum:

Violence (V) - Threat of Violence (TOV) - Manipulation (M) - Reason (R)

Where does your subject land? Or, if you do not have a subject yet, what interesting example of one of the above comes to mind when you ponder this spectrum?

Ex: Violence manifest in the formation of the United States as a nation.
Ex: Threat of Violence/Violence implied in Foucault's analysis of quarantine during a plague.

2) Now that you have a precise starting point (subject), is/was the use of this form of conflict resolution [V, TOV, M, or R] justified or just?

3) Analyze the 5WH involved in your subject matter. (Who, What, When, Where, Why, How)

4) Analyze the power relationship. Who benefits? Who gets to make the decision? Who does not get to make the decision? How did the 'deciders' and 'non-deciders' arrive at their positions in the power relationship? Who gets to assign qualitative judgment of 'good' or 'bad?' (Remember dialectic?) Apply more 5WH.

5) Determine further incidents of justice/injustice present in this power relationship.

6) Outline your essay utilizing the QI, CLAIM, REASON, Em, Burden of Proof, Audience, Counter Argument, and Cited Sources tools.

Best of luck,

-Josh G.

Desperately Seeking Inspiration

Hey Josh,

I've been reading the next couple of assignments to find a topic that interests me for the next paper. Unfortunately the only one that slightly interests me is the negative side of prisons. However, I don't think I could actually write an interesting paper, that I care about, on that topic. I've thought about how violence in video games effects young people but can’t think of where control would come in. Any tips?

-Desperately Seeking Inspiration


Dear DSI,

You are under control.

Get the fuck out of your comfort zone.

Life here is so soft it can numb the thought right out of a person. Wait until the term is over before you go off walking shirtless to the Cascades or a one-way to a developing nation- for now use the Internet and your imagination.

Take a note pad, write down what you think are some possible questions at issue addressed by the readings you've done, then get on the Internet and browse news web sites, follow links out into the creepy fringes, and evaluate the ones that spark any interest.

BBC
Radio Free Europe
Al Jazeers
MSNBC
Fox
Voice of America

Take notes on why and what QI they may be addressing. Take special notice of any item that you think may particularly affect you as a young university student in Oregon, US. Take special notice of horrific items that appear to have no effect whatsoever on your life. Take note of the ones that are complete bullshit.

Take a break then brainstorm historical and contemporary, or even imagined/hypothesized situations that may be similar in some fashion.

Once you've sketched some possible threads turn on some music you can jam to or that you particularly enjoy. Songs with particularly poetic lyrics can be especially helpful.

Make connections: you - subject of interest - insight (cause+effect/claim+reason) - audience

If this doesn't get you somewhere, we'll try again in class tomorrow.

-Josh G.

Maya RR3

I think Americans always refer to the “Declaration of Independence” without really knowing its origins. It constantly quoted in all forms of writings and speeches of other great leaders. It truly is one of the monumental documents that our country is based on. Honestly this was the first time for me to have fully read this piece of writing. I was surprised by how much relevance it still had after so many years. I was very interested in how he used the mixture of logic and emotion to persuade the audience. I’m personally not very patriotic, but I was very moved by Jefferson’s conviction to have an independent country. Jefferson’s use of not only facts, but also passion easily made a very convincing argument. It is inspiring to think back to the generations that had the dream of having a country free of repression from their repressors. I believe that America will always hold that ideal value of a country of opportunity and freedom.

Sarah RR3

The Declaration of Independence is what the United States is based on. It’s goal was to have all people regardless of race and color be equal. The government was created to make enforce that everyone is created equal. “That whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.” This quote shows what the government is supposed to do, unfortunately the government is far from this. The leaders in government today are corrupt and take advantage of their power, and they don’t lead our country based on the Declaration of Independence. There is lots of inequality. There is a huge economic gap between rich and poor, white people still have more advantages in the work force and education compared to minorities. Protesting is not uncommon and the government usually doesn’t listen to protesters. Guantanamo Bay is an example on how the United States doesn’t treat people equally. In Guantanamo Americans torture people who we believe to be terrorists. This is not just and when American citizens confront the government about it, they deny that Guantanamo even exists. When George W. Bush was President, the Government kept things even more secretive, making Americans lose their trust in government. When Obama came into Presidency people wanted change. This change includes all the values and principles that the Declaration of Independence represents. 

RR3 Jasper Newton!

After reading this short piece by Thomas Jefferson, my idea of the Declaration of Independence and its background has changed. Having Jefferson explain the background and reasoning of the Declaration brings the audience a better look on it, and what rights we were meant to have. The document is one of the most important pieces of written work in the history of the United States. It is persuasive in the way it appeals to the public and their rights. I believe in the quote “…all men are created equal”, but I don’t believe it is true today. When observing current society in the U.S, discrimination plays a huge part of disintegrating that notion. Discrimination in gender, race, age, wealth and knowledge all play a role. Jefferson went on a rant of what the King of Britain had done wrong, pointing out all the good things that the U.S has created from the mistakes of Great Britain. He points out that all the King had done wrong, and had done nothing in the name of the people and their rights. That the King of Britain has distributed no rights to the public and has proven a great threat to the U.S by attacking. Thomas Jefferson is taking all the King’s wrong doings and trying to learn from those mistakes to help run his country effectively. The Declaration is no doubt the most important asset to the public of the United States and our right to live here.

RR3 Leigh Parker

The Declaration of Independence contains some very strong points and parts that are really inspiring. I would have to say my favorite part is near the end, “…and by authority of the good people of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be. Free and Independent States; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British crown…” this line is definitely powerful and helps to persuade the reader. Although there were parts that I don’t agree with or that I can tell were written a very long time ago. For example, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” I do agree that we all deserve the rights of life, liberty, and happiness, but I do not like that it is assumed that everyone believes in a “Creator”. I also find it interesting that the Declaration is claiming that every man is created equal, and deserves these rights, yet the presence of slavery and mistreatment of African-Americans completely contradicts this statement. I also think that along with pointing out everything the King of Britain did wrong, it also might have been more effective if the Declaration mentioned some of what the plans that the “United Colonies” had in the future with their independence. But overall in my opinion, this document is pretty impressive in the way that it argues for our independence and has so much influence on the way we live our lives today. 

Han Cao RR#3

Initially, the American Revolution was to protect the existing way of life than to create something new. However, things were not happened on the track planned by leaders. During the Second Continental Congress, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin drafted a declaration of independence. At that time, most societies around the world were ruled by kings that believed in God. Jefferson argued that government can be only established by the people to protect their rights. After his ideas appeared on the paper, the people in the world began to accept and try to set up a new society all the time. I agree that people's rights cannot be deprived by others, even legally. Therefore, the government should be ruled by the people and can be abolished by the people. People are born with liberty and the Declaration of Independence made it possible. Yet there were some things that never mentioned in the Declaration, such as women, free blacks, Native Americans and slaves. So the Declaration was just the first step of the evolution of the modern society. People have been seeking a more complete method to preserve people's liberty.