This I Believe

The Joy of Families

I believe in families. I believe in family togetherness, in the security, love, and devotion that only a close family can provide. I believe in the joy of children, their laughter, their music, and their radiant faces. I believe that families hold the future for the human race, because the bonds forged within families can endure forever.

Four years, eight months, and thirteen days ago, I held my newborn sister Cassandra in my arms for the first time. I felt her heavenly warmth and tasted of the joy that my own children would someday bring me. I was then convinced that families bring the greatest joy that can be felt in this life, and I knew that I would raise a family to experience the joy and satisfaction that children provide.

Children are the best investment in the future.  We pass to them our hopes and dreams.  I have seen the passions of my parents magnified in their children as we have strived to open our minds, expand our abilities, and excel in our pursuits. These efforts prepare us to support our parents and return on the investment of time and love that they have given us.

Fundamental units of human life, families allow us to make mistakes, learn, and improve, and bind us to the people that we love the most. These precious interactions prepare us for our lives ahead, afford us invaluable occasions of delight, and help us to deepen our capacity for human love and devotion. This I believe.

"It's the Real Thing"

Coca-Cola Rhetorical Analysis

Although trademarks are extremely prevalent in modern culture, determining who has the rights to a particular slogan can often be challenging. The given selection of letters between Mr. Herbert of the Coca-Cola Company and Mr. Seaver of Grove Press highlight this ambiguity. Both companies have used the slogan, “It’s the Real Thing” in advertising, and a conflict has ensued to determine the rights to the slogan. While both representatives use various rhetorical strategies to lay claim to the right to use the slogan, Mr. Seaver of Grove Press makes a more convincing argument by effective rebuttal of Mr. Herbert’s arguments and superior use of rhetorical devices.

            In a letter to Mr. Seaver of Grove Press, Mr. Herbert appeals to the prior use of “It’s the Real Thing” by Coca-Cola to claim that this slogan should be reserved for use by Coca-Cola. Using facts to convey his argument, Mr. Herbert establishes Coca-Cola’s long-standing right to this slogan. He also begs the question, and assumes that Mr. Seaver will comply with his request to stop using this slogan. However, Mr. Seaver does not agree to stop use of “It’s the Real Thing” in Grove Press’ advertising. Mr. Seaver’s return letter downplays Coca-Cola’s appeal to tradition by discussing Grove Press’ own appeal to tradition. Mr. Seaver claims that Grove Press has had their own slogans and trademarks imitated in the past in ways more damaging to marketing. Grove Press’ bestseller Games People Play was threatened by imitations like Games Children Play and Games Psychiatrists Play, etc. Offering this alternative view on trademark infringements downplays the gravity of Mr. Herbert’s earlier appeal and garners more sympathy for Mr. Seaver’s cause the Mr. Herbert’s. This appeal to tradition is also a use of logos, because Mr. Seaver shows that the current trademark dispute is less serious that previous issues. He argues that earlier copyright infringements went unchecked, so this so-called infringement can also be allowed.

            Mr. Seaver is also able to reduce Mr. Herbert’s argument to the absurd and use wit and humor to provide a more persuasive argument. Mr. Herbert wrote in his letter that “simultaneous use of ‘the real thing’” would lead to advertising competition, have a negative effect on the economic viability of both companies, and “dilute the distinctiveness” and “diminish the effectiveness” of the slogan due to confusion between the different products making use of the slogan. Contrary to this argument, Mr. Seaver wittingly suggests that confusion between the products might actually help the Coca-Cola Company’s business, as people might buy Coke rather than Grove Press’ book. This comical suggestion illustrates the absurdity of confusing a book with a soft drink. He reduces Mr. Herbert’s argument to the absurd by following a line of logic to an unreasonable conclusion. This humorous response undermines Mr. Herbert’s staid argument and is a very persuasive tool that Mr. Seaver uses.

            By challenging Mr. Herbert’s appeal to tradition with his own appeal, and reducing Mr. Herbert’s argument to the absurd in a witty manner, Mr. Seaver is able to offer a persuasive case in support of Grove Press’ right to utilize “It’s the Real Thing” in their advertising. Despite the fact that Mr. Herbert likely has a more logical stance on the issue, Mr. Seaver uses wit and quick thinking to respond to Mr. Herbert’s argument and to make an overall more persuasive argument.

Rhetorical analysis is one of my strengths in AP Lang, and this paper is no exception. As an excellent paper, I demonstrate understanding of how individual rhetorical devices contribute to the overall argument of the authors, and I am able to analyze the use of those devices in context to the argument. I am able to see how the authors use both similar and dissimilar rhetorical devices, and I compare the effectiveness of those devices in their arguments. In addition to analysis, this paper demonstrates good writing with strong diction and elevated sentence structure. A strong introduction places the debate in context and outlines the course of the essay, and a good conclusion then summarizes the main points of the essay and concisely finishes the argument.

Throughout the year, my ability to recognize rhetorical devices in writing has grown until I now feel comfortable taking a piece of writing and analyzing how minute changes in diction, structure, or emphasis can influence an author’s argument. These skills are crucial for rhetorical analysis, skills that I have learned since entering this class. My ability to convey my understanding of those devices has also developed, so that I can now show a reader that my argument is valid based on my understanding of the author’(s) text. My knowledge of rhetorical devices and their effects has grown as I have read and analyzed texts throughout the year, practiced writing responses to those texts, and taken writing assessments. This knowledge will be invaluable as I progress in my writing abilities in the future and prepare for college and a career.

Thoreau on Civil Disobedience

Argumentation Response

Henry David Thoreau’s ideas in his treatise “Resistance to Civil Government” are productive to society because they focus on one’s obligations to society and to one’s own conscience above the intrusion of unjust government.  Although Thoreau’s arguments are fundamentally dissentious to government, they do not cut all ties with society, and allow for the expansion of neighborly interest and concern.  Thoreau suggests that one’s responsibility lies in refusing to support wrongdoing and injustices in government, as well as using one’s own conscience to uphold one’s own rights.  These ideas mesh best with a local society that is concerned with the wellbeing of the individuals within that locale.  Though Thoreau defends the right of individuals to develop their own conscience, he asks them to respect the rights and opinions of those around them, a crucial aspect of a productive society.  In applying these ideas of functioning society to larger government, Thoreau adamantly affirms that the individual is higher than the State, and that only when the State acts with respect and justice toward all individuals does it become just and beneficial.  Thoreau’s ideas on individual respect and the derivation of government power from the people lead to productive debate, discussion, and eventual change toward a better society and government.

This short paragraph response to Thoreau’s “Resistance to Civil Government” highlights the rhetorical mode of argumentation. The main focus of much of this year’s work has been argumentation, and I have felt my own argumentation skills develop over the course of this year. This paragraph response was revised to be excellent based on the increased caliber of argumentation skills that I have developed this year. The response highlights the major points in Thoreau’s paper, and analyzes how those ideas mesh with society. Revisions have increased this analysis’ insight into Thoreau’s ideas and their real connection to society versus government. Support of my ideas comes from the obvious understanding of Thoreau’s paper and from ethos of word choice and structure. The elements have been improved to additionally show my improvement in writing flow and form over the course of the year.

The "Revised" American Experience

Hello, AP Language and Composition hopefuls. Near the end of the year, we in AP Lang have taken a closer look at the American Experience, and I have a new opinion on that ideal and a wholem research essay to back those ideas up. This time around, I wrote about how freedom better defines the American Experience, so sit back and enjoy the essay!

The Evolution of Freedom as an American Ideal

Freedom is one of the most fundamental concepts in American history. Immortalized in America’s national anthem, the words “The Land of the Free” forcefully declare the United States of America as a free country, a place where all seekers can obtain freedom. Freedom was essential from the beginning, as the colonies sought support for their rejection of the British crown. Freedom remains a crucial aspect of American belief and policy today in efforts to expand the freedoms available to citizens of the United States and people throughout the world. Freedom has also played a central role in American policy during its years of aspirations and growth, and this focus on freedom has led many to mark America as the freest nation on earth.

Despite widespread claims of American liberty and the degree of freedom enjoyed by American citizens, some would argue that freedom in America has in fact been rather limited, and has failed to live up to its own standard as an inalienable right for all men and women. Opponents of grandiose assertions of freedom bring up various moments in American history and present times in which government and social, economic or political pressures have limited or erased freedoms for individuals and even entire groups. Before the Revolution, indentured servitude, slavery, and lack of political, social and economic rights for women show that freedom was limited to a select few who owned property. Slavery continued to deprave Africans of natural rights that had supposedly been granted them in the Declaration of Independence even decades after the new Republic had been formed. Injustices continued against this segment of the American people well into the 1960s, as economic rights, voting rights, and public social rights were blatantly denied to upstanding citizens based solely upon the color of their skin. The Native American population was decimated and forcibly removed from the path of white settlement through war and forced migrations such as the Trail of Tears.

Although one may be led one to assume that American history has been consumed by oppression and injustice, a broader view of the events and ideas associated with freedom leads to a clearer sense of America’s true heritage as a land of freedom. Since the forging of American ideals of freedom in the Revolution, Americans have fought and struggled to retain their own liberties, and have sought to extend the scope of these liberties to all the people within their borders. Freedom has not always been defined in the same manner for all Americans, yet its influence has been present throughout all periods of American history. The pursuit of freedom in America has not been perfect, nor has every person enjoyed the freedoms to which they are entitled. Although the definition of freedom has greatly changed since its formation in the Revolution, freedom continues to drive the progression of the American ideal.

Imagine a world in which only a select few were given freedom and the human masses were confined in a perpetual state of servitude and social enslavement to the powers and political intrigues of the elite. Such a world so frightened the early American political and social leaders that they struck out to forge their own definition of freedom, on their own terms.  Used to colonial separation from the British crown, early ideals of moral and political freedoms were established in the American colonies, even while large numbers of the nation’s people labored in physical enslavement as workers from across the sea. Yet slavery helped to forge this idea of freedom, even though it may now seem hypocritical to modern scholars to accept slavery while fighting for natural rights to be extended to “all men,” as the Declaration of Independence spelled out. Fear of ideological slavery led political engineers to reserve liberties for themselves while permitting the continuation of human enslavement. Slavery was almost necessary for American policy makers to compare their freedoms to that which they sought to escape (Foner 29-32). Yet the establishment of freedom focused more on political autonomy. Leaders were unwilling to open the floodgates that would end centuries of economic stability and power. It would take America many years to come to terms with its own inconsistencies. However, come to terms it did, and the gradual progression of freedom showcases the American hallmark of correction and betterment. While the claims of basic freedoms for all was not fulfilled until a later stage in American history, the foundation of a forward-thinking sense of freedom allowed Americans to continue to progress.

To understand the progression of American freedom, one must understand the difficulties and rationales that formulated the first ideas of freedom in America. The colonists existed under a measure of British freedom that was focused on property freedoms and very limited political freedoms. The colonists were far more concerned with the spiritual freedoms that gave them freedom from sin (Foner 3-4). Despite a lack of direct representation in British Parliament, colonists were unconcerned with these issues until the Revolution. During the years leading up to the Revolution, the British crown became increasingly constrictive of colonial actions, and restricted the colonies’ sovereignty. Additionally, moderate taxes were levied on the people that irked them because of their earlier separation from the crown. These conditions pushed political thinkers to forge a radical definition of freedom that gave individual territories the right to rule themselves and gave individuals increased political representation and a sense of “natural rights.” The emergence of clear ideas of religious freedom and the freedom of speech helped to set the American freedom movement apart from other quests for freedom (Foner 13-16). The idea that individuals could both determine their own standards and vote for themselves was unprecedented in an age of limited democracy and in which very few people had true political power.

Known as the “Father of the Constitution,” James Madison was instrumental in his defense of American freedom and the establishment of a document that would help to protect that hard-won ideal for future generations. With a firm sense of personal and national liberty and rights, Madison labored to bring about a government that would be balanced internally and externally, between federal and state governments, and most important, preserve the fundamental rights of the individuals that give government its authority to function (Foner 22-3). The Constitution itself was able to ensure the balance of powers within the government, and provide accurate and fair representation of the people, but additional legislation was needed to preserve individual rights (Fitzgerald). Madison expanded his views on rights to include the idea of specific restraints of governments in the form of a Bill of Rights. Included was the freedom of religion, an icon for the separation of government control and private matters left to the conscience of each person that characterized the new ideal of American freedom. This Bill helped to retain freedom and served as a legacy of James Madison’s indomitable presence in the foundation of American freedom (Madison).

The ideal of freedom was propagated on both sides of the Civil War, though the application of those freedoms to the lives of the people differed significantly. Northern leaders sought a revival of the natural rights that were so eloquently addressed in the constitutional founding of the United States. This new birth of freedom motivated the pursuit of freedom for all Americans with the broadening of the Abolitionist movement and the election of Abraham Lincoln. Already divided in spirit, the South pursues a vastly different ideology founded upon a different sense of freedom. Race and class divisions twisted the idea of a hierarchy, in which only white property holders were considered worthy of full freedom. Southern ideologues defended the idea that slavery was a natural order of civilization and that it was necessary to ensure the freedom of those who enslaves others. They pursued equal rights and political freedom in a limited scope, while simply refusing to extend these rights to the people of color they felt were “utterly unqualified for rational freedom” (Foner 63-40). With the victory of the Union over the Confederates, slavery was separated from the term freedom and hierarchical freedom was no longer nationally acceptable (Foner 97-9). Despite Reconstruction efforts from the North, however, slaveholders refused to let go of their prejudices, and began to establish measures to take away the hard-won suffrage and civil rights that the 13^th, 14^th, and 15^th Amendments supposedly guaranteed to black Americans. The full recognition of the essential rights given to blacks would unfortunately not be realized until the 1960s with the Civil Rights movement.

Beyond the traditional realms of social and political freedom, America has seen the expansion of economic freedom and a personal sense of liberation in many aspects of the economy. Economic freedom was at first extended to property-owning white males, and with the advent of the factory system at the end of the 18^th and into the 19^th centuries, wage labor began to limit economic freedom for many wage “slaves.” Those with a waged income dependent upon a risky set of health and economic conditions were considered slaves to the circumstances that forced them into their dependent lifestyle (Foner 117). Propertied elites looked down on this relatively large, new class of wage slaves, and they were often denied social and political benefits as a result of their lack of economic standing. Rich capitalists and business owners often had terrible working conditions for their employees and greedily kept them as poor as possible (Foner 118-9). As a result of these unsatisfactory working conditions and disadvantages, the Populist Party rose up to speak on behalf of the producing classes, and to alleviate the awful conditions and social constructs that discriminated against the so-called wage slaves. Rejecting the laissez-faire economic approach of the time, yet not envisioning the massive social programs that the New Deal would later bring, Populists called for the control of the corporations and protection of the people (Foner 119).

Although Abigail Adams asked her husband to “remember the ladies” during the formation of the Republic, female suffrage and progression of the traditional female role in the household did not come until 1920 (Foner 16). The United States lagged somewhat behind other nations, especially those of Western Europe, in extending suffrage and greater working freedoms to women. Despite this delayed response to the growing tide of female activism and protests, the US did at last extend suffrage to women, who entered the political sphere in full force. Today, women are still facing some challenged in obtaining equal pay and other protections in the workplace, although regulation of business has improved their standing significantly in recent years. U.S. economists Chang-Tai Hsieh, Erik Hurst, Charles Jones and Peter Klenow have researched the effects of women’s work in the economy, and attribute 20% of productivity increases over the last 50 years to the continuing advancement of women’s rights in the workplace (Reuters). Women now contribute a significant portion of the economic strength of the U.S. and are increasingly prevalent in institutions of higher learning, research, and political and business positions.

When Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the first social programs of the Hundred Days Congress into law, he provided the climax of a trend toward government protection of freedom that had been increasing since the Reconstruction. The New Deal was simply the largest single collage of laws designed to extend social and economic freedom to all American citizens. With the collapse of hierarchical freedoms and the institution of freedom for all blacks, and later all women, social and political freedom became an almost guaranteed right, with some minor exceptions. FDR and the Democratic Party felt that additional social and economic security, and the ability to be a contributing part of the American economy, was an integral part of the freedom required by citizenship and the tradition of freedom in America (Foner 195-6). FDR’s actions culminated in a major reversal in the idea of American freedom, where social and economic freedoms became protected rights rather than the open, independent ideas of freedom that had so dominated philosophy during the age of the railroads and the Gilded Age. While the methods of achieving freedoms for American citizens shifted responsibility to the government over the individual, the underlying quest for freedom continued to pervade all aspects of American thought and drive the policies of the New Deal and government actions to follow.

Woodstock. Hippies. Free love. Gay rights. Political protests. Civil Rights movement. The 1960s was the scene of one of the biggest upheavals, radical changes and expansions of freedom in the modern era. At long last, the social system of America had come to point in which change was necessary if developing definitions of freedom were to be realized. A national embarrassment, the poor condition of African Americans in the U.S. was morally deplorable and extremely harmful to the sorely-needed social, economic, and political development of the African-American population (Foner 275-6). Infused with the “language of freedom,” the black movement gained ground as a feverish bid for freedom from the oppressive circumstances forced upon African-Americans (Foner 276-7). In fact, blacks so desperately desired complete escape from their conditions that they painted the rights movements as “an end to all that was wrong.” The federal government was less prepared to extend extensive freedoms to African-Americans than it had been to extend economic freedoms to millions of Americans during the New Deal. The bulk of the reform of the rights movement fell to the personal organization of black freedom groups and the efforts of individuals such as Martin Luther King, Jr., as well as to the Supreme Court. Though previously more conservative, the Supreme Court felt it was their duty to reinterpret the Constitution to provide equal rights to persons of all color, leading to the fulfillment of the freedoms promised during the Reconstruction 100 years earlier (Foner 300-1). The success of the Civil Rights movement inspired other groups to actively pursue the expansion of rights and privileges. Feminists, Latinos, homosexuals, Native Americans and others sought to obtain political freedom, and adopted the methods of the earlier Civil Rights movement to achieve their goals (Foner 299-300). The feminist movement especially succeeded in seeking individual freedoms such as birth control and workplace decisions, a trend that continues to expand freedoms for women in the workplace and at home to this day (Foner 302-3).

            Freedom is a fluid term, a word with many connotations that lend it a myriad of social, economic, and political interpretations. These many viewpoints on the fundamental force in American history allow a deeper look at the meaning that freedom has played in American development and the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness – the idealistic freedoms declared by Thomas Jefferson at the outset of this great nation. Freedom has been debated, withheld, and stolen in American history, but freedom has also been formed, expanded, and extended to millions of Americans. The very concept of freedom has drastically changed as the nation has developed. A government committed to the natural rights of man was forged in the fires of revolution and in the passionate defense of freedom by those who founded the nation. Slavery was abolished and freedoms were eventually extended to blacks as Americans came to realize the horror of their racial discriminations. Women were given the right to vote as the validity of their legal standing came to be recognized. Economic freedoms were enlarged, climaxing in the New Deal as Americans realized that economic opportunity is vital to success. The yearning for freedom has guided American thought and led to the progression of the freedoms available to all Americans, and this internal drive will continue to mold freedom as Americans look to the future and further expand the freedom available to all citizens and all people.

Works Cited

Fitzgerald, Michael R. “James Madison: Civil Rights and Liberties.” American Government. ABC-CLIO, 2012. Web. 13 Mar. 2012. <http://americangovernment.abc-clio.com/‌Search/‌Display/‌1686145?terms=Constitution+freedom>.

Foner, Eric. The Story of American Freedom. New York, NY: W. W.Norton, 1998. Print.

Madison, James. “The Total Number of the House of Representatives (FEDERALIST No. 56).” The New York Packet 19 Feb. 1788: n. pag. Founding Fathers. Web. 15 Mar. 2012. <http://www.foundingfathers.info/‌federalistpapers/‌fed56.htm>.

Reuters, Chrystia Freeland. “Equal Rights Make Sense for U.S. Economy.” The New York Times. N.p., 17 May 2012. Web. 21 May 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/‌2012/‌05/‌18/‌us/‌18iht-letter18.html?ref=women>.

The American Experience

Before we get started on the Top 5 things every AP Lang student should be able to do, I would like to look at the American Experience. During your Junior year, you'll be working hand-in-hand with your US History class to try and determine, "What is the American Experience?" This may seem like a very simple question, but in reality, it is very complex and contains many sides and perspectives. As we have looked at the American Experience this year in English, and to a large extent in history, I have come to have a greater appreciation for the complexities and details of American life. Near the beginning of the year, I wrote about how I thought the American Experience was defined by hard work and perseverance. While this still remains accurate in my opinion, I now believe that the American Experience can be better defined by opportunity and success, or the lack of success. This viewpoint has changed over the year as we have more deeply examined historical contexts and read the work of American authors, abolitionists, and novelists.

History is written by the winners. In America, this was not just those who conquered, but those who succeeded. Although America is composed of many diverse people, who share a wide range of ethnicities, cultures, backgrounds, economic successes, and religions, our ideas of the American Experience are defined by what we read about history and what we experience ourselves. Our laws, policies, economy, and culture are generally shaped by those who have access to more money, political power, and fame. Although the "American Experience" is supposed to be defined by the collective representation and opportunities of all Americans, this is unfortunately unrealistic. There do exist inequalities in America, and these inequalities often define the success of those who have the opportunities to rise above and make a mark on America.

But don't worry! You will have opportunities in your life as long as you work hard and challenge yourself. AP Language and Composition is a class that can help you to attain opportunities and success that many do not necessarily have in their lives. Work hard, and you will be able to make your mark on America.