Transitioning out of the writing style that I have done all my life has been a long and rocky road. At first I was unable to understand the process, why it is so well recommended, why it was so different, and the list just continues to go on. Sometimes I still find moments that I doubt this and want to go back to the way I used to write. To me, that sounds a lot better, but I quickly realize that although it is well thought out and explained in depth, that does not necessarily mean that it is the best way for it to be writen, nor a more justified way of explaining the subject matter.
At the beginning of this class, one of our first assignments was to write about what we had thought to be our writing philosophy. In this, I wrote about how I have been writing in a style that I am very comfortable with and I was hoping that through Writing 101, I could have the opportunity to explore many different styles of writing. Not only by studying the different types, but how they relate to writing in these different styles as well. I had previously thought that I would flourish more as a writer if this had been the case. So for a while, I was very unhappy with the class because I did not feel like I had been getting the most out of the class. But one day I realized, maybe that was not the purpose in Writing 101; maybe it was to explore analytical writing and make old habits the past and improve on the new habits. In a way, it taught me that I need to be more patient, wait for what is ahead and give it time. I should not always go into things with my own expectation before I have at least a general understanding of what it is going to be about, because all that did was leave me unsatisfied.
When I was first introduced to this idea of analytical writing I had many thoughts of it on both the negative and positive side. To me, it was a great way to use source material and get in on the conversation using my personal thoughts. I had previously thought that it was important to explain the subject at hand in a thorough, in depth explanation containing as much information as possible, while trying to maintain good flow. I had always felt like everything I wrote needed to be there in order for the flow to sound right. I also felt that by doing it in this style and manner, I would be able to connect with my reader on multiple levels, maintain consistency, flow, and have plenty of reasons towards my point, making it understandable and detailed. From the very start of essay one, Craig had pointed out to me that my style was a form of word vomiting on the page. At first I was unable to accept that, because all along anyone who read my work always seemed to like it. I felt like analytical writing could be a mixture of my previous style and quoting, that way it would allow me to maintain my voice all throughout my paper. After all, everyone’s way of writing is going to be different than everyone else’s, even if they are following the same guidelines, formats, and styles. I soon realized that I was over doing it. Craig had a point in saying that it was too much, which as someone who is not the biggest fan of reading, I can relate to not wanting to read a paper that is six or seven pages long. I would rather read a paper in three or four pages and get many of the same ideas, as I would from a longer document. When writing in my old style, many times the reader may have not gotten through all my points for the simple fact that there was just too much. For example, in the first essay I had originally included, “A musician, by the name of Gottlieb Mittelberger wrote about the terrible trip says, "During the journey the ship is full of pitiful signs of distress-smells, fumes, horrors, vomiting, various kinds of sea-sickness, fever, dysentery, headaches, heat, constipation, boils, scurvy, cancer, mouth-rot.... Add to that shortage of food, hunger, thirst, frost, heat, dampness, fear, misery, vexation, and lamentation as well as other troubles[....]” This seemed like information intended just to fill space, not information that was important in and of itself. Although I really liked the first way that I wrote my first essay, as time passed, I began to understand the idea of analytical writing, versus my own style and how it is much more beneficial.
When my second essay came around, I felt as though I had a greater understanding of the writing process and I was following all the advice that I had been given up until that point. I made sure that I was not rambling, that every point had quote(s) to back up my theory in order to ensure everything in my paper was there for a reason, and I followed my thesis throughout my paper, making it clear, concise, and arguable. But as it turned out, Craig had thought that I was too repetitive. For example where I wrote, “We came together in order to create a document called ‘Association of the Sons of Liberty in New York,’ in which we all agree that we are not going to have anything to do with the duties on tea nor those who do. Together we understand that taxation has been a big issue and that it is not ok.” Then the next paragraph I wrote, “The British are taxing us for things that do not belong to them. Why might anyone want to be a Tory? After all, the British are selfish. For ‘What property have they in that which another may, by right, take when he pleases to himself?” So I basically had the same point, just using a different quote. When I received my paper back, I was upset and confused. It was very hard for me to distinguish the difference between the advice that we, as a class, had been given and just saying the same point over and over in different ways. I really felt like there was improvement from the first essay and I was more confident. To me, a fifty percent was not what I thought that I deserved, but I also recognized that I still have a lot of work to do.
Although I have come to find all these struggles in my writing, I have also re-established my strengths. I have always been strong in directing groups and taking the initiative to start myself, as well as others, in the direction. For example, our PB-wiki pages for the second essay, in which I started the research and categorized everything for my state. Also, in the third essay, I was able to make important decisions like not worrying about the person in the group who was unwilling to participate. Another thing I did was I made sure that I got my ideas out in the group and that we made it clear that completing this essay would require a team effort. I arranged with my group member when and where to meet up. Leadership and organizing information have always been strengths of mine.
I can now look back on my learning experiences and know that I have only started on this path of discovering analytical writing and what it has to offer. I have begun to apply it and figure out what can and cannot work with this style of writing. I feel as though there are undoubtedly advantages to applying this style, both for this class and as I go on in my college education, and quite possibly my career. In the end, although these writings to do not fit with my writing philosophy or the way in which I had formerly written. I have noticed a positive change in myself and in my writing, but I know that there is a long road ahead and lots of room for improvement.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Essay 1 "Bacon's Rebellion"
To this day Native American people still are not treated the way that they should be. In his article, “Billions Missing From U.S. Indian Trust Fund,” Dyer, who has had work featured in numerous magazines such as the New York Times, maintains that “In his testimony before Congress, John Echohawk, director of Native American Rights Fund, called it "yet another serious and continuing breach in a long history of dishonorable treatment of Indian tribes and individual Indians by the United States government." Arizona Senator John McCain, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, bluntly called it "theft from Indian people." These men were describing the single largest and longest-lasting financial scandal in history involving the federal government of the United States. With no other recourse left at their disposal, NARF, along with other attorneys, filed a class action lawsuit in federal district court on June 10 on behalf of more than 300,000 American Indians. The suit charges Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt, Assistant Interior Secretary of the Interior for Indian Affairs Ada Deer and Secretary of the Treasury Robert Rubin with illegal conduct in regard to the management of Indian money held in trust accounts and managed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. If the lawsuit's claims are correct, and there's an overwhelming body of evidence that suggests they are, then the federal government has lost, misappropriated or, in some cases, stolen billions of dollars from some of its poorest citizens.” It is absurd how through the years the Natives still are not given proper treatment, whether the subject at hand be the treatment towards them and their land, or in this case, the treatment of their entrusted money.
Background Information
In recent discussions of Bacon's Rebellion, a controversial issue has been whether Bacon and his followers had proper justification and means for rebellion against the richer whites and the Native Americans or was it unnecessary. On one hand, some writers take the side of Bacon and his followers, for example Historians Zinn and Stefoff, in A Younger People's History of the United States, who portray Bacon as a hero. From this perspective, "It was not a war of American colonist against the British. Instead, Bacon's Rebellion was an uprising of angry, poor colonists against two groups they saw as their enemies. One was the Indians. The other was the colonists' own rich and privileged leaders." [35] Then, in 1676, the unhappy Virginians found a leader in farmer Nathaniel Bacon so they elected him into the colonial government, the House of Burgesses. Following the election, Bacon was ready to take matters into his own hands, as it says, "Bacon was ready to send armed militias, or armed grouped of citizens, to fight the Indians.” These people were not controlled by the government, which alarmed Governor William Berkeley, so they announced Bacon as a rebel. He was captured then set free when two thousand of Bacon’s supporters had marched into Jamestown, which they began raiding the Indians and set their capital, Jamestown on fire.
Bacon gave his reason for the rebellion in a paper called "Declaration of the People," in which showed the frontiersman's hatred of the Indians and the common people's anger toward the rich, and Bacon's accusations of Sir William Berkeley, Sir Henry Chichley, William Claiburne Junior, Lieut. Coll. Christopher Wormeley, Thomas Hawkins, William Sherwood, Phillip Ludwell, along with all the others listed on the document, as to their wrong doings with unfair taxes, non-protection of the western farmers from the Indians, going against the King, etc. A few months following, Bacon got sick and died. After Bacon’s death, there basically became a sense of inferiority with England controlling the new American colony, and the new American colony controlling the Natives.
Many of the poor settlers were mislead. They came to America with the promise of the good lives they would have in American and the possibility of becoming very wealthy, but that was not the case. According to Zinn, "Many poor people bound for America became indentured servants. They signed an agreement called an indenture that said that they would repay the cost of their journey to America by working for a master for five or seven years. Once they got to American these servants were treated inhumanely and sold as though they were livestock. Many Virginians were unhappy because of terrible conditions they had as servants or the state of living in poverty. Plus, there was a constant reality of the saying, "the rich get richer and the poor get poorer." Due to the wealthy being in fear of the Indian hostility, the danger of slave revolts, and the growing class anger of poor whites, they [the wealthy] tried to turn all the others against each other; the poor against the Indians, the blacks against the the Indians, and blacks and white against each other [racism]. Everything developed over time in this same pattern with the divided social and racial classes, these that still exist today. In synapses, Bacon's Rebellion impacted history so much so, that it lead to future rebellions. Which brings me to my question of whether or not it was just for the Indians to be treated poorly during Bacon’s Rebellion?
Body/ Discussion
The Indians were very unselfish people. They allowed the colonists to have a portion of land, yet the colonists were so selfish that they still took more without thinking of how the Indian people would feel about it. “The Indians had their lands seized by white frontiersmen.” (“A Young People’s History of the United States” by Historians Howard Zinn and Rebecca Stefoff). Part of the reason for the colonists coming into the Indian’s land was that once the indentured servants became free, they had to be given the land promised to them and the only land that was left was not theirs to be giving away in the first place, it was the Indian’s land. “Bacon’s Rebellion stated with trouble on Virginia’s western frontier. By the 1670s rich landowners controlled most of eastern Virginia. As a result, many ordinary people felt that they were pushed towards the frontier. Life was more dangerous there.” [Zinn] This made the frontiersmen feel like their government had let them down. In the American Promise, they state that “the number of land-hungry colonists, especially poor, recently freed servants, continued to multiply. In their quest for land, they pushed beyond the treaty limits of English settlement and encroached steadily on Indian land.” The way I see it, the colonists were just being greedy. They received a big portion of land and yet they wanted more and more. Whether or not they had enough land to give to the indentured servants or not, they should not have continued to go into the Indian land boundaries that they had formerly said they would not protrude. I think that the Indians had all the right to be unhappy about this issue. After all, any of us today would be mad if that were to happen to us. No one should be ok with other people taking what is rightfully ours.
The Indians clearly were not always intentionally harming the colonists. Some of the colonists were on the native’s side of this issue, especially those in the government. “The settlers had problems with the Natives American. They wanted the colony’s leaders to fight the Indians, but the politicians and big landowners who ran the colony wouldn’t fight.”[Zinn] This could have been because of issues like tobacco, but regardless, if the Indians were really in the wrong about how they were acting towards the colonists, the government would have had to uphold their duty and step in to do something about it, even if it were only slight. If the government’s actions were only slight, they would maintain the peace and still have the opportunities of trading with the Indians, while defending and protecting their people at the same time. “When Bacon began his private war against Indians, Berkeley – who hoped to keep the peace among the frontiers – declared the upstart a rebel.” [“The Old Dominion in the Seventeenth Century” by Warren Billings, ed.] If the Indians’ treatment towards the colonists were to really be a big deal, the government would have had to step in and do something about it. But they did not, therefore showing that the Indians were treating the colonists in an acceptable manner. This is presented clearly because Berkeley went as far as to announce Bacon as a rebel for trying to fight the Indians. Keep in mind that Bacon and Berkeley were formerly on good terms, as stated in “The Old Dominion in the Seventeenth Century,” where it says, “Bacon’s status as a member of prominent English family gained him recognition from Virginia’s governor, Sir William Berkeley.” All in all, the Virginian government did not see the treatment of the Indians towards the colonists as an issue, so clearly it was not that immoral.
How can anyone be sure that Bacon had probable cause for stating the rebellion? No one knows that he did for sure. Although some people see Bacon as a hero, helping the poor farmers, others thought he was greedy. “Bacon owned a good bit of land. He probably cared more about fighting Indians than about helping the poor. Still, the common people of Virginia felt that he was on their side.” [Zinn] Like it said in the quote, Bacon might have cared more about fighting the Indians than about helping the poor. For all we know, he could have very well been an inspirational speaker and convinced many people into believing that his cause was just and that is was all for those people. Realistically, were a few Indians killing one of Bacon’s dear friends reason enough to start hatred against Indians as a whole, even the ones that were their “friends”? In “Whether They be Friends or Foes” by Michael J. Puglisi of the Marian College, it says “Both [referring to native groups such as the Powhatan and the so-called Praying Indians] felt the obvious isolation from tribes that lived outside of colonial control, but both also suffered from the lingering and thriving English prejudice against any Indians, regardless of their administrative loyalties or behavioral patterns. During the 1670s, this ambiguous situation resulted in open attacks on the peaceful native groups in Virginia and Massachusetts.” To add to the concept, “Another [referring to one of the members of Governor Berkeley’s council] said that the Indian problem was the original cause of Bacon’s Rebellion, but the poor people had joined because they wanted to seize and share the wealth of the rich.” [Zinn] This comes to show that many of Bacon’s “supporters” were only contributing out of their own wants for more money because after all, the major groups fighting in Bacon’s Rebellion were the Rich Englishmen and the Indians, verses the Poor farmers and Bacon, so money or class was of great relevance.
The Native Americans were not treated properly during Bacon’s Rebellion. Majority of the time the Natives saw the colonists as god’s people, which they were. They allowed the colonists to take over their land and be unpleasant towards them. I really do not think that Bacon had probable cause to “go to war” with the Indians. Some questions that come to my mind that could or could not prove Bacon’s point to be probable are “What was Bacon’s initial intent to fighting with the Indians? Why did Bacon have so much hatred towards these people? Was this rebellion really meaningful to those poor farmers that were lead, by Bacon, to believe that the Indians were somehow the enemy? Were the Natives really in the wrong?” Because in my own opinion, all this harshness towards the Indians was not necessary and the colonists could have very well handled the Natives in a different manner and still have gotten their greedy, selfish wants or needs.
Background Information
In recent discussions of Bacon's Rebellion, a controversial issue has been whether Bacon and his followers had proper justification and means for rebellion against the richer whites and the Native Americans or was it unnecessary. On one hand, some writers take the side of Bacon and his followers, for example Historians Zinn and Stefoff, in A Younger People's History of the United States, who portray Bacon as a hero. From this perspective, "It was not a war of American colonist against the British. Instead, Bacon's Rebellion was an uprising of angry, poor colonists against two groups they saw as their enemies. One was the Indians. The other was the colonists' own rich and privileged leaders." [35] Then, in 1676, the unhappy Virginians found a leader in farmer Nathaniel Bacon so they elected him into the colonial government, the House of Burgesses. Following the election, Bacon was ready to take matters into his own hands, as it says, "Bacon was ready to send armed militias, or armed grouped of citizens, to fight the Indians.” These people were not controlled by the government, which alarmed Governor William Berkeley, so they announced Bacon as a rebel. He was captured then set free when two thousand of Bacon’s supporters had marched into Jamestown, which they began raiding the Indians and set their capital, Jamestown on fire.
Bacon gave his reason for the rebellion in a paper called "Declaration of the People," in which showed the frontiersman's hatred of the Indians and the common people's anger toward the rich, and Bacon's accusations of Sir William Berkeley, Sir Henry Chichley, William Claiburne Junior, Lieut. Coll. Christopher Wormeley, Thomas Hawkins, William Sherwood, Phillip Ludwell, along with all the others listed on the document, as to their wrong doings with unfair taxes, non-protection of the western farmers from the Indians, going against the King, etc. A few months following, Bacon got sick and died. After Bacon’s death, there basically became a sense of inferiority with England controlling the new American colony, and the new American colony controlling the Natives.
Many of the poor settlers were mislead. They came to America with the promise of the good lives they would have in American and the possibility of becoming very wealthy, but that was not the case. According to Zinn, "Many poor people bound for America became indentured servants. They signed an agreement called an indenture that said that they would repay the cost of their journey to America by working for a master for five or seven years. Once they got to American these servants were treated inhumanely and sold as though they were livestock. Many Virginians were unhappy because of terrible conditions they had as servants or the state of living in poverty. Plus, there was a constant reality of the saying, "the rich get richer and the poor get poorer." Due to the wealthy being in fear of the Indian hostility, the danger of slave revolts, and the growing class anger of poor whites, they [the wealthy] tried to turn all the others against each other; the poor against the Indians, the blacks against the the Indians, and blacks and white against each other [racism]. Everything developed over time in this same pattern with the divided social and racial classes, these that still exist today. In synapses, Bacon's Rebellion impacted history so much so, that it lead to future rebellions. Which brings me to my question of whether or not it was just for the Indians to be treated poorly during Bacon’s Rebellion?
Body/ Discussion
The Indians were very unselfish people. They allowed the colonists to have a portion of land, yet the colonists were so selfish that they still took more without thinking of how the Indian people would feel about it. “The Indians had their lands seized by white frontiersmen.” (“A Young People’s History of the United States” by Historians Howard Zinn and Rebecca Stefoff). Part of the reason for the colonists coming into the Indian’s land was that once the indentured servants became free, they had to be given the land promised to them and the only land that was left was not theirs to be giving away in the first place, it was the Indian’s land. “Bacon’s Rebellion stated with trouble on Virginia’s western frontier. By the 1670s rich landowners controlled most of eastern Virginia. As a result, many ordinary people felt that they were pushed towards the frontier. Life was more dangerous there.” [Zinn] This made the frontiersmen feel like their government had let them down. In the American Promise, they state that “the number of land-hungry colonists, especially poor, recently freed servants, continued to multiply. In their quest for land, they pushed beyond the treaty limits of English settlement and encroached steadily on Indian land.” The way I see it, the colonists were just being greedy. They received a big portion of land and yet they wanted more and more. Whether or not they had enough land to give to the indentured servants or not, they should not have continued to go into the Indian land boundaries that they had formerly said they would not protrude. I think that the Indians had all the right to be unhappy about this issue. After all, any of us today would be mad if that were to happen to us. No one should be ok with other people taking what is rightfully ours.
The Indians clearly were not always intentionally harming the colonists. Some of the colonists were on the native’s side of this issue, especially those in the government. “The settlers had problems with the Natives American. They wanted the colony’s leaders to fight the Indians, but the politicians and big landowners who ran the colony wouldn’t fight.”[Zinn] This could have been because of issues like tobacco, but regardless, if the Indians were really in the wrong about how they were acting towards the colonists, the government would have had to uphold their duty and step in to do something about it, even if it were only slight. If the government’s actions were only slight, they would maintain the peace and still have the opportunities of trading with the Indians, while defending and protecting their people at the same time. “When Bacon began his private war against Indians, Berkeley – who hoped to keep the peace among the frontiers – declared the upstart a rebel.” [“The Old Dominion in the Seventeenth Century” by Warren Billings, ed.] If the Indians’ treatment towards the colonists were to really be a big deal, the government would have had to step in and do something about it. But they did not, therefore showing that the Indians were treating the colonists in an acceptable manner. This is presented clearly because Berkeley went as far as to announce Bacon as a rebel for trying to fight the Indians. Keep in mind that Bacon and Berkeley were formerly on good terms, as stated in “The Old Dominion in the Seventeenth Century,” where it says, “Bacon’s status as a member of prominent English family gained him recognition from Virginia’s governor, Sir William Berkeley.” All in all, the Virginian government did not see the treatment of the Indians towards the colonists as an issue, so clearly it was not that immoral.
How can anyone be sure that Bacon had probable cause for stating the rebellion? No one knows that he did for sure. Although some people see Bacon as a hero, helping the poor farmers, others thought he was greedy. “Bacon owned a good bit of land. He probably cared more about fighting Indians than about helping the poor. Still, the common people of Virginia felt that he was on their side.” [Zinn] Like it said in the quote, Bacon might have cared more about fighting the Indians than about helping the poor. For all we know, he could have very well been an inspirational speaker and convinced many people into believing that his cause was just and that is was all for those people. Realistically, were a few Indians killing one of Bacon’s dear friends reason enough to start hatred against Indians as a whole, even the ones that were their “friends”? In “Whether They be Friends or Foes” by Michael J. Puglisi of the Marian College, it says “Both [referring to native groups such as the Powhatan and the so-called Praying Indians] felt the obvious isolation from tribes that lived outside of colonial control, but both also suffered from the lingering and thriving English prejudice against any Indians, regardless of their administrative loyalties or behavioral patterns. During the 1670s, this ambiguous situation resulted in open attacks on the peaceful native groups in Virginia and Massachusetts.” To add to the concept, “Another [referring to one of the members of Governor Berkeley’s council] said that the Indian problem was the original cause of Bacon’s Rebellion, but the poor people had joined because they wanted to seize and share the wealth of the rich.” [Zinn] This comes to show that many of Bacon’s “supporters” were only contributing out of their own wants for more money because after all, the major groups fighting in Bacon’s Rebellion were the Rich Englishmen and the Indians, verses the Poor farmers and Bacon, so money or class was of great relevance.
The Native Americans were not treated properly during Bacon’s Rebellion. Majority of the time the Natives saw the colonists as god’s people, which they were. They allowed the colonists to take over their land and be unpleasant towards them. I really do not think that Bacon had probable cause to “go to war” with the Indians. Some questions that come to my mind that could or could not prove Bacon’s point to be probable are “What was Bacon’s initial intent to fighting with the Indians? Why did Bacon have so much hatred towards these people? Was this rebellion really meaningful to those poor farmers that were lead, by Bacon, to believe that the Indians were somehow the enemy? Were the Natives really in the wrong?” Because in my own opinion, all this harshness towards the Indians was not necessary and the colonists could have very well handled the Natives in a different manner and still have gotten their greedy, selfish wants or needs.
Essay 2 "The American revolution-- A Patriot of New York"
I will no longer stand by and allow Britain to do with the colonies what they wish! I am one of many who have come to be a part of this new land. This is land that has been run by the British government, which does not quite make sense to me; after all, we are an ocean away from each other. Although many of us have been born British, we are no longer a part of them; I, for one, am a citizen of New York. Why should we, the colonies, continue to follow under the rule of a country that really does not have much to do with us? We need each other in terms of trade and such, but how do we benefit in any other way from the British? We are a new people and part something new; I hold my alliance with New York, and not with Great Britain because the Brits wrongly taxed us, the limits on the immigrants, the conditions in the prisons for the prisoners of war, and how they want to continue to maintain control over the colonies.
The Tories do not allow the immigrants to settle in the colonies and treat the prisoners of war inhumanely. “The British also exploited to the fullest two other manpower pools, immigrants and war prisoners.”1 With the harsh and forceful conditions many found no other way around alliance. “According to Captain Alexander McDonald of the Royal Highland Emigrants, ‘We cannot say they [the immigrants] were there forced into the Service, yet there was no other shift for them since they would not be allowed to goe to Settle in the Country, and it was promised them their wives and Children should have the Same allowance with the others belonging to the Army.”1 Those in jail see it as either a life or death situation. “Through December and January, more and more prisoners died in all the British jails. Not surprisingly, the recruiters did well. Many prisoners enlisted to escape life in these prisons. Others joined only to desert at the first opportunity.”1 Many have been forced to join the tories, not by choice, but as the only way out; who wants to be a part of a country that “created inhuman conditions to push prisoners into enlisting”1 or whose enlistment technique is “force, or fear of it”?1
Great Britain has been taxing us for matters of their own benefit. They chose to protect us and now expect us to pay taxes on everything in order to repay for this protection? This is clearly stated in the Stamp Act, where it says, “Whereas by an act made in the last session of parliament, several duties were granted, continued, and appropriated, towards defraying the expences of defending, protecting, and securing, the British colonies and plantations in America: and whereas it is just and necessary, that provision be made for raising a further revenue within your MajestyÂ’s dominions in America, towards defraying the said expences[...]. That from and after the first day of November, one thousand seven hundred and sixty five, there shall be raised, levied, collected, and paid unto his Majesty, his heirs, and successors, throughout the colonies and plantations in America which now are, or hereafter may be, under the dominion of his Majesty, his heirs and successors.”2 We do not feel that this is our responsibility to repay Great Britain because they defended us in their best interests towards trade not because we asked them to, so we, the merchants of New York, have put into place the Non-importation Agreement. In this agreement, we have all “promise and oblige ourselves not to buy any goods, wares, or merchandises of any person or persons whatsoever that shall he shipped from Great Britain after the first day of January next unless the Stamp Act shall be repealed-as witness our hands.” The result of the taxes infringed upon us has put many colonists, including myself, into debt and should not be our responsibility.
Great Britain is wrongly taxing us and we are not willing to allow this to keep happening any more. We, the merchants, the lawyers, and other inhabitants of many ranks unite to testify our dislikes for the evil project the Brits have of enslaving Americans, by means of taxes. We came together in order to create a document called “Association of the Sons of Liberty in New York,” in which we all agree that we are not going to have anything to do with the duties on tea nor those who do. Together we understand that taxation has been a big issue and that it is not ok. They have used it against us to maintain some control, but no longer are we going to sit back and allow this to happen, nor favor anyone else who allows the taxation to continue without any act towards change. Little by little, we will not stop making attempts to take over our land and run it our way, by our own people.
The British are taxing us for things that do not belong to them. Why might anyone want to be a Tory? After all, the British are selfish. “For ‘What property have they in that which another may, by right, take when he pleases to himself?’ The former is the undoubted right of Englishmen, to secure which they expended millions and sacrificed the lives of thousands.”4 All they want is money for things that do not belong to them, in order to make up for the money that they willingly sacrificed. Why does it become our problem that they decided on their own to defend their own interests and that they are now in debt? The Brits keep trying to impose taxes on goods that they do not own.
Our constitution, like the constitution of many other states, touches on subjects such as how our government is run by the people, how we are protected under the constitution and those in ruling power must judge our crimes according, the right-to-bear-arms, the pursuit of happiness, freedom of religion and the liberties that we have been fighting for. We earn what we have been fighting for all along, our liberties and a form of government that we have taken back control of. No longer must we consider ourselves British or the lower class British men. All along I knew that what I was fighting for was right and that in the end we would conquer as we have.
Patrick Henry is one of my inspirations because he understands how important our liberty is and how we need to stand up to Great Britain. I was there the day he gave his “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” Speech and it was phenomenal. The way he spoke with such a profound and determined character came to my amazement. He had the guts to say what I had been thinking all along. If I could have, I would have stood by his side during that speech and shown that I too believe that our liberty is worth our lives, after all, what is life without liberty. Sacrificing everything for everyone’s freedom is more than worthwhile, it is necessary and it is a privilege to have that opportunity to make a difference. Like the saying, drastic times call for drastic measures and this is one. He shows us that there really is not much of another option, because the “war” has already begun and there is no turning back. Either we stand up for the change or we fall back and let Great Britain continue to push us around. Like Patrick Henry’s decision, “I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”
As a patriot from New York, I am so glad that we have finally won our independence. No longer can the Brits continue to tax us on our own goods. No longer can they try to control us and manipulate us. No longer can they control the people that come into the United States, or anything that we decide to do. It is such a breath of fresh air to finally be Americans.
Portfolio: Final Exam Frame #2
Writing is a process. It involves a large variety of ideas and no one idea is necessarily right or wrong. I agree with Elbow in “Punk Power in the First-Year Writing Classroom,” where he says “If you are stuck writing or trying to figure something out, there is nothing better than finding one person, or more, to talk to. If they don’t agree or have troubles understanding, so much the better- so long as their minds are not closed” (49). I do find this to be true in creating a great piece of writing.
I definitely feel as though this has been true for me, as well as all the rest of my classmates, this quarter. Afterall, writing is a continual process and how are you to know what to change if you do not receive feedback from others. Clearly no won would intentionally write something in their paper that they know sounds bad or makes no sense. Another benefit that I have come to find is that with the thoughts of others, you are able to expand and grow, listening or reading many different points can only benefit you because it allows you to grow in knowledge and can be very persuasive in showing you an idea that you had never before realized. Also, just because something makes sense in your mind, does not exactly mean that someone else will read it or listen and understand it the same way. A writer, by my experience, should always be open to different views and opinions.
I, personally, have found it essential that I get feedback from a diverse set of people on all my writing. Without it, I would have a hard time seeing what my strengths and weaknesses are and becomes nearly impossible for me to improve. Optimism One continues on in “Punk Power in the First-Year Writing Classroom” to say “Group work not only privileges student-centered, democratic practices, but it highlights the interactive nature of creativity.” I have found this to be a true statement for me personally. I, myself, have always been a very outspoken person and it is nice that I can use this strength I have in order to help my fellow classmates. Working together can help us all develop friendships as well as greater ideas. The saying “great minds think alike” and “two minds are better than one” have always been significant in my experience. I have always found enjoyment and a greater deal of passion when bouncing off ideas with someone else that has some concern in the same subject. Creativity is a word that really stuck out to me within this piece because everyone thinks differently and portrays their ideas in different ways. For some music might be their form of expression, for some art may show their ideas best, for some poetry, for some a journal of lengthy proclaimed feelings, it all depends on the person. I am someone who just blabs on and on or writes lengthy pieces because I am a very logical person. Abstract is definitely not something that I can go hand in hand with, but for those who can, I say all power to them because I wish I could and it is a wonderful, powerful gift to have. Without the feedback of others, my writing could be considered specific word vomiting and I do not think I could flourish in my writing.
To every rule or idea there is always going to be exceptions. There have been a couple times where I have not been able to learn from others feedback. In these few circumstances either they gave me feedback that was not specific enough or I just got too many opposing comments. In cases such as these, I would have to just follow my gut feeling and hope for the best. Other times, because I am such a passionate person, discussions can go over board and become a heated debate, but I still find this to be a learning experience, regardless of whether it conflicted with relationships between that person and I. The way I see things is that you should always take everything into account and sort out what is right and wrong and from there you should learn and know that people are only giving you input in hopes for the better and in hopes that you would grow from their advice. Even though I find this view to be in likes with my own, there are few exceptions that I have come across, but never large enough for me to not continue to hold this view point.
All in all, I find group learning the easiest way to develop ideas. It allows you to create arguments in different points of view, allows you to grow as a writer, and strengthens relationships. Without it, I do not see myself growing, making it essential for educational purposes. I have always found this concept to be true for myself but through Writing 101 I have further recognized this as a personal truth.
*Blogger does not allow me the option of double spacing.*
I definitely feel as though this has been true for me, as well as all the rest of my classmates, this quarter. Afterall, writing is a continual process and how are you to know what to change if you do not receive feedback from others. Clearly no won would intentionally write something in their paper that they know sounds bad or makes no sense. Another benefit that I have come to find is that with the thoughts of others, you are able to expand and grow, listening or reading many different points can only benefit you because it allows you to grow in knowledge and can be very persuasive in showing you an idea that you had never before realized. Also, just because something makes sense in your mind, does not exactly mean that someone else will read it or listen and understand it the same way. A writer, by my experience, should always be open to different views and opinions.
I, personally, have found it essential that I get feedback from a diverse set of people on all my writing. Without it, I would have a hard time seeing what my strengths and weaknesses are and becomes nearly impossible for me to improve. Optimism One continues on in “Punk Power in the First-Year Writing Classroom” to say “Group work not only privileges student-centered, democratic practices, but it highlights the interactive nature of creativity.” I have found this to be a true statement for me personally. I, myself, have always been a very outspoken person and it is nice that I can use this strength I have in order to help my fellow classmates. Working together can help us all develop friendships as well as greater ideas. The saying “great minds think alike” and “two minds are better than one” have always been significant in my experience. I have always found enjoyment and a greater deal of passion when bouncing off ideas with someone else that has some concern in the same subject. Creativity is a word that really stuck out to me within this piece because everyone thinks differently and portrays their ideas in different ways. For some music might be their form of expression, for some art may show their ideas best, for some poetry, for some a journal of lengthy proclaimed feelings, it all depends on the person. I am someone who just blabs on and on or writes lengthy pieces because I am a very logical person. Abstract is definitely not something that I can go hand in hand with, but for those who can, I say all power to them because I wish I could and it is a wonderful, powerful gift to have. Without the feedback of others, my writing could be considered specific word vomiting and I do not think I could flourish in my writing.
To every rule or idea there is always going to be exceptions. There have been a couple times where I have not been able to learn from others feedback. In these few circumstances either they gave me feedback that was not specific enough or I just got too many opposing comments. In cases such as these, I would have to just follow my gut feeling and hope for the best. Other times, because I am such a passionate person, discussions can go over board and become a heated debate, but I still find this to be a learning experience, regardless of whether it conflicted with relationships between that person and I. The way I see things is that you should always take everything into account and sort out what is right and wrong and from there you should learn and know that people are only giving you input in hopes for the better and in hopes that you would grow from their advice. Even though I find this view to be in likes with my own, there are few exceptions that I have come across, but never large enough for me to not continue to hold this view point.
All in all, I find group learning the easiest way to develop ideas. It allows you to create arguments in different points of view, allows you to grow as a writer, and strengthens relationships. Without it, I do not see myself growing, making it essential for educational purposes. I have always found this concept to be true for myself but through Writing 101 I have further recognized this as a personal truth.
*Blogger does not allow me the option of double spacing.*
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Reflective Letter
------Transitioning from the style of writing that I did all my life up until this class to this style called analytical writing has been a long and rocky road. At first I was unable to understand the process, why it is so well recommended, why it was so different, and the list just continues to go on. Sometimes I still find moments that I doubt this and want to go back to the way I used to write because to me, that way sounds better explained, but I quickly realize that although it is well thought out and explained in depth, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it is a better way to be said, nor a more justified way of explaining the subject matter.
------At the beginning of this class, one of our first assignments was to write about what we had thought to be our writing philosophy. In this, I wrote about how I have been writing in a style that I am very much comfortable with but that I was hoping that through Writing 101 I could have the chance to explorer the many styles of writing, atleast a few, due to the amount of time. I thought that for me, I would flourish more as a writer if this had been the case and so for a while, I was very unhappy with the class because I did not feeling like I had been getting the most out of the class. But then one day I realized, maybe that was not the purpose in Writing 101, maybe it was to explorer analytical writing and make old habits old and improve on the new habits. In a way, it taught me that I need to be more patient and wait for what is ahead and give it time, because I should not always go into things with my own expectation before I even understand what it is about because all that did was leave me unsatisfied.
------When I was first introduced to this idea of analytical writing I had many thoughts of it on both the negative and positive side. To me, it was a great way to use source material and get in on the conversation using my personal thoughts. I had previously thought that it was important to explain the subject at hand in a thorough in depth explanation, containing as much information as possible, while maintaining the follow. I had always felt like everything there needed to be there for the follow to sound right. I had always thought that by doing it in this style and manner that I would be able to connect with my reader on multiple levels, maintain consistency and flow, and have plenty reasons towards my point, making it an understandable and in-depth. From the very start of essay one, Craig had pointed out to me that my style was a form of word vomiting on the page. At first I was unable to except that because all along anyone who read my work always seemed to like it, it got me the grades, I was very comfortable with this style, and I felt like analytical writing could be a mixture of that and quoting because it would allow me to maintain my voice all thorough my paper. After all, everyone’s way of writing is going to be different than anyone else’s, even if they are following the same guidelines, formats, or styles. But I soon realized that I was over doing it. Craig had a point in saying that it was too much because as someone who is not the biggest fan of reading I can relate to not wanting to read a paper that is six or seven pages long. I would way rather read a paper in three or four pages and get many of the same ideas from that. By writing in the style that I did, many times the read may have not gotten through all my points because there was just too much. Although I really liked the first way that I wrote my essay for essay one, as time has passed I began to understand the idea of analytical writing verses my own style and how analytical writing is much more beneficial.
------When my second essay came around, I felt as though I had a greater understanding and I thought that I had gone in to my paper following all the advice that I had been given up until that point. I made sure that I was not rambling on, that every point had quote(s) to back up my theory in order to ensure everything in my paper was there for a reason, and I followed my thesis throughout my paper, making it clear, concise, and arguable. But when I had gotten my paper back I was very upset and confused. It was very hard for me to distinguish the difference between the advice that we, as a class, had been given and just saying the same point over and over in different ways. I really felt like I had been following what Craig had told me all along, there was improvement from the first essay and my confidence was there more, so to me, a fifty percent was not at all what I thought that I had deserved, but I also recognized that I still have a lot of work to do.
I can now look back on my learning experiences and know that I have only started on this path of discovering analytical writing and what it has to offer. I have begun to apply it and figure out what can and cannot work with this style of writing. I feel as though there are undoubtedly advantages to applying this style, both for this class and as I go on in my college education, and quite possibly my career. In the end, although these writings to do not fit with my writing philosophy or the way in which I had formerly written, I have noticed a positive change in myself and in my writing, but I know that there is a long road ahead and lots of room for improvement.
------At the beginning of this class, one of our first assignments was to write about what we had thought to be our writing philosophy. In this, I wrote about how I have been writing in a style that I am very much comfortable with but that I was hoping that through Writing 101 I could have the chance to explorer the many styles of writing, atleast a few, due to the amount of time. I thought that for me, I would flourish more as a writer if this had been the case and so for a while, I was very unhappy with the class because I did not feeling like I had been getting the most out of the class. But then one day I realized, maybe that was not the purpose in Writing 101, maybe it was to explorer analytical writing and make old habits old and improve on the new habits. In a way, it taught me that I need to be more patient and wait for what is ahead and give it time, because I should not always go into things with my own expectation before I even understand what it is about because all that did was leave me unsatisfied.
------When I was first introduced to this idea of analytical writing I had many thoughts of it on both the negative and positive side. To me, it was a great way to use source material and get in on the conversation using my personal thoughts. I had previously thought that it was important to explain the subject at hand in a thorough in depth explanation, containing as much information as possible, while maintaining the follow. I had always felt like everything there needed to be there for the follow to sound right. I had always thought that by doing it in this style and manner that I would be able to connect with my reader on multiple levels, maintain consistency and flow, and have plenty reasons towards my point, making it an understandable and in-depth. From the very start of essay one, Craig had pointed out to me that my style was a form of word vomiting on the page. At first I was unable to except that because all along anyone who read my work always seemed to like it, it got me the grades, I was very comfortable with this style, and I felt like analytical writing could be a mixture of that and quoting because it would allow me to maintain my voice all thorough my paper. After all, everyone’s way of writing is going to be different than anyone else’s, even if they are following the same guidelines, formats, or styles. But I soon realized that I was over doing it. Craig had a point in saying that it was too much because as someone who is not the biggest fan of reading I can relate to not wanting to read a paper that is six or seven pages long. I would way rather read a paper in three or four pages and get many of the same ideas from that. By writing in the style that I did, many times the read may have not gotten through all my points because there was just too much. Although I really liked the first way that I wrote my essay for essay one, as time has passed I began to understand the idea of analytical writing verses my own style and how analytical writing is much more beneficial.
------When my second essay came around, I felt as though I had a greater understanding and I thought that I had gone in to my paper following all the advice that I had been given up until that point. I made sure that I was not rambling on, that every point had quote(s) to back up my theory in order to ensure everything in my paper was there for a reason, and I followed my thesis throughout my paper, making it clear, concise, and arguable. But when I had gotten my paper back I was very upset and confused. It was very hard for me to distinguish the difference between the advice that we, as a class, had been given and just saying the same point over and over in different ways. I really felt like I had been following what Craig had told me all along, there was improvement from the first essay and my confidence was there more, so to me, a fifty percent was not at all what I thought that I had deserved, but I also recognized that I still have a lot of work to do.
I can now look back on my learning experiences and know that I have only started on this path of discovering analytical writing and what it has to offer. I have begun to apply it and figure out what can and cannot work with this style of writing. I feel as though there are undoubtedly advantages to applying this style, both for this class and as I go on in my college education, and quite possibly my career. In the end, although these writings to do not fit with my writing philosophy or the way in which I had formerly written, I have noticed a positive change in myself and in my writing, but I know that there is a long road ahead and lots of room for improvement.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Text Analysis: Kentucky Resolution 1799
Who is writing?
The representatives of the commonwealth, the general assembly.
Who is the audience?
All the sister states.
Who do the writers represent?
The people of Kentucky
What is being said, argued, and/or requested?They think that the
Alien and Sedition Acts are against the constitution.
How is it being said, argued, and/or requested?Strongly
opinionated; Proclaiming.
What proof and/or justification is being used to legitimize the request?
"That although this commonwealth as a party to the federal compact; will bow to the laws of the union, yet at the same time declare, that it will not now, nor ever hereafter, cease to oppose in a constitutional manner, every attempt from what quarter soever offered, to violate that compact"
The representatives of the commonwealth, the general assembly.
Who is the audience?
All the sister states.
Who do the writers represent?
The people of Kentucky
What is being said, argued, and/or requested?They think that the
Alien and Sedition Acts are against the constitution.
How is it being said, argued, and/or requested?Strongly
opinionated; Proclaiming.
What proof and/or justification is being used to legitimize the request?
"That although this commonwealth as a party to the federal compact; will bow to the laws of the union, yet at the same time declare, that it will not now, nor ever hereafter, cease to oppose in a constitutional manner, every attempt from what quarter soever offered, to violate that compact"
Monday, November 24, 2008
Essay 2 Reflection
Since essay number one, I have learned only a few things. I do not feel like I have gotten the opportunity to improve by much but I do think that I have started to get slightly more comfortable with the analytical writing process. As I had said in my writing philosophy, I have wanted to explore the many styles of writing, so that I can understand an over all better sense of what creative writing is like. To me, this is what makes a better writer. Although analytical writing is good, in terms of historical writing and writing on a professional level, it just is not my idea of great writing. Personally, I want to expand my horizons, as far as writing goes, but I do not feel that this particular class allows me that opportunity.
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