"Deception is just as bad as telling an outright lie"

This statement alone raises a number of social concerns, as it often reflects upon the "twisted" manner, among which several nations politically operate. The enormity of deception, compared to that of an outright lie can be best put to perspective, when being held against the reality of the situation, the truth. Deception is the act of deceiving someone. It is often looked at as the concealment of the truth. Deception involves the misrepresentation of a fact or reality. Alternatively, it can be seen as the act of “beating around the bush” or “circling the fact”. Lies on the other hand, are intentional false statements. The conscious fabrication of falsity. I strongly believe that deception is just as bad, if not worse, as telling an outright lie.

The reasoning for my beliefs is explained by looking at the end result at both ends of this “discrepancy”, i.e. the victim ends up accepting something that isn’t true. This makes lying and dissection, basically identical. The real difference is identified in the manner in which the falsity is delivered. When it comes to lying, it can easily be identified that the falsity is intentionally dispersed. Deception however, is more looked at as the implication of falsity, often identified as the mere suggestion of falsity. Lies are more easily traced, since they often emerge from a solid point, whereas deception is much harder to trace, as the falsity in it’s scenario is often only hinted. This means that the victim could possibly be held liable, usually on their ability to acquire and extract information. This shows how deception could be worse than telling an outright lie.

Black Lives Matter

The feeling of security is essential in maintaining public order. The police are meant to stand for protectionism and justice, but the current majority of their actions make them appear far from it. With over 10,000 complaints of police brutality this year alone - often with the excessive violence leading to fatalities - it becomes more than apparent that necessary action is a necessity.

The issue of "mainstream" police brutality almost seems expected, when being looked at from the eyes of an average African-American. About 60% of all African-American citizens experience a form of racial discrimination from police officers. 52% of crime witnesses say that it is not unusual for police officers to stop or intervene other police officers of saying out improper conduct.

This shows us how the people we appoint and ultimately depend on, to serve freedom and maintain the justice of our country, abuse their authorities. Is this for the sake of creating a social superiority? Are the police considered to be socially superior to the average American?

Every week, about 2 African-American lives are taken. This adds up to about 92 a year. What are we citizens expected to do when the "law" turns on us. In fact, a recent survey shows that 43% of officers   agree with the statement, "always following the rules is not compatible with getting the job done".

Original Article: http://lastresistance.com/13229/police-brutality-is-not-a-racial-issue/

Statistics: http://graphs.net/police-brutality-statistics.html

Munro - Literature Reflection

Literature can be defined as written material that is highly merited. It is essential in communication and self-expression. I feel like literature, is a great form of sharing information as human beings. It allows us to experience other time periods, cultures and backgrounds in a very personal level. Literature can provide authentic, real and influential information that can otherwise never be experienced to this level. It can also bring to life, fiction, which ignites in the minds of the readers - bringing the printed words to life - fueling their imagination. Literature can be motivational and informative. It can help us learn new skills outside reading and writing such as; public speaking, time management and morals, while still being entertaining. This could be accomplished through a dramatic story providing life lessons as the the story and it’s characters progress. Literature can be used to move other’s emotionally. It can be used to evolve generations through trends and raising awareness of both political and social awareness in a particular society or the entire world. In terms of writing, the limits are truly up to the author. 

Women have always been represented as the inferior gender in society, both politically and socially. Throughout the years, women have been objectified and redeemed as unimportant to society. However, over the years, this has changed due to literature and media. Women’s literature, to be specific. In terms of contributing to society, women were always inconspicuous, as men were seen to be the “lead taking”, “dominant”, “authoritative” gender. Women’s literature is quite literally, literature, written by women. It is generally targeted towards women, but can also be targeted to the general audience, to raise awareness on topics such as gender inequality, etc. The tone of women’s literature in generally informative, however, it can also be written in any genre that can talk about anything. I feel like it is important to understand women’s literature. as gender inequality is something that is still relevant in today’s society. Women are still being objectified and sexualized. I believe that women need to be identified as equal to men. The best way to do this is to raise awareness of the topic, and women’s literature is a great start.

Paper 2 - Practice

Hello there! The question that I will be answering today is "Discuss the significance of social status in Things Fall Apart, and comment on its contribution to characterization."

To start things off, the exceptional novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, provides a  glimpse into the diligent reality of the Igbo people. It highlights the values and significant aspects of their culture. One of the main aspects looked at in the story, is social status and the role it has within their society. Throughout the story there is a constant reminder of social status, which is is usually represented by the amount of titles a man has achieved throughout his life.

Success is often indicated by the amount of titles that a man possesses. A man with a great number of titles would be viewed as being mighty, compared to a man who has taken very few or no titles (who is considered very lazy and unsuccessful). The designated name given to a man who has achieved no titles in his lifetime is agbala which is a word meaning "woman". This goes to show how the male gender is considered superior to the females. In the Igbo society, the amount of titles a man possesses influences how the other members of the clan treat him and the amount of influence he holds in matters involving the clan such as whether to go to war or not.

Okonkwo's ambition to be respected and recognized by his clansmen is driven by his fear of not wanting to end up as a failure like his father who claimed no titles within his lifetime. He is strongly aware his social status and that of those around him and this affects his actions. One example of his awareness of status is during a meeting when a man begins to speak but is quickly silenced by Okonkwo who makes it very clear that since the man has no titles, he does not have a say in the conversation.

As mentioned previously, Okonkwo is driven by his ambition and it is very clear that he takes great pride in his status among the clan members. This obsession with his social status and power ultimately contributed to his demise. After Okonkwo's gun explodes and he's forced into exile for seven years his main focus is still on his social status. As punishment for his crimes, the clan must burn down Okonkwo's property and kill his livestock in order to appease the earth goddess. This sets Okonkwo back many years and prevents him from gaining the highest title in the clan as he will have to rebuild his entire life and gain back the respect of the clan. During the seven years he's continually making plans for his return in order to once regain his place among the clan. When he finally does make his return he's disappointed to discover that it does not quite have the impact he hoped. He rejoins the clan but does not hold the same status and respect that he once had. In order to regain the status he lost he tries to show his dominance and masculinity however this only leads to the clan losing even more respect for him as they no longer agree with his overly-aggressive attitude and way of life.

Nearing the end of the book, Okonkwo kills the messenger but soon realizes that his clansmen no longer agree with him and do not view his actions as wise and this lowering of social status and respect brings him to the realization of his downfall. In conclusion, Okonkwo's obsession with social status along with his fear of ending up like his title-less father,  fuels his desire to not become a "nobody" or go down the road being unnoticed and disregarded as a figure.

Character Analysis

Okonkwo is an African character who is the protagonist in the book, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. Okonkwo is an influential leader that fears insignificance. His character, Okonkwo's strive for power was inspired by his father, Unoka. Instead of looking at his father as a role model or setting him as an idol that Okonkwo would like to be, he sets his father as an example of what not to become, due to his father's wrongful and unreasonable upbringings. Okonkwo's character is portrayed as great and powerful, throughout the book.

How does Okonkwo develop themes in the text as a tragic hero?

The theme of a tragic hero is portrayed through Okonkwo in the story as his fate vs. free will and culture vs. tradition come into play. Throughout most of the book Okonkwo is portrayed as powerful and filled with achievements, yet as the story progresses his fate becomes more evident and he starts to blame it for the events that occur. Inevitably, his fate takes over his free will and he murders Ikemefuna and blames the oracle. He is then exiled from the village, only to return and kill others, along with himself. This shows how the restraint of his power throughout the story is shown and how Okonkwo’s fate over-rides his free will. 

Why does Achebe choose a tragic hero for his protagonist in his colonial counter narrative?

Achebe made it obvious that Okonkwo was the main focus of the story, by doing so, this give readers a central focus point to follow as the story progresses. He may have chosen to use a tragic hero, such as Okonkwo for the protagonist of the story to show just how a character could have been demolished or ruined in a situation similar to that of having your home invaded, just as Okonkwo did.

What is the purpose of function of Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart?

The purpose of function Okonkwo plays within the novel of Things Fall Apart is to show the readers and audience what had occurred and to give them a prospective of the event that happened during this time period. Achebe uses Okonkwo to portray the themes in the story and show the culture of not only the Igbo tribe but also many others with similar stories or events that had occurred. 

Political Speech Analysis

Barack Obama’s speech at the Democratic National Convention (2004)

Link to transcript (The Washington Post): Obama DNC Speech 2004 Transcript

Highlights: YouTube

This political speech, is redeemed as one of the most important and influencing speeches in American history. This speech, led the majority of American citizens to vote for Barack Hussein Obama, as their president. Upon doing so, Obama has positively boosted the country, both economically and morally. To name a few, here are some of the benefits upon electing Barack Obama as president:

•   Unemployment is at 5.5%

•   Deficits have been reducing for years

•   2 wars have ended

•   The great recession ended 

•   For the first time since the 60's, health care inflation is decreasing

•   Millions of Americans who used to not be able to, can now afford healthcare.

These facts alone can arguable back up the fact that Obama is very efficient as the new President. This proves how influential the 2004 speech was. The use of various rhetorical devices, is persistent and persuasive. There is also a moderate use of ethos, pathos and logos.

The targeted audience of this text, are briefly, the citizens of America, although, Obama uses a type of marketing technique when targeting and addressing the audience. Immediately upon addressing the present country and the current citizens of the United States, Obama also shares his ideal view of America by stating, “In an ideal America…” and listing benefits such as, no discrimination and equality. This, combined with the idea that Obama is going to lead America to that perfect world, reassures the audience and makes them trust Obama. 

Obama introduces the political candidate that he is trying to convince the audience to vote for him. He then goes on to discuss the vital values and believes that John Kerry has shared, as a presidential candidate. At the end of the speech the author urges the audience to vote for John Kerry in the presidential elections. The main idea of this speech is that the people of America should vote for John Kerry because he is a patriotic man who knows what is best for his country and will also do whatever he can to help the people of America. This is seen when the author states "I have no doubt that...the people will rise up...and John Kerry will be sworn in as President." and also in the lines "this country will reclaim its promise, and out of this long political darkness a brighter day will come.”. 

The vibe or tone of the speech is authoritative, hopeful and filled with resolution. Obama uses many stories and instances to inform the audience of the reasons why they should vote for John Kerry and also the problems facing America. The tone is slightly instructional when he tells the audience that they should go and vote for Kerry and Edwards. However, his tone is also hopeful as he expresses his hope that the people of America will answer this call to action. Obama creates a mood of unification in the speech. He removes any barriers such a race or political party in order to unify the audience and address them together as one people. This is clearly seen when he states "There is not a liberal America and a conservative America -- there is the United States of America. There is not a Black America and a White America and Latino America and Asian America -- there’s the United States of America.". In these two sentences he creates a potent mood of unification among the audience and the people of America. This nonjudgmental approach to discrimination, ignites hope within the audience.

Obama utilizes many rhetorical devices in order to make the political speech persuasive and authoritative. Pathos is used to help him connect with the audience on an emotional level. Obama does this by telling stories of people, whom he had come across. He states "the father that I met who was losing his job and choking back the tears, wondering how he would pay 4500 dollars a month for the drugs his son needs without the health benefits that he counted on". This statement and others like it appeal to the emotions of the audience. Obama also uses ethos when he discusses the core American beliefs, values, ideals and attempts to establish John Kerry as the embodiment of these beliefs. There are also many examples of anaphora within the text such as the repetition of "John Kerry believes in”. Obama's use of symploce in order to connect and identify with the audience is seen when he says " if you feel the same energy that I do, if you feel the same urgency that I do, if you feel the same passion that I do, if you feel the same hopefulness that I do". Metaphor is used to effectively sum up the author's hope for America when he says  "out of this long political darkness a brighter day will come". This extensive use of rhetorical devices helps create emphasis on certain key ideas within the speech and also works to further persuade the audience of what he is saying.

In conclusion, Obama revolves around this prominent aura of authority, which proves effective when influencing and conniving people, of his strongest ideas and beliefs. This political speech reflects on this and shows how rhetorical devices can be used in a powerful way to influence a group of individuals. The text can be verified as a political speech, stereotypically due its heavy use of rhetorical devices and the fact that it's trying to persuade the audience to do or believe something. This target audience of this speech are, American citizens who are willing to vote.

Linguistic Imperialism

What is Linguistic Imperialism?

It is the process of a dominant language taking over minority languages and dialects spoken by people. This transfer can occur any many different ways and poses a threat to many endangered languages and in turn cultures around the world. One example of linguistic imperialism in the Anglophone world is in the case of pop culture. Pop culture is nearly universal and is also predominantly communicated in English. English is rapidly becoming the dominant language and pop culture plays are large role in this. From songs to movies and television shows English is constantly being spread across the globe. This mainstream media is an important tool in defining what is the norm. This has a particularly large impact on teenagers today are very susceptible to outside influences. A great portion of today's youth are trying to conform to these mainstream norms, in this case, speaking English. As pop culture defines what is considered cool or popular this sends the message that in order to keep up with the times and stay modern and hip you need to know English. It is particularly dangerous that pop culture mostly targets youth as this leaves languages vulnerable. If the youth stop speaking the language then it is only a short amount of time before the language goes extinct. Pop-culture gives English a certain sense of power through the way it is depicted and this is why it remains one of the more dominant and universal languages. This being the case, the loss of minority languages also translates to, the loss of distinct ideas, words, emotions and thoughts.

Oxfam Article Analysis

The type of text provided is an article from the Oxfam website (www.Oxfam.org). The eye-catching, bold heading of the website with "Oxfam" and the characteristic paragraphing of text are clear identifiers of the article convention. The search bar indicates that the article is from the web. The article informs readers of the Sahel food crisis and Oxfam's work to help those impacted by the crisis. The article is unique in that it is from an organization only concerned with helping human welfare. Their main message is that long-term interventions through organizations like Oxfam are necessary to effectively tackle the upcoming food crisis in the Sahel region.

The targeted audience of this web article is quite large. The article is informative and would likely be read by those researching current world emergencies or those browsing the Oxfam site. The article shows the website ending in ".org." Therefore, the target audience for Oxfam would have a focus on those willing to donate to further their mission. The purpose of the article is to inform readers of the food crisis in Sahel and explain what Oxfam has been doing to help the suffering areas. Much evidence is used, such as the statistic that "35% of the population in Niger is estimated to be vulnerable to food insecurity." Facts are also given about Oxfam's work in the region. For example, in Burkina Faso Oxfam "is aiming to help 100,000 people access food, with cash for work activities, animal health and food programs for pastoralists communities, and assistance to refugees from Mali.”

The article starts off with a picture of an African woman riding a donkey with more animals following. This picture carries an emotional appeal that balances the predominantly logic-based text of the article. The picture assigns a face to the suffering described in the article and would better help Oxfam raise money. The caption states that the "Sahel region of West and Central Africa may face a serious food crisis in 2012." The subheading explains how the humanitarian response to this crisis must address the underlying cause of the crisis to prevent new ones from recurring. The article, published in 2011, predicts a serious food crisis in the Sahel region that could be worse than previous ones. Oxfam states that the solution is in "investing more in longer-term interventions to reduce the people's vulnerability to external shocks." The situation in the Sahel is bleak due to erratic rainfall that has harmed harvests, food production, and food prices. Many people in West African countries are projected to become food insecure. Oxfam is providing food assistance, cash, animal health programs, and more to help the most vulnerable. Sanitation and access to clean water is another priority. An early response, Oxfam states, is necessary to protect people and provide long-term support through crises.  These ideas are developed in paragraphs with subheadings for each topic. The main message is that action is necessary to mitigate existing and future problems Africans in the Sahel region face. Oxfam is hard at work to tackle the underlying causes of these crises.

The use of logos and ethos is this article is prominent. The use of statistics and facts (logos) is the basis for the article. Ethos is employed when the credibility of the source is established through Oxfam stating that they have been "present for over 45 years" in Chad. Pathos is used in the description of the food insecurity and vulnerability of the Africans. This is an emotional appeal for readers to become aware and act on the situation. The language of the article is otherwise quite simple and contains no figurative language.

In conclusion, the article explains this clearly visible problem and the need for a logical humanitarian response. This can be seen after viewing the content, theme, tone and structure of the article. Analyzing the audience and purpose along with the help of logos and pathos, allows for a greater sense of depth in the article. Oxfam is probably using the article to not only raise awareness of the problem, but also to gain money through donations. The plain writing style effectively communicates the main message: the existence of such organizations are indeed required to combat the now prominent food crisis and to help eliminate it in the future.