Bless Me, Ultima Chapters 13-16

Reaching this far into the book, my predictions have remained unchanged since their beginnings. In fact, there was really nothing in these chapters that could have changed my predictions, as I feel that these chapters were very tedious and seemingly there were no dramatic developments, aside from the death of Narciso of course. Overall, I still feel likes Antonio's fate has become clear. His parents constant bickering has become quite annoying, as it seems pretty obvious that Antonio will become so much more than a priest or simply his fathers son. With his maturity and experiences, I definately feel that he will take over for Ultima when she dies; however, this aspect of my predictions is seemingly the only thing that is affected by the most recent chapters. Narciso was the one who had defended Ultima when the rioters came to kill her, and now he is dead. It seems like his death is a symbol almost, as if the author is trying to show that since Narciso died, so too will Ultima. As of how or when, I am still unsure, but these events have definately provided much support for my theory about Ultima's death. And when that time comes when Ultima must die, my prediction about Antonio saving has also changed. I feel that he and Ultima will have a soul-to-soul altercation, and Antonio will let Ultima pass and he will take over and be guided by her within his own soul.

Help for Homeless Veterans

With the recent troops returning from Iraq, this article on how to help returning veterans and those already in the U.S from being homeless seems fit. By leaving home for months or years at a time, the families of veterans are left struggling to stay afloat. However, the Department of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development have been working diligently to keep our countries veterans off the streets, and they have been making progress. According to the author, the number of veterans living in shelters and on the street in 400 communities has dropped 12 percent in the last year, from 76,329 to 67,495. Obviously this is still way too many veterans to be left homeless or in shelters, but the improvement is creating hope. Others, such as Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, have been working hard to help our veterans. Shinseki's goal is to eliminate homelessness among veterans by 2015 (NYTimes.com). With people like this, the movement to keep returning veterans and their families out of the streets and in comfortable homes looks hopeful.

The author of this source uses a combination of a logos and pathos appeal to get his point across. He includes countless statistics on veterans and urban housing, which astonish people about how bad the housing situation for veterans really is. This astonishment creates sorrow and even a bit of anger in people, because these veterans are the ones defending our country, and they should be able to come home and not have to live on the streets. The emotions that the author draws on is truly the strongpoint of this article, and it is successfully able to translate his point across to his reader.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/19/opinion/help-for-homeless-veterans.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Jurors Need to Know that They Can Say No

The jury is the ultimate decider as to whether a person spends life in prison or spends the rest of their life as a free man. Jurors are considered the bringers of justice, but their are points when they must go against the law in order to achieve this justice. Paul Butler, the author of this article, states that he often supports jury nullification if it truly does bring about justice. This "nullification" is when a jury comes to a decision that goes against some certain laws or rules. Obviously, many people would see a problem with this, but not me. Sure, I am behind a jury when they pronounce a murderer guilty, but there are some cases where the laws are against justice in some ways. In countless of those "Law & Order" type shows, we come across hundreds of court cases where it is clear that justice will not be served if the lawyers follow the strict guidelines laid out by the United States Constitution. In my opinion, there are some cases where jury nullification is necessary to maintain justice.

Butler's strategy in writing this article is able to effectively translate his passion for this subject. The first paragraph of the article is suggesting to any potential future jurors to vote "not guilty" if they ever come across a marijuana case, even they know the person dealt or smoked marijuana. By stating this opinion as the first sentence of the article, it becomes clear right away where he stands on the issue. This type of ethos and pathos appeal continues on through the article, as he becomes very passionate about maintaining justice even if it defies some laws.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/21/opinion/jurors-can-say-no.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Bless Me, Ultima Chapters 8-12

At this point in the story, it has started to become clear as to where Rudolfo Anaya is going with Antonio's journey. Obviously, as we know that he is spending more and more time with Ultima, reaching the point where she decides to take him with her to save Maria's brother from the grips of death, it seems as if my earlier prediction about him becoming the next "Ultima" if you will. However, the storyline has developed even further to extend my prediction further. When Ultima gave Antonio her necklace that is meant to keep you safe, it seems as if that was the first step in her "passing the torch" to Antonio. From there, the story can go to ways. With Ultima no longer having that sacred protection, it is likely that she may become ill, and it may rely on Antonio in order to cure her. However, it could a different direction. Ultima's owl has been mentioned way too much to simply be any owl, and it seems likely that that owl could be Ultima's predecessor in animal form following her and guiding her as she does her duties. In this case, the story would continue to a point where Ultima herself changes form and follows Antonio on his spiritual journey. This spiritual aspect seems more likely, as the mentioning of the Golden Carp seemingly goes hand in hand with that scenario. Either way, I am pleasantly surprised at how interested I have become in this story.

The Right Way to Put Kids to Work

As high school students, it is very difficult to find free time in order to get a job. With school and sports and other afterschool activities, along with the homework and porjects outside of school, there are mere minutes leftover in a high schoolers day. However, there are ways in order to help teens and yound adults find jobs that can help them pay for everything that they need. In this article, by Samuel J. Redman, he proposes that the government bring back the National Youth Administration, which was a group formed during the Great Depression to put those teens and young adults that needed jobs to work. By reviving this organization, Redman feels that it is the perfect way to give young adults the opportunity to work once again.

In order to persuade his readers on his point, Redman uses first-hand reports in order to truly illustrate the need for employement in the youth of today. He interviews three different young adults, and uses their remarks in order to support their need for employment. College fees, apartments, and many other bills were their reasons stated as their needs for a job, and by using these remarks it is able to show his argument that the National Youth Administration would do well in order to put the youth back to work in the right way.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/15/opinion/the-right-way-to-put-kids-to-work.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

No Pain, No Game? Not So Fast

Whether you are a fantasy owner, or simply just a fan of the NFL, you want to see the best possible players and teams on the field every Sunday. However, with many players being as injury prone as they are, this craving and the pressure that it places on the athletes themself is not safe at all. Whenever a player gets hurt, the teams athletic trainer does whatever it takes to try to get that player back on the field for the next game. The most popular painkiller that was used by trainers in the league was Toradol. This injection seems to numb away any pain and make a player feel great, but the players weren't aware of the potential internal bleeding until seconds before they were injected. This act of injections and putting players on the field with unknown injuries is not safe in the long run. Their injuries develop further through their days in the NFL, and when they get older and retire they are left with aches and pains that they will live with for the rest of their lives. It just doesn't seem fair.

The author of this source, Nate Jackson, was a professional football player himself who spent his career on the Denver Bronchos. Being a professional player at one time, Jackson obviously knows the ins and outs of what happens inside the locker room. In order to truly illustrate his problems with rejecting the painkillers, he compares an NFL team to a machine, by saying the the players are the different parts, and the trainers must try to keep those parts working because old and broken parts simply get thrown out and replaced. This analogy is able to truly describe the pressure put on athletes to do whatever it takes to get back in the game, and the pressure just doesn't seem right.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/14/opinion/painkillers-for-nfl-players-not-so-fast.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Bless Me, Ultima Chapters 1-7

Upon reading the first seven chapters in "Bless Me, Ultima," by Rudolfo Anaya, I find that I am left with many questions. However, these questions are able to help me in my formation of predictions for the chapters to come. Involving Antonio's parents, it seems as if their constant bickering increases by the hour, and this aspect of the story draws me to think that their altercations will grow into a separation between them, and they may even go into a battle of the nature over their heritage and family history. However, it seems as if the fathers push to move to California is too strong to be hindered by the mothers arguments, and I feel like the family will eventually move to California. And then there is Antonio, and of course his relation with Ultima. With Antonio entering school, he is constantly gaining knowledge as the days go by. That education, along with his teachings from the mystical Ultima, will lead him to much more than simply "his fathers son" or the priest that his mother wants him to be. Also, with the constant references to the spirit of the river, my boldest prediction is that Antonio will follow Ultima's teachings and they will eventually lead him to become more than simply human, and he may become a spirit of his own, either of the land of his mother or that of his father.

Remembering Pearl Harbor

As I sat in US History last year, I learned about the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor, and how we later bombed major cities within Japan. However, this article was not about those bombings; this article was about those fatal attacks on the ships located within Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. While those who lived through it will never forget, it is important that we as a nation will never forget. Not because of how we retaliated, but simply as a reminder as to how strong of a nation we can be. These ideals were brought out once again with the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. After those fatal attacks  had ended and the dust settled, we eventually came out of it as a more united people, and the feeling of unity and the power to overcome was felt by everyone. And so that is why it is important to remember Pearl Harbor, as it shows our ability to overcome and unify as a people.

The author of this article uses many strategies in order to portray the point behind his article. For one, he uses many examples of a pathos appeal in order to play on the emotions of his audience. He describes the thoughts and feelings from first hand reports from survivors and those who were alive at the time of the attacks. With this, he is able to target the emotions of his readers and effectively draw them in in his article. He also uses the logos appeal, as he states the historical precedency of this event that later came out with the 9/11 attacks. Through these appeals, this article was able to be one of unity and national pride.

Why Selling Kidney's Should Be Legal

Upon the age of turning 16 and filling out our driving permit forms, everyone must choose whether or not they would like to be an organ donor. However, this donation is for after death, whereas kidney donations can take place while you are still alive. There are thousands of patients that require kidney transplants in the United States, and not enough generous people willing to undergo surgery in order to provide these much needed organs. However, as Alexander Berger argues in this article, it would help to have a legalized market for kidney's. The surgery is simple and relatively pain free, and yet there are still not enough people willing to go through this surgery in order to save a life. However, if there was a kidney market where doner's were paid through Medicare or any other health service, then there seemingly would be many more individuals lining up to donate. And with more individuals lining up, it will inevitably lead to more lives saved in the long run.

As evident by the title, this article is an argumentative article where Berger's main point is to persuade people to both support his point and donate kidneys. However, he also uses other rhetorical techniques such as logos and pathos. His logos come into play when he states the many problems and restriction that do not allow certain patients to receive the kidneys that they need. He uses this logos in order to illustrate the "pros" that could come from a legal market for kidneys. Also, his pathos appeal is able to effectively fit in to his persuasive style. He describes the struggle and fear of the patients who may not receive what they need to survive, and this targets the emotions of his audience in a way that draws them to agree with his idea. Overall, it seems as if his argument was successfully defended and it seems as if he will be able to persuade a lot of people to join his push for a legal market.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/06/opinion/why-selling-kidneys-should-be-legal.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss