Author Archives: ELIJAH GONZALEZ VIERA

This election was the first that I and many of my friends were able to vote. Being able to do so really highlighted the importance of voting for me and the importance of keeping up with politics. With any given candidate comes pros and cons for their presidency. While Donald Trump had some views that helped the country’s economy, the bad was greatly outweighed by the good. He incited  hate and racism in the country and made white supremacy even stronger. Being a minority in America was always scary, however Donald Trump being president made it even more scary. I think out of all things this year I will remember  society’s presence in the election. The riots and the looting were visual examples of what having a racist president that gives off hate will do to a country.

Melanie N, 15

“Im not registered to vote for this upcoming election because I am not yet of age. But, I think voting is very important because it ensures that you are heard and seen. Every vote matters and it is important that everyone who can vote does.”

“Politics mostly came up for me in social studies class. It wasn’t and still isn’t something that my parents talked about with me. It’s more around me now and more apparent. After quarantine , everything seemed to be circled around politics. Its most important now to be up to date with whats going on. “

“I think that one of the most important social issues that we have right now is the injustice for people of color. No one deserves to be treated differently because of their race.”

Madisyn N, 18

“I am registered to vote but I haven’t yet. I missed the deadline for early voting but I do plan to vote for the upcoming election. It will be my first year of being able to vote and I think it is more important then ever. The president influences the country greatly and is important to vote because who we have in power matters. Not only does voting let you have a say of who the president is, but you also get to vote for the people who represent you.”

“My mother always use to watch the news and of course politics is always talked about. I grew up without a clear understanding of what it really meant to be president and it wasn’t until my government class in high school, that I knew the process and logistics of what politics is. I think its important to educate the youth on politics because the youth will someday , be the people in charge.”

“ One of the most important things in our world of politics that needs change is all the racism towards people of color. This has been an everlasting fight and its finally time that the people take charge and cause real systematic change.”

Jeyda P, 18

“ Of course I am registered to vote. I did early voting and voted for Joe Biden. It is very important to vote because every vote counts and matters.With voting, you get to have a tiny bit of influence over how the country is being run.”

“Politics was always something that my family argued over at family parties. I would over hear arguments and have no clue what either side was talking about. I got most of my understanding of politics from school. Even then, it focused less on the current politics and more of the rules and history behind it.”.

“There are a number of things that are wrong in our social world right now. Hate and mistreatment is increasing all over the country thanks to trump, and its time for change. We need justice for all and a healthier and better world to live in.”

One thing that stood out to me was when an article stated, “In addition, an analysis of jobs data showed that young workers were particularly more vulnerable to job loss before the coronavirus outbreak, as they were over represented in high-risk service sector jobs”. Another would be, “They are also digital natives who have little to no memory of the world as it existed before smartphones”. Also, “Gen z represents the leading edge of the country’s changing radical and ethnic makeup”. After reading the articles, I think the articles are correct when they said Gen Z is on track to be the best educated generation yet. I think this is is hand and hand with another statement the articles made. Gen z is more likely to be educated because our parents are more educated then the generation before them. If I was interviewed I would of added or talked more on the fact that gen z is very adaptive. Considering the fact that we were forced to adapt to virtual learning. After reading these, I feel more seen and studied if that makes any sense.

Reading: ” Backpack v. Briefcases”.

a. Exigence is the circumstance or condition that invites a response; “Imperfection marked by urgency; it is a defect, an obstacle, something wanting to be done, a thing which is other than it should be”. Understanding the exigence is important because it helps you begin to discover the purpose of the rhetoric.  The audience should be able to respond to the exigence. In other words, the audience should be able to help address the problem. The constraints of the rhetorical situation are those things that have the power to “Constrain decision” and action needed to modify the exigence.

b. “Because media rhetoric surrounds us, it is important to understand how rhetoric works. If we refuse to stop and think about how and why it persuades us, we can become mindless”. I think this quotation is of significance because it states that if we do not stop and think and really analysis what it is we are consuming, then we will in a way unlearn how to do it.

c. One way this essay will affect the rhetorical analysis I am writing now is that it will cause me to be more clear and direct with my analysis and make sure to break down every part of what I am analyzing.

This meme caught my eye firstly because I love the office, but I also think it is a great representation of how the debate between trump and Biden went. They often talked over each other and the moderator did his best to control the situation.

Orwell’s thesis is basically saying that the way we use English language has cause to the general collapse of our civilization. He also states that we can not be conscious action, do anything about it. Orwell believes that language naturally grows and it is not something we can shape for our own purpose. He expresses that politics and economy both have added to the decline of language. He insist that the language we use becomes “Inaccurate” because of our thoughts, and this makes it easier to produce inaccurate thoughts. Orwell states that this process is reversible. One quotation from Orwells essay is “Modern English especially written English, is full of bad habits which spread by imitation and which can be avoided if one is willing to take the necessary trouble”. This stood out to me because when writing, we often compare our use of language, to those who we think use it well. However, how can we tell when the person we are trying to imitate, makes a careless mistake in their use of writing. I think that Orwell is trying to say that writing and bad habits, become a cycle, from listening and reading the same mistakes. One of Orwells examples of the categories of language that most disturb him are “Dying metaphors”. He insist that many of those who use metaphors, use them without knowledge of their meaning. The use of a metaphor that one has no knowledge of, mixed with incompatible metaphors are a sign that the writer is not interested in what they are saying. Orwell states, “Some metaphors now current have been twisted out of their meaning without those who use them even being aware of the fact”. I sometimes see this when looking at other peoples writing, where the writer knows what he/she is trying to convey, but it doesn’t make sense for the context. Language use and politics intersect greatly with each other , impacting the way people view certain things in politics. It is important that a speaker in politics, strays away from using the examples that Orwell states, that add to the decline of language.

After watching this Ad, I know that the audience is all voters of america, especially minority groups. I know this because in the ad, there are numerous amount of different ethnic groups represented especially african americans. The ad’s message is that we must continue to fight for a better america, just like underrepresented citizens have been doing for centuries. The message also says that we must stand up and fight Trumps america. It is quite obvious that this is an ad for biden, because it shows biden being with the people. It also shows the amount of people that support biden and the diversity of people who do. This ad is clearly against trump, but does a great job keeping the trump information to a minimum. So they did not talk about him much.  It is telling people to choose to be better, and to be bolder and to strive to bring back justice, and respect. The ad says to choose joe biden in order to do these things.Which implies to people that voting for trump, is a vote against a better, and stronger america.  The ad gives a great feeling of community and strength.It shows people being united as one and together.  This ad is a positive ad, that pushes people to want change. This ad makes people want better and strive to work for it. The people that made this ad, inserted images and videos or people coming together and fighting for change.When people see these type of images, it inspires them to want to partake as well.  There was a numerous amount of visuals from past rallies and protest to show people that there has been a constant fight for justice, and that we must not give up. They also showed a lot of powerful figures, many who fought during the civil rights movement. These images are there to inspire people, to want to be a part of the fight as well. Besides showing photos of the past and of people fighting, there are also visual’s of people who are happy and dancing. All while biden is partaking with them . I think that this ad uses a great deal of pathos. The ad is obviously trying to appeal to the watcher’s emotions and in a way get them hyped up and stand for what biden stands for. It also has ethos to establish credibility for biden. So people do not just watch this ad and feel like they don’t know enough about him to join him and what he stands for. I think this ad is very successful  and gets the message of what biden stands for across very well. It is clear, and precise, gives great visuals and had great aspects of the rhetorical triangle necessary to convey the message of biden and the ad. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyJk3H2MtzI

After reading Anne Lamott’s, “Shitty First drafts” her approach to writing became very clear. With her thinking, She insisted the only way to write a piece that is near perfect, is to first write a “Shitty” first draft. From that first draft, you write another that is closer to the way you want it and more precise. By the time you get to your last draft, it will no longer be a draft, but a master piece compared to the first one. Typically, this is how Ive  known to write by my essays. Although I can’t really say I let my first draft be a complete mess. In that sense, it compares to ” Rethinking the shitty first draft” written by George Dila. Dila states that he does not let his first draft be a complete mess and all over the place. He then insist that letting your first draft have a weak foundation, will cause more work for you to get to a better piece. After reading these two articles, Ive found a balance of what they were saying in my own process. I do believe it is better to just get words down on a paper, then to stare at a blank page in disparity. In this, you will have more room to wiggle around your writing and have the chance to make it better. Yet , what use is it if all the words on the page, have nothing to do with each other. It is important that even when jotting down random things,  they are good enough for you work with. If not, this can cause you even more writers block.

The text that I decided to write about was ” I believe Christine Blasey Ford” by Caitlin Flanagan. In her text, Flanagan writes about Christine Blasey, a girl who was date raped by  a 17 year old boy in her last year of high school and then another boy in her second semester. The central issues raised in this text are wether adolescents should be held responsible for their actions if no remorse or accountability was shown. Flanagan connects her personal feelings and belief for Fords story with he political views and opinions. Flanagan states in her essay, “Teenagers make mistakes, some of them serious”. While she understands teenagers make mistakes, it is obvious in her writing that she believes teens must show remorse and take responsibility for their actions. Her personal views shape her political views that one must be reprimanded and put “On hold” until investigation is done proving the persons innocence. Flanagan states, “If it is true, we ‘ll to decide whether you get to attack a girl, show no remorse, and eventually become a supreme court justice.” This was a clear indication of her ties from her personal and political views. I chose this text because it really caught my attention. Hearing that girls story really just adds to the importance of other girls story about sexual attacks on them by men. I think its important that people be held accountable for their mistakes and show true remorse in order for people to move on and heal from the harm done.