Sojourner Truth, a key figure in the woman’s rights debate during the 1850s helped unite women and argue for their equality to men. Her speech at the woman’s right convention in Akron Ohio as Robinson interprets was very important in its emphasis and variety of ways of showing how women are the same as men. From arguing she has “as much muscle to any man” to using a reference to the bible it was able to spread and connect with all kinds of different people.

Today one of the key arguments in the election is regarding immigrants and their rights. What gives an illegal immigrant rights in this country? And what rights are they entitled to? In America it seems very easy to overthink that we took land forcefully, whether from the Native Americans or even the Mexicans who owned territories that are now a part of the Southern states in America. Trump argues all illegal Mexicans should be deported and a wall should be built to keep them out. He even hints at the idea of not allowing any Muslims into the country.

This ignorant, somewhat white supremacist mentality is very similar to the one Sojourner Truth faced in the mid to late 19^th century. To isolate a group of people for their race/heritage or religion is no better than the years when women and African Americans were oppressed by the government and the majority of Americans. Trumps seemingly idiotic and radical thoughts have swept America and he now somehow has a serious chance at winning this election, this countries past experiences such as that with Sojourner Truth and woman’s rights should be an example of what should not be repeated.

Border Security and Immigration in the 2016 Debate

Why does a woman not deserve equal rights as men? Robinson Version talks about the different things that men and women are similar in. Women worked in the fields as much as men did, they were as strong as men were. She questions whether it’s the religious belief that has left men with this image about girls not being capable of doing what should and should not be done. but doesn’t a women deserve a second chance? Gage Version talks about how ideally a woman is supposed to be treated in the society but in reality she is treated the complete opposite. She points out that even in bible the woman plays an important role.

More than a hundred years later and we still face gender inequality. In the past, women physically did the same job as men. As Robinson Version explained, “I can carry as much as any man, and can eat as much too, if I get it.” Even when women are working in the same field and are performing the job as good as a man, why is it so difficult to see that we stand equal. If women are capable of completing the same task as men, why are we not given the same rights? Is it the picture that society has painted about women, that makes them look down upon us?

In the article ‘Women’s rights and opportunities,’ it says, “Women earn less than men across our economy – and women of color often lose out the most.” We seem to still be stuck in the same notion about gender equality. That women deserve less and they are weaker than men. In a country that boast about its freedom and unity and its protected rights, we fail to give women the rights they deserve.

Why do you think so many other countries have surpassed us and we still struggle with this topic?

Women’s rights and opportunity

SOJOURNER TRUTH “ADDRESS AT THE WOMAN’S RIGHTS CONVENTION IN AKRON, OHIO” (29 MAY 1851) was one of the best know speech given by a women’s rights activist, Sojourner Truth. In this text, Truth sarcastically compares her ability against man that she can do anything that man can do and sometime she can do even more than man can do. Truth is declaring her ability is as equivalent as any man by repeating “as any man”, and claiming women do not receive as much rights “as any men”. Truth is accusing men for not giving women rights as man while it cost no risk to any man, and by not being able to do so, Truth insists that men are poor and useless with sampling the story from the bible when Jesus helped Lazarus. Truth concludes with that men were even nothing to do with Jesus’s birth and women gave Jesus a birth. Therefore, Truth finds men are in bad place and soon will the situation will be fixed I her last sentence “But man is in a tight place, the poor slave is on him, woman is coming on him, and he is surely between hawk and buzzard.”

In the recent presidential election, candidate Donald Trump accused candidate Hillary Clinton that reason she is in the position where she is because she is taking an advantage of being a woman, and if Clinton were not a woman, she would not have as many votes as she deserves today. Trump is accusing that Clinton uses her gender as a card to put her in the better place, and Clinton replies that it is right to use that card to fight for women’s right.

These two texts left me think that what is the difference between being fair and equal to each other when men and women are obviously not equal physically to begin with? Is it ultimately better to be equal in every aspect? It is the clear fact in the history, women had not been treated as equal “as any man”, and like Truth were fighting to deliver equal rights for women, the fight still continues today.

Source: “Women’s rights and Opportunity”

Women’s rights and opportunity

“What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July” was a speech given by Frederick Douglas on July 5. Douglas tries to focus on how these American values of freedom and liberty can’t be celebrated on the 4th of July by African Americans in the same way they can be celebrated by white Americans. Douglas knows he is giving this speech to primarily white listeners, and thus uses repetition and rhetorical questions to help them understand why it is he can’t celebrate this ‘national’ holiday in the same way that they can. Douglas repeatedly uses ‘you’ and ‘your’, especially the phrase ‘your fathers’ in order to create a sense of distance between him and the audience. The repetition instills the image in the listeners heads that they don’t share the same background as him, and more importantly that their ‘fathers’ didn’t create the country with his best interest in mind. Douglas also uses rhetorical questions to get the listeners thinking about this holiday that they celebrate as he says, “What have I, or those I represent, to do with your national independence?” and “Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in the Declaration of Independence, extended to us?”. This brings listeners back to his main focus, being that Douglas doesn’t feel he can participate in these patriotic celebrations because freedoms and values that have been celebrated have been denied to African-Americans.

In October of 2015, Bernie Sanders gave a speech in support of immigration and a path to citizenship for undocumented people in the country that were being mistreated and exploited. Whereas Douglas uses repetition to create a sense of distance between the two groups, Sanders uses repetition to create a feeling of unity. Sanders says, “Their story, my story, our story, is a story of America.” and his following sentences begin with ‘It is a story…”. By using repetition of the word story, Sanders creates a feeling unification and wants listeners to understand that these immigrants are the same as us. Sanders tries to appeal to the listener’s pathos and cause listeners to feel sympathy for them as he details their exploitation and struggles, just as the listener’s ancestors likely had. Sanders also uses rhetorical questions to make the listeners think about and feel sympathy for these immigrants as he says, “But how many more Immokalees are out there? How many fields or factories are there where people are used up and thrown away?”.

Although used for different purposes (distance vs. unity), both Bernie Sanders and Frederick Douglas use repetition and rhetorical questions to further their arguments and create a distinct image in listener’s heads.

• Which use of repetition do you think is more effective? One that creates a more negative image (distance) or one that creates a more positive image (unity).
• Does creating sympathy for the groups being mistreated help or detract from the speaker’s focus?

http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/what-to-the-slave-is-the-fourth-of-july/

http://www.latintimes.com/bernie-sanders-immigration-read-full-speech-presidential-candidates-address-naleo-324484