Definition Argument – darnell18

Discrimination still plays an incredibly large role in society today. Varying throughout many groups, races, genders, etc., people are currently continuing to live through the struggle of being judged based off of physical appearance. The dictionary defines the word discrimination as “the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex.” Much like any other definition of most words, digging a little bit deeper than a textbook interpretation to fully comprehend the word is a necessity. In relation to the researched topic at hand, discrimination is heavily incorporated in the enforcing of laws, and routine traffic stops in particular.

The concept of discrimination is morally wrong and unjust however it is looked at. What is even worse is that this group of minorities being discriminated against are now potentially getting into trouble with the law based on how they look. In Christopher Ingraham’s article, “You Really Can Get Pulled Over For Driving While Black, Federal Statistics Show,” proclaims, “Perhaps most troubling from a civil liberties perspective, nearly five percent of blacks weren’t given any reason for why they were stopped, compared with 2.6 percent of whites and 3.3 percent of Hispanics.” This quote speaks volumes toward the issue at hand. Astoundingly, nearly double the amount of African Americans as compared to caucasians are not even informed as to why they are pulled over. This is where the line must be drawn. There is already no room for racism and discrimination, and now it has been blown so far out of proportion that these people being discriminated against have to pay money for it and possibly have a tainted record.

On the other hand, while discrimination is real and potentially harmful in today’s society, it is also interesting to take into consideration what race the police officers happen to be in the same situation. For example, the statistics show that roughly five percent of African Americans are not given a reason for why they are stopped, but would these traffic stops be considered equally as discriminatory if the police officer making the stop was a minority as well? It is most certainly a very intriguing factor in all of this, because if a black police officer pulls over a black man, very few people’s initial reaction is that the cop is racist. Whereas if it were a white cop in the same situation, the very first thought that comes across most everyone’s mind in society today is that it was for discriminatory purposes. This does not automatically make it acceptable for a black police officer to pull over another black man without a reason, but in the big picture, it simply raises suspicion about an officer’s motive.

One of the worst parts about this issue is that the discrimination does not begin and end with simple traffic stops. From illegal searches of a vehicle to license suspensions and tickets, how an officer chooses to discipline a man or woman that they went out of their way to pull over because of their appearance can be equally discriminatory. Recently, it has even been escalated to these citizens having their lives taken away from them in what could have just been a routine traffic stop. Just recently this past July, a Minnesota police officer shot and killed a black man after pulling him over for a broken tail light. In this instance, it is not clear that he was pulled over because he was black, given that there was a tail light out. Nevertheless, this is something that is rarely ever heard about with a white man on the fatal end of gunpoint. It has gotten so bad that in many places, whenever a police officer even approaches a minority, people take their phones out to record what happens in anticipation of it going awry. When it becomes expected that these stops will go wrong to this extent, something must be done about it.

If our country chooses to turn a blind eye to this, we have seen that a revolt is not unrealistic. In her article, “The Big Question About Why Police Pull Over So Many Black Drivers,” Kim Soften asserted that following the fatal shooting of Philando Castile, snipers in Dallas killed five police officers and injured more. This country is not far from potentially going into a civil war between police and African Americans, and the root of it all is none other than the negative power of discrimination.

In conclusion, many different problems stem from judging and disciplining somebody based off of their race and appearance. Racism and discrimination have been around for hundreds of years in this country and it would be nice to be able to say that we have come such a long way as a country, but the fact that this is still an issue in 2016 is proof that laws may have changed, but many people’s mindsets have not. It is that toxic belief in discrimination that has set the progress of this nation back.

Works Cited

Ingraham, Christopher. “You Really Can Get Pulled Over For Driving While Black, Federal Statistics Show” The Washington Post. 09 Sept. 2014. Web. 30 Oct. 2016

Soften, Kim. “The Big Question About Why Police Pull Over So Many Black Drivers” The Washington Post. 08 July 2016. Web. 30 Oct. 2016

 

E08 Blind Summary – darnell18

1. True / Reasonable / Bad
2. True / Reasonable / Good
3. False / Unreasonable / Bad
4. False / Unreasonable / Bad
5. False / Unreasonable / Bad
6. False / Unreasonable / Bad
7. False / Unreasonable / Bad
8. True / Reasonable / Good
9. False / Reasonable / Bad
10. False / Reasonable / Good
11. False / Reasonable / Good
12. True / Reasonable / Good
13. False / Unreasonable / Bad
14. False / Unreasonable / Bad
15. True / Reasonable / Good
16. False / Reasonable / Good
17. False / Unreasonable/ Bad
18. False / Reasonable / Good
19. True / Reasonable / Bad
20. True/ Reasonable / Bad
21. False / Reasonable / Bad
22. True / Reasonable / Good
23. True / Reasonable / Bad
24. True / Reasonable / Good
25. True / Reasonable / Good
26. True / Unreasonable / Bad
27. True / Unreasonable / Bad
28. False / Reasonable / Bad
29. True / Unreasonable / Bad
30. True / Unreasonable / Good
31. True / Reasonable / Good
32. True / Reasonable / Good
33. True / Unreasonable / Bad
34. True / Reasonable / Good
35. False / Reasonable / Good
36. True / Reasonable / Bad
37. True / Reasonable / Bad
38. False / Reasonable / Good
39. True / Reasonable / Bad
40. False / Unreasonable / Bad
41. False / Unreasonable / Good
42.  True / Reasonable / Bad
43.  False / Reasonable / Good
44. False / Reasonable / Bad
45. True / Reasonable / Bad
46.  True / Unreasonable / Bad
47.  False / Reasonable / Good
48.  True / Reasonable / Bad
49.  True / Unreasonable / Bad
50. False / Reasonable / Bad

Blind Summary:

This article seems to focus around the main point of mammograms and how successful trained professionals are in conducting them. An overwhelmingly high amount of tumors are missed when mammograms are performed. A raise is the success rate of detecting tumors via mammograms is desired for the near future. Something like this is clearly easier said than done, but lives are at stake and we have the technology to reach the success rate that we are aiming for.

Polio Notes – darnell18

  • It can spread through feces. It can spread through a stream. It lives in the human intestine. It can also spread through a fly landing on feces and carrying it elsewhere.
  • It kills 1 in 1,000 kids that it effects. It thrives in places with turmoil and chaos among them. Yet, it can also spread in more advanced countries as well. Children are sadly the most vulnerable to this disease.
  • If the we could manage to have the world be polio free for a few minutes and sustain that, it would be gone and a thing of the past from there on out. Tens of billions of dollars have been put to use in an attempt to eliminate the disease. Yet, it is a disease that has not been seen by these people because the places most affected by polio do not embrace this help. It spreads rapidly and is extremely deadly.
  • Much like  cases of measles, we do not care because we are vaccinated and think it cannot happen to us. This same lazy mentality applied to cases of polio could be potentially dangerous because just since you cannot see it, does not mean it is not there.
  • Adults fight it off better than children do, and shockingly children under 5 are the most vulnerable to contracting polio. If every child under 5 years old were to be vaccinated for polio at the same time, 250 kids would be paralyzed as a result and actually contract polio.
  • Vaccinations that do not run the risk of giving patients polio do exist, but they are significantly more expensive. And this disease exists primarily in areas that are not very wealthy to say the least. Years ago our country went into Pakistan to give immunizations for polio, but were really there primarily to gather intelligence about Osama Bin Laden. After killing him, the trust of their people when it comes to immunizations from the U.S. was greatly diminished.

Practice Opening:

Polio is a deadly disease with a cure, but still revolves and spreads rapidly in less advanced countries. The likelihood of the disease being eradicated in the next 20 years is slim. The reason behind this is that the countries that suffer the most from polio are extremely poor. Therefore, they resort to the less expensive vaccinations that still give certain patients polio. In this case, it will continue to circulate until these countries come into some more money, which is not expected to happen within the next 20 years.

Visual Rewrite – darnell18

(0:01-0:05)
The ad begins with a teenage girl at night that seems to be doing her homework. She is intently looking at the paper and pauses to ask for help. As she glances up at a man that looks as though could be her father, he approaches her, also looking down at the paper ready to help.

(0:06-0:09)
When the girl turns around to ask the man a question, he sneakily pulls out his cell phone. He then holds it behind her back so she cannot see that he has it out. The man proceeds to type the problem into the what looks to be the calculator app on the cell phone. He attempts to impress the young girl with his knowledge and ability to help, when it was the work of the calculator.

(0:10-0:12)
She turns around to thank him for the help and the man just shrugs and points to his head. He does this suggesting that he had known the answer off the top of his head and was glad to help.

(0:13-0:18)
It is a new day as indicated by light shining through the windows. The same man walks into the girls room holding a box of hair dye and has a towel hung over his right shoulder. He has a look of remorse and regret. It is clear something went wrong, as he previously had grayish-brown hair, but now has hot pink hair. The girl is on her bead with earbuds in, and appears to be doing some homework. She stares at him, flabbergasted, wondering why he would do such a thing. The look is one of such great confusion. The focus then shifts back to the man as he has the same devastated look on his face, while still holding up the box of dye that got him into this predicament. He did not get the results that he was anticipating prior to using it.

(0:19)
The scene has changed once again as an aerial view of a car attempting to parallel park is shown. The car is a silver, four-door sedan.

(0:20-0:23)
The car is shown backing up too far in the process of parking, and eventually tapping the front bumper of the car behind it. The car alarm goes off following the impact. The attention then shifts to the same man and girl in the car that was being parked. The man was the driver. Both of them jumped as the impact occurred, but it was not that hard. Nevertheless, shock came across both of their faces. Immediately after the initial reaction to the fender bender, he turns his head toward the girl. In a very calm fashion, he motions his hand towards the back of the car and seems to say something to comfort and console the girl because of what had just happened.

(0:24-0:26)
The man and girl are now in front of a house on what seems to be a beautiful day. She is standing next to him as he waters the plants. The flowers are pink, and as the focus turns to an up-close image of the flowers, yo can see that they are being sprayed with entirely too much force. It almost looks as though the pedals are about to fall off because of the water pressure.

(0:27)
A graphic appears on the screen that reads: ADOPTUSKIDS.org. There is a phone number underneath it as a reference to contact the promoted adoption agency.

(0:28-0:31)
The man continues to water the plants as the graphic remains on the screen for the conclusion of the video. And at the very end, she glances up at the man with somewhat of a happy look of admiration. It was as if she was just happy to be there in his presence.

Conclusion: I’m sure that this ad can be interpreted in a multitude of ways. To me, I saw it as a powerful message about adopted children. The man was messing up and doing unorthodox things throughout the course of the video, but he was there for the girl. That’s really all that matters. Since the girl was previously up for adoption, she may not have felt wanted in the past. So it does not matter what they do or how they do it, the company and guidance of this new father figure fills a huge void for her in the long run.

Ad: They Don’t Need Perfection | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElX4I_vJFBE

Safer Saws – darnell18

1. Manufacturers

1A. “Blade guards must be removed for many kinds of cuts made on a table saw, so they cannot be used all the time.  Automatic safety devices on table saws, in contrast, can be used for virtually every cut of wood and other non-conductive material.”

1B. Blade guards are not functional functional for every different use of a saw, whereas automatic safety devices work effectively at all times.

1C. This is an evaluation claim because the usage of the two different types of safety methods are being compared and evaluated.

1D. This claim is very accurate. The only grey area is that it can be used for “virtually any cut of wood”. That leaves it a little bit open-ended as to how much you can do with it while remaining safe. Other than that it simply states the functionality of two different safety methods in relation to table saws. The manufacturer wanted it to be known that unlike other table saws with temporary blade guards, automatic safety devices work effectively all of the time.
2. Customers

2A. “He says the technology could have prevented his 2007 injury from a Bosch miter saw.”

2B. Automatic safety devices could have prevented the saw accident in the past from happening.

2C. This could be interpreted as a proposal claim because he is suggesting that had the technology been in use at the time, the accident would not have happened.

2D. This claim is accurate because the automatic safety technology is effective without fail. Therefore, had he been using the technology then, his mistake would not have resulted in an injury.
3. Industry Spokespeople

3A. “SawStop is currently available in the marketplace to any consumer who chooses to purchase it,” says Susan Young, who represents Black & Decker, Bosch, Makita and other power tool companies.

3B. Anybody has the option or ability to purchase SawStop

3C. This is a factual claim, simply because it is a fact that this product is available to anybody who desires to purchase it.

3D. This claim is true but also very broad. Saying that it is available in the marketplace does not disclose what marketplaces and it could be a broad term for having to order it online. Nevertheless, it is true because regardless of where it may be sold, it still is available for anybody to buy.
4. Consumer Safety Advocates

4A. “What you have is somebody who has invented a dramatic technology that seems to reduce virtually all the injuries associated with table saws,” says Bob Adler, a commissioner at the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which was holding meetings on the issue this week.

4B. Somebody created the technology to prevent virtually all table saw related injuries.

4C. This is a simple causal claim because the effect of the technology created is stated.

4D. This claim is accurate because it is just going over factual things. It is true that somebody created this technology, and it is true that it significantly reduced injuries. Who it is that invented it and how the technology itself works are unclear in the claim, but that does not take away from the validity of what was stated.
5. Injured Plaintiffs

5A. “A man who was cut by a miter saw says Robert Bosch Tool Corp. “colluded with its competitors” and lobbied the Consumer Protection Safety Commission to keep “flesh detection and braking technology” from being required on table saws.”

5B. A man stated that one company colluded with its competitors to keep automatic safety technology from being a required feature on table saws.

5C. This is clearly an opinion claim. The man is a disgruntled and injured plaintiff, and provided no evidence as to how there was collusion between companies in his claim.

5D. This claim makes no good point at all. It accuses companies of unjust acts with no evidence to support the claim. Also, what “competitors” are involved in the collusion? This claim is not specific enough and not supported by any facts.
6. Personal Injury Lawyers

6A.  “Wec says his permanent and “traumatic injury” could have been prevented if Bosch and its competitors had not rejected and fought against the safety technology.”

6B. The man argues that his traumatic injury would not have occurred, had the automatic safety technology on table saws not been rejected by major companies.

6C. This is an opinion claim because the man is just assuming that this technology would have prevented him from sustaining his injury.

6D. This claim is somewhat accurate. Given the rate of effectiveness of the automatic safety technology, the man probably would not have gotten hurt had in been in effect. Nevertheless, it is virtually effective almost all of the time. That phrasing leaves a little bit of room for error so assuming he would be safe is not fully accurate.
7. Government Officials

7A. “Based on the injury data obtained in the 2007 and 2008 CPSC special study, our staff’s injury cost model projected that consumers suffered approximately 67,300 medically treated blade contact injuries annually in 2007 and 2008—with an associated injury cost of $2.36 billion dollars in each of those two years.”

7B. Approximately 67,300 people were medically treated for blade contact injuries in 2007 and 2008, with an associated injury cost of roughly $2.36 billion each year.

7C. This is a factual claim without a doubt. There are clear cut statistics in this claim that support the claim of the number of these accidents being a big issue.

7D. This claim is clear and precise in pointing out how many injuries are sustained from blade contact and the expensive repercussions as a result. There are statistics which are also cited as to where the information comes from. Numbers do not lie and it is very hard to disagree with statistically factual claims.
8. News Reporters

8A. “In other words, let consumers decide. Young says many consumers won’t want to pay for the SawStop technology, which could add $100 to $300 in cost, depending on which side you talk to.”

8B. The assumption is that consumers will not be in favor of paying $100 t0 $300 extra for the SawStop technology.

8C. This claim is completely an opinion claim. The reporter is assuming people would not want to pay extra money for enhanced safety features. That is not something you can just assume until the product is made available to everybody and the consumers then speak for themselves.

8D. This claim is unclear and not supported. It is simply an assumption that anybody could make. There is nothing within this claim that can back this opinion up.

8E. I refute this opinion-based claim. I disagree with what is being said because to me personally, a few hundred extra dollars in exchange for guaranteed safety and all of my fingers is a deal that I would always take. I feel that more people would actually agree with that opinion because safety comes first, and operating a table saw without automatic safety technology is a true risk.

Missing Dollar – darnell18

This paradox seems complicated, but certain numbers were thrown into this riddle to confuse the reader. There is actually no missing dollar. Multiplying the three girls by the nine dollars that they each payed is what created confusion. Quite simply broken down, the bill was $25, the waiter gave $3 back to the table, and the waiter also kept $2 for himself. Therefore, 25+3+2=30, not 29.

Open Strong – darnell18

It is inexcusable to think that as far as we have come as a nation, that members of society are still heavily discriminated against. The Justice Department statistics reveal that African American drivers are three percent more likely to get pulled over in a routine traffic stop than Caucasians. There is no place for racism in this country as it is, so why it has been chosen to be enforced on the highway, with legal repercussions potentially following, is . But nevertheless, when analyzing something like this the question that must be asked is, what race are the police officers that are making these traffic stops?

A05 Proposal – darnell18

For my research paper i will be researching if, and how much, race plays as a factor in getting pulled over and furthermore, the events that transpire throughout the process of a routine stop.

Sources:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/07/08/the-big-question-about-why-police-pull-over-so-many-black-drivers/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/09/09/you-really-can-get-pulled-over-for-driving-while-black-federal-statistics-show/

http://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=tp&tid=702

Reality Check: Are Black Drivers Pulled Over More Than White Drivers?

http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-cops-race-injury-20160725-snap-story.html

E03: Critical Reading – darnell18

Unlike PTSD, secondary traumatic stress doesn’t have its own entry in the DSM, though the manual does take note of it, as do many peer-reviewed studies and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

-The author claims that secondary stress does not have its own entry in the DSM, but nevertheless, other sources do take note of it. The claim shows that while it may not be a primary medical concern along the lines of first-hand PTSD, it is still an important topic that needs to be discussed.

Symptoms start at depression and alienation, including the “compassion fatigue” suffered by social workers and trauma counselors.

-The claim here is that symptoms of PTSD start at depression and alienation. A slightly different, yet related claim immediately after is that an additional symptom includes “compassion fatigue”. These claims are factual based off of observations and analysis of those who suffer from PTSD. As true as these claims may be, the second one about compassion fatigue is not explained. Given, I can interpret it in a way that makes sense to me, but not every reader may be able to provide a definition for what compassion fatigue is with the context clues provided.

But some spouses and loved ones suffer symptoms that are, as one medical journal puts it, “almost identical to PTSD except that indirect exposure to the traumatic event through close contact with the primary victim of trauma” is the catalyst.

-This complex claim states that the spouses and loved ones of victims that suffer from PTSD go through similar feelings and side effects as the victim simply because of their close contact with the person. This is a well assembled causal claim. PTSD being “passed on” to somebody in this scenario is like a domino effect. Neither person would have it if both of them did not go to war, and if it was a person of lesser significance, it also may not hit that close to home and effect the person since it would not have to be dealt with on a daily basis.

Basically your spouse’s behavior becomes the “T” in your own PTSD.

-This claim is stating that a PTSD victim’s spouse will begin to behave in a way that is traumatic. The quality of this claim is subpar because their behavior could very well also become the “S” in your own PTSD (stressed or stressful). I also just see the claim as reaching to attempt to pull off a play on words of some sort. It could definitely be considered true or accurate, but I just see it as a little bit shallow and too open for interpretation.

If sympathy for Caleb is a little lacking, you can imagine what little understanding exists for Brannan.

-This claim is saying that people lack sympathy for Caleb’s PTSD, who was actually at war, therefore significantly less sympathy or understanding is shown for Brannan, who did not go through what Caleb went through. This is a bit of a trickle-down effect in that fact that if a person does not have sympathy or understanding for a man who was on the battlefield, then they will have a significantly less amount of compassion toward the spouse of that person who was at home.

Stone Money Rewrite—darnell18

Complicated Currency

P1. Money truly is a crazy concept when it is broken down. In its most common form, it is simply just a piece of paper. Yet, these pieces of paper run the world and all of those who inhabit it. They can make or break the quality of a person’s life. All of the power around the world is derived from it. It is such a simple thing that serves a far more versatile and important purpose.

P2. In the past couple of days my viewpoint on this concept has been swayed. I never really looked into it or broke down the whole idea of money prior to last week. Now, I understand that a dollar is only worth what you can receive in exchange for it. It is a simple way of breaking down what seems to be such a complex thing, but it is true.

P3. Large stones quarried and shaped on a distant island were used as money on the island of Yap (Friedman 2). In relation to their giant stone currency, I found an interesting quote to be “You don’t need to have the stone, to own the stone” (NPR). It is funny to think about because it just seems like a more barbaric, yet identical, way of banking. My money can be loaned out to others from a bank, but if I ever had to withdraw everything, it would all be available to me. It is the same concept as not having to be in possession of the stone, for it to still be my property.

P4. Seeing as how Brazil’s inflation came to an end with fake money (Joffe-Walt), I do not see how the public can have faith in the value of currency. It also leads me to think the same thing about our government here in America. Money can be printed out to easily on a daily basis, so how much is a dollar really worth? Public faith in the value of money is so important for many different reasons. A main reason would be that order in society is ensured by the fact that the cost and value of money is understood by everyone. So if that understanding and trusting of the government is taken away then the value of money can be interpreted as anything. Order would be lost if a society could not maintain that faith.

P5. Now, a concept like Bitcoin shows how far we have truly come. It is a completely digital currency that certain places of business accept as a form of payment (Reeves). This virtual means of currency is not to be undermined, though. The physical portrayal of the word “bitcoin” may lead certain people to believe that they are of a lesser value, because they almost sound like credits in a video game. To settle any confusion, these coins spend the same as a five dollar bill or handful of quarter. It is overwhelming to imagine that we can be wealthy and have currency that we can spend but never touch. One million dollars in cash in a briefcase is equal to one million dollars in bitcoins. Being able to walk around with money without holding the money in your hand brings me back around to the idea of the stone, because just like stone currency, I don’t need to be in physical possession of these Bitcoins to own them. Yet another way of the same thing taking different form.

P6. Between cash, coins, credit cards, checks, or any other form of electronic currency, money comes in many different forms. Whether it is a hundred dollar bill or a penny, all of it has worth, regardless of how it is presented. And no matter how significant the worth, it should never be taken for granted, because I know that money makes the world go round.

Works Cited

Friedman, Milton. “The Island of Stone Money”. Hoover Institution. February 1991. Web.

Planet Money, By. “The Invention of Money.” This American Life. NPR., 7 Jan. 11.

Joffe-Walt, Chana. “How Fake Money Saved Brazil.” NPR, 10 Oct. 2010. Web. 13 Sept. 2016.

Reeves, Jeff. “Bitcoin Has No Place in Your – or Any – Portfolio.” MarketWatch. MarketWatch, 31 Jan. 2015. Web. 10 Sept. 2016.