The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society

The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society Free Online Research Papers The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society by Jonathan Kozol points out the hardships that people go through on a daily basis because they are functionally illiterate. He describes the fact that many of these people vote blindly or do not vote at all, and if they could have voted based on what they read that we may not have had some of our past presidents in this country. He gives mind blowing statistics, including the 60 million people that are functionally illiterate in 1980, and first-hand quotes from some of those 60 million; but leaves too much up to the audience making his argument weak. Kozol defines illiteracy through quotes from the people who are illiterate. He leaves it up to the reader to define it for themselves through these different people’s experiences in everyday life as an illiterate person. Since he is leaving it up to the reader it endangers his ultimate point if the reader defines it in a way that completely turns Kozol’s argument inside out. In the excerpt we are given he does not describe how, or in this case why these people are fully grown adults who are unable to write or read at an eighth grade level. Since he does not provide this information it makes it harder for the reader to completely understand or identify with these people and really know how it could be fixed. Kozol’s stance on the subject is very obvious in the voice of his writing, along with the quotes or examples he gives. He believes that the illiteracy rate in the United States is a serious issue that affects not only the people who are illiterate but also those who are not. â€Å"If even one-third of all illiterates could vote, and read enough and do sufficient math to vote in their self-interest, Ronald Reagan would not likely have been chosen president†, is a good example that Kozol gives to show how these illiterate people affect the whole nation (Norgaard 39-40). An example that was very shocking that he gives about how illiteracy affects them on a personal level is as follows, â€Å"A woman in Detroit brought home a gallon of Crisco for her children’s dinner. She thought she had bought the chicken that was pictured one the label. She had enough Crisco now to last a year- but no more money to go back and buy the food for dinner†(Norgaard 42) Although Kozol gives his strong stance that illiteracy is bad, he does not provide any sort of proposition for a resolution. This is a very key point that he misses in the piece of the writing. Without answering this question and also not answering the question of how the issue came about in the first place puts a hole in his argument and makes it harder to get the audience to understand completely. Kozol’s claim seems to be that the illiteracy rate in the United States is simply unacceptable. His main reason is because of the suffering people go through on a daily basis because they are illiterate and cannot function in society at the same level as fully literate adults. Kozol’s other reason is also because these people not only affect themselves and those close to them, but also the country as a whole. He does not explicitly state a warrant. Instead he gives quotes from people who are illiterate. I stood at the bottom of the ramp. My car had broke down on the freeway. There was a phone. I asked for the police. They was nice. They said to tell them where I was. I looked up at the signs. There was one that I had seen before. I read it to them: ONE WAY STREET. They thought it was a joke. I told them I couldn’t read. There was other signs above the ramp. They told me to try. I looked around for somebody to help. All the cars was going by real fast. I wouldn’t make them understand that I was lost. The cop was nice. He knew that I was trapped. ‘I can’t send out a car to you if you can’t tell me where you are’. I felt afraid. I nearly cried. I’m forty-eight years old. I only said: ‘I’m on a one-way street†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Nordaard 45). The quote above is an example of how he gives a story and leaves it up to the reader to interpret them. Kozol uses these quotes as his support. The audience that he seems to be writing to is literate Americans during the 1980’s. In the very beginning he writes about the president at that time and other things that were going on around then. Since I was not born until 1990 I do not fully understand the political references that he makes throughout his writing, which makes me feel as if I am a little outside of the group he is trying to talk to. The audience is also people that did not know about the illiteracy issue in the United States because it seems as though he is trying to â€Å"open eyes† to what is truly going on with many of â€Å"our† fellow Americans. Kozol’s only evidence provided to the reader are the quotes and stories from illiterates. The quotes are the use of Pathos. Kozol is trying to touch the reader’s humanity by giving examples of human suffering. He tries to put the reader in the shoes of the illiterates and have the audience see how illiterate struggle in day to day life. It is not enough for the reader to believe what he is writing. Kozol does not provide any actual proof that those are true stories or even actual quotes that are not simply made-up. Since he does not provide any sort of hard evidence it makes things very easy for anyone who would like to discredit him and his work. Therefore, his argument is weaker because of the lack of evidence to make the reader believe what he is trying to convey. To make his argument stronger he should have used more logos, or facts, and simple logical evidence to support his claim. Throughout the excerpt Kozol blames the government for the fact that nothing is being done to fix the detrimental issue of the high illiteracy rate in the world power of the United States. Toward the end of the argument he writes, â€Å"This is the nation that we live in. This is a society that most of us did not create but which our President and the other leaders have been willing to sustain by virtue of malign neglect† (Norgaard 45). Kozol is saying that it is because of the current president, at that time it was Reagan, and past leaders that the illiteracy rate has escalated to the level it is. He writes that the people in the government have purposefully neglected this pressing issue. In the very beginning, as quoted earlier, he makes a slam against Ronald Reagan. He basically states that if illiterates knew what they were voting for, Reagan would have never been voted into office if they had known what he stood for. Therefore, his writing could be interpreted by the rea der as a political statement rather than a fight for the illiterates in the United States. Kozol’s argument in this piece of writing is a very weak one. He does not answer all of the four basic questions. He does not directly define what illiteracy is or why the rate is so high. He does not give a solution to the problem either. Kozol leaves it up to the audience to decide all of those things based on what he provides in the text. The problem with this is that different people with different views or backgrounds will interpret the text in their own way. He provides a claim and reasons but because he does not explicitly give warrants for those, the claim can be misinterpreted especially because of the politically statements that he also seems to be making. The evidence he provides is almost purely pathos, he appeals to the audiences’ humanity, which may not be enough to completely convince the audience that he is right. He does not completely provide the basis of logos which puts a hole in his argument. Overall, his argument was very weak and could be misinter preted or discredited because of what is left to the audience to decide. Research Papers on The Human Cost of an Illiterate SocietyComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoMind TravelEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceTrailblazing by Eric Anderson19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraHip-Hop is ArtAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into Asia

R.V. Martin (Anthony Edward (2001) ECWA Crim 2245; Q.B1 Case (Critic) Essay

R.V. Martin (Anthony Edward (2001) ECWA Crim 2245; Q.B1 Case (Critic) - Essay Example The jury could convict the defendant if self-defence evidence presented by the defendant raised doubts or the fact that Mr, Martin had used excessive force. The manslaughter charge that Mr. Martin faced would mean the defendant is believed to have used excessive force then the sentence would not be a life imprisonment. Then this would mean that the jury did not believe the defendants defence of having acted on self-defence. The facts that led to, the sentencing of Mr. Martin is knowledge that Mr. Martin used his firearm, yet he knew he was entitled to possessing it. The jury strongly believe that the although it is true that the two men who broke into Mr. Martins house intended to commit a burglary, Mr. martin was entitled to use reasonable force yet he used excessive force when he shot the 16 year old dead and left the other seriously injured. According to the jury Mr. Martin did not act reasonably in both of the cases. The judge in passing the sentence took into consideration the f rustration that Mr, Martin felt at the event of the Burglary as well as the medical report presented by his doctor. The court put into account the situation threat Mr. Martin faced, but it also pointed out that a dangerous weapon was not to be used in the manner that Mr. Martin used during the night of the Burglary. According to Almandras, she points out that the law states clearly that a householder may be liable in civil law or criminal law or in both if he is found to have used unwarranted force in opposition to a burglar or trespasser resulting to the death of the intruder or injury. Matters raised during Mr. Martin’s case suggest that any householder who kills or injuries a burglar will have a complete defence. The defendant is acquitted if he used was reasonable force and this must prove to be in defence of himself or another in the prevention of a crime (2011. p.1). The principal issue raised by conservatives is the measure of reasonable force, which they argue, should be proven, and the householders would not face prosecution unless their action is proven grossly disproportionate. However, democrats support the view that the current law was reliable and did not require a change. In the case, of Mr. Martin Almandras observes that the accused Mr. Martin had experienced several break ins. Mr. Martin had already expressed his dissatisfaction with the police response. On the night of the burglary, Mr. Martin shot onto the two burglars with an unlicensed gun. During his appeal, Mr. Martin presented fresh psychiatric evidence showing that, he was suffering from a long personal disorder. However, the court still ruled that the Mr. Martins state of mind was irrelevant to the purpose of self-defence. The psychiatric evide

Criticize the Cosmological Argument against Atheism Essay

Criticize the Cosmological Argument against Atheism - Essay Example It is also true because science and common sense has confirmed that something cannot come into existence from nothing. The premise also states that the reason why no one has seen something come into existence from nothing is proof that there is a cause for things to come into being (Rutten 45). The first premise has an intuitive appeal. It states that whatever comes into existence has a cause. The cause is what creates something. This means that the universe was impelled by a natural inclination. This is true because nothing in this world has ever come into existence out of nothing. This rebuttal tries to prove that there is no existence of God and that everything happened from nothing. However, supporters of the first premise argument object this rebuttal. The main response to this rebuttal is through the argument that all things which have a beginning in their own existence do have a cause. This means that God was not created. Unlike the universe, God did not come into existence. He has always existed even before the world came into existence (Craig 56). The second premise explains that the world began to exist. This means that the existence of the universe has a beginning. This is supported by the fact that the universe keeps on expanding and growing. The universe has over the years continued to grow and expand from an enormously dense and extremely hot state (Craig 65). This suggests that the universe started from something and continues to grow. However, the premise can be considered to be false due to one main assumption. The assumption is that it’s easy to also take into consideration that the universe, just like the initial cause, has always been in existence and continues to exist. This assumption also puts into consideration that the universe goes through an everlasting cycle of contraction and expansion. A

Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Essay Example for Free

Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Essay When Marlow talks of London being a dark place, the theme of civilization versus savagery comes into play. Marlows aunt believes he is an emissary of light, being sent into the darkness. Marlow sees this darkness through the placing of heads on poles, for a man named Kurtz. All of this makes Marlow change his inner feelings of himself, which relates to the theme of the journey of the inner self. Marlow talks of when the Romans first came to Britain, and how they had actually brought some light into the somberness of London, and how one day that light may disappear. This relates to the theme of dark and light. As Marlow tells of his voyage deeper into the unknown, his capacity for self-control is tested. Kurtz seems to inhabit his every thought. While this is happening, the theme of a journey into the inner self is seen again. There are certain patterns in Heart of Darkness; one of these is the theme of threes. There are three chapters, three women, three times Marlow breaks the story, three stations, three central characters and three views of Africa. Marlow indirectly suggests by referring to the Roman conquest, that the theme of colonialism has existed since the earliest times of human history. Colonialism is seen as one of the major themes in the book. When Marlow talks of London once being a dark place, the theme of civilization versus savagery comes into play. The book implies that civilizations are created by the setting of laws and codes that encourage men to achieve higher standards. London itself is seen as a symbol of enlightenment. We see this through Marlow and how he tells his crew that the Romans had brought a light into the darkness of Britain. Marlow and Kurtz are two antithetical examples of humanity. Kurtz represents what every man will become if left to his own desires, without a  protective, civilized society. Marlow represents the civilized soul that has not been drawn back into savagery by his heart of darkness. The book implies that every man has a heart of darkness that is usually drowned out by the light of civilization. However, when a man is removed from a civilized environment, the basic instinct of savagery must be unleashed. Savagery is linked to darkness, and in most parts of the book, we see Marlow  as the light in this darkness. Marlows aunt believes he is an emissary of light, being sent into the darkness. Marlow sees the darkness through the placing of heads on poles, for a man named Kurtz. All of this makes Marlow change his inner feelings about himself, which relates to the theme of the journey of the inner self. Through Marlow, the book creates a voyage of self-discovery. All of Marlows experiences point to a change him. The thoughts about the people he meets, and their behavior, slowly begins to change. Marlows trip from Europe to the outer, then central station tests his capacity to discriminate between good and evil, since he witnesses actions which directly ask him for a moral judgment, such as brutal beating of the native worker. Marlows detailed account of what he sees, shows his compassion. Conrad suggests that those who are unable of controlling their unconscious side, run the risk of losing control the their heart of darkness. Marlow talks of when the Romans first came to Britain, and how they brought light into the somberness of London. He also tells them that one day that light may disappear. This relates to the theme of dark and light. In Heart of Darkness, there is an obvious contrast between what is light and what is dark. Light seems to represent civilization, or the civilized side of humanity whilst dark represents the uncivilized or savage side of humanity. In this book, dark and light or black and white, have the same usual connotations of good and evil. According to Christianity, in  the beginning, everything was dark. The same thing applies to London before the Romans came. At the same time, Africa was considered dark, as most of it had not yet been discovered. However, as Marlows journey progresses, it appears that dark and light are used counter intuitively. Darkness refers to truth and light refers to falsehood. In Marlows interview with the Intended, the windows of the room, which are normally a source of light, are covered and let in little to no light at all, as in a mortuary. The cold and monumental whiteness of the fireplace adds to the deathlike atmosphere. This shows that Conrad had used dark and light inversely. We could assume that the dark could represent the unknown. As Marlow talks of his voyage deeper into this unknown, his capacity for self-control is tested. Kurtz seems to inhabit his every thought. While this is happening, the theme of a journey into the self and the unconsciousness is seen again. Marlows story clearly implies that the kind of world men make for themselves, and for others, results from the character of individual behavior. Kurtz appears to be stuck inside Marlows head. Every thought is focused in this man he has never met. Kurtz wins control of men through fear. His power over the natives almost destroys Marlow. Kurtz is actually a victim of the managers murderous cruelty. It is possible that Kurtz might never have revealed his evil nature, had he not been tortured by the manager. Marlow struggles with himself, the person he thought he was turns out to be a nobody. Marlow sees the real person he is, and fears himself. After seeing the Kurtz, Marlow realizes how much like Kurtz he has become and regains control from his heart of darkness. There are patterns noticeable in this book. One of these is the theme of threes. There are three chapters, three times Marlow breaks the story, three stations, three women, three central characters and three views of Africa. The three stations are the inner station, the central station  and the outer station. These are symbolic of the stages in Marlows journey of self-discovery. The inner station is the first station he goes to. Here, he sees how the natives are treated, and gets a glimpse of the things he may have to face in his future travels. He reaches the central station, and discovers that Kurtz may not be the man he first heard of. He was told that Kurtz was this wonderful man, who had plenty of power. Now, Marlow is beginning to see in his mind, someone that has followed his own ideas, and doesnt care about anyone else. He struggles within himself to see if he is like this man. At first, he dismisses the idea that he could ever be that  kind of person, but soon after, he changes his opinion. The outer station is where Kurtz is finally reached. Conrad also uses imperialism as a major theme in the book. Marlow indirectly suggests by referring to the Roman conquest over Britain, that the theme of imperialism has existed since early human history. As Marlow tells his story, a different narrator, who is also a member on the ship they are traveling on, sees the Roman invaders to be like the English conquerors. He expresses that they were both hunters for gold and pursuers of fame. He does not understand that without the Roman invasion, Britain may have remained a dark country. Through Marlows tale of truth, pain, anxiety and the quest for complete knowledge, the major themes are revealed. Colonialism, the journey of the inner-self, the theme of threes, dark and light and civilization versus savagery. All of these themes lead to the understanding that Marlows voyage into the deepness of the Congo, is symbolic of the journey he had to take into the deepest side of himself. He successfully battled with his savage side, and came out a changed man. It just shows that no matter hoe perfect something seems to be, there is always a heart of darkness deep within somewhere.

Mainstreaming Disabled Students Essay -- Teaching Education Inclusion

Mainstreaming Disabled Students According to the Curry School of Education, approximately 80% of students with learning disabilities receive the majority of their instruction in the general classroom (â€Å"Inclusion.† http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/curry/dept/cise/ose.html. 10 Oct. 1999). That number is expected to rise as teachers and parents become aware of the benefits of inclusion. Because there are so many disabled students in regular schools, it is important to look at whether or not mainstreaming is necessary for their education. For parents, having their disabled children mainstreamed into regular education can be a difficult choice. Although disabled children’s education can be more challenging in regular schools, the benefits of inclusion include enhanced self-esteem, development of social skills, and exposure to regular curriculum. Many people believe mainstreaming only helps disabled children, but there are many challenges that hurt their education rather than help. Both faculty and students can be cruel to disabled students. Because they are not used to interacting with disabled children, faculty and students may be uncomfortable with the situation and be insensitive to the disabled children. By ignoring the disabled children or treating them badly, the children will lose self-esteem and may disrupt the class in order to show their unhappiness. Some teachers are not familiar with teaching disabled children, so the education is lacking for the children....

Multicultural education Essay

From its early beginnings in the 1960s, multicultural education has since been in a constant state of evolution both in theory and in practice (Gorski & Covert 1996). In the last four decades, it has undergone repeated transformation, focusing and conceptualization as challenges emerge one after the other from a rapidly changing population demographics and a significant growth in diverse multicultural groups. The result is a multitude of conceptualizations reflecting different foci but which basically share the same ideals rooted upon the need for transformation or change. Gorski (2000) defines multicultural education as a â€Å"progressive approach for transforming education that holistically critiques and addresses current shortcomings, failings, and discriminatory practices in education†. These shared ideals that include social justice, equity in educational opportunities, and the dedication to help students reach their full potential as learners and as socially conscious and active individuals provide the basis for understanding multicultural education. It is a process of action, through which adults achieve clarity about their condition in this society and ways to change it (Phillips, 1988). Multicultural education acknowledges that schools, among all other institutions, play a pivotal role in building the foundation and acting as major influencing factor for the transformation of society and the elimination of oppression and injustice. The realities of the times clearly speak for the growing importance and relevance of multicultural education. Cultural diversity in schools is indeed one considerable challenge but like any other, it can be a most welcome opportunity. History has shown us that nations are enriched by the ethnic, cultural, and language diversity among its citizens (Banks, 2001). Schools play a significant part in finding ways to harness and redirect cultural diversity into creating unity and progress in schools and ultimately to society in general. References: Banks, J. A. (April 2001). Diversity within unity: Essential principles for teaching and learning in a multicultural society. New Horizons for Learning. Retrieved on May 28, 2009 from http://www. newhorizons. org/strategies/multicultural/banks. htm Gorski, P. & Covert, B. (1996; 2000). Defining multicultural education. Retrieved on May 28, 2009 from http://www. edchange. org/multicultural/define_old. html Phillips, C. B. (1988). Nurturing diversity for today’s children and tomorrow’s leaders. Young Children: 43(2).

Whats Wrong With Livestock Grazing on Public Lands

The Bureau of Land Management manages 256 million acres of public lands in the United States and allows livestock grazing on 160 million acres of that land. The Taylor Grazing Act, 43 U.S.C.  §315, which was passed in 1934, authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to establish grazing districts and take any necessary steps to protect, improve, and develop the districts. Prior to 1934, the grazing of livestock on public lands was unregulated. Since the first grazing district was established in 1935, private ranchers have paid the federal government for the privilege of grazing their livestock on public lands. Every year, the Bureau of Land Management authorized the grazing of millions of animal units on public lands. An animal unit is one cow and her calf, one horse, or five sheep or goats, although most of the livestock are cattle and sheep. Permits usually run for ten years. Environmental, taxpayer, and wildlife advocates object to the program for different reasons. Environmental Issues While some foodies extol the virtues of grass-fed beef, livestock grazing is a serious environmental concern. According to environmental activist Julian Hatch, public lands are so depleted of vegetation, the cattle’s diet is supplemented with barrels of molasses mixed with nutrients and vitamins. The supplementation is necessary because the cattle have depleted the more nutritious vegetation and are now eating sagebrush. Additionally, waste from the livestock degrades water quality, the concentration of livestock around bodies of water leads to soil compaction, and the depletion of vegetation leads to soil erosion. These problems threaten the entire ecosystem. Taxpayer Issues According to the National Public Lands Grazing Campaign, the livestock industry is subsidized by federal and state funding through â€Å"below-market grazing fees, emergency feed programs, low-interest federal farm loans, and many other taxpayer-funded programs.† Taxpayer dollars are also used to address the environmental problems caused by ranching and the health issues created by the consumption of beef. Wildlife Issues Livestock grazing on public lands also displaces and kills wildlife. Predators like bears, wolves, coyotes, and cougars are killed because they sometimes prey on livestock. Also, because the vegetation is depleted, BLM claims that wild horses are overpopulated and has been rounding up the horses and offering them for sale/adoption. Only 37,000 wild horses still roam these public lands, but BLM wants to round up even more. Comparing 37,000 horses to the 12.5 million animal units the BLM allows for grazing on public lands, the horses comprise less than .3% (three-tenths of a percent) of the animal units on those lands. Aside from the general environmental degradation issues, ranchers erect fences that obstruct the movement of wildlife, reducing access to food and water, and isolating subpopulations. What Is the Solution? While the NPLGC points out that relatively little meat is produced by ranchers on public lands and advocates buying out the ranchers who hold permits, this solution focuses on continuing the meet the American demand for beef and fails to consider animal rights issues or the environmental impacts of growing crops to feed cows in feedlots. The solution is to go vegan.