Mencken/The Death Penalty

Questions on Meaning

1. Mencken's main reasons for his support of capital punishment are that the work of a hangman is just as unpleasant as that of a plumber, that the whole aim of punishing criminals is to thwart other potential criminals, that there is no public demand for the death penalty on ordinary crimes.

2. Some other reasons for punishing offenders of the death penalty include justice - the justice system advocates it, feasibility - its easier than keeping them in prison for life, economicality - it saves money, etc.

3.  Mencken advocates offenders that have committed a crime greater than just murder, such as mass homicide.

4. Mencken's real objection to capital punishment is the 'brutal American habit of putting it off so long.' The fact that the appeals process take so long that those on death row wait years before they are put to death.

Questions on Writing Strategy

2. Mencken employs many fallacies in order to argue against the two 'most common' arguments against capital punishment. An example is when he compares the job of a executioner to that of a plumber in terms of how 'degrading' it is.

4. I do think the author expects his audience to agree with him because he makes his points very agreeable so that people will not debate the logicality of it and he slips in his most debatable points between his solid ones, as to urge people in to agree with it. He recognizes that some people may see things differently throughout the essay and constantly addresses their side and ways to refute it.

Menchken /Vs/ Kroll

Write a Contrast Paragraph on the Effectiveness of the Two Death Penalty Essays. Which of the Two - Mencken or Kroll - Do you Find to be More Effective in Persuading you and Why? 
Because of the effectiveness of both essays in illustrating their points about the Death Penalty, it is hard to come to an accurate conclusion about which one is more effective. 
Mencken and Kroll wrote from two different writing styles and two different points of view, neither of which paralleled the other. Kroll uses appeals to emotion and credibility but succumbing to argument ad authoriatrium and other fallacies to which he uses to make his point. In contrast, Mencken wrote his work with an appeal to logisitcs using statistical information to back up his points.  Despite Krolls many appeals to credibility that most would argue causes him to be reliable and effective, he commited many fallacies that could be easily shot holes through when taken into any sense of meaning beyond the bare surface. As a result, i found Mencken's uniform, yet logical and presis essay much more effective in convincing me as it did not commit to as many fallacies and the evidence was more concrete. 

Sixteen Military Wives - the Decemberists

What is this Song About? 
To me, this song is making a parody out of America. It is saying that no matter what we show people - celebrities, award shows, scientists, they all gobble it up the same way saying 'la da da de da' and it compares the average American Consume to a 'Cannibal King'

"Race for the Prize" by the Flaming Lips

What is the Theme of this Song?
To me, this song is about overambition. How we are always aiming for perfection that will probably never be achieved.
The scientists in the song want to discover the cure, save the world, become superheroes. They'll do anything to achieve their goals. But no matter how far they try to climb, after all "they're just humans, with wives and children." 

Graphs

3 Facts about Graph 1

• There's been a rise in incarcerated Americans from 1970 and on
• The Graph takes place between 1920 and 2008
• The number of incarcerated Americans increased following the illegalization of marijuana and hemp.

 3 Facts about Graph 2

• Drugs were the leading cause of incarceration
• Immigration exceeded 20,000 prisoners
• This Graph displays different reasons for incarceration and how they compare to each other one.

 2 Facts on Both Graphs

• The majority of people in jail in the second graph were there as a result of drug abuse.
• Incarceration has risen drastically since 1960 and it is increasing at an exponential rate. 

 2 Fallacies on Both Graphs

• Drugs have always been the leading incarcerator 
• The majority of people who abuse drugs abuse marijuana

Fallacies in Famous Speeches

JFK Inaugural Address:


Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring those problems which divide us. 

     Let both sides, for the first time, formulate serious and precise proposals for the inspection and control of arms--and bring the absolute power to destroy other nations under the absolute control of all nations. 

     Let both sides seek to invoke the wonders of science instead of its terrors. Together let us explore the stars, conquer the deserts, eradicate disease, tap the ocean depths and encourage the arts and commerce. 

     Let both sides unite to heed in all corners of the earth the command of Isaiah--to "undo the heavy burdens . . . (and) let the oppressed go free." 

     And if a beachhead of cooperation may push back the jungle of suspicion, let both sides join in creating a new endeavor, not a new balance of power, but a new world of law, where the strong are just and the weak secure and the peace preserved. 


He uses parallel structure through the 'Let Both Sides." He also uses an appeal to pathos thorough asking both sides to unite and convincing Americans that under his presidency they can do the impossible : 'explore the stars,' 'conquer the deserts,' etc.

Duck and Cover

What is the Overt Message? Explain. 
The over message is to 'duck and cover' as it is said repeatedly in the presentation of the video and it is used a central plot of the video.


What is the Covert Message? Explain. 
The covert message is dont fear the atom bomb. This is evident in the fact that they compare the dropping of the bomb to such simple disasters and make it seem as though it is nothing, and by simply ducking and covering you could save yourself.


Is this Propaganda, Persuasion, or Rhetoric? Explain.
This is propaganda in the fact that they use to overt message to convince the audience of a false meaning to the video. When the covert message is what actually is trying to be portrayed. Such is propaganda.

Destination Earth

What is the Overt Message? How do you Know?
The overt message is the brilliance of America due to its automobiles and oil. This is evident as the motion picture readily proclaims this throughout and is the center of the plot.


What is the Covert Message? How do you Know?
The covert message is the greatness of American Society compared to others. It shows the alien society which they relate as the opposers of America in their barbaric acts and lack of intelligence, and then it shows America, a work of art in its beauty and creativity and how they have solved all questions the other society had.


Is it Propaganda or Persuasion? Why?
This is propaganda in the fact that it uses the overt message of the brilliance of America as a gate way to show that its greatness comes largely oil and automobiles. This could then be used as propaganda to convince people to buy oil and support America and her greatness. 

Propaganda

What's the Overt Message?
The overt message is to eat less bread.

The covert message is for every person, especially women, to do their part to support the war and the troops. As well during this time period grain was imported from other countries, so it adds an element of patriotism by simply making other foods as to say, be patriotic. 


How Does the Disparity in the Two of these Make it Propaganda?
Because all Propaganda has an overt and covert message that is used to trick the readers or viewers into a false realization and that is exactly what this is doing. 

"Clampdown" by the Clash

What's the Song About? How do you Know?
This song is about the effects of propaganda, and it's effects on society."We will train our blue eyed men" gives a Soviet Russian (because of the time period this was made) effect on the song that leads to the conclusion that they are using propaganda to brainwash these kids. 

 What Musical Elements Add to your Lyrical Interpretation? 
The singer gives a Thom Yorke, twist with his slurred words that are used to convey the havoc and grogginess that is a Utopian society. As the song progressed the singer became more self assured and sounded more confident as to say he was assured of his position and that all the propaganda had started to make sense to him, such is the case of any society when they are readily given propaganda. 


 How Does this Song Relate to Propaganda, Persuasion,Argument, Deception, or Rhetoric?
This song relates to propaganda because it keeps mentions working for the Clampdown and uses elements to show a lack of individuality and promotion of odd items and constantly talking about the youth. 

Quotes on Propaganda, Persuasion, and Rhetoric

330. Condense some daily experience into a glowing symbol, and an audience is electrified. RALPH
WALDO EMERSON (1803-1882), Eloquence, 1877.

331. The moment our discourse rises above the ground line of familiar facts, and is inflamed with passion
or exalted by thought, it clothes itself in images. RALPH WALDO EMERSON (1803-1882), Nature,
1836.

333. The findings suggest that media messages can indeed move audiences in directions counter to their
predominant dispositions...opinion toward the unfamiliar are more susceptible to media influence that
those toward the unfamiliar. ROBERT M. ENTMAN, Democracy Without Citizens, 1989


332. The media do not control what people prefer; they influence public opinion by providing much of the
information people think about and by shaping how they think about it. ROBERT M. ENTMAN,
Democracy Without Citizens, 1989.


The following quote is saying that the cable companies influence the public's opinion by providing what they are going to see and shaping how they see it. For example Fox gives a very republican view of the news, while CNN gives a very democratic view of the news. Furthermore, the media may control the public through its commercialization of different items.