Critical Literacy Essay Example for Free

Critical Literacy Essay â€Å"Read the word to read the world. † (Freire) Being critically literate is not just about being able to understand words. It is about reading, listening, or hearing texts and coming up with your own thoughts on them. Being able to discuss your thoughts between many different people using your life and knowledge as a baseline. Critically literate citizens challenge thoughts by advocating as well as being active in their government. An activist uses literacy to critically understand and challenge social and political power. Activists enjoy collaborating with other groups to change attitudes, policies, and laws. They use and interpret language to challenge and shape themselves and institutions. Illegal immigrant supporters are a good example of critical literacy. How you perceive what you read will enforce if you are on the pro- or anti- side of the debate. Asking a simple question about The United States jobs you will receive many different answers based on the knowledge and understanding of the particular person you are asking. Some activists believe that illegal immigrants help the economy by working for low costs. Others believe they take U. S jobs that citizens could benefit from regardless of wage. Using the knowledge they have obtained from news casters, articles, and other people they dissect the information to come up with their stance. Activists then are able to knowledgeably speak out about the changes they want to achieve. The Communists Manifesto, by Karl Marx, is a critically literate book that brings to light what Marx believes as class struggles and problems of capitalism. The book gives readers an understanding of Marxs theories about society and politics. Bell Hooks, a feminist, feels that literacy is essential to the future of the feminist movement because the lack of reading, writing, and critical skills serves to exclude many women and men from feminist consciousness. Not only that, it excludes many from the political process and the labour market. (infed. org) Thomas Jefferson felt that â€Å"Information is the currency of democracy. † Cutting apart the information will give you a better sense of the government and your rights. Jefferson believed there was a correlation between literacy, citizenship and successful self-government. (Sparagana) When you are well-informed then you could be trusted with your own government. Using media outlets and websites people have the opportunity to critique news articles, get people to notice their problems, and ask government officials the questions they have. Do a search for a news outlets website and article after article will have a spot to post your opinion as well as question the writers point of view and the opinions of others who have posted. Having the internet easily accessible makes it even easier to keep tabs on the government. Having open options to ask or write your president or any other elected official questions from the information you have obtained will make it easier to have a discussion and either change their minds or have your own changed. Being able to critically look at the texts you are able to challenge government in a way to make your own voice heard. Critical literacy is important knowledge to have. Without it you would not be able to form your own opinions and not be able to understand the opinions of others. Having freedom of speech is a precious thing that we all should take advantage of. We are given a voice to to speak what we feel regarding every aspect of our lives. A critically literate citizen is necessary for a meaningful participation in society. Whether it is to have an in-depth discussion with your friends, writing and reading books, or watching a movie critical literacy brings meaning to your life.

Convincing Q? Essay example -- Argumentative Persuasive Papers

Convincing Q? Voting on a proposition banning genetic engineering seemed odd to me, but to the voters in the county of San Luis Obispo (SLO) on 2 November 2004 it was just another proposal on the ballot. This proposition, known as Measure Q shall make it â€Å"unlawful for any person or entity to propagate, cultivate, raise, or grow genetically engineered organisms in San Luis Obispo County.† This law was proposed after the proponents for Measure Q claimed that â€Å"the people of San Luis Obispo County wish to protect the county’s agriculture, environment, economy, and private property from genetic pollution by genetically engineered organisms until all the risks associated with these organisms are fully understood.† The only exemptions in the measure allow â€Å"a fully accredited college or university to engage in scientific research or education using genetically engineered organisms† and do not prevent health care professionals from providing â€Å"any diagnosis, care, or treatment to any patient.† On the sample ballot was a section entitled â€Å"Argument In Favor Of Measure Q-04.† This argument makes a good case, but it lacks the clarity to be convincing. â€Å"Argument In Favor Of Measure Q-04† emphasizes the negative effects of genetic engineering on the agriculture in SLO County. The claim of this argument is that genetically engineered (GE) crops are bad for the agriculture of SLO County. The first reason given in support of the claim of â€Å"Argument In Favor Of Measure Q-04† is â€Å"keeping SLO County free of genetically engineered (GE) crops maintains our [SLO County’s] strong agricultural economy.† This reason is supported by evidence pertaining to the agricultural economy of SLO County. The argument states... ... might be convincing. However, it emphasized the line of evidence that GE crops can contaminate â€Å"pure† crops stating neither how the conventional crops were contaminated nor what was meant by the term â€Å"contaminated.† Due to this uncertainty, this main support of the argument lacked the clarity to be convincing. Therefore, I am still undecided on Measure Q[SM1] . Nice job for your first draft. The use of terminology and the division of topics and paragraphs clarifies the elements of the argument. Your critique of the word contaminates is original and compelling. In addition to the specific corrections noted, it would be worthwhile for you to look at the supports and evidence in light of the critiques and counters offered by the opponents on their ballot argument and elsewhere and compare them with the rebuttals of those critiques offered by defenders.

Roper vs. Simmons

Roper vs. Simmons was one of the few cases in almost two decades to address whether it’s constitutional under the eighth and fourteenth amendments to execute a juvenile offender who was over the age of fifteen but under the age of eighteen when he/she committed a capital crime. In 1988, Thompson vs. Oklahoma banned the execution of minors who were sixteen years of age when they committed a capital crime. Another case, Stanford vs. Kentucky (1989), divided the court which eventually rejected that the Constitution excludes capital punishment for minors of this age group.Roper vs. Simmons overturned the decision in Stanford vs. Kentucky. Only seven countries in the past century have favored execution of minors convicted of capital crimes: Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Nigeria, China, and Congo. Before the case many Americans did not think that the execution of minors was considered cruel and unusual punishment if a capital crime was committed, but after the crime many Amer icans began to oppose it. Those seven countries have also, since then, prohibited these executions.Christopher Simmons was a junior in high school at the age of seventeen when he committed a pre-meditated murder. Around nine months after the crime was committed when he was eighteen years of age, he was tried in court and sentenced to death. Simmons discussed his plan to kill Shirley Crook with his two friends Charles Benjamin and John Tessemer (ages fifteen and sixteen at the time), resulting from a car accident involving Benjamin and Simmons. Simmons’ idea was to break in to Mrs. Crook’s home, tie her up, and drive her to a bridge where he would throw her off of to her death.Simmons was under the impression that he and his friends could get away with the crime because they were minors. The three boys met around 2:00 A. M. on the night the murder was committed (September 9th, 1993). Tessemer backed out before the other two boys went on their way (he was charged with co nspiracy at first, but the charges were dropped when he testified against Simmons). The two boys proceeded to enter the Crook home by reaching through an open window and unlocking their back door. Simmons turned on a hallway light, startling Mrs.Crook as she asked who was there. Simmons then entered her bedroom, recognizing her which he later said was his resolve to murder her. The two boys worked together and used duct tape to cover her eyes and mouth and bound her hands. They took her minivan to a state park, reinforced her bindings, and covered her head with a towel. They then walked to a railroad trestle over the Meramec River, tied her hands and feet together with electrical wire, and wraped her entire face with duct tape before they threw her into the waters below for her to drown.The afternoon of September 9th, 1993, Shirley’s husband, Steven Crook, returned from an overnight trip and was alarmed by the messy house he came home to without his wife there to welcome him. After he reported his wife missing, the same afternoon fisherman recovered the victim’s body form the Meramec River. Simmons apparently had been bragging to his friends about murdering Shirley saying he killed her â€Å"because the bitch seen my face†. The next day, police received information about Simmons’ involvement the crime and he was arrested at his high school in Fenton, Missouri.Simmons waived his right to an attorney and immediately agreed to answer questions. Before the second hour of questioning was over, Simmons had already confessed to murdering Shirley Crook and agreed to perform a video reenactment of the crime. Simmons’ excuse for the crime he claimed was to avoid his arrest for the recent car accident they both had been involved in. The State of Missouri charged Simmons with burglary, kidnapping, stealing, and murder in the first degree. Simmons was seventeen years of age at the time, but was tried as an adult.The State immediately soug ht the death penalty, after Shirley Crook’s husband, daughter and two sisters presented horrifying evidence on how much impact her death had already brought to their lives. Simmons’ mother, father, two half brothers, neighbor, and friend all pleaded on behalf of his mercy to the court. Simmons’ lawyer argued that his age should be considered a mitigating factor, but the jury still recommended the death penalty, and the trial judge decided to impose it. About 9 years after the Simmons’ case had completely run its course, in 2002 Atkins vs.Virginia prohibited the execution of a mentally retarded person, and Simmons’ tried to file a new petition for state postconviction relief, saying that this made the Constitution prohibit the execution of someone if the crime was committed when they were under 18. This was the second time Simmons had appealed; the first being when he claimed he had not received adequate assistance during the trial because additiona l information regarding his difficult home background, impulsivity, and being easily influenced by others was not presented to the judge (this appeal was rejected). They reviewed the Stanford vs.Kentucky case and agreed that it was no longer valid with influence of international opinion of execution of minors who had committed capital crimes. Justice Anthony Kennedy spoke for the State in March 2005 stating that execution of juveniles who committed crimes before they turned 18 was considered cruel and unusual punishment. Simmons’ death sentence was then set aside and they resentenced him to life in prison with no chance of parole, probation, or release without the Governor’s doing so personally. This case showed very well that the United States is fair to their accused criminals.The court showed this strongly when they thoroughly considered and thought out each appeal that Christopher made to them, and they thoroughly reviewed all of his rights as well. Any other adult would have received the death penalty without questioning, but Simmons got multiple opportunities that people over eighteen would not have gotten. It was surprising that Simmons won the appeal after the Atkins vs. Virginia case because he was not mentally retarded and couldn’t exactly relate to the case himself. Murder is murder, and Christopher should not have had as much mitigation because his crime was completely pre-meditated.

The Journalism Feeds On Curiosity - 955 Words

Journalism feeds on curiosity. One week I am fact-checking a story on rock climbing for Outside magazine, and the next week I find myself on top of a 40-foot wall. Every news assignment becomes a crash course in a new subject. Every idea for a feature leads to twenty more questions and ten more stories. Journalism is an addictive adventure — an adventure I’ve known I wanted to pursue since I was in kindergarten. Yet instead of feeling like I’ve been stuck on the same career path for 16 years, I feel like each day, each article, is a new venture. I am pursuing a master’s in International Politics at Trinity College Dublin because the heart of journalism isn’t in the writing or the editing — it’s how well you know the topics on which you are reporting. Shortly after entering college, I found a second love in political science, and my academic interests began to merge with my passion for the news. I am now working toward a career as political reporter, and more specifically, an international correspondent who serves to connect readers in the U.S. to European news. Ultimately, I hope to be the chief of a news bureau in a large European capital such as Dublin or Belfast. My interest in foreign policy and international affairs sparked even more adventures, from researching education policy in Santiago, Chile, to nervously teaching a room of fellow undergraduates for the first time. Following my first year at college, I jumped on the opportunity to take an internship with aShow MoreRelatedA Brief Note On Journalism And The Society Essay1716 Words   |  7 PagesJOURNALISM AND THE SOCIETY 1.WHAT IS NEWS News is an important piece of information that is often current and unknown and is broadcasted to a mass audience. News is divided into two categories that are hard news and soft news. 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