Huddled Masses, Turned Away

Summary:

·       With increased removal cases of immigrants promising to rise to historic levels, and the majority of those deportation cases involving only procedural---not criminal- --wrongdoings one thing is certain: The deportation system is not only flawed, it is damaged. With his article, Robert Morgenthau examines some of the flaws that today plague said system and even shares a personal experience to show just how corrupted the system really is.

Central Argument:

·       The article’s central argument revolves around a quote from Emma Lazarus’s sonnet-“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free”. In the article Morgenthau claims that today, “those words, inscribed at its base [the state of liberty], have been turned on their heads”. He adds that today, the immigration laws are not only bad because of the effects they have, but because of the way they are administered as well.

Assertions:

·       “Though it has assured Congress that it concentrates on those who pose a danger to public safety, the agency often deports immigrants guilty only of technical violation of the immigration laws”

This assertion strengthens the claim made by Morgenthau because it validates his claim that today immigration policies are being administered in the wrong way.

·       “Our restrictive immigration laws are bad enough­---separating families, sending refugees like Haitians back to devastated countries, denying jobs to foreign students---but how they are administered is even worse”

This assertion strengthens the claim made by Morgenthau because it supports his argument that these policies are ludicrous, sometimes even leading to the denying of civil rights to immigrants being imprisoned in detention facilities.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/28/opinion/huddled-masses-turned-away.html

Acknowledging the Trade-Offs

http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/10/02/are-top-students-getting-short-shrift/acknowledging-the-trade-offs-in-differentiation

Summary:

·         Acknowledging the Trade-Offs deals with the disparities that exist in education when it comes to educating both the middle of the pack students and the advanced ones. The article claims that America’s education system is leaving advanced students to “fend for themselves” while most of the attention is focused on closing the achievement gaps and helping struggling students.

Central Argument:

·         The passage’s central argument is a bold one: “We are shortchanging America’s brightest students, and we’re doing it reflexively and furtively”. In the article the author claims that today, we are forgetting about advanced students’ needs and ignoring them. He states that we are doing this automatically and in secrecy. 

Assertions:

·         “Truth is, few teachers have the extraordinary skill and stamina to constantly fine-tune instruction to the needs of 20-or- 30-odd students, six hours a day, 180 days a year. What happens, instead, is that teachers tend to focus on the middle of the pack. Or, more typically of late, on the least proficient students.”

This assertion strengthens the author’s claim by explaining what one of the main problems is on classrooms and how that in turn affects the advanced students.

·         “In the past decade, would-be reformers have focused relentlessly on closing the “achievement gaps,” leaving advanced students to fend for themselves.”

This assertion strengthens the author’s claim by giving what the root of the problem is for leaving top-students to “fend for themselves”: the desire to close achievement gaps.

Rhetorical Strategies:

·         Logos

In Acknowledging the Trade-Offs the author uses Logos to strengthen his claim. Through the use of facts he is able to point out the disparities that he claims exist within the education system.

Ex. “The Brookings Institution’s Tom Loveless has reported that, while the nation’s lowest-achieving students made significant gains in reading and math between 2000 and 2007, the progress by top students was ‘anemic’ .”

“In 2008, a survey of the nation’s teachers found that 60 percent said struggling students were a “top priority” at their schools, while just 23 percent said the same of “academically advanced” students. Eighty percent said that struggling students were most likely to get one-on-one attention from teachers; just 5 percent said the same of advanced students.”

·         Counterargument

The author has one specific paragraph in the passage where he brings up a point that could be used as a counterargument to his claim. In this particular paragraph the author summarizes a previously determined claim by the RAND Corporation: low achieving students benefit when placed in mixed-ability classes, but then also uses the data to strengthen his own claim.

Ex. “RAND Corporation scholars have previously determined that low-achieving students benefit when placed in mixed-ability classrooms (faring about five percentage points better than those placed in lower-track classes) but that high achievers fared six percentage points worse in such general classes.”

Logos

Logos-Appeal based on facts

This chart represents logos. The use of statistics makes the argument have a powerful impact on the audience. The chart appeals to reason through the use of facts. From the chart the audience will use inductive reasoning to draw conclusions about the data presented. From there they will make broader assumptions based on deductive reasoning. 

Ethos

Ethos- Appeal based on credibility

This picture represents Ethos. Martin Luther King’s authority and credibility are evident in this picture. In the scene depicted in the picture, King appeals to the audience not only through his knowledge, but by the sharing of his own experiences. Showing empathy for the audience as well as acknowledging opposing views makes King’s argument one that is not only directed towards the audience in front of him, but to everyone who might listen to it at a later date. 

Pathos

Pathos-Appeal to the heart

This picture represents Pathos. The bruises on the woman’s face are evidence that she has been the victim of domestic violence. Her facial expression- which reveals deep internal conflict-indicates that she needs help. This picture is designed to strike a cord with the viewer’s emotions and thus cause them to want to take action. Pathos is very effective here because it completes it’s goal:  it appeals to you (the audience) by making you feel what the woman is feeling.