Ted Video Response

Bryan Stevenson talks about identity in his Ted video. He plays off of the power of identity and how it contributes to our lives and how it is at risk within the justice system. He talks about the lessons he learned from his grandma and how she was always watching him and how powerful and loving she was. He tells us how she taught him three things. These included, always love your mother, always do the right thing, even if it is not popular, and to never drink. He goes on to explain the justice system and how in 1972 there were 300,000 people incarcerated and now in 2012 there are millions of people incarcerated. There is a disconnect in the justice system that takes a toll on our society. He says we live in a society full of judement and where a judge can make you something you are not, for example the young African American teenage boy he was defending that was tried as an adult. In his eyes it was a race issue and he pushed for a motion to try him as an older Caucasian male that was very high ranked in society. Stevenson tells us about a janitor that he met that was so proud of him and how he came in the court room while everyone was outraged about his motion and sat down. When a deputy approached him and asked him what he was doing in the courtroom he explained to him that he wanted to tell him to keep his eyes on the prize and to just hold on. That is the message that Stevenson wanted to send out to his Ted viewers. I think this was a very good video. Bryan Stevenson really strived to make sure people are doing what they should. He wants to change somethings in the justice system to better them and to better our society.

Article Summary

In the article "Don't Mess With Big Bird" by Charles M. Blow he talks about Mitt Romney's comment kind of bashing Big Bird from Sesame Street. Romney's comment was this “I’m sorry, Jim. I’m going to stop the subsidy to PBS. I’m going to stop other things. I like PBS. I love Big Bird. I actually like you, too. But I’m not going to — I’m not going to keep on spending money on things to borrow money from China to pay for it". Many people were outraged because Big Bird has been such a huge influence in so many children's lives since 1969. The author Charles Blow took offense to it and wrote this article in response. He explains how he grew up with PBS and Sesame Street and how even as a junior in high school taking his ACT PBS helped him. He uses a good balance of ethos, pathos, and logos. Everything he says has something to back it up, whether its a statistic or just his own opinion. 

Ethos, Pathos, Logos chart.

Ethos:

• New York Times
• PBS
• Presidential Debate
• Big Bird
• National Geographic Magazine
• Sesame Street
• Countess Von Backward
• Fox News

Pathos:

• "I honestly don’t know where I would be in the world without PBS."
• "Those are fighting words."
• Romney's fox trop away from facts
• Let the facts speak for themselves
• "Do you know anything about looking out for the less fortunate?"
• "I'm down with Big Bird. You pick on him, you answer to me."
• Character matters

Logos:

• Over the course of a year, 91 percent of all U.S. television households tune in to their local PBS station
• our service is watched by 81 percent of all children between the ages of 2-8
• 1969 Big Bird has been the man on Sesame Street
• Costs $1.35 per person per year

NY Times Columnist - Charles M. Blow

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/06/opinion/blow-dont-mess-with-big-bird.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Why Men Fail

In the article "Why Men Fail" by David Brookes he talks about how women are starting to out perform men. I think this is a pretty true statement. I mean women's performance rate compared to men's isn't super out of this world but it also isn't as low as you'd think. I think women are just realizing that it's the 21st century and people aren't stuck with the stereotypes women had way back when. Like tending to the children and the house and letting the men take care of working and being the bread winners. They've realized that they can be strong independent people without a man in their life. The author uses a good example of pathos in his article which says "Forty years ago, men and women adhered to certain ideologies, what it meant to be a man or a woman. Young women today, Rosin argues, are more like clean slates, having abandoned both feminist and pre-feminist preconceptions. Men still adhere to the masculinity rules, which limits their vision and their movement". I think this statement is so true, women can do anything a man can do and sometimes better. I love how times are changing and I think it is for the better. Women need to take a stand and prove to people that they're good for more than taking care of children and the house.