Though there was an impressive amount of points and ideas which I will touch on in a few sentences which I appreciated from JD Vance's lecture, what made me willing to listen, swallow and immerse myself in what he was saying was the fact that he pointed out that while there are going to be differences in culture, in opinion, in almost anything there can be differences in… what’s important, what’s an essential part of trying to fix America and restore people’s hope in the American dream is to come at problems and dilemmas from the other side, with a new perspective. If I’m being completely honest (as I often pride myself on being), I much too often allow myself to stay in a left-leaning in bubble when it comes to the films I watch, the books I read, and so forth; confirming my own biases is what makes me (and majority of other people) feel comfortable. Though there was an impressive amount of points and ideas (which I will touch on in a few moments) that I appreciated from JD Vance's lecture, what made me willing to listen and really swallow and fully indulge in his what he was saying was the fact that he pointed out that while there are going to be differences in culture, in opinion, in almost anything there can be differences in… what’s important, what’s an essential part of trying to fix America and restore people’s hope in the American dream is to come at problems and dilemmas from the other side, with a new perspective. That we as people from all backgrounds and
”For example Patel claims, “...Washington’s ethic, the three pillars on which he believed a diverse democracy would thrive”(patel, 5). This quote dialogue illustrates that if the public is not linked together then they will easily fall apart, therefore, being together will make this nation be successful. This is critical because the United States cannot function if society is separated and in order to accomplish obstacles successfully the nation as a whole must stick together, no matter the different races and opinions within. A moreover example that proves both the author’s point is when Patel asserts,”This nation could well have been a house divided, but today we stand as one…”(Patel, 6). This quote describes that the people as a whole has decided to stand together because in the end when the nation is united the people will accomplish great things. This imperative because being a whole nation is better than being a separated nation due to the fact that the U.S functions properly when it is
On May 22nd of 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson spoke to the graduating class of the University of Michigan on The Great Society, saying, “ … in your time we have the opportunity to move not only toward the rich society and the powerful society, but upward, to the Great Society … “ In his address, he used rhetoric to inspire young Americans to take action to better their country. In order to successfully impact them, President Johnson utilized the persuasive proofs as well as an understanding of his audience. logos, is an appeal to the logical mind of the audience, and is derived from arguments within the issue a speaker presents. President Johnson definitely made an attempt to persuade his listeners by presenting them with anecdotal and statistical evidence. For instance, he referenced the Peace Corps, which were founded at Michigan, and the good works they did, much like the works he was asking the graduates to do for America and her citizens. He also mentioned statistics related to the areas he hoped his audience would seek to improve, like the 54 million Americans who never completed high school and the 100,000 students who would not go to college because they could not afford it. He satisfied both the desire to better society that is common in the minds of college students and the need for numeric, factual support they learned to ask for through their education. By presenting this balanced, well-reasoned argument,
Jordan was forcefully optimistic that social change is possible, and this optimism set the tone for her speech. It remains a speech that is strikingly relevant to the political problems confronting us today. We are all aware that partisan gridlock and dysfunction define the day-to-day political process in today’s Washington. Cynicism and lack of confidence in government are at record levels. Liberals might blame a Republican Party that seems doggedly unwilling to work with President Obama on a host of issues; conservatives might blame the President and other Democrats for pursuing a liberal policy agenda with which they can find no area for compromise. This ideological stalemate seems to have no end in sight, and it feeds a widespread cynicism about the political process itself.
Adam Clayton Powell Jr. tells them that they are behind the times and still stuck in the 19th century. He brings up the eradication of second class citizenship. He also tells them (the audience) that they are not making any effort at all to help with the ongoing race problem. The focus is mostly on how the government has failed to put laws in place and how they should get their country under control. He explains how he is a Congressman and shows how even a black man is eligible for that job which really hits home with a lot of people. “I am proud to be a member of the Congress of the United States. I am proud to be a member of the Legislative branch of the United States Government.” From what I could tell, this audience was very diverse through
I did not know what to expect coming into the dialogue because I had been anticipating the discussion of Trupism since I read the syllabus for the course. This topic was of particular interest to me because I was very interested to hear other people opinions on Trump as a potential presidential candidate and rebellion of the white working lass. I gained so much insight and knowledge from hearing others prospective.
Clinton associates himself, during his speech, with the combined values of a progressive as well as a collectivist through claims supportive of the future, of progress, of community, and of equality. He states in response to the critics of his actions during the Vietnam War: “I believe it weakened and divided America and made us reluctant to use our strength in other parts of the world. But I know many of you then and many of today disagree with me. And I respect that” (Clinton). The passage shows a collectivist demeanor in that Clinton strives to attain a nation drawing strength from its unity; in his belief, the Vietnam War destroyed the bond Americans share as a result of boundaries being drawn between parties. Moreover, he promotes an atmosphere bent on equality where no personal belief outweighs any other personal belief. Clinton later states: “If any of you choose to vote against me because of what happened 23 years ago, that is your right as an American citizen, and I respect it. But I hope that you will cast your vote looking toward the future, rather than remaining fixed to the problems of the past” (Clinton). Clinton, once again, builds an arena of equality through recognition of the possibility of differences of opinions from the audience members; however, he shifts his focus to a progressive mindset. Clinton asks the audience to look ahead at what the future holds rather than the events of the past. He, later, confronts the dilemma of the election
As a Mexican American student who has taken a course in Latino Studies I can say first hand that just one course has awakened a desire to learn more about other cultures. I was born in and raised in the Bay Area. I am fortunate enough to grow up in a diverse community where I did not have to struggle to be allowed as a member of such community. When I learned about the drive and passion Mexican American leaders had, and the impact they made on my ethnic group; I also learned that they were not alone in the struggle. African American activists joined forces with Mexican American groups to help make a change for equality. We have come very far as a society, but there is still a lot of work to be done. The future leaders of our country should
On May 22nd of 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson spoke to the graduating class of the University of Michigan on The Great Society, saying, “ … in your time we have the opportunity to move not only toward the rich society and the powerful society, but upward, to the Great Society … “ In his address, he used rhetoric to inspire young Americans to take action to better their country. In order to successfully impact them, President Johnson utilized the persuasive proofs as well as an understanding of his audience. logos, is an appeal to the logical mind of the audience, and is derived from arguments within the issue a speaker presents. President Johnson definitely made an attempt to persuade his listeners by presenting them with anecdotal and statistical evidence. For instance, he referenced the Peace Corps, which were founded at Michigan, and the good works they did, much like the works he was asking the graduates to do for America and her citizens. He also mentioned statistics related to the areas he hoped his audience would seek to improve, like the 54 million Americans who never completed high school and the 100,000 students who would not go to college because they could not afford it. He satisfied both the desire to better society that is common in the minds of college students and the need for numeric, factual support they learned to ask for through their education. By presenting this balanced, well-reasoned argument,
In order to better benefit society, my generation must find a way to work with, and respect, people with ideologies and mannerisms that are different than their own, especially if they are involved in the government. It is irrational to believe that everyone in our society will be able to work together all of the time, yet it is vital to our growth as a society that we learn to work together in some way. If my generation is able to encourage people to celebrate the things which make them different, then it is very likely that people will begin to accept the cultures, ideas, beliefs, and decisions that others make, even if they differ from their personal cultures, ideas, beliefs, and decisions. By encouraging those in our government to be inclusive of the vast cultures, ideas, beliefs, and decisions our American people possess, our society will be able to innovate and expand like never before. If my generation is able to encourage the American people to come together, despite their differences, society as a whole will reap benefits on a social and economic
Events in America, both current and past have a dramatic effect on how Americans, and people around the world, view the country and its leaders. These events refer to the American peoples’ civil rights and liberties, stories that make the news daily, and the interaction between major political figures. These events are meaningful as they have the power to shape the future of the United States. The values that are important to the American people, and the representatives that we elect to uphold those values are hot topics of debate, as the people decide which direction this nation should be heading in.
In American society, two individuals often join hands and collaborate regardless of their different characteristics. Even though their identities may clash with each others’ and be absolute opposites, their union remains unaffected. Their combined strength enables them to complete many tasks. In the unit of “Finding Common Ground,” the selections focuses on the citizens of America to explore this concept of being unified despite diversity. Kofi Annan sums up this unit by saying, “[People] may have different religions, different languages, different colored skin, but [they] all belong to one human race,” in which he expresses that though people are carry differences, they have the potential to unite. The main messages of this unit coincide with his words because the texts highlight that the people of any country can unify and be strong as a group if they have the resolve to do so. Ultimately, a nation derives strength from
In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson gave a speech at the University of Michigan outlining his vision for the future of America – “A Great Society.” He challenged the students at University of Michigan to help make this dream a reality. In Johnson’s opinion, the main three things we had to reform to create a “Great Society” were education, city life, and racial inequality. Today, his dream is not our reality, but I do believe that we have made some progress towards the “Great Society” in the past 53 years, given the numerous setbacks that America has faced.
I assumed that the people would be more unified share a greater passion for electing a perfect candidate together. Instead, some people want to rebuild America and make it great by getting rid of public services, aid provided to the people, and individuals who help the nation. Some of the reasonings behind the people’s mindset are irregular. While some mindsets have a more appealing reason to why they stand for the values that are brought by their chosen candidate, there are others who have irregular or confusing reasonings. I can understand why some may vote or support their preferred candidate, but there are some people who I can’t quite grasp their perspective on the situation. To understand the situation better, I had to open my mind. Changing the way I saw the world and people’s thoughts, helped me have a better understanding of people’s reasons. I was able to understand that some people have angry and fear, therefore they want to change. People hope to see the future as a better place. The people don’t want the world to stay the same. I thought of the situation has made me think differently about people and the world. The future of the world will
Both of these statements stunned me and made me question the systematic world of business. Another important note I had was the Malcolm X quote which stated, “Tokenism only benefits the few, not the masses. Distancing oneself from the community they exclude” (Malcolm X). Another important part was tokenism and diversity efforts. These are the four I picked up on. First, racists are the problem and we tend to make them out to have a particular face. Second, diversity as a debt. Third, Racism as paranoia. Fourth, minorities have an advantage. Seeing these things from time to time in my every day. I think the four are great because they are noticeable to people, affect themselves, and have well researched theories. You are my teacher and you were the speaker, so there were many similarities. One part in particular was when you mentioned the MTV video of colored people and saying microaggressions towards white people to show them what they’re experiencing. The clip was funny and it did prove some valuable points. Your mentioning of it fit in nicely with the conversation. Something I found intriguing were the students responses to if they feel tokened at St. Olaf. In their responses, many felt tokened. I had not put that much thought on if Tokenism exists at St. Olaf so I had never thought about it from that
In a time where civil conflicts have caused migration, and new reforms making it harder to enter the US, hearing the point of view of someone who has lived in civil conflict as well as one who has made political advancements, would inspire many to stand up