Counterintuitive Fall 2024

1. Affolter, Zach. “SeaWorld Doesn’t ‘Educate’ Students.” The Dodo. N.p., 21 Oct. 2014. Web. 26 Mar. 2017.

Background: In this article the author talks about how SeaWorld is not educational for students and that schools should no longer take the students here on field trips because they are being shown dishonesty and cruelty.

How I Used It: I used this article in my argument to emphasize the fact that SeaWorld is not educational for children. The author did a good job explaining that even teachers see the problem with bringing their students to SeaWorld and that is what I used from him in my argument.

2. Entertainment, SeaWorld Parks &. “Education.” Where Imagination Meets Nature. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2017.

Background: This is SeaWorld’s home page that talks about the educational experiences they offer and how they care for the animals. There are several links on this page that gives you more information on what SeaWorld is all about and what they do.

How I Used It: I used their information to refute some of the things they had on their website to help with my argument. I used their website and words as evidence to demonstrate that they were providing false information to the public.

3. Hogenboom, Melissa. “BBC – Earth – Why Killer Whales Should Not Be Kept in Captivity.”BBC News. BBC, 10 Mar. 2016. Web. 06 Mar. 2017.

Background: This article talked about a lot of information on the killer whales such as their ecotypes, how they live in captivity compared to the wild whales, and the health problems that captivity causes. It also talked a little bit about Tilikum, the killer whale responsible for the death of trainer Dawn Brancheau and the star of the documentary Blackfish.

How I Used It: I used this article to explain the concept of the ecotypes and that two whales from different ecotypes do not belong in the same pool. I also used it for information about the downsides of captivity such as health effects.

4. Kirby, David. “If SeaWorld Is About Educating the Public, Why Doesn’t It Have Any Porpoises?” TakePart. N.p., 13 May 2014. Web. 26 Mar. 2017.

Background: This article is all about the porpoise, which is a marine animal that not many people know about because SeaWorld refuses to include them in their parks because they don’t give off the same appeal as other animals such as the massive killer whale or bottlenose dolphin. It also goes on to say that these animals are not easily trained and are not flexible for tricks making them unappealing to an audience, which leads to the conclusion that SeaWorld is only in it for the entertainment and shows.

How I Used It: I used this article to show that SeaWorld only cares about money and having appealing animals in their parks because of their refusal of the porpoise.

5. Schelling, Ameena. “SeaWorld Says ‘The Facts Are On Our Side.’ Let’s Look At the ‘Facts.’”The Dodo. N.p., 07 May 2015. Web. 06 Mar. 2017.

Background: This article mentions some of the claims that SeaWorld tells the public and then the author goes on to refute them. Some of the claims the author refutes are that orcas live as long in captivity as they do in the wild, they don’t separate calves from their mothers, and they don’t starve the orcas.

How I Used It: I used this article to show that SeaWorld is treating their animals poorly and that captivity is not good for the animals. I cited this article in my paper to give evidence that the orcas are being mistreated.

6. Worrall, Simon. “Former Trainer Slams SeaWorld for Cruel Treatment of Orcas.” National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 14 Apr. 2017. Web. 20 Apr. 2017.

Background: In this article, Former SeaWorld trainer John Hargrove talks about the dangers of being a trainer and keeping these whales captive. He talks about how dangerous being a trainer us because these are KILLER whales they are dealing with and they could snap at any moment. The article then goes on to talk about how bad captivity is for these animals and that they belong out in the wild.

How I Used It: I did not use this article in my paper but I read it and had it in my proposal to give me some background information about SeaWorld and what the trainers thought about their interactions with the whales and what they saw and encountered in their experiences.

7. Schelling, Ameena. “Ex-SeaWorld Employee Gives Chilling New Details About Orca Mistreatment.” The Dodo – For Animal People. N.p., 19 Sept. 2016. Web. 20 Apr. 2017.

Background: This article is about former SeaWorld diver Sarah Fischbeck’s experience of the animal cruelty that went on. She talks about the experiences and trauma that not only the whales went through, but other animals such as dolphins and penguins. She revealed some very dark and descriptive details and events that she has witnessed herself, even though SeaWorld denies it all in order to keep business going.

How I Used It: I used this article to say that the former trainer claimed that SeaWorld would deprive the whales of food before a visit from a celebrity to ensure that they performed well. This helped in my refutation of SeaWorld’s claim that they don’t food deprive their animals.

8. Meyers, Cara. “SeaWorld Lies About Research: Killer Whale, Orca Dorsal Fins.” Global Animal. N.p., 28 May 2014. Web. 20 Apr. 2017.

Background: This article talks about how SeaWorld claims that the whales bent dorsal fin is due to genetics and how it is just a natural thing to occur. It is most commonly seen in whales that are kept in captivity and rarely seen on wile orcas. The article goes on to say that SeaWorld is lying to the public about this.

How I Used It: This article gave me some insight about the bent dorsal fin and the reasons that they occur both in captivity and in the wild. The article made me interested and allowed me to research more about why whales in captivity had the bent dorsal fin.

9. Schelling, Ameena. “No, SeaWorld Didn’t Just Have Their Last Orca Show.” The Dodo – For Animal People. N.p., 08 Jan. 2017. Web. 20 Apr. 2017.

Background: This article mentions SeaWorld San Diego’s last show, which is a big step towards finally freeing the orcas, but what people don’t realize is that San Diego is the only park doing this as of now. Also they are not completely ending the show they are creating a new show to try and focus on the natural behaviors of the whales. But this is not a change for the whales since they will still be kept in captivity and they will still have to perform commands that will have the audience think they are natural, but they are really being forced to do them.

How I Used It: I used this article to show that SeaWorld is not making any improvements to the lifestyle of the orcas because they are still going to be expected to perform and be kept in small tanks.

10. Fisheries, NOAA. “Killer Whale (Orcinus Orca).” NOAA Fisheries. N.p., 08 Jan. 2015. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.

Background: This website gives you all the basic information you need to know about orcas such as their life span, behavior, diet, habitat, and some facts about the different types of killer whales.

How I Used It: I used this article to quote the lifespan of the orca to prove that what SeaWorld was claiming was false. I also used this to get an idea of what their natural behaviors and diets were.

11. Weisberg, Lori. “SeaWorld Bids Farewell Sunday to Shamu Show.” ProQuest, 07 Jan. 2017. Web. 23 Apr. 2017.

Background: This article talked about the death of Tilikum, the killer whale that was responsible for the death of trainer Dawn Brancheau. The article then went on to talk about the new show that is opening up in San Diego soon that is replacing the old orca show. These shows are still going to include tricks and orcs flipping into the air but it is supposed to resemble a more natural habitat for them including the backdrop that looks like a natural environment.

How I Used It: I used this article to give me more information on the new renovations SeaWorld is making for their shows. This article said that the orcas are still going to be performing shows, which means that they aren’t really changing much from the old shows only that it is supposed to seem more natural.  This article did a good job in providing me the details of the new show that allowed me to understand that this new show is no better from the last.

12. “Basic Facts About Orcas.” Defenders of Wildlife. N.p., 19 Sept. 2016. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.

Background: This website gave me detailed information and the basic facts of the orca. It included the diet, population, range, behavior, reproduction, and the basic physical description of the orca.

How I Used It: This website was very helpful in comprehending the basic facts about these animals and it gave me a good idea of what the life of a wild orca was like. I was able to use these facts to distinguish them from the orcas at SeaWorld to see how much they differed.

13. “Killer Whale Facts.” Whale Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.

Background: This website gave many interesting facts that I did not know about killer whales prior to reading this. The article talked about echolocation and how they hunt their prey. It also mentioned what they normally eat, their habitat, how they migrate, and how they communicate.

How I Used It: This website really helped me to learn every aspect about the killer whale and I was able to learn a lot of interesting information about their daily lives and how they survive. I also learned some differences between captive and wild orcas and some of the human attacks that have occurred.

14. “SeaWorld Responds to Questions about Captive Orcas, ‘Blackfish’ Film.” CNN. Cable News Network, 28 Oct. 2013. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.

Background: This article is SeaWorld responding to questions regarding the Blackfish documentary about whale captivity including the killer whale Tilikum and the death of trainer Dawn Brancheau. CNN asks SeaWorld many questions regarding captivity, rescue efforts, and the treatment of these orcas.

How I Used It: I used this interview to get some information about SeaWorld’s reaction to the documentary and to see what their answers were when they were asked a variety of questions regarding the treatment of their whales.

15. Cronin, Melissa. “What Is SeaWorld Trying To Hide By Painting Their Orcas Black?” The Dodo – For Animal People. N.p., 24 July 2014. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.

Background: This article talked about the fact that SeaWorld is covering up the orcas burns with black zinc oxide. Orcas in captivity get sunburn because their water is clear, they are more exposed to the sun, their water is not deep, and they don’t have enough shade. When they get sunburn they begin to blister and have peeling skin, which is not appealing to the audiences so it is covered up with this oxide to make it look like there was nothing wrong.

How I Used It: I did not use this article in my paper but it gave me another reason that captivity is not good for animals and that SeaWorld tries to cover up for their misdoings.

1. O’Donnell, Andy. “Know the Dangers of Oversharing on Facebook.” Lifewire. N.p., n.d.   Web. 27 Feb. 2017.

Background: How much information is too much information when it comes to sharing information on Facebook? Sharing becomes a personal risk when you cross the line of sharing about personal information such as location and schedules. Stalkers attract to people that overshare because it provides easy guidelines about their life.

How I Used It: I used this source to provide readers about stalkers taking advantage of easy access to Facebook timelines and limitless information about your life based on your privacy settings.

2. Manning, Allee. “Is Using Facebook A Free Speech Right? Supreme Court Weighs Case.” Vocativ. Vocativ, 01 Mar. 2017. Web. 06 Mar. 2017.

Background: The U.S Supreme Court considers whether social media is a privilege or a right in modern society. The court reviewed a case of a convict from a incident that occurred in college eight years ago. The question is whether the law infringes on freedom of speech rights and if social media is a medium of communication protected under the First Amendment.

How I Used It: I used this source as an example explaining what connection the law has to predators being on social media and what are the consequences if being caught in the act violating a sexual predators guidelines.

From Earning to Learning

1. Spencer, Kyle. “Standards-Based Grading.” Education Digest 78.3 (2012): 4-10. Education Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 20 Feb. 2017.

Background: The standards-based grading system is a system in which only mastery in course subjects is measured. This method encourages students to move from learning simple concepts to understanding complex concepts. The standards-based grading system does that because it only measures academic success. The system works by providing an overall grade for each class, but also provides a grade for how well the student mastered the course based on its standards. Supporters of this system say that the traditional system is unreliable since its criteria is vague. They also say that this system is better since  grades cannot be affected by other factors that don’t including mastering the subject.

How I used it: I used this article mostly in my rebuttal section mostly to help me describe solution to the main issue I wrote about in my paper. The information in this article helped me be able to persuasively discuss the pros of the standards-based system, and show how it’s more effective than a traditional grading system.

2. Kohn, Alfie. “The Case Against GRADES.” Educational Leadership 69.3 (2011): 28-33. Educational Administration Abstracts. Web. 6 Feb. 2017.

Background: Current grading systems in place are not effective. Having a letter or number scale grading system takes the focus of students off of learning, and more on what grades they’re receiving in a certain class. Grades also create the problem that students will choose the easiest way out  when projects are assigned to get a good grade. For example, students will pick a topic they know the most on when choosing so it is easier to earn a better grade. Student-teacher conferences and narrative assessments could be a possible replacement for the grading system. These would provide summaries of student progress in writing or in person. This way, the progress of students can still be measured, just not through a number or letter grade system.

How I used it: This article helped me explain numerous problems with the current traditional grading system. For example, the current grading system can take away students’ interest in a given subject. It is also unpredictable since every teacher gets to create their own standards for the class.

3. Ruff, Corinne. “Why Do Colleges Still Use Grades?.” Chronicle of Higher Education, vol. 62, no. 26, 11 Mar. 2016, p. 1

Background: In this article, Corrine Ruff questions why a traditional grading system is still used in college. Currently, students need a good GPA to get into college, but what purpose does having a high GPA in college serve? She thinks it would be better to base grades off a level of mastery instead of assigning grades to the “skills” students have learned.

How I used it: I used this source to point out the flaws in our current system. Instead of only looking at the standpoint from the grade school and high school level, this source helped look at the grading system from a new perspective. Measuring mastery would be more beneficial to students, especially in college since students are studying for their career paths.

4. Allen, J. D. (2005). Grades as valid measures of academic achievement of classroom learning. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and I, 78(5), 218-223.

Background: Teachers have different preferences when it comes to grading. Some prefer to have grading system that includes behavior and participation. It focuses on more areas than a standards-based grading system, which only focuses on academics. Although it focuses on more areas, this system can be seen as unpredictable since it takes away from students academic achievements in different subjects. Other teachers prefer to use the standards- based grading system, since they believe it’s more predictable and expectations are more clear. They also think this system is better because colleges accept students mostly on their academic achievements, so they think its important to not have grades affected by things other than academics.

How I used it: This source helped understand the main purpose of grades, which I incorporated into my definition essay. Grading is controversial because there are so many different philosophies about it. Teachers and people in general have very different perspectives, which is why it’s difficult to change our system.

5. Carey, Theodore, and James Carifio. “Minimum Grading, Maximum Learning.” Principal Leadership 11.7 (2011): 42-46. Education Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 20 Feb. 2017.

Background: The implementation of minimum grading can have many positive affects on students. Minimum grading in some school systems is not submitting any grades below a 50. For students who are inconsistent struggle in some areas, but thrive in others, this system works best for. This increases motivation and self worth in students. For example, if a student gets a zero on an assignment they forgot to turn in, and had one very low test grade in the beginning of the year, they won’t lose all hope in still achieving a good grade for the class. They will be motivated to still try to get a good grade, as opposed to giving up and not caring about the class anymore.

How I used it: After reading this source I understood the major reasons behind minimum grading. One reason is that when students produce a lot of effort and get a bad grade, they are less likely to expend that same effort in the future. This helped me in causal argument when I explained how grades get in the way of learning.

6. Elikai, Fara, and Peter W. Schuhmann. “An Examination of the Impact of Grading Policies on Students’ Achievement.” Issues in Accounting Education 25.4 (2010): 677-93. ProQuest. Web. 20 Apr. 2017.

Background: Assigning grades to measure student success is used as a motivational tool, sand this source focuses solely on the motivation aspect of grades. A student’s effort is taken into account when a final grade is calculated with our traditional system.

How I used it: Since the main intentions of creating a grading system was to create motivations for students by grading them on their effort, I used this source to incorporate into my rebuttal. My solution is to use a standards-based system, where effort is not graded.

7. Brookhart, Susan M. “Starting The Conversation About Grading.” Educational Leadership 69.3 (2011): 10-14. Educational Administration Abstracts. Web. 6 Feb. 2017.

Background: When teachers and school districts discuss which grading methods to use, the first important step is decide the purpose grades. Decide on what grades should mean, and what message they should convey to students. Questions like which grading scale to use, how often to report grades, how many grades to combine, and how to combine them will ineffective to discuss first.  First ask every member what grading practices they believe in. For example, the standards-based grading system focuses on “what students learn, not what earn,” while other practices are the other way around. After a conclusion is decided on, then secondary issues can be talked about.

How I used it: This source helped me sort out all the different possibilities when it comes to grading. It explained all the ways to grade, which helped me come to the conclusion that the standards-based system would be the best solution for my research paper.

8. Yesbeck, Diana Marie. “Grading Practices: Teachers’ Considerations of Academic and Non-Academic Factors.” Order No. 3487509 Virginia Commonwealth University, 2011. Ann Arbor: ProQuest. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.

Background: One of the major debates in grading is deciding whether or not to include factors other than academics into the curriculum. When including factors other than academics, it promotes more originality between schools around the country, but can make grades more unpredictable. On the other hand, including only academics creates less originality, more standardized tests, but we can be sure that the grades are more predictable.

How I used it: I used this source to helped me decide if I was in favor of including factors other than academics in grading systems. After reading some parts of this source, I decided I was against it, and I explain reasons why in my paper.

9. Scriffiny, Patricia L. “Seven Reasons for Standards-Based Grading.” Educational Leadership, vol. 66, no. 2, Oct. 2008, pp. 70-74. EBSCOhost. 

Background: This source examines the advantages of the standards-based system. Scriffiny lists many reasons why we should have this system, which include that it’s easier for teachers to adjust instruction, makes it easier for educators to control grading practices, reduces meaningless paperwork, and gives grades real meaning.

How I used it: After reading this article, it again help me to make my decision to become an advocate for the standards-based system. I liked the advantages that are pointed out here, and it also shows the flaws in the traditional system.

10. Reeves, Douglas B. “Effective Grading.” Educational Leadership, vol. 65, no. 5, Feb. 2008, pp. 85-87. EBSCOhost.

Background: A reform to our current grading system would not only be  beneficial to students,  but teachers and education administrators as well. This source describes the steps to an education reform, by making grading more effective to increase student success.

How I used it: Since my topic is mainly about how gradesbprevent learning, this source helped me understand the difficult process of grade reform. It’s not an easy process that can happen overnight, especially since there are many different views.

11. Marzano, Robert J. and Tammy Heflebower. “Grades That Show What Students Know.” Educational Leadership, vol. 69, no. 3, Nov. 2011, pp. 34-39. EBSCOhost.

Background: The standards-based system is the best alternative to grade reform. This article dives deep into the standards-based system and describes ways to get the most out of it. For example, it would be beneficial to let students improve upon previous assignments, or have teachers create unobtrusive assessments, where students might not even be aware if they were being tested or not.

How I used it: I used material and gained some backround knowledge about the standards-based system to make sure I fully understood it before choosing it as a solution.

12. Reeves, Douglas B. “Taking the Grading Conversation Public.” Educational Leadership, vol. 69, no. 3, Nov. 2011, pp. 76-79. EBSCOhost

Background: Grading reform can be a touchy subject, especially among education administrators. This source demonstrates effective ways to handle discussing grade reform.

How I used it: I didn’t specifically talk about the steps of process to reforming grades in my paper, but it was necessary to have the knowledge on how it worked if I was going to write a paper on the flaws of our current system.

13. Hochbein, Craig and Marty Pollio. “Making Grades More Meaningful.” Phi Delta Kappan, vol. 98, no. 3, Nov. 2016, pp. 49-54. EBSCOhost

Background: This source compares traditional grading vs. standard-based grading. It completed a study to look at the correlation between traditional grades and standards-based grades when it comes to standardized tests. Students who were taught under the standards-based system did significantly better than those who were not.

How I used it: This source helped me because it compared the two systems I discussed in one article. It made it easy for me to lay out my arguments with both systems side by side being compared to one another.

Annotated Bibliography

1. Bornmann, J. W. (2009). Becoming soldiers: Army basic training and the negotiation of identity (Order No. 3349632). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (304880565). Retrieved from http://ezproxy.rowan.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/304880565?accountid=13605

Background: It is hard for outsiders to grasp the challenge recruits face while going through Basic Combat Training. So to be able to accurately study it, John W. Bornmann joined the United States Army to get firsthand experience as a recruit.  While being able to witness everything with his own eyes, common misconceptions about the military’s training programs were clarified.

How I Used It: Bornmann was able to support some of my claims with his experience at basic training. While we where both proving different points, his experiences aligned very well with the experiences that I went through along with the experience of those I surveyed. So having a second academic source to backup my information was a major benefit to my paper.

2. Davis, T. W. (2006). Effects of stress, coping style, and confidence on basic combat training performance, discipline, and attrition (Order No. 3207963). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (304960885). Retrieved from http://ezproxy.rowan.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/304960885?accountid=13605

Background: A general survey was conducted to help better understand how recruits cope with problems they face. Between high stress levels, coping mechanisms and anxiety, recruits feel a wide variety of emotion. Getting to the bottom of it is crucial to understanding how military training works

How I Used It: This source was easily implemented by applying it’s data in support of my argument. This source puts numbers to my claims through studies and surveys. By explaining the poor performance of those with a negative mindset, this source directly fit  in with the argument I was making.

3. Hayden, Joanna. “Self-Efficacy Theory.” Introduction to Health Behavior Theory. Second ed. Burlington: Jones and Bartlett Learning, 2014. 14-21. Print.

Background: The theory of self-efficacy is explained as the belief of one’s own ability to successfully accomplish something.” “Efficacious people set challenging goals and maintain strong commitment to them.”

How I Used It: This theory is one that goes a long with how successful trainees feel throughout their training. Those who set small goals to motivate them and to build their resiliency, ended up successful. This source put a definition to this theory and explained how it worked. This was valuable information to my paper.

4. Personal interview with Daniel Hill

Background: I interviewed a student at Rowan University who is working towards being a medical school student. He is one of the hardest working people that I know yet always finds time to help others. Dan believes in a hard work ethic and is willing to face the difficult road of applying and completing medical school.

How I Used It: I interviewed him to get his opinion as to whether or not medical school should be as difficult as it is. He understands how hard it is and how hard it is to get accepted to and he whole heartedly agrees with it. He knows that it takes strong resiliency skills to be able to make life or death decisions and medical school seeks just that.

5. “How Hard Is Medical School?” Premedly. Premedlife Staff, 29 Feb. 2016. Web. 06 Apr. 2017.

Background: This source explained how hard medical school was. Providing extensive details and first hand experience, it truly got the point across about how difficult medical school is. At one point, this source even related medical school to Navy Seal training.

How I Used It: While I did not reference this source directly in my paper, reading this article actually gave me the idea to relate medical school and military training. I did not fully comprehend how difficult aspiring medical students had it until reading this article and I could relate to that feeling on several different levels. This article gave me the idea to interview someone who was attempting to take on this difficult beast.

6. MacKenzie, Doris Layton., and Gaylene Styve. Armstrong. Correctional Boot Camps: Military Basic Training or a Model for Corrections? Thousand Oaks: Sage, 2004. Print.

Background: This book goes into great detail about how the “bootcamp method” was applied as a way to fix poor behavior or criminal behavior. Focusing on young adults with delinquent behavior, this book describes the program to put them in shape. But does it always work?

How I Used It: I did not directly reference this article but this is what gave me the idea to look for the boot camp method in other areas. Without this reading, I would never have related my argument to medical school.

7. Bartone, Paul T., Robert R. Roland, James J. Picano, and Thomas J. Williams. “Psychological Hardiness Predicts Success in US Army Special Forces Candidates.” International Journal of Selection and Assessment 16.1 (2008): 78-81. International Journal of Selection and Assessment. Blackwell Publishing Ltd, Mar. 2008. Web. 4 Apr 2017

Background: This article describes the mental states that is required to make it through U.S. Army Special Forces. Stating that psychological hardiness is crucial for Special Forces soldiers and how they are selected, this article brought out the numbers to explain how strong willed these people needed to be

How It Was Used: While this would have been great to be able to use directly in my paper, I did not have the room! But that said, this article was a great confirmation in how important resiliency is for the United States military; so much so that it is one of the top traits needed for special forces selection.

8. Dyrbye, Liselotte N., Matthew R. Thomas, Jefrey L. Huntington, Karen L. Lawson, Paul J. Novotny, Jeff A. Sloan, and Tait D. Shanafelt. “Personal Life Events and Medical Student Burnout: A Multicenter Study.” Academic Medicine 81.4 (2006): 374-84. Web.

Background: This article summed up the burnout rate of medical school students. Describing difficulties faced by med students along with what causes them to run themselves down.

How It Was Used: This was one of a few articles I read to get a feel about how difficult medical school was. To ensure I was making a legitimate comparison between medical school and the military, I wanted to have my facts straight.

9. Dunn, Laura B., Alana Iglewicz, and Christine Moutier. “A Conceptual Model of Medical Student Well-Being: Promoting Resilience and Preventing Burnout.” SpringerLink. Springer-Verlag, 11 Jan. 2014. Web. 10 Apr. 2017

Background: This source emphasizes on resilience of med students throughout medical school. It goes on to say that those who lack strong resilience skills wash themselves out of medical school.

How It Was Used: This article made the clear connection of medical school and the military by focusing on resiliency. Considering I was arguing resiliency within the military, this source made the clear connection between med school and the military.

10. Sewell, Gerald F. “Emotional Intelligence: And the Army Leadership Requirements Model.” Military Review. U.S. Army CGSC, 01 Nov. 2009. Web. 1 Apr. 2017.

Background: This source explains how the Army might lack emotional intelligence which in turn encourages its leaders to be too hard on its soldiers. It highlights that while the military is good with providing leaders who can accomplish a mission, it is not got at caring about how the soldiers feel while doing so.

How It Was Used: This is where I saw a general rebuttal to my thesis. I took this thought and explained why the military is hard on it’s soldiers for a specific reason and that if the soldier thinks it is too difficult, they do not belong.

11. Honghua, Xu, and Feng Zenghui. “Employment Self-efficacy: Construction and Initial Validation of a Scale for University Students.” 2010 International Conference on E-Business and E-Government (2010): n. pag. Web.

Background: This source explains how self-efficacy is implanted throughout the military.

How It Was Used: This was a great cross reference for my claim that self-eficacy is crucial for soldiers within military training. I came to this conclusion after reading a health behavior book but this source was able to confirm my claim.

12. Personal Experience

Background: Throughout my experience with the United States Army, I have been subject to lessons that few my age will ever get a chance to learn. The biggest contributor to the lessons I’ve learned is by experience at basic training. It was here that I found the resiliency skills required to not only push through basic training, but all of the major obstacles that I would later encounter. With that, I also got to see how others cope with stress and where they find the strength to get past their toughest obstacles.

How I Used It: I was able to apply my experience by using what I felt and saw as evidence in my research proposal. Basic training provided me in-depth knowledge of a situation that few have the opportunity of experiencing and with this knowledge, I was able to make unique specific conclusions about the toll basic training takes on recruits.

13. Survey I conducted

Background: I surveyed 28 soldiers about the emotions and difficulties they felt while going through basic combat training. The majority said that they felt an influx of emotions throughout the training and used the emotions to their advantage throughout training.

How I Used It: I was able to apply this data to enforce my argument. The survey explained that the majority of those who went through basic training had to find their emotion to give them the motivation to complete training. Along with that, the survey showed that the mass majority faced very difficult times throughout the training painting the picture of how difficult the training actually is.

1. Philip E. Wolgin and Angela Maria Kelley. “The Public’s View of Immigration.” Center for American Progress. N.p., 15 Dec. 2011. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.

Background: This article was a surmise of five polls that shed light on how both sides view Immigration. The Republican Caucus party that participated in a poll showed that those who voted wanted action to be taken against those who migrate to this country. While the the Fox Latino community openly accepts the immigrants that come here. The polls showed in the article give good insight into how both parties react to this subject, simply by a vote.

How I used it: Article was used as a reference for the base idea for The A10 assignment.

2. Mallin, Alexander, and Katherine Faulders. “Trump’s Revised Immigration Order Expected to Renew Ban on 7 Muslim-majority Countries.” ABC News. ABC News Network, n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.

Background: This article discusses the more recent news with the immigration ban that had happened. This sheds light on how the republican party, and those who support it, view immigration. For something like this to happen both the party, and its voters would hold very conservative views towards immigration. Banning certain countries from coming to the US is a hefty immigration policy and people support it and its reciprocation.

How I Used it: Used as a tool to gather information on my topic for A10. The information gathered was used as a reference for building ideas.

3. Jr., William Simon. “Immigration and Americanization.” The Heritage Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.

Background: Heritage.org discusses its view on immigration by talking about how the Americanization of immigrants shows how they have to adjust. Immigrants have to become Americanized, outside of getting a citizenship, in order to be socially accepted, and after pearl harbor, this was fully apparent. It is the same way today, 9/11 has caused a huge stigma against Muslim people, so giving up your heritage for an Americanized version is a way to appease people.

How I Used It: Used as an information pool to inspire me for the A10 assignment and gave good background information for the topic at hand.

4. “Becoming American: The Hidden Core of the Immigration Debate.” Center for Immigration Studies. N.p., 28 Apr. 2013. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.

Background: This article has a very obvious “pro-Immigrant” stance, but getting a view from all parties is a key to a good paper. The article focuses on the hardships that immigrants face when coming to the country. Facing things like race-crime , ICE raids, and even the journey itself, immigration to the US has many hardships, and that is what the majority of Americans do not understand, and that is what the article was hinting at, and giving the Immigrants a leg up by explaining the hardships.

How I Used It: Was used as a tool to gather information for my A10 argument essay.

5. “How Americans View Immigrants, and What They…” PRRI. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.

Background: This article gives charts, and in-depth poll analysis for how people view immigration. Many different factors are shown in this article including views of immigrants by age, religious affiliation, and other factors that go accounted when people are given the topic of Immigration.

How I Used it: An information tool for A10 assignment.

6. King, C. Richard. “White Power and SportJournal of Sport and Social Issues.” Journal of Sport and Social Issues, 10 Feb. 2007. Web. 07 Mar. 2017.

Background: This article was about white power within sports journalism and how it interacts with social issues in regards to racism within the sports world.

How I Used It: Used as an argumentative point withing the first few paragraphs of the essay. Stated how white folk were creating this mentality that if people of color can take sport positions away, what else could they take away, and used it as a point against racism.

7. Sterngold, James. “A Racial Divide Widens on Network TV.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 28 Dec. 1998. Web. 07 Mar. 2017.

Background: Writings about how BET came about and inevitably had to appeal to a white audience as well.

How I Used It: I used this as an example in regards to why and piece of work written by a person of color had to appeal to white people somehow and how it interacted with the main idea of the essay.

8. Alsultany, Evelyn. Arabs and Muslims in the media: race and representation after 9/11. New York: New York U Press, 2012. Print.

Background: A piece on the subject of Arabs and Muslims in the media after 9/11 and how they were portrayed and the treat meant they got because of it.

How I Used It: This article was referenced and used as an argumentative point in my essay for how people were being treated after an attack on America has happened.

9. Wise, Tim J. Between Barack and a Hard Place Racism and White Denial in the Age of Obama. San Francisco: City Lights, 2009. Print.

Background: a piece written on Barack Obama and his election and career and all the hardships and various issue that came with society’s reaction.

How I Used It:  Was used as a point in regard to white Americas reaction to people of color in places that are predominantly white, such as the presidency. I used this piece to show how sometimes “progressive” white folk don’t really understand the importance of something like  a black president, and how white America reacted to the first Black President.

10. Romero, Victor C. “Decoupling Terrorist from Immigrant: An Enhanced Role for the Federal Courts Post 9/11.” Journal of Gender, Race and Justice 7.1 (2003): 201-212.

Background: This piece discusses how federal courts interacted with Immigrants after 9/11, and how certain acts were abused to just round up immigrants under the guise of hunting for terrorism.

How I Used It: This was used as an argumentative point on the treatment of immigrants within America, especially after 9/11. It showed a good example of how certain acts or ideas can be abused if its used to hunt the injustice of terrorism.

11. McIntosh, Peggy. “White privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack.” (1988): 31-36.

Background: Piece was written to discuss “white privilege” the idea not every white person acknowledges when in regards to social issues, and how it isn’t really taught to be recognized.

How I Used It: Used it when discussing white privilege and how white privilege effects social issues, but was mainly used as an argument point against the idea that “you cant change the way people think”. Using the aspect that white privilege isn’t taught connected to the real reason people cant change the way they thing is because they are uneducated on social advantages and disadvantages on all sides.

Annotated Bibliography

1. “Margaret Sanger.” Biography.com. Ed. AE Networks Television. A&E Networks Television, 08 July 2014. Web. 17 Apr. 2017.

Background: In this biography I got to know the history of how Planned Parenthood was developed.  The life and accomplishments of women’s rights activist, Margaret Sanger, were chronicled in this article.

How I Used It: I used this article to help the reader to understand the history of Planned Parenthood.  I wanted the reader to know exactly how the institution was developed and all of the work that Sanger put into creating it.  I felt that it was important for the reader to connect with Sanger on a personal level before I got into my argument.

2. https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-heartland/who-we-are/history Online, Planned Parenthood. “Our History.” Planned Parenthood. PP, 22 Nov. 2016. Web. 17 Apr. 2017.

Background: In this article the background of Planned Parenthood over the past one hundred years was discussed.  This article discussed just how important Planned Parenthood is, and how it has been a vital institution for one hundred years now.

How I Used It: I used this article on Planned Parenthood to give my description of Margaret Sanger some backbone.  I felt that after describing this history of Sanger, a few facts and numbers would be helpful, so that is where this article came into play.

3. http://www.loyolamaroon.com/10013950/oped/opinion-defunding-planned-parenthood-disaster/ “Opinion: Defunding Planned Parenthood Would Be a Disaster.” The Maroon. Ed. Op Ed Opinions. Loyola Maroon, 06 Apr. 2017. Web. 17 Apr. 2017.

Background: This article was written by students at Loyola University.  They had done research on Planned Parenthood and had come to the conclusion that defunding it would be a grave mistake.  There were many facts, statistics, and detailed information about Planned Parenthood in this article.

How I Used It: I used this article to provide facts and statistics to back up my arguments.  I felt that this article had a lot of useful information that supported my thesis very well.

4. https://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/newsroom/2015/std-surveillance-report-press-release.html C, C. D. “Reported Cases of STDs on the Rise in the U.S.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 17 Nov. 2015. Web. 17 Apr. 2017.

Background: This article discussed STD’s in the United States.  It listed facts and statistics on all different types of sexually transmitted infections and diseases.

How I Used It: When it came to my argument about how defunding Planned Parenthood would create an STD epidemic, this article really helped me to back up my reasons.  There are an insane amount of people in the United States living with STD’s, but thanks to Planned Parenthood that number is kept as low as possible.  Without Planned Parenthood there to provide condoms and STD screenings, the STD statistics would be out of control.  This article fully supported my reasons and I used facts from it in my paper.

5. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2015/08/12/for-planned-parenthood-abortion-stats-3-percent-and-94-percent-are-both-misleading/ Lee, Michelle Ye Hee. “For Planned Parenthood Abortion Stats, ‘3 Percent’ and ’94 Percent’ Are Both Misleading.” The Washington Post. WP Company, 12 Aug. 2015. Web. 17 Apr. 2017.

Background: This article discussed how there are untrue statements about Planned Parenthood all over the internet.  Many anti-abortion activists have come up with crazy numbers, saying that almost all of Planned Parenthood’s funding goes to abortions, which is just not true.  The author of this article discredited those made up statistics and provided the truth about where Planned Parenthood’s funding actually goes.

How I Used It: I used this article to support my case in stating that only three percent of Planned Parenthood’s funding goes towards abortions.  It was very helpful when I was trying to get across where exactly the funding goes, and how much is spent on each service provided.

6. https://www.istandwithpp.org/defund-defined/impact-defunding-planned-parenthood Parenthood, Planned. “The Impact of Defunding Planned Parenthood.” Planned Parenthood Action Fund. PP, 1 Jan. 2017. Web. 17 Apr. 2017.

Background: This article discussed how defunding Planned Parenthood would affect the millions of people who depend on it everyday.  

How I Used It: I used this article to demonstrate just exactly how many people really do depend on Planned Parenthood constantly for healthcare.

7. http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/04/health/planned-parenthood-by-the-numbers/ Strickland, Ashley. “Planned Parenthood: Fast Facts and Revealing Numbers.” CNN. Cable News Network, 17 Jan. 2017. Web. 17 Apr. 2017.

Background: This article gave real statistics and data, that might have surprised many people.  Planned Parenthood’s abortion statistics are much lower than many people expect them to be, and the information provided by CNN in this article proves it.

How I Used It: I used this article in my efforts to break the cycle, and to get rid of the rumors that all that Planned Parenthood does is it provides abortions.  The facts and statistics proved that this institution does much more than that, and abortions only make up a tiny percentage of what Planned Parenthood is about.

8. Family Usa. “Four Reasons Planned Parenthood Is an Essential Health Care Provider.”Families USA. Familiesusa.org, 17 Jan. 2017. Web. 17 Apr. 2017. “Four Reasons Planned Parenthood Is an Essential Health Care Provider.”Families USA. Familiesusa.org, 17 Jan. 2017. Web. 17 Apr. 2017.

Background: This article discussed why Planned Parenthood is so important to individuals all across the country.  Most of Planned Parenthood’s clientele make very little money, and lots of them use Planned Parenthood as their primary healthcare provider. 

How I Used It: I used this article to help me justify why Planned Parenthood is so vital to this country.  It provided valid arguments and facts as to why Planned Parenthood needs to be part of the United States healthcare system. 

9. http://www.npr.org/sections/itsallpolitics/2015/08/05/429641062/fact-check-how-does-planned-parenthood-spend-that-government-money. Kurtzleben, Danielle. “Fact Check: How Does Planned Parenthood Spend That Government Money?” NPR. NPR, 05 Aug. 2015. Web. 27 Mar. 2017.

Background: This article discussed the different ways that Planned Parenthood spends their government funding.  It discussed in percentages how much money is spent on each service at Planned Parenthood.  It was determined after research and development that only three percent of Planned Parenthood’s funding goes towards abortions.

How I Used It: I used this article to prove that Planned Parenthood barely spends any money or effort on abortions.  It helped me to provide factual information to back up my thesis.

10. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-obamacare-idUSKBN16D2RC. Cornwell, Susan, and Yasmeen Abutaleb. “U.S. Republicans Unveil Plan to Dismantle Obamacare, Critics Pounce.” Reuters. Thomson Reuters, 06 Mar. 2017. Web. 06 Mar. 2017.

Background: This article talked about how the Republican party in the United States wants to get rid of Obamacare, as well as Planned Parenthood.  It showed their arguments for why defunding is necessary in their eyes.

How I Used It: I used this article to help me to understand the opposing side of Planned Parenthood, but I also used it to take down their reasons.  I used this article a lot when I was coming up with my rebuttal to refute the opposing argument.

11. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2015/06/25/obamacare-five-reasons-supreme-court/29269895/. O’Donnell, Jayne, and Richard Wolf. “Five Reasons Why the Obamacare Decision Is Important.” USA Today. Gannett Satellite Information Network, 25 June 2015. Web. 06 Mar. 2017.

Background: This article discussed how getting rid of Obamacare would affect millions of people all over the country.  Planned Parenthood is an institution that goes hand in hand with Obamacare, so if Obamacare were to be defunded, most likely Planned Parenthood would be as well.

How I Used It: This article was important in demonstrating that Planned Parenthood is not just an abortion clinic like most people think, it is actually a form of healthcare that many people depend on.  Linking Obamacare to Planned Parenthood helped me to show Planned Parenthood’s true purpose.

12. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-34363358. Lussenhop, Jessica. “What Is Planned Parenthood?” BBC News. BBC, 25 Sept. 2015. Web. 27 Mar. 2017.

Background: This article described exactly what Planned Parenthood really is.  Lussenhop discussed all of the things that make up Planned Parenthood, and what kind of services they provide.

How I Used It: I used this article in helping me to discuss the fundamentals that make up Planned Parenthood.

13. http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmp1102915#t=article Annas, George J. “Women and Children Last – The Predictable Effects of Proposed Federal Funding Cuts — NEJM.” New England Journal of Medicine. NEJM, 28 Apr. 2011. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.

Background: This article discussed how the government wanting to get rid of such things as Obamacare and Planned Parenthood could be detrimental for women and children all over the country.  It stated that eliminating federal funding would create an extremely negative impact for mostly women and children in the United States.

How I Used It: This article was one of the things that I had read about Planned Parenthood that really made me want to write about why the defunding of it would be such a catastrophe.  It motivated me to argue for the women and children who are going to be affected if the government makes the mistake of defunding Planned Parenthood.

14. https://www.plannedparenthood.org/. https://www.plannedparenthood.org/ Parenthood, Planned. “Official Site.” Planned Parenthood. PP, 21 Apr. 2017. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.

Background: Planned Parenthood was developed about one hundred years ago by a woman named Margaret Sanger.  She was a women’s rights activist who wanted women to be aware of their bodies and reproductive systems.  After about one hundred years Planned Parenthood has become a vital institution used by a large number of people in the United States.

How I Used It: I used the Planned Parenthood website mostly to confirm facts that I had found in other articles and research.

15. http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/05/politics/paul-ryan-planned-parenthood-obamacare/ Walsh, Deirdre, Ted Barrett, and Manu Raju. “Effort to Defund Planned Parenthood Threatens Obamacare Repeal.” CNN. Cable News Network, 06 Jan. 2017. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.

Background: This article discussed how the government wants to defund Planned Parenthood along with Obamacare.  It talked about how many Republican party members are planning to vote against Planned Parenthood and Obamacare.

How I Used It: I used this article to help me gather information for my rebuttal and determine that there is only one rebuttal argument that is strong for anti- Planned Parenthood voters, and that would be the abortion argument.

1. “Alternatives to Animal Testing.” PETA. N.p., 2017. Web. 27 Mar. 2017.

Background: There are other options available researchers could participate in rather than using animals for medical research. Instead of using experiments that are cruel and painful to animals, the development of non-animal tests is becoming known. This discusses the other options that are convenient.

How I Used It: When it came to finding alternative methods instead of animal testing, this came to help a lot. PETA gave many different examples of how researchers do not necessarily need to use animals for testing anything.  This article then went on to discuss how each method was effective and steered away from animals. It gave the facts that there is a possible way to stop animal testing.

2. “Animals in Medical Experiments.” PETA. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2017

Background: This article talks about how animals are misused because of animal testing’s. They are left with harmful effects that does not allow them to live a non-painful life.

How I Used It: After animals are used for testing, they are left with nothing. They have no way of living without being in pain. This article talks about how rabbits, dogs, mice, monkeys, cats, and many more animals are effected by experiments they are put through.

3. Cohn, Meredith. “Study Aims to Check If Other Methods Can Replace Animal Testing.” Baltimoresun.com. Baltimore Sun Media Group, 12 Mar. 2017. Web. 27 Mar. 2017

Background: The author talks about how animals testing may not necessarily be the safest way to find medicine for a human body. There are still people who still argue saying animal testing is essential but there are better ways found to be more acceptable to humans. Also, most people disapprove of animal testing and hope for a new solution.

How I Used It: This article helped me incorporate the studies of doctors and higher authority on how they feel about animal testing. This led to believe animal testing is not the most reliable method in order to create medicine for humans. There are circumstances that lead researchers in the wrong direction just because they are using animals. Specialist hope soon enough more people will realize this and eventually end animal testing all together.

4. “If We Don’t Use Animals, Wouldn’t We Have to Test New Drugs on People?” PETA. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Mar. 2017.

Background: There is no guarantee medicine is safe just because it has been tested on animals. This discusses some differences that could cause medicines to react differently in humans than animals.

How I Used It: There has been medicines that have been taken off the shelf because it has harmed humans because researches have believed they would work the same as it did with animals.  The article stresses that there are other methods available that would not lead to this risk

5. Society, New England Anti-Vivisection. “Animals in Science /….” Animals in Research and Testing. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Mar. 2017.

Background: The National Institute of Health is a part of animal testing saying it is the largest funded organization fort medical research. They use animals for the basis of research and were first used for the response of humans with infectious diseases. In order to continue with animal testing’s, the technology would need to improve.

How I Used It: There was a high probability that the medicine tested on animals would be the same for humans. Doing certain tests with animals did not necessarily mean it would correlate the same with humans, as shown with dogs and monkeys. End result of these tests is that there are alternative methods available and are the future.

6. Society, New England Anti-Vivisection. “Alternatives to Animals in Science.” In Testing. NEAVS, n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2017.

Background: Scientists have developed new techniques that no do involve using animals. These are very useful, cheaper, and easier than continuing with animal research. The accuracy of these tests is as high as 95 percent.

How I Used It: This article gave a few examples of the new alternative testing’s and how it is used. Also talks about the many benefits of backing away from animal testing. That included: more reliability, more accurate, cost effective, practical, cruelty free, and environmental friendly. Since the world of technological continues to grow, there is no fact the improvement of medical research will not improve along with it.

7. “Why Do Scientists Use Animals in Research?” American Physiological Society Why Do Scientists Use Animals in Research? N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2017.

Background: Researchers need to understand the disease and medical condition because they can act upon it. When it comes to animal use in research, humans find it unpractical and unethical. They continue to use animals as a resource because they are similar to humans and susceptible to the same things as humans.

How I Used It: Just because animals have a similar dynamic as humans and contract the same diseases, it does not necessarily lead to the same outcome. They also use animals because they have a short life span and can easily control the environment they are in. If they use humans, it would be harder to control the environment yet, animal results are not 100% the same as humans.

8. “Animal Testing – ProCon.org.” Should Animals Be Used for Scientific or Commercial Testing? N.p., 24 May 2016. Web. 03 Apr. 2017.

Background: This article talks about the pro and cons of animals testing. There are always two sides to a story, so having both viewpoints help realize the good and bad. Many of the Pros to animals then had a flipside to why it was bad, vice versa.

How I Used It: When it came to a counter argument, this gave lots of helpful information Even though I was against animal testing, there were still points proven where it could have some positive effects. It was good to find a source that attacked what I was saying rather than agreeing with me.

9. “Medical Benefits.” Speaking of Research. N.p., 06 Apr. 2016. Web. 05 Apr. 2017.

Background: Using animals for medical research has only produced many medical benefits. The research that has been done resulted in major medical breakthroughs. Without using animals, none of this would have been done.

How I Used It: From using animals for testing these medicines, many improvements in human’s health has been made. There have been many similar diseases found in animals and humans like Tuberculosis, asthma, meningitis, cancer, and many others. Since they are found with similar/the same diseases, it works out perfectly to test on animals first.

10. Pharma Models. “Animal Testing Significantly Advances Cancer Research.” Animal Testing Significantly Advances Cancer Research. N.p., 13 May 2014. Web. 05 Apr. 2017.

Background: Since animals have been involved in testing for cancer, many humans are still alive. Cancer survival rates have grown immensely and patients are more likely to live longer. The similar body system from animals is very beneficial when it comes to research concerning humans.

How I Used It: There are upsides to using animals for medical research. When the outcome is nothing but positive, there is no reason to be against it. Most patients are grateful that researchers went to any extent in order to find a medicine that would help them. If it were not for the research, patients’ lives would be very different today.

11. Regan (3), T. “The Case for Animal Rights.” Springer. Springer Netherlands, 01 Jan. 1987. Web. 21 Feb. 2017.

Background: Animal testing as a whole can be stopped. Science does not need the millions of animals they use in order to have medicine grow. Animal rights are being violated and the system should not have been made this way. Everything animals are put through is straight out wrong.

How I Used It: In my paper, I include the violation of animal rights and how they are looked as if they are just a piece of resource. That should not be the case. In order to get this problem changed, there must be enough people to want to make a change.

12. “If We Don’t Use Animals, Wouldn’t We Have to Test New Drugs on People?” PETA. People for Ethical Treatment of Animals, n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2017.

Background: If the use of animals for medical research was put to an end, that would leave the option open to use humans available. When it comes to using animals, there is no guarantee that it will show the same results for humans. Also, when it comes to animal testing there are other methods available that would save a lot of time for researchers.

How I Used It: If animal testing was stopped, researchers would save lots of time and money. There are other options available that are more effective and reliable for humans. Animals test are not 100% accurate towards a human’s body which can be risky for doctors to take. In some cases, medication has been discontinued and taken out of stores because of the negative effects it has taken on humans. If pharmacies realize the risks they are taking, they would be better off to do without medication tested on animals.

13. Kilkenny, Carol, William J. Browne, Innes C. Cuthill, Michael Emerson, and Douglas G. Altman. “Improving the Reporting of Animal Experiments—The ARRIVE Guidelines.” PLOS Biology. Public Library of Science, n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2017.

Background: When it comes to animal testing, there are guidelines to follow in order to make sure everything is done correctly. No researcher will go without knowing how many animals they use, characteristics of the animals, and the type of method they are going to experiment with.

How I Used It: When it came to knowing how reliable it is to use medicine tested on animals, this helped. It showed how some guidelines were not followed, meaning higher authority had to become stricter to make sure everyone would follow. With that information, it questions if all researchers were doing the right thing when it came to medical research with animals.

14. Hajar, Rachel. “Animal Testing and Medicine.” Heart Views : The Official Journal of the Gulf Heart Association. Medknow Publications Pvt Ltd, Jan.-Feb. 2011. Web. 15 Apr. 2017.

Background:  Animal testing has been around ever since the age of Aristotle, who has performed these experiments. They used this as a method to use animals before they bring any medicine into contact with humans. Not until recently, animal testing for medical research has been seen as unethical and harmful.

How I Used It: The harm that these animals are being placed under is not right to have. In my paper, I discussed how animals are look at as a resource instead of a living thing. People see animals to have little to no rights, thinking it is alright to put them through excruciating pain. Animal testing did create a lot of positive impacts, but now there are increasing amount of non-animal testing available.

15. “About Animal Testing.” Humane Society International. Humane Society International, n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2017.

Background: Animal testing never means any good for the animals in the end. They are left to suffer and had to no choice to participate in the testing to begin with. 115 million animals are used for testing each year. The result researchers would be looking for is the animals body to mirror the humans. Yet there are better and more reliable ways to get this done.

How I Used It: There are alternative methods available, as I discussed in my paper. Also, animal testing is viewed to be un-reliable, questioning why it is still continuing today. Researchers do not need animals for testing in order to maintain the medical progress. In this present day, technology has improved immensely allowing the possibility for animals to be taken out of the experiments and stop them from being harmed.

Core Value I. My work demonstrates that I used a variety of social and interactive practices that involve recursive stages of exploration, discovery, conceptualization, and development.

By being in this class, I have realized my first draft of anything I wrote was never going to be written well. That is also the point. I should not be able to write a paper and expect it to be perfect within the first try. Little by little I would be able to go back and make any corrections that were necessary. Also, having the feedback option and another set of eyes on my work helped me realize what I needed to improve on.

For example, with my Casual Argument I had multiple corrections to do. Whether it was an oversight or grammar mistake, I was able to fix that because of the feedback option. I added in-text citations and more useful information to help prove my point. I then had to make sure to add more information to help further prove my point.

Core Value II. My work demonstrates that I placed texts into conversation with one another to create meaning by synthesizing ideas from various discourse communities.

In order to prove a point, there needs to be words from other sources and not just yourself. Without other people’s words, readers may not entirely believe everything they read. Having multiple outside sources allows me and others to gain more knowledge and information to further prove the point. I will also be able to find people who disagree with my standpoint, which is also good to have. The information found lets the reader having statements from a reliable source, which will most likely result in them trusting the writer. For my White Paper assignment, finding outside sources was a main requirement. If it were not for researching my topic and finding sources I would not have been able to tie my paper together. Having these sources helped me see ideas that would either relate to mine viewpoint or widen my standpoint.

Core Value III. My work demonstrates that I rhetorically analyzed the purpose, audience, and contexts of my own writing and other texts and visual arguments.

When I am writing, I need to realize and understand who the audience if. If I do not write accordingly to my audience, it will not make sense. I also need to take notice of the purpose I am writing for. If I express something, but in the incorrect sense, I will not be able to prove the point I was hoping for in my paper. In order to achieve this, I had to analyze my own text to make sure I was letting the reader understand what I was trying to say. When it came to understanding other texts and visual assignments, I had to analyze precisely. With the Visual Rhetoric assignment, I had to examine the video and write down everything I thought to be important. Every little thing that was shown became important to the message that was trying to be told. Even though the video I watched only had two hands with a glass in each visible, it carried a much larger picture with it.

Core Value IV: My work demonstrates that I have met the expectations of academic writing by locating, evaluating, and incorporating illustrations and evidence to support my own ideas and interpretations.

During my paper, I have used many quotes, meaning I needed to cite correctly. Since I was using someone else’s word, I needed to give credit. I did not just find this information anywhere and did not come up with it by myself. I knew when it was acceptable to quote and when to add the author in order to show the outside source I found. In my Rebuttal Argument, I had to make many claims proving why animal testing should be allowed to have. I did not think of everything on my own and had to find information from other writers to help prove my point. I had to make sure I had enough information in order to prove the point I was trying to get across. If it were not for other reliable sources to help support my own ideas, I would have never been able to convince any readers.

Core Value V. My work demonstrates that I respect my ethical responsibility to represent complex ideas fairly and to the sources of my information with appropriate citation. 

In my research paper, I had to make sure whenever I used a quote, I knew where it was coming from. If I did not have a reliable source or just leave it with no credit to anyone, it would not entirely help me. Without the knowledge from that writer, I would not have the information in my own paper. During my Research Position Paper, I had to find many outside sources to help prove my point why animal testing should not be allowed. I found many different quotes from Doctors and researchers and without that information, I would not be able to learn and prove the fact that animal testing should be put to an end.

Hybrid General Managers: A New Era

P1. In an era where technology is constantly evolving there is always going to be a new young model of some previously existing thing. However these new young models will time and time again have their progress hindered by the old models and their stubborn ways of consistency. Of course baseball is the first thing on everyone’s mind when analyzing this analogy, and the constant struggle between the old and new ways of building a team. Baseball is a sport as old as time, and there are just some traditions that shouldn’t be tampered with in the minds of those who have been around the game for many years. The old scouts and general managers of teams have their way of scouting and building teams set in stone, not to be altered by some math major from an ivy league school. All on need in order to build a dominant franchise in the MLB is two eyes and knowledge for the game. This method of scouting is commonly referred to as the “eye test”. The eye test however is slowly but surly becoming less and less popular as the new young General Managers and scouts enter the league. They’re throwing a monkey wrench into the old ways with their fancy computers and statistics. However those fancy numbers can produce a team that has the same record as a dominant team for half the price. Regardless of what side of the fence a person is on they are always on a side. There are not enough flexible minds on the fence to make the impact on a franchise that could create a monster of a team. The only way to progress is to use what is already known in the “eye test” and to incorporate the new statistics.

P2. The eye test is something that has stood the test of time. Since the beginning of baseball the way to find talent was to go out and seek it. A scout would have to go to games and invite players to workouts to find out where the talent was resting. In the new age of computers and slow-mo replays it makes the process even simpler. Scouts and General Managers with a mind for the game need only watch the players who show signs of potential and narrow the list down to the players believed to have the most potential. Then when signing players already in the league it is as easy as it gets. When a GM already knows what a player is capable at the highest level the decision on who is essential to the team comes down to who can be bought for the best value. This is the method that produced some of the all-time great teams. The 1927 Yankees are a perfect example of a team who flourished strictly following the eye test. The Yankees were a team with unlimited resources with a salary cap of $250000, as reported by the 1927 Yankees Reported Salaries Website. They had the money to buy players like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Tony Lazzeri, and all the other members of “Murderers Row”. All these players are considered all time greats, and this Yankees team through the use of the eye test acquired them. According to fivethirtyeight.com, a site that ranked the best teams of all time, this Yankees team ranked third all time, but to many they are considered the best. This is hard to argue with their record of 110-44, but what if the resources required to build this super team weren’t present? If this were the case the Yankees wouldn’t have been able to sign all of these players that were proven super stars. The big question nowadays is how can a team that is that dominant ever be created in today’s game? The answer can be found through the help of a little thing called sabermetrics.

P3. Sabermetrics was invented by a scholar named Bill James who described it as, “a search for objective knowledge about baseball.” That’s his fancy way of saying he’s trying to figure out what makes a player truly good at the game. Bill James set out to find what really matters in baseball. Any new-age statistic that comes out falls under the umbrella term of Sabermetrics. In the article “A Guide For Sabermetric Research”, by Phil Birnbaum, he addresses the fact that Time Magazine rated Bill James as one of the top 100 most influential people of our time. This makes sense since he orchestrated the Red Sox team that broke the long lasting curse of the Bambino. This curse was named after the Red Sox foolishly traded away Babe Ruth, arguably the greatest player of all time, for next to nothing. After this trade it took nearly 100 years for the Red Sox to win another world series, and it just so happened to be under the reign of Bill James. Why is this significant? Well until this point in time in 2003, the eye test was the only method for building a team, therefore all great teams and their success could be attributed to this method. The Red Sox, like the Yankees, are a team that can manage just about anything from a financial point of view. However after years upon years of making huge contracts out to star players and still not being able to reach the promise land. Finally an open minded Owner allowed Sabermetrics to have its first impact on baseball. Bill James proceeded to scrap the Red Sox team and signed a bunch of middle-of-the-way players, rather than super stars. This caught a lot of bad press for about a year, and that press quickly went away when the Red Sox finally took home a World Series title in 2004. The kicker is they did this using only a fraction of the money they paid some of their losing teams.

P4. As it turned out Bill James was reading statistics and basing his signings on which players he thought were the best value. The statistics he used were not the one’s that were bragging rights like RBI’s and Homeruns, but they were the under-the-radar stats like on base percentage. This lead to his most important stat, which was one that he invented called WAR, or Wins Above Replacement. WAR is calculated by adding together all of the runs that are produced and saved by a player and then dividing them by the average number produced by replacement level players. To put it into a number, a good WAR would be 2.5-4.5, and a great WAR would be 5 and up, and anything close to 10 or even beyond 10 is legendary. The Red Sox of old would sign super stars that would have WARS of 6 or 7. From these numbers it shows Mike Trout is the best player by a long shot in the MLB today with a WAR of 10. To put it further into perspective Jose Altuve is second on that list with a WAR of 7. This shows how far and away Trout is from the rest of the pack. Therefore it would be silly not to sign him if at all possible right? Wrong, in the eyes of Bill James even though Trout is the best the price that comes with him is to great and it would hurt the teams chances of getting better players down the line. Sabemetrics is all about value and since Trout is widely regarded as the best player in the MLB a team would be forced to pay full price, which would be far too much. The valuable picks are guys like Dustin Pedroia who don’t put up a lot of flashy numbers, but will consistently contribute runs to the team. Runs are the most valuable asset to a team trying to win games, so guys who produce the most of them are the ones who hold the most value. This is what WAR is all about. They would accumulate 2 or 3 of these and then they would gather a supporting cast of a couple 3’s and then a bunch of 2’s or less. So while they were immensely strong in some areas, they were rather weak in most others, which is what ultimately lead to their downfalls. Bill James took the approach of signing a bunch of 3-5 WAR guys. This way the Sox would be solid all the way up and down the line-up. The newfound consistency throughout the lineup is what created this winning team. Shortly after the Red Sox fell off the map once more.

P5. When building a team of primarily free agents, those men will eventually get old and their skills will diminish and that was what caused the Red Sox to suck once again. Since 2004 the Red Sox won the World Series in 2007 and 2013. The in between years were next to worthless though. This cycle could be stopped, but Bill James’ Achilles heal has been the Draft. This is because the same Method of reading stats of college players doesn’t correlate well to Major League level success. The only solution would be to bring in someone who knows what to look for in the eye test. A scout who can go see young players and report back who they saw had the most potential. While stats are great for established players, they can’t do much to measure raw tools of a prospect. This is precisely why there are no more super teams that are dynastically good. Where are the hybrid General Managers. There needs to be a man who can do both the eye test, and study Sabermetrics. This is the missing piece in Baseball today, a gaping hole in the system. While the eye-test can get you the most talented players it can leave your team lacking in other areas. While Sabermetrics is great for signing valuable free agents and creating an efficient team, it only contributes to short-term success. If the two were to be combined, there could be an efficient team with young emerging superstars to take over in the future years. This is a formula for long-term success that the MLB is missing. The fence between the two team-building methods has to be torn down in order for the Phillies to be the great dominating team they deserve to be. They could make any team a force to be reckoned with.

P6. Baseball can’t become a game that is analyzed through a computer screen or iPad exclusively, but it can’t ignore the benefits from this new style of analysis. The eye test scouts will argue that statistics can’t measure character, attitude, or any outside factor of dominance. Then the Sabermetric guys will argue that Bill James is doing just fine in Boston without needing to look at those intangible factors. It is time to settle those differences and come to the realization that there are many benefits to both methods.

P7. For the purpose of this argument 3 teams were created by using the MLB game simulator, what-if-sports. All teams were given the same pitchers for simplicity, and they were given a salary limit of $40000000 to give teams an equal chance of success. One team was created through the use of the eye test. To figure out which players were the best at every position Bleacher Report’s, List of Top Ten Players at Each Position, was used to choose the lineup. Naturally, a couple of superstars made the starting line up and the two that are the highest rated are Mike Trout and Buster Posey. With these two taking up most if the cap room the rest of the team had to be accessed based off of who is the best and who is affordable. Therefore the rest of the team ended up being a mix of middle-of-the-way guys and the lower players in the league. A second team was created using a Sabermetric approach and this team was comprised of value players who are underrated when the stats were analyzed. To find these players Bleacher Reports, List of 3 Underrated Players at Every Position was used. The two centerpieces of this team were, Freddie Freeman and Manny Machado. These two guys are stars, but they are not superstars so their price isn’t as great as Trout’s or Posey’s. The rest of the players are middle-of-the-way guys. The final team created was created using a blended approach of both methods. To pick this team a list of players and values found on bleacher report’s website was combined with the two aforementioned lists to determine who the best players were at a value. To find these players the listed were compared side by side and players who were close on both lists were chosen. The two best players on this team were Manny Machado and Mike Trout. The rest of this team consisted of one lower end player and the rest were middle-of-the-way guys.

P8. Once the teams were formed the simulations were ran and all teams faced each other thirty times each. The results that followed were not surprising. When the Eye Test team and Sabermetric team faced off the Sabermetric team had a slight edge with a record of 17-13 and he Eye Test team had a record of 13-17. The reason why the Sabermetric team had the edge was because of the consistency throughout the teams line up. The two borderline stars had the best numbers and the rest of the team had average league numbers providing them with better odds to win the match ups. The Eye Test team was at a loss more often because of the lower end players in their line up. The Superstars put up great numbers, but in the end that wasn’t enough to carry this team over the Sabermetric squad.

P9. The interesting part of the study occurred when both teams faced off against the blended methods team. In the Sabermetrics teams attempt against the juggernaut they faired with a measly 8-22 record and when the Eye Test team faced off with the blended methods team they did slightly better with a 10-20 record. The combination of Mike Trout leading the way with Manny Machado following close behind, and then the band of middle-of-the-way guys proved to be too much for the other two teams. It proves that neither method is better than the other and in fact a blend of both is far superior. While a team built on a Sabermetric approach will lead to more consistency, the lack of real star power ended up being the downfall. The reason for the Eye Test team faired slightly better despite losing to the Sabermetrics team is because of their superstars putting up big numbers. It proves that with a balance of both approaches there can be a level of consistency and star power to carry the team to more wins.

P10. The only thing holding teams back from having this kind of dominant force would be the stubbornness each side holds trying to prove their method is best. Rather than trying to usher out an old era or shoe away a new era, the new era should be accepted by the old era without letting it take over the game. Bill James is a great mind no doubt, but it isn’t what could be called a baseball mind. Scouts have the baseball mind but lack the advanced knowledge of Bill James and other Sabermetrics guys. If men like Bill James and professional scouts could somehow merge together into one person that person would be the greatest general manager baseball has ever seen. People will forget about the 1927 Yankees and the 2004 Red Sox, because the new blended method will lead to a team that has a dynastic form of dominance. The league will become a race for second place until the other teams catch on to the new methodology. Baseball is a copycat league meaning that if one team has continued success by any means other teams seeking the same level of success will copy those same methods.

P11. It is time for baseball to stop trying to evolve and just let its self adapt. Adopt the new ways while keeping the sacred old ways intact. The Eye Test will show where the young and Sabermetrics will show where the best values lay. A superstar will be the leader of the team and then balance of a couple more stars and other guys will achieve the level of sustained greatness that every single team is looking for. Bill James as of now is siting on his high horse with a couple of World Series rings with the Red Sox. However if he doesn’t accept the Eye Test as a valuable tool for signing players he will fall victim to this hybrid era that will come to fruition. On the other hand if the old fashioned eye test scouts can’t accept the new Sabermetrics as a valid method of scouting. Using stats like WAR and knowledge of important intangibles like attitude and character the best players for a team will emerge creating an efficient, but deadly super team. This is the thing baseball needs to be rejuvenated once more. A common enemy for other teams to bring fans together and a team for new fans with no loyalties elsewhere to get behind and cheer for a consistent winner. It’s important to stop fighting against methods and join them together so all teams can be at their best. It will make games more watchable and fun because if all teams are running at maximum efficiency every team would have a realistic chance of winning regardless of who the opponents are. It would give all teams a chance at the World Series and that’s what fans are longing for. Teams who are consistently bad are losing fans and teams who are consistently good are booming. If all teams were consistently good and fun to watch baseball can make its way back into the limelight.   This is why it is so important to usher in the new era of the Hybrid General Manager. A man, or men who can use the best of both worlds and effectively change the game as we know it.

Works Cited

Birnbaum, Phil. “A Guide to Sabermetric Research.” A Guide to Sabermetric Research | Society for American Baseball Research. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2017.

Glassey, Conor, and 2010 August 18. “Majors: Best Tools: Scouts On Scouting: What They Look For In A Player.” BaseballAmericacoms RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2017.

Hagen, Paul. “New and Old School Coming Together in Baseball Talent Evaluation.”Major League Baseball. N.p., 14 Mar. 2013. Web. 06 Feb. 2017.

Reuter, Joel. “MLB Position-by-Position 2016 Player Rankings at Quarter Pole.” Bleacher Report. Bleacher Report, 12 Apr. 2017. Web. 20 Apr. 2017.

Reuter, Joel. “MLB Position-by-Position Player Power Rankings, August Edition.” Bleacher Report. Bleacher Report, 12 Apr. 2017. Web. 20 Apr. 2017.

Paine, Neil. “Where Sabermetrics And the ‘Eye Test’ Disagree.” FiveThirtyEight. FiveThirtyEight, 14 Mar. 2016. Web. 06 Feb. 2017.

Reubenfb. “The Best MLB Teams Of All-Time, According To Elo.” FiveThirtyEight. FiveThirtyEight, 10 May 2016. Web. 20 Apr. 2017.

Weinberg, Neil. “How to Evaluate a Hitter, Sabermetrically.” Beyond the Box Score. Beyond the Box Score, 26 May 2014. Web. 06 Feb. 2017.

“What Is MLB SimMatchup?” SimMatchup Baseball – Free MLB Matchup and Baseball Sim Games. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2017.

“1927 Yankees Reported Salaries.” 1927 Yankees – Reported Salaries. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2017.

The Land Of The (Not So) Free

Slavery has been ruling American society since its inception. For 300 years, over ten million African Americans forced into brutal labor from birth till death.  Manual slavery ended over 150 years ago; however a form of modern slavery has become ever more evident in today’s society. Common people work hard for the entirety of their life, and still struggle to make ends meet. The wealthy keep getting wealthier and the poor stay poor. Economic inequality has created a modern slavery, and the common man is suffering dearly in modern day America.

Income inequality (the gap between rich and poor) has been widening dramatically since 1980.  The wealthy are reaping benefits, and the poor are struggling just to get by. Income inequality has become so severe in the U.S. that having simple necessities has become nearly impossible for many to attain. On the other hand, there are Americans that have too much money to know what to do with. Income inequality shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon, and that is the way those at the top want it, creating this problem. The government (which is controlled by wealthy companies) claims they help the poor but that is false. By way of taxing, they put in place welfare programs such as food stamps and section eight housing. However, if one would look deeper into the tax system, the only people being helped are the wealthy.As Heather Long of CNN money explains, “The U.S. tax system is supposed to help the poor. Yet even after-tax income shows that the bottom 50% averaged just $25,000 a person in 2014, according to the latest data. That’s just a touch above the $20,000 someone in the bottom half earned way back in 1974 (after adjusting for inflation).” Taxation has fed into the system, where only the rich can prosper. Treating the poor like they are ignorant (much like the masters did with the slaves), they claim they are helping. Unfortunately the government is doing far from helping the poor.

America prides itself on not only being the land of the free, but also the land of equal opportunity. A place where anybody can come to be a success. America is intended to be a place where children are almost guaranteed more wealth than their parents. Unfortunately since 1980, children aren’t becoming more successful than their parents.  GDP, corporate profit, and the top 1% growth has been rising significantly (all eclipsing over 100 percent growth).  However, the median household income has only risen 16%  (with inflation that is almost no growth). Edwin Rios explains, “Despite such overdue gains, average American households are barely making more than they did in 1980. Median household incomes have risen just 17 percent (in real dollars) during the past 35 years.” The system is designed for the rich to succeed, and the non-rich  are not a concern for the government.

The inflation rates (and in turn the groups that succeed) are largely determined by policies created by the government. This is due to the government being run by wealthy individuals and corporate entities. The average salary of a congressman is $174,000, and the average American salary is roughly $51,000. Many of these congressmen are given bonuses by corporations for them to vote on amendments that will help the company. For example, New Jersey senator Corey Booker has been given $385,000 since 2011 by big pharmaceutical companies. Just recently the senator has voted against an amendment that would allow Americans to purchase cheaper medicine from Canada. Booker is not the only congressmen doing this. Most of  the congressmen and women (both Republicans and Democrats) are being paid by giant corporations. This is why we see the wealthy getting wealthier but nobody else. Even as they are getting wealthier, the government still takes money from the non- wealthy; but claims they are helping.

Pharmaceutical ownership of politicians has created an inequality of basic needs among American citizens. Economic inequality does not only distinguish whether an individual drives a new BMW or a  Honda sedan. It also decides what type of health care one can afford. Many can afford the basic survival health care; however, those in poverty can not. This inability to receive basic health care access creates problems that shouldn’t be existent in the land of the free. Much like the slaves 150 years ago, the economic inequality is not a matter of working hard, the dedication is there. Not having basic healthcare for all has caused a life expectancy change between the wealthy and poor. As Sabrina Tavernise of the New York Times reports, “For men born in 1950, that difference had more than doubled, to 14 years.” As medical advancements are made, only the rich get to enjoy the benefits. This is not what a true land of equal opportunity would do.

A large number of the upper class are made up of CEOs who dictate their own salaries. Salaries of most professions are market driven, which means exactly what it says, that the market determines the salaries. CEOs of the super companies get to raise their own income whenever they please, creating extremely high salaries. Unlike the CEOs most Americans have to wait on the the slow moving market to change their salaries. Markets take awhile to increase salaries, which is why this creates this economic inequality. The CEOs raise their salaries significantly, but the average worker’s salary raises at a slow rate.

The wealthy are given numerous opportunities to succeed, while the poor get stuck in a rut. For example, college is a place where many get to start their success in whatever they choose. Wealthy students can become successful, as the high tuition rates are not a burden for them. However, the poor cannot afford to go to college. Due to this dilemma, (more often than not), those in the low income bracket end up in their parent’s profession. The makes it difficult for children to surpass their parents wealth, which used to be a staple of America.So as the rich can keep on increasing their salary, the poor have to keep the same salary, hence inequality of the income growth.

Income inequality in America has created a problem of not only lavish things, a problem of life necessities. Many Americans can’t even afford necessary health care. As the government and its rulers are getting richer, the average American is getting poorer. Many Americans are living in more dangerous environments, exposed to deadly situations, and can only afford unhealthy food and drink options. An example is Flint, Michigan. Flint residents can’t even get clean water, while many Americans, including politicians, have money they have no idea what to do with. A communist society is definitely not the way to go; however, for America to claim it is the land of equal opportunity is a far stretch. For this claim to come true, America has to fix many issues; sadly, it doesn’t seem like that is going to happen anytime soon.

Modern day American slavery is crippling the poverty of the country. The modern day American slavery, that comes in the form of the common man being ruled and abused by the big government. There is no bondage in today’s America, but the government restricts many of its citizens from having freedom. The poor have significantly less availability for programs that are intended to help leave that poverty. College has become a necessity; however, it is not available to those in poverty. Today’s jobs are set up in a way, that in order to earn a livable wage, a college education is necessary. Creating this rigged system has only increased the poverty rate in recent years. As the poverty rate increases, many other rates such as life expectancy and overall quality of life change. Modern day slavery in America (the poor being owned and ruled by the rich) is only increasing in America, and those in power want to keep it that way.

Steve Hargreaves of CNN money reports that those in upper class have at least one of a few crucial components. Most are either college grads, come from two-parent families, are white, or never experienced unemployment in their childhood household (many have  all of these components). The upper class students are given the tools to make a success out of themselves because they can afford college and are taught financial literacy, while those without access to these luxuries follow a path towards economic instability. This is why 70% of those in poverty stay in poverty. The system is becoming rigged against the poor so the wealthy can prosper.

The problems that cause poverty are often due to government negligence. Because the government is run by the wealthy, the poor often get forgotten. From the President down to each member of congress, the majority of the Washington politicians are millionaires. The rich control the economy and guide it to aid themselves, leaving the poor out of the picture. The system is clearly set up to help the rich and hurt the poor. For example, taxes are hinted to be put into programs to help everyone, but that is false. Programs like food stamps and section eight housing do in fact give aid to the poor. However, food stamps and section eight housing are funded through taxes (which they already pay). Almost everything the poor (along with all Americans) purchase has a tax on it. That tax money is controlled by the wealthy government and they do whatever they want with it. The government claim taxes help the poor; however, those who get help from the government-assisted programs actually lose money. Justin King, policy director of the Asset Building Program at the New America Foundation, describes it:  “While the government promotes wealth building for some—largely through the mortgage tax deduction and other tax loopholes used mainly by the middle and upper class—it actually discourages wealth building for the poor.” The government claims they help the poverty through taxation; however, they actually hurt the poor.

Those in poverty do not have access to simple necessity such as healthcare or decent food. This has caused the life expectancy to be significantly lower in low-income cities. According to  a survey done by Harvard University, the life expectancy of the top 1% and the bottom 1% has a difference of about 12 years. Not having access to decent food or healthcare is causing this epidemic. To not have simple necessities such as doctor visits or epi-pens available to everyone does not sound like the land of equal opportunity. The rich get not only a better life, but on average, a longer one too.

Many have tried to install a universal healthcare act; however, every attempt has failed. The sad truth is that the there is too much money to be made in medicine being expensive. The pharmaceutical companies would lose billions if they made their products available to the poor. So they would rather have the people die in order to make a profit. Those in poverty have to choose rent or a necessary drug (such as insulin.) Factors like these are what cause the difference in life expectancies. Since these people are unable to earn their way out of poverty, they are forced into living like this.

College tuition rates are increasing dramatically, making it more of a burden for low income household students to pay for. The average college tuition for the 2016-2017 school year is approximately $33,000 (and the minimum wage salary is only $15,000 a year). There are some programs to help college students with tuition (e.g. financial aid), however, it doesn’t actually help those in poverty too much (the tuition often exceeds the $15,000 mark). Often to afford the high tuition, low income students are forced to take out loans. These loans are often extremely difficult to pay off, creating enormous amounts of debt. High tuition  rates (which lead to student debt) are making it extremely difficult for those in poverty to get out of the that predicament. The debt is owed to the government, whose only goal is to get more money out of the student.  The government doesn’t think about helping out those in poverty; they are only focused on the wealthy.

Unfortunately those who come from the poverty income bracket have a very low chance of escaping that income bracket. Due to the system being catered to the rich, those in poverty do not get to experience their life’s goals. Instead they have to work a minimum wage job, and be forced to make unfortunate decisions, such as choosing rent over insulin. While the rich get richer, the poor stay poor. The land of equal opportunity unfortunately has become the land of the rich.

Even with undeniable evidence, many will still claim that America is still the land of the free. Since the Declaration of Independence was signed, Americas still  has been a country of slavery. African Americans were forced into bondage for the first 90 years after the Declaration was signed. Bondage is not present in today’s America; however, a new type of slavery has emerged. The new modern American slavery come in the form of the poverty are being ruled and misrepresented by the American government. Arguers say that America is still the land of the free, where all men have an opportunity to prosper. David Azzerad writes in his article for heritage.org, “America is the land of the free. That all men and women possess an equal right to liberty is one of the great self-evident truths proclaimed by the Declaration of Independence.” Azzerad gives the argument that America is in fact the land of the free, where everyone can become a success.

Azzerad claims that income inequality is a poor measure in determining the freedom of all Americans. “A rise in income inequality does not lead to a decline in economic mobility or to an economic slowdown and therefore does not threaten the American Dream.” This claim may seem to make sense; however,  it is wrong. Income inequality does indeed lead to a decline in economic mobility. It is rather simple, as the economy gets shifted more in favor of the wealthy the poor get forgotten. The poor do not have the same economic mobility or economic tools to prosper. Many are stuck in poverty with no way out. Jeremy Ashkenas of the New York Times reports, “The average pretax earnings of an American in the bottom 50 percent by income was $16,197 in 2014, a nearly invisible 2.6 percent gain over 40 years. Over the same period, the top 10 percent of Americans saw their pretax incomes grow by 231 percent.” As American economic mobility declines, so does the overall American dream.

Arguers like to put forth the claim that those in poverty in America would be considered rich in many countries around the world. They claim all Americans are fortunate to be able to live in this great country and no matter the situation be it poor or rich, Americans should be entirely grateful, as Azzerad claims, “Even those who fail to take advantage of the opportunities afforded by this country or who do not succeed in their ventures will still benefit from the general prosperity generated by the American commercial republic.” Unfortunately the commercial republic that once helped all Americans (even the poor) has been exterminated. In present day America those in poverty are having difficulty attaining simple necessities, such as housing and healthcare. Not having housing is not benefiting from general prosperity of America. That is a definition of poverty in any county, and explains why America is falling on the world economy scale as well.

Americans are claimed to be free in all aspects of life by Azzerad, “Though the term economic freedom does not appear in the Founders’ writings, it underpins their vision of a commercial republic and perfectly captures their overarching commitment to property rights, the rule of law, and free markets.” For many years, America had been the most economic free country in the world. Giving advantages for all people to prosper no matter where they start. Unfortunately in the 2016 Fraser Institute Economic Freedom list, America has fallen down to number 16. This is largely due to entrepreneurs not investing in companies anymore. The government has created a more complex tax code, more regulations, and the complexity of healthcare in the country. Citizens are becoming more and more stricken by the big government. We are becoming slaves to them. Only a few Americans have economic freedom, counter to Azzerad’s claim.

Arguers claim that America is the land of the free even as more liberties are being stripped away from the people. The wealthy government aids the rich while the poor get forgotten. In a country that is supposed to be equal, not everyone is equal. Through bondage, a corrupt government, and unequal rights, America has shown that it is not the land of the free.

Income inequality has become a severe problem in modern day America. Individuals in the low income bracket are working harder, but still can not prosper. The system has been only set up to help the rich as the poor are forgotten. While a fix is possible, it doesn’t seem to be in the near future. Unfortunately, the rich make too much money off of income inequality for that too happen. Without a miraclous change, Income inequality will only grow larger in America.

Works Cited

LongD, Heather, and “. “U.S. Inequality Keeps Getting Uglier.” CNNMoney. Cable News Network, 22 Dec. 2016.

Edwin_D_Rios. “These 11 Charts on Income Inequality Will Make Your Head Explode.” Mother Jones. N.p.,

Tavernise, Sabrina. “Disparity in Life Spans of the Rich and the Poor Is Growing.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 12 Feb. 2016.

Politifact, and The Other 98 Activist Group. “Meme on Democratic Senators and ‘big Pharma’ Is Misleading.” @politifact. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2017.

Peter Reuell, Harvard Staff Writer |. “For Life Expectancy, Money Matters.” Harvard Gazette. N.p., 11 Apr. 2016. Web. 27 Mar. 2017.

Hargreaves, Steve. “New Reports Shows 70% of Those Born Poor Stay Poor.” CNNMoney. Cable News Network, 13 Nov. 2013. Web. 27 Mar. 2017.

“Economic Freedom of the World.” Fraser Institute. N.p., 28 Dec. 2016.

Hederman, Rea. “Defending the Dream: Why Income Inequality Doesn’t Threaten Opportunity.” The Heritage Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2017.

Ashkenas, Jeremy. “Nine New Findings About Inequality in the United States.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 16 Dec. 2016