Differing Perspectives #3

Immigration

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/story/2011-11-01/alabama-illegal-immigration-law/51031138/1

Columnist David Person defends illegal immigration by focusing specifically on the states Alabama and Kansas. He criticizes the governor of Alabama and the Kansas secretary of state for becoming extreme in their crackdown with illegal immigration, such as having immigration agents make routine traffic stops and requiring school systems to document the citizenship status of students. Person continues by saying that people are beginning to call it “Juan Crow” - in reference to the image for segregation that existed in the South before the civil-rights movement – because of the racial profiling Hispanics might experience. Person believes that such actions against illegal immigrants are examples of bigotry and fear and are not solutions.

Differing Perspectives #2

Immigration

http://www.newburyportnews.com/opinion/x1095934915/Column-Why-the-hesitation-in-dealing-with-the-illegal-immigration-problem

Columnist Barbara Anderson does not support immigration, specifically illegal immigration and expresses frustration over the lack of political action taken to control illegal immigration. She supports ideas such as a fingerprint-sharing system that could identify illegal immigrants when first arrested, and then deporting them. Since it would be too expensive and illogical to deport all illegal immigrants in the U.S., Anderson suggests to first deport all illegal immigrants that have committed crimes and misdemeanors and then removing government subsidies for illegal non-citizens. She believes this to be a start to a solution.

Differing Perspectives #1

Immigration

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/21/opinion/21friedman.html

Op-Ed columnist Thomas L. Friedman for the New York Times supports immigration into the United States, crediting immigrants for keeping the U.S. in competition with other countries like China. He describes the 40 finalists in the 2010 Intel Science Talent Search, a national contest that honors the top math and science high school students in America and their scientific solutions, and points out that most of them were Asian or Indian.  Friedman goes on to say that he believes the U.S. to be in good hands as long as “we don’t shut our doors”. However he clarifies that although he is pro-immigration and believes in having a constant flow of immigrants, he stressed that these immigrants should be legal immigrants.

Monday Matters #3

Analyzing Visual Rhetoric



http://lightbox.time.com/2011/09/23/the-best-pictures-of-the-week-september-16-september-23/#2

There is a high concrete wall around the city thus emphasizing the anger and tension between Palestine and Israel. There are holes in the conrete wall, reminding of the violence and shooting often going on.  The whole image is somber with the main focus on the black silhouette of a man and a tree. This is the most negative because as the man moves forward downhill, the wall rises in height. The downhill slope and the rising wall all point to escalating conflict and lower acts of humanity as time moves forward. The man is also walking away from the silhouette of a tree, which is often portrayed as life or a life-giving force. In other words, the situation between the two countries seems to be getting bleak.

Monday Matters #2

Editorial


http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/20/opinion/barr-davis-ruling-wrong/index.html?hpt=op_t1


In the CNN Opinion, Bob Barr writes that the ruling to execute Troy Davis violates core U.S. principles of justice and innocent before proven guilty. He continues to say that the trial did not include enough physical evidence to suport Davis' conviction nor were the eyewitnesses all credible. Therefore, there is significant doubt and the state of Georgia does not have enough proof of his guilt to condem him to death by lethal injection.

Monday Matters # 1

Supreme Court denies Davis' request for execution


http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/09/21/lawyers-file-appeal-to-stay-troy-davis-execution/?hpt=hp_t1


There has always been great controversy in the U.S. about whether or not the death sentence should still be legal. Now this new case brings the controversy back to the spotlight as people argue if inmate Troy Davis should be executed for a crime comitted 22 years ago. Georgia inmate Troy Davis is expected to be executed soon for the murder of a Savannah police officer. However, there is some evidence of doubt to his guilt as seven of the nine witnesses against him have taken back or contradicted their testimony.Supporters have been protesting for hours and holding vigils in front of the prison where Davis will be executed. He has also gained international support from individuals like former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Desmond Tutu and organizations such as Amnesty International and the NAACP.