Research Topics

Date Observed: Sept. 19

Date Posted: Sept. 21

Individual

Topic: 5 research topics

Observation:

Censorship of the Arts:

That is putting restrictions on or banning things such as entertainment, images, films or music. Some argue that bad things should be censored because they lead to violence. Others argue and say banning those things violates the first amendment. I personally don't know where I stand on the topic. If I research it i believe I could figure it out.

Prayer in School:

The arguments that have come up is that there should not be prayer aloud in school. People feel its invasive and one sided due to the amount of religions there are in the world. One the other hand some feel there should be prayer aloud in school. I think that there should be time put aside during the school day so that if someone wanted to pray they could. If they chose not to they chose not to. 

Capital Punishment:

Some put the argument out there that capital punishment is necessary and completely just. On the other hand some claim that its cruel and unusual punishment that violates the eighth amendment. I think it does violate the eighth amendment. It seems like there are more alternatives than putting someone to death.

Immigration:

Immigration is a heated topic today in the news. It is becoming a problem due to the overpopulation of the USA. People say that illegal immigration is taking away jobs and making things harder for those already here. Others claim that it is improving our falling economy and not a huge problem. I agree with people who think that. Becoming a citizen is expensive. Also we are the land of opportunity and why are would going to keep people from trying to get good opportunities. 

Iraq War:

This war was in result of the the September 11 attacks. There are mixed opinions about this war where some believe that this war was completely necessary where as others don't. They fell that we jumped in the wrong way and are just wasting a lot of money. I also agree with that.

Research Topic

Date Observed: September 16, 2008

Date Entered: September 16, 2008

Context: Individual

Assignment: Research topic free write

Observation:

There are endless possibilities for research topics, and with that in mind I am going to need to narrow it down to one. I need to find something I can gather good resources on and something I am interested in. I find it hard to write about something I'm not interested in. So considering all those factors I think the topic I am going to write about is capital punishment. 

Capital Punishment personally scares me. It seems like cruel and unusual punishment. There is too much leeway for human error when deciding who deserves the death penalty. Have you ever thought about how many innocent people are being put to death? It is a terrifying thought. Just imagine, you had a brother who was framed for a murder, however no one was able to prove otherwise. Then he was put on death row then finally put to death. I know I would be angry and sick to my stomach. I feel that there are successful places in the world who do not use the death penalty and wish the United States was one of them. There are plenty alternatives to the death penalty. We should use them. I mean thinking about it all, some people say the reason there is capital punishment is to get even for a crime they committed and its severity. However the people who are putting these people to death are being hypocrites. They are basically committing  murder. If its not stopped I feel like it will be an endless cycle. 

Peer Review Reflection

Date Observed: September 9, 2008

Date Entered: September 14, 2008

Context: Individual

Activity: Peer Review Reflection

Observation: 

You really start to witness different styles of writing when you peer edit papers. After reading a fellow classmates paper I observed some effective argumentation strategies. Along with that I learned what does not work. For instance, not being to wordy within the piece. It takes away from the point sometimes making things more confusing. Also just coming out and stating what you want to prove. Reading the other paper I realized having factual support helps prove your argument. Some things that did not work is not being detailed when needed. I have learned that it hinders the ability to prove the point. When I received the comments on my paper I developed a clearer understanding of my strengths and weaknesses as a writing. I need to state what I'm trying to say and not be so wordy!