Portfolio by Kelly Jackson

A MAGAZINE FOR RHETORIC AND COMP 2

PORTFOLIO By Kelly Jackson

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Self Assessment Rhetorical Analysis Final Research Paper

DECEMBER 2015

Portfolio Vol. 1 Issue 1 December 2015 Rhetoric and Comp 2 Beth Eakman Re Fall Semester 2015 St. Edwards University 3001 South Congress Austin, Texas 78704 Author: Kelly Jackson Contact: Kelly Jackson kjackso3@stedwards.edu Phone: 1 800 000 0000 Fax: (508) 000 0000

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PORTFOLIO

A PORTFOLIO MAGAZINE FOR RHETORIC AND COMP 2

PORTFOLIO

SELF

ASSESSMENT

| DECEMBER2015

LETTER

BY KELLY JACKSON

Dear Beth, The purpose of freshman studies is to introduce students to new ideas and improve their writing while evaluating contemporary issues. In rhetoric and composition, we established the definition of rhetoric; making an argument about an issue and choosing a medium to convey a message as effectively as possible. We examined five areas of writing: rhetoric, composition, research, critical reading, and moral reasoning and civil discourse. Understanding these concepts was transformative and as I began applying them to my own work, I began to see my writing develop. As the semester went along, I began to better articulate my arguments and produce better work. In class, rhetoric and composition became important in our writing as we worked on persuasive arguments. We learned to get all of our ideas onto the paper and revise until we had the final result. In my own writing, one of the aspects in which I improved the most was the composition of my work. I learned that simplifying sentences is a way to make a more effective argument. From my rhetorical analysis, in my thesis statement, I wrote, “Yet, through all the heart breaking narratives, one atrocity serves as one of the strongest points in his argument: children, still to this day, are being tried as adults and sentenced to decades- even lifetimes- in adult prison facilities.” Although this sentence is grammatically correct, when it comes to academic writing, the extra wording is unnecessary. In my research paper thesis statement, I wrote,

“After examining this information, I came to this conclusion: the current state of capital punishment in the United States is a problem because it is a legacy of America’s history of racism and slavery.” This is a clearer and more concise thesis statement, making it easier for the reader to understand. The improvement in sentence clarity helped me make a more effective paper. As we learned to improve our writing, I began to notice how the ideas intersected between our lecture and writing classes. Discussing issues and viewing them from other people’s perspectives gave an interesting and more objective view of the problems we analyzed. The aspects of writing that we studied in class were new to us at first, but became the basic principles of writing by the end of the year. I will not be able to write in the same manner that I did before; my writing has changed to better address my audience and clearly outline my points. I will be taking with me from this class an understanding of rhetoric and how to use this to my advantage while making arguments. I plan on going to law school, and a broader knowledge of this concept will help me later in my professional career. Thanks so much for this semester. Sincerely, Kelly Jackson

PORTFOLIO

DECEMBER 2015

Justice For Juveniles A Rhetorical Analysis by Kelly Jackson In the riveting memoir Just Mercy, Bryan Stevenson tells a tale of the harrowing injustice seen in todays criminal justice system. Recounting the tales of hundreds whom seem to have slipped between the cracks of our broken system, Stevenson is a voice for the voiceless. He uses a number of rhetorical strategies to tell the heart wrenching stories he’s encountered and expose the bias and racial discrimination so many face. All in all, he uses these appeals to argue against one thing: the death penalty. Yet, through all the heart breaking narratives, one atrocity serves as one of the strongest points in his argument: children, still to this day, are being tried as adults and sentenced to decades- even lifetimes- in adult prison facilities. Stevenson has a clear goal: to bring mercy and justice to those who are in desperate need. In Just Mercy, Stevenson targets the public, bringing to light issues that we deem difficult to discuss. He’s presenting these issue at an opportune moment; with the events in Ferguson, the shooting of Treyvon Martin, and the Black Lives Matter movement booming, it is becoming clear racial inequality is still a pressing issue in the nation. Throughout the book, Stevenson uses clear, easy to understand syntax in describing these complex events. By his use of simple language, Stevenson is able to reach a greater audience and recount the intense stories of these children lost in our legal system. With this, he ultimately conveys the goal of mercy and justice to millions of readers. Although the stories told are non-fiction accounts of many condemned people, Just Mercy is a memoir scattered with anecdotes from Stevenson’s own life. He is able to recount personable experiences from his childhood and early adulthood that assist the reader in connecting with him as an author. Telling stories of his grandmother, he recalls her saying, “’You can’t understand most of the important things from a distance, Bryan. You have to get close’” (Pg. 14). He continues to personalize his work, saying “Proximity to the condemned, to people unfairly judged; that was what guided me back to something that felt like home” (Pg. 14). These simple tales from Stevenson’s life help personalize his work and establish a connection with the reader, which helps to connect to the difficult issues he discusses. In these emotional cases involving offenders as young as thirteen years old, it is important to first present the facts. Stevenson uses strong logical appeal when depicting the cases he has encountered. He states, “Juveniles housed in adult prisons are five times more likely to be the victims of sexual assault…” (Pg. 152). He also says “Some states have no minimum age for prosecuting children as adults; we’ve sent a quarter million kids to adult jails and prisons to serve long prison terms, some under the age of twelve” (Pg. 15). These statistics are meant to shock. How could we send a child to an adult prison knowing these facts? There’s no logic in the sentencing a juvenile to serve any amount of time in an adult prison facility. Along with this disturbing revelation, Stevenson also points out is it is not economically sound to continue the current rate of mass incarceration. He points out, “Spending on jails and prisons by state and federal governments has risen from $6.9 billion in 1980 to nearly $80 billion today” (Pg. 16). Given this appalling evidence, Stevenson uses these facts to open the eye of the reader to these realities, and effectively supports his argument against unjust imprisonment of children. Emotional appeals to the reader played a huge roll in Just Mercy. Stevenson uses descriptions of horrific conditions, brutal treatment, and unfair trials. In one moment, Stevenson told the story of Charlie, a fourteen-year-old boy who was tried as an adult for capital murder of his mother’s abusive boyfriend.After being taken into custody, Charlie spoke of his first night in an adult jail. He says, “There were three men who hurt me on the first night. They touched me and made me do things.’ Tears were streaming down his face. His voice was high pitched and strained with anguish” (Pg. 123). This graphic account of a young child’s experience evokes an emotional response from the audience, as the trauma Charlie endured would be irreparable. Stevenson provides more emotional appeals when he describes the inhumane conditions that one of his clients, Ian, was subjected for over eighteen years, starting at the young age of fourteen. He describes in detail the conditions that Ian faced in solitary confinement. He describes is as, “…living in a concrete box the size of a walk-in closet. You get your meals through a slot, you do not see other inmates, and you never touch or get near another human being” (152). He says, “There were three men who hurt me on the first night. They touched me and made me do things.’ Tears were streaming down his face. His voice was high pitched and strained with anguish” (Pg. 123).

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This graphic account of a young child’s experience evokes an emotional response from the audience, as the trauma Charlie endured would be irreparable. Stevenson provides more emotional appeals when he describes the inhumane conditions that one of his clients, Ian, was subjected for over eighteen years, starting at the young age of fourteen. He describes in detail the conditions that Ian faced in solitary confinement. He describes is as, “…living in a concrete box the size of a walk-in closet. You get your meals through a slot, you do not see other inmates, and you never touch or get near another human being” (152). By describing these unimaginable standards of living and horrific events, Stevenson makes his point clear. No matter the crime committed, no human being should be subjected to such cruel and unusual punishment, especially at such a young age. As a reader, picturing these grotesque experiences in such vivid detail evokes sympathy and compassion for those subjected to such gruesome and barbaric environments. Stevenson establishes his ethical appeal early on in Just Mercy. He is an award winning lawyer and a Harvard Law School graduate. He is the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, a non-profit organization that focuses on helping the poor, those who may have been wrongly condemned, and those who have not receive a fair trial. These credentials, as well as his experience after years of working in his field, are impressive and enough to convince the reader of his credibility. Along with this, Stevenson himself has faced the brunt of racial bias and discrimination in his everyday life. He grew up in a poor, racially segregated town in Delaware. He describes it, saying “It seemed that we were all cloaked in an unwelcome garment of racial difference that constrained, confined, and restricted us all” (14). Stevenson also describes an experience he had when he first moved to Atlanta, where two police officers harassed him outside of his own apartment. He recalls the policing questioning him; “’What are you doing out in the street?’ ‘I was listening to the radio.’ He placed my hands on the car and bent me over the back of my vehicle. The SWAT cars bring spot-light was still focused on me” (41). Because of this first hand experience, Stevenson understands the struggles and bias his clients face daily, something the reader appreciates and takes into consideration when contemplating Stevenson’s points. In every argument, there is criteria that must be met in order to construct a valid point. Important points to consider are the sufficiency, typicality, accuracy, and relevance of the information. By meeting these requirements as well as balancing logical, emotional, and ethical appeals, Stevenson was able to make an effective argument. His use of evidence from cases like Ian’s and Charlie’s provided powerful insight to how unbalanced our criminal justice system truly is. This, as well as up-todate facts about the laws that put children away for life, provided sufficient evidence to argue against the disparity and inconsistency in our judicial system. Stevenson included different examples of his clients; people who had committed violent crimes, people who committed non violent crimes, and even people who were innocent of crime but still condemned in the eyes of the law. This diversity added to Stevenson’s argument and gave the reader a better understanding of how our criminal justice system handles tough situations. One of the most important questions is how is this relevant? How does severe juvenile punishment relate to the death penalty? As Stevenson points out “For years, we’ve been the only country in the world that condemns children to life imprisonment without parole; nearly three thousand juveniles have been sentenced to die in prison” (Pg. 15). Sentencing a juvenile to life without parole is a death sentence; we are condemning them for the rest of their lives, without possibility of redemption. The goal in presenting the argument of unjust juvenile sentencing made in Stevenson’s Just Mercy was to enlighten people to the cruel, complex, and often unjust legal system in the United States. Skillfully using logical, emotional, and ethical appeals, Stevenson points out that these are issues that must come to light. They effect the greater population, causing taxpayers to lose incredible amounts of money. Stevenson also puts the moral responsibility on the readers. As he puts it, “The true measure of our character is how we treat the poor, the disfavored, the accused, the incarcerated, and the condemned” (18). Stevenson brilliantly puts the responsibility us. It is the general publics responsibility to create just laws and show mercy to those who need it most.

PORTFOLIO

| DECEMBER 2015

Capital Punishment: a Relic of Slavery

Research Paper In todays society, capital punishment has become a pressing issue. With botched executions and research emerging showing prejudices in the United States’ criminal justice system is, a new question emerges: Do we keep the death penalty or do we abolish it? It is important to review the foundations of our criminal justice system, and the complex history behind the issue. After examining this information, I came to this conclusion: the current state of capital punishment in the United States is a problem because it is a legacy of America’s history of racism and slavery. Following World War Two, there was a global trend towards the abolition of the death penalty. Following the violence of the holocaust, intergovernmental organizations began to form, specifically the United Nations. They focused on upholding international law and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which protects every person right to life, freedom, and dignity (United Nations 1). The formation of this group, and the growing number of democratic governments in the world, contributed heavily to the number of countries who had begun abolishing the death penalty. So why hasn’t the United States abolished the death penalty? We are one of the most prominent democracies in the world yet we still practice capital punishment. The answer has to do with the U.S.’s long history of slavery and racial inequality. The United States was a major importer of slaves in the later half of the 18th century, bringing in 44,759 slaves from 1765-1774 (Radburn 668). The importation of African people to a predominantly white, un-diverse nation led to a large population in the U.S. By 1860, African Americas accounted for roughly 13 percent of the country’s population and 33 percent of the South’s population (Minz). Slaves during this era were subjected to harsh working conditions, and had a very low life expectancy; in the time of 1830-1860, a mere ten percent of the slaves in North America were over 50 years old (Mintz 2).

The 19th century progressed and debate over the practice of slavery came to a boil, resulting in America’s bloody Civil War. By the time the war had come to an end and slavery was abolished in 1865, racist groups began forming to protect the existing social order in the former Confederate States. The Klu Klux Klan formed in 1865, shortly after the end of the war. It was a group meant to terrorize and harm African Americans. One of the Klan’s core beliefs was white supremacy, the idea that whites are superior beings and must rule non-whites. Lynch mobs and terror were used to control the African American population during this time. “Although the first half of the twentieth century saw a substantial decline in lynch-mob violence, the death penalty continued to serve as a means of racial subjugation, especially in the South” (Steiker 251). Even after the formation of these racial motivated hate groups, new legislature came into play to marginalize African Americans further. The Jim Crow laws were passed just a few years after the abolition of slavery. Passed in the early 1880’s these laws created a caste system within the United States. The laws continued to rigidly segregate and marginalize the African American population (Pilgrim 1). These laws, which promised “separate but equal facilities” were extremely oppressive to African Americans, who would often face incarceration for breaking these rigid social codes. This form of despotism in our legal system, along with police brutality, hate groups, and lynching’s, created a legal system that was prejudiced against justice for African Americans from the beginning.

The criminal justice system in the United States still feels the effects of years of racial inequality. One of the effects notable today is the geography of capital cases, and the unequal distribution of these cases and executions. In a study conducted by the Journal of Ethnicity in Criminal Justice, the authors state, “Perhaps the single most striking fact about the death penalty in modern America is the uneven geographic distribution of executions” (Vandiver 20). Executions have been disproportionately skewed towards the southern states in the later half of the 20th century, with most occurring in former Confederate states, where slavery was most prevalent. All states, whether they were part of the Confederacy or not, that practiced slavery have executed someone since Gregg v. Georgia in 1976 (Vandiver 33). Multiple studies have been conducted to determine whether race bias effected sentencing, and Vandiver found, “The disproportionate number of executions carried out against those who killed white’s further reveals that the contemporary death penalty is not imposed in a race neutral manner.” (Vandiver 32). The race of the victim has consistently been shown to be a determining factor in death penalty cases. It has been shown that defendants are four times more likely to be sentenced and receive the death penalty if the victim is white rather than black (Baumgartner 3). Perhaps the most shocking statistics are those founded by The Espy File, showing the demographics of those convicted and subjected to capital punishment. According to Death Penalty Info, 15,269 had been put to death between the years 1608-2002. Out of these thousands, 7,353 of them were African Americans (Death Penalty Info). This number continues to shock, as the statistics show that approximately 11.5% of the 15,269 executed were slaves. This is a huge percentage, and demonstrates that African Americans were disproportionately sentenced to death during this time period of nearly 400 years. Capital punishment has caused controversy these past years as the United States moves into the 21st century. The unfair prejudices many citizens often have to face can be directly linked back to slavery and racism during the 18th century. America needs to stand up to these brutal statistics. If we want to live in an equal society, we must rid ourselves of the bias’ that keep our nation from moving forward.