Rhetorical Analysis

MR. CLEMENT: Well, Justice Kennedy, two points. First of all, the very fact that there are 1,100 provisions of Federal law that define the terms "marriage" and "spouse" goes a long way to showing that Federal law has not just stayed completely out of these issues. It's gotten involved in them in a variety of contexts where there is an independent Federal power that supported that. Now, the second thing is the fact that DOMA involves all 1,100 statutes at once is not really a sign of its irrationality. It is a sign that what it is, and all it has ever purported to be, is a definitional provision. And like every other provision in the Dictionary Act, what it does is it defines the term wherever it appears in Federal law in a consistent way. And that was part and parcel of what Congress was trying to accomplish with DOMA in 1996. (154)

            Mr. Clement did a great job thinking on his toes while being torn apart by the Supreme Court Justices in a case against DOMA. He addresses every point in a calmly fashion and backs it up with evidence. Clement has a well-qualified argument by centering all of his claims and evidence around his largest point; DOMA is a definitional provision.

            This being a rebuttal from a debate Mr. Clement did a good job of structuring his argument to counter attack each point. Though it is choppy, each sentence reflects the previous point of the Justice. All while staying quick to the point in order to get everything in before he is interrupted. The most important part of this structure is that it all revolves around the biggest point. Cleverly answering all of the Justice Kennedy’s  points while pointing them in the direction of DOMA being a definitional provision. A perfect example of this is how he opens, “First of all, the very fact that there are 1,100 provisions of Federal law that define the terms "marriage" and "spouse" goes a long way to showing that Federal law has not just stayed completely out of these issues.” As he points us in this direction he uses logos to start out strong and ends the sentence with his claim. This way by the time you read his claim it has already been backed up; not giving you a chance to second-guess this claim.

            Clement accomplishes all this while still maintaining a calm and collected tone. This tone gives him creditability because he isn’t rudely accusing anything no is he asking any demeaning questions; he is simply stating the facts. Also in comparison to most of the Justice’s sass and disrespectful responses, it makes him look like the more trustworthy speaker.

             Clement uses such a tone because the decision is being made by the Supreme Court Justices so he needs to appeal to them as his audience. Being respectful and showing credibility is essential for accomplishing this. In order to win over the opinion of a Justice you have to really prove to them that you are qualified and that is what Clement has been doing successfully. Like I pointed out earlier the structure of his sentences and over all argument are set up to prove his claim before he even states it. Add his tone to that and you have the perfect show for a hard to please audience.

            This argument was very well done. From the structure, tone, and appeal to the audience—Mr. Clement nailed it. He counter attacks each claim thrown at him, with the claims of his own draws a bigger picture, and has the tone to please the audience. He succeeded in making his case clear and doing that while thinking on your feet is a very large accomplishment. 

Chocolate Connection

            It’s an addiction really. The emotions you feel as you bite into chocolate; whether it’s a cookie, truffle, piece of cake, ice cream, anything. As it slowly melts in your mouth filling every taste bud with joy, your mind starts flooding with past experiences and connections with this decadent dessert. A kind of chocolaty feminine connection that leads back to the beginning of this family. I’ve only heard stories of the soothing affect it has had on my elders, but I have experienced it first hand with the ones closest to me.

            The subtle crack of the chocolate as it drops onto my tongue causes memories of my mother to fill my mind. From when I was young and would share chocolate cookies and treats with her. Questioning her about the world, “Why is chocolate brown? Who’s George Bush? But I thought George Washington is our president? Do you think horses like chocolate?” as I lick off the chocolate smeared all over my fingers. Mom with her motherly patience would answer each and every one of those questions until I passed out from a sugar high. Others are from more recent times when we go out for chocolate croissants and coffee as I confide in her. The soothing words of my mother combined with the sweetness of the croissant make for a relaxing morning that calms my nerves.

            As the chocolate softens in my mouth memories of my grandmother flood into my mind. Tea time with my Googoo. My favorite blanket spread out on the floor, on top sits my tiny tea set; the teapot and cups filled with milk and the little plates filled with Oreos along with my grandmother’s fancy chocolates. In most of my happy memories like this one, I can feel the warm sensation of the sun on my face. I once again bombarded this time my grandmother with questions. She giggled at my curiosity and answered them too as her crystal blue eyes stared into mine. Memories from when I was older surprise me as well. The most common one is walking into my grandparent’s apartment and being welcomed with the smell of fresh baked brownies, her specialty. We sit together over a plate of brownies and have girl talk that includes the fascinating stories of my relatives that I never had the chance to meet. Not a worry in the world.

            Us Ekstrom women, though many of us have never met, bond through this dessert. The memories that consume us as we consume the chocolate fill our brains to capacity. Causing all the worries to fade away. This is the way I get to bond with one of my great, great, grandmothers who was one of the first of very few women to attend college once it was allowed for their gender. How else could she have inspired me to become the strong feminist I am today? Oh yes, the strange female connection my family shares through chocolate. They all speak to me through a dessert. 

Helping China

By outsourcing our work to China we have tarnished many American morals. Incidents including child labor, underpaid workers, over worked workers, unsafe working conditions, ignoring the environmental issues, and much more. In recent years we have watched the Chinese government scrambling together to get things in order. Due to the now booming export and foreign market, China has been working to get back on top of many of these issues. Free trade is not encouraging such irresponsible behavior, in fact it is doing the opposite by pushing the foreign governments like China moving again to get on top of these issues.

This past January Northern China has had a surge of pollution, specifically thick smog that encased Beijing. The pollution was rated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with an air quality index of surpassing 300. Though this rise in pollution is not considered a good thing, in hindsight it jump started the slow moving action of the government in the effort to decrease the pollution problem they have.

On just the second “Hazardous” day, in an effort to stop Beijing’s “most polluted days on record” from lasting longer the government ordered temporarily shutting down 100 factories and one third of government vehicles off of the streets. According to Wang Anshun the Mayor of Beijing, the government has created a preliminary plan to curb the pollution, also quoted saying “I hope we can have blue skies, clean water, less traffic and a more balanced education system.” (Wong, Edward) This plan he spoke of was shown in the Xihuan, a Chinese news station: in the goal to bring down the density of major air pollutants by 2 percent this year, officials have ordered 180,000 out dated vehicles off the roads, promoting the use of clean energy government vehicles and heating systems, and growing trees over 250 square miles of land in the next five years.

Although currently this pollution issue may seem like a large product of the outsourcing our companies have done because we have helped to create these new manufacturing factories. I am not going to deny that because are part of the problem, but because our companies are over there they have their own regulations for pollution and workers and in order to keep their good reputation in tact they are going to make sure their standards are high. The need to bring a better reputation to this outsourcing is important, as it said in Businessweek, “Guarantees by multi-nationals that offshore suppliers are meeting widely accepted codes of conduct have been important to maintaining political support in the U.S. for growing trade ties with China, especially in the wake of protests by unions and antiglobalization activists.”(Secrets, Lies, and Sweatshops) Our businesses are bringing our regulations over seas and sharing them with these foreign countries who have less stringent laws. Our foreign trade business has exported more than just jobs, but money for the governments, and values such as stricter laws for a better working environment inside and outside the factory.

Works Cited

Wong, Edward. "Beijing Takes Steps to Fight Pollution as Problem Worsens." New York Times. N.p., 30 Jan. 2013. Web. 7 Mar. 2013.

"Secrets, Lies, And Sweatshops." Bloomberg Businessweek. N.p., 26 Nov. 2006. Web. 7 Mar. 2013.

Lubman, Stanley. "Working Conditions: The Persistence of Problems in China’s Factories." Wall Street Journal | China. N.p., 25 Sept. 2012. Web. 7 Mar. 2013.

The Fight for Domestic Business in China

           China’s problem is quite the opposite from America’s--they have too much outsourcing into their country rather than from it. Though I am sure neither you nor a lot of China sees this as a problem because of the major boost it gives to China’s economy, even during this recession most of the world is experiencing. The problem is that these large foreign companies, who have been coming here for it’s cheap manufacturing and the large market for their products, have made it impossible for any of China’s domestic companies to keep up and flourish as much as the foreigner’s have.

            The economy of China relies purely on their exports and as the past has shown us, it is not safe for a country’s wealth to rely on one source. Due to this, it has been Beijing’s top priority to fix this problem by encouraging the growth of the domestic market. The Chinese government has been focused on taking advantage of the extra export money they have to take a big step up in the bettering of the country. According to Premier Wen Jiabao at the UN general assembly in New York “China has brought down the number of people in absolute poverty from 250 million to 15 million in less than 30 years" (China as a Global Player) this is a benefit of the foreign companies and the work of the government combined. Also over the past ten years China’s economy has been growing by 10.5% annually. All this work the government has been doing has paid off, but it still needs working for the better future of their domestic market.

China’s domestic businesses have been struggling to keep up; those who are really in deep have turned to illegal methods in getting ahead. In May of 2008 the Chinese government had discovered a child labor ring that tricked children from poor areas to come work in the “booming coastal cities.” This included over a hundred children ranging between the ages of 13 and 15 (the legal working age is 16); they were forced to work 300 hours a month. Though we may be bringing money to China by bringing our business there it seems like we are really hurting them in the end not only their businesses, but the people as well. The portrayal of the pressure we have created was written out well in the New York Times article, “The abuses may also reflect the combined pressures of worker shortages, high inflation and a rising currency that have reduced profit margins of some Chinese factories and forced them to scramble for an edge — even an illegal one — to stay competitive.” (David Barboza, China Says) The future of China is domestic demand and consumption so the importance of fixing this problem is immense.

            I hope to see China fix their domestic business problem because the homegrown market is part of every country’s culture; and to see it disappear would be like seeing their culture slowly decay. China’s government is working hard to stop this from becoming their future. From the success they have had so far with the rising of their economy and bettering of the country I believe they will work it out in time.

Works Cited

"China as a Global Player." World Economic Forum. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2013.

Barboza, David. "China Says Abusive Child Labor Ring Is Exposed." New York Times. N.p., 1 May 2008. Web. 28 Feb. 2013.

Jiebao, Wen. "Promote Sound, Sustainable and Quality Development." The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting of New Champions 2011. China, Dalian. 28 Feb. 2013. Speech.

"China." Sourcing Line. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2013.

Outsourcing

Commonly Used Products & Manufacturing Country

1. Sheets- Israel
2. TV Remote- Mexico
3. Wii Remote- China
4. iPhone- China
5. Northface Backpack- Vietnam
6. Coach wallet- China
7. Macbook Pro- China
8. UGG Boots- China
9. Dishes- Italy
10.  Ariat Dressage Boots- Mexico
11. Northface Jacket- Vietnam
12. Forever 21 Tanktops- Bangladesh
13.  J Brand Jacket- USA
14.  iHome- China

While looking for the manufacturing place of all the items I used this weekend I picked up my Juicy Couture bathrobe and found these two tags. “JUICY COUTURE Born in the Glamorous USA” was written on the first tag then on the second tag sewn onto that is “Made in China.” The irony was killing me. As Americans we love our American made companies especially if everything is made in the U.S. Companies obviously know this, so they make sure to advertise that they are the “all American” company like Juicy Couture did because they know it will bring them some good business. Then as soon as we hear that a company is outsourcing all their manufacturing jobs it gets a major dent in it’s reputation, like Apple did. Outsourcing is frowned upon because of the jobs and money the company is taking away from our country, but would it be hurting the consumers if the company didn’t have a cheaper alternative in manufacturing the product?

As I went down the list of my commonly used items from this weekend I found that most of the nicest items or nicest companies the items came from, were manufactured in China. The companies included Nintendo, Apple, Coach, and UGG. What does this say about China? The cheapest of items came from places like Bangladesh and Israel, which are both very corrupt areas, this is probably where you would find the cheapest and easiest labor. I did a little research to find out that China is the place to be for manufacturing because it not only has the cheap labor, but there is also a huge market for goods there as well as China has access to raw materials there such as metals.

As a democrat, we are always looking for ways to promote business in America and make it harder for companies to outsource. The only side affect to keeping business in the U.S. is that it will make the prices of the products skyrocket because our regulations on everything. This is why the only item I had that was made in the U.S. was a J Brand jean jacket and I will admit that I spent way more than I should have, I believe it was around $200. The consumers would be hurt tremendously if all our products went up to the equivalent price as that jean jacket. 

Emojinal Language

Creating a philosophical post about language with emojis takes some major patience, along with acceptance—this way you can accept the fact that no matter what you will not sound philosophical in any way using tiny cartoon pictures. I had much difficulty attempting to portray my message because of the limited amount of images I can choose from. You are using a method that is used best for communicating with children or just others who don’t understand the language. It is a form of language that everyone can understand, if maneuvered correctly to make sense. The benefit comes with conflict, because anyone of any language has the ability to understand it, the language has to be completely basic. Writing in a high school level thought process for a high school level blog post is an extremely slow process having to make every word simple. The end product comes out sounding unsophisticated, not only in the words, but the ideas as well. Being forced to write simplistically causes your ideas to morph; slight changes with every word in order to write in emojis. Writing in emojis is so limited that the only real way you can portray them is through iphone and if not then a picture from the iphone. This language limits every aspect of writing—from the wording all the way to the viewers—which creates a morphed message that strays from the original idea. 

Easy, Breezy, Beautiful, COVERGIRL

Perfection is what every human being strives for. Now we have all heard the same argument of how the media is to blame for putting these ideas in our head! Although I do believe that as well as I do believe that I feel like I’m viewed as taking the easy way out by choosing a Covergirl ad to analyze, but I have had a few things I’ve been wanting to say about this company. Now that I have the perfect opportunity to do so I will use it to my advantage!            

            Starting with the basics--the first thing your eye is drawn to is of course the celebrity Drew Barrymore who takes up about 4/5s of the page. Specifically her bright blue eyes draw your attention because of the Covergirl product smeared all over them that make them pop. Clearly trying to sell the eye makeup in this ad, but they didn’t stop there in making Barrymore the perfect face. You notice the rosy cheekbones that transition downwards till you see her pink lips. Even though this is a clearly photo shopped face because nobody I know is flawless, this ad convinces you that this is what beauty looks like and you should want to look like this if you want to be someone. Now this is the part that really gets me, how Covergirl cleverly picks celebrities who already have natural beauty. By using them to sell their makeup they are saying “this face is beautiful because of Covergirl,” taking credit for this persons own beauty. Taking credit for something that is not yours is cheating! I cannot be the only person who has been angered by this, I’m sorry Covergirl, but Drew Barrymore is beautiful makeup or not!

            Moving back on track, other than the large “COVERGIRL” at the top of the ad, the next words that pull your attention is the “fadeproof. waterproof. Ignore-proof!” I’m sorry what was that? “Ignore-proof?!” are you implying that without this “intense shadowblast makeup I will be ignored?! I do fine not getting ignored with out Covergirl and even on the days when I’m shamefully in public without any makeup on people still talk to me and acknowledge me. There is also the possibility that they may be talking about that cute guy you’ve been trying to impress at work or school. If you wear this makeup it’s destined for him to finally notice you and ask you out.

            I found this ad in Teen Vogue so judging by the placement, the celebrity that teen girls look up to, the “ignore-proof,” and although not on the ad the cheap price of the makeup I would say the target audience are teen girls. If a girl is looking through Teen Vogue it shows that they already care about their image since it is a fashion magazine that updates you on the newest trends and occasionally celebrity gossip. The flawless image of Drew Barrymore who stars in many favorite movies of teen girls, she works as an idol that the girls look up to. If Barrymore wears this makeup I should too so I can look just like her.

            Now I am not blaming society’s need for perfection and beauty on this ad or on the media completely. We are the consumers and we are the people of this culture that has learned to value such things so it is only logic that an ad would bring up these ideas of perfection to sell their product.