Too Slick, Too Loud, Too Successful—Why Kentucky’s John Calipari Can’t Catch a
Break
There was a time, early on, when it seemed easy to peg John Calipari. Back in the late '80s he
was just another pretty face, one more Pat Riley clone with the slick hair and dazzling patter, the
just-so suits and shoes. Talent flocked to him, but he radiated a knockoff's flimsiness: too much
talk and an ambition about as subtle as sharkskin. Opposing recruiters wanted to beat him bloody.
Opposing coaches tried to sabotage his hiring. Omens? His first game as a head coach, the
scoreboard caught fire. You just didn't figure Calipari for the long haul.
These days, of course, he is basketball's great survivor, the ever-moving (Gas up the private
jet!), ever-hustling (four McDonald's All-Americans for 2011!), ever-tweeting (1.1 million followers!)
head coach of the University of Kentucky. And while his eight-year, $31.7 million contract—the
richest in the college game—is the most obvious measure of his success, it's hardly the most telling.
Like the sharpest scavenger after a storm, Calipari has prospered more than any other coach in
college basketball's broken system, gathering up top recruits, winning 30 games a season and then
happily waving his one-and-done players goodbye. Last spring an unprecedented five Wildcats, four
of them freshmen, went in the first round of the NBA draft. And if this season has been a relative
struggle, most of Kentucky's rivals would gladly take a morning after that includes a 22--8 record, a
No. 15 ranking, a 34-game home winning streak and more than enough talent to play deep into
March.
"Regardless of what John tells you, he's got this team right," LSU coach Trent Johnson said
after the Wildcats gave the Tigers what he called "a good old-fashioned ass-whipping" at Rupp
Arena on Jan. 15. "They're a handful."
Coach Cal may get his teams "right" season after season, but the biggest win of his 22-year
career surely came during three hours in a Chicago hotel suite in March 2009, when he persuaded
Kentucky's president, Lee T. Todd Jr., to hire him even as the NCAA was investigating alleged
violations by Calipari's program at Memphis. And despite a news drip about possible violations in
Lexington since then (a fruitless NCAA probe into former guard Eric Bledsoe's high school
transcript; a Chicago Sun-Times report last August that the father of recruit Anthony Davis got
$200,000 for his son to commit to the Wildcats, an allegation that both dad and school deny), the
coach's stature within the administration has only grown. To have Todd—who was so alarmed by
what he calls the "smoke" surrounding Calipari that he wouldn't consider him when the job first
opened in 2007—say in February that the only coach to preside over two Final Four runs vacated by
the NCAA (at Massachusetts in 1996 and Memphis in 2008) now gives him "a good, wholesome
feeling," well, that too can be considered a kick-ass performance.
"I could be at risk of saying he did a job on me [in Chicago], but it's proved to be a real job, a
long-lasting job," Todd says. "I've seen the proof. I've seen him operate."
Calipari's detractors delight in noting that he has always left town one step ahead of the
sheriff, even if he was cleared by the NCAA of any personal culpability in the UMass and Memphis
messes. And what do the message-board cynics make of his $1 million donation last June to Streets
Ministries of Memphis, or his washing of poor kids' feet in Port-au-Prince and Detroit last year, or
his organizing a January 2010 telethon that raised $1.3 million for Haiti's earthquake victims? They
cite ESPN analyst Bob Knight, who in December 2009 called Calipari the embodiment of the sport's
1
ills. "Integrity is really lacking [in college basketball]," Knight said in a speech in Indianapolis.
"We've got a coach at Kentucky who put two schools on probation, and he's still coaching. I really
don't understand that."
Never mind that the General, no pillar of rectitude himself, had his facts wrong: Only Memphis
went on probation. Knight is the bulldog eyeing the cat as it lands, again, on its feet, and he's not
the only one perplexed. Calipari once declared that rather than competition or education,
"everything in this game is marketing," and it's a constant struggle for rivals and the hoops
commentariat to decide where his sell begins and ends. "John's out there," says Larry Brown, one of
his coaching mentors. "The way he dresses, the way he talks nonstop. A lot of people look at that
shtick and say, ‘That guy is not real.’"
Calipari's spin is so notorious—and the smoke swirling around him so thick—that few noticed a
recent gesture of sportsmanship that would have burnished any other coach's reputation. On Feb.
8, during a pulverizing win over Tennessee at Rupp Arena, Wildcats fans chanted, Bruce You Cheated! at Volunteers coach Bruce Pearl, who was back after an eight-game suspension for lying to
NCAA investigators about recruiting violations. Calipari and Pearl despise each other, but Calipari
whirled on the students, glared and shook his head. "Stop!" he said, waving his arms. "There's no
place for that here." The chant died, yet no laudatory ink flowed Calipari's way.
Could it be that the slickness that has lifted him to the top of his profession also allows nothing
good to stick? "We just roll out the balls here," Calipari will say, but it's not humility. It's hurt. His
rep as a recruiter and all the hand-wringing about one-and-dones have made it easy to ignore the
fact that year in and year out, he gets players—especially those with one eye fixed on the mockdraft boards—to sacrifice their individual games for the team. And with six former assistants now
Division I head coaches, Calipari's coaching tree is second only to that of Arizona State's Herb
Sendek.
"People try to figure out, Why's he do something? There's an ulterior motive," Calipari says.
"They're obsessed. And if you're obsessed, you lose. The great news is, I'm not obsessed with
them."
Price, SL. “Too Slick, Too Loud, Too Successful—Why Kentucky’s John Calipari Can’t Catch a
Break.” SI Vault. Time, Inc. 14 March 2011. Web. 23 June 2011.
<http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1182972/index.htm>.
2
Facts and Opinions
In both reading and writing we often need to be able to tell the difference between
fact and opinion. In writing we often make factual statements and support them with
opinion. When reading it is important to know if a statement should be taken as fact or if
the writer is merely providing opinion about the topic.
•Facts – Statement that can be proven true or false. Note that they are not necessarily
true statements. Instead they are statements that can be measured or observed. One
could make a factual statement and later learn that it was false.
•Opinion – Statement that cannot be proven true or false. Opinions express feelings or
judgments.
Identify each as fact or opinion. Always ask yourself, “Can this be proven true or false?”
If the answer is yes, it is a fact. If it is no, it is opinion.
1.Strawberry ice cream is better than chocolate.
2.5 plus 5 equals 10.
3.It is hotter today than yesterday.
4.I like the way that smells.
5.A dog is man’s best friend.
6.This homework is hard.
7.I am allergic to peanuts.
Remember, you are not concerned about if the statement is true. Instead, focus on if the
statement can be proven true or false.
1.Baseball is the best sport.
2.The United States shares a border with Canada.
3.Everyone in this class loves to write.
4.The Angels are the best team in baseball.
5.Eating out is usually more expensive than eating at home.
6.It is too cold in here.
7.A Republican won the election.
8.This color looks good on me.
3
Is That a Fact?
Which statement is a fact? Which is an opinion? Circle the factual statement for each pair in the
chart below, then underline the opinion.
a. Cell phones make daily life easier.
b. 75% of teens 12‐17 years old own cell phones.
c. Although his critics called him a socialist, President Franklin Roosevelt’s policies saved American
capitalism.
d. President Roosevelt promoted New Deal legislation to get the U.S. out of the Great Depression.
e. The proliferation of non‐governmental organizations (NGOs) in Haiti has prevented Haiti’s
government from taking care of its own people.
f. In 2006, Haiti’s government was ranked as the most corrupt out of 163 countries surveyed on the
“Corruption Perceptions Index.”
g. According to a Pew Research poll, more than half the people surveyed would be more likely to
vote for Congressional candidates who would get federal funding for local projects.
h. Voters want things both ways – they disapprove of Congress funding so‐called “earmarks” (state
or local programs), but they want their Congressperson to “bring home the bacon” for their
favorite projects.
Answer a Test practice question.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau,
there is a growing income gap between the
earnings of people who don’t get a GED or
high school diploma and their peers who do, as
well as with those who go on to get a two‐
year’s associate’s degree or a four‐year
bachelor’s degree.
But that’s not the end of the story. Since
the economic recession began in December
2007, the unemployment rate for all
educational levels has climbed sharply – but
most sharply with a rate of 15.4% for high
school noncompleters versus 9.4% for high
school graduates, 7.9% for individuals with
some college credits or an associate’s degree,
and 4.7% for people who earned a 4‐year
degree.
Which of the following is an opinion that is
supported by the information in the passage?
(A) People with a high school diploma earn
more than those with an associate’s degree.
(B) The more education you get, the
greater your chances are of being
unemployed.
(C) People who get a high school diploma or
GED will have better employment
opportunities than those who don’t.
(D) Unemployment is a consequence of
laziness, not a lack of education.
(E) Most people who don’t go to college are
not able to do so because of financial
limitations or family constraints.
4
Identifying Fact and Opinion while Reading
When reading, it is especially important to know if a statement should be taken as fact or if the
writer is merely providing opinion about the topic. Remember:
•Facts – Statement that can be proven true or false. Note that they are not necessarily true
statements. Instead, they are statements that can be measured or observed. One could make a
factual statement and later learn that it was false.
•Opinion – Statement that cannot be proven true or false. Opinions express feelings or
judgments.
Directions: Paraphrase the John Calipari article’s main points, identifying both facts and
opinions. You may work in groups of up to four people as long as you work quietly and diligently.
Objective Proof
Subjective Proof
(Fact)
(Opinion)
5
Complete Sentences: Subjects and Predicates
Introduction:
One of the most important elements of strong writing is the ability to construct quality sentences.
To do that, you have to understand what make a sentence a sentence in the first place. From
studying complete sentences in the past, your definition of a complete sentence is probably that it
has to have a noun and a verb. This is not incorrect, but it’s only partially true. To understand a
complete sentence, you’ll have to learn about a special type of noun(or pronoun)—called a subject—
and a special type of verb—called a predicate.
Read this worksheet all the way through before you do it. The worksheet tells how to
find subjects and predicates.
CIRCLE THE PREDICATES IN THESE SENTENCES.
1. Finding the complete verb is not hard to do.
2. All you have to do is ask, "What's happening?"
3. However, you must ask yourself that question out loud,
4. or it won't work!
5. Remember, action verbs show what
6. you can do with your body or your mind.
7. Linking verbs are trickier to find.
8. To find a linking verb, see if
9. you can replace any word with "is."
10. The word that you change for "is"
12. is a linking verb.
13. Auxiliary verbs, as the name suggests,
14. help the main verb by showing time or condition.
15. Find the auxiliary verbs by first finding the main verb and then moving backwards to check for
more verbs.
16. 'Ly' words signal that
17. you should continue to move backwards to find more helping verbs.
18. "Not," "never," and time words like "sometimes" and "often" also warn you to keep searching for
helpers.
19. Watch out for emotional words like "happy" and "sad."
20. Emotional words like "serious" and "unhappy" are not verbs.
6
UNDERLINE THE SUBJECTS.
1. To find the subject, you must find the verb first.
2. A sentence may consist of a verb and nothing else.
3. This is why
4. the verb, not the subject, is the essential part of the sentence.
5. Do not forget that sometimes
6. the subject of a sentence may be understood.
7. This happens in declarative sentences, otherwise known as commands.
8. The subject of a command is always "you," but
9. the "you" is understood.
10. When the "you" is understood,
11. the "you" is not written or spoken.
12. It is implied.
13. Once you have found the verb,
14. ask out loud,
15. "Who or what blah?"
16. "Blah" is the verb
17. that you have found.
18. Again, this technique only works if
19. you say it out loud.
20. The subject of the sentence always “does” the verb
21. or has the state of being of the verb.
22. In the case of a linking verb, the subject is joined to the predicate adjective or to the
predicate nominative.
23. In other words, the linking verb ties the subject to the predicate adjective or to the predicate
nominative.
24. Subjects are really easy to find.
25. Just remember,
26. that the object of the preposition is never the subject of the sentence.
27. The crossing out of the prepositional phrases makes it easier to find the subject and verb.
Answer a Test practice question.
Sophie—with her wild, pink hair tipped in
purple, her nose ring, and her Wolverine
tattoo—became the star of the girls’ softball
team, earning All-American honors as a
pitcher.
What is the subject of the preceding
sentence?
(A) Sophie
(B) with her wild, pink hair tipped in
purple, her nose ring, and her
Wolverine tattoo
(C) star
(D) All-American
(E) softball team
(F) pitcher
7
Lou Gehrig’s Farewell Speech
Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about a bad break I got. Yet today I
consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.
I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness
and encouragement from you fans. Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn’t consider it the
highlight of his career just to associate with them for even one day?
Sure I’m lucky.
Who wouldn’t consider it an honor to have known Jacob Ruppert? Also, the builder of
baseball’s greatest empire, Ed Barrow? To have spent six years with that wonderful little fellow,
Miller Huggins? Then to have spent the next nine years with that outstanding leader, that smart
student of psychology, the best manager in baseball today, Joe McCarthy?
Sure I’m lucky.
When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat, and vice versa,
sends you a gift - that’s something. When everybody down to the groundskeepers and those boys in
white coats remember you with trophies -- that’s something.
When you have a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles with her own
daughter -- that’s something.
When you have a father and a mother who work all their lives so you can have an education and
build your body -- it’s a blessing.
When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you
dreamed existed -- that’s the finest I know.
So, I close in saying that I might have been given a bad break, but I've got an awful lot to live
for.
Gehrig, Lou. "Farewell Address to Baseball Address." American Rhetoric: The Power of
Oratory in the United States. McGraw-Hill, 2011. Web. 20 July 2011.
<http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/lougehrigfarewelltobaseball.htm>
8
Persuasive Planner: Lou Gehrig’s Farewell Address
Claim/ Thesis/ Assertion—A clear and focused opinion that can be argued through
reasons and evidence.
Gehrig’s Primary Claim:
________________________________________________________________
Gehrig’s Reason #1:
Gehrig’s Reason #2:
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
__________________________
________________
________________
Evidence (Proof):
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________
________________
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Evidence (Proof):
Evidence (Proof):
_______________
________________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
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_______________
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______________
________________
________________
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________________
________________
________________
______
9
Actually, College Is Very Much Worth It
By Andrew J. Rotherham
Lately it's become fashionable — especially among the highly credentialed — to question whether
it's really "worth it" to go to college. A recent report from the Harvard Graduate School of
Education proposed deemphasizing college as the primary goal of our education system in favor of
"multiple pathways" for students. Earlier this month, New York Magazine devoted almost 4,000
words to profiling venture capitalists (and college graduates) James Altucher and Peter Thiel and
their efforts convince Americans that they'd be better off skipping college. Thiel is even creating
a $100,000 fellowship for young people who agree to delay going to college in favor of an internship.
Make no mistake, there is widespread dissatisfaction with higher education. According to a new
survey released by the Pew Research Center, only 40 percent of Americans felt that colleges
provided an "excellent" or "good" value for the money. At the same time, 86 percent of college
graduates still felt the investment was a good one for them.
To understand these competing views, you have to juggle a few different ideas at once. First, there
are plenty of problems with higher education — poor quality, even at brand-name schools, and outof-control costs are two of the biggest. College presidents themselves shared some of these
concerns and others with the Pew researchers. Second, it's true: College isn't for everyone. There
are plenty of rewarding and important jobs and careers that do not require college. And due to the
sluggish economy, there may in fact be more graduates than the current job market needs, or a
temporary "college bubble." Jobs for recent grads are harder to find, and salaries are lower, but
that won't last forever. And in spite of all of this, the data make clear that getting a college
education is still a good idea — college graduates earn more, and are more likely to have a job in the
first place — and is especially important for some Americans.
Anti-college sentiment is nothing new. Mark Twain admonished us not to let schooling interfere with
education, and we've always celebrated the maverick who blazes their own path. These days, it's
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Microsoft's Bill Gates, or Apple's Steve Jobs — all college
dropouts — who are held up as evidence of why all that time sitting in class is better spent
elsewhere. Perhaps, but it's also worth remembering that their companies are bursting with college
graduates. And what about all the people who didn't finish college and are not at the helm of a
wildly successful venture?
Nobody spends a lot of time highlighting their stories, but let's not lose sight of what happens to
them. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2010, the median weekly earnings for
someone with some college but no degree were $712, compared to $1038 for a college graduate.
That's almost $17,000 over the course of a year and there is an even bigger divide for those with
less education. College graduates are also more likely to be in jobs with better benefits, further
widening the divide. Meanwhile, in 2010, the unemployment rate was 9.2 percent for those with only
some college and more than 10 percent for those with just a high school degree, but it was 5.4
percent for college graduates. The economic gaps between college completers and those with less
education are getting larger, too.
10
It's also odd to talk down college — which is the most effective social mobility strategy we have —
at the very time Americans are becoming concerned about income inequality. Ron Haskins of the
Brookings Institution found that without a college degree, only 14 percent of Americans from the
bottom fifth of parental income reach the top two-fifths. But if they complete college, 41 percent
of this same group can then expect to make it to the top two-fifths. Haskins' data also shows the
extent to which debates like this are a luxury of the privileged, because their children enjoy much
more of a safety net and the risks are different for them. In other words, children from lowincome families gain more by going to college than children of the wealthy lose by not going.
So here's the key takeaway: Education gives you choices. Assuming you don't pile up mountains of
debt that constrain your career options (and that outcome is avoidable) or go to a school where just
fogging a mirror is good enough to get a diploma, there are not a lot of downsides to going to
college. The stories of entrepreneurs who bootstrapped themselves are exciting but most of us are
not a Gates or Zuckerberg. So before heeding the advice of the college naysayers, make sure you
understand the stakes and the odds. Or, here's a good rule of thumb instead: When people who
worked hard to achieve something that has benefitted them start telling you that it's really not all
that important or useful — beware.
Disclosure: I'm a member of the Visiting Committee for the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Andrew J. Rotherham, who writes the blog Eduwonk, is a co-founder and partner at Bellwether
Education, a nonprofit working to improve educational outcomes for low-income students. School of
Thought, his education column for TIME.com, appears every Thursday.
Rotherham, Andrew J. "Actually, College Is Very Much Worth It - TIME." TIME.com.
Time-Warner, 19 May 2011. Web. 20 July 2011.
<http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2072432,00.html>.
11
A Twenty-First Century Guide to Rhetoric
Historians refer to the Modern Age—the era in which we live—as the Information Age. Anyone
with access to basic tools can find out virtually anything about any subject they might want to know.
Want to know how much rain has fallen in Jefferson City, Missouri, this year? Check the ‘net.
Want to know Ashton Kutcher’s opinion of farting in public? Send him a tweet. Want to find out
the Seven Deadly Sins and their specific punishments in Dante’s version of Hell? Watch the
History Channel.
With this new availability to information, however, we, as readers, must be able to identify facts
from opinions and analyze the reasons behind the information. We must become not just readers,
but active readers.
The first step to becoming an active reader is to understand what rhetoric is. Rhetoric gets a bad
rap, often. We hear the term and immediately think of lying or at least not telling the whole truth.
Politicians use rhetoric. Politicians are liars. Therefore, rhetoric is lying.
Rhetoric, actually, is fairly simply defined, at least in terms of English 10. Rhetoric is the art of
argumentation and debate.
We use rhetoric all the time. If you argue with your girlfriend about the need to make out, you’re
using rhetoric. If you argue with your parents about your need to stay out later, receive more
allowance, drive a new Mustang, you’re using rhetoric. If you argue with your teacher over a grade,
you’re using rhetoric.
12
Or at least you should.
The first part of Rhetoric is the Rhetorical Triangle. The Rhetorical Triangle consists of the
author, the message, and the audience.
Author
Audience
Message
Author
“Author” is defined as the person(s) who created the work/ message being read. An author could
be one person or many people. An author could be someone who uses writing (like in a book or essay),
speech (like in a debate), visual elements (like in a TV commercial), or even audio elements (like in a
radio broadcast).
All authors have specific purposes that guide their actions in communicating. They have specific
attitudes which affect what and how they communicate, and they have specific backgrounds that
inform the nature of their communication. As an active reader, you must determine how these
affect the text itself.
Author’s Purpose
An author’s purpose in communicating could be to instruct, persuade, inform, entertain, educate,
startle, excite, sadden, enlighten, punish, console . . . you get the idea. Authors’ purposes are only
limited to what each author wants to accomplish in his or her communication. There are as many
purposes for communicating as there are words to describe those purposes.
13
Author’s Attitude
Attitude is a much overlooked element of rhetorical situations, but it affects a great deal of how a
rhetorical situation unfolds. Consider if an author communicates with a flippant attitude as opposed
to a serious attitude, or with drama as opposed to comedy, or calmly as opposed to excitedly. As an
active reader, you have to determine the author’s attitude and how that affects the message and
the audience.
Author’s Background
Many factors affect authors’ backgrounds. These can include age, personal experience, gender,
location, ethnicity, political beliefs, parents, peers, level of education, and others. Authors’
backgrounds affect the things that authors assume about the world, their audiences, what and how
they communicate, and the context in which they communicate.
Audience
Like the term “author,” the term “audience” can also be loosely defined. “Audience” refers to any
recipient of communication. Audiences can read, hear, see, or feel different kinds of communication
through different kinds of media. Also like authors, audiences are unavoidably human beings whose
particular activities are also affected by specific purposes, specific attitudes, and specific
backgrounds.
Audience’s Purpose
Like authors, audiences have varied purposes for reading, listening to, or otherwise appreciating
pieces of communication. Audiences may seek to be instructed, persuaded, informed, entertained,
educated, startled, excited, saddened, enlightened, punished, consoled. . . again, you get the idea.
Audience’s Attitude
Like authors, audiences bring diverse attitudes to how they appreciate different pieces of
communication. Their attitude while reading, listening, observing, or whatnot affects how they
receive and process the communication they receive.
Audience’s Background
And, also like authors, audiences’ individual backgrounds are affected by the same sorts of factors
that affect authors’ backgrounds. Most importantly, these factors affect how audiences receive
different pieces of communication, what they assume about the author, and the context in which
they hear, read, or otherwise appreciate what the author communicates.
14
Message
The word “message” is probably the most fluid term discussed. First, all messages have context—
the occasion or the time and place in which the text was written or performed. There are a variety
of these and they are often very easy to find. The context of Gehrig’s speech, for example, is that
it was delivered between games of a doubleheader. The more important context, however, is that
this speech was written just after the public learned Gehrig, a role model and athletic hero, was
diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. The Yankees held a Lou Gehrig Appreciation
Day on July 4, 1939.
As an active reader, we also look for other things in the message. What types of arguments are
being used? Are these arguments logical and well thought out?
For example, Gehrig’s speech may seem largely emotional; it’s actually based on irrefutable proof.
First of all, it has a clear main idea: he’s the “luckiest man on the face of the earth”. This idea is
called many things—thesis, assertion, theme, topic. In high school, we call this a claim. It is a clear
and focused statement.
Claims are almost always opinions. The difference between an opinion and a claim is that a claim is
backed up with facts. Gehrig’s claim is supported by two reasons: (1) his seventeen years playing
baseball and (2) his belief that he has “never received anything but kindness and encouragement
from [his] fans.”
These reasons are then in turn supported by evidence. Evidence includes the good people with
which he has worked, the “sterling team” with which he has played, and the “blessing” of a
supportive family.
Another part of the message is the counterclaim, or counterargument. That is, to anticipate
objections or opposing views. Gehrig uses a counterclaim when he states that some people might
consider this “bad break” a reason for giving up. He disagrees with this because “he has an awful
lot to live for!” He acknowledged the other side of his argument (that he is lucky), and, in
contrasting it, strengthens his own argument.
There are many other aspects to the message, including figures of speech and specific rhetorical
tools and fallacies. However, we will leave those alone for now and focus only on these ten active
reading tools:
1.
Rhetoric
6. Context
2. Rhetorical Triangle
7. Claim
3. Author
8. Evidence
4. Audience
9. Reason
5. Message
10. Counterclaim
15
SEE It Through: Discussion Activity
DIRECTIONS: After reading the articles “Actually, College Is Very Much Worth It” and “A 21st
Century Guide to Rhetoric,” you will be put in groups to answer the following prompts. Your answers
should be detailed, researched, and well-supported by the text. In the discussion that follows, you
will be graded on your ability to discuss collegially the topic at hand (with few digressions) and to
stimulate a thoughtful exchange of ideas. You may choose to propel the conversation by posing or
responding to other groups/ individuals. You may bring in other, related topics or broaden the
theme into larger ideas. You may clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions—as long as it’s
respectful. The rules of this exercise are simple. You earn points via the following:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
Stay on task.
Be respectful.
Call people by name.
Be an active participant.
SEE it through—State, Elaborate, Exemplify.
(Notice, there is nothing about being right or correct. This is not about being correct. It’s about
using your brain in a respectful way to discuss a topic.)
Activity Prompts

Why should we become active readers who question everything we read? What’s so important
about being an active reader in today’s Information Age?

What attitude do you bring to a text as a reader? How does this affect your understanding of
the text? What type of attitude is most helpful to bring to a text?

Why might you question Andrew J. Rotherham, the author of “Actually, College Is Very Much
Worth It,” especially as it relates to his own background and the main claim of his article?

What is the main claim of Rotherham’s article? His best reasons? His most convincing
supporting evidence?

What counterarguments does Rotherham use in his article? Are they effective? Why or why
not?

If you were arguing against either article, what counterarguments might you use to rebut their
primary claim? Use reasons and evidence in your argument.
16
Identifying Independent and Dependent Clauses
(From the Purdue On-Line Writing Lab)
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/598/01/
Summary: This handout defines dependent and independent clauses and explores how they are
treated in standard usage.
Contributors: Chris Berry, Allen Brizee
Last Edited: 2010-04-17 06:01:23
When you want to use commas and semicolons in sentences and when you are concerned about
whether a sentence is or is not a fragment, a good way to start is to be able to recognize dependent
and independent clauses. The definitions offered here will help you with this.
Independent Clause
An independent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and verb and expresses a
complete thought. An independent clause is a sentence.

Jim studied in the Sweet Shop for his chemistry quiz.
Dependent Clause
A dependent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and verb but does not express a
complete thought. A dependent clause cannot be a sentence. Often, a dependent clause is marked
by a dependent marker word.

When Jim studied in the Sweet Shop for his chemistry quiz . . .
(What happened when he studied? The thought is incomplete.)
Dependent Marker Word
A dependent marker word is a word added to the beginning of an independent clause that makes it
into a dependent clause.
When Jim studied in the Sweet Shop for his chemistry quiz, it was very noisy.
Some common dependent markers are: after, although, as, as if, because, before, even if, even
though, if, in order to, since, though, unless, until, whatever, when, whenever, whether, and while.
Connecting dependent and independent clauses
There are two types of words that can be used as connectors at the beginning of an independent
clause: coordinating conjunctions and independent marker words.
17
1. Coordinating Conjunction
The seven coordinating conjunctions used as connecting words at the beginning of an independent
clause are and, but, for, or, nor, so, and yet. When the second independent clause in a sentence
begins with a coordinating conjunction, a comma is needed before the coordinating conjunction:

Jim studied in the Sweet Shop for his chemistry quiz, but it was hard to concentrate
because of the noise.
2. Independent Marker Word
An independent marker word is a connecting word used at the beginning of an independent clause.
These words can always begin a sentence that can stand alone. When the second independent clause
in a sentence has an independent marker word, a semicolon is needed before the independent
marker word.

Jim studied in the Sweet Shop for his chemistry quiz; however, it was hard to concentrate
because of the noise.
Some common independent markers are: also, consequently, furthermore, however, moreover,
nevertheless, and therefore.
Some Common Errors to Avoid
Comma Splices
A comma splice is the use of a comma between two independent clauses. You can usually fix the
error by changing the comma to a period and therefore making the two clauses into two separate
sentences, by changing the comma to a semicolon, or by making one clause dependent by inserting a
dependent marker word in front of it.
Incorrect: I like this class, it is very interesting.

Correct: I like this class. It is very interesting.

(or) I like this class; it is very interesting.

(or) I like this class, and it is very interesting.

(or) I like this class because it is very interesting.

(or) Because it is very interesting, I like this class.
Fused Sentences
Fused sentences happen when there are two independent clauses not separated by any form of
punctuation. This error is also known as a run-on sentence. The error can sometimes be corrected
by adding a period, semicolon, or colon to separate the two sentences.
Incorrect: My professor is intelligent I've learned a lot from her.

Correct: My professor is intelligent. I've learned a lot from her.

(or) My professor is intelligent; I've learned a lot from her.

(or) My professor is intelligent, and I've learned a lot from her.

(or) My professor is intelligent; moreover, I've learned a lot from her.
18
Sentence Fragments
Sentence fragments happen by treating a dependent clause or other incomplete thought as a
complete sentence. You can usually fix this error by combining it with another sentence to make a
complete thought or by removing the dependent marker.
Incorrect: Because I forgot the exam was today.

Correct: Because I forgot the exam was today, I didn't study.

(or) I forgot the exam was today.
Answer some Test practice questions.
1. When I was a small boy, my mother—
God rest her soul!—told me something
that I will never forget: “When you
come to a fork in the road, take it.”
What is the independent clause of the
preceding sentence?
2. I went to class, Mr. Graham wasn’t
there. The classroom was bare; the fat
man had disappeared. I wanted to go to
Mr. Sampson; however, a classmate—
Vince—convinced me not to. Instead,
we sat in the class. When Mr. Graham
finally showed up, we were all asleep.
Which sentence is written incorrectly?
(A) When I was a small boy
(B) my mother
(C) my mother told me something
(D) that I will never forget
(E) When you come to a fork in the
road
(A) I went to class, Mr. Graham wasn’t
there.
(B) The classroom was bare; the fat man
had disappeared.
(C) I wanted to go to Mr. Sampson;
however, a classmate—Vince—
convinced me not to.
(D) Instead, we sat in the class.
(E) When Mr. Graham finally showed up,
we were all asleep
19
Dependent and Independent Clauses
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quizzes/indep_clause_quiz.htm
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/cgi-shl/quiz.pl/indep_clause_quiz2.htm
DIRECTIONS: Circle the independent clauses. Underline the dependent clauses. Not all questions
will contain both. Some questions may contain more than one of each.
1. Mr. Graham sometimes tells students things that they do not want to hear.
2. Training students for the future is the goal of Trimble County High School.
3. When he studies, Micah often gets the highest grade in English class.
4. If you wanted to, you could earn all A’s.
5. Amy—who is as stupid as a post—paid attention to the lecture and passed the test with flying
colors.
6. He screamed as if she could hear him.
7. Despite his obvious physical limitations, Kevin plays wide receiver and cornerback.
8. When Zane came to class, he took out his notebook and unit materials, and he asked if he could
do any extra credit.
9. Lindsay saw Jon leave school grounds, but she did not know that he had an excuse.
10. Mr. Graham wanted to know who was making the farting noise, but no one would tell him.
20
”Invictus”
By William Earnest Henley
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole.
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance,
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance,
My head is bloodied but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms the horrors of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me, unafraid.
It matters not how straight the gait,
How charged with punishments the scrolls.
I am the captain of my fate.
I am the master of my soul.
21
The Classic Appeals
Logos, Ethos and Pathos
http://www.public.asu.edu/~macalla/logosethospathos.html
Whenever you read an argument you must ask yourself, "Is this persuasive? And, if so, to whom?"
There are several ways to appeal to an audience. Among them are appealing to logos, ethos and
pathos. These appeals are prevalent in almost all arguments.
To Appeal to Logic (logos)
To Develop Ethos
 Theoretical, abstract
language
 Literal and historical
analogies
 Definitions
 Factual data and statistics
 Quotations
 Citations/ Studies from
experts and authorities
 Informed opinions
 Language appropriate
to audience and
subject
 Restrained, sincere,
fair-minded
presentation of facts
 Appropriate level of
vocabulary
 Correct grammar
To Appeal to Emotion (pathos)
Vivid, concrete language
Emotionally loaded language
Connotative meanings
Emotional examples
Vivid descriptions
Narratives of emotional
events
 Emotional tone
 Figurative language






Effect
Evokes a cognitive,
rationale response
Demonstrates author's
reliability, competence,
and respect for the
audience's ideas and
values through reliable
and appropriate use of
support and general
accuracy
Evokes an emotional
response
Definitions
Logos: The Greek word logos is the basis for the English word logic. Logos is a broader idea than
formal logic--the highly symbolic and mathematical logic that you might study in a philosophy
course. Logos refers to any attempt to appeal to the intellect, the general meaning of "logical
argument." Everyday arguments rely heavily on ethos and pathos, but academic arguments rely
more on logos. Yes, these arguments will call upon the writers' credibility and try to touch the
audience's emotions, but there will more often than not be logical chains of reasoning supporting all
claims.
22
Ethos: Ethos is related to the English word ethics and refers to the trustworthiness of the
speaker/writer. Ethos is an effective persuasive strategy because when we believe that the
speaker does not intend to do us harm, we are more willing to listen to what s/he has to say. For
example, when a trusted doctor gives you advice, you may not understand all of the medical
reasoning behind the advice, but you nonetheless follow the directions because you believe that the
doctor knows what s/he is talking about. Likewise, when a judge comments on legal precedent
audiences tend to listen because it is the job of a judge to know the nature of past legal cases.
Pathos: Pathos is related to the words pathetic, sympathy and empathy. Whenever you accept a
claim based on how it makes you feel without fully analyzing the rationale behind the claim, you are
acting on pathos. They may be any emotions: love, fear, patriotism, guilt, hate or joy. A majority of
arguments in the popular press are heavily dependent on pathetic appeals. The more people react
without full consideration for the WHY, the more effective an argument can be. Although the
pathetic appeal can be manipulative, it is the cornerstone of moving people to action. Many
arguments are able to persuade people logically, but the apathetic audience may not follow through
on the call to action. Appeals to pathos touch a nerve and compel people to not only listen, but to
also take the next step and act in the world.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------Examples of Logos, Ethos and Pathos
Logos
Let us begin with a simple proposition: What democracy requires is public debate, not information.
Of course it needs information too, but the kind of information it needs can be generated only by
vigorous popular debate. We do not know what we need to know until we ask the right questions,
and we can identify the right questions only by subjecting our ideas about the world to the test of
public controversy. Information, usually seen as the precondition of debate, is better understood
as its by-product. When we get into arguments that focus and fully engage our attention, we
become avid seekers of relevant information. Otherwise, we take in information passively--if we
take it in at all.

Christopher Lasch, "The Lost Art of Political Argument"
Ethos
My Dear Fellow Clergymen:
While confined here in Birmingham city jail, I came across your recent statement calling my present
activities "unwise and untimely."...Since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and that your
criticisms are sincerely set forth, I want to try to answer your statement in what I hope will be
patient and reasonable in terms.
23
I think I should indicate why I am here in Birmingham, since you have been influenced by the view
which argues against "outsiders coming in."...I, along with several members of my staff, am here
because I was invited here. I am here because I have organizational ties here.
But more basically, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here. Just as the prophets of the
eighth century B.C. left their villages and carried their "thus saith the Lord" far beyond the
boundaries of their home towns, and just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried
the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco-Roman world, so am I compelled to carry
the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town. Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the
Macedonian call for aid.

Martin Luther King, Jr. "Letter from Birmingham Jail"
Pathos
For me, commentary on war zones at home and abroad begins and ends with personal reflections. A
few years ago, while watching the news in Chicago, a local news story made a personal connection
with me. The report concerned a teenager who had been shot because he had angered a group of
his male peers. This act of violence caused me to recapture a memory from my own adolescence
because of an instructive parallel in my own life with this boy who had been shot. When I was a
teenager some thirty-five years ago in the New York metropolitan area, I wrote a regular column
for my high school newspaper. One week, I wrote a column in which I made fun of the fraternities
in my high school. As a result, I elicited the anger of some of the most aggressive teenagers in my
high school. A couple of nights later, a car pulled up in front of my house, and the angry teenagers
in the car dumped garbage on the lawn of my house as an act of revenge and intimidation.

James Garbarino "Children in a Violent World: A Metaphysical
Perspective"
Answer a Test practice question.
1. While channel surfing on a beautiful
Saturday afternoon, you happen to
catch a commercial that ruins your day.
In it, a relatively famous actress is
asking you to make a contribution to
something called the African Relief
Fund. In part, she says, “For just
pennies a day, you can make a
difference in a young person’s life. You
can send them to school, give them
food to eat, allow them hope. You can
save a life.”
You recognize this as a blatant attempt at
manipulating you into doing what she
wants you to do.
Which of the classic appeals is the
African Relief Fund using?
(A) Ethos
(C) Pathos
(C) Logos
(D) Too little information to tell.
(E) All of them
24
Speech to the Second Virginia Convention
By Patrick Henry
No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as abilities, of the very worthy
gentlemen who have just addressed the House. But different men often see the same subject in
different lights; and, therefore, I hope it will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen if,
entertaining as I do opinions of a character very opposite to theirs, I shall speak forth my
sentiments freely and without reserve.
This is no time for ceremony. The question before the House is one of awful moment to this
country. For my own part, I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery; and in
proportion to the magnitude of the subject ought to be the freedom of the debate. It is only in this
way that we can hope to arrive at truth, and fulfill the great responsibility which we hold to God
and our country. Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offense, I
should consider myself as guilty of treason towards my country, and of an act of disloyalty toward
the Majesty of Heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings.
Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our
eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts.
Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed
to be of the number of those who, having eyes, see not, and, having ears, hear not, the things which
so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I
am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst, and to provide for it.
I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. I know of
no way of judging of the future but by the past. And judging by the past, I wish to know what there
has been in the conduct of the British ministry for the last ten years to justify those hopes with
which gentlemen have been pleased to solace themselves and the House. Is it that insidious smile
with which our petition has been lately received? Trust it not, sir; it will prove a snare to your feet.
Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed with a kiss.
Ask yourselves how this gracious reception of our petition comports with those warlike
preparations which cover our waters and darken our land. Are fleets and armies necessary to a
work of love and reconciliation? Have we shown ourselves so unwilling to be reconciled that force
must be called in to win back our love?
Let us not deceive ourselves, sir. These are the implements of war and subjugation; the last
arguments to which kings resort. I ask gentlemen, sir, what means this martial array, if its purpose
be not to force us to submission? Can gentlemen assign any other possible motive for it? Has Great
Britain any enemy, in this quarter of the world, to call for all this accumulation of navies and
armies? No, sir, she has none. They are meant for us: they can be meant for no other. They are sent
over to bind and rivet upon us those chains which the British ministry have been so long forging.
And what have we to oppose to them? Shall we try argument? Sir, we have been trying that for
the last ten years. Have we anything new to offer upon the subject? Nothing. We have held the
subject up in every light of which it is capable; but it has been all in vain. Shall we resort to
entreaty and humble supplication? What terms shall we find which have not been already
exhausted? Let us not, I beseech you, sir, deceive ourselves.
25
Sir, we have done everything that could be done to avert the storm which is now coming on. We
have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before
the throne, and have implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and
Parliament. Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced additional violence
and insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and we have been spurned, with contempt, from
the foot of the throne!
In vain, after these things, may we indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation. There is
no longer any room for hope. If we wish to be free—if we mean to preserve inviolate those
inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending—if we mean not basely to abandon
the noble struggle in which we have been so long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves
never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained—we must fight! I repeat
it, sir, we must fight! An appeal to arms and to the God of hosts is all that is left us!
They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when
shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally
disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by
irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on
our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and
foot? Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath
placed in our power.
The millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which
we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall
not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who
will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to
the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to
desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and
slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is
inevitable—and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come.
It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace—but there is no
peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears
the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What
is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be
purchased at the price of chains and slavery?
Forbid it, Almighty God!
I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!
Henry, Patrick. "Speech to the Second Virginia Convention." Patrick Henry. Web. 21 July
2011. <http://www.jmhochstetler.com/guides/PatrickHenrySpeech.pdf>.
26
SEE It Through: Discussion Activity
DIRECTIONS: After reading Patrick Henry’s speech to the second Virginia Convention and
“Classical Appeals,” you will be put in groups to answer the following prompts. Your answers should
be detailed, researched, and well-supported by the text. In the discussion that follows, you will be
graded on your ability to discuss collegially the topic at hand (with few digressions) and to stimulate
a thoughtful exchange of ideas. You may choose to propel the conversation by posing or responding
to other groups/ individuals. You may bring in other, related topics or broaden the theme into
larger ideas. You may clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions—as long as it’s respectful.
The rules of this exercise are simple. You earn points via the following:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
Stay on task.
Be respectful.
Call people by name.
Be an active participant.
SEE it through—State, Elaborate, Exemplify.
(Notice, there is nothing about being right or correct. This is not about being correct. It’s about
using your brain in a respectful way to discuss a topic.)
Activity Prompts

Analyze Patrick Henry’s speech, focusing on pathos. What specific word choices are effective?
Choose at least five, citing specific line numbers. Elaborate as needed.

Patrick Henry’s writing is often very difficult to understand for modern students. How does
this affect your attitude as an audience?

What can you infer about Patrick Henry as an author? Refer back to the Rhetorical Triangle
handout if you need to. How does this affect his ethos?

What is the main claim of Henry’s speech? His reasons? His most convincing logos?

What counterarguments does Henry use in his article? Are they effective? Why or why not?

Why would your reputation and how your audience might view you be important when arguing
another topic altogether? Do you think this is fair? Why or why not? Elaborate as needed.
27
Clauses
Definition: A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a predicate (verb).
There are two types of clauses, independent and dependent.
An independent clause expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence.
Examples:
 Mr. Graham earned twelve dollars last week.
 Everybody passed the English test.
 Mike, Carol, and Stacie all enjoy “Glee.”
A dependent clause CANNOT stand alone as a sentence. It can act as an adjective, adverb, or noun.
It is preceded by an introductory that relates it to another part of the sentence.
Examples:
 Julie, who dyed her hair pink and yellow, shocked everyone at the party.
The clause is used as an adjective and is introduced by “who.”

If the rain every stops, we’ll leave for the game.
The clause is used as an adverb and is introduced by “If.”

After he accidentally blew up the chemistry lab, Herbert thought that he would be expelled
from school.
The first clause is an adverb and is introduced by “After.”
The second clause is a noun and is introduced by the word “that.”
_____________
As you can see, there are three types of dependent clauses, nouns, adjectives, and adverbs. They
operate in the same manner as single-word parts of speech, and, like prepositional and verbal
phrases, act as single units. They modify or change other words or take the place of words.
Adverb clauses are introduced by the subordinating conjunctions after, although, as, as if, as
long as, as much as, because, before, even, even though, if, how, in order that, once,
provided (that), since, than, so that, that, unless, until, where, why, while, though, when.
Adjective clauses are introduced by the relative pronouns—that, who, whom, whose, which.
Noun clauses are introduced by the words how, when that, whether, what, who, whom, whoever,
whose, where, why.
28
ADVERB CLAUSES
Remember that adverb clauses are dependent clauses that modify verbs, adjectives, or other
adverbs. In other words, adverb clauses act just like single-word adverbs or adverb phrases! Like
an adverb, the clause also answers the questions when, where, why, how, or to what degree.
Examples:
 Hide the candy where you will be able to find it. The clause modifies “hide” as it tells
where.
 We left before the rain started. The clause modifies “left” as it tells when.
 Since you are here, you may as well stay. The clause modifies “may stay” as it tells why.
 He cried as if his heart would break. The clause modifies “cried” as it tells how.
HINT: A good way to test for most adverb clauses is to see if they can be moved around in the
sentence.
She screamed when she saw the dog. → When she saw the dog, she screamed.
Because he was asked to, he went to the store. → He went to the store because he was asked to.
**SPECIAL NOTE: “Than” and “as” often introduce clauses with some of their parts understood
and dropped out.
Jack can run faster than I. “than I can run” = dependent clause
He can cook better than she. “than she can cook = dependent clause
Tom finished his quiz as fast as Joe. “as fast as Joe finished” = dependent clause
Directions: See your list of introductory words for adverb clauses. Bracket the dependent clauses
in the following sentences and tell why each is classified as an adverb.
1. When you went into the cellar, did you notice the new shelf?
2. I cleaned the cupboards while Henry washed the woodwork.
3. At the zoo, Susan had to stand on tiptoe so that she could see the animals.
4. He cried because he was lonelier than he could express.
5. Nobody can become an expert golfer unless he really practices.
6. Bring in the clothes before it begins to rain.
7. While she was waiting for her race to begin, Mary looked at her opponent and said, “I can run
faster than you can.”
8. The murderer in the horror film killed his next victim as I sat breathlessly watching.
9. While Lancer lay on the office floor, Bat calmly ate her dinner.
10. As much as I like you, I still think you’re a less-than-desirable companion.
29
Lost in the Kitchen
By Dave Barry
Men are still basically scum when it comes to helping out in the kitchen. This is one of the two
insights I had last Thanksgiving, the other one being that Thanksgiving night must be the slowest
night of the year in terms of human sexual activity. Nobody wants to engage in human sexual
activity with somebody who smells vaguely like yams and is covered with a thin layer of turkey
grease, which describes pretty much everybody in the United States on Thanksgiving except the
Detroit Lions, who traditionally play football that day and would therefore be too tired.
But that, as far as I can tell, is not my point. My point is that despite all that has been said in the
past 20 years or so about sexual equality, most men make themselves as useful around in the
kitchen as ill-trained Labrador retrievers. This is not just my opinion: It is a scientific finding
based on an exhaustive study of what happened last Thanksgiving when my family had dinner at the
home of friends named Arlene and Gene.
Picture a typical Thanksgiving scene: On the floor, three small children and a dog who long ago had
her brain eaten by fleas are running as fast as they can directly into things, trying to injure
themselves. On the television, the Detroit Lions are doing pretty much the same thing. In the
kitchen, Arlene, a prosecuting attorney responsible for a large staff, is doing something with those
repulsive organs that are placed in little surprise packets inside turkeys, apparently as a joke.
Surrounding Arlene are thousands of steaming cooking containers. I would no more enter that
kitchen than I would attempt to park a nuclear aircraft carrier, but my wife, who runs her own
business, glides in very casually and picks up EXACTLY the right kitchen implement and starts doing
EXACTLY the right thing without receiving any instructions whatsoever. She quickly becomes
enshrouded in steam.
So Gene and I, feeling like the scum we are, finally bumble over and ask what we can do to help, and
from behind the steam comes Arlene's patient voice asking us to please keep an eye on the children.
Which we try to do. But there is a famous law of physics that goes: "You cannot watch small
children and the Detroit Lions at the same time, and let's face it, the Detroit Lions are more
interesting." So we would start out watching the children, and then one of us would sneak a peek at
the TV and say, "Hey! Look at this tackle!"
And then we'd have to watch for a while to see the replay and find out whether the tackled person
was dead or just permanently disabled. By then, the children would have succeeded in injuring
themselves or the dog, and this voice from behind the kitchen steam would call, VERY patiently,
"Gene, PLEASE watch the children."
I realize this is awful. I realize this sounds just like Ozzie and Harriet. I also realize that there are
some males out there, with hyphenated last names, who have advanced much farther than Gene and
I have, who are not afraid to stay home full time and get coated with baby vomit while their wives
work as test pilots, and who go into the kitchen on a daily basis to prepare food for other people, as
opposed to going in there to get a beer and maybe some peanut butter on a spoon. But I think Gene
and I are fairly typical. I think most males rarely prepare food for others, and when they do, they
have their one specialty dish (spaghetti, in my case) that they prepare maybe twice a year in a very
30
elaborate production, for which they expect to be praised as if they had developed, right there in
the kitchen, a cure for heart disease.
In defense of men, let me say this: Women do not make it easy to learn. Let's say a woman is in the
kitchen, working away after having been at her job all day, and the man, feeling guilty, finally
shuffles in and offers to help. So the woman says something like: "Well, you can cut up the turnips."
Now to the WOMAN, who had all this sexist Home Economics training back in the pre-feminism era,
this is a very simple instruction. It is the absolute simplest thing she can think of.
I asked my wife to read this and tell me what she thought. This is what she said: She said before
Women's Liberation, men took care of the cars and women took care of the kitchen, whereas now
that we have Women's Liberation, men no longer feel obligated to take care of the cars. This
seemed pretty accurate to me, so I thought I'd just tack it on to the end here, while she makes
waffles.
Barry, Dave. “Lost in the Kitchen.” 2 May 1986. 4 Dec. 2005
<http://www.greatestjournal.com/users/blast78/1532.html?mode=reply>.
31
Ain’t I a Woman?
By Sojourner Truth
Delivered 1851 at the Women's Convention in Akron, Ohio
www.feminist.com/resources/artspeech/genwom/sojour.htm
Well, children, where there is so much racket there must be something out of kilter. I think that
'twixt the negroes of the South and the women at the North, all talking about rights, the white
men will be in a fix pretty soon. But what's all this here talking about?
That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and
to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or
gives me any best place! And ain't I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and
planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain't I a woman? I could work as
much and eat as much as a man - when I could get it - and bear the lash as well! And ain't I a
woman? I have borne thirteen children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out
with my mother's grief, none but Jesus heard me! And ain't I a woman?
Then they talk about this thing in the head; what's this they call it? [member of audience whispers,
"intellect"] That's it, honey. What's that got to do with women's rights or negroes' rights? If my
cup won't hold but a pint, and yours holds a quart, wouldn't you be mean not to let me have my little
half measure full?
Then that little man in black there, he says women can't have as much rights as men, 'cause Christ
wasn't a woman! Where did your Christ come from? Where did your Christ come from? From God
and a woman! Man had nothing to do with Him.
If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these
women together ought to be able to turn it back , and get it right side up again! And now they is
asking to do it, the men better let them.
Obliged to you for hearing me, and now old Sojourner ain't got nothing more to say.
32
Making a Fist
By Naomi Shihab Nye
For the first time, on the road north of Tampico,
I felt the life sliding out of me,
a drum in the desert, harder and harder to hear.
I was seven, I lay in the car
watching palm trees swirl a sickening pattern past the glass.
My stomach was a melon split wide inside my skin.
"How do you know if you are going to die?"
I begged my mother.
We had been traveling for days.
With strange confidence she answered,
"When you can no longer make a fist."
Years later I smile to think of that journey,
the borders we must cross separately,
stamped with our unanswerable woes.
I who did not die, who am still living,
still lying in the backseat behind all my questions,
clenching and opening one small hand.
From Words Under the Words: Selected Poems by Naomi Shihab Nye. Published by Far
Corner. Reprinted with permission of the author. Copyright © 1995 Naomi Shihab Nye.
33
Discussion and Writing Questions
DIRECTIONS: Answer the following questions as fully as you can. For full points, you should turn
in three paragraphs using a claim as the topic sentence, then reasons and evidence to “prove” your
opinion. Grammar and spelling count, but not as much as good idea development. Make certain to
write legibly. Extra points go to those that use classic appeals properly. And don’t forget the
Rhetorical Triangle!
1.
Dave Barry uses a relaxed tone in his writings. He uses humor, as well much more common
diction then Patrick Henry, for example. How might this affect his ethos as a writer? How
might you take advantage of this new information as a writer yourself?
2.
Why would the poem, “Making a Fist” be included in a unit about rights and responsibilities?
How might that allow you to make an assumption about your teacher? What does (s)he
value? What right or responsibility is most important in your own life?
3. Imagine you were in the audience when Sojourner Truth delivered this speech in 1851.
What perceptions of her might you have had, and how might what she said have countered
them?
34
ADJECTIVE CLAUSES
Remember that adjective clauses are also called relative clauses. These clauses do what singleword adjectives or adjectives phrases do: they modify or change nouns or pronouns.
Examples:

Everyone whose name was called received one hundred dollars.
The clause modifies “Everyone.”

The girl who had brown eyes selected a deep green dress that was covered in sequins.
The first clause modifies “girl” and the second modifies “dress.”

Cats, who are extremely independent, make terrific pets.
The clause modifies “cats.”

All who attended the film had a terrific time.
The clause modifies “all.”
**NOTE: Sometimes, the relative pronoun is omitted but everyone who knows, knows that the
pronoun is understood to be there!
Example:


The boy she hit fell to the ground. “Whom” is left out. “That” = informal
Judith is a person everyone admires. “Whom” is left out. “That” = inormal
Both underlined clauses are still dependent clauses.
See your worksheet for the introductory words to adjective clauses. These clauses are sometimes
introduced by “when” or “where.” Occasionally, the introductory word acts as the subject of the
dependent clause.
Bracket the clauses in the following sentences. Analyze as usual!
1. The coat that Joan is wearing is made of velvet that has been imported from Italy.
2. Here is the place where the treasure is buried.
3. The book that told of Robinson Crusoe’s adventures was sent to me by my aunt.
4. The girl who has red hair that shines in the sun is my cousin.
5. A household hint my mother learned from television saved her much time.
6. I called 555-2756, which is Roland’s number.
7. My uncle, who lived in Idaho, works for an organization that inspects potato crops.
35
Sermon on the Mount (Excerpt)
Luke 6:27-45 (ASV)
[27] "But I tell you who hear: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, [28] bless those
who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you. [29] To him who strikes you on the cheek,
offer also the other; and from him who takes away your cloak, don't withhold your coat also. [30]
Give to everyone who asks you, and don't ask him who takes away your goods to give them back
again.
[31] "As you would like people to do to you, do exactly so to them. [32] If you love those who love
you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. [33] If you do good to
those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. [34] If you
lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to
sinners, to receive back as much. [35] But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting
nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind
toward the unthankful and evil. [36] Therefore be merciful, Even as your Father is also merciful.
[37] Don't judge, And you won't be judged. Don't condemn, And you won't be condemned. Set free,
And you will be set free.
[38] "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running
over, will be given to you. For with the same measure you measure it will be measured back to you."
[39] He spoke a parable to them. "Can the blind guide the blind? Won't they both fall into a pit?
[40] A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his
teacher.
[41] Why do you see the speck of chaff that is in your brother's eye, but don't consider the beam
that is in your own eye? [42] Or how can you tell your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck
of chaff that is in your eye,' when you yourself don't see the beam that is in your own eye? You
hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the
speck of chaff that is in your brother's eye.
[43] For there is no good tree that brings forth rotten fruit; nor again a rotten tree that brings
forth good fruit. [44] For each tree is known by its own fruit. For people don't gather figs from
thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. [45] The good man out of the good
treasure of his heart brings out that which is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his
heart brings out that which is evil, for out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks.
36
The Grapes of Wrath (excerpt)
By John Steinbeck
The man took off his dark, stained hat and stood with a curious humility in front of the screen.
“Could you see your way to sell us a loaf of bread, ma’am?”
Mae said, “This ain’t a grocery store. We got bread to make san’widges.”
“I know, ma’am.” His humility was insistent. “We need bread and there ain’t nothin’ for quite a
piece, they say.”
“’F we sell bread we gonna run out.” Mae’s tone was faltering.
“We’re hungry,” the man said.
“Whyn’t you buy a san’widge? We got nice san’widges, hamburgs.”
“We’d sure admire to do that, ma’am. But we can’t. We got to make a dime do all of us.” And he
said embarrassedly, “We ain’t got but a little.”
Mae said, “You can’t get no loaf a bread for a dime. We only got fifteen-cent loafs.”
From behind her Al growled, “God Almighty, Mae, give ‘em the bread.”
“We’ll run out ‘for the bread truck comes.”
“Run out then, godamnit,” said Al. He looked sullenly down at the potato salad he was mixing.
Mae shrugged her plump shoulders and looked to the truck drivers to show them what she was
up against.
She held open the screen door and the man came in, bringing the smell of sweat with him. The
boys edged behind him and they went immediately to the candy case and stared in—not with
craving or with hope or even desire, but with a kind of wonder that such things could be. They
were alike in size and their faces were alike. Once scratched his dusty ankle with the toe nails
of his other foot. The other whispered some soft message and then they straightened their
arms so that their clenched fists in the overall pockets showed through the thin blue cloth.
Mae opened a drawer and took out a long waxpaper-wrapped loaf. “This here is a fifteen-cent
loaf.”
The man put his hat back on his head. He answered with inflexible humility. “Won’t you—can’t
you see your way to cut off ten cents’ worth?”
Al said snarlingly, “Godamnit, Mae. Give ‘em the loaf.”
The man turned to Al. “No. We want ta buy ten cents’ worth of it. We got it figgered awful
close, mister, to get to California.”
Mae said resignedly, “You can have this for ten cents.”
“That’d be robbin’ you, ma’am.”
“Go ahead—Al says to take it.” She pushed the waxpapered loaf across the counter. The man
took a deep leather pouch from his rear pocket, untied the strings, and spread it open. It was
heavy with silver and with greasy bills.
“May soun’ funny to be so tight,” he apologized. “We got a thousan’ miles to go, an’ we don’t
know if we’ll make it.” He dug in his pouch with a forefinger, located a dime, and pinched in for
37
it. When he put it down on the counter he had a penny with it. He was about to drop the penny
back into the pouch when his eye fell on the boys frozen before the candy counter. He moved
slowly down to them. He pointed in the case at the big long sticks of striped peppermint. “Is
them penny candy, ma’am?”
Mae moved down the counter. “Which ones?”
“There, them stripey ones.”
The little boys raised their eyes to her face and they stopped breathing; their mouths were
partly opened, their half-naked bodies were rigid.
“Oh—them. Well, no—them’s two for a penny.”
“Well, gimme two then, ma’am.” He placed the copper cent carefully on the counter. The boys
expelled their held breath softly. Mae held the big sticks out.
38
“Remarks to the Senate in Support of A Declaration of Conscience”
By Margaret Chase Smith
An address delivered to the Senate June 1, 1950.
The first Senator to denounce McCarthyism,1 Smith calls on other
Senators to condemn its tactics, meanwhile articulating four basic
American rights.2
Mr. President, I would like to speak briefly and simply about a serious national condition. It is a
national feeling of fear and frustration that could result in national suicide and the end of
everything that we Americans hold dear. It is a condition that comes from the lack of effective
leadership in either the legislative branch or the executive branch of our Government.
That leadership is so lacking that serious and responsible proposals are being made that national
advisory commissions be appointed to provide such critically needed leadership.
I speak as briefly as possible because too much harm has already been done with irresponsible
words of bitterness and selfish political opportunism. I speak as simply as possible because the
issue is too great to be obscured by eloquence. I speak simply and briefly in the hope that my words
will be taken to heart.
I speak as a Republican. I speak as a woman. I speak as a United States Senator. I speak as an
American.
The United States Senate has long enjoyed worldwide respect as the greatest deliberative body in
the world. But recently that deliberative character has too often been debased to the level of a
forum of hate and character assassination sheltered by the shield of congressional immunity.
It is ironical that we Senators can debate in the Senate directly or indirectly, by any form of words
impute to any American, who is not a Senator, any conduct or motive unworthy or unbecoming an
American--and without that non-Senator American having any legal redress against it--yet if we say
the same thing in the Senate about our colleagues we can be stopped on the grounds of being out of
order.
It is strange that we can verbally attack anyone else without restraint and with full protection and
yet we hold ourselves above the same type of criticism here on the Senate floor. Surely the United
States Senate is big enough to take self-criticism and self-appraisal. Surely we should be able to
take the same kind of character attacks that we “dish out” to outsiders.
I think that it is high time for the United States Senate and its Members to do some soul
searching--for us to weigh our consciences--on the manner in which we are performing our duty to
the people of America; on the manner in which we are using or abusing our individual powers and
privileges.
39
I think that it is high time that we remembered that we have sworn to uphold and defend the
Constitution. I think that it is high time that we remembered that the Constitution, as amended,
speaks not only of the freedom of speech, but also of trial by jury instead of trial by accusation.
Whether it be a criminal prosecution in court or a character prosecution in the Senate, there is
little practical distinction when the life of a person has been ruined.
Those of us who shout the loudest about Americanism in making character assassinations are all too
frequently those who, by our own words and acts, ignore some of the basic principles of
Americanism-The right to criticize;
The right to hold unpopular beliefs;
The right to protest;
The right of independent thought.
The exercise of these rights should not cost one single American citizen his reputation or his right
to a livelihood nor should he be in danger of losing his reputation or livelihood merely because he
happens to know someone who holds unpopular beliefs. Who of us doesn’t? Otherwise none of us
could call our souls our own. Otherwise thought control would have set in.
The American people are sick and tired of being afraid to speak their minds lest they be politically
smeared as “Communists” or “Fascists” by their opponents. Freedom of speech is not what it used to
be in America. It has been so abused by some that it is not exercised by others.
The American people are sick and tired of seeing innocent people smeared and guilty people
whitewashed. But there have been enough proved cases, such as the Amerasia case, the Hiss case,
the Coplon case, the Gold case, to cause Nation-wide distrust and strong suspicion that there may
be something to the unproved, sensational accusations…
I doubt if the Republican Party could--simply because I don’t believe the American people will
uphold any political party that puts political exploitation above national interest. Surely we
Republicans aren’t that desperate for victory.
I don’t want to see the Republican Party win that way. While it might be a fleeting victory for the
Republican Party, it would be a more lasting defeat for the American people. Surely it would
ultimately be suicide for the Republican Party and the two-party system that has protected our
American liberties from the dictatorship of a one-party system.
As members of the minority party, we do not have the primary authority to formulate the policy of
our Government. But we do have the responsibility of rendering constructive criticism, of clarifying
issues, of allaying fears by acting as responsible citizens.
40
As a woman, I wonder how the mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters feel about the way in which
members of their families have been politically mangled in Senate debate--and I use the word
“debate” advisedly.
As a United States Senator, I am not proud of the way in which the Senate has been made a
publicity platform for irresponsible sensationalism. I am not proud of the reckless abandon in which
unproved charges have been hurled from this side of the aisle. I am not proud of the obviously
staged, undignified countercharges that have been attempted in retaliation from the other side of
the aisle.
I don’t like the way the Senate has been made a rendezvous for vilification, for selfish political gain
at the sacrifice of individual reputations and national unity. I am not proud of the way we smear
outsiders from the floor of the Senate and hide behind the cloak of congressional immunity and still
place ourselves beyond criticism on the floor of the Senate.
As an American, I am shocked at the way Republicans and Democrats alike are playing directly into
the Communist design of “confuse, divide and conquer.” As an American, I don’t want a Democratic
administration “whitewash” or “cover-up” any more than I want a Republican smear or witch hunt.
As an American, I condemn a Republican “Fascist” just as much as I condemn a Democrat
“Communist.” I condemn a Democrat “Fascist” just as much as I condemn a Republican “Communist.”
They are equally dangerous to you and me and to our country. As an American, I want to see our
Nation recapture the strength and unity it once had when we fought the enemy instead of
ourselves.
It is with these thoughts I have drafted what I call a Declaration of Conscience. I am gratified
that Senator Tobey, Senator Aiken, Senator Morse, Senator Ives, Senator Thye and Senator
Hendrickson, have concurred in that declaration and have authorized me to announce their
concurrence.
Smith, Margaret Chase. "Declaration of Conscience." Margaret Chase Smith Library.
Northwood University. Web. 17 March 2011. Gleeditions. Web. 21 July 2011.
http://www.gleeditions.com/remarkstothesenate/students/pages.asp?pg=4.
41
NOUN CLAUSES
A noun clause is a dependent clause that is used in the same way as a single-word noun. It can fill all
of the noun’s functions and can be a subject, direct object, LVC, indirect object, object of the
preposition or any other phrase, or appositive.
Examples:






That Mark ate all the candy was obvious. (X was obvious, where X = subject.)
A long vacation is what you need. (Vacation is X, so X = LVC)
John told her that she had a beautiful face. (John told her X, so X = DO; yes, her is an
indirect object: John told (to) her X)
Give whoever asks for it the answer. (Give [to] X the answer makes X the IO)
I have no idea of what card I should play next. (of X = OP)
His hope, that he would win the election, did not materialize. (His hope, X, did not
materialize. X has become a renaming of hope which = appositive.)
Oh! Look! Noun dependent clause can be replaced with X, a noun substitute! Again, sometimes the
introductory word is left out!
She told him she had lied! (She told him THAT she had lied.)
Bracket the following noun clauses and tell what its function is in the sentence. Do all our usual
stuff.
1. Whoever finds the ring will be rewarded.
2. My idea is that he had inside help in the robbery.
3. Do you know why those people are shouting?
4. Does whoever gave you the wrong number know that he has made a mistake?
5. John’s request, that he might have a puppy and an iguana, was not granted.
6. His excuse is that his alarm did not go off.
7. Hand the note to whoever is at the desk.
8. Do you know when it is going to rain?
9. That Jack made a major mistake was our first thought.
42
Drawing the Key Idea
DIRECTIONS: Choose one of the readings from this week (The Sermon on the Mount, The Grapes
of Wrath excerpt, or Margaret Chase Smith’s speech) and create a cartoon extolling a key virtue or
right signified in the text. For example, you might draw a political cartoon wherein generosity is
shown to be good for Jesus of Nazareth, good for the Okies in The Grapes of Wrath, but bad for
Big Business or the American government. You might draw one of the parables Jesus of Nazareth
uses in his sermon. You might draw one of the rights Senator Chase discusses in her speech. The
picture should be a complete page, neat enough to be put up on the wall, and done to the best of
your abilities. (NO STICK FIGURES!)
Example 1 (The Wizard of Id)
Example 2
43
Letter From a Birmingham Jail (excerpted)
By Martin Luther King, Jr.
16 April 1963
My Dear Fellow Clergymen,
While confined here in the Birmingham City Jail, I came across your recent statement calling our
present activities "unwise and untimely." Seldom, if ever, do I pause to answer criticism of my work
and ideas … But since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and your criticisms are sincerely
set forth, I would like to answer your statement in what I hope will be patient and reasonable
terms.
I think I should give the reason for my being in Birmingham, since you have been influenced by the
argument of "outsiders coming in." I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern
Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every Southern state with
headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. We have some 85 affiliate organizations all across the South …
Several months ago our local affiliate here in Birmingham invited us to be on call to engage in a
nonviolent direct action program if such were deemed necessary. We readily consented.
In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: 1) collection of the facts to determine
whether injustices are alive; 2) negotiation; 3) self-purification; and 4) direct action. We have gone
through all of these steps in Birmingham … Birmingham is probably the most thoroughly segregated
city in the United States. Its ugly record of police brutality is known in every section of the
country. Its unjust treatment of Negroes in the courts is a notorious reality. There have been more
unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches in Birmingham than in any city in this nation. These
are the hard, brutal, and unbelievable facts. On the basis of these conditions Negro leaders sought
to negotiate with the city fathers. But the political leaders consistently refused to engage in good
faith negotiation.
Then came the opportunity last September to talk with some of the leaders of the economic
community. In these negotiating sessions certain promises were made by the merchants—such as
the promise to remove the humiliating racial signs from the stores. On the basis of these promises
Reverend Shuttlesworth and the leaders of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights
agreed to call a moratorium on any type of demonstrations. As the weeks and months unfolded we
realized that we were the victims of a broken promise. The signs remained. As in so many
experiences in the past, we were confronted with blasted hopes, and the dark shadow of a deep
disappointment settled upon us. So we had no alternative except that of preparing for direct action,
whereby we would present our very bodies as a means of laying our case before the conscience of
the local and national community. We were not unmindful of the difficulties involved. So we decided
to go through the process of self-purification. We started having workshops on nonviolence and
44
repeatedly asked ourselves the questions, "are you able to accept the blows without retaliating?"
"Are you able to endure the ordeals of jail?"
You may well ask, "Why direct action? Why sit-ins, marches, etc.? Isn't negotiation a better path?"
You are exactly right in your call for negotiation. Indeed, this is the purpose of direct action.
Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and establish such creative tension that a
community that has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue.
My friends, I must say to you that we have not made a single gain in civil rights without legal and
nonviolent pressure. History is the long and tragic story of the fact that privileged groups seldom
give up their privileges voluntarily. Individuals may see the moral light and give up their unjust
posture; but as Reinhold Niebuhr has reminded us, groups are more immoral than individuals.
We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it
must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly I have never yet engaged in a direct action movement
that was "well timed," according to the timetable of those who have not suffered unduly from the
disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word "Wait!" It rings in the ear of every
Negro with a piercing familiarity. This "wait" has almost always meant "never." It has been a
tranquilizing Thalidomide, relieving the emotional stress for a moment, only to give birth to an illformed infant of frustration. We must come to see with the distinguished jurist of yesterday that
"justice too long delayed is justice denied." We have waited for more than 340 years for our
constitutional and God-given rights. The nations of Asia and Africa are moving with jetlike speed
toward the goal of political independence, and we still creep at horse and buggy pace toward the
gaining of a cup of coffee at a lunch counter.
I guess it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say wait. But
when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and
brothers at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick, brutalize, and even kill your
black brothers and sisters with impunity; when you see the vast majority of your 20 million Negro
brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society; when you
suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your sixyear-old daughter why she can't go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on
television, and see the tears welling up in her little eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to
colored children, and see the depressing clouds of inferiority begin to form in her little mental sky,
and see her begin to distort her little personality by unconsciously developing a bitterness toward
white people; when you have to concoct an answer for a five-year-old son who is asking in agonizing
pathos: "Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?" when you take a cross country
drive and find it necessary to sleep night after night in the uncomfortable corners of your
automobile because no motel will accept you; when you are humiliated day in and day out by nagging
signs reading "white" men and "colored" when your first name becomes "nigger" and your middle
name becomes "boy" (however old you are) and your last name becomes "John," and when your wife
and mother are never given the respected title of "Mrs." when you are harried by day and haunted
45
by night by the fact that you are a Negro, living constantly at tip-toe stance, never quite knowing
what to expect next, and plagued with inner fears and outer resentments; when you are forever
fighting a degenerating sense of "nobodiness"—then you will understand why we find it difficult to
wait. There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be
plunged into an abyss of injustice where they experience the bleakness of corroding despair. I
hope, sirs, you can understand our legitimate and unavoidable impatience.
I must make two honest confessions to you, my Christian and Jewish brothers. First, I must
confess that over the last few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I
have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in the
stride toward freedom is not the White citizens' "Councilor" or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white
moderate who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the
absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says "I
agree with you in the goal you seek, but I can't agree with your methods of direst action" who
paternistically feels that he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by the
myth of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait until a "more convenient season."
Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding
from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.
You spoke of our activity in Birmingham as extreme. At first I was rather disappointed that fellow
clergymen would see my nonviolent efforts as those of an extremist. I started thinking about the
fact that I stand in the middle of two opposing forces in the Negro community. One is a force of
complacency made up of Negroes who, as a result of long years of oppression, have been so
completely drained of self-respect and a sense of "somebodiness" that they have adjusted to
segregation, and a few Negroes in the middle class who, because of a degree of academic and
economic security, and at points they profit from segregation, have unconsciously become
insensitive to the problems of the masses. The other force is one of bitterness and hatred and
comes perilously close to advocating violence. It is expressed in the various black nationalist groups
that are springing up over the nation, the largest and best known being Elijah Muhammad's Muslim
movement. This movement is nourished by the contemporary frustration over the continued
existence of racial discrimination. It is made up of people who have lost faith in America, who have
absolutely repudiated Christianity, and who have concluded that the white man in an incurable
"devil."
The Negro has many pent-up resentments and latent frustrations. He has to get them out. So let
him march sometime; let him have his prayer pilgrimages to the city hall; understand why he must
have sit-ins and freedom rides. If his repressed emotions do not come out in these nonviolent ways,
they will come out in ominous expressions of violence. This is not a threat; it is a fact of history. So
I have not said to my people, "Get rid of your discontent." But I have tried to say that this normal
and healthy discontent can be channeled through the creative outlet of nonviolent direct action.
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In spite of my shattered dreams of the past, I came to Birmingham with the hope that the white
religious leadership in the community would see the justice of our cause and, with deep moral
concern, serve as the channel through which our just grievances could get to the power structure. I
had hoped that each of you would understand. But again I have been disappointed. I have heard
numerous religious leaders of the South call upon their worshippers to comply with a desegregation
decision because it is the law, but I have longed to hear white ministers say follow this decree
because integration is morally right and the Negro is your brother. In the midst of blatant
injustices inflicted upon the Negro, I have watched white churches stand on the sideline and merely
mouth pious irrelevancies and sanctimonious trivialities. In the midst of a mighty struggle to rid our
nation of racial and economic injustice, I have heard so many ministers say, "Those are social issues
with which the Gospel has no real concern," and I have watched so many churches commit
themselves to a completely other-worldly religion which made a strange distinction between body
and soul, the sacred and the secular.
I hope this letter finds you strong in the faith. I also hope that circumstances will soon make it
possible for me to meet each of you, not as an integrationist or a civil rights leader, but as a fellow
clergyman and a Christian brother. Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon
pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear-drenched communities
and in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our
great nation with all of their scintillating beauty.
Yours for the cause of Peace and Brotherhood,
M. L. King, Jr.
King, Jr. Dr. Martin L. "Letter From Birmingham City Jail (Excerpts)."
TeachingAmericanHistory. Ashland University, 2008. Web. 21 July 2011.
<http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=100>.
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The Declaration of Independence
By Thomas Jefferson
[1] When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the
political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the
earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle
them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes
which impel them to the separation.
[2] We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed
by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit
of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their
just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes
destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new
Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to
them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate
that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and
accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are
sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But
when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to
reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such
Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient
sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their
former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of
repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute
Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
[3] He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
[4] He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless
suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has
utterly neglected to attend to them.
[5] He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless
those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to
them and formidable to tyrants only.
[6] He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the
depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his
measures.
[7] He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his
invasions on the rights of the people.
[8] He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby
the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their
exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without,
and convulsions within.
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[9] He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing
the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations
hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
[10] He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for
establishing Judiciary powers.
[11] He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the
amount and payment of their salaries.
[12] He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our
people, and eat out their substance.
[13] He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our
legislatures.
[14] He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
[15] He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and
unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
[16] For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
[17] For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should
commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
[18] For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
[19] For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
[20] For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
[21] For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
[22] For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein
an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit
instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
[23] For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally
the Forms of our Governments:
[24] For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate
for us in all cases whatsoever.
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[25] He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War
against us.
[26] He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our
people.
[27] He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of
death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely
paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
[28] He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against
their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by
their Hands.
[29] He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the
inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an
undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
[30] In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble
terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose
character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free
people.
[31] Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from
time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We
have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed
to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common
kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and
correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must,
therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold
the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
[32] We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress,
Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in
the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare,
That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they
are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between
them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and
Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish
Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for
the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we
mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
Jefferson, Thomas. "Declaration of Independence." History Department, Hanover College. Hanover
College. Web. 21 July 2011. http://history.hanover.edu/courses/excerpts/111decin.html.
50
Parallel Structure
Summary: This handout describes and provides examples of parallel structure (similar patterns of words).
Contributors:Dana Lynn Driscoll
Last Edited: 2010-04-17 05:51:01
Parallel structure means using the same pattern of words to show that two or more ideas have the same level
of importance. This can happen at the word, phrase, or clause level. The usual way to join parallel structures is
with the use of coordinating conjunctions such as "and" or "or."
Words and Phrases
With the -ing form (gerund) of words:
Parallel: Mary likes hiking, swimming, and bicycling.
With infinitive phrases:
Parallel: Mary likes to hike, to swim, and to ride a bicycle.
OR
Mary likes to hike, swim, and ride a bicycle.
(Note: You can use "to" before all the verbs in a sentence or only before the first one.)
Do not mix forms.
Example 1
Not Parallel:
Mary likes hiking, swimming, and to ride a bicycle.
Parallel:
Mary likes hiking, swimming, and riding a bicycle.
Example 2
Not Parallel:
The production manager was asked to write his report quickly, accurate ly, and in a detailed manner.
Parallel:
The production manager was asked to write his report quickly, accurately, and thoroughly.
Example 3
Not Parallel:
The teacher said that he was a poor student because he waited until the last minute to study for the exam,
completed his lab problems in a careless manner, and his motivation was low.
Parallel:
The teacher said that he was a poor student because he waited until the last minute to study for the exam,
completed his lab problems in a careless manner, and lacked motivation.
Clauses
A parallel structure that begins with clauses must keep on with clauses. Changing to another pattern or
changing the voice of the verb (from active to passive or vice versa) will break the parallelism.
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Example 1
Not Parallel:
The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, that they should not eat too much, and to do
some warm-up exercises before the game.
Parallel:
The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, that they should not eat too much, and that
they should do some warm-up exercises before the game.
— or —
Parallel:
The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, not eat too much, and do some warm-up
exercises before the game.
Example 2
Not Parallel:
The salesman expected that he would present his product at the meeting, that there would be time for him
to show his slide presentation, and that questions would be asked by prospective buyers. (passive)
Parallel:
The salesman expected that he would present his product at the meeting, that there would be time for him
to show his slide presentation, and that prospective buyers would ask him questions.
Lists After a Colon
Be sure to keep all the elements in a list in the same form.
Example 1
Not Parallel:
The dictionary can be used for these purposes: to find word meanings, pronunciations, correct spellings, and
looking up irregular verbs.
Parallel:
The dictionary can be used for these purposes: to find word meanings, pronunciations, correct spellings, and
irregular verbs.
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Parallel Structures
1. Select the sentence that illustrates the use of proper parallel construction.
Phuong Tran has wit, charm, and she has an extremely pleasant personality.
Phuong Tran has wit, charm, and a pleasing personality.
2. Select the sentence that illustrates the use of proper parallel construction.
In English class, Tashonda learned to read poems critically and to appreciate good prose.
In English class, Tashonda learned to read poems critically and she appreciated good prose.
3. Select the sentence that illustrates the use of proper parallel construction.
Raoul's QPA is higher than Ralph.
Raoul's QPA is higher than Ralph's.
4. Select the sentence that illustrates the use of proper parallel construction.
He wanted three things out of college: to learn a skill, to make good friends, and to learn about
life.
life.
He wanted three things out of college: to learn a skill, to make good friends, and learning about
5. Select the sentence that illustrates the use of proper parallel construction.
Coach Espinoza was a brilliant strategist, a caring mentor, and a wise friend.
Coach Espinoza was a brilliant strategist, a caring mentor, and friend.
6. Select the sentence that illustrates the use of proper parallel construction.
We found the film repulsive, offensive, and we thought it was embarrassing.
We found the film repulsive, offensive, and embarrassing.
7. Select the sentence that illustrates the use of proper parallel construction.
Mr. Nguyen kept his store clean, neat, and he made it conveniently arranged.
Mr. Nguyen kept his store clean, neat, and conveniently arranged.
8. Select the sentence that illustrates the use of proper parallel construction.
Professor Ali rewarded his students for working hard on the final project and going beyond the
call of duty.
Professor Ali rewarded his students for their hard work on the final project and going beyond
the call of duty.
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SEE It Through
DIRECTIONS: After reading the “Declaration of Independence” and “Letters from a
Birmingham Jail,” you will be put in groups to answer the following prompts. Your answers
should be detailed, researched, and well-supported by the text. In the discussion that
follows, you will be graded on your ability to discuss collegially the topic at hand (with few
digressions) and to stimulate a thoughtful exchange of ideas. You may choose to propel
the conversation by posing or responding to other groups/ individuals. You may bring in
other, related topics or broaden the theme into larger ideas. You may clarify, verify, or
challenge ideas and conclusions—as long as it’s respectful. The rules of this exercise are
simple. You earn points via the following:
1) Stay on task.
2) Be respectful.
3) Call people by name.
4) Be an active participant.
5) SEE it through—State, Elaborate, Exemplify.
(Notice, there is nothing about being right or correct. This is not about being correct.
It’s about using your brain in a respectful way to discuss a topic.)
 After having read the “Declaration of Independence,” many students are surprised about
the amount of logos used in the document. Choose three of the more obvious examples
of denying specific rights and discuss the effect that might have had on the colonists.
What is the effect of the entire list?
 King’s use of the counterclaim in his “Letters from a Birmingham Jail” is remarkable.
Choose one of his counterclaims and discuss it. Elaborate from the text as needed.
 King states, in his letter, that it is sometimes necessary to break laws that are unjust.
Jefferson claims the same basic human right. Do you agree with their opinion? Both
announced it publically, and, in fact, sent their letters to their opponents (Jefferson to
George II and King to the pastors of the churches in Alabama). Why would both men
decide to be so public about breaking laws? What law would you consider breaking
publically, if any?
 Think about America today. From your personal experiences and observations, discuss
how it meets the promise of the opening of the Declaration’s second paragraph, and how
it does not.
 List the other historical movements to which King compares the civil rights movement.
What is the purpose of including this information?
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Phrases and Clauses
Remember, there are phrases, or little groups of words without a subject and predicate,
and there are clauses, or groups of words having a subject and a predicate! The
independent clause is often called a principal or main clause; the dependent clause is
often called a subordinate clause.
Phrases and Clauses: Identify each group of words below as either phrase (P) or clause
(C).
___1. Aside from that
___2. But I say
___3. Though the motor was running
___4. Unless she knew the truth
___5. The last place team in the league
___6. When on time
___7. If you like
___8. By popular consent
___9. Since we last met
___10. Because of your interest
___11. As I should have guessed
___12. Down to the sea
___13. Until the matter is settled
___14. For the duration
___15. Under extreme pressure
___16. A turn to the right
___17. Who the best candidate will be
___18. In time of extreme danger
___19. When I heard
___20. Until you told me
___21. Whom he addressed
___22. As the writers of our Constitution
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