Writing 101 Reminders and Announcements

Friday's Assignment:

You must come to class on Friday or it counts as an absence. You may turn in your assignment during class or to the box outside my door by 5pm.

Regardless of if your turning your portfolio in during class or not, you need to bring one paragraph from any of the assignments that you are the most proud of to read during class. This is a chance to celebrate your best work. I'm privileged to see everything that you do in this class and you should be as proud of the progress you are making as I am. This is also a chance to contribute to our class community and share something you are proud of with your classmates.

Introduction Letter:

You need to quote at least one of your assignments and you do need to include reflections on all three of the major assignments. One way you could do this is to talk about an invention strategy you used and explain which assignments (LifePlace, Op-Ed, or PAA) it worked with or didn't work with and what you took away from it. Also, everything you mention in your Introduction Letter must be included in your Portfolio.

Rules to Remember:

Cite everything you use that is not your own.

Never start or end a paragraph with a quote.

Do not introduce new information in your conclusion.

Make sure everything is cited in proper MLA format.

When using a quote always explain where it came from and the title of the source (italicized if it is from a book or in quotation marks if it is from an article).

Don't panic alone! If you need help, ask for it.

Final Portfolio:

This is due in a box I will place outside my office (Corbin Hall, Room 254) by 5pm. Everyday this is late drops the whole grade down by one letter. This means if your portfolio is an A on Friday it will be a D on Monday and you will not pass this class. It is your responsibility to get it to me over the weekend if it is late, and this will not be easy for either of us, trust me.

You need to include everything on the checklist and the Introduction Letter rough draft/peer review sheet, the substantially revised essay and peer review sheet, and the handout you are filling out with all of my comments and which assignments you are substantially revising and why.

All hard copies for your portfolio must be in a binder (a skinny plastic one is fine if it all fits), all pages must be numbered on the bottom right or top left hand corner, and the pages must correspond with your table of contents.

If you are turning in an Electronic Portfolio it must be on one file (either a PDF or powerpoint).

Finals:

Your finals slot is in my office (Corbin Hall, Room 254) Monday 8-10am. You will be getting your portfolio and grade back during this time. You can come at anytime during this slot, but if you want to talk about your grade or portfolio I suggest your show up early. If you cannot make this time for whatever reason let me know ahead of time.

Last Extra Credit Opportunity

Extra Credit

Assignment:

Write a concise 1-2 page double-spaced argument on the following prompt:

Should Writ 101's theme be "Place" or "Sustainability". I want you to compare the first page of your syllabus, focused on "place" with the one from last year, which is pasted below. I will grade this the same way I graded your Op-Ed assignment. You have to have ethos, logos, and pathos theatrical appeals, and avoid logical fallacies. You do not have to research or a works cited page, but you do need a paragraph reflecting on your argument after the essay (think of this as a post write). What worked or didn't work? Evaluate your writing in this essay and pay attention to your introduction, body paragraphs, organization, transitions, and conclusion.

Credit:

This will either count as 2 HW assignments or 2 days of participation. You may not do this assignment if you have already received extra credit from the last opportunity.

Due:

This must be e-mailed to me by Sunday at 7pm.

WRIT 101: Composition and Sustainability

Here, at the University of Montana, the composition program takes sustainability as a big idea to inquire into in WRIT 101. 
Perhaps the most common definition of sustainability is simply “meeting today’s needs without jeopardizing the well-being of future generations” (Owens 1). It encompasses a range of economic, environmental, and social issues. We’ll be exploring concepts of sustainability as a means of learning how to engage in inquiry as college writers and researchers, but also with the hope that you’ll begin to consider how sustainability figures into your evolving worldview.

WRIT 101 focuses on sustainability for a couple of reasons: first, we quite simply care about the environment and human rights but recognize that the enormity of such problems as global warming or banishing racism might seem too daunting for individuals and communities to change. People don’t necessarily feel they have the power, the wherewithal, or the agency to change the world. Yet we believe that thoughtful, committed individuals can make a difference, and this belief leads us to our second point. Learning to write in college is a means of further educating you to be engaged readers and writers, continuing on your path of becoming active, agile, and reflective learners. Learning to write in college often means considering where you stand in relationship to others’ beliefs, learning to work collaboratively and productively with others, and learning to critically engage new ideas and practices. These skills and habits of mind are vital for college researchers and writers as well as citizens in our world. 




We’ll explore sustainability in our writing assignments and readings as you develop your abilities to think, read, and write rhetorically to better communicate in the world. You’ll inquire into different personal, academic, and civic contexts and read, analyze, and compose in different genres. You’ll also further develop flexible reading, writing, and research processes to help you develop as an academic and civic participant. Much of your work will involve different kinds of collaboration, including small group workshops and discussions that will take place in class, in conference, and in electronic forums.


Extra Credit

Thursday October 27th UM is hosting a Day of Dialogue. If you attend one event, two at the most, and complete two separate assignments for each I will give you extra credit that will be equivalent to two homework assignments OR two days worth of participation for one event or double that for two.

Assignment One:

Write a one page essay style response that includes which event you saw, how it engages in civil discourse, or not, and what elements from our Op-Ed unit you noticed and whether or not it counts as an effective argument that engages in argument as dance. What was the presentation about? How did you react to it? Did they use rhetorical devices? Did they idenitfy or use logical fallacies?

Assignment Two:

Write a one page proposal for a presentation or activity you would do for the Day of Dialogue event. What would it be on? How would you structure it? What point would you be making? Why do you think people would like/need to hear it? Use ideas taken from class on logical fallacies, civilized discourse, using research, and addressing a certain audience, or anything else from this unit you would like to use. You could even cite specific books, youtube clips, powerpoint presentations, music, or art you would incorporate to prove your point. You could be as creativity, or not, as you wish.

This is due Friday November 4th at 12:10. If you need this extra credit to apply to something else you are missing or lacking in this class come talk to me. Also, you need to let me know if you are interested in this. I have pasted the website to the Day of Dialogue homepage below.

http://life.umt.edu/dod/default.php

Homework Due During Conferences

1. Bring TWO copies of a full rough draft 700-1,000 words with a works cited page (or your laptop) to conferences

2. Bring your devil's advocate freewrite from Monday and peer review sheet that your partner filled out for you. If you already e-mailed both that's fine too.

3. Read CW 275-280

Op-Ed Sketch Breakdown List

The Sketch: A Breakdown List

General Checklist:

Your Sketch must have your name, my name, class name, and the date it is due typed in the top corner. You must have a title and a works cited. Include the Works Cited at the bottom of the Sketch, not on a separate page. I want it typed and between 500-600 words. Single or double spacing does not matter. This is due Monday bring two copies typed and printed out or e-mailed to me and yourself for class workshops.

Title:

Make your title your tentative claim about your topic (also known as the “I think this is what my point is so far…” claim). I want see the question that is guiding your search, you should have numerous questions about your topic, but I want to see the central question you are interested in. What issue are you investigating? Examples:

Mine: Does the Smoking Ban Discriminate Against Smokers?

Ballenger’s: “How to Really Rock the Vote”

Handout: “Should Rifle Suppressor's Be Allowed in Hunting?”

Major Components:

Claim: What is the major point of your op-ed so far? Ex: Smoking ban should be lifted? I need to see your topic right in the opening of your Sketch. What questions are you trying to answer? Later in the Sketch I will see you answer your questions.

Intro=Major Question

Body Paragraphs=Evidence/Background Information/Minor Questions and Answers

Conclusion=Your Answer to the Major Question

Supporting Elements:

The main components that your final op-ed will include are: claims, evidence, warrants, backing, counterclaims, and a rebuttal (CW 249-250 and OWL Purdue Handout). These ideas will not be fully developed in your sketch but you should be working towards them after conferences. See next page for details.

Side Note: If this seems like a lot of things to cover don’t let it overwhelm you. Look at CW 274 for an example of what a Sketch looks like and how someone else incorporated all of these ideas. Ballenger reminds you that “A sketch is often sketchy. It’s generally undeveloped, sometimes giving the writer just the barest outline of his subject” when he is describing the rules for this assignment (CW 274). This is an early draft to your op-ed assignment it should be extra drafty. That being said I want you to include most of these elements in it. Do your best and we will work on polishing it on Monday.

Why is this Sketch Important?

This Sketch will help you flesh out your topic for your op-ed. By doing this assignment you are doing invention work for how you want to share your opinion about the topic you have chosen for the op-ed with others. I want to see that you have enough sources, claims, and ideas to support your claim. This is an excellent place to realize that there might be issues with the topic you have chosen. The goal is to get everyone headed towards a rough draft for their op-ed’s, but if you are experiencing problems don’t panic now is the time to find a more suitable topic.

Homework Due Monday 10/03

Hello Class!

For your homework you need to complete the following:

1. Read: EW in the Portfolio Keeping Tab Pg. 18-22 and 32-39

2. Type: Taking Stock #8 in EW Pg.39. Make it at least a paragraph and bring to class on Monday (either print it out or e-mail it to me)

3. Read the sample Reflection Essay passed out in class. Be prepared to answer the following questions in class: How well does this essay fit the assignment? What does the author do well and what can the author improve on? What specific information is given to the reader? Can you follow what the author is saying without having met this person or having read their essays?

PAA Rules to Remember

After reviewing your drafts I have created a list of rules I want to see you follow in your essays.

1. Any borrowed information (quotes, dates, statistics, or general information you had to look up) must be followed by in-text citations.

2. Quotes NEVER start or end a paragraph.

3. Quotes over 3 lines long are considered block quotes and must be cited in MLA format.

4. You have to transition from one paragraph to the next, if you don't your papers will not flow properly no matter how much sense your organization makes.

5. Everything must be written in proper MLA format (use EW MLA tab or OWL Purdue Website to check it).

6. Your essay is due Friday at 12:10, no exceptions.

7. Don't panic alone! If you are struggling take a deep breath and e-mail me, but for goodness sake don't do it an hour before class and expect me to help you.

Is Scott Walker’s Budget Bill the Best way to Balance Wisconsin’s deficit?

Posted for Devon

This past January, the state of Wisconsin
caught the Nation’s eye as political unrest and mass protests erupted as Scott
Walker was elected the new governor of Wisconsin. As soon as Walker stepped
into office on November 30, 2010, the state of Wisconsin would be forever
changed. Walker came into a state with a budget deficit. The governor’s job,
fix it. Walker decided that the best way to do this was to cut many of the
benefits which state workers receive. Some of which include “requiring
employees who pay into the Wisconsin Retirement System to contribute 50 percent
of their annual pension payment, requiring state employees to pay at least
12.6% of the average cost of annual [health insurance]premiums and make various
changes to limit collective bargaining for most public employees to wages”
(Highlights of Gov. Walker's budget Repair Bill 1). Along with state workers
receiving cuts, public schools received many funding cuts. The main result of
these cuts, less money in the pockets of state union workers. To many, this
seemed like a attack to state workers; resulting in, mass protests at the
capital in Madison. These protests went on for days. People by the thousands
gathered to protest the bill. I myself actually took off school for a day to
participate. What i saw? Unhappy people, thousands off them. It was obvious to
Walker that the citizens of Wisconsin didn’t agree with him, especially the 14
democrats that fled to Illinois putting their jobs at risk to pretest the
voting of the bill. However, he stood strong and the bill was passed. Along
with the finical blows many workers will suffer, the state itself will have
consequences. People are forced to choose a side. The result of this, a
strongly split conservative and liberal state. With such strong opinions of
this bill, one must think there is a better way to balance the deficit.
Wisconsin Senator Kathleen Vinehout believes we should “eliminate the tax cuts
going to the most wealthy; don’t increase taxes on those of modest means; don’t
create or expand programs unless absolutely necessary; return the raids on
funds and minimize cuts to education, colleges and local government. Get rid of
the charter school expansion and new private school “choice” vouchers.”
(Vinehout 1). She also believes that by “accepting public employee
contributions to health insurance and retirement” and “fund local government at
last year’s level” Wisconsin would have enough money to reverse half of the
cuts local schools” (Vinehout 1). To conclude, Walker does not have to go after
state employees, he choose to. There are other ways to balance the budget.

Works Cited

Staff, State Journal.
"Highlights of Gov. Walker's Budget Repair Bill." Madison.com Madison
WI News Sports Entertainment. Web. 19 Sept. 2011. <http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_3d93e6aa-363a-11e0-8493-001cc4c002e0.html>.

Vinehout, Kathleen. "A Better
Way to Balance the Budget with the Same Dollars Uppity Wisconsin."
Uppity Wisconsin Progressive News from the Cheddarsphere. Web. 19 Sept. 2011.
<http://uppitywis.org/node/46580/view?destination=taxonomy/term/230?page=7>.

What lies beneath Mt. Rainier?

Paul Lunsford

Mount Rainier is a dormant volcano that lies in the Pacific Ring of
Fire, which is the largest ring of active volcanoes in the world.
More than 40 percent of the volcanoes in the ring are actively
reoccurring and the rest are due to erupt within the next several
hundred years. Some might ask why this is relevant to us right now
because the volcanoes will most likely not erupt in our lifetime but
it will in our grandchildren if not children’s era. And to me that
would be horrible to know that it is a good possibility that the
eruption could be the end to my family. Knowing that this volcano will
erupt soon makes me want to know when it will erupt? What will happen
to the surrounding forests, ecosystems, towns, and cities?
Washington is an amazing place to live due to the beautiful, lush
forests, high snow topped Cascades and Olympic Mountain Ranges, and of
course the thriving metropolitan cities such as Seattle, Bellingham,
Belleview, and Tacoma. Also the amazing fertile soils of the Green
River Valley, Sumner Valley and Puyallup Valley. The main reason the
soil in these valleys is so fertile is because of all the sediments
the Lahar mudflows that swept down from Mt. Rainier for the past
10,000 years, the last known Lahar was approximately 500 years ago.
“Moving at speeds up to 80 kilometers per hour, a lahar would race
like a wall of wet, turbulent concrete into the valley. During such an
event, students and other valley residents would have only 45 minutes
to seek higher ground before being inundated with a fast-moving slurry
of mud, rock and water as thick as 10 meters (about 30 feet)
deep”(Pinsker). This passage confirms that when Mt. Rainier erupts it
will be pandemonium, property, memories and lives will be lost.
With all that said there is still the side of when the Volcano erupts
with the magma how far will it flow to? Will it be an eruption like
Mt. Saint Helens in 1980?
Will it cause a chain reaction with the other volcanoes in the Pacific
Ring of Fire? According to geologists the eruption of Mt. Rainier in
the first half of the 19th century would most likely reoccur when the
next eruption occurs. The Osceola Mudflow was the name of the massive
mudflow that raged down Mt. Rainier, through the river valleys and
into the Pudget Sound. “The eruption that we can expect in the future
would consist of ballistic projectiles, tephra, pyroclastic flows,
volcanic gases, landslides, and glacial outburst floods”(Think Quest).
Ballistic projectiles are the flaming chunks of rock that will blow
off the top of the mountain that have a range of about 3 miles. Tephra
is this superheated volcanic ash that when lands will catch anything
on fire, and if 4 or more inches accumulate on a structure the
structure will collapse due to the weight of the ash, the Mt. saint
Helens eruption was mostly tephra. Pyroclastic flows are heated
mudflows that will encase everything it runs over like a quickset
concrete mixed with noxious volcanic gasses and ash.




Works cited

Lisa M. Pinsker.“Paths of Destruction: The Hidden Threat at Mount
Rainier.”GeoTimes, April 2004: September 18, 2011


Mt. Rainier. “Think Quest”. September 18, 2011
http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/00472/Mount_Rainier_paragraphs.htm

Do Americans' Depend on Cars too Much?

By Jake Lubeck

The invention of the automobile has had a gigantic impact on the earth. No only is it one of the causes of global warming, it has also helped to increase the percent of over-weight or obese people in car driving countries. But the automobile is not just a nuance to society. Cars have helped to create not just factory jobs, but cars salesmen, shipping and mechanic jobs, and engineering positions. Also, western American cities and suburbs were built around the idea that were going to drive. There are also some ways people car avoid using a car, which are healthier for the environment. They are riding a bike, or even walking. These simple ways can help to cut down emissions, and make people healthier. (126)

First off, cars have one of the greatest impacts on global climate change in today's world. The U.S in particular has one of the largest effects. The Union of Concerned Scientist said "Transportation is the largest single source of air pollution in the United States. It causes over half of the carbon monoxide, over a third of the nitrogen oxides, and almost a quarter of the hydrocarbons in our atmosphere in 2006" (UCSUSA.org 1). The U.S. is one of the most developed countries in the world. If places such as India or Africa start consuming as much as the U.S, does, the amount of pollution will skyrocket. (106)

Secondly, cars can help to cause obesity. Places that walk or bike more, such as Latvia, have an active transport 67%, and have a 14% obese population. While the U.S. has an active transport at 12%, and a 33% obese population (sustain.cs.washington.edu). This shows that even walking places instead of driving can have a big effect on the health of the population. (60)

But the automobile industry has some up sides. Car makers help to create a huge amount of jobs that supports the economy. About 1 in every 10 jobs has to do the car making industry. U.S. car companies buy the most raw materials out of any other company in any other business sector. Metals, plastic, rubber, wiring, and computer chips are some of the things that go into making a car, that the manufactures buy from other companies (CNN 1) . Auto manufactures don't just give jobs to the people building the cars, but also the give jobs to the miners, rubber farmers, leather manufactures, and producers of the raw materials. (109)

Also, some people see a car as a need and not just a want. These people would most likely be living in a suburb, were most of their jobs are in the city. And public transportation isn't very prevalent. The American suburb was built around an idea that Henry Ford had, low cost cars that most families can afford(About.com 1). This meant that people could spread out and live farther out of town and still have a way to get into the city. So most people who live in spread out communities need are car for work, travel, and shopping. (99)

But, I believe that the environmental problems of owning a car far outweigh the benefits. The pollution and environmental effects I see as a more urgent than keeping cars around. If we destroy the earth so humans can not inhabit it anymore, then what good is the car. I think that using more active ways of getting place to place is the future of transportation. (64)

Work Cited

http://sustain.cs.washington.edu/blog/index.php/2009/01/16/the-relationship-between-cars-and-obesity/

Cars and Obesity

http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_vehicles/vehicle_impacts/cars_pickups_and_suvs/cars-trucks-air-pollution.html

Cars and Pollution

http://articles.cnn.com/2008-11-13/politics/granholm.energy_1_energy-independence-auto-industry-battery-technology?_s=PM:POLITICS

Cars and the economy

http://geography.about.com/od/urbaneconomicgeography/a/suburbs.htm

Cars and Urban Sprawl

http://www.ehow.com/facts_5523771_definition-urban-sprawl.html

Cars and the Suburbs

What is the Bridge to Nowhere and will it Ever Happen?

The Bridge to Nowhere was supposed to be a bridge that connected the island of Ketchikan to the island of Gravina where the airport is located. The current means of transportation is to ferry across the half mile stretch of channel to reach the airport. The bridge would eliminate the ferry system that has been going on for years and allow cars to drive across instead. So is a 223 million dollar bridge really worth it in a town where the population is only 7,922 (2010 census)? Some say yes (mostly the people from Ketchikan), while almost everyone else says no. (ketchikanalaska.com).

According to Timothy Egan of the New York Times, this bridge would be the one of the biggest in the nation: “a mile long, with a top clearance of 200 feet from the water - 80 feet higher than the Brooklyn Bridge and just 20 feet short of the Golden Gate Bridge.” (Egan p.1). Although seemingly expensive and unnecessary, the building of the Bridge to Nowhere would bring about 600 jobs (Egan p.2), which would be good for a lot of people, especially now with the unemployment rate being rather high. So while this bridge may seem like it would only benefit the people from Ketchikan, it may help others as well.

Being from Ketchikan, I’m stuck in the middle as to whether or not the bridge should be built. A part of me says yes because it would reduce a lot of the hassle that ferrying involves. You have to worry about finding a parking spot in the long term parking lot on the Ketchikan side, taking all of your luggage with you onto the ferry (which only comes every 30 minutes, 15 in the summer season), cram onto the rather small ferry with all of your luggage plus everyone else’s as well, ride for four to five minutes across, take all of your luggage up the outdoor ramp with only a small roof (did I mention Ketchikan is one of the rainiest places in the world? The average rainfall is 152 in per year. (ketchikanalaska.com)) to the ticket booth, pay the five dollars for the ferry ride, take the ramp or stairs to the street you have to cross where you finally make it into the airport itself (knowing all of this from personal experience). The other part of me says that the funding for the bridge could be used for a better cause instead of helping a small town’s inconveniences.

So will the Bridge to Nowhere ever happen? Although that answer seems to be no for now, the people of Ketchikan are still fighting hard to make the bridge happen. Seeing as the only other options of traveling into and out of Ketchikan are float plane and the Alaska Marine Highway System, which is the ferry system that only goes to a select number of places, traveling can be an even bigger aggravation without the airplane option which is the fastest and easiest way to travel.

Work Cited

“Ketchikan Alaska”. 2011. http://www.ketchikanalaska.com/index.html. Web. 18 September 2011.

Egan, Timothy. “Built With Steel, Perhaps, but Greased With Pork”. 10 April 2004. http://www.econ.ucdavis.edu/faculty/gclark/ecn1a/hwkey/Built%20With%20Steel.pdf. Web. 18 September 2011.

Buddhism-To stay or not to stay?

Jenna Hall

In the US many different types of religions are practiced whether we recognize them or not. The US is a multicultural place however the majority of Americans identify themselves as Christians. I think it is important to know the dimensions of all religions before choosing one you personally connect with. Let me tell you a little bit about a religion I find fascinating on many levels. Buddhism is a religion that was brought to the west (San Francisco) in the late 1940s early 1950's. Buddhism was introduced in the form of Zen by Senzaki who was a Buddhist master. I think one reason Buddhism was appealing to people then was because the hippie and beat movement started to take a role in many people's lives. A revival of Buddhism is on the rise and I have many reasons why I think not only our country, but China and other countries who identify with Buddhism could benefit.

People chose to practice Buddhism because it is one way to attain ultimate freedom and enlightenment through a series of practices such as: prayers, sutras, meditation, yoga, and chanting. I think the more we can be proactive in our religion, the more we will apply it's lessons. One of the Buddhist beliefs is to always keep karma in mind. Karma is the what goes around comes around philosophy, and it's purpose is to be mindful of how you treat other people, animals, and things in order to better our society. Just think, if everyone kept these philosophies in mind, Wouldn't our world have the potential to be a moral, loving, and inventive place? Buddhism practices silence, art, meditation, yoga, and bettering oneself to then better the world. Technology does not rule all, and money is not the motive.

Now that I have given you a little background information on Buddhism and why I connect to its over all intention, I now want to tell you about it's revival present-day in China, hopefully spreading to other areas. Dharmapala, an Indian monk, stopped in Shanghai from the congress of religions in Chicago. He was taking a tour around china and his intent was to send missionaries to India to restore Buddhism and its all glory. He wants to start a propaganda throughout the whole world however, not just China. In way's China is holding true to Buddhism alone and keeping other religions out the best they can. The Buddhist monasteries put themselves under the watchful eye of Japanese monks in order to keep their properties safe.

Some of the activists trying endlessly to keep Buddhism around are arguing that “While Buddhism may be standing still or even dying in certain parts of China, it is showing new signs of life in provinces of Kiangsu and Chekiang and in the large cities. Such revival in centers subject to the influence of the modern world shows that Buddhism in China as in Japan has enough sufficient vitality to adjust itself to modern conditions.”(Hodus2). One thing leading to the revival is the reconstruction of the monasteries. The large cities of China are building activities, and something like this shows the monasteries are feeling a new wave of prosperity hopefully coming their way. Lectures and publications are also a widely effective way to spread the revival because it gets the word out to many areas. Not only monks but others are delivering lectures on the Buddhist sutras for those not willing to attend the lectures.

These are some present day activities showing the revival of Buddhism and the importance of people knowing why this religion deserves to be reawakened.

Works Cited

“Buddhism and the Buddhists in China.” Authoroma, 14 September 2011.

“Buddhism and Neuroscience.” Psychology today, 26 January 2011

Why is Cannabis Illegal? What would it be like if it was the other way around?

Narrative sketch by Jackson Brandes

WRIT 101 Sec. 10

I was kind of foggy on what exactly we where supposed to do exactly, I took away that it was mainly to show we can research our topic and generate information. So this is what I wrote:

The legalization of Marijuana has been a hot topic for debate over the past couple of years. I myself, having pro-marijuana views, as well as being a former user of this substance have always had a slight interest on the subject. I have really never taken the time to delve down into the details and see what the argument is all about. Now that I have the opportunity I intend on answering some of the fallowing questions: Why is Marijuana considered so bad when it is considered such a widely used drug? What are the pros and cons of legalization? And do they have merit? How would it affect the government? How would it affect consumption rates amongst population if legalized? These are a couple of questions on a long line that are being examined through this project.

I really started thinking about this when I was remembering back to about my sophomore and junior year of high school. Lunchtime and after school time would usually consist of roving around the neighborhood with a group of buddies trying to smoke weed. I remember loving it back then. The perception was that it was so cool, and their was a slight risk involved which exhilarated my 16-year old mind to think that I was getting away with something illegal. I held weed to a lesser standard for degradation of personal image then being a cigarette smoker or one of those kids who can’t come to class sober. There was something bout it being illegal but not too illegal that made it enticing. This brings me to my question of origin for my research: Why is it illegal? Why is something that is in comparison much less harmful then the two other main drugs on the market, tobacco and alcohol, illegal? Why was I smoking weed instead of smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol? I believe exploring this sub-topic first will open up much more background for my essay.

I found this article on The National Institute of Health journal list, written by Philippe Bourgeois, titled: the Mystery of Marijuana: Science and the U.S. War on Drugs. The author makes a good point that I agree with in basically saying that the perception Marijuana since the 50’s has been thought of as wrong for the idea that it is a self-destructing mechanism that will lead an individual into the deep dark depths of drug-addiction, basically saying it’s a gateway drug. This quote exemplifies this point, “The pharmacological properties of a drug are not the sole determinants of its potential harm. Of special importance and concern is the nexus between socially structured vulnerability and destructive drug consumption.” (Bourgeois, 2003b) The author then eludes to the fact that drug use begins earlier and stays more prevalent with people in very unstructured social situations; and without a structured life it becomes easier for drugs to make-up that structure. The author says that the war on drugs is mainly focused on heavier narcotics. He then goes on to assume that why Marijuana is banned is to cut-off the supposed gateway mechanism to harder drug use with the idea that the less people that don’t break the law and don’t smoke weed as a young adult will not use hard drugs. (Bourgeois). I agree with this statement. I think it is a very smart point and logical factor into why Marijuana is illegal. This article then goes on to analyze many points and views of this topic of marijuana and also gives much more insight into the proposed origin question of my argument. The fallowing question, paraphrased, is the underlying theme that this article left me asking myself is: In this day and age is it more reasonable for our generation to fallow the social norms that have been in place for the past 50-80 years that allow our economically depressed country to continue to pump so much money into a failing war on drugs? Or should we look to evaluate how our society is today and strive for social revamp of the system that will allow us to adjust moral and cultural values to a reasonable scale based on current issues and trends? (Bourgeois)

If I can come away with questions like that from researching one article I am very confident in my researching capabilities and look forward to expressing all my ideas, reactions, questions, and answers on the essay.

1. The Mystery of Marijuana: Science and the U.S. War on Drugs

2008, Vol. 43, No. 3-4, Pages 581-583 (doi:10.1080/10826080701884853)

University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

2. (Quote within article): Bourgois P, Schonberg J. Righteous dopefiend. Berkeley: University of California Press; 2008.