Op-ed Piece

The link to my op-ed piece is:

http://www.thoughts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14551

it's under amanda1052.

Thanksgiving Break

I can't wait for Thanksgiving break; I could really use a few days off. I love all the food and spending time with the family on Thanksgiving day, but I'm most excited about going to Chicago on Friday. My family and I used to go to Chicago the day after Thanksgiving every year, but we haven't gone in a few years because we have all been so busy. This year we decided to go back and I'm so excited about it. We are taking a morning train on Friday and will be staying until Sunday. The city is always so pretty with it's Christmas decorations. Their annual German festival features a huge Christmas trees and a bunch of booths with food and souvenirs. The festival is always a lot of fun. I also can't wait to shop. There are so many stores there, especially along the Magnificent Mile.

Ridiculous Concert

One of my best friends works at the Henry Ford Museum and her boss offered her free tickets to the Madonna concert. A couple of us went to the concert at Ford Field and it was terrible. I'm not a Madonna fan but I figured that it would still be fun, but I was wrong. The show was supposed to start at 7:30pm, but she did not start performing until 9:30. She did not have any opening acts so we sat there while a DJ played a mix of songs. Once she finally came out, she did not seem very thankful and made comments such as "I'll play this song as a you're welcome for coming here." She also made a few remarks against Detroit saying that they moved the barricades in front of the stage back so that the people sitting in the floor seats were far away because we're dangerous.

I did not know many of her songs, so I could not sing along but even if I could I still do not think I would have enjoyed the show. The dancing and her outfits were ridiculous. She was just making a fool of herself. I do not think that it is appropriate for a mother to dance provocatively around a stage in practically a bra and underwear. It was ridiculous.

Being a Critical Reader

While reading the websites provided on the blog about rhetorical analysis and critical reading, I learned not just to read the facts given, but to analyze each statement. In order to be a good critical reader, you need to understand where the author is coming from and recognize any bias he or she may have. The reader needs to understand that the author is providing their take on a subject and may not include other people's opinions. Critical readers do not always accept what the author says as fact, and instead challenge the author's ideas and look for valid evidence.

Historic Event

On Tuesday, November 4, 2008, our country elected a black man as President for the first time in history. There are many citizens who support Barack Obama and expect him to make changes for the better in our country. However, others are not that fond of Obama and do not see his being elected as a good thing for our country.

When Obama was campaigning, he experienced some animosity and racist comments. If you search the internet, you'll find numerous sites with racist cartoons and statements. Obama did not let these people bring him down though.

"You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise."

This stanza from the poem "Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou reminds me a lot of Obama and his campaign. Quite a few citizens were not fond of him and were not afraid to express their thoughts. He did not let their opinion stop him from continuing his campaign. No matter how much support he may have had, it must have been extremely tough to brush off all the negative comments and actions.

His being elected as President is quite a turning point in our history. We have never had a President who was not a caucasian male. After the results of the election were announced, the television network showed many African Americans crying with joy. The news reporters interviewed and many responded that their children will now truly feel that they can do anything in the world.