Benjamin Franklin PLN

Benjamin Franklin PLN

In 1759, Benjamin Franklin spoke of how if one gives up freedom and liberty for temporary security, they deserve neither.

Benjamin Franklin correctly portrays that those who give up liberty for temporary security deserve neither because when one gives up their freedom for government security, they are not even necessarily safe. Most American citizens believe that our government having extra security at airports, surveillance cameras everywhere, or going through their phone calls will keep them safe, but it is now widely known what the government watches over, “ The Government Is Spying On Us Through Our Computers, Phones, Cars, Buses, Streetlights, At Airports And On The Street, Via Mobile Scanners And Drones, Through Our Smart Meters, And In Many Other Ways”(WashingtonBlog.com). It is widely known what the government spies on because one can simply just google it, therefore we aren’t really that safe because it can be common knowledge for terrorists and criminals, resulting in the “bad guys” to wise up and use different methods of communication and such. Basically, if one gave up freedom/ liberty for security, they deserve neither/ will get neither because what the government calls security most of the time doesn’t even stop crimes. However, people should still deserve freedom/ liberty because his quote was not really meant to be taken as today’s civil liberties, but rather, “the right of self-governance of a legislature in the interests of collective security”(lawfareblog.com). Benjamin Franklin was more complaining of the choice facing the legislature between being able to make funds available for frontier defense and maintaining its right of self-governance. Overall, the people should still deserve their liberties along with security, because it is a different context in which Franklin was speaking about. At first glance, one may think that people deserve both liberty and security even if one may give up one for the other because Benjamin Franklin said this in a different context. This point may seem reasonable at first because there are some websites providing the actual connotation of this quote, but it’s more complicated than that… This quote can be related today because of all of the security privacy threats in America. Whether it is Airport security, surveillance cameras, or going through our phones, this quote can directly relate to that, even if it wasn’t intended to be meant like that. Because one can simply just google what our government snoops on, and knows what they can’t bring on an airplane and such, the criminals have wised up. For example, there are bombs that terrorists can used that they could disguise for something else, or wear masks to hide their face on surveillance cameras, etc. All in all, people just do not deserve either liberty or security if they give up one for the other because if one does, than they are not even truly safe with the government that we have today.

Othello Act 5 S/R Collin Sailor

Othello Act 5 Summary Response REDO Collin Sailor

Summary: Act 5 of William Shakespeare’s, Othello, demonstrates how manipulation is the cause of betrayal. Iago manipulates Othello throughout the book to think that Desdemona is cheating on him with Cassio, and with that seed of manipulation, it causes Othello to get to the breaking point where he kills Desdemona in act 5. Manipulation is the reason for betrayal throughout act 5 of Shakespeare’s, Othello.

Response:

Claim 1: Othello act 5 by William Shakespeare correctly portrays how manipulation is the cause of betrayal because when Iago hints at how Desdemona is disloyal, it creates tension between Othello and Desdemona when they are with each other. This tension between them keeps growing and growing until Othello can’t take it anymore and decides that he needs to kill Desdemona. “I would not kill thy unprepared spirit”(Shakespeare 5.2.36) Othello betrays their marriage by killing her because he thought that she was having an affair. Othello isn’t at fault here though, it is Iago to blame for her death because without his manipulation of planting those ideas in Othello’s head, he would’ve never killed her, and they would still be in a happy marriage.

Counterclaim 1: However, one can see that it is not Iago’s fault that Desdemona was killed because of his manipulation, it was entirely Othello’s fault for believing him. Othello loved his wife very much, until Iago started to tip him off about Desdemona being disloyal when she really was loyal. Othello didn’t have to believe Iago, he had no solid proof except that Cassio had the handkerchief. “By heaven, I saw my handkerchief in’s hand”(Shakespeare 5.2.77)! Othello never saw them kiss, or do other things that show that she is cheating on him.

Rebuttal: At first glance, one may think that it was Othello's fault for believing Iago when he told Othello of his suspicions that Desdemona was a cheater. This position seems reasonable because one may think that it would be easy to not believe that their beloved new wife was cheating on him while they are religious, but it's more complicated than that... When a person loves another person with all of their heart, if they even just get some suspicion of them not being faithful, then it could drive them crazy. Iago's manipulation of Othello is driving him crazy because he starts to see that she has been talking up Cassio as well. Eventually, Othello can't take the thought of Desdemona betraying him, so he betrays her by killing her.

Conclusion: In the end, throughout act 5 of William Shakespeare's Othello, manipulation is the cause of all of the betrayal that occurs.

Spencer Cobb/Collin Sailor Othello Act 2 S/R Redo

Othello Act 2 Summary/Response REDO

Spencer Cobb and Collin Sailor

Summary: William Shakespeare’s Othello, act 2, illustrates that dishonesty and manipulation lead to evil acts. Iago uses Roderigo as a pawn, and wears many masks to disguise his true identity. When Iago defends Cassio and “befriends” him shortly after the fight between Montano and Cassio, Iago sets up his master plan to trick Othello. One can easily see that honesty is a big theme thus far in Othello, and obviously, Iago is not an honest man.

Response:

Claim 1: Othello act 2, by William Shakespeare, correctly portrays how Iago’s manipulation and dishonesty leads to evil acts. His acts are ignoble and shameful, but only the readers are able to see through the eyes of Iago. In scene 3 when Michael Cassio gets into the drunken fight with Montano, he is stripped of his lieutenancy. Cassio has a lot of regret about drinking, and says that the stupid wine spoiled his reputation. Iago seizes this opportunity to trick Cassio into spending a lot of time with Desdemona to build his reputation back up, but so that it looks like the two are in love. Iago is able to do this by putting on a mask and not really showing the real him,”When devils will the blackest sins put on, they do suggest at first with heavenly shows”(Shakespeare 2.3.371-372). He relates what he is doing to an act of the devil, thus showing how deceptive and dishonest he is. A reader can see that Iago has one side, and that is pure evil, but to Othello and the others, he is seen as a caring, honest, and warm-hearted man.  

Counterclaim 1: However, one can see how Iago is actually a loving, caring man, and is completely honest. After the dangerous fight between Montano and Michael Cassio, Iago defends Cassio and comforts him after losing his lieutenancy. When Othello asks who started the fight, Iago talks up Cassio in a way, saying that it wasn’t all his fault and that Cassio is a good man. Othello knows that Iago is stretching the truth to help out Cassio’s case, “I know, Iago, Thy honesty and love doth mince this matter, Making it light to Cassio” (Shakespeare 2.3 262-264). Othello is not upset about Iago’s choice to defend Cassio, for he is only speaking his own opinion, and thinks that it is honorable that he is standing up for Cassio like that. Iago isn’t manipulative, but instead an honest man who only speaks his own opinion.

Rebuttal: At first glance, one might think that Iago is an honest and caring man that doesn’t use manipulation to get his way. This conclusion does seem compelling because one can see that Iago does truly care for Cassio and shows his loving emotions when he defends Cassio after the fight between Michael Cassio himself and Montano. This is a helpful interpretation, but it misses an imperative point. One might think that Iago is an honest, caring, and loving person, when the truth is, Iago is a manipulative man who uses his evil ways to get what he wants. One can see Iago’s dishonesty when he tricks Cassio into spending more time with Desdemona, eventually with Iago’s desire for Othello to hate Cassio. Love and lieutenancy, two of the possible motives for what Iago is attempting. On the outside, Iago might seem like a friendly, warm-hearted lad who is always willing to give a helping hand, but that is a completely wrong understanding of this cruel man. Iago is a boor, feeding on others feelings to get what he wants. Iago is the face of dishonesty, as William Shakespeare signifies throughout act 2.

Conclusion: In the end, act 2 of Othello by William Shakespeare, strongly demonstrates how Iago is a fraudulent man who uses his many masks to disguise his evil.

Othello Act 2 S/R Spencer Cobb/Collin Sailor

Othello Act 2 Summary/Response

Summary: William Shakespeare’s Othello, act 2, illustrates that Iago is a dishonest man and is very manipulative just to get what he wants. He uses Roderigo as a pawn, and wears many masks to disguise his true identity. When Iago defends Cassio and “befriends” him shortly after the fight between Montano and Cassio, Iago sets up his master plan to trick Othello. One can easily see that honesty is a big theme thus far, and obviously, Iago is not an honest man.

Response:

Claim 1: Othello act 2, by William Shakespeare, correctly portrays how Iago is a very manipulative, dishonest man. His acts are ignoble and shameful, but only the readers are able to see through the eyes of Iago. In scene 3 when Michael Cassio gets into the drunken fight with Montano, he is stripped of his lieutenancy. Cassio has a lot of regret about drinking, and says that the stupid wine spoiled his reputation. Iago seizes this opportunity to trick Cassio into spending a lot of time with Desdemona to build his reputation back up, but so that it looks like the two are in love. Iago is able to do this by putting on a mask and not really showing the real him,”When devils will the blackest sins put on, they do suggest at first with heavenly shows”(Shakespeare 2.3.371-372). He relates what he is doing to an act of the devil, thus showing how deceptive and dishonest he is.

Counterclaim 1: However, one can see how Iago is actually a loving, caring man, and is completely honest. After the dangerous fight between Montano and Michael Cassio, Iago defends Cassio and comforts him after losing his lieutenancy. When Othello asks who started the fight, Iago talks up Cassio in a way, saying that it wasn’t all his fault and that Cassio is a good man. Othello knows that Iago is stretching the truth to help out Cassio’s case, “I know, Iago, Thy honesty and love doth mince this matter, Making it light to Cassio” (Shakespeare 2.3 262-264). Othello is not upset about Iago’s choice to defend Cassio, for he is only speaking his own opinion, and thinks that it is honorable that he is standing up for Cassio like that. Iago isn’t manipulative, but instead an honest man who only speaks his own opinion.

Rebuttal: At first glance, one might think that Iago is an honest and caring man that doesn’t use manipulation to get his way. This conclusion does seem compelling because one can see that Iago does truly care for Cassio and shows his loving emotions when he defends Cassio after the fight between Michael Cassio himself and Montano. This is a helpful interpretation, but it misses a very important point. One might think that Iago is an honest, caring, and loving person, when the truth is, Iago is a manipulative man who uses his evil ways to get what he wants. One can see Iago’s dishonesty when he tricks Cassio into spending more time with Desdemona, eventually with Iago’s desire for Othello to hate Cassio. Love and lieutenancy, two of the possible motives for what Iago is attempting. On the outside, Iago might seem like a friendly, warm-hearted lad who is always willing to give a helping hand, but that is a completely wrong understanding of this cruel man. Iago is a boor, feeding on others feelings to get what he wants. Iago is the face of dishonesty, as William Shakespeare signifies throughout act 2.

Conclusion: In the end, act 2 of Othello by William Shakespeare, strongly demonstrates how Iago is a fraudulent man who uses his many masks to disguise his evil. Honesty, as well as dishonesty, is an essential theme in Othello throughout the whole second act, especially with the character of Iago.

Othello Act 1 S/R Redo Spencer Cobb/Collin Sailor

Othello Act 1 Summary/Response

Collin Sailor and Spencer Cobb

Summary: Shakespeare’s Othello, act 1, demonstrates that jealousy fuels anger which can lead to acts of revenge. Iago’s anger is easily seen through from the reader’s point of view, but not necessarily from the characters in the story. Iago is angered by Othello’s choice to choose Michael Cassio as Othello’s lieutenant, and he wants revenge on Othello. Iago’s anger and jealousy quickly sparks his desire for revenge on Othello. One can see throughout act 1 that these ideas supply the reader with the idea that jealousy does fuel anger and further actions.

Response:

Claim 1: Act 1 of Othello, by William Shakespeare, correctly portrays that jealousy does in fact fuel anger which can lead to acts of revenge because through Iago’s speech, one can see that his jealousy of Othello’s choice to pick Michael Cassio as his lieutenant makes him very angry, which is shown when Iago states, “‘I hate the Moor’”(Shakespeare 1.3.429). Othello has chosen Cassio INSTEAD of Iago, and Shakespeare shows that Iago is angered by Othello, and Iago’s jealousy and anger could be a cause for a future act of revenge. Iago has put on one of his many masks, causing Othello to still believe that him and Iago are friends. Iago could use this as a perfect opportunity to betray him when Othello least expects it.

Counterclaim 1: Although it may seem like Iago is starting to plot revenge on Othello because of his jealousy of Michael Cassio, one can see that he is just upset at the moment and will eventually get over it. Everyone has gone through a difficult situation where they don’t get what they wanted, and it is upsetting. Iago is in that situation and will eventually realise that it’s a silly thing to hold a grudge against Othello for this. It is shown through the text that Iago helps other people out with their problems, for example, when he talks Roderigo out of committing suicide, he shows him that there is much more to life and that it will get better, “If thou dost, I shall never love thee after. Why, thou silly gentleman!”(Shakespeare 1.3.348-349) All Iago needs is a good friend that will help him get through this like he has helped Roderigo. The first interpretation of Iago is wrong, and he is actually a caring, warm-hearted man who is helping his friends out.

Rebuttal: At first glance, one might think that anger of jealousy aren’t the whole reason for revenge, and that these two feelings are just temporary. This conclusion seems very compelling because one can see that anger and jealousy are just temporary, and that Iago’s many masks are covering his true emotions. This is a helpful interpretation, but it misses an important point. Jealousy and anger do in fact fuel the further acts of revenge. The beast within Iago is slowly being unleashed by his anger and jealousy for the acts that have occurred. Iago has been bottling it all up, and eventually, he’s going to burst. Ultimately, all throughout act 1, Iago perfectly portrays how jealousy fuels anger, which can lead acts of revenge through what he says in conversations either to himself or to others.

Conclusion: In the end, anger truly does fuel possible acts of revenge. Iago’s anger is building up inside of him, and he masks his anger with his many disguises. The beast within Iago seems to be banging on the door, wanting to escape and take over Iago’s actions. With Othello, Iago is a friendly man who wants to “help” Othello. With Roderigo, he pretends to like him and care for him, only to get Roderigo to hate Othello even more. Iago is a manipulative and angry person, and now one can only wait for what is to come from the beast that is Iago. Ultimately, one can see that Iago’s anger is fueling the possibility of revenge.

PLN 1 Redo Spencer Cobb/Collin Sailor

Spencer Cobb/Collin Sailor Bully Summary Response Redo

Summary

Lee Hirsch’s Bully illustrates the lives of young people throughout their intense journey of bullying. Self harm and even the tragic outcome of suicide can be the result of being picked on every day; whether it is on the bus, online, or in the classroom, it doesn’t matter. The constant torture of being abused both physically and mentally can sometimes be too much for someone to handle alone. Anyone who stands by and watches someone being attacked, either through fists or words, and doesn’t do anything about it is just as bad as the actual bullies.

Response

Claim 1: Bully, by Lee Hirsch correctly portrays how bystanders are just as bad as the bullies themselves because bystanders are just the crowd and encouragement for the bully. As Alex, a 13 year old victim, is constantly bullied and harassed everywhere, one can see that teachers don’t help, and other kids just watch or join in. He doesn’t tell his own parents, and is having a very tough time. Every time he gets back up, he is pushed down again and again, both physically and mentally. He is called names, beat up, even sat on. He is pushed to the point where he has gone through so much that his mother is scared that “‘He doesn’t feel anything anymore’”(Hirsch). This is not only caused by the unthinkable behavior of the bullies, but the absence of help as well. The actions of the bystanders are just supplying the ingredients to a crowd and a bullies encouragement, and ultimately pushing the bully to new heights.

Counterclaim 1: However, it is not the fault of the bystander that the kid, in this case Alex, is getting bullied. Lee Hirsch does show that the bystanders are not at fault at all because they just happen to be at the same place as them by coincidence. For example, in the lunchroom, when Alex gets his food taken and tray hit out of his hand, there are many people in the room, so by that logic that must mean everyone in the cafeteria is at fault. The only time they would be to blame is if they watch it happen consistently and still do nothing about it. Another reason that the bystanders should not be blamed is because if they try to stand up for the victim, they may get bullied for being the one trying to befriend the “nerd, fish face, weirdo”, or whatever one might call the victim. In the film, the vice principal talks to the bystanders and they don’t get punished for being in the same place at the wrong time, so there must be nothing wrong with bystanding.

Rebuttal: At first glance, bullying seems to be a problem between two people, the bully and the victim. This conclusion seems very compelling because throughout Bully, on many different occasions, the victim was being directly linked with the bullies. Alex, Kelby, Tyler and more were all talked about in relation to the bullies who harass them. This is a helpful interpretation, but it is missing a key point. The bullies themselves aren’t the ones causing all the damage, and they are not even causing half the damage. Bystanders are the ones who stand on the side, watching a terrible scene unfold right in front of their eyes. Bystanders are the ones that are silently encouraging the bully further, and are the reason some victims never receive help. If a bystander or two did the right thing and stood up for the victim, the bullying would stop there, and it wouldn’t be an ongoing thing. Instead of being unhelpful bystanders, they need to do the morally correct thing and stick up for the victim. Ultimately, Bully is a story that definitely depicts how bystanders are a huge problem in bullying.

Conclusion: In the end, Lee Hirsch’s Bully demonstrates how bystanders are just a big of problem as the bullies themselves. They need to stand up for the victim, because most of the time, one person can’t stand up against the bully. Not only does the victim have to defend himself against his/her oppressor, but the victim must also have the courage to do whatever they normally do, with the troubling fear that they will get bullied. Bystanders need to step up and defend the victims in order to stop this.

Collin Sailor/Spencer Cobb- Othello Act 1 Summary Response

Othello Act 1 Summary/Response

Collin Sailor and Spencer Cobb

Summary: Shakespeare’s Othello, act 1, demonstrates that jealousy fuels anger which can lead to acts of revenge. Iago’s anger is easily seen through from the reader’s point of view, but not necessarily from the characters in the story. Iago is angered by Othello’s choice to choose Michael Cassio as Othello’s lieutenant, and he wants revenge on Othello.These ideas easily supply the reader with the idea that jealousy does fuel anger and further actions.

Response:

Claim 1: Act 1 of Othello, by William Shakespeare, correctly portrays that jealousy does in fact fuel anger which can lead to acts of revenge because through Iago’s speech, one can see that his jealousy of Othello choosing Michael Cassio to be his lieutenant and not him makes him very angry, which is shown through this quote, “I hate the Moor”(Shakespeare 1.3.429) Shakespeare shows Iago’s anger for Othello, and Iago’s anger could be a cause for a future act. Othello still thinks that him and Iago are friends, so Iago could use that as a perfect opportunity to betray him when he least expects it.

Counterclaim 1: Although it may seem like Iago is starting to plot revenge on Othello because of his jealousy of Michael Cassio, one can see that he is just upset at the moment and will eventually get over it. Everyone has gone through a difficult situation where they don’t get what they wanted, and it is upsetting. Iago is in that situation and will eventually realise that it’s a silly thing to hold a grudge against Othello for this. It is shown through the text that Iago helps other people out with their problems, for example, when he talks Roderigo out of committing suicide, he shows him that there is much more to life and that it will get better, “If thou dost, I shall never love thee after. Why, thou silly gentleman!”(Shakespeare 1.3.348-349) All Iago needs is a good friend that will help him get through this like he has helped Roderigo.

Rebuttal: At first glance, one might think that anger of jealousy aren’t the whole reason for revenge, and that these two feelings are just temporary. This conclusion seems very compelling because one can see that anger and jealousy are just temporary, and that Iago’s many masks are covering his true emotions. This is a helpful interpretation, but it misses an important point. Jealousy and anger do in fact fuel the further acts of revenge. The beast within Iago is slowly being unleashed by his anger and jealousy for the acts that have occurred. Iago has been bottling it all up, and eventually, he’s going to burst. Ultimately, all throughout act 1, Iago perfectly portrays how jealousy fuels anger, which can lead acts of revenge through what he says in conversations either to himself or to others.

Conclusion: In the end, anger truly does fuel possible acts of revenge. Iago’s anger is building up inside of him, and he masks his anger with his many disguises. The beast within Iago seems to be banging on the door, wanting to escape and take over Iago. For now, Iago’s many masks have manipulated all of his “friends” to help him. With Othello, Iago is a friendly man who wants to “help” Othello. With Roderigo, he pretends to like him and care for him, only to get Roderigo to hate Othello even more. Iago is a manipulative and angry person, and now one can only wait for what is to come from the beast that is Iago. Ultimately, one can see that Iago’s anger is fueling the possibility of revenge.