Non-Fiction Reading Response

The Upfront Magazine article “To Kill or Not to Kill?” By Patricia Smith, is a thought-provoking article about the death penalty, and whether or not it should be continued in the United States. The author discusses many graphic botched executions, and includes that a punishment of death is irreversible- and in a world full of human error, there’s always the possibility of taking the life of an innocent person. The author of this article clearly has sided with those opposing the death penalty, and wants to teach readers that killing people, no matter what the circumstance, is always wrong.

One example of how the author conveys this message is by how the article discusses many botched executions (situations where the lethal injection didn’t work.) These circumstances are awful to read about, because they sound painful and unbearable, even for a capital criminal. The author put this evidence in specifically to horrify the reader with the truth of the death penalty. The text states, “Everyone watching the execution of Clayton Lockett last April knew instantly that something had gone terribly wrong. Lockett was strapped to a gurney in the death chamber of the Oklahoma State Penitentiary and had been given an injection when he started kicking, twitching, and then writhing and moaning in agony.” This text example helps to support the author’s point because it uses Clayton Lockett as an example of how the death penalty can go horribly wrong. The quote uses graphic language to disgust the reader. This is one example of why the author believes the death penalty should be abolished- it can have many dangerous and harmful effects.

Another example of how the author supports their thesis is with the example that death is simply too final in a world where mistakes can occur. The death penalty is irreversible, and you can never be 100% sure that a criminal committed a crime- there will always be a chance that they are innocent. The author includes specific data in order to prove their point- the article states, “In recent years, exonerations of death row inmates, based on DNA and other evidence, have led to charges that the death penalty is simply too irreversible a punishment. Since 1973, 144 death row inmates have been exonerated.” The author includes the statistic because they want to realized that 144 innocent people were dealt the ultimate punishment, and didn’t deserve it. There are absolutely more innocent people who have been put to death. The author proves this point by using statistics, because it is an understandable format for the reader- also, because the numbers are shocking and will definitely persuade the reader. This is another reason why the author is opposed to the death penalty- mistakes can happen, and death is completely irreversible.

The author of this article used persuasive tactics to prove the point that the death penalty is wrong. Before reading this article, I didn’t see anything wrong with the death penalty- everyone around me had been telling me that killing and committing other awful crimes is wrong- naturally, I thought that murderers and criminals deserved the ultimate punishment. But, after reading this article, my opinion has definitely changed. I realize that in a world full of human error, the “murderers” being executed may be innocent people being punished for someone else’s crime.  I have also learned that the death penalty can be dangerous and detrimental to health- the accounts the author included of botched executions sounded agonizingly painful. This article has taught me that maybe, the punishment doesn’t always fit the crime.

Trip Reflection

       On Friday, our class took a trip to The Museum of the City of New York. We visited an exhibit about activists in New York City and how they have made change in their communities, in our city, and in the world. We visited the museum to learn about social issues to support our unit on banned books, but I definitely walked away having learned something that I can apply outside of the classroom.

Overall, this was a really interesting trip that has made me rethink my role as a teenager in NYC.

       One thing that was really interesting to me about this exhibit was the hands on portion. When we looked at images of the women's suffrage posters, it was so cool to really experience the two sides of the argument. Seeing the primary sources made me quickly passionate about this issue, because the fact that someone would try to publicly deny someone human rights was appalling. It made me realize that women really had to take a stand in order to achieve their goals. This was probably my favorite part of the exhibit because it was the most interesting to me, and I feel like I learned the most from the hands on portion.

       Overall, I feel like this trip has really opened my eyes to the potential I have to make a change in the world. After seeing the difference that standing up for your cause can make, I have learned that if you want to see something change, you have to make it happen. From segregation, to gay rights, to even pedestrian and bicyclist rights, people became activists by speaking out for what they believed in. I know now, that anyone can positively influence the world. 

To Kill A Mockingbird Reading Response

Many people throughout history have been not accepting of people who are different. This issue is very strongly portrayed in the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Throughout the story, the reader can see the author clearly illustrating themes of racism, sexism, and judgement. This causes many issues and lots of tension in the Maycomb community- and, narrow minded thinking is one of the major factors that determines much of the book’s plot. In this book, the town of Maycomb is plagued by indignance and resentfulness.

One example of intolerance in Maycomb is how the community deals with Boo Radley. Not seen or heard from for several years, Boo Radley is a town legend. No one really knows who he is, or what he’s like. Rumor has it that Boo Radley stabbed his own father, and spent many years in the courthouse basement- making him seem like a vicious monster to everyone in Maycomb. Boo Radley is blamed for the death of crops, and for small crimes- just because the townspeople don’t know the truth about him. Throughout the story, Boo Radley rebels from the archetype of the monstrous recluse- he folded Jem’s pants, put a blanket over Scout’s shoulders, and even saved them from Bob Ewell. However, the townspeople are so judgemental that they won’t even give Boo Radley a chance when he so clearly deserves one. Page 9 of the text says: “Inside the house lives a malevolent phantom. People said he existed, but Jem and I had never seen him.” This quote demonstrates the amount of fear surrounding Boo Radley- even young children are being taught that he is a ‘malevolent phantom’. This proves that the people of Maycomb are unfairly judgemental, because they assume the worst of someone who deserves a lot of respect- only because he is different from them.

Another example of intolerance in Maycomb is the racism that runs deep throughout the town’s roots. The story is set in the early 1900’s, where racism was still a prominent issue in our country. This is very clear in the book. The word “nigger” is tossed around like common speak- Scout regularly heard it being used at school. Also, the government was extremely unfair towards negroes; often, they were punished for crimes they did not commit. Racism was also occurring in more discreet ways; for example, black people would cross the road when they passed the Radley house. Black people were inferior to whites in society, because they often worked as farm hands or housemaids in white households. Even Atticus, who is portrayed as extremely fair and liberal, had a black woman working in his household; it was simply the culture of Maycomb. Page 13 from the book says: “‘There goes the meanest man God ever blew breath into,’ murmured Calpurnia, and she spat meditatively into the yard. We looked at her in surprise, for Calpurnia rarely commented on the ways of white people.” This quote shows that black people were not expected to have opinions on the lives of whites, because black people were automatically seen as inferior- even to children. This proves that prejudice was extremely prominent in Maycomb.

One final example of how Maycomb is extremely narrow minded is the issue of sexism. Scout, the narrator, is faced with this issue many times throughout the book. Scout is a tomboy; she has lived her entire life with only her brother and their close friend, Dill, to hang out with. However, as Scout grows up, she begins to see people who disagree with her boyish ways. Scout is being told that she has to learn to act like a “lady”- even when this isn’t what she wants. The people of Maycomb have very rigid standards for how a girl is supposed to act. Scout is different from other girls, because she doesn’t immediately conform to the expectations that everyone has for her. Page 90 says: “‘Scout, you’ll get in trouble if you go around saying things like that. You want to grow up to be a lady, don’t you?’ I said not particularly. ‘Of course you do. Now let’s go to the tree.’” This quote shows how Scout didn’t want to be like everyone else- and that others were unable to accept the fact that she was different. This proves the intolerance that occurred in Maycomb, because girls were expected to act a certain way- and then, they were frowned upon for wanting to be different.

As these examples have proven, Maycomb is a very narrow minded, intolerant place. People are ignored, talked about, or treated as though they weren’t as good as others- just because they were different. As a result of this, many things that occurred in the story felt unjust, or wrong to me, because I am priveleged enough to live in a time period, and a community where everybody’s uniqueness is celebrated. Unfortunately, I know, it is not like that everywhere. This book has made me realize how lucky I am to be loved and accepted- but also, it has taught me to embrace my differences and stand up for what I believe in- even when others may disagree.