Eric Hayes
January 25, 2009
AP English III
Narrative
Topic #3
“I’m aint trying to go to freaking Orlando, I just want to stay at home and chill!” This is what I told my mother back in May of 2007, when she informed the family that she had planned a week and a half trip to Orlando, FL for the family. When my mother uses the words trip and family in the same sentence it means two things; one, everyone but my father would attend, meaning my mommy would have to tend to my sisters Kc and Kelsey, the one year old Twins, Eva and Evan, and me. And two, there would be a lot of screaming and yelling and I knew I wouldn’t enjoy any minute of this family vacation. This trip was supposedly planned for my sister as a graduation trip; it later turned into a conjoined graduation trip with one of my mother friends, who child was also graduating from the 8th grade with my sister Kc. I didn’t want to go but as soon as I found out that we were leaving the day before football camp started, I really didn’t want go. When I told my mother all I wanted to do was chill at home for the summer, I really meant it. Most people like to travel and do real fun, exciting things for summer, don’t get me wrong I enjoy doing stuff like that too, I just don’t like doing it a lot or when it interferes with something feel is more important. This trip and I were not going to get along, it was going to cause me to miss out on making money and playing football, the two most precious things to me, sports and cash money.
I tried everything to get out of this trip, I started cutting up at school, staying out late doing stupid stuff, I wanted to get in trouble so I didn’t have to go. Three days before we were supposed to leave I sat down with my parents and tried to convince them to let me stay home, but my mother came right out the blocks with a “No, you’re going.” That’s when she thought she could change my mind with a surprise trip to Disney World. Did she think I was 5 or something? I asked her did she really think Disney world was going to change my mind, of all things it only made me think of how agonizing this trip was going to be. I seemed there was no way I was going to get out of this gay trip, shoot I even spoiled the Disney world surprise but it was no use acting crazy anymore because on June 7, 2007 I would be on a 8:45 am trip to Orlando, Fl.
As my father drove us to Midway I fell asleep, and as I rested I dreamt of myself working at the golf course that morning making $200 off caddying just one round, then I imagined myself going to the first day of summer camp, with everyone applauding the arrival of Eric Hayes, then coach screamed, “Hooray Eric is Here, Thunderbirds Draw Near, As Our Opponents Quiver With Fear”. My marvelous dream quickly ended with, “Wake up son it’s time to go and get on your flight, come on get up!” a violent shake to wake me up accompanied the voice of my father. Hugs and “I love you”s were exchanged as we exited the car, luggage in hand and entered the airport at 6:20 am. The pilgrimage to gate B16 was dreadful as I had to go through the metal detectors about 6 times and was on the verge of being strip searched for narcotics because the dog seemed to act funny when I walked passed. Little did I know things were only going to get worse in the Air?
I recommend that no one but bums ever fly Air Tran Airways, the prices are cheap for a reason. I knew the airline was crap when I saw the flight attendants. I’m not saying that they were ugly or anything because they weren’t, it’s just that their posture and extremely fake smiles basically said, “Oh my god I hate this, I hate this, I freaking hate this, wish I would have applied for Southwest.” Then the look she made when she saw me holding my twin baby brother and sister yelled, “Coons with children, oh my god I don’t know if I can do this today, I hope I don’t have to serve them.” This same chick had the nerve to run up to me smiling and say with her Southern accent, “Well it’s just lovely to see a young male with two darlin’ little babies.” When I told her they were my siblings and my mom and sisters were coming behind me she looked as though she had just smelt the fart of a lactose intolerant person who just ate ice cream with a glass of milk on the side. This was the crappiest airplane I’ve ever flown on. The floor wasn’t vacuumed, the seats felt like they were made from cardboard and stuffed with toilet tissue, and to make matters worse they had no peanuts. The whole flight I held babies while everyone got to fall asleep, so when we got off the plane I couldn’t feel my arms. I was ready to go home, bump Disney World.
I was looking forward to lying down in bed but this would also be delayed. Instead of staying at a hotel my mother booked a town home so that we feel nice and comfortable in Orlando. My mother kept saying that the place was close but some stuff happened and my hope of lying down in a bed would be delayed for 3 hours. After we got the rental car and began driving to our temporary home, my mother turned on her phone and she saw that she had a new voicemail. The message was from my mother’s friend, Mrs. Allen. Now my mother had been trying to call Mrs. Allen from my sisters phone to see if she, her daughter, and two grand children, had made it safely, but it turned out that Mrs. Allen and crew had missed their flight. So we had to drive around for forty minutes to wait for Mrs. Allen to land and I had to go back in the airport and retrieve them. We wasted another 2 hours driving to get the key to the houses, Mrs. Allen had also rented a home in the same area we had, and getting lost. By the time we got to the houses everyone was crying for food, I still wanted to sleep so I stayed behind and rested. About 6 hours had passed before I saw anyone else again. I woke up around 5 pm and was starving. I thought my mother came back and left me some food but I was wrong, they hadn’t returned yet. I eventually got up and walked this foreign land to find the nearest restaurant or store so I could feast. This walk would last me a hour and a half and by the time I returned to the house they still weren’t back yet, so I chilled. They returned around 11:30 pm with store bags in hand. They didn’t get me anything, I was devastated.
The next two days consisted of me doing absolutely nothing but babysitting, sleeping, and swimming at a local pool. I was sick of Orlando; it was hot, sticky, funky, and the people there have staring problems. Everyone was enjoying themselves but me, and then my mother brought up Disney world again. The agonizing pain I felt in my head when DW was brought up. My mom had a friend who worked there so she got free tickets when she needed some, so she and Mrs. Allen planned on going the next day. I decided to go to Disney World just to see some new scenery. The next day was my first time ever going to Disney World; I didn’t really want to be there because I felt I was too old and mature for such a child like places. Once we arrived I noticed that there seemed to be thousands of people there, and these where all kinds of people not just families with their children. Once we were inside the park we greeted by Goofy. It was strange because I felt a little excited to see him and take photos. I began to ease up a bit but I still felt that DW was gay. Technically it was gay, because when I saw Chip n Dale, my inner child jumped for joy. I loved watching the Rescue Rangers, so I whisper to my mother if we could go in that direction. She knew why I wanted to go in that direction so she laughed and said sure. Photos were taken and I was feeling kind of excited to be here but I didn’t want anyone to know that so I put on a front and kept acting grumpy. Then Cinderella asked all of us to take a group photo at the photo shop. I was in awe, I knew that this really wasn’t Cinderella but deep down I wanted to believe. The magic of Disney World was creeping up behind me.
Originally we walked the park in one large group viewing all the activities going on all around us. At one point I had to go to the bathroom, and I went, but on my way out I saw a Mr. Donald Duck walking somewhere, I had this itch to follow him and venture out on my own. I scratched this itched and began to room the vast land know as Magic Kingdom on my own. About 30 seconds later my mother called me on my cell phone asking where was I, I told her I was gone and she and everyone else could continue without me. At every attraction I stopped and got in line, I eventually cut lines pretending that my family was up ahead and I just went to the bathroom, no one questioned me. I took pictures of everything and with every Disney character I every loved, even some I didn’t love. Magic Kingdom was my kingdom, and I came out to play. With everyone else gone I had complete freedom, but limited funds. In my first day at Disney World I got on just about everything at Magic Kingdom. When I met with the group back at the front gate, ran to them with a smile that stretched from ear to ear. Disney World was the best thing I had ever experienced. Over the next 3 days I went to Disney World, two of those days I had my mother and Mrs. Allen drop me off by myself and I spent the whole day there. I went to every attraction at MGM Studios and Magic Kingdom, but only some of the stuff at Epcot. I did other stuff while in Orlando, like attend Universal Studios and stuff, but nothing could touch Disney World. When I was there I felt the magic transform me into a little kid again. Disney World was the best place in America at least on the East Coast.
The family vacation changed my life, Disney World changed my life. I felt pretty stupid because I acted so crazy to try and get out of the trip, but in the end I think I enjoyed it the most. My sister and her friend were happy to graduate but they didn’t seem to enjoy Florida like I did, and my mom and Mrs. Allen had to spend money and watch people so I don’t suspect they really had any time to enjoy everything. I felt kind of sad my dad didn’t come, but I quickly forgot about that as I put on my Mickey Mouse ears as we walked in the airport to fly back on that crappy plane to go back to home sweet home. I hope I can take another trip like that.
About Me
Monday, January 26, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
i had a gay time reading Bernice Bobs Her Hair
What was going on in America during the 1920’s? First off, World War I had just ended prior to the beginning of the 1920s, and usually war brought a change to society. The Jazz Age describes the period from 1918-1929; the years after the end of World War I, continuing through the Roaring Twenties and ending with the rise of the Great Depression. Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald’s short story, Bernice Bobs Her Hair, showed how he depicted society during this period. Two literary devices that can be determined from the story are Irony and Symbolism. Both are key in showing how women and social trends have changed and how moral values are becoming lost.
Irony is clearly present in this story. It is most evident when the characters seem to swap their behavior. One minute Bernice is dull and everyone dislikes her, then all of a sudden she becomes the center of attention and all the guys want to see what she’s all about. The same thing somewhat occurs with Marjorie; first she was having a good time and enjoying the high life, then she’s concocting harsh and evil schemes to destroy her cousin. These role reversals also occur with some of the young stags in the story. The fact that all of this change in the social pyramid was unexpected and that’s what makes it irony. Another source of irony is the fact that this is the summertime and everyone is supposed to be enjoying themselves and happily dating and partying, but this is not the case. Drama puts a wrinkle in the fun and this was unexpected. The ending of this story is also ironic, many not have expected the sweet and pleasant Bernice to commit an act of revenge such as she did, but then again maybe it was considering Marjorie’s cut throat actions. Fitzgerald use of irony is makes this story quite funny and entertaining, but he relates it to the current times by his use of symbolism.
Bernice Bobs Her Hair contains much symbolism. Fitzgerald uses this story to create an image of the women in the 1920s. Bernice represents an older, classier group of women, while Marjorie represents the modern women of the 1920s. Fitzgerald feels that it is a difficult transition for the Bernices of America to become the Marjories of the modern era. The hair is also very symbolic. The hair represents the differences between the old and new societies; between the rigid social rules of the older generation, and the desire to make their own decisions from the younger one. Bernice and Marjorie are like to rams clashing, this is Fitzgerald’s view of women and society during the Jazz Age.
B.B.H. gives people a view on how times were changing during that time period. Fitzgerald wrote about how he felt towards the way society was interacting. Women are his main focus and they seem to be going through a rough time during the 1920s.
Irony is clearly present in this story. It is most evident when the characters seem to swap their behavior. One minute Bernice is dull and everyone dislikes her, then all of a sudden she becomes the center of attention and all the guys want to see what she’s all about. The same thing somewhat occurs with Marjorie; first she was having a good time and enjoying the high life, then she’s concocting harsh and evil schemes to destroy her cousin. These role reversals also occur with some of the young stags in the story. The fact that all of this change in the social pyramid was unexpected and that’s what makes it irony. Another source of irony is the fact that this is the summertime and everyone is supposed to be enjoying themselves and happily dating and partying, but this is not the case. Drama puts a wrinkle in the fun and this was unexpected. The ending of this story is also ironic, many not have expected the sweet and pleasant Bernice to commit an act of revenge such as she did, but then again maybe it was considering Marjorie’s cut throat actions. Fitzgerald use of irony is makes this story quite funny and entertaining, but he relates it to the current times by his use of symbolism.
Bernice Bobs Her Hair contains much symbolism. Fitzgerald uses this story to create an image of the women in the 1920s. Bernice represents an older, classier group of women, while Marjorie represents the modern women of the 1920s. Fitzgerald feels that it is a difficult transition for the Bernices of America to become the Marjories of the modern era. The hair is also very symbolic. The hair represents the differences between the old and new societies; between the rigid social rules of the older generation, and the desire to make their own decisions from the younger one. Bernice and Marjorie are like to rams clashing, this is Fitzgerald’s view of women and society during the Jazz Age.
B.B.H. gives people a view on how times were changing during that time period. Fitzgerald wrote about how he felt towards the way society was interacting. Women are his main focus and they seem to be going through a rough time during the 1920s.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Booker T Washington Lit Response " i didnt do it right :^[ "
Booker T. Washington did a very good job in representing free blacks in the United States after the Civil War. Washington’s ability to give great speeches and write excellent articles and narratives were what made him such a great man. It can be determined that there were hints of rhetoric in his papers. Upon reading “The Awakening of the Negro” one could see the hints of rhetoric. If one read “The Awakening of the Negro”, they would be able to establish Washington’s use of logos, and one would also be able to identify the audience Washington was trying to appeal to.
In “The Awakening of the Negro”, Washington talks about how educated Blacks, return to the Black Belt of the South and help out the areas that are in need of assistance. Washington explains how these leaders, or educated Blacks are trained at various Universities. Washington’s logos, logic , or sense of reasoning, help him realize that by training these young, black, students correctly, they can uplift the Blacks in the South, therefore causing the south to prosper from this sudden change from the Blacks of the South. Washington gives examples of how Blacks have traveled where the need is great and change things around. He even talks about his own personal experiences involving a change in the Negro. In describing his own experiences, he talks about two Black schools, Tuskegee and Hampton University. Once the reader establishes Washington’s logos, they can understand who this article was aimed to appeal to.
Washington’s tries to appeal to young, Southern, Blacks who are eager to learn and want to help or uplift the struggling black communities in the South. Washington starts the article off by giving examples of how blacks were being educated when Washington was a mere boy. He then tells the story of how his eagerness to learn and work lead him to Hampton. This may have been an attempt to promote or advertise Hampton University, and if this was the case, it would support the claim that this article was intended for young, southern, blacks who were interested in education and change. Later on in the article, Washington states how Tuskegee, helps students. He points out that the school teaches students and prepares them for the world of work by giving them hands-on experience in about 25 industries. This would appeal to, young, southern, blacks who were interested in education, work, and a change for southern blacks. It is clear that Washington’s article is aimed for southern blacks, but some may question whether it is aimed for young blacks interested in education, work, or change. Well in the article Washington talks a lot about guiding, or training and about how years or time must pass in order to see a dramatic change in the South. He even gives examples of how change occurred in just couple of months. Most of the changes occurred when schools were built, but it wasn’t a sudden change. Months had to pass in order for people to see how things had changed for blacks in school. One last and most obvious thing that helped establish who the audience was, was Washington’s constant praise of Southern Blacks who wanted education, work and change.
Rhetoric is evident in all types of literature. A great man like Booker T. Washington, couldn’t hide from rhetoric. His article, “The Awakening of the Negro” contained rhetoric, and Logos and his Audience were discussed in this Lit response.
In “The Awakening of the Negro”, Washington talks about how educated Blacks, return to the Black Belt of the South and help out the areas that are in need of assistance. Washington explains how these leaders, or educated Blacks are trained at various Universities. Washington’s logos, logic , or sense of reasoning, help him realize that by training these young, black, students correctly, they can uplift the Blacks in the South, therefore causing the south to prosper from this sudden change from the Blacks of the South. Washington gives examples of how Blacks have traveled where the need is great and change things around. He even talks about his own personal experiences involving a change in the Negro. In describing his own experiences, he talks about two Black schools, Tuskegee and Hampton University. Once the reader establishes Washington’s logos, they can understand who this article was aimed to appeal to.
Washington’s tries to appeal to young, Southern, Blacks who are eager to learn and want to help or uplift the struggling black communities in the South. Washington starts the article off by giving examples of how blacks were being educated when Washington was a mere boy. He then tells the story of how his eagerness to learn and work lead him to Hampton. This may have been an attempt to promote or advertise Hampton University, and if this was the case, it would support the claim that this article was intended for young, southern, blacks who were interested in education and change. Later on in the article, Washington states how Tuskegee, helps students. He points out that the school teaches students and prepares them for the world of work by giving them hands-on experience in about 25 industries. This would appeal to, young, southern, blacks who were interested in education, work, and a change for southern blacks. It is clear that Washington’s article is aimed for southern blacks, but some may question whether it is aimed for young blacks interested in education, work, or change. Well in the article Washington talks a lot about guiding, or training and about how years or time must pass in order to see a dramatic change in the South. He even gives examples of how change occurred in just couple of months. Most of the changes occurred when schools were built, but it wasn’t a sudden change. Months had to pass in order for people to see how things had changed for blacks in school. One last and most obvious thing that helped establish who the audience was, was Washington’s constant praise of Southern Blacks who wanted education, work and change.
Rhetoric is evident in all types of literature. A great man like Booker T. Washington, couldn’t hide from rhetoric. His article, “The Awakening of the Negro” contained rhetoric, and Logos and his Audience were discussed in this Lit response.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Mello Yello Wallpapa
Realism is a style in literature that attempts to show the world as it really is. Charlotte Perkins Gilman tries to create a sense of realism in her story called, The Yellow Wall Paper. This story deals with the narrator and her husband, John, who rent a mansion so that the narrator can recuperate from her sickness or depression. The takes place after the civil war, in late 1800s. Gilman uses realism to show how women are still being held back and how they still do not have full equality.
Gilman appeals to female reader because her story, for one involves, a woman, and two, women at this time have been suffering from an illness similar to the one that the narrator suffered from in the story. This story does seem like a real story. It is written like a journal or diary, in which the narrator expresses her feelings and gives vivid details of her surroundings. Because this story seems real, it is determined that the author uses realism as the writing style for her story.
Now the question is, how Gilman uses realism to show how women are still being held back and how they still do not have full equality. Well for starters the fact that the narrator isn’t able to leave the room wit out her husband shows that she is basically being imprisoned. She cannot do anything without the consent of her husband. It seems as though everything in society has changed except the rights of women. John doesn’t even listen to his wife. Sometimes it seems as though he doesn’t even care. In the story the narrator says, “John is away all day, and even some nights when his cases are serious. I’m glad my case is not serious.” How is her case not serious? That’s his wife. The narrator even says, “John does not know how much I really suffer.” This is sad but it just shows how women were treated like crap. Writing is the only way a woman can fully express herself. This is the case for the narrator, she must write in secret, not letting anyone see it. This show how a woman’s voice is not equal to a man’s, a woman must write in secret and contain her true feeling on a “dead piece of paper”, while a man is able to speak freely.
Gilman uses realism to point the unjust treatment of women, and how they are imprisoned. Towards the end of the story the Narrator rips up the yellow wall paper which has stimulated her mind for past 3 months. By the narrator ripping up the horrid yellow wallpaper and escaping from prison which John has imprisoned her, Gilman symbolizes how woman must break free from the barriers that hold woman back, and fight for their rights.
Gilman appeals to female reader because her story, for one involves, a woman, and two, women at this time have been suffering from an illness similar to the one that the narrator suffered from in the story. This story does seem like a real story. It is written like a journal or diary, in which the narrator expresses her feelings and gives vivid details of her surroundings. Because this story seems real, it is determined that the author uses realism as the writing style for her story.
Now the question is, how Gilman uses realism to show how women are still being held back and how they still do not have full equality. Well for starters the fact that the narrator isn’t able to leave the room wit out her husband shows that she is basically being imprisoned. She cannot do anything without the consent of her husband. It seems as though everything in society has changed except the rights of women. John doesn’t even listen to his wife. Sometimes it seems as though he doesn’t even care. In the story the narrator says, “John is away all day, and even some nights when his cases are serious. I’m glad my case is not serious.” How is her case not serious? That’s his wife. The narrator even says, “John does not know how much I really suffer.” This is sad but it just shows how women were treated like crap. Writing is the only way a woman can fully express herself. This is the case for the narrator, she must write in secret, not letting anyone see it. This show how a woman’s voice is not equal to a man’s, a woman must write in secret and contain her true feeling on a “dead piece of paper”, while a man is able to speak freely.
Gilman uses realism to point the unjust treatment of women, and how they are imprisoned. Towards the end of the story the Narrator rips up the yellow wall paper which has stimulated her mind for past 3 months. By the narrator ripping up the horrid yellow wallpaper and escaping from prison which John has imprisoned her, Gilman symbolizes how woman must break free from the barriers that hold woman back, and fight for their rights.
Monday, November 17, 2008
BIBLIOGRAPHY ANNOTATIONS (lawyer)
LAW ANNOTATIONS
"Unbundled" Approach Would Help Poor. (2003, December). USA Today , pp. 17-17.
This article says that the legal profession should change the way it handles personal civil legal counsel to potential clients by broadening the type s of services available, particularly for low, or poor, to moderate income people. This was suggested during a 2003 report by the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Delivery of Legal Services in Chicago Ill. In the report it stresses the importance of recingizing a continum of legal needs. The article also brings out that technology such as the internet, could help potiential clients get access to attorneys and justice. It is stated in the article that the “Report on the Public Hearing On Access To Justice” cites “unbundled” legal services as a n inportant tool in matching people of moderate means with the legal assistance they require. Unbuddling is when attorneys provide some of their services for a case. The article doesn’t really talk about what resorces are currently available to potential clients. This article is important to me because I would like to be laywer who helps out clients who may not have enough money to afford a big time lawyer from a law firm.
Appin, R. (1997, March 08). DNA--One Weapon Against Frameup or Mistaken Identity. New York New Amsterdam News , pp. 18-18.
DNA is mostly used in medicine and science. Now DNA technology is being used in crimainal investigations. DNA was key in the O.J. Simpson trial. Two of O.J.’s former defense attorneys, Barry Scheck and Peter Nuefield, were two well known DNA experts in the legal community. This article discusses how DNA is changing many past and present outcomes of criminal trials. Scheck and Neufield had to fight long andlong and hard to get DNA technology accepted in criminal cases. It is stated that African American males were the main recipients of the DNA project. Some feel that DNA testing should be made a standard practice in criminal cases. DNA is much more credible than an eye witness. There have been many examples of how DNA confirmed a convited felon’s innocence. This project has changed the lives of many people. The article didn’t mention any other people who tried to fight for DNA testing in criminal cases. As a lawyer I would want to have the technology and resources to prove someone innocent or guilty and DNA evidence is is that piece of evidence I would be most reliable thing to use.
Hewit, B., Arias, R., Clark, C., Benet, L., Dodd, J., Harrington, M., et al. (2005, March 21). The Gloves Come Off. People , pp. 91-95.
The article reports on the trial of pop king Michael Jackson. The trial has only been going on two weeks and its getting to the heart of the case against 46 year old Michael Jackson. At this point in the trial, the court has heard from the sister, and the brother of the accuser. Prosecutor Thomas Sneddon, who led a failed investigation in1993 against Jackson, along with the children who testified, painted an image of Jackson as a freaky man; a man who gave the children wine, which he called “Jesus Juice”, surfed porno sites with them and molested the accuser, who was recovering from many types of cancers. The article also brings out how Jay Leno is somehow involved with the case. Leno is supposed to testify because in 2000, the accuser called Leno, but Leno hung up, suspecting that the mother was using the boy to get money to cover medical expenses. The defense is even considering letting Michael Jackson testify. The article states that if Michael Jackson were to take the stand, it would make the courtroom an even more bizarre theater. The accuser’s mother, who is portrayed as a greedy manipulator by the defense, is a key person in the Michael Jackson case. The article notes who the most important people are in the case and asks who the real victim and victimizer are. This article was good but it would have been better if it would have gave more background information on the accuser’s mother and gave some info on some of the other scams she may have tried to pull. Reading about an actual trial is good for me because it gives me the heads up on how things go in a trial. The fact that is a bizarre trial is even better because I may have to defend or prosecute a person who is considered odd.
Holmes, T. E., & Richardson, N. M. (2005, August). Blacks Underrepresented in Legal. Black Enterprise , pp. 38-38.
This article deals with facts and figures. It reports and sums up the results of the report “ Miles to Go: Progress of Minorities in the Legal Profession”, which was created in 2005 by the American Bar Association. The article pionts out that Blacks remain largely underrepresented in high paying jobs, and that the number of African American students enrolled in law school has fallen to a 12 year low.The report looks at the most recent data available from academic, governtment and professional sources and looks at the careers of lawyers from different racial and ethnic groups. Even though blacks make up 3.9 percent of all lawyers, the percentage of blacks entering the legal profession is lower than Hispanics and Asian americans. The percentage of law school students enrolling in law school has dropped from 7.4 percent to 6.6 percent. The article also brings out how there is a low percentage of African Americans that are partners in a private practice and that only 9.1 percent of general counsel are minorities. It is noted that blacks have better in securingpartnerships than other minorities. Blacks are more likely to be employed by the federal government than other minorities. The article even list some of the reasons for blacks failure to advance to the highest levels of law practices. This article failed to list the names of the sources from which the data and staticts were collected. As an african American male it hurts me to see these numbers that prove that the balck man is not represented in the Legal system. This article inspires me to change things by becoming a successful black lawyer, who works for a powerful law firm or has his own pratice.
Ladinsky, J. (1963, February). Careers of Lawyers, Law Practice, and Legal Institutions. American Sociological Review , pp. 47-54.
This paper talked brought together data on early socialization surroundings of lawyers and the social agencies through which they move in life with speculations about how these social contexts effect the legal system. The article is an analysis of processes and effects of self-selection and recruitment in the allocation of the lawyer labor supply. The article begins by defining solo and firm lawyers. After Ladinsky defines the lawyers, he then describes how they are different and alike in some ways. As stated before an analysis was taken for this article. This analysis was based on a sample of 207 Detroit area Lawyers, 100 solos and 107 firm lawyers. Ladinsky gave detailed info on the actual group that was analyzed and how they were analyzed. Ladinsky sums up his analysis in 3 data tables titled: 1. Social origins, 2. Education, and 3. Work History. It is stated in the article that the first table, Social origins, supported “the conclusion that solo lawyers are “minority lawyers”- they come more often than firm lawyers from working-class and entrepreneurial families of minority religion and ethnic status. The second table, Education, showed that firm lawyers have received a much better education than solo lawyers. The third and final table, Work history, showed that solo lawyers have more work experience than firm lawyers, and they are more likely to have experienced marginal law work, upward, mobility, and somewhat disorderly work histories. The author of the article later talks about how the interpretation of the date was done and some of the major forces that were involved. The two major forces that operate in the social allocation process are: personal self-selection and organizational recruitment. Ladinsky gives a brief definition of the two and explains their role in the interpretation of the data. This article shows how social backgrounds have a lot to do with the careers of lawyers and legal institutions. The only flaw in this article was that it went over and talked about some things that seemed irrelevant to the main point. The analysis of the data helped me predict what type of lawyer I may become in the future.
Maddox Jr., A. H. (2007, December 13). Quid pro quo and the Jena 6. New York New Amsterdam News , pp. 12-13.
This Article presents the author’s comments on issues concerning a law suit involving the Jena 6, which implied a group of some black teenagers that beat school student Justin Barker. The Author argues about the absence of legal representation during the practice of law among the African American community. The author expresses his feelings in a very detailed manner. His tone seems to imply that he is somewhat angry with many legal officials and so-called supporters of the students involved with the Jena 6 case. And by supporters I mean Civil rights leader. The Author regrets over the failure of the appeals court to present sufficient evidence to sustain the charges against Mychal Bell, a student who was involved in the Jena 6 case. Maddox mentions some other factors in this case that give off the sense that there has been some foul play in Jena, Louisiana. The author makes a strong statement in saying that Jena, Louisiana is back to its Jim Crow ways. He points out that the Civil Rights Leaders have taken the wrong action in fighting for justice for the students involved with Jena 6. Maddox feels that the Civil Rights Leader have taken unnecessary actions in this case, and that their motives for coming to Jena, LA may not have been so righteous and just as many people think. Many of the people who fought for Mychal Bell have sold him out. Maddox points out the ugliness of the Jena 6 case, from whites and blacks. He feels that blacks have become political pawns and economic squatters, and that we, as blacks, have no economic relationship with the land and no political relationship with the government. The only thing that is wrong in this article is that most of what is said by Maddox hasn’t been proven in the article. This article helped me realize that corruption and racism really do still exist in the Legal System. This does not scare it just lets me know that I will have a major challenge to overcome when I pursue my career in law.
Maddox Jr., A. H. (2008, June 26). White Prosecuters Destroying Black Life. New York
New Amsterdam News , pp. 12-40.
The author reflects on the uncertainty of the life of African Americans in the United States. The author comments on how African Americans are being treated by white Americans in term of legal prosecutions. Everyone is presumed to know the law. There are many people especially African American who don’t fully know the law. This article gives a very fine example of how blacks do not fully know the law. Maddox states that Race plays a significant role in prosecutions. The author added that enslaved African Americans had no access to the code provision entitled “An Act to Encourage the Baptizing of Negro, Indian, and Mulatto Slaves,” which is only intended for the protection of white men from paternity lawsuits. The author feels that black parents have duties, but no rights, and that a black child is prison bait. He talks about how white prosecutors are lying and waiting for the Black parent who believes,”if you spare the rod, you will spoil the child.” Maddox continues to talk about how blacks are not treated equal to whites in the legal system. Maddox does not include more than one example to support his claims about the treatment of blacks. Racism is clearly evident in the Legal system but if I pursue a career in law I cannot let it affect me, I have to fight for my rights and dreams.
Murr, A., & Riccitello, R. (2004, June 14). A Question of Timing. Newsweek , pp. 8-8.
The Article focuses on the California murder trial of Scott Peterson, the man who killed his pregnant wife, Laci. The articles talks about how this Case deals with a lot of forensic evidence. It also talks about how the defense says that Scott had nothing to do with the murders because hopefully autopsy reports will show the age of Conner at the time of Laci’s disappearance will prove that the baby was born after she disappeared. The Article gives detailed information on how the victims were killed and what happened to the victims while they were in the ocean. This article isn’t very long and it doesn’t contain a whole lot of other legal information. This article shows how Forensics is becoming a contributor in solving crimes like this.
Shover, N. (1973, Decemer). The Civil Justice Process as Societal Reactions. Social Forces , pp. 253-258.
In this article the author suggests that the societal reactions perspective, originally developed in studies of deviant social behavior and the reactions to such behavior is admirably suited to this requirement. Shover clarifies the close fit between the focal concerns of the perspective and empirical problems in legal society. He argues for the applicability of the societal-reactions approach to deviance to an analysis of the civil justice process. He talks a lot about the study of deviant behavior and social processes. Maddox examines 3 different levels of interactional process at which its consequences may be examined: collective rulemaking, intrapersonal relations, and organizational processing. About midway in the article Shover defines and explains the Civil Justice Process, collective rulemaking, intrapersonal relations and the organizational processing. Shover feels that a worthy goal for those who are doing research in the sociology of law is the generation of proportions and theories of the most general sort of possible at any given time. He believes that the use of the social-reactions approach may be especially fruitful in the moving toward this goal. There seem to be a lot of references for this article and most of the information stated in the article seems to be the statements of other people, not Shover. This article is related to criminal law, a field of law that I am interested in going in.
Wood, A. L. (1956, July). Informal Relations in the Practice of Criminal Law. The American Journal of Socialogy , pp. 48-55.
This article focuses on the informal relations in the practice of criminal law. It starts off with a brief description of the frame of reference of Informal relations in the practice of criminal law, and the definition of formal and informal structure of a group. Wood also describes informal patterns and gives a definition of a criminal lawyer. The author writes about how both criminal and civil lawyers partake in community and political activities. It is learned that although both criminal and civil lawyers partake in a wide range of community and political organizations, there are characteristic differences between them. Many criminal lawyers partake in political activities while civil lawyers usually are involved with community activities. Wood moves on to discuss lawyers’ relations with government officials. In the practice of criminal law, lawyers have an extraordinary dependence on government agencies. In civil law the lawyers do not depend on government agencies. It turns out that relationships between attorneys and government officials is beneficial for both parties. Lawyers have friendly relationships with the police, district attorney, and other government officials. Wood lets the reader know that not all criminal lawyers are involved with government officials, but most are. The author describes the systems of informal relations. In some cities criminal lawyers do not build relationships with government officials instead there are cliques of lawyers and the political machine. Lawyers form cliques with other members of the bar. Cliques aren’t very big the usually consist of 1-3 members. Cliques are beneficial to a lawyers practice. Cliques are essential for lawyers, especially solos. The maximum development of an informal system of relationships occurs in an area controlled by a political machine. Political machines are helpful for criminal lawyers. The author then talks about the institutional strains and informal relations. Wood says that the three situations of strain resulting in informal evasions of the formal system are the starting of a practice and the obtaining clients, the adversary system of justice, and the rendering of service. Wood goes into depth with these three situations and then he concludes his article. There were times in this article were the author seemed to stray away from his main point, but overall this very good article. This Article contained a lot of information on the practice of criminal law. The information in this article was very informative and now I know some of the things I need to do to become a successful criminal lawyer.
"Unbundled" Approach Would Help Poor. (2003, December). USA Today , pp. 17-17.
This article says that the legal profession should change the way it handles personal civil legal counsel to potential clients by broadening the type s of services available, particularly for low, or poor, to moderate income people. This was suggested during a 2003 report by the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Delivery of Legal Services in Chicago Ill. In the report it stresses the importance of recingizing a continum of legal needs. The article also brings out that technology such as the internet, could help potiential clients get access to attorneys and justice. It is stated in the article that the “Report on the Public Hearing On Access To Justice” cites “unbundled” legal services as a n inportant tool in matching people of moderate means with the legal assistance they require. Unbuddling is when attorneys provide some of their services for a case. The article doesn’t really talk about what resorces are currently available to potential clients. This article is important to me because I would like to be laywer who helps out clients who may not have enough money to afford a big time lawyer from a law firm.
Appin, R. (1997, March 08). DNA--One Weapon Against Frameup or Mistaken Identity. New York New Amsterdam News , pp. 18-18.
DNA is mostly used in medicine and science. Now DNA technology is being used in crimainal investigations. DNA was key in the O.J. Simpson trial. Two of O.J.’s former defense attorneys, Barry Scheck and Peter Nuefield, were two well known DNA experts in the legal community. This article discusses how DNA is changing many past and present outcomes of criminal trials. Scheck and Neufield had to fight long andlong and hard to get DNA technology accepted in criminal cases. It is stated that African American males were the main recipients of the DNA project. Some feel that DNA testing should be made a standard practice in criminal cases. DNA is much more credible than an eye witness. There have been many examples of how DNA confirmed a convited felon’s innocence. This project has changed the lives of many people. The article didn’t mention any other people who tried to fight for DNA testing in criminal cases. As a lawyer I would want to have the technology and resources to prove someone innocent or guilty and DNA evidence is is that piece of evidence I would be most reliable thing to use.
Hewit, B., Arias, R., Clark, C., Benet, L., Dodd, J., Harrington, M., et al. (2005, March 21). The Gloves Come Off. People , pp. 91-95.
The article reports on the trial of pop king Michael Jackson. The trial has only been going on two weeks and its getting to the heart of the case against 46 year old Michael Jackson. At this point in the trial, the court has heard from the sister, and the brother of the accuser. Prosecutor Thomas Sneddon, who led a failed investigation in1993 against Jackson, along with the children who testified, painted an image of Jackson as a freaky man; a man who gave the children wine, which he called “Jesus Juice”, surfed porno sites with them and molested the accuser, who was recovering from many types of cancers. The article also brings out how Jay Leno is somehow involved with the case. Leno is supposed to testify because in 2000, the accuser called Leno, but Leno hung up, suspecting that the mother was using the boy to get money to cover medical expenses. The defense is even considering letting Michael Jackson testify. The article states that if Michael Jackson were to take the stand, it would make the courtroom an even more bizarre theater. The accuser’s mother, who is portrayed as a greedy manipulator by the defense, is a key person in the Michael Jackson case. The article notes who the most important people are in the case and asks who the real victim and victimizer are. This article was good but it would have been better if it would have gave more background information on the accuser’s mother and gave some info on some of the other scams she may have tried to pull. Reading about an actual trial is good for me because it gives me the heads up on how things go in a trial. The fact that is a bizarre trial is even better because I may have to defend or prosecute a person who is considered odd.
Holmes, T. E., & Richardson, N. M. (2005, August). Blacks Underrepresented in Legal. Black Enterprise , pp. 38-38.
This article deals with facts and figures. It reports and sums up the results of the report “ Miles to Go: Progress of Minorities in the Legal Profession”, which was created in 2005 by the American Bar Association. The article pionts out that Blacks remain largely underrepresented in high paying jobs, and that the number of African American students enrolled in law school has fallen to a 12 year low.The report looks at the most recent data available from academic, governtment and professional sources and looks at the careers of lawyers from different racial and ethnic groups. Even though blacks make up 3.9 percent of all lawyers, the percentage of blacks entering the legal profession is lower than Hispanics and Asian americans. The percentage of law school students enrolling in law school has dropped from 7.4 percent to 6.6 percent. The article also brings out how there is a low percentage of African Americans that are partners in a private practice and that only 9.1 percent of general counsel are minorities. It is noted that blacks have better in securingpartnerships than other minorities. Blacks are more likely to be employed by the federal government than other minorities. The article even list some of the reasons for blacks failure to advance to the highest levels of law practices. This article failed to list the names of the sources from which the data and staticts were collected. As an african American male it hurts me to see these numbers that prove that the balck man is not represented in the Legal system. This article inspires me to change things by becoming a successful black lawyer, who works for a powerful law firm or has his own pratice.
Ladinsky, J. (1963, February). Careers of Lawyers, Law Practice, and Legal Institutions. American Sociological Review , pp. 47-54.
This paper talked brought together data on early socialization surroundings of lawyers and the social agencies through which they move in life with speculations about how these social contexts effect the legal system. The article is an analysis of processes and effects of self-selection and recruitment in the allocation of the lawyer labor supply. The article begins by defining solo and firm lawyers. After Ladinsky defines the lawyers, he then describes how they are different and alike in some ways. As stated before an analysis was taken for this article. This analysis was based on a sample of 207 Detroit area Lawyers, 100 solos and 107 firm lawyers. Ladinsky gave detailed info on the actual group that was analyzed and how they were analyzed. Ladinsky sums up his analysis in 3 data tables titled: 1. Social origins, 2. Education, and 3. Work History. It is stated in the article that the first table, Social origins, supported “the conclusion that solo lawyers are “minority lawyers”- they come more often than firm lawyers from working-class and entrepreneurial families of minority religion and ethnic status. The second table, Education, showed that firm lawyers have received a much better education than solo lawyers. The third and final table, Work history, showed that solo lawyers have more work experience than firm lawyers, and they are more likely to have experienced marginal law work, upward, mobility, and somewhat disorderly work histories. The author of the article later talks about how the interpretation of the date was done and some of the major forces that were involved. The two major forces that operate in the social allocation process are: personal self-selection and organizational recruitment. Ladinsky gives a brief definition of the two and explains their role in the interpretation of the data. This article shows how social backgrounds have a lot to do with the careers of lawyers and legal institutions. The only flaw in this article was that it went over and talked about some things that seemed irrelevant to the main point. The analysis of the data helped me predict what type of lawyer I may become in the future.
Maddox Jr., A. H. (2007, December 13). Quid pro quo and the Jena 6. New York New Amsterdam News , pp. 12-13.
This Article presents the author’s comments on issues concerning a law suit involving the Jena 6, which implied a group of some black teenagers that beat school student Justin Barker. The Author argues about the absence of legal representation during the practice of law among the African American community. The author expresses his feelings in a very detailed manner. His tone seems to imply that he is somewhat angry with many legal officials and so-called supporters of the students involved with the Jena 6 case. And by supporters I mean Civil rights leader. The Author regrets over the failure of the appeals court to present sufficient evidence to sustain the charges against Mychal Bell, a student who was involved in the Jena 6 case. Maddox mentions some other factors in this case that give off the sense that there has been some foul play in Jena, Louisiana. The author makes a strong statement in saying that Jena, Louisiana is back to its Jim Crow ways. He points out that the Civil Rights Leaders have taken the wrong action in fighting for justice for the students involved with Jena 6. Maddox feels that the Civil Rights Leader have taken unnecessary actions in this case, and that their motives for coming to Jena, LA may not have been so righteous and just as many people think. Many of the people who fought for Mychal Bell have sold him out. Maddox points out the ugliness of the Jena 6 case, from whites and blacks. He feels that blacks have become political pawns and economic squatters, and that we, as blacks, have no economic relationship with the land and no political relationship with the government. The only thing that is wrong in this article is that most of what is said by Maddox hasn’t been proven in the article. This article helped me realize that corruption and racism really do still exist in the Legal System. This does not scare it just lets me know that I will have a major challenge to overcome when I pursue my career in law.
Maddox Jr., A. H. (2008, June 26). White Prosecuters Destroying Black Life. New York
New Amsterdam News , pp. 12-40.
The author reflects on the uncertainty of the life of African Americans in the United States. The author comments on how African Americans are being treated by white Americans in term of legal prosecutions. Everyone is presumed to know the law. There are many people especially African American who don’t fully know the law. This article gives a very fine example of how blacks do not fully know the law. Maddox states that Race plays a significant role in prosecutions. The author added that enslaved African Americans had no access to the code provision entitled “An Act to Encourage the Baptizing of Negro, Indian, and Mulatto Slaves,” which is only intended for the protection of white men from paternity lawsuits. The author feels that black parents have duties, but no rights, and that a black child is prison bait. He talks about how white prosecutors are lying and waiting for the Black parent who believes,”if you spare the rod, you will spoil the child.” Maddox continues to talk about how blacks are not treated equal to whites in the legal system. Maddox does not include more than one example to support his claims about the treatment of blacks. Racism is clearly evident in the Legal system but if I pursue a career in law I cannot let it affect me, I have to fight for my rights and dreams.
Murr, A., & Riccitello, R. (2004, June 14). A Question of Timing. Newsweek , pp. 8-8.
The Article focuses on the California murder trial of Scott Peterson, the man who killed his pregnant wife, Laci. The articles talks about how this Case deals with a lot of forensic evidence. It also talks about how the defense says that Scott had nothing to do with the murders because hopefully autopsy reports will show the age of Conner at the time of Laci’s disappearance will prove that the baby was born after she disappeared. The Article gives detailed information on how the victims were killed and what happened to the victims while they were in the ocean. This article isn’t very long and it doesn’t contain a whole lot of other legal information. This article shows how Forensics is becoming a contributor in solving crimes like this.
Shover, N. (1973, Decemer). The Civil Justice Process as Societal Reactions. Social Forces , pp. 253-258.
In this article the author suggests that the societal reactions perspective, originally developed in studies of deviant social behavior and the reactions to such behavior is admirably suited to this requirement. Shover clarifies the close fit between the focal concerns of the perspective and empirical problems in legal society. He argues for the applicability of the societal-reactions approach to deviance to an analysis of the civil justice process. He talks a lot about the study of deviant behavior and social processes. Maddox examines 3 different levels of interactional process at which its consequences may be examined: collective rulemaking, intrapersonal relations, and organizational processing. About midway in the article Shover defines and explains the Civil Justice Process, collective rulemaking, intrapersonal relations and the organizational processing. Shover feels that a worthy goal for those who are doing research in the sociology of law is the generation of proportions and theories of the most general sort of possible at any given time. He believes that the use of the social-reactions approach may be especially fruitful in the moving toward this goal. There seem to be a lot of references for this article and most of the information stated in the article seems to be the statements of other people, not Shover. This article is related to criminal law, a field of law that I am interested in going in.
Wood, A. L. (1956, July). Informal Relations in the Practice of Criminal Law. The American Journal of Socialogy , pp. 48-55.
This article focuses on the informal relations in the practice of criminal law. It starts off with a brief description of the frame of reference of Informal relations in the practice of criminal law, and the definition of formal and informal structure of a group. Wood also describes informal patterns and gives a definition of a criminal lawyer. The author writes about how both criminal and civil lawyers partake in community and political activities. It is learned that although both criminal and civil lawyers partake in a wide range of community and political organizations, there are characteristic differences between them. Many criminal lawyers partake in political activities while civil lawyers usually are involved with community activities. Wood moves on to discuss lawyers’ relations with government officials. In the practice of criminal law, lawyers have an extraordinary dependence on government agencies. In civil law the lawyers do not depend on government agencies. It turns out that relationships between attorneys and government officials is beneficial for both parties. Lawyers have friendly relationships with the police, district attorney, and other government officials. Wood lets the reader know that not all criminal lawyers are involved with government officials, but most are. The author describes the systems of informal relations. In some cities criminal lawyers do not build relationships with government officials instead there are cliques of lawyers and the political machine. Lawyers form cliques with other members of the bar. Cliques aren’t very big the usually consist of 1-3 members. Cliques are beneficial to a lawyers practice. Cliques are essential for lawyers, especially solos. The maximum development of an informal system of relationships occurs in an area controlled by a political machine. Political machines are helpful for criminal lawyers. The author then talks about the institutional strains and informal relations. Wood says that the three situations of strain resulting in informal evasions of the formal system are the starting of a practice and the obtaining clients, the adversary system of justice, and the rendering of service. Wood goes into depth with these three situations and then he concludes his article. There were times in this article were the author seemed to stray away from his main point, but overall this very good article. This Article contained a lot of information on the practice of criminal law. The information in this article was very informative and now I know some of the things I need to do to become a successful criminal lawyer.
APA Bibliographies *LAWYER*
"Unbundled" Approach Would Help Poor. (2003, December). USA Today , pp. 17-17.
Appin, R. (1997, March 08). DNA--One Weapon Against Frameup or Mistaken Identity.
New York Mew Amsterdam News , pp. 18-18.
Hewit, B., Arias, R., Clark, C., Benet, L., Dodd, J., Harrington, M., et al. (2005, March 21). The Gloves Come Off. People , pp. 91-95.
Holmes, T. E., & Richardson, N. M. (2005, August). Blacks Underrepresented in Legal. Black Enterprise , pp. 38-38.
Ladinsky, J. (1963, February). Careers of Lawyers, Law Practice, and Legal Institutions. American Sociological Review , pp. 47-54.
Maddox Jr., A. H. (2007, December 13). Quid pro quo and the Jena 6. New York New Amsterdam News , pp. 12-13.
Maddox Jr., A. H. (2008, June 26). White Prosecuters Destroying Black Life. New York New Amsterdam News , pp. 12-40.
Murr, A., & Riccitello, R. (2004, June 14). A Question of Timing. Newsweek , pp. 8-8.
Shover, N. (1973, Decemer). The Civil Justice Process as Societal Reactions. Social Forces , pp. 253-258.
Wood, A. L. (1956, July). Informal Relations in the Practice of Criminal Law. The American Journal of Socialogy , pp. 48-55.
Appin, R. (1997, March 08). DNA--One Weapon Against Frameup or Mistaken Identity.
New York Mew Amsterdam News , pp. 18-18.
Hewit, B., Arias, R., Clark, C., Benet, L., Dodd, J., Harrington, M., et al. (2005, March 21). The Gloves Come Off. People , pp. 91-95.
Holmes, T. E., & Richardson, N. M. (2005, August). Blacks Underrepresented in Legal. Black Enterprise , pp. 38-38.
Ladinsky, J. (1963, February). Careers of Lawyers, Law Practice, and Legal Institutions. American Sociological Review , pp. 47-54.
Maddox Jr., A. H. (2007, December 13). Quid pro quo and the Jena 6. New York New Amsterdam News , pp. 12-13.
Maddox Jr., A. H. (2008, June 26). White Prosecuters Destroying Black Life. New York New Amsterdam News , pp. 12-40.
Murr, A., & Riccitello, R. (2004, June 14). A Question of Timing. Newsweek , pp. 8-8.
Shover, N. (1973, Decemer). The Civil Justice Process as Societal Reactions. Social Forces , pp. 253-258.
Wood, A. L. (1956, July). Informal Relations in the Practice of Criminal Law. The American Journal of Socialogy , pp. 48-55.
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