Course overview for the next (last) two weeks

Our Homework due Friday



1: Read all your classmates posts and write comments

2: Find and correct the errors in the "error sheet"

3: Read 258- 263 and answer the 2 questions in a piece of paper



By:   Saud.

Unjust Laws (Topic 1)

Unjust laws exists almost everywhere in the world. Its still considered a crime against the law for women to drive in Saudi Arabia. After all the pleas and protests for removing such a law, nothing changed until the day. So there was a famous story in a Saudi newspaper, it talks about a women who took her husband to a hospital, he was having a heart attack and was about to die, so the wife decided to drive his car to the hospital in a bold courages move, she saved his life in the last moment, and he could've passed away if she didn't act. At the time, she didn't really care about braking the law since her husband was between life and death, she learned how to drive in Dubai as she mentioned. The wife used her driving skills despite the strict unjust laws against females driving, she was considered as a hero in front of the public, but the government did not support this act in anyway. She did what any loyal wife would do to her husband and saved his life. So this is one small example of an act that justifies why we the humans are breaking the unjust laws sometimes!

Ghassan

Allowing Women to Drive

In Saudi Arabia, the law is based on the the Islam religion, and in Islam there is nothing in The Islamic religion prohibit the women from driving. So, people might ask why women are not allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia. The answer for that would be related to the history of Saudi Arabia and their traditional life style. Saudi Arabia have been conquered by the ruler family 3 times and during these three times, people have forgotten a lot of women rights and one of them was driving cars. I recall many years a go, women in my country were asking to get the equal treatment with men. So, the government started to give them some, but not all of their rights. One of their rights, is to be able to drive freely as men do. However, because this right has been almost forgotten by many people and no women in the past had the courage to ask for such a thing, people started to think that its the law that is not allowing for women to drive. Since Saudi Arabia is an Islamic country and the law is based on the religion, where did this law come from then? Not allowing our mothers, our sisters or our grands to drive is not a low of the Saudi Arabia government. The whole thing started after conquering Saudi Arabia by the ruler family.
Before there were cars, we had camels and horses as a daily transportation way to all people, male and females. But because what people have believed in and what become a part of Saudi Arabia's culture, women are not allowed to drive.
This issue in particular is being discussed in Saudi Arabia these days, and hoping they will come with a solution for it. It's unjust to not give women their rights, and unjust law would go down in a way or another. Maybe some people don't see this issue as a big thing, but people in Saudi Arabia see it that way. Allowing women to drive would change almost everything in Saudi Arabia, but the change can't be determined as a positive or negative change.



By Mohammed

 Driving a car in my city " Riyadh" has become like an adventure.  Under the hot son, a lot of people driving their cars in a city that does not have any modern transportations like trains, subways or even buses.  In fact,  people drive their cars in the worst streets ever where there is no good traffic lights and pedestrian.  Also, most the streets have a lot of detours of the electricity, water and internet that hinder you while driving.  The government says those  detour are services for the people. Actually,  those like traps or obstacles that cause cars wrecks in the streets and injure or kill innocent people.  The streets are very crowded since 12 years or maybe more.   the government could not found a solution even though it's the riches government in the world.  Also, the Minster of the transpiration in Saudi Arabia always states extremely ridiculous statements that makes me laugh.  For example, one time he stats that Saudi Arabia is the less country in the world in the trains' accident while we are actually only have one train and works by charcoals!!  I wish the government understand that they are not the right people to guide the nation of Saudi Arabia and leave the responsibility for who's more responsible to get better life in the Saudi streets and houses.



Saud Adi

unjust employment situation in China

    There is a very serious problem in China which is the unequal situation of employment, especially for people who want to work in government system. There are only one in thousand people can get the job as a civil servant, but eventually the people who get the job has relationship with people who has power or people who is rich. In fact, there is a test to pick people, but it is more easier to people who have relationship to get that job than   people who do have ability. The unjust situation cause the unequal circumstance that can not change in the future. Besides, the unjust social security system cause more contradictions between government and the masses, people who work for government do not pay for the social security while they can get 3 times salary than normal people. What's more, because of the lack of pension, someone in government proposal to delay the retirement time from 60 year-old to 65 year-old. The unjust system lead to strongly opposed by most people in China.


------Chen Qiu



Hi Chen,  Also we do have like this unjust issue in our country, some of illiterate rich people have more opportunities to get the governmental jobs.  I hope our countries change to the better.  Saud

                                Justify Breaking A Law

 

Many circumstances that justify breaking laws certainly exist in the history. From the Africa-American Civil Rights Movement to Velvet Revolution, a term, called Civil disobedience, specializes nonviolent actions taken in theses circumstances. “Civil disobedience is the active, professed refusal to obey certain laws, demands, and commands of a government, or of an occupying international power.” (Wikipedia Civil disobedience) For instance, Mahatma Gandhi, known as the preeminent leader of India independence movements from the British Empire, led Indians in protesting the national salt tax with the 400 km (250 mi) Dandi Salt March in 1930, and later in demanding the British to immediately Quit Idia in 1942, during World War II. (Wikipedia Mahatma Gandhi) He was imprisoned for that and for numerous other political offenses over the years. It is worldwide believed that Gandhi breaking the laws is justified in term of the numerous non-violent actions which defense for promoting India democratic freedom and protesting Indians human rights. He rebelled against the laws deemed to be unfair and was firmly convinced that citizens were morally responsible for the support of civil campaigns and unjust situations. In recent years, the rights of homosexual couples might be an unjust law. They cannot receive the rights that married couples have. For example, one partner would be not allowed to accompany with the other through it all if he or she were dying in the hospital due to being not legally considered “ family”. The homosexual marriage issues today is rather similar to the racism issues in the civil movement because they are both related to the rights for different groups of people in the society---- one is homosexual groups and heterosexual groups and the other is white people and colored people. 

Shirley

Unjust of Education in China_Kai

Unjust of Education in China

First of all, the tuition of education is so high that some poor students can't afford it. As a resultl, instead of going to university,they have no choice but start working. Unfortunately, if you want to get a good job, you must graduate from some famous unversities. Thus, the poor person who can't afford the tuition wont have a good job. Secondly, the entrance university examination is totally different in different part of China. For people who born in Beijing, if they want to go to study at Peking University or Qinghua University, getting 600+ scores in the entrance university examination is ok. However, for the other students from the other part of China, you have to get over 700 scores, it could be possible you can study at those kind of famous universities. Furthermore, you work at Beijing, if you want to your children study at Beijing, you must pay more tuition than the local. Moreover, the most unjust thing is if your family members who have got along with some famous school's master, you would have the advantage of being a student of that school. We called it, the relationship is more important than the others things. All things considered, if you want to study at a good school, it depends where were you born, how rich you are and does your family member has a good relationship with some school's leader. How unjust it is in China. 

Kai Zhou

It's really unjust Kai.   it's hard for those poor people in China to afford all these  money only to study and have a simple job..
Saud

Females have lower position than males in China

Topic 2

  In China, women and men have apparent position difference, even when they are children, people treat them in different way. There is an example which can describe this situation clearly. Most of chinese people prefer boys, when a woman get pregnant and she go to hospital, then the doctor will tell her the sex of her child, when she knows that her child is a girl, she will do induced abortion with a high probability, if this woman pregnant a boy, her family position will become highest in a second. In that several years, male are highly more than female, so in China, doctor can't let pregnant know their child's sex before they bring the child into the world.  Most of chinese people like boys because they think boys can carry on their family line, but girls can't, you know, children always follow their father's last name, rather than mother's. I think this is unfair not only because I'm a girl, I think everyone in the world have their right to live. People can't decide others's live even their children's. In this year, this situation is much better than before, but there are also some people who give the doctor money to "buy" their child's sex. I don't know how to solve this problem, do you have any idea?

---Jessy



IF MALES CAN CARRY THE FAMILY LINES, FEMALES ACTUALLY BRING MALES TO THE LIFE.  SAUD :) 

The Unjust of Gender Status in China

   Cathy Zhu 

In China, there is an universal phenomenon that the status of female is lower than male in several aspects. Some women always get unfair treatments when they are in jobs or lives. In contrast, the men usually show an attitude that they can dominate their family rather than listen to their wife. This is because the history concept becomes an ideology construct rooting in men's perception. To be more specific, it is a well-know fact that China is one of four countries with time-honored and splendid history and civilization in the world.  In the history of China, Men ruled the household and had complete control over their life. The only role of the wife was like a servant to their husbands and produce sons for their family. At that time, it is highly important for men to provide all the marriage expenses in order to keep their dominant family status. Therefore, men always show the powerful substance condition to ask for getting marriage with their daughter to their father-in-law. Nowadays, due to the influence of ancient culture, men have a superiority complex to female. If women want to change this unfair condition, they must be independent both in economy and mental. Women should believe themselves and try to get equal treatments when they suffer unfair things. Similarly, it is vitally important for man to show their respect to the female.  

Homework Due Monday April15

1- Reread Letter from the Birmingham Jail 240 - 284 and get a better deeper understanding of the text

Be ready to discuss further details and informations

2- Write a draft of your comparing and contrasting Essay

Be objective and dont use (I) remember! Try to use 2 quotations at least !


Have a great weekend and good luck everyone!

Homework due friday

1-find 2 more articles that are related to your compare/contrast essay ( chose a quote from the article)

2- practice doing citation...

3- reading task on page 240-48 letter from the Birmingham Jail - get the general idea

Cheers mates

By Mohammed

Homework for Wednesday

1 Please keep writing the second body paragraph for a comparison and contrast essay which we started working on in class today.

2 start looking for articles that relate to your topic that will inform you as you write your paper. Please bring in one potential article.

3 we will discuss the chapter on citations that we read over the weekend, please be ready to discuss.

4 Read 'Letter to Professor Fels' on the opinion page (Page 4) of the Foghorn. Be ready to discuss.

See you Wednesday!

P. Vahle

Vocab for Monday quiz

Hello Everyone, here is a list of the vocab to learn for Monday's quiz. It is mostly from the blog post on the Urban Legands reading.

plausible: 1) worthy of belief, believable. 2) superficially fair, reasonable or valuable. 

"They often have some unexpected twist that is outlandish but just plausible enough to be taken as truth." 

outlandish: 1) exceeding proper or reasonable limits or standards. 2) bizarre: strikingly out of the ordinary. 

flee: 1) to run away from. 2) to run away often from danger or evil. 3) to hurry toward a place of security. 

"The officer runs to help the driver, and the drunk man takes the opportunity to flee the scene." 

pervasive: existing in or spreading through every part of something. 

cautionary: warning, precaution, prudent to minimize risk. 

unsubstantiated (adj.): Unsupported by other evidence

lurid (verb): horrible in fierceness or savagery   

gruesome: shockingly  repellent; inspiring horror

morbid: suggesting an unhealthy mental state and the horror of death and decay

folklore: the unwritten literature (stories and proverbs and riddles and songs) of a culture

unintentional (adj.): not done or made or performed with purpose or intent

outraged (adj.): angered at something unjust or wrong

heinous(adj.): extremely evil or horrible  

alligator: a big reptile with a long mouth and sharp teeth, that lives in lakes and rivers .

to flirt:  to behave as if you are sexually attracted to someone, usually not in a very serious way 

to abbreviate: to make a word or phrase shorter

persistent : existing for a long or longer than usual time or continuously / retained beyond the usual period

a sequence : A following of one thing after another; succession / An order of succession; an arrangement

 to illustrate : To clarify, as by use of examples or comparisons

 spate: noun, a large number of similar things or events appearing or occurring in quick succession, especially bad things

gruesome: very unpleasant or shocking, and involving someone being killed or badly injured

       Homework Due Monday

1. Complete the handouts

2. Write one paragraph relating to your topic going on the handouts

3. e-mail one copy of your final draft of the description essay to the professor

4. Monday short quiz: vocabulary----- chosen from recent vocabulary blogs( around 30)

                                    

                                    watch&read, then write a short compare and contrast paragraph of two things

Good Luck

By Shirley

Homework due Friday

Hello everyone.. Down there is the homework for Friday.. Have fun



1- come up with 5 potential topics for comparing and contrast essay.
- try to elaborate on them a little bit and tell why they are interested to you.

2- read ch 16, page 402-416 " documenting research paper "
- get familiar with how to cite resources

3- pick an article from the internet, newspaper or magazine and read it.
- write 1 paragraph summery about it and bring a hard copy of your article to the class of Friday


By the way, the reading that you're going to do, has nothing to do with the comparing and contrast essay. In other words, you can pick any kind of article to write a summery about it..


Cheers mates


By Mohammed

H.W Due Wednesday April 3rd

1: Complete the handout and return it back next class.

2: Read the students' essays on page 216-219.

3: Post 3 new vocabulary words from your novel, Foghorn or whatever.

4: In the last Foghorn, we've already read about 2 articles about Pope Francis. Read them again, and write a comparison and contrast paragraph about them.  Please Send Your Comparison and Contrast Paragraph Before the Class to Our Prof's Email.

POSTED BY: Saud Otaibi

Peace Be Upon You..