Stephen King and Langston Hughes - Perspectives on Good Writing Essay Example for Free

Stephen King and Langston Hughes Perspectives on Good Writing Essay In How to Be a Bad Writer (in Ten Easy Lessons), by Langston Hughes, and Everything You Need to Know About Writing Successfully – in Ten Minutes, by Stephen King, the reader is advised on a variety of writing topics. Hughes, a product of segregation and racism, uses biting humor and sarcasm to rail against bad writing, whereas King, a former teacher and a product of the counterculture movement, uses folksy charm to instruct us. King cleverly prefaces his advice with a self-effacing story about learning to write in his sophomore year of High School. In essence, he says that if he could do it, then so can we, if we listen. King values brevity (remove every extraneous word) and warns us not to get on a soapbox and preach. King also has great respect for the process, from drafting to submission etiquette, and belittles those of us who do not know the markets. In conclusion, he states, â€Å"And if you listened, you can write everything and anything you want.† It sounds seductively simple, and that is King’s greatest success. He makes you believe. Hughes takes the gloves off in How to Be a Bad Writer (in Ten Easy Lessons). He scolds us with ten critical statements and leaves us to do the reverse engineering. Hughes places a premium on honesty, devoting half of his essay to that message. One example is, â€Å"Never write about anything you know, your home town, or your home folks, or yourself.† Hughes attacks dishonesty, verbosity, and affectation with, â€Å"Have nothing to say, but use a great many words, particularly high-sounding words, to say it.† When you add Hughes’ instruction to use stereotypes of older stereotypes, his anger is evident. Sadly, Hughes race-related advice, if not some of his terminology, remains relevant. There is no universally correct way to be a successful writer and I find it comforting that neither author refers to his advice as rules or laws. King and Hughes have given us valuable reference tools to assist in developing our own techniques. It is up to us to choose how we will apply their advice.

Gays in the Military :: Gay Military Government Laws Essays Homosexual

Very often political institutions reflect the will of society and set the precedent for norms that will be expected of its members. The United States Military is still enforcing archaic policies which threaten to harm the principles our nation was founded upon. The principles of freedom and equality are those that every American holds closest to their heart, that is unless you are in the military and are gay. The issue of gays in the military has developed into a case of whether our country should discriminate against a group merely because of involuntary sexual orientation. Two persistent principles are evident within this topic: that homosexuals are ever present throughout all branches of the military and a persistent hostility against this group is in American society and the military. In order to effectively examine this topic the following concepts will be discussed: an analysis of the current Department Of Defense policy concerning gays, solutions to reduce homophobia in the military, a policy model concerning homosexuals in the military ( Lepicer 1-14 ). Prior to the arrival of the Clinton Administration with its agenda to radically revise military policy regarding the acceptance and treatment of homosexuals, Department of Defense policy was well established and clear. Legal questions began to be raised in civilian courts challenging the military exclusion and discharge policies in the 1960's and 1970's. The services were forced to explain and clearly justify specific limits and procedures used in relation to service members claiming to be homosexual or convicted of such behavior. During the Carter Administration a clear policy was signed into law. It reads: Homosexuality is incompatible with military service. The presence in the military environment of persons who engage in homosexual conduct or who, by their statements, demonstrate a propensity to engage in such conduct, seriously impairs the accomplishment of the military mission. The presence of such members adversely affects the ability of the Military Services to maintain discipline, good order, and morale: to foster mutual trust and confidence among service members; to ensure the integrity of the system of rank and command; to facilitate assignment and worldwide deployment of service members who frequently must live and work under close conditions affording minimal privacy; to recruit and retain members of the Military Services: to maintain the public acceptability of military service; and to prevent breaches of security ( Lepicer ). Everyone agrees that gays were already in the military, but gays want to serve their country out of the closet. This concept pitted the gay community against the traditionalists who want to keep them out. The result is a compromising "Don't ask / Don't Tell" policy which prevents recruiters from

Best Practices Essay

Historically, minority groups have been ardent supporters of and advocates for high-quality public education. Black efforts to gain systemic equality in educational policies and practices are well known: the battles for equal per-pupil expenditures; teachers’ salaries; length of school terms; expenditures for buildings, facilities, equipment, and books; curricular offerings; and so on. As a result of these efforts and of political and economic changes nationally and internationally, progress has been made with respect to ending legally imposed school segregation, as well as increasing minority participation in schooling for longer periods of time, that is, raising the median years of schooling completed. This paper aims to identify three best practices which assist the educational progress of minorities. Since public school desegregation began in the mid-1960s, urban school improvement is considered to be one of the most contributing factors for the progress of minorities in educational sector. Black educators and their likeminded allies have increasingly taken the lead in urban school improvement. One facet of this movement has been the study of schools that are effectively educating urban poor black children and making recommendations to other schools that want to replicate effective policies and programs. Researchers like Ronald R. Edmonds, George Weber and Daniel U. Levine began by identifying public schools that were effectively teaching black children and pinpointed their common characteristics, namely strong administrative leadership; orderly but flexible atmosphere, conducive to instruction; philosophy that acquiring basic academic skills is the first order of business; climate of high expectations, and continuous monitoring and evaluation of pupil progress with instructional strategies redesigned as needed (Mohanty, 1994). Achievements of urban school improvements were particularly evident in the middle of 1990s, for instance the data indicated significant increase in New York schools where 70 percent or more of the students â€Å"achieved reading scores at or above grade level for three years† (Iram & Wahrman, 2003:119). The second important practice contributing to educational progress of minorities is initiation and further development of various improvement projects targeting directly minority students and their teachers. In the beginning of 1990s for instance, Chicago instituted a plan for mastery learning in reading to correct the widespread problem of low reading achievement. The program provided teachers with comprehensive instructional activities, corresponding student learning activities, formative tests for instructional feedback, and corrective instructional activities for those students who failed to master objectives. A criterion referenced testing program served as the basis for instruction, promotion, and administrative monitoring (Bjork et al, 1994). The New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) in 1996 instituted a School Effectiveness Training Program designed to increase student achievement. The results from this program showed lower staff absenteeism, higher participation of staff in instructional decisions, greater involvement of staff in school activities, reduced costs for vandalism, better management, and higher staff and student morale (McNeely, 1985). The final practice, very important in terms of progress performed by minorities in education is giving a preference to private schooling than public. It must be emphasized that during the past two decades it has become increasingly apparent that larger numbers of minority adults are selecting nonpublic schools for their young. In their desire to obtain the best possible education for their young, they choose private schools, including minority independent schools. These parents say they believe private schools provide their children with better basic skills instruction, cultivate higher order thinking skills, have higher academic standards, and prepare their children for college or the work place more successfully. School improvement for them means leaving public schools. As Slaughter and Schneider points out (1986:17) black parents’ choice of private schools is â€Å"less of a rejection of public schooling, and more of an evolution of a new strategy for insuring future levels of sustained and/or upward mobility for the family. † Increased minority departure from public schools, however, may mean that the more supportive, motivated, caring, and accomplished parents and their children (regardless of income) are not involved in the public school system and that the system is the loser in the process (Henig et al. , 1999). From the critical perspective, minority individuals and communities must consider the costs and benefits of education in nonpublic schools compared with education in public schools – not only for themselves, but for the nation at large. At the same time, public schools must make more headway in school improvement if they want to retain the traditional support they have long enjoyed from black families. Many minority students can attain standards of excellence if school improvement policies and programs such as those described above are retained, consistently used, refined, and modified. Individual schools will find that their achievement levels and test scores improve, and that many of them can attain local and national norms even if their populations are poor, or black, or Hispanic, or both. These standards can be achieved without excluding any student from an equal opportunity to be educated. Our country still has a long way to go to realize equity in the schoolrooms of our nation. All students need an equal chance to learn, which means providing equity in financing schools and programs; providing competent, caring teachers; retaining proven, compensatory programs and relating curriculum subject matter to coping with real-life situations and problems. References Bjork L. et al (1994). Minorities in Higher Education, Oryx Press Henig J. , Hula R. , Orr M. , Pedescleaux D. (1999). The Color of School Reform: Race, Politics, and the Challenge of Urban Education, Princeton University Press Iram Y. & Wahrman H. (2003). Education of Minorities and Peace Education in Pluralistic Societies, Hillel; Praeger, 2003 Mohanty, C. T. (1994). On Race and Voice: Challenges for Liberal Education in the 1990s. In H. A. Giroux and P. McLaren (Eds. ), Between Borders: Pedagogy and the Politics of Cultural Studies (145-166). New York: Routledge Slaughter D. T. , & Schneider B. L. (1986). Newcomers: Blacks in private schools. Final Report to the National Institute of Education (Grant No. NIE-G-82-0040, Project No. 2- 0450). Evanston, IL: Northwestern University, School of Education

The Stigma Of Mental Health - 1992 Words

America is a country so focused on changing physical health. The real question though is why is mental health being ignored? Mental health is an issue that is ravaging our country from the inside out. Our mentally ill are being stigmatized against just because they are seen more different than the rest of society. Upon further research into the subject it is showing that this issue is beginning with our youth. This discrimination against the mentally ill we are taught leaks into our adult lives which causes the cycle to keep repeating. We need to change as a society in order to eradicate this ridiculous stigma towards people with mental illness and grow. I believe we can do so with education and information. I myself suffer from some mental health issues and I have seen firsthand what this kind of stigma can do to a person. When I was younger, I sought out professional help on my mental health, but I was mocked and teased about seeking help until I stopped going. My state of mind was never spoken of again and I learned to hide it within myself. Until I met someone with the same secret hidden right below the surface. Mental illness...nobody wants to talk about it. Everyone just wants to hide it away from the world. People with mental illness are viewed like they have the plague. The subject is avoided faster than any other subject I have noticed. I am currently twenty-three years old and my body is riddled with more scars than I care to count. Unfortunately most of themShow MoreRelatedThe Stigma Of Mental Health Stigma1178 Words   |  5 Pages To many a stigma is a disgraceful flaw, that of a negative presence. In mental health this stigma is overwhelming. Approximately 57.7 million Americans experience a mental health disorder in any given year. (National Alliance on Mental Illness) People in dire need of help are not seeking it. Mental illnesses are going undiagnosed. The mental health stigma is having a negative impact on the proper diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses. A stigma can simply be defined as a mark of disgraceRead MoreThe Stigma Of Mental Health968 Words   |  4 PagesINTRODUCTION The stigma in mental health system is deep rooted and its origin goes back by centuries. The stigma is powerful that it has been codified in federal since last 50 years. But the realization that the stigma attached adversely affects mental health care system is still lacking. The discrimination against mental illness has invaded the systemic structure causing more worries to sufferers of mental illness and their families. While every individual and system is well aware of mental illness andRead MoreThe Stigma Of Mental Health1095 Words   |  5 PagesINTRODUCTION The stigma in the mental health system is deeply rooted and its origin goes back by centuries. The stigma is powerful that it has been codified in federal since last 50 years. But the realization that the stigma attached adversely affects mental health care system is still lacking. The discrimination against mental illness has invaded the systemic structure causing more worries to sufferers of mental illness and their families. While every individual and system is well aware of mental illnessRead MoreThe Stigma Of Mental Health1785 Words   |  8 PagesThe Stigma on Mental Health is an issue I strive to expose daily. I was raised by a parent who suffers from mental health and addictions issues and then had a child with someone with similar issues. More recently I have witnessed my best friend struggle to find support for her eight year old son who has a complex clinical profile. Watching so many people I love struggle daily to receive support and basic empathy, I feel I have become somewhat of an expert on the effects of stigma on mental healthRead MoreThe Stigma Of Mental Health1990 Words   |  8 PagesPeople with mental disorders were considered as vulnerable in the society due to the limitations in their rights. Such a situation of individuals cause oppressions as a result of dominant discourse prejudice. The capabilities of people with mental health histories often underestimated by the community. The result of such discrimination is devastating for individuals with mental health concerns. The focus of mental health intervention has undergone changes since its introduction. The treatment servicesRead MoreThe Stigma Associated With Mental Health1641 Words   |  7 PagesMost people with mental health illness feels diminished, devalued, and fearful because of the prejudicial attitudes and discriminatory behaviours that society held towards them. The stigma associated with mental health illness often marginalized and disenfranchises the affected individu als and families in the society, which means that they â€Å"may experience discrimination in areas of health care, employment, education, justice, and housing†(1). The feeling of fear to be discriminated against limitedRead MoreReducing Mental Health Stigma1854 Words   |  8 PagesReducing Mental Health Stigma As a member of college society, what are you doing to prevent mental health stigma? We live in the world where it is a great deal to be accepted by others and get approved, and college is the place where most students rush to get this acceptance. It is a beginning of independence and new experiences for students. Most students leave their house and start the first step of building a whole new future; no parents are there to tell them what is right and what is wrong,Read MoreMental Health And The Stigma Of Mental Illness3249 Words   |  13 PagesConfronting Stigma Related to Mental Illness This paper is an analysis of mental health and the stigma that is associated with mental illness. The reputation accompanying mental illness causes detrimental effects on those with a psychiatric disorder, such as discrimination, poor health outcomes and social suffering. This is partly due to a lack of public education on the matter, along with attributions of violence related to mental illness caused by news reports. A multi-faceted campaign to increaseRead MoreMilitary And Mental Health Stigma2723 Words   |  11 Pages Military Mental Health Stigma SOWK 636 Kari Brown University of Southern California Introduction There is concern about military service members receiving stigma about getting or needing treatment in the area of mental health. Stigma occurs when individuals view others negatively because they have been labeled or identified as having a deviant behavior against societal norms; deviant behaviors such as mental illnesses or diagnoses uncommon or harmful to others. How does thatRead MoreMental Illness And Mental Health Stigma1253 Words   |  6 Pagesa serious illness that affects all aspects of ones life. The omnipresence of mental illness is increasing in our time era. Our society’s mental health stigma is the basis for why countless of people do not receive the needed help, even as their lives begin to crumble. The prejudice faults placed on the one suffering from the disease hold back our efforts to progress with treatments and move positively with mental health. Dr. Kay Jamison was a senior in high school when she began experiencing the