Aristotelian Classical Argumentative Rhetoric

Trey Nicholas
Dr. Gill
ENG 2105
3 November 2020

Unit 2: Assignment 2
Trey Nicholas/Research Question: Is America a Post-Racial Society?
“The best writing is rewriting:” Best Rewrite 6 Draft(s); 4 Tutorial(s) (Peer Mentor Robert, WC Tyler Walker, WC Michelle Allende); 1 Teacher conference(s)

(Provocative Title) Ending the Post-Racial Myth in America

       (Hook) Alarmed by violent racial protests in United States (US) society, Justin Nix, associate of University Nebraska Omaha and author of “On the Challenges Associated with the Study of Police Use of Deadly Force in the United States: A Response to Schwartz & Jahn,” argues, “...evidence regarding framing effects… of the term ‘police violence’ has the potential to mislead readers who believe that police use of deadly force is rampant and usually unjustified…” (3). (Bridge) Nix eschews mayhem and anarchy in US society apparently due to unjustified murders of Black lives deeming it aggrandized and impulsive. (Divided Stasis/Thesis Sentence) (Opponent's Claim Informed by Three Scholarly Sources) Although proponents claim Black Lives Matter (BLM) combats against the racial inequality and injustice in US Society, (Rhetor’s Main Claim Informed by Nine Scholarly Sources) the BLM campaign is an unnecessary response to US society’s apparent racism because (Reason/Support 1) the majority of police interactions disavow racial motives, (Reason/Support 2) the majority of US citizens and corporations empathize with Black lives lost, and (Reason/Support 3) the majority of BLM protests—co-opted by domestic terrorist groups—advocate violence, not peace, in US society.

        (Narration) On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a Black American father, was killed in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota, sparking the great chain of protest urging justice and reformation of the police system in US society. Douglas Belkin, associate of Wall Street Journal, is alarmed by the violent BLM protests co-opted by domestic terrorist groups, claiming, “the protests are [overreaching]... [a]t some events, protestors carried guns” (1). BLM protests exponentially descended into savagery with “Seattle protesters [hurling] rocks and explosives at police officers” and Portland, Oregon protesters “[gathering] outside the U.S. Courthouse… [throwing] rocks and fireworks before breaking through a section of reinforced fence surrounding the building” (Belkin 1). To this date, US society continues displaying violence when advocating for racial justice and equality. Opponents of the BLM protests believe the unending public mayhem in response to racial justice is ineffective, and rather damaging, in achieving racial equality in US society. Opponents also believe the police officers’ exertion of force during the widespread protests in US society are justified. As Nix contends, “we must consider the framing of police violence before assuming their acts are unjust” (2). Contrastively, Proponents of the BLM protests believe voicing their concerns through anarchy is necessary in converting the case of George Floyd and other fallen Black victims from a moment in time to a next-generation civil rights movement. What critical proponents do not understand is the violent protests facilitated by domestic terrorists are inadvertently harming US citizens, including many US citizens and corporations who are genuinely expressing empathy for the fallen Black victims. 

       (Confirmation) With many US citizens violently protesting in response to racial inequality, protesters contradict the intention of law-abiding officers and diminish the support of law-abiding advocates for racial equality in US society. In the George Floyd protest’s infancy, Doyle Greene, an independent scholar and author of “Welcome to Minneapolis (or, Then Came the Last Days of May),” claims, “...it was glaringly apparent that the problem was law enforcement and the solution was protest. By May 30 the situation was categorically reversed: protest was the problem and law enforcement was the solution” (1). We need to end the violent protests to eliminate the unwavering disparity among US citizens and, with empathy, listen to all US citizens affected by the damaging racial injustice. Just as Nix understood “police violence” being continuously misconceived, the path to a stable US society requires US citizens to trust the intuition of police officers protecting them and accept the help granted by non-minority US citizens.  

      (Concession/Refutation) It is, indeed, true that many US citizens claim BLM’s current presence rebalances order for unjust Black lives lost in US society. (Scholarly Source 1) A proponent of the BLM protests, Ibram X. Kendi, leading anti-racist scholar, argues that the flawed racial perception in US Society “[maintains] laws that form a racist criminal justice system that produces and defends racist cops who disproportionately kill innocent black people” (1). Dr. Kendi asserts US society’s static mentality prevents US citizens from epiphanizing the systemic racism surrounding them to promote equality for all demographics in US society. (Scholarly Source 2) Additionally, a proponent of the BLM protests, Cory Booker, US Senator, claims that the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act “...calls for change that will protect lives and address the practices that have killed Americans, create accountability and transparency in departments, and make sure that no one in our country is above the law” (20). Booker commends the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act because previous US laws targeting racial injustice resulted in marginal improvements, whereas this act would end the unaccountable violence and murder by police officers in US society. (Scholarly Source 3) Another proponent of the BLM protests, Wilfred C. Reilly, a political science professor at Kentucky State University, argues, “[t]o a remarkable degree, mainstream media and even America’s corporate brands have played a significant role in promoting the conventional police brutality narrative” (20). Reilly articulates when US citizens are systemically beaten and pitted against society, intense rebellion is required to reform the unjust system. (Conclusion) In sum, proponents of BLM suggest intense forms of protests are necessary in achieving racial equality in US society. (Rhetor’s Main Claim: Refutation 1) But, the BLM protests are essentially futile when advocating against police brutality in US society because the majority of police interactions are void of racial motives. (Toulmin Warrant) Denying police officers from performing their jobs will subsequently endanger US society as criminals will prosper and victims will perish. (Scholarly Source 1: Reason/Support 1) As aforementioned, staunch opponent of the BLM protests, Justin Nix, associate of University Nebraska Omaha, claims that opponents do not understand “labelling every police-involved death ‘fatal police violence’ assigns all responsibility to officers, as if none of the citizens involved contributed in any way to the violence” (2). Nix asserts many violent police interactions are deliberate because either the perpetrator was resisting, or the perpetrator was perceived as an imminently deadly threat. (Scholarly Source 2: Reason/Support 1) As aforementioned, another opponent of the BLM protests, Doyle Greene, an independent scholar, argues, “protesters must engage in a process of ‘discipline and education’” when protesting to avoid subjugation to police violence in US society (1). Doyle articulates when a specific ruling is set to pacify protesters such as a curfew, protesters must make the educated decision to follow said rule or the police will be justified in exerting force against US protesters. (Scholarly Source 3: Reason Support 1) Another opponent of the BLM protests, Jim Jordan, representative of Ohio’s 4th Congressional District, responds to the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, claiming the act will, “keep cops in the car and… [make] our communities less safe by preventing good law enforcement officers from being able to do their job” (19). Given the recalcitrant rioting, looting, and destruction of small businesses in US society from the protests, Jordan asserts most law enforcement officers are morally restrained and constantly put themselves in harm’s way to keep US society safe. (Conclusion) Clearly, police officers in US society have reasonable means when exerting force, and restricting police presence will only exponentiate US society’s vulnerability from perpetrators. 

       (Refutation 2: Rhetor’s Main Claim) The violence deriving from the BLM protests is unnecessary because many US citizens and corporations have peacefully expressed their empathy for the Black Lives lost. (Toulmin Warrant) With people of all ages, races, and backgrounds uniting to listen to Black voices prove US citizens have achieved a mutual respect for each other. (Scholarly Source 1: Reason/Support 2) An opponent of the violent BLM protests, Eric Solomon, founder of The Human OS, claims, “In response to the senseless police murder of George Floyd, along with many more, other companies are following similar templates to talk about how they ‘stand in solidarity,’ ‘stand up against racism,’ and ‘show support for the Black community’” (61). Solomon articulates capitalistic corporations in US society are empathizing with the Black community by reading their emotional cues and listening to their stories. Furthermore, Solomon asserts Walmart pledged to contribute $100 million to create a new center for racial equity. (Scholarly Source 2: Reason/Support 2) Another opponent of the violent BLM protests, Nicole Maurantonio, associate professor of rhetoric and communication studies at the University of Richmond, analyzes White Mayor of North Charleston, South Carolina, Keith Summey and White Police Chief, Eddie Driggers, exchanges with their Black community, claiming, “Driggers has made efforts to reach out to minorities with cookouts and community discussions. According to Ed Bryant, chapter president of the North Charleston NAACP, improved relations between the Black community and police since Driggers took his post could be observed (Otis et al., 2015)” (1). Maurantonio asserts rather than dismissing the Black community and fostering apathy, Mayor Summey and Chief Driggers cultivated caring, empathetic relationships with the Black community in North Charleston to promote equality and unity. (Scholarly Source 3: Reason/Support 2) Another opponent of the violent BLM Protests, Rebecca Zissou, associate of Junior Scholastic, claims, “[p]rotesters have demonstrated in every U.S. state—in big cities and small towns—and in dozens of countries worldwide. One estimate put the number of participants in the U.S. at up to 26 million, making the recent Black Lives Matter rallies the largest protest movement ever in American history” (9). Zissou explains US society has expressed more empathy than ever before in US history to support the Black community through their struggles. (Conclusion) Ultimately, the violence from the BLM protests are unnecessary because US citizens are already willing to help and stand up for the Black community. 

       (Refutation 3: Rhetor’s Main Claim) The majority of BLM protests—co-opted by domestic terrorist groups—are an unnecessary response to US society’s apparent racism because they advocate violence, not peace, in US society. (Toulmin Warrant) While many US citizens are protesting peacefully in support of the Black community, some US citizens are exploiting the BLM movement to fulfill their own agenda and degrade US society rather than promote its well-being. (Scholarly Source 1: Reason/Support 3) As aforementioned, an opponent of the violent BLM protests, Douglas Belkin, associate of Wall Street Journal, claims, “many marches grew in size and intensity… [hurling] rocks and explosives at police officers during violent confrontations” (1).With protests designed to be peaceful, US citizens who are attacking police officers and destroying properties are inadvertently stimulating regression in US society rather than stimulating growth. (Scholarly Source 2: Reason/Support 3) Another opponent of the violent BLM protests, Brent Renauld, associate of Nieman Reports, contends, “Black Lives Matter has the stigma of being a catalyst of violence… and it’s justified through the media’s representation of criminal activities that have occurred around these protests” (17). Renauld asserts that the media is violently ostracized from public protests with reporters like Tony Holt, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reporter, being attacked while documenting destruction of property by US protesters. US reporters are simply trying to hold everyone accountable for their violent acts to gauge an accurate response of the outcomes resulting from the BLM movement, yet reporters are cancelled from articulating their full story according to Renauld. (Scholarly Source 3: Reason/Support 3) In response to the defacing of Robert E. Lee Memorial in Charlottesville, Virginia, another opponent of the violent BLM protests, R. Cort Kirkwood, longtime contributor to The New American, claims, “[t]hough [Lee] [was] flawed as we all are, BLM lies in claiming that [he] [was] unworthy of admiration. On balance, the history shows [Lee] [was] not just good, but great... flaws notwithstanding, and it is that for which we honor [him]” (18). Kirkwood asserts US society displays controversial historical figures to understand morals from previous zeitgeists and to reflect how much US society has evolved from racial discrimination in the past. Additionally, Kirkwood articulates defacing Robert E. Lee Memorial is incongruous because Lee believed enslaving African Americans was a “moral and political evil” in US society (24). (Conclusion) Clearly, the violent protests deriving from the BLM movement is destabilizing US society rather than reinforcing it.

       (Summation: Argue that your stance on the issue is best for US society) Ending the violent BLM protests is best for US Society because law enforcement officers are justified in their interactions with perpetrators, US citizens are empathetic for the Black community, and violent protests are dismantling US society rather than rebuilding it. Continuing the series of violent protests will disrupt the chain of empathy US citizens possess for each other, and will result in US society repeating history with racial issues. We now see the violence deriving from BLM protests is unjustified because US society has surpassed the milestone of viewing all equally. Progress is still yet to be made, but US society has reached the point where racial issues merely need to be fine-tuned. The demand for change will not be earned by advocating a meaningless hostile tantrum. US citizens must be patient and remain vigilant against the apparent racism and understand other US citizens are standing in solidarity with the Black Community. 

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Works Cited

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Belkin, Douglas. “Violence Erupts Around Protests Across U.S. Weekend Clashes Occur as

       Demonstrators Press Further Against Racism and Police Tactics.” ProQuest, Wall Street Journal, 27 July 2020,

       https://www-proquest- com.proxy.library.cpp.edu/docview/2427106620?accountid=10357.

 

Booker, Cory. “The Pros and the Justice in Policing .” EBSCOhost, Congressional Digest, 1 Sept.

       2020, https://web.a.ebscohost.com.proxy.library.cpp.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=5&sid=3d3f6f8f-65f0-44a0-a5fa-4213e9a34a7c%40sdc-v-sessmgr01.

 

Greene, Doyle. “Welcome to Minneapolis (or, Then Came the Last Days of May).” Film

       Criticism, Editors' Contributions, 2020, https://quod.lib.umich.edu/f/fc/13761232.0044.408?view=text;rgn=main.

 

Jordan, Jim. “Should Congress Pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to Reform U.S.

       Policing Practices and Increase Accountability?” EBSCOhost, Congressional Digest, 1 Sept. 2020, 

       https://web.a.ebscohost.com.proxy.library.cpp.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=9&sid=d39e1565-b7d2-49d1-8c9e-cb179c61bb1d%40sessionmgr4007.

 

Kendi, Ibram X. “Black Deaths, American Lies.” Gale in Context, The New York Times

       Company, 25 June 2017, https://go-gale-com.proxy.library.cpp.edu/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=News.

 

Kirkwood, R. Cort. “Tearing Down Statues of Real Heroes.” EBSCOhost, The New American,

       24 Aug. 2020,

       https://web.b.ebscohost.com.proxy.library.cpp.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&sid=6d02aa57-2900-460e-a839-922faf17f8bd%40sessionmgr103.

 

Maurantonio, Nicole. “‘Reason to Hope?’: The White Savior Myth and Progress in ‘Post-Racial’

       America.” ProQuest, Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, Dec. 2017,

       https://www-proquest-com.proxy.library.cpp.edu/docview/1989133941?accountid=10357.

 

Nix, Justin. “On the Challenges Associated with the Study of Police Use of Deadly Force in the

       United States: A Response to Schwartz & Jahn.” PLoS ONE, 28 July 2020,

       https://web.a.ebscohost.com.proxy.library.cpp.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=12&sid=1dc561c9-7127-4656-980f-e1ac9849adf6%40sessionmgr4007.

 

Reilly, Wilfred C. “America Run Riot: The Narrative Around the Killing of George Floyd Is

       Destructively False.” EBSCOhost, Commentary , 1 July 2020,

       https://web.a.ebscohost.com.proxy.library.cpp.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=9&sid=26371112-ba58-4a2f-9238-7d31f0992177%40sdc-v-sessmgr01.

 

Renauld, Brent. “Tension Is High Trust Is Low: Coverage of Black Lives Matter Protests in

       Little Rock .” EBSCOhost, Nieman Reports, 1 July 2020,

       https://web.b.ebscohost.com.proxy.library.cpp.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=6&sid=65424e38-d3e9-4eb6-b4fa-3c60a76e2a72%40pdc-v-sessmgr06.

 

Solomon, Eric. “Stop Talking About Empathy and Start Acting on It.” EBSCOhost,

       Entrepeneur.com, 1 Sept. 2020,

       https://web.b.ebscohost.com.proxy.library.cpp.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=3&sid=d61ca11b-7c12-4f63-882a-5c7a23290206%40pdc-v-sessmgr02.

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Zissou, Rebecca. “Uniting for Black Lives.” EBSCOhost, Junior Scholastic, 7 Sept. 2020,

       https://web.b.ebscohost.com.proxy.library.cpp.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&sid=65424e38-d3e9-4eb6-b4fa-3c60a76e2a72%40pdc-v-sessmgr06.

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Trey Nicholas

Dr. Gill-Mayberry

ENG 2105

27 October 2020

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“The best writing is rewriting:” 3 Draft(s); 2 Tutorial(s)  (Peer Mentor Robert; WC Tyler Walker); 0 Teacher conference(s)

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Prewriting:

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Step 1: Who is my audience?

       My audience is those who claim Black Lives Matter (BLM) combats against the racial inequality and injustice in US Society, or are unsure what to believe about BLM’s influence. Those who share my perspective that the BLM campaign is an unnecessary response to US society’s apparent racism can also be my audience, but this paper is not designed to reinforce confirmation biases; rather it is designed to reinforce formerly held beliefs.

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Step 2: What is my purpose?

       My purpose is to convince those who think differently that I am correct in believing the BLM campaign is an unnecessary response to US society’s apparent racism. 

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Step 3: What is my premise?

       My premise is BLM’s campaign in achieving racial justice is an unnecessary response to US society’s apparent racism for several reasons, including police’s non-discriminatory exertion of force, the shared racial empathy among US citizens and corporations, and the BLM protests co-opted by domestic terrorist groups advocating violence, not peace. First, the term, “police violence” is continuously misconceived by US citizens. Second, US citizens stand in solidarity and accept those of foreign demographics. Third, BLM protests are exploited by domestic terrorist groups, thereby diminishing the campaign’s impact in US society. 

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Step 4: What is my chosen quotation?

       My quotation is, “...evidence regarding framing effects… of the term ‘police violence’ has the potential to mislead readers who believe that police use of deadly force is rampant and usually unjustified…” (3).

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Trey Nicholas

Dr. Gill

ENG 2105

1 October 2020

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“The best writing is rewriting:” Best Rewrite 3 Draft(s); 2 Tutorial(s) Peer Mentor Robert, WC Tyler Walker, ; 0 Teacher conference(s)

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Kendi, Ibram X. “How to Be an Antiracist.” EBSCOhost, 2019, https://web.a.ebscohost.com.proxy.library.cpp.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=3&sid=38deff1e-60a4-46f2-89ffebb18b45f864%40sessionmgr4008&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLHVpZCZzaXRlPWVob3N0LWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#AN=1810881&db=nlebk.

 

(Provocative Title) Uprooting Racism in America

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      (Unity/Topic Sentence) In Ibram X. Kendi’s ambitious book, How to be an Antiracist, Kendi offers insightful ideas in observing racism and how to eradicate it. (Adequate Development/Body) To keep the readers engaged, Kendi captures their interests by synthesizing ethics, history, law, and science — all aspects guiding our society — with his own personal story to fight racism. Kendi argues we “struggle to be fully human and to see that others are fully human.” Personally, this quote is evocative because its concise structure offers the full nature of what has kept America divided for so long. According to Kendi, America’s realization of these transparent struggles will grant a new light closer to equality. (Coherence/Conclusion) After reviewing Kendi’s, How to be an Antiracist, readers will gain awareness of the corruptive consequences deriving from racism and how racism should be approached in America. 

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Trey Nicholas

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“The best writing is rewriting:” Best Rewrite 3 Draft(s); 2 Tutorial(s) Peer Mentor Robert, WC Tyler Walker; 0 Teacher conference(s)

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(Provocative Title) “There is not Equal Justice”

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       (Unity/Topic Sentence) In the fight for justice, Ibram X. Kendi, professor at Boston University, opposes the grand jury’s decision to not indict any police officers for the killing of Breonna Taylor because America should not protect anyone who kills another American. (Adequate Development/Body) To begin, Kendi announces the discrimination Black Americans have to confront in contemporary America with the legal system. To support his stance, Kendi notes how difficult it is “to charge, let alone, convict an officer in America” no matter who the victim is. Furthermore, Kendi claims his opponents believe “something is wrong with black people,” when Kendi perceives “something’s wrong with our criminal justice system,” because “to say there is something wrong with any group of people... is to express a racist idea.” According to Kendi, police officers are meant to de-escalate the situation in the face of violence rather than kill the perpetrator; therefore America should not protect anyone, including the police, who kills another American. (Coherence/Conclusion) In conclusion, witnessing the officers walk away from the jury case tears a hole in Kendi’s soul because equal justice was not apparent for Breonna Taylor. 

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Trey Nicholas

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“The best writing is rewriting:”  Best Rewrite: Is America a Post-racial Society?, 3 Draft(s); 2 Tutorial(s) WC Tyler Walker, Peer Mentor Robert; 1 Teacher conference(s)

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Con #1: 

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Nix, Justin. “On the Challenges Associated with the Study of Police Use of Deadly Force in the United States: A Response to Schwartz & Jahn.” PLoS ONE, 28 July 2020, https://web.a.ebscohost.com.proxy.library.cpp.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=12&sid=1dc561c9-7127-4656-980f-e1ac9849adf6%40sessionmgr4007. 

 

Key Quote:  “...evidence regarding framing effects… of the term “police violence” has the potential to mislead readers who believe that police use of deadly force is rampant and usually unjustified…” (3).

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(Provocative Title) Understanding the Whole in Police Violence

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       (Unity/Topic Sentence) Justin Nix, author of “On the Challenges Associated with the Study of Police Use of Deadly Force in the United States: A response to Schwartz & Jahn,” essentially argues, “we must consider the framing of police violence before assuming their acts are unjust” (2). (Adequate Development/Body) To begin, Nix addresses the flawed framing in “fatal police violence.” According to Nix, opponents do not understand “labelling every police-involved death ‘fatal police violence’ assigns all responsibility to officers, as if none of the citizens involved contributed in any way to the violence” (2). To support his stance, Nix includes a study conducted by Fridkin and colleagues where students watched the arrest of Ersula Ore while being exposed to the law and order and police brutality frames. His findings reveal “frames significantly affected students’ evaluations of both the officer and the professor… indirectly [influencing] their broader perceptions of racist policing being a problem in their community” (3). Further supporting his stance, Nix refers to the killing of Salvador Reyes on October 17, 2016 by a Tulsa police officer. After a “three-hour standoff with Reyes… who had broken into his ex-wife’s home, grabbed her two-year-old daughter, and held the girl at gunpoint on a balcony,” Reyes was shot by a sniper, killing him and “saving the little girl’s life” (3). Considering this event, Nix argues, “when officers use deadly force, it follows or preempts a perceived imminent deadly threat—either to their own lives or the lives of other citizens” (3). (Coherence/Conclusion) In conclusion, Nix’s “evidence regarding framing effects… of the term “police violence” has the potential to mislead readers who believe that police use of deadly force is rampant and usually unjustified,” but it is important in understanding the whole when faced with police violence in America (3). 

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Trey Nicholas

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“The best writing is rewriting:”  Best Rewrite: Is America a Post-racial Society?, 3 Draft(s); 2 Tutorial(s) WC Tyler Walker, Peer Mentor Robert; 1 Teacher conference(s)

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Pro #1:

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Kendi, Ibram X. “Black Deaths, American Lies.” Gale in Context, The New York Times Company, 25 June 2017, https://go-gale-com.proxy.library.cpp.edu/ps/retrieve.do?tabID=News.

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Key Quote: “In these high-profile cases, it is not just police officers who are on trial. America is on trial. Either these deaths are justified, and therefore America is just, or these deaths are unjustified, and America is unjust” (1).

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(Provocative Title) Accepting the Racist Reality of America

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       (Unity/Topic Sentence) Given the question, “[i]s America a post-racial society?” Ibram X. Kendi argues, “[i]n these high-profile cases, it is not just police officers who are on trial. America is on trial. Either these deaths are justified, and therefore America is just, or these deaths are unjustified, and America is unjust” (1). (Adequate Development/Body) Kendi, a leading anti-racist scholar, exposes America’s countless unjust acts led by their own legal system against Black Americans and demands that America’s critical thinkers “[kill] the post-racial myth and [confess] racism” (1). Initially, Kendi rhetorically asks his audience, “[w]hy are police officers rarely charged for taking black lives, and when they are, why do juries rarely convict?” (1). To promote his credibility, Kendi introduces an event of police brutality: the tragedy of Philando Castile, a Black American father riding in a car with his daughter who witnessed his murder. Castile was shot by Officer Jeronimo Yanez and was accountable for his own death even after the “damning video from the dashboard camera of Officer Yanez's patrol car” was released (1). Kendi argues this problem of unjust America derives from many Americans misconceiving how equitable the criminal justice system is. Kendi supports this claim stating, “50 percent of whites feel the races are treated equally by the police, compared with 16 percent of blacks. Even more whites feel the races are treated equally in the courts. The survey found that 38 percent of whites think their country has no more racial work to do” (1). With many Americans unaffected by their flawed perceptions of America, Kendi claims judges can “maintain laws that form a racist criminal justice system that produces and defends racist cops who disproportionately kill innocent black people.” (Coherence/Conclusion) To conclude, Kendi asks Americans to confess the racist reality they live in; only then will unjustified black deaths be eliminated. 

 

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Trey Nicholas

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“The best writing is rewriting:”  Best Rewrite: George Floyd: Protesting Resulting in Police Brutality, 3 Draft(s); 2 Tutorial(s) Peer Mentor Robert, WC Maria Acero; 0 Teacher conference(s)

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Con #2:

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Greene, Doyle. “Welcome to Minneapolis (or, Then Came the Last Days of May).” Film Criticism, Editors' Contributions, 2020, https://quod.lib.umich.edu/f/fc/13761232.0044.408?view=text;rgn=main. 

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Key Quote: “On May 25 it was glaringly apparent that the problem was law enforcement and the solution was protest. By May 30 the situation was categorically reversed: protest was the problem and law enforcement was the solution” (1). 

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(Provocative Title) Law Enforcement: The Solution to Protests

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       (Unity/Topic Sentence) Given the wavering responses to the George Floyd protests, Doyle Greene, an independent scholar, argues, “[o]n May 25 it was glaringly apparent that the problem was law enforcement and the solution was protest. By May 30 the situation was categorically reversed: protest was the problem and law enforcement was the solution” (1). (Adequate Development/Body) With Floyd’s murder on May 25, 2020, sparking an outrage in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Greene claims protestors must engage “in a process of ‘discipline and education’” when protesting to avoid subjugation to police violence (1). Protestors ignored the first curfew initiated on May 29, therefore the mayor presented a unified front; as Greene colloquially put it, Minneapolis was “in for a serious time-out” (1). In the press conferences covering peaceful demonstrations, Greene further expressed the importance to peacefully assemble before the curfew. If people disobey the curfew, they will be held liable for the police to exert force.  According to Greene, Minneapolis’s “[attempt] to discipline and educate the citizenry of Minneapolis” justified the police violence during protests responding to Floyd (1). (Coherence/Conclusion) In conclusion, with the tables now turned, Greene emphasizes the importance of citizenry discipline when protesting in America because failure to follow the proper mandates will result in the police authorizing force against protestors.

 

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Trey Nicholas

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“The best writing is rewriting:”  Best Rewrite: George Floyd:  Protesting Resulting in Police Brutality, 2 Draft(s); 2 Tutorial(s) Peer Mentor Robert, WC Maria Acero; 0 Teacher conference(s)

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Pro #2:

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Reilly, Wilfred C. “America Run Riot: The Narrative Around the Killing of George Floyd Is Destructively False.” EBSCOhost, Commentary , 1 July 2020, https://web.a.ebscohost.com.proxy.library.cpp.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=9&sid=26371112-ba58-4a2f-9238-7d31f0992177%40sdc-v-sessmgr01. 

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Key Quote: “The George Floyd Protests—and Riots—Are a Rebellion against an Unjust System” (19).

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(Provocative Title) Protest Out of Virtue

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       (Unity/Topic Sentence) In response to the demand for change in America, Wilfred C. Reilly, a political science professor at Kentucky State University, argues, “[t]he George Floyd Protests—and Riots—Are a Rebellion against an Unjust System” (19). (Adequate Development/Body) With America justifiably protesting Floyd’s name across the country, Reilly claims, “[w]hen people are systematically beaten, killed, and not given the resources to thrive, rebellion becomes inevitable” (19). Reilly further exclaims “the true violence is ‘police violence, white vigilantism, and poverty’” (19). To rationalize the looting of businesses when fighting the unjust America during protests, Reilly claims, “[t]o a remarkable degree, mainstream media and even America’s corporate brands have played a significant role in promoting the conventional police brutality narrative” (20). (Cohesion/Conclusion) Overall, with America displaying an unjust system, Reilly essentially claims we must protest out of virtue to seek justice. 

 

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