I chose this article at first because I am one to ignore jail problems and the prisoners in them, but after reading this wonderful article, I now see that there are real people in there with real feelings. If just a few brave people step up to volunteer and talk to the people in jail, they might actually change their actions, for the better of our community, they just need a little love.
http://www.cincinnati.com/story/opinion/columnists/krista-ramsey/2014/10/19/jail-program-needs-volunteers-willing-listen/17531835/
"Standing in front of that first prison, all I could think of was the word fail."
EXPLANATION: I chose this specific line over all of the other lines because it has a very strong hidden meaning. What I mean when I say this is that the reader gets to decide how to decipher this sentence. I think that it is saying something about any individual in the jail cell, that one bad move that cost them five years, to a life sentence shows that they definitely screwed up, and failed to do anything meaningful in their lives. But we all mess up sometimes, don't we? The prisoners just happened to be caught doing the messed up things. And I am definitely sure that you love to chatter with your friends about the latest gossip, but what if instead you took that chatter to the prison and talked to somebody who doesn't usually communicate with outdoor people? I definitely think that it's worth a shot! The diction in this sentence is also worth mentioning. 'Fail' is such a strong, powerful word, that strikes you right in the gut when you hear it, wether it's on a test or a life mission, failing really stinks. Although it is a heart wrenching word, it works perfectly in this sentence because you are obviously in prison for something that you failed to accomplish, like a robbery or murder. The syntax in this passage is very evenly spaced out and helps the message flow very easily. All of these points are why I chose this structured sentence as the one that completely overrules the rest.
SUMMARY OF KRISTA RAMSEY'S WRITING: While reading each of Krista Ramsey's columns I noticed so much detail and structure that they completely overwhelmed me with the exquisite technique! Each of the articles that I have read are very unique and important in their own personal way. Take the column: For better vision, kids need time outdoors as an example. This article stresses the importance of getting children off of their cell phones to being more active outside. An example in this article is when Ramsey states; "You see it all the time. Your teenager at the dinner table, waiting for his checkup at the orthodontist's office, sauntering to his car- continually hunched over his smartphone or iPad." This introductory statement sets the stage perfectly so that readers can connect to the passage about to be read, instead of just reading it because they have to. Another article stressed the point of dress attire for certain occasions, and how people have lost respect in their clothing. It was called Super Bowl QBs score points for greater style. An example of Ramsey's voice reaching out through her diction is when she says: "And life itself regains the punctuation that says every day isn't the same as every other, that we are all part of a collective experience and that we honor each other and ourselves when we care about how we're groomed and dressed." This strength in just a few sentences reveals how careful Krista is when she says something in her column, because she wants it to sound like everyday people! My final example is in the article called: Jail program needs volunteers willing to listen. This is one of the more emotional columns because Ramsey gives up her emotions for the well-being of the piece. An example of this is when she states; "For most of my life I have averted my eyes when driving by a prison. It was a world I didn't want to think about, of harm done to innocent victims and of human beings locked away from light, freedom, their families to pay for their crimes." This statement makes me want to second guess criminals, are they really the monsters we think, or just real people with real feelings? This question causes me to ponder because as a child, I was terrified of those people in jail, and now that I read this and Krista Ramsey's perspective, I see that there are different ways to judge people. Thanks to all three articles, I have been able to get in touch on these ideas in my own brain! I hope to read more of Krista Ramsey's columns because they are truly inspiring!
QUESTIONS:
1. Do you find it easy to pay attention to detail, or do you find it hard to come up with topics for your columns because you must be specific about the true meaning?
2. Do you get your ideas from your brain, or everyday experience, or just as you go through life?
3. If someone just gave you a random topic and you had to create a column about it, would you be able to? Or do you get your topics from a moment that connected to you?
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