Analysis Blog #2

"Race by the Numbers"

In "Race by the Numbers, Orlando Patterson discusses the census results from 2000. He claims that the people have been misinformed (causing ciaos) about the percentage change in the white population. Due to the definition of "white" many people were placed into the wrong category, causing this false perception that the white population was dramatically decreasing. While reading his essay I felt that he made a very valid argument and gave plenty of facts to back up his ideas. Patterson uses many persuasive strategies to win over his readers and prove his point. In my opinion, he used statistics, history, and political analysis all equally throughout his essay. However, I would say that his use of statistics when talking about the race percentages made his argument much easier for the readers to believe and understand. For instance, here Patterson talks about the true percentage of whites while using statistics to help validate what he is saying, “whites remain a robust 69.1 percent of the total population of the nation. If we include Hispanic whites, as we should, whites constitute 75.14 percent of the total population, down by only 5 percent from the 1990 census.” Numbers always help make an argument stronger if used properly like Orlando did here. 

"Family a Symbol of Love and Life, but not Politics"

In Eric Zorn’s "Family a Symbol of Love and Life, but not Politics” the issue of "taking family back" is brought up. I think this could mean a few things, but one thing he makes very clear is the fact that the word "family" needs to be taken back from all these conservative/ anti-gay marriage and abortion organizations such as Family PAC, and American Family Association, all who use it wrongly. He states that they have "Monopolized it for too long, turned it into shorthand for a social and political outlook that excludes rather than includes..." I totally agree with him. His argument is more than valid. He, along with many other Americans, believes in the freedom to live and love whomever you want. Family is a word that should bring people together, not separate and exclude. I love this quote and I think it works perfectly here, "Ohana means family. And family means no one gets left behind...or forgotten". It doesn’t matter what "type" of family you have, it's still a group of people who love each other for who they are. And no government organization has the right to tell us whom we can and cannot love.