"A Modest Proposal"

There were countless impressionable pieces of literature we read in class throughout the school year, but there was one in particular that stood out for its unique style, fashion, and topic. “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift was an unexpected sarcastic essay written originally as a letter to a higher authority in England. One would assume the piece is formally and properly written as it misleadingly begun with such grace, poise, and solemnity. Swift logically begins his essay by stating and elaborating on the problems of poverty and overpopulation in Ireland. He continues by saying that although the Irish are Catholic and they do not believe in the use of contraception, the children should be useful in some manner. Until this point, Swift’s argument sounds reasonable and there is no reason to doubt his intention to better society. At this point, Swift has appealed to logos and ethos, but he still has not provided the audience with a scheme or proposal. Swift proposes that they begin to eat the one year olds by selling them to the rich of England as a delicacy. Although it was aimed to be sarcastic, people took it seriously because he presented so many logical reasons as to why this benefits the English. This piece was my favorite because of the satirical aspect and the misinterpretation of many, although it was such a radical and unreasonable solution to such a large issue. I remember this piece because it was so different from the others; not only did its uniqueness help it to stand out next to the other pieces of literature, but Jonathan Swift’s style was one that was like no other.

Tensions Rise in Nigeria

"Nigerians Vote in Crucial State Elections As Tensions Flare in the South"
By: Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/11/nigerian-state-elections_n_7045896.html?utm_hp_ref=black-voices&ir=Black%20Voices
Source: Huffington Post

Nigerian citizens approached the election for state governors and assemblies, where the opposition “hopes to make gains following its victory unseating President Goodluck Jonathan two weeks ago” (Huffington Post). Nine people were killed in the oil abundant state of Rivers. Dakuku Peterside, the gubernatorial candidate for the opposition, claimed that eight of his supporters had been killed; a police said that one officer was killed. President of the Kalabari Youth Federation Livingstone Membere spoke to The Associated Press from Asari Toru area, telling them that “A lot of gunshots in the air as I speak to you, but the military is trying their best to bring the situation under control” (Huffington Post). Both the house of the state commissioner for women’s affairs and a polling station were burned down. The rivalry is brutal since Nigerian governors are among the country’s most commanding politicians and regularly control budgets larger than those of numerous African countries. An electoral official that spoke on condition of anonymity because she is not authorized to speak to reporters claimed that eight youth corps polling agents were kidnapped on the day of the election and the police managed to rescue only four by that afternoon. Igbo people in Lagos, the financial heart of the nation, have filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission “after the king of the Yoruba tribe allegedly threatened to kill them if they did not vote for his opposition gubernatorial candidate” (Huffington Post). The opposition coalition hold fourteen states to twenty one for Jonathan’s Peoples Democratic Party, which has undergone many defections since his loss in the presidential election to Muhammadu Buhari, a former military dictator. Voters are appalled by the corruption that swallows billions of dollars. Even worse, they are sickened by Jonathan’s inability to restrain Boko Haram’s nearly six-year-old Islamic uprising in the northeast that killed a reported 10,000 people in the past year alone. According to U.N. statistics, nearly two-thirds of Nigerians struggle to survive on less than two dollars a day, despite their wealth of oil.

"Once in a Lifetime"

All my life I have dreamed of being able to make a difference for the innocent dogs that have been beaten, neglected, and abused. Just because they are dogs, it does not suddenly become morally acceptable to treat them in an inhumane way. Dogs are the most common victims of animal cruelty, and reported abuse against pit bull-type dogs has been on the rise the past few years. There are hundreds, possibly thousands of cases related to animal abuse that go unreported. In the U.S. only, approximately 3.9 million dogs are entered into animal shelters and 1.2 million are euthanized. The number of stray dogs cannot be counted, but one stray dog is one too many. Animal abuse statistics show a depressing scenario when it comes to the suffering of animals at the hands of a man.

            For my “once in a lifetime” I choose to transform the lives of the innocent. I would travel to various destinations to find dogs that are in need of assistance and tend to their individual needs. Often times, pregnant female dogs are kicked out because the owner does not want to take care of the litter. To prevent these situations, all dogs will be spayed or neutered. Once the dogs seem ready to be given a new home, they will be put up for adoption. Potential owners will be put through a thorough investigation to determine whether or not they are fit to take care of this dog. Once the family has been determined eligible to adopt the dog, they will be able to take it home. The goal of this project would be to have various locations where one will be able to relocate dogs into homes where they know they will not be neglected, beaten and abused.