Madyy Wells 1 Madyy Wells Mrs. Seale AP Language, Block 4 22 February 2012 MLK Analysis In the Letter From Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King systematically strikes down the views of eight clergymen through various techniques and refutes them with his own claims to make his audience see their error of their ways and be called to action. The first claim King addresses is "outsiders coming in".(pg1, par2). The clergymen claim that disputes and problems should be handled locally, without the intrusion of outside sources. For example, the clergymen think that the segregation problem and the protests should be resolved in Birmingham alone. King cleverly uses their own words against them by describing the life and purpose of the apostle Paul. He was also an outsider that went into a foreign city to help. Paul was called to Macedonia by a vision, according to Acts 16:9 (NCV). Like Paul, King's help was requested by the people of Birmingham because he was the "president of the Southern Leadership Conference." (pg1, par2). By alluding to the Bible, the clergymen have no choice but to concede because to do otherwise would be going against the word of a God. The next clergymen claim King shoots down is that the civil rights activists should negotiate rather than protest. King directly contrast whites and blacks on the last paragraph of pg 1 when he says, "the city's white power structure left the Negro community with no alternative." Then he goes on in paragraphs 5 and 6 to describe how Negros have been mistreated in the courts and that the few promises made by government officials were broken. King does this to make light of the events the clergymen conveniently forgot to mention in their letter and by doing so, causes his audience to take another step to his side. He ties up his argument in paragraph 8 by explaining the reaction the protesters hope to draw from the population of Birmingham. It's tension. King explains that the protests serve to shove the problem under the noses of the government to a point where the tension is so great, the segregation problem can no longer be ignored. King is slowly backing the clergymen into a corner of hard facts, Biblical comparisons, and fiery emotions that true men of God can't ignore. King then moves on to address the claim that the Birmingham protests are "untimely"(par10). He uses brilliant word choice in par 10 and the beginning of par 11 to say that the clergymen's statement is actually an opinion. He points out that the people who haven't suffered from injustice are of course going to be less concerned about the injustice of others. This incites a feeling of guilt in the clergymen and the white moderate, as they start to see that they have removed themselves from the emotional aspects of the cruelty going on in their city. At this point, they start to feel the emotional pull to take action against the injustice of segregation. The final claim King refutes is that "all laws should be obeyed."(11-16) He starts by stating there are two types of laws; just and unjust. Then he defines what makes a law just or unjust. Basically, an unjust law is out of sync with a higher moral code and a just law is in harmony with it.(par12) He alludes to the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, where 3 men deliberately disobeyed a law made by the king himself because there was a "higher moral law at stake."(par16). Once again, the clergymen, being men of God, find it hard to argue with a well used biblical allusion. He also references to Hitler's abominations in Germany being legal and the attempts for justice by the Hungarian Freedom Fighters being illegal to further elaborate this point. The audience is left with the realization that not everything is black and white when it comes to laws. By the end of his letter, King has not only calmly and classily destroyed every single claim made by the clergymen, he's so effectively done so that the clergymen and more generally, the white moderate, are left feeling that there is no other choice but to integrate.

This is the report I did for Word Pro. Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressia Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressia, or FOP, is an extremely rare, congenital( or present at birth), genetic disorder where muscle tissues, including ligaments and tendons, are ossified, or replaced by bone over time. This disease forms extra- skeletal bone that restricts movement. The body “...forms a second skeleton...” (How FOP Works by Katie Lambert). It is the only known condition where the body can literally take one organ system and turn it into another. FOP is caused by a mutation on the ACVR1 gene. This gene carries instructions on production bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) which controls the growth or bone and muscles, such as the replacement of cartilage with bone. The mutation of the gene cause the BMP receptors to never turn off, constantly signaling the body to form bone. FOP is completely random in that the mutation is different every time. It can be inherited, following an autosomal dominant pattern, meaning one copy of the broken gene is needed in each cell. Usually, the patient has no family history of the disease. FOP is so rare, it affects only 1 in every 2 MILLION people. This disease follows no racial pattern like Sickle Cell. There are only 700 cases confirmed world wide and only 185 in the United States. “Childhood and adolescence [is] the most difficult time(s)...[because] FOP seems to be most active...” FOP Patientʼs Story. Most patients are diagnosed by age ten, with bone ossification starting at age 5. There are only a few signs and symptoms of FOP and many of them are consistent with other diseases, such as cancer. An “...early indicator of FOP.” (How FOP Works by Katie Lambert) is malformed toes that are observable at birth. This is the number one sign of FOP. Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressia often starts in the neck and shoulders, progressing down the body. There will be inflammation and swelling, with tumor- like lesions. Affected areas can be red, painful, and hot to the touch. Often there is a fever associated. Sometimes, like with bone cancer, a patient will experience a trauma that cause a soft- tissue growth. Combine the lack of symptoms with the rarity of the disease and FOP is extremely hard to diagnose, mostly because it isn’t something doctors think to test for. The main diagnostic tool is genetic testing. They will also do x-rays and MRI’s. A skeletal survey will be done. This disease should be diagnosed prenatal but it isn't always. Unfortunately, there is no cure for FOP and no proven, effective treatment. There has been research done for possible medication-based treatments and gene therapy. FOP is extremely unpredictable therefore it is difficult to asses. FOP bone can be removed but it only makes the disease more aggressive. The treatment proven most effective is anti-inflammatory drugs but anti-angiogenic drugs (drugs that stop the formation of blood vessels which bone needs to grow) have also shown promise. Fibrodysplasia is a terrible disease. Most patients are lucky to live to adulthood because their bodies form so much bone that their internal organs are crushed. The problem with rare diseases is knowledge and funds are limited when it comes to researching cures. What we need to think about is what if it was you or your family/friend?

I am taking the SAT for the first time tomorrow (wish me luck!) and took a practice test online. Here's the essay I wrote. The prompt was about whether or not people do better when they are allowed to work their own way or on their own terms. When people are allowed to do things their own way, on their own terms, and on their own time, their creativity is allowed to flourish and brilliant things may happen like with James Watson discovery DNA. For example, look at high schools. 90% of the time a student will learn better if they're actually enjoying what they're are doing. When they're are allowed to read books they choose, they learn more and comprehend better. When they get to have control over their projects and their writing, they try harder because it's all about them. You can also look at the teachers in a high school. Many times teachers will zone out and not put a lot of effort into their lesson plans or into helping students because they're bogged down by the rules of an unprioritzed administration or one that has unrealistic expectations. That is what's happened at my high school in Bryant. Many of the great teachers are retiring because they feel the standards of the school are ridiculously high or that the administration's rules aren't fair. Another expmple would be in the workplace. If workers are put on too tight of a leash, they aren't allowed to develop any new skills or become better at their job. Employers have to give employees the chance to use their own problem solveing skills and develop as a person to be able to increase their knowledge of their career field. Also the same goes for scientists just like in the excert given. When scientists in history made monumental scientific discoveries, they didn't do so conventionally. Thomas Jefferson tried over 50 different ways to make a light bulb and after about 5 he wasn't going by the book anymore. Like the quote said, James Watson thought creatively on his own constantly and through his own methods, he discover ed the structure of DNA. There are many literary examples of what happens when individualism isn't nurtured in people. One is George Orwells's 1984. In this novel, Orwell predicts a bleak future that shows the dangers of comformity. It also shows how creativity and the need for difference cannot be squashed in humans when the character Winston rebells against his government. Another good example is Anthem by Ann Rand. In this novel, Rand creates a dystopia that is completely controlled by a harsh government with no room for intellectual growth or creative development. The main character in this book also demonstrates the inborn individualism we all have when he escapes his government. It is obvious if you look at history and the world today, people function best on their own terms. In fact, they thrive. We as humans have our own thoughts and our own mind and we don't grow as intellectuals when our individualism is taken away by the status quo's standards. We are beings with inborn creativity and no rule or standard can suppress that.