Introduction
Response is the act of reviewing the works of other people which may include journals,, books, articles or videos. It brings out the understanding of the topic in discussion, and giving views of the issue. Response works includes uses of terms such as I believe or I thought and states precisely what the reader has learned from the article. This paper provides a response to the works and topics of various people that include; the article of bennet, the case of poverty in the United States, the meaning and understanding of the term privilege and finally the response on the video regarding guerrilla gardening and a brief conclusion.
Response to Bennet article: communication
This article talks about the concept of communication, it narrates of how people misinterpret information, basing their argument on their own views and opinions. This makes many people end up getting an opposite meaning of the information far from what was intended by the source of the information. The intention of just a simple or a piece of simple information which was intended to pass a simple message may be complicated by a person or a group of individuals who may have similar or contradicting opinions and mislead the whole community. Bennet states that representations of people when delivering the information may be based on many factors such as ethnicity, the myths ideologies, religion and also the act of cultural-bounds that makes people have beliefs and affects the way a person makes a presentation of certain information to the public. These bases used by the mediators make the respondent capture a different meaning of the message (Bennet, 1717).
In the article, I found some concrete facts about the effective communication skills such as listening, getting and capturing the correct information being delivered by the messenger. Some factors engaged in when reading the article, these factors, which involve the phenomena of inequality in the communicating parties. In the case of a master and a slave, there exists a mere relationship, which makes frequent communication difficult, hence most of the times, the slave is expected to make conclusions basing on the masters reaction. In the case of the Hegel analysis, it is evident that there was a discrimination of the black from the white. This is the reason that there was no frequent communication between them. From this, there is the need of validating mutual relationship among the communicating parties in order to have a positive response and communication free of fear between the parties (Bennet, 1717). The cases of social, cultural, racial, and ethnicity differences, which hinder the effective communication, should not be addressed while communicating.
As many other people find it difficult while defining some new communication code, I also have the same problem. This happens in most of the cases when one wants to get the information in one-way communication. The individual does not take into consideration the changes in communication codes by the one delivering the message. The different code demonstrated by the people giving out information is very important in getting the concept of the message delivered. This has affected my thinking on the way I listen; I have noticed that it is important to take notes of the communication codes while listening. In addition, it is important to note the different tautological words used in the communication areas like the speeches. This is the state where different words are used to mean the same thing, and vice versa. This concept has affected and made me see the essence of using one word at a time to mean specific phenomena.
Second response on the bennet article: Negation
Some information may be taken to be true whereas they are false, other may be taken to be false while in real sense they are white and pure truth. This act of mis-representing the information in perception of truthiness and falseness is the one referred to as negation. In writing my response, I see the essence of taking much consideration to this issue, because these cases leads to much conflict especially if the topic in contention involves the public interest. Representing true information to people in a manner that they may perceive to be false which is against their interest leads to serious disruptions (Bennet, 1716).
The topic of negation to be more appropriate since it involves more real and practicable actions in day-to-day real life issues. Many people in today’s world get and interpret information based on their interest in such that they want to conceive the information that benefits or favors them. As a result, they perceive the information delivered in order to gain of benefit from it. This phenomenon is not ethical since in the end, or in the short-run, it affects many innocent individuals. Some negative statements in a speech used by the communicators are healthy and may not be eliminable; these statements may help to fix some existing dangerous issues among the users. Some false statements may also be used when teaching a child of a particular subject, which will be of benefit to his/her future life. For example, in the cases of racism, a two child of different skin color complexions may be told that they are brothers and that one of them was born at night that is why he/she is black. This makes the children think and perceive that they are brother and have a good relationship among them to a better society and a good fight against racism.
The topic has affected my perception on the value of issuing false statements and making them to appear collect. Although negative statements are unethical, sometimes it contributes to good relation among the people involved. Despite the critics of no man is perfect, some people issue negated information intentionally to create a healthy entente (Bennet, 1716). To my understanding, its good t scrutinizes every piece of information to be delivered to particular people and check on the ‘healthy’ mistakes that may be introduced. Negative statements forms the basis of a healthy discussion and from these discussions viable solutions to problem area achieved and implemented. On the other hand these statements may have negative impacts and in the eyes and lives of people involved, hence as a communicator I should try to make sure that I deliver the most truth to people as much as possible, this has influenced and shown me the essence of being truthful and that being honest costs nothing but dignity. (Bennet,1716)
Response on the topic of privileges
Some people in the society some more or have special rights over others. This kind of right enables them to have access to particular services, have right to talk to the people of the highest offices without having any distractions or following the necessary procedure, they seem to ranked higher in terms of social classes and not because they had worked much for it but it comes automatically and they found themselves being born at it. This special treatments enjoyed by people, who cannot be accessed by others of whom may be the majority, is what is referred to as privileges. Privileges on these people makes the ones who cannot access and enjoy the privileges feel marginalized. The ones possessing the privileges feel superior over the others.
Everyone was born on his own day and time. This makes us unique with different capabilities. I don’t think there is no such or particular human being that should be considered as the property of the other. The capability to do and perform various kinds of tasks does not lie basing the argument on the anatomy below the belt, but the anatomy above the neck (Dee, 2010). Of late we have dozens of women doing marvelous things this for example, Margaret Thatcher who was the first prime minister of England and did the best of what a man can do, Condoleezza rice the US secretary of states, and the late Wangari Mathai from Kenya, the Nobel peace prize laureate.
This article has affected my thinking of the case of racism and the case of male chauvinism. All the countries and the sovereign nations of the world should follow the acts done by the USA by electing a black president, this has made set my mind that the world is place for all of us and all of us are one community and everyone can fulfills his/her dream in any part of the world if we turn away from color discrimination (Dee, 2010). The second effect that struck my mind is that women should be given the opportunities as men and everyone allowed to exercise his/her rights without discrimination because every human has the same capability as the others ( Barlow, 2003).
Response on poverty in the United States
Poverty is a term used to mention one of the indicator and capabilities of individuals to meet the day-to-day life demand and get satisfaction of the basic needs and necessities. Many households use these concepts to base their position in satisfying of their need. The government also base on the poverty level to know how much to contribute to the community. The community in return uses these phenomenon to demand incentives and benefits from the government (Harris, et al 1998).
What has formed the bond of contention in the article provided about the poverty and the progress in the United States is the rate that the level of poverty among the poor increases at an increasing rate from year to year from the year 2008 to 2011. The case could have moved in the opposite direction. This has engaged me in the discussion; most of the States experience the same levels and conditions in the increment in the level of poverty. This shows that the levels of income of the households have reduced tremendously, or the level of inflation has risen, making the purchasing power of the individual to lower. This is also an indication that many people are living below the threshold of meeting their daily basic needs (Harris, et al 1998). Now, I try to wonder how these individuals survive.
This issue has made me lose confidence in believing that the higher level of income turns out to be a sign of richness, however there are many factors to be considered while measuring the level of poverty or richness. I did not think that a person living in the United States, which is the most developed state in the world, could be living below the poverty line. Formerly I thought that people in the United States have everything they need for a living at a switch click; however, this is not the case ( Mangum, et al 2003).
Response to a video: guerrilla gardening
The video about the Guerrilla gardening which goes for about 18 minutes explains this act of gardening as, gardening the land that does not belong to you and doing this more often. This act emanates from the homestead and extends the act to the public places. Guerrilla gardeners do this as a form of leisure, self-interest, or in the passing of some message to the public. They decorate the places to their own interest and views. As Richard argues in the video, it is not immoral to practice these act and that people should open up and bring it to the public (McKay, 2011).
The video engaged me to get involved and learn why people practice guerrilla gardening. One of the things that inspired me is that people practice it as way of public expression where people decorate public places to make it fit their own way which is accepted by the entire public. The other issue is that individuals do it as a way of social entertainment where in most cases people would stop to get the gist of what is happening; hence, one socializes well with other people (McKay, 2011). The last issue is that, people undertake it as a way of expressing their love for gardening to an extent of decorating the public places.
In my views about market gardening, every individual has the right to do what he/she does best, so long as it is not bringing any negative effects to the public. Practicing guerilla gardening as a hobby makes the individuals to be satisfied and have positive attitude towards the people who appreciate his/her work. This may a career or a calling to some of us, they may get the best out of it if given chance and proper attention, by engaging in this act, these people also train other on how to do it also passes the information them on the importance of maintain and keeping the environment tidy by doing this more often. This process results in the beautification of the environment, which leads to a more and human friendly environment for the people. Hence, I am of the idea that it is a good field of employment. In the context of doing it as a way of expressing the public interest, everyone is for the idea that it is moral to do a positive act even if you are trying to be negative some people or institution to which the act is directed. Therefore, the involved party will respond calmly, also congratulate the people for using positive ways in expressing their gratitude.
The video brought out the issue of doing what I love doing at any place so long as I find satisfaction. The guerrilla gardening as a way of love for it even in the public places affected me in the view of self-interest. It also affected me in the case of personal expression in that even doing something positive like gardening in the public places can help a person pass the message he/she wants to the desired respondents.
Conclusion
While reading or going through an article, it is always important to get the meaning or the gist of the topic of discussion, from these understanding one formulate an argument of the same, and express his/her views regarding the topics of discussion. Also, show what he/she has learnt from the article and the way it has formulated and changed them from what they knew about the topic.
References
Bennet, B. (1717). A memorial of the Reformation: (chiefly in England) and of Britain's deliverances from popery and arbitrary-power, since that time, to the year, 1716. By Benjamin Bennet. London: Printed for S. Cruttenden and T. Cox, J. McEuen in Edinburgh, and R. Akenhead in New-castle upon Tyne.
Bennet, T. (1716). A defence of the Discourse of schism: In answer to those objections, which Mr. Shepherd has made in his Three sermons of separation, &c. By Tho. Bennet. London: Printed in the year.
Harris, F. R., Curtis, L. A., & Milton S. Eisenhower Foundation (1998). Locked in the poorhouse: Cities, race, and poverty in the United States. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield.
Mangum, G. L., Mangum, S. L., Sum, A., & Levitan, S. A. (2003). The persistence of poverty in the United States. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
McKay, G. (2011). Radical gardening: Politics, idealism & rebellion in the garden. London: Frances Lincoln Ltd.
Barlow, A. L. (2003). Between fear and hope: Globalization and race in the United States. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield.
Dee, J. (2010). The privileges: A novel. New York: Random House.
