Seeking Truth and Justice

The Research Essay
Please write a multi-paragraph (paragraphs can be 9 + sentences long) essay using the essays or works suggested in this section (at least 2) as your support, as well as (at least 3) outside sources. The overall topic is SEEKING TRUTH AND JUSTICE. The research essay should be written just as your other essays, with an introduction and conclusion, but because of its length, you will need to share your expression with several body paragraphs. That really is the only difference. Each body paragraph should have a strong conceptual TOPIC SENTENCE that shares ideas you see as relevant to the overall topic(s)
Truth should be defined:
noun, plural truths [troothz, trooths].
the true or actual state of a matter: He tried to find out the truth.
conformity with fact or reality; verity: the truth of a statement.
a verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principle, or the like: mathematical truths.
the state or character of being true.
actuality or actual existence.
an obvious or accepted fact; truism; platitude.
How important is TRUTH?
CONSIDER Carl Sagan's essay "Does Truth Matter?" (310) This is a dense expression of the myriad of farcical notions we humans have about life. It questions what we know, but mostly what we think we know or what we superstitiously know or what we think our abilities are to reach higher powers and the unknown. It is incredibly powerful and can begin your journey. It is peppered with enclosed subtext (the boxes within the essay) that are most interesting! How do facts change our life? Why do people ignore them?
This essay could set you on a course to seek: odd hoaxes and ridiculous notions (Salem Witch Trials or Transcendental Meditation) or an essay about the pandemic and quarantine we are living today and how the information about its truth has been parsed with political ambition in its way. Consider all the avenues Sagan travels and let yourself sit with it for a bit. Does truth matter? The groundwork of this essay is a perfect start.
This essay also touches on science as a form of spirituality (312) and the Latin translation of spirit is "to breathe." Will the future allow for these two entities to meld?
Connection: Henry David Thoreau was a Transcendentalist (not to be confused with Transcendental Meditation). Transcendentalism (Links to an external site.)
This same section on page 312 discusses selfless courage as found in Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela, and Mohandas Gandhi. All these men were certain of a truth about mankind, that was being denied them. Where do people get this certainty? Where do they find the courage to stand up to the system? What else doe this entail?
JUSTICE Defined:
noun
the quality of being just; righteousness, equitableness, or moral rightness: to uphold the justice of a cause.
rightfulness or lawfulness, as of a claim or title; justness of ground or reason: to complain with justice.
the moral principle determining just conduct.
conformity to this principle, as manifested in conduct; just conduct, dealing, or treatment.
the administering of deserved punishment or reward.
the maintenance or administration of what is just by law, as by judicial or other proceedings: a court of justice.
judgment of persons or causes by judicial process: to administer justice in a community.
a judge on a higher court, especially a Supreme Court: the nine justices on the U.S. Supreme Court.
a minor judicial officer or magistrate.
(initial capital letter)Also called Justice Department. the Department of Justice.
Justice
How Important is Justice?
CONSIDER the essay "Civil Disobedience" by Henry David Thoreau (386). This essay was the impetus for Mohandas Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and Martin Luther King, who then inspired the "civil disobedience" of the Women's Marches across the country sparked by the #metoo movement and Black Lives Matter protests. Thoreau's protest against a tax was a minor confrontation, but it inspired the essay that has been read and adhered to for a century. Here, the participants were all sure of a truth and thus, sought JUSTICE.
CONSIDER "The Declaration of Independence" by Thomas Jefferson (218). This document sought freedom from tyranny. The British Crown (Great Britain) continued to tax the colonies, so the colonies rebelled, fought a war and won. They devised this document to separate themselves from Britain and to establish their beliefs in a new rule of law. How is this document relevant today as we consider ALL MEN and WOMEN?
CONSIDER the CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES. (Links to an external site.)
Today, the highest court in the land, The Supreme Court, often is considered binary (one of two things; either conservative or liberal). How are these judges considered liberal or conservative? What makes their decision-making identify them as one or the other. And what does it mean when a judge is called a originalist? How do judges come to their decisions within the reality of our world today. This would make for an interesting research essay as to the makeup of the court and how each judge seeks truth and justice.
George Washington Statue (Philadelphia, Masonic Temple) >> What the Constitution Means to Me a film by Heidi Schreck (Links to an external site.)
This film is on Amazon and since all of you as students get Prime for free, It's a MUST see!!!
CONSIDER "Sex, Lies and Advertising" by Gloria Steinem (349). This essay is about the launching of Ms. Magazine and the inability to find revenue through ads because no one believed women in the work force were a viable consumer market. The focus of your research essay could be the lack of truth (research) in advertising and the manipulation that occurs that keeps all of us in our places. (sexism, racism).
CONSIDER "The Ways We Lie" (Links to an external site.) by Stephanie Ericsson (157). Her expression considers the myriad ways we lie every day and how we take lying for granted. I do not want you to focus on LYING. Don't do that! However, one could use her essay (which mirrors the fallacies we consider in English 103) to establish how we feel about truth and where it fits in our daily lives. Perhaps we aren't evolved enough to accept truth daily, and in its purest forms, but when there is too much lying (coverups and discrepancies) we NEED truth.
CONSIDER the media today. Why did Trump, the 45th president of the United States, exclaim from the highest position in the land that the media we listen to and hope to trust is FAKE? He has called the media we trust "an enemy of the people." Why? What evidence did he ever produce? Consider the main source of our information. Consider the way information is disseminated and the trustworthiness of that process. Then consider his political gain. Then consider how his rhetoric has affected the American psyche. (There may be something in history that mirrors this agenda.)
Things to considers for your research & brainstorming:
What is truth? In Science? In Politics? In our Society? Where does it begin and end? How much truth can we take? Where does our truth come from? Once we establish our belief system, how often do we question our truth, if ever? How does Truth encounter Justice? Who seeks Justice? Why?
What is society’s role in establishing and maintaining TRUTH? Because of America's history, how should the future look in respect to justice and truth? Consider "Black Lives Matter" as a focus or "Women's Rights" or the "Myths and Misinformation about Latinos" over time.
How important is it that we as Americans understand American history as it really happened?
How has the “establishment” kept people (who are not white men) in their places? Have things changed at all in the last 50 years in that regard? 20 years? 3 years? How so? Whose voices are heard? Whose voices should be heard? Why and How? Do we turn a blind eye to truth? How true is something true?
What ethical responsibility do we have to each other? Our family? Our environment? Are we a depraved society that allows falsehoods and misinformation? Do we allow things to go unaddressed if we are benefiting from a situation? Do we exercise "doublethink"?
Doublethink is a process of indoctrination whereby the subject is expected to accept a clearly false statement as the truth, or to simultaneously accept two mutually contradictory beliefs as correct, often in contravention to one's own memories or sense of reality. Wikipedia (Links to an external site.)
Doublethink was coined by Orwell in his novel 1984. Some examples of doublethink from 1984: Even to understand the word—doublethink—involved the use of doublethink.” Four examples of doublethink used throughout 1984 include the slogans: War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength, and 2 + 2 = 5. Memory hole: a small chute leading to a large incinerator.
In recent history, there are several ways we experienced doublethink. The Republican party used (or hoped the American people experienced) doublethink while they continue to allow Trump his insistence that the 2020 presidential election was rigged and he refused to concede. Another example is when we know that plastics are bad for the environment, but can't avoid them (grocery store packaging, fast food, garbage bags, etc.). We care and want to do our part, but it is almost impossible to avoid plastics altogether.
These are IDEAS. Mull a lot of things around in your head and then focus. Do you have to dive deep into all these ideas? No, but taking one idea and investigating it further to see what is there is highly suggested. Do your research sooner than later. You may see an avenue of research here and think to yourself, "That's what I'll do," but then you don't begin your work for a couple of weeks. It is at that time that you realize it isn't what you want to do. That's a problem!! Get your research done right away. KNOW what your plan is. Ask questions of me and the Learning Center and the Library NOW, so you feel confident about your focus. I can't emphasize this enough. The research and investigation is the fun part. ENJOY IT!!
GROUND RULES: Do not use the titles of essays you’ve read or the authors in your thesis or topic sentences. You must focus on an abstract idea that you analyze, and then use what you have read from the essay book to support your interpretation and explanation of said conceptual idea. Think, this time, in more than THREES, because you have more than three body paragraphs that need focus and power. Each body paragraph should cover some aspect of the conceptual idea. Your paper should be around 1700+ words or about seven pages. This count is WITHOUT the Works Cited page(s). You should make use of quotes (at least six) and use MLA formatting.
HELPFUL HINTS: Consider journalistic questions as you configure your plan, as well as the rhetorical modes cause and effect and definition. Professional writers you are reading often consider reasons why things occur or consequences of behavior or actions. They also consider redefining an issue or concept in their own terms to help all of us make sense of their way of looking at the concept and their expression about it.
There are plenty of essays within the textbook for you to make use of, and this time, you are required to use outside sources. Be sure they are trustworthy!! Please go to the Library online and checkout a couple of eBooks or scroll through the search engines offered to you as a student. Don't just Google.
East LA Library (Links to an external site.)
Search your "terms" or specific things like "Stonewall." There are a lot of options and help on the library page. "Ask a Librarian." They are angels of research.
You MUST have perfect MLA formatting including the appearance of your paper and use of intext references. All quotes must be absolutely accurate and your intext references must be absolutely accurate!! They must refer to an absolutely accurate entry on your Works Cited page. There should be (at least 6) entries on your Works Cited page.
If you are not clear about how to use MLA formatting, go to the:
Reading & Writing Center (Links to an external site.)
After reading and contemplating the essays assigned and other resources, reread this entire prompt all over again to begin the development of a thoughtful directed essay of your own.
Use MLA formatting.
READ THE DESIGNATED ESSAYS FROM THE BOOK FOR A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT TO DO AND HOW TO PROCEED. QUOTES FROM THE ESSAYS (and outside sources) SHOULD SUPPORT YOUR IDEAS and appear with an intext reference that leads the reader to the Works Cited page.
Some of the essays we have previously addressed may be of use to you here, depending on your focus. There are other essays in the textbook that may be of use as well. See thematic organizations in the table of contents.
The more you read or watch, the more leverage you have in proceeding in this assignment.
Careful not to embrace unvetted resources. Ask a librarian.
Added Videos:
How We Can Protect Truth in the Age of Misinformation (Links to an external site.)
The Allegory may help here.
Allegory of the Cave (Links to an external site.)
What Is Justice?: Crash Course Philosophy #40 (Links to an external site.)
John Rawls Theory of Justice (Links to an external site.)
Rawls with more detail (Links to an external site.)

ONLY UPLOAD your MLA Formatted Word Doc or PDF (see video). (Links to an external site.)
Rubric
Research Rubric
Research Rubric
Criteria Ratings Pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome The essay is organized and readable. It contains the topic suggested and moves smoothly from one paragraph to the next. 6 pages + a Works Cited page.
The essay is organized and readable. It contains the topic suggested and moves smoothly from one paragraph to the next.
Everything makes sense and the language used is appropriate for a college essay.
It is ORGANIZED with a flow in the document from one paragraph to the next.
The prompt should be followed regarding word count.
1700+ words or about seven pages- Not including the Works Cited page.
25 pts
Full Marks
0 pts
No Marks
25 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Use of TOPIC SENTENCES
As suggested in the prompt, you must NOT use the essay titles or authors read for the course in your topic sentences. Use conceptual ideas in your topic sentences.
25 pts
Full Marks
0 pts
No Marks
25 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome USE Quotes
You must use at least 6 quotes from the suggested reading or researched readings for this research essay. Accurate quotes with correct MLA formatting (references).
25 pts
Full Marks
0 pts
No Marks
25 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome The Introduction and Conclusion
The introduction introduces the conceptual idea and shares the direction and intention of the essay.
The Conclusion wraps things up and shares a final understanding of the topic.
25 pts
Full Marks
0 pts
No Marks
25 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Thesis Statement
The thesis statement should be in the introduction and clarify the intention of the essay. If you can't fit all your intentions into one sentence, so be it, but I should (as a reader) know what your plan is at the close of your introduction.
25 pts
Full Marks
0 pts
No Marks
25 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome MLA formatting
The essay should have MLA formatting-
The front page should be exact-
The quotes used should be accurate- at least 6
The intext references perfect-
Works Cited perfect-
25 pts
Full Marks
0 pts
No Marks
25 pts
Total Points: 150