Blog #8 "On Political Labels"

This week we worked on the midterm portfolio description assessment. We read peer’s midterm portfolio and graded them 5 ways: reading and writing strategies, reflection, summary and conversation, rhetoricality, and language coherence. This is already blog #8 and I feel like the time goes by really fast. We have learned lots of things by doing these blog works. And we only left one week until spring break.
                                    

                         

When I skimmed through this reading, something caught me my attention. The words “Humpty Dumpty” and “Alice in Wonderland” were interesting because I know the movie “Alice in Wonderland” and I have watched this movie before. But I had no idea what or who is Humpty Dumpty. I think that is because I did not grow up here. So, I searched and asked my friends what is Humpty Dumpty. It was a character. When I started reading this article, it was kind of confusing for me because I am not much of a political person, I do not really know about politics. So, I felt this reading was going to be boring and challenging for me. But then it was okay to understand and it was good to learn about the rhetorical effect of words and labels in respect to politics.   

                  

In the reading, “On Political Labels” it shows how people label and how labeling works. Borick mentions that “Luntz advises his politician clients to change the name of the “estate tax” to the “death tax” and to switch the word “privatize” to “personalize” in an attempt to sway public perceptions.” They switched the words I think because they want to make a new word and have attention so they describe the situation better. Also, he said, “Since in all likelihood you will encounter thousands of political labels over the course of your lifetime as a citizen, it is important to develop a lens that will allow for a productive analysis of a label’s use and effects.” This quote demonstration as a citizen, that political labels are important in your lifetime.

                  

This related to the discourse community that we have learned in class. The political community can change by your political thinking, background and side of views. The city or what you have heard or watched before can affect it too.