Friday, April 9, 2010

Process Journal: Proposal Essay (see below for actual Essay)

    When we received the assignments for both the Analytical/Response Essay and Proposal Essay at the same time, I immediately gravitated to the Proposal Essay. I knew immediately I would want to write on the inequality the gay community struggles with on a daily basis, more specifically the ban on gay marriage on a federal level. Of course immediately gravitating to a subject doesn't mean it would be easy to write about, which I soon learned.

As I started writing the paper I would feel my ire growing at the prejudice and inequality of the matter. I didn't want to come across as angry or condescending to the reader. It seems so obvious to me, but I want to be persuasive in my paper. I overloaded my email account with articles from the databases on equality for the gay community. I read numerous articles on both sides of the issue. I was overwhelmed by all the articles I read and highlighted. I wasn't sure where to go from there. I really struggled with a solution. It's too simple to me. The ban just needs to be abolished. I think my solution is sound and would be a great solution for the issue. Holding those in power responsible for their actions puts in on a personal level and I have great hope for our nation's responsibility to be a nation of equality.

    I eventually began to feel the writing come to me, and sat down only a couple days before first draft is due to write the paper. Usually by first draft I've revised my paper about six or seven times. I really put a lot of effort into my writing and I want it to be great. I sent it to my usual team of proofreaders for some feedback. While not all of the readers agreed with my opinion and proposal they were able to give me great pointers on cleaning up the sentences. I feel my first draft all the time is sloppy in itself. It takes a lot of hard work to get to a second draft for me.

    I am more comfortable in this essay quoting sources than I was in the Response Essay. The Response Essay was the first time I was quoting sources in about fifteen years, so I wasn't quite sure initially how to paraphrase or quote portions directly. We had examples of it, but I still wasn't comfortable. I really like the quotes I was able to bring in and the information I was able to gather for the paper.

My inspiration for the essay is Ellen DeGeneres. Ellen "came out" on her TV sitcom in the 90's and was the recipient of a backlash that lasted years. She is now the only talk show host that could rival Oprah and married to Portia de Rossi, whom she married before Proposition 8 was voted in to effect on November 4, 2009. Ellen is amazing in her compassion and her talk show is a delight. When she announced on her show that she and Portia were getting married, I cried with happiness for her. There are millions of "Ellen's" in the world that do not have the rights they should have.    

I am happy with the essay I'm handing in and glad it's one more down to the Final Portfolio. I want to excel in college, in every class. I can be classified as an overachiever and I'm okay with that. I look at how much value I'm receiving in college at age thirty two that my fellow students at age twenty have no appreciation for. This paper was something I feel passionate about and I hope the reader can see and appreciate that.

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