Read the following introduction and excerpt.
In November 2010, the voters of Arizona passed a controversial law that opponents say promotes intolerance because it is aimed at a particular group of people. In an opinion piece about the new law, journalist Leonard Pitts, Jr., a former winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary, wrote the following:
We are gathered here today to mourn the loss of America’s mind. . . .
That loss has occurred with distressing frequency over the years, often coming in times of hysteria and fear, often involving the demonization of some American subset for the actions of those with whom they share some cultural, racial or religious trait.
For instance, Americans of German descent were bullied and beset during the First World War in a nation that found it necessary to rename sauerkraut “Liberty Cabbage.” Americans of Japanese descent were imprisoned during the Second World War, many of them losing their homes and livelihoods.
You’d think that sordid history would make us wary of entreatments to blindly castigate our fellow Americans. And you would be mistaken. . . .
Coherence in this 10-line excerpt is achieved with the help of at least three factors discussed in this lesson: repetition, parallel construction, and transitional words and phrases. Read the excerpt again. Then, using your notes, write your answers to the questions below. Check your understanding when you are finished.
Sample Responses: