REVISION:The largest and most probable objection to the installation of a prison ministry at my church will be that if these prisoners were out of the church long enough to commit a crime as distant from religion as murder or rape, they will not be willing to take steps toward salvation without a serious intervention. While a serious intervention in the lives of these people might benefit a few, it is not the way the ministry would go about making a the necessary changes in their lives. The evangelists sent to the prison would first only make themselves visible to the inmates. Before their arrival, it will be made absolutely clear that none of the prisoners will be forced to take part, and that it is a completely voluntary project. Although it will be advertised to the inmates, they will not feel as though they must take part. The ministers’ first and primary job is to strike up curiosity among the prisoners who have no initial interest in participating or making a change. The success of the ministry will rely most heavily on word of mouth rumors spread on the ‘yard’. If just a few of the inmates attend sessions and feel it is making a positive impact, half the work is already complete. An aggressive intervention is not what these people need and is not at all the intended mission.
George Cornell, and Associated Press Religion writer shed some light on the positive effects present in the lives of those prisoners who took part in religious studies while they were incarcerated. In 1990, he wrote an article entitled “Study on Effectiveness of Prison Ministries”. Throughout the article Cornell creates a rough list of all the differences in the prisoner’s behavior after being released from jail.

      In contrast to most shows crowding our channels,  ‘Glee’ shamelessly pokes fun at the drama experienced by today’s high schoolers. America receives a much needed breath of fresh air while enjoying a break from the hard, dark issues tackled in some other sitcoms on TV. For example, abc’s ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ confronts pain, stress and death relentlessly, with a few one-liners sprinkled in for comedic relief. Personally, song and dance juxtaposed with witty one-liners and avant garde personalities is vastly more appealing. When it is said that ‘Glee’ offers stereotypes and weak, stale, or stock characters, true words are spoken. But missed is the idea that these stereotypes and characters are the very butts of the jokes. Other TV shows, like ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ present the serious doctor stereotype which has already been exhausted by ‘ER’.  ‘Glee’ covers familiar ground, not boring ground. ’Glee’ appeals to viewers similar to the characters (teenagers experiencing earth-shattering drama daily) as well as the parents who poke fun of the very kids they used to be. Instead of having to come up with original jabs directed at the ridiculous trials and tribulations endured by America’s high schoolers, parents can watch ‘Glee’ and be provided with that material. A lot of times, thinking gets in the way of entertainment. ‘Glee’ allows its viewers to disengage completely from thought and analysis and simply enjoy a show, a concept which is frequently forgotten in television. I find myself having forgotten that the primary reason I watch television or movies is to be ENTERTAINED.

Song and dance have been a vital part of American entertainment. In historical Hollywood, one couldn’t dream of finding a job in the pictures without extensive training/talent in acting, song and dance. The well-rounded movie star has fallen at the feet of the one with all the looks and inheritance. ‘Glee’ shines new light on an old ideal, once embraced by the mainstream viewer. In a sense, it is reviving the lost art of entertainment, now only visible on Broadway. I think ‘Glee’ will be revered for its efforts to bring back an era and an aspect of American culture which deserves widespread acknowledgment and appreciation.

Orientation

Many short passages introduce many smaller issues within this passage. One issue this passage deals with is the full coverage health plan. This part of the passage participates in a discourse determining whether this health plan solves all the problems faced by one who really ‘benefits’. Although this argument is a subtopic in the larger ongoing debate, and is not crucial to many, a good argument is present when the narrator states that if one’s entire family died suddenly, “he would have nothing to worry about” because he wouldn’t have to pay any medical bills. This is the claim presented in the paragraph regarding the comprehensive health plan. The paragraph offers an array of gory hypothetical situations regarding his six daughters. The narrator states that if all of his daughters fell severely ill simultaneously, or were riddled with bullets, he would have nothing to worry about because he would not have to pay a dime. This is an implicit claim stating that Larry’s only concern in the passing of his daughters would be to take care of it all without spending any money.

The short story assumes a somewhat calm, dry tone. In each of the introductions of people, things, and places, imagery is vivid and the focus is on the process of how things around the office. However, included within each of the paragraphs are short pieces of gossip or rumors. These details give the reader a reason to stay interested. No reader is particularly interested in the way things run in an office regarding copy machines, cubicles and answering machines. It is each of the small pictures of the employee’s personal lives which make the reader feel involved and included. The reader’s emotions are worked on when personal information is revealed about each employee in the office. Readers are not likely to be intrigued by a story describing normal people in a normal office, doing normal work. The reader is lulled by the hum of the air conditioner and the click of several keyboards in a dull office setting, when he is thrust into another setting. For example, Amanda Pierce is a seemingly normal mother of a child with autism, who is proud of her son’s creations. The reader is glancing into her cubicle at the art when the setting changes. Although the reader is still in the office, he cannot help but visualize the sexual abuse inflicted on Amanda by her husband. The reader gets this sort of ‘whiplash’ when introduced to terribly interesting situations such as this one experienced by the Ms. Pierce. On a personal note, my emotions dipped into sympathy, laughter and confusion throughout the short story.