Bring Back Flogging

Nicole Hunter
Week 4
Jeff Jacoby's Bring Back Flogging
Title: The title was an attention getter because before reading the essay I was unsure of what the term "flogging" actually meant. The title made me want to read further into the story to find the meaning, which the author clearly explains in the first paragraph.
Thesis: I think the reader is pretty clear in stating his thesis in the title of the story "Bring Back Flogging." The author explains flogging to the reader and when and how it was used. The author shows how he feels our current system is not working.
Purpose: The purpose of this essay was to explaining to readers what flogging exactly is, why he feels it served its purpose well, and how he feels it would benefit society. Jacoby explains how he feels that the prison system currently in place is no more a form of punishment, rather a form of "caging" humans. Jacoby goes on to say how the prison system is an "all-purpose punishment" and every case whether it be a drug charge or a murder charge, is sent to prison. Jacoby also discusses the cost of prison versus the cost of flogging.
Method: The author wrote a very strong essay. Rather than ranting and raving about the over-crowded, over-used prison system he is calm and composed when explaining and comaring the two. The author did a good job at comparing the price of housing an inmate and the cost of flogging. Also what really made the essay stand out was when he said "...prison is a graduate school of criminal studies: They emerge more ruthless and savvy than when they entered." This is probably true because many inmates learn alot more criminal behavior while in prison than they would from a round of flogging!
Persona: The author comes off to me as a knowledgeable writer and seems that he is passionate about changing the legal system and exposing its many flaws. Jacoby was fair to both sides of the argument using good compairing and contrasting througout the essay.
Closing Paragraph: The last paragraph sums up the essay and the thesis stating that the puritans were smarter than we think and how their ideas and rules could still be readopted today. The last sentence "Maybe we should readopt a few." really made me think more deeply about the issue and yes, maybe we should.
Impressions: My impression of the essay was positive. I felt the reader made many brilliant points and defintely made me think harder about all of the loopholes and flaws in not only our prison system, but our legal system all together. It also made me think about our media and how every time I turn on the television it is news about Paris Hilton going to jail and what a big deal it is for her, while the woman who killed her husband will spend a mere three weeks in jail! There are wars being fought, murders (some whose killer is walking free), kidnapping, and starvation right here in this country. I could care less if she goes to jail, but I bet it would be a lot more embarrassing if she were stripped down and whipped than to sit in a private jail cell! There definitely needs to be another form of punishment besides prison time.