Please choose one of the following essays in your textbook: (1) "Military Women in Combat: Why Making It Official Matters?" by Jena McGregor (28), (2) “A First Amendment Junkie" by Susan Jacoby (48), (3) “Executions Should Be Televised” by Shemtob and Lat (53), (4) "Why the Pledge of Allegiance Should be Revised" by Gwen Wilde (56), (5) “Let’s Put Pornography Back in the Closet” by Susan Brownmiller (61), (6) "On Racist Speech" by Charles Lawrence (64), or (7) “Protecting Freedom of Expression on the Campus” by Derek Bok (69). Afterwards, please do the following assignment:

After actively reading and critically thinking about the essay you have chosen, take a side on the issue, and present your position in a mini essay. Make sure your thesis statement is clear in your introductory paragraph. Your thesis, or main argument, should firmly and clearly state your position on the issue and is well-located at the end of the introductory paragraph. Try to do so by using 3rd person point of view rather than 1st person. Note that you can state your position without using phrases such as “I believe,” “I think,” or “In my opinion,” etc. Notice the difference below:

• 3rd person point of view: Flag burning is an assault on our nation’s grandest symbol.
• Unnecessary 1st person point of view: I believe flag burning is an assault on our nation’s greatest symbol.

Drawing on your own experience, as well as evidence from the textbook, argue for or against the issue you have chosen. Again, state your thesis clearly and firmly and support it with persuasive evidence. Please incorporate at least one piece of supporting evidence (direct quote) from the essay you have chosen and apply MLA documentation: signal phrase + direct quotation + parenthetical citation.

Format: Use a formal heading and please include a title (see MLA Manuscript Format in Lecture Notes for help).

Integrating Quotes: When you integrate a direct quote from the text to support your argument, introduce it with a lead-in (or signal phrase) that refers specifically to the author, place the quote inside quotation marks, and after the quote put the page number in parentheses. See related MLA Documentation Notes in Lecture Notes.

Example MLA Documentation: According to Susan Brownmiller, "Free speech is one of the great foundations on which our democracy rests" (61).

Since this is a brief or mini essay, please respond with several well-developed, coherent, unified paragraphs: review paragraph notes in last week's lecture notes folder for more information on coherency and unity. Spend time prewriting to generate ideas. Aim for concise, precise, accurate prose. Your overall goal is to persuade your audience of your argument.