Article of the Week 3: Obama Political Cartoon

This political cartoon is the work of Toles from the Washington Post, meant mostly for the people who work and live in Washington D.C. and the citizens of America. This work was made after the election of Obama to the presidency. Chosen because of its comments on society, this work is reminiscent of the Rosa Parks cartoon previously shown in class. By citing the Constitution, Toles uses common memory as a rhetorical strategy. He also includes the application of a strong enthymeme by using a major premise with which most Americans would agree. Then, he undermines that statement by using a minor premise: that not all people were equal until minorities (especially African-Americans) had the opportunity to become president. His conclusion: now all people are created equal because now African-American citizens have been given equal unspoken rights.

In addition, Toles plays up this size difference between Obama and the White House in the image. It seems imperial and cold in nature, maybe anticipating the challenges that the lone Obama will face later on. Obviously meant as a criticism of America up to this point, Toles congratulates the country as well as satires the lack of opportunity for people who are in minorities.

Article of the Week 2: Israel: Adrift at Sea Alone

Israel: Adrift at Sea Alone, is an article about Israel's most recent conflict with the Palestinian government. The author, Thomas L. Friedman, is a highly respected columnist for the New York Times wrote this article mostly for US and New York citizens, but also has international clout. Because of recent failures in negotiation between Israel and Palestine, the Palestinians have decided to go to the UN to ask for assistance in gaining back their country--to the 1967 borders at least. This leaves allies of Israel with a problem because they are put in a difficult situation while Israel is unwilling to compromise. America will soon have to vote on this issue in the UN.

As an editorial, the author can express opinions, and Friedman seemed to condemn Israel for throwing its supporters under the bus. The article mostly read as straight fact until the end when the author expressed his feelings. This allowed the reader to make his or her own decisions before hearing the author's. He also reports the article in a conversational tone in order to make the reader feel like they are having a conversation. Not needing to establish ethos, the author uses only logos in this situation. Friedman carefully outlines the mistakes Netanyahu has made in his current dilemmas. Overall, Friedman was extremely effective in this article, and I did not see any flaws in the writing.

Independent Reading Selection

Lone Survivor
Marcus Luttrell

Month 1 - Prologue - Chapter 3
Month 2 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 6
Month 3 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 9
Month 4 - Chapter 10 - Chapter 12

I do not often read realistic books in any sense, so I was having a difficult time picking a book that was interesting me. After many fruitless searches on the internet and through bookshelves, I decided to ask for a recommendation. This book was mentioned and I automatically thought it sounded interesting. That day, I checked it out of the library, and after reading the prologue and the covers, I was hooked. This book seems exciting, but it also gives insight into what Afghanistan has been like for the soldiers who went there and fought in the war against terror.

Article of the Week 1: U.S. safer 10 years after 9/11, but at what cost?

After reading this article, I wondered whether the terrorists won. The article states many policies have been enacted limiting the freedom of citizens since 9/11. This stemmed from the fear of terrorists still living within Americans. The article then describes good effects since 9/11, such as the growth of security and how this has somewhat lessened recent fear of attacks.

Daniel Trotta of Reuters wrote this article in a timely fashion; it references the 9/11 terrorist attacks only a few days before the 10th anniversary. This article aims to explore how this event has changed people's lives and beliefs. While anyone could read this article, it is most likely aimed at the Americans who were alive when this event occurred, especially those old enough to note the change in US policy since 9/11/01.

The rhetoric used is different from my expectations of the article. There were few appeals to pathos or ethos. Instead, it focused on logic and progression of events since that day. The two sections in the article ended with quotes of opinions on security since 9/11. These quotes negatively affected the article because they made the article feel choppy and not polished. While disappointing in style, the author was successful in content because he promoted serious thought.

So, did the terrorists win? Well, in a sense, they did. The constant fear of terrorism has prompted the government to limit personal freedom. The goal of terrorism is to create change through fear and many are still afraid.