Stephen Cruz

The definition of the "American dream" is that through hard work and determination, one can succeed. Cruz says that it is not possible for everyone. He thought he was living the American dream because of his abilities, but in reality he was being manipulated for other's purposes. When he was promoted to personnel, he was given a glass office when the other white employees were enclosed. The reason for this was to make the company look good to the government and other employees. His job was to hire people, but when he hired a black secretary, she was fired behind his back without a good reason. If you are an accepted person in society, you can truly live the American dream. He is an example that the American dream is sometimes an illusion for minorities.

Class in America

I don't think that Mantsios makes a case that the wealthy are exploiting the poor. The definition of exploit is "to make full use of and derive benefit from". He doesn't make the point that the poor are being exploited, but instead points out the differences between the two classes. It can be assumed that the wealthy are exploiting the poor, but he shows no data to support that. He does point out what advantages the wealthy has, but does not argue that they are using the poor to their advantage. It could be interpreted that the poor are being exploited because the people who have money and power are not doing anything to help the problem. It could also be seen as that classes are a natural function of economic, political, and social society in which we live in. Mantsios does not make an argument that the rich are exploiting the poor. However, I do believe that the rich are making no efforts to help this issue and I do not see that as exploitation.

First Place

Claim: We should fund First Place
Reasons: It provides beneficial services for students
Grounds: rate of success, list of services
Warrant: That the services help end homelessness
Backing: examples of social and academic success
Conditions of Rebuttal: limitations, cost, short term fix
Qualifier: It's a start even if it's not the ultimate answer

Visual Argument

I think that whether visual argument is more persuasive depends on the person. Some visual arguments could be unclear or distracting, but many can be very powerful. Some people are more visual learners while others are not. Visual arguments are easier to understand right away because all you have to do is look without any reading however, they may have no meaning to some people.

Ethos and Pathos

The author's responsibilities are to provide accurate information without using deceitful ways to make a statement or prove a point. The media and government do not live up to those standards. They will say what they need to say in order to making a convincing argument or statement whether it is true or not. They have no problem pulling on people's emotions to get what they want. For example, on of president Bush's reasons and argument for going into Iraq was that Iraqis had biological and chemical weapons of destruction and were looking for materials to create nuclear weapons. It turns out that this did not happen. They were arguments of convenience because Bush wanted to invade Iraq and was willing to say what was needed.

Pseudo-argument

There are people who to this day believe that Neil Armstrong never landed on the moon. The believe that it was videotaped in a Hollywood studio. The have no true evidence that is was filmed, but not matter what you tell them, they believe the same because they are fanatical believers. Even though all the facts proved that he walked on the moon and that it was not possible to tape, they continue to disagree. Recently, the original tapes were not able to be found and those who believe this used the information to reinforce their point.

Pathos

The Greek word "pathos" means suffering or experience and applies to emotions. Specifically, it allows the audience to see and feel in the same way the writes does. Pulling on the audience's emotions is a powerful tool because it draws the reader in. It makes it more believable or even personal. Pathos "engage the imagination and feelings, moving the audience to deeper appreciation of the argument's significance". It impacts the reader's emotions which have a great effect on how the reading is interpreted and reacted to.

AP Exam

I'm somewhat nervous about the exam and can tell that it will be challenging. I did the sample multiple choice questions and some of them were hard and some I had absolutely no clue on. I think the essay will be easier for me than the multiple choice, but hand writing them will be painful. The multiple choice will be more difficult since my reading skills are not as good.

Torture?

I've never really thought about my views on torture, but reading the article has made me think about it. He tries to persuade his audience that torture is not necessarily a bad thing by showing us different situations. He argues that he doesn't advocate for it to be used as punishment, but rather as a preventative measure. He says that torture is different and that it "is intended not to bring anyone back but to keep innocents from being dispatched." He makes some interesting points, but he has no factual evidence. The closest he gets to that is a poll of four people. I think overall torturing people isn't right, but as a way to prevent or save innocent lives would be more justifiable. If anyone important to me or I was in a dangerous situation, I would probably have little problem with using torture as a way to keep me safe.

Cartoon and Advertisement

The cartoon, which seems political, has a more negative overtone and shows frustration. The seemingly powerful man is warning a starving man about genetically modified food. It's frustrating because these types of decisions are being made all the time with biased views. The advertisement comes across in a different way and takes a more intellectual approach. It has a less negative feel and has some humor. It's not as obviously biased. Both the cartoon and the advertisement use extremes to convey a point. The difference is the way they display it and the tone that comes across from the picture.

Implicit and Explicit Arguments

Explicit arguments state a belief or argument directly and support it with evidence and reasons. Implicit arguments are less direct and don't appear to be an argument. Implicit arguments can take the form of a poem, short story, or a photograph. However, both explicit and implicit arguments try to push an audience towards a certain point of view. Owen's poem does not directly state that it is not heroic to die for one's country. Instead he uses imagery to show the horrors of war, making heroism seem less important. The Veterans Day photo shows a Pearl Harbor veteran embracing a younger Marine sergeant. The photo shows and brings out emotions and presents and implicit argument of honoring and serving one's country. Both the photo and poem are examples of implicit arguments because they do not state the argument directly, but instead show and create images to display a point.