Week 5 Blog Post

Revision plan:
I think that for each segment, I could use more statistics and facts.  I think I also need to make sure I have clearer topic sentences.  I still need to add captions to my pictures and explain their relevence.  I do need to change my introduction to focus more on the argument instead of the background to the war.  I think all my anchor texts are good except for one which I think isn't very informational and important.  I'm also going to work on my conclusion and make it more meaningful. 

I also need to add secondary sources.  I'm also going to work on my organization on ideas, the font and color choices, and explaining my quotes better before writing them.  I need to give more examples who is saying and believing these ideas, not just throwing them out there. 

Week 4 Blog Post

Part A:

The first article I found is titled Afghanistan and Pakistan: Reorienting Military and State Security Strategies to Regional Human Security

APA format:

Janzecovak, John. (2009). Journal of Human Security. Australia: RMIT Publishing.

This article talks about reasons why the US has troops stationed in Afghanistan. It mentions what the most important reasons are for being at war and why they are so important. It also discusses President Obama's key points he wants to address in sending troops to Afghanistan. I think that this article will help me a lot with my webtext, because the author explains the reasons why the war should continue.

The author has much authority in this article, because he is straight up with his ideas and thoughts. He explains everything very well involving reasons why the war is going on and what the benefits are. It seems very accurate, because the facts match up with other things I have read. The article was written in 2009, so it is pretty current, but not completely current. The article is not very objective, because the author mostly discusses the reasons why we are at war and doesn't discuss benefits of ending the war.

The next article I found is titled Correlates of Anger and Hostility in Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans.

APA format:

The American Journal of Psychiatry. (2010). Correlates of Anger and Hostility in Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans. Retreived from http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/index.dtl

This article discusses different negative outcomes of being a soldier in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. It talks about different mental health problems that come from going to fight in these wars. It discusses how these soldiers are more likely to have post-traumatic stress disorder, head injuries, and alcohol abuse. It discusses mostly the health related outcomes of going to fight in these wars. I think this article will help me a lot with my webtext, because it will help me discuss the opinions of those who think that we should take our troops out of the Afghanistan war.

The authors have a lot of authority in this article, because they are also very straight up with their ideas and beliefs. The article seems to be accurate, because a lot of the information in the article I have heard about before. I'm sure if I searched other articles, they would probably discuss the same issues. This article was written in 2010, so it is very accurate. The article is not objective with the ideas discussed, because they do not discuss any positive effects of going to fight in these wars. It just discusses negative health-related issues that come from fighting in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

Part B:
The only concern I have at the moment is that I'm not sure if I'm doing the APA style correctly.  I didn't take English 104, because I have the English credit from a high school AP course and exam, so I never learned how to do entries in APA.  I tried looking it up online, and it was a little confusing to me.  So far, my research is going well and I have found many sources to use.  I haven't started composing the webtext yet, I've just been gathering information and jotting things down, but I'm sure when I start composing, I will have more questions. 

Week 3 Blog Post

My topic definition statement: “America at war with Afghanistan: Should it continue or end?” A terrorist attack on The United States occurred on September 11, 2001 which resulted in The United States declaring war on Afghanistan on October 7, 2001. In this paper, I will discuss the pros and cons of the war, and I will also discuss the reasons why some people agree with continuing the war and the reasons why some people dissagree with continuing the war. In the end, I will try to find a middle ground to each opposing side. Will continuing with the war benefit or be a disadvantage to America? Is the war worth continuing even though it comes with a high financial cost to America? Has the war had enough benefits to be worth starting it in the first place?

One question from my previous blog post: Should US tax dollars be used to continue the war in Afghanistan that's been going on since 2001? A source I found that might answer that question is Cost of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Other Global War on Terror Operations Since 9/11 by Amy Belasco. This book discusses all the costs of the war since it started in 2001. It doesn't seem to give a specific opinion to answer the question, but knowing all the costs could help me form an opinion and help find a middle ground to the issue. Another question from my previous blog post: Would continuing with the war better the US? Although this is a broad question, I believe that I can find a source to help me form an answer to it. A source I would use is Ending the US War in Afghanistan: A Primer by David Wildman and Phyllis Bennis. In the summary for this book, it mentioned that the book discusses questions like whether or not the war in Afghanistan is a good war and whether or not adding more troops in Afghanistan will work. Reading their ideas and thoughts will definitely help me answer this question, and hopefully I can answer this question from both points of view on the war.

Cost of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Other Global War on Terror Operations Since 9/11:

APA style bibliographic entry:
Belasco, Amy. (2007). Cost of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Other Global War on Terror Operations Since 9/11. Pennsylvania: Diane Publishing Company.

Summary/Analysis: This source does not technically take a side on this issue. It discusses all the numbers of the costs of different aspects of the Afghan war over the years. It does ask questions to get the reader to make an opinion about different things like whether or not the country's money should be used to continue the war, but it does not give an opinion itself. It is mostly informational.

The book definitely has some authority, because it comes straight out with the facts and everything else, but it does not form it's own opinion. It is accurate with it's facts as far as I know, because all the numbers and facts seem right and correct to me. There were very good reviews of it, so that helps me make the conclusion that it is accurate. It is current, because it discusses costs up to 2011, but it stops at 2011, so it doesn't include everything from this year, so it's not as current as it could possibly be. It is objective, because it doesn't include any biased information or opinions and is mostly straight facts.

Ending the US War in Afghanistan: A Primer:

APA style bibliographic entry:
Wildman, David. (2010). Ending the US War in Afghanistan: A Primer. New York: Olive Branch Press.

Summary/Analysis: The source proves that the points on one side are supported by the source, because it discusses different issues involving the war and then supports that idea. It also completely discusses both sides, which will help me with my webtext. It discusses each topic and tries to prove it right or wrong thoroughly. It is also very informational and explains both sides.

It has authority, because it comes straight out with ideas and thoughts, but also discusses the issue completely with pros and cons. It is accurate with facts and information, but it discusses many issues that are two-sided, so you can't really say whether it's completely accurate. It all depends on your opinion. It is kind of objective, because it discusses issues thoroughly, but it does make opinions which goes off of the author's personal ideas and thoughts, which would not be objective.

Week 2 Blog Post

Part A:

The issue I chose from my week 1 blog is the issue of the war going on. My connection to this issue would be that I live in the United States, and the United States is participating in the war. This war is also being paid for using our tax money. I am also connected to the issue, because I know people who are fighting in this war. The research question I came up with is: Would ending the war benefit the US citizens, or should we continue with the war? One broadened question I came up with is: Is the US government thinking about what's best for US citizens in continuing with the war? Another broadened question I came up with is: Would continuing with the war better the US? A narrowed question I came up with is: Since June 7, 2011 when the US went to war with Afghanistan, has the war been worth it, or has it gone on too long? Another narrowed question I came up with is: Should US tax dollars be used to continue the war in Afghanistan that's been going on since 2007?

Part B:

A summary I learned from the podcast was how communication is important. I also learned the definitions of logos, pathos, and ethos. Another thing I learned was that using bullets and text usually clogs up your brain, so if you do a presentation, you should use pictures and visuals. The last thing I learned was that you should practice speeches before you present.

I chose prompt B. An example I found of a powerful emotional argument that's made visually is a video that asks the viewer to donate money to starving children in the world. The link for the video is www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKxTSxsiOZc. The argument works, because it appeals it your emotions. The image appeals to your emotions, because they are images of sad, sick, malnourished children. The words also appeal to your emotions, because it tells you statistics of starving children in different countries and around the world and then tells you that you can help by donating money. The image itself doesn't make a claim, but it does draw you in to consider the verbal claim. The pictures make you consider the verbal claim that you should donate money to help the children. The emotion that the argument generates is sadness and pity. Sadness and pity work to persuade you, because it makes you feel sorry for the children which makes you more willing to donate money to help them.