Jeff Becker's Class

READ: A Going Away Present From ENGL. 122.

2009-12-02T20:05:00.001-08:00

Reading is important. Books are our connection with our literature, our language. They civilize us. They make our brains stronger. They h

And if/when you have kids, READ TO THEM. Their future English teachers will thank you. (Seriously, if kids don’t acquire language skills before the age of three…)

Here are some of your selections:

David Sedaris.
The Lost Symbol Dan Brown
Life After Life
Twilight (by far the most often recommended.)
Confessions of an Economic Hit Man
Thirteen Senses
Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian (arguably one of the best American novels in the last 50 years); and Outer Dark
Phillip Roth, Human Animal (or Human Stain?)
Jack London, Jon Barleycorn
Upton Sinclair, Cup of Fury
A Math Book (Boo!)
Susan Jacoby, The Age Of American Unreason
The Secret
Mark Danieleweski, House of Leaves
Marching Powder and I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell
Lucky
Amityville Horror

Here are my suggestions:

David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas and Number 9 Dream
Chris Bachelder, Bear v. Shark
David Foster Wallace, A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again
Robert Boswell, The Heyday of the Insensitive Bastards
Amy Bloom, Away
Tobias Wolf
Junot Diaz, Drown
Alain De Boton
Denis Johnson, Jesus Son
Larry McMurtry, The Last Picture Show
The Soul of A Chef
Antonya Nelson
Lorrie Moore
Andre Dubus (Sr)
Michael Ondaatje, Stuart Dybek The Coast of Chicago, Richard Yates…

Read my friends. And be merry.

No Class. 12/1

2009-11-30T07:51:00.000-08:00

We are having optional conferences tomorrow and thus will not meet for class. Have a nice day off and study for your final.

You will get your final papers back on 12/3.

The Last Step

2009-11-16T14:52:00.000-08:00

The final step to any writing process is proofreading. Many of us don’t wait for the paper to be finished to begin proofing and editing our work, but no matter how much we have done along the way, it is often helpful to spend one last moment with your paper focusing on its sentences.

There are a few key points to make:
1. Be realistic. You have to turn this paper in on Thursday. You cannot start proofreading and then decide you want to change your topic, nor can you rewrite the entire thing. You are stuck with this. But you can make significant changes that might dramatically improve your grade.
2. If your proofing process leads to a lot of new writing, be sure to go back and proof it again. Spend one LAST pass through the paper skimming for typos, fragments, missing apostrophes and such.
3. Understand the difference between revision and editing. Revision means you are making big, significant changes to your paper. Editing means you are fine tuning the language. Revision is installing the engine, editing is running it through the car wash and vacuuming the seats.

Here’s a 10-step process for this.
1. Take a break between when you stop writing and begin editing. Let your brain recharge. Let the muse find its way back to your shoulder.
2. Understand your purpose, according to Murray, “Editing helps you to have a fresh and objective look at your essay and do away with its weak points. Editing is a careful process of going through your essay paragraph by paragraph, sentence by sentence, word by word.”
3. Start editing your essay with the spellchecker and grammar checker option on your computer. But don’t stop here. Most spell checkers are valuable. Most grammar-checkers are not. NEVER hit change all.
4. Next print out your essay and edit it manually. Read the thesis and see if it:

* is clear, argumentative and easy to grasp? I should know what you are trying to communicate
* reflects the content of the essay? If not, rewrite it. It is okay to change your thesis to fit your paper.

5. Then go on to editing the introduction. Is it interesting? What last second changes might you make to bolster its ability to catch our attention?

6. From, www.bestessaytips.com: “Check if each paragraph contains relevant information and is free of meaningless sentences. There should be transition sentences linking the paragraphs. Otherwise your writing will look jerky without a clear transition from one point into the next. Try reading backwards, a sentence at a time. You will be able to focus on the sentences, rather than on the content of your essay. Refine your sentences and make them smooth and clear. Get rid of too long sentences. Pay attention to the rhythm of your writing: vary sentence lengths and patterns.”

7. The conclusion is the last thing the professors read and the first thing they remember. So make sure it takes the next step. Explain why this topic is important. What it reflects in society. What further measures should be taken. Etc.

8. Read it out loud. There is no substitution for this. Manually check for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. Proofread for one type of error at a time. If commas are your weak point, look through your paper checking only that problem. Then proofread again for the next most frequent problem. Be especially attentive when checking your references. Make sure all the cited and paraphrased material is properly referenced.

9. Ask somebody to read through your paper and offer suggestions for polishing it.

10. Make the changes. Spell check. If time permits, read through it once more before submitting it. Save it on your hard drive, your jump drive and email it to yourself.

Grammar Check

2009-11-16T14:26:00.000-08:00

A Twenty-Minute Lesson in Grammar

Fragments

A sentence consists of a subject and a predicate. Period. The subject announces what the sentence is about and the predicate tells us something about the subject.
Subject Predicate
I like bacon.
Hulk Hogan was a great body slammer.
The book is on the shelf.

Fragments are incomplete sentences because they lack a subject or a predicate.
Like: “And then went to Michigan.”
To fix them: Incorporate the fragment into an adjoining, and related sentence.
Like: “I went to Ohio State, and then went to Mighican. Football rules!”

Run-ons
Jamming together two or more sentences or independent ideas.

I do not recall what kind of wrestler he was all I remember is the Hulkster had a red face and blonde hair and always fought Rowdy Roddy Piper.

If you have sentences that are very long and your name is not A) James Joyce or B) William Faulkner then: Woah. Slow down and put some periods in there.

Comma splices
Run-ons, now with commas!

The concept of nature depends on the concept of human “culture,” the problem is that “culture” is itself shaped by “nature.”

Overwriting
Using more words than you need to. Remember, don’t write beyond your capabilities. Complex ideas are best present in clear language. These are some of the most valuable lessons I’ve been taught by two of my favorite professors.
Balancing the budget by Friday is an impossibility without some kind of extra help.
Boo.
Balancing the budget by Friday will be difficult without extra help.
Yea.
Eliminate redundancies. Ie: Cooperate together, close proximity, basic essentials, true fact (Hacker, 137)
Don’t repeat the same word in a sentence. The ball player was the best player ever to play.
Cut out inflated phrases.
Along the lines of = like
As a matter of fact = in fact
At the present time = now, currently, presently
Because of the fact that = because

Also, always delete “really.”

Active verbs
Passive: The coolant pumps were destroyed by a surge of power
Active: A surge of power destroyed the coolant pumps.
Do this by limiting your To Be verbs; ie; be am is was were being been.

Homonyms
Know I really have to know a lot to do well on my history test.
No I am going to study until I have no time left.

Affect Changing the way you eat will affect your health.
Effect I can’t see what effect these new laws will have on me.

Accept My insurance will accept the charges for the accident.
Except I like all vegetables, except for asparagus.

To We went to the store.
Too I am going, too. I have too much sand in my mouth.
Two There are two birds and they are looking at me.

There You can put the dinner in the trash. You’ve ruined everything.
Their Their house was full of people, so they remained outside.
They’re They’re just walking around barefoot right now.

Your Your dog is bigger than my dog.
You’re You’re going to have to keep him on a leash.

Whose Whose scarf is this?
Who’s Who’s going to the movie with us?

Than I am tanner than her.
Then We were both on the beach, but then she went inside.

Apostrophes.

The ‘ mark, as in “Jeff’s class” marks a possessive. Ie: The teacher’s lounge. The driver’s side. The children’s money. It marks ownership, even if it is loosely implied.
They also mark contractions. Don’t, can’t, won’t, should’ve, It’s, etc.
They are NOT used to make a word plural.
There are a few exceptions: It’s = It is.

Semi-colons.

You get one. In your entire career. Use it wisely. Otherwise, try to avoid them. The semi-colon is a strange misunderstood piece of punctuation and it is best to keep your distance.

The English language is complicated. There is so much more to writing than mere grammatical rules. However, you must know them before your can break them.

Workshop Assignment

2009-11-11T20:16:00.001-08:00

You traded drafts. Here's what to do now:

1. Read each draft twice. First, to get the meaning. Second, to analyze it.
2. Edit one section, list common mistakes
3. Mark up the draft.
4. Write a letter to the author, detailing:

A. 3 aspects of the paper that you like and what you think the author is doing well.

B. 3 suggestions, based on the grade sheet I passed out yesterday, for how this paper needs to improve.

C. Give it a mock grade. Explain why. Be honest.

One letter for every author in your group, due tomorrow.

Parts and Paragraphs in Your Paper.

2009-11-09T17:30:00.000-08:00

First. What is a paragraph?

Definition: They develop a single main idea…
Maybe it is better to say what they are NOT:
Confusing paragraphs are often confusing because the author is out of control. He doesn’t know what he is doing here, so he merely smashes several points of evidence together. This reveals poor planning, development of the main idea, and is REALLY hard to read.

Try using topic sentences. Sentences that state what the following paragraph will be about. They should not be called insecticides. They should be called biocides. Then you would have to prove why, with evidence.
One of the first examples of X is ________.
Another instance in which X is being threatened by Y is _______.

Try using transitional paragraphs.

The paragraphs combine to make up the larger parts of your papers.

Introduction: Introduce your paper, yes. But introduce each new turn in the text, too. You are the guide here. The reader is the wide-eyed follower. Don’t lead them into a Croc nest without first telling them why you are heading there.

Context/Background. It helps, in a lot of situations, to discuss the history of your topic, the various positions held, the posed solutions, the failed plans, etc, as a lead-in to your idea on the matter.

Narration: These are parts of your paper that narrate (tell the story of) certain events or circumstances so that the reader will agree with you. In addition to citing a law, it also helps to narrate what that means (by showing how it is enforced).

Evidence/Proof Paragraphs: This is where you really make your argument. A good model to follow is this:
i. topic sentence / support thesis
ii. lead-in to concrete detail
iii. quotation/concrete detail
iv. warrant/commentary
v. transition and lead-in to next quotation/concrete detail
vi. quotation/concrete detail
vii. warrant/commentary
viii. concluding or clincher sentence (From Google Docs. )

Signal Phrases:
X States”_____”
As the prominent philosopher (list specialty) puts it “
According to X, “ “
Writing in her book _________, X maintains that “ “
X disagrees when he writes “ “

Counter Arguments and Responses to Counter Arguments: Where you consider and rebut opposing views.
Of course, many will probably disagree with this assertion that ___________. However, (your refutation of their points)

While it is true that _________, it does not necessarily follow that ________>

On the one hand, it seems logical that ___________. But on the other hand, it must be pointed out that _______________.

Disagreeing with others:
X’s claim that ____________ is mistaken because, as recent research (or whatever) suggests, ________.
By focusing on _______________, X overlooks the deeper issue of ____________.

Warrants: These are a collection of sentences at the beginning and end of a proof paragraph that explains the logical connection this proof has to your claim, and why it is important. Focus on writing warrants to explain the assumptions that make you think the information you have given reinforces your case. Remember, quotes don’t speak for themselves; if you want a reader to accept a quote as evidence that proves a claim, you must spell out how or why the quote you’ve selected supports your argument. (Helpfulhint: In your body paragraph, you should have twice as much commentary as concrete detail. In other words, for every sentence of concrete detail, you should have at least two sentences of commentary.) (

As this shows, (describe relationship/proof of thesis).
Recent studies like these shed new light on _______, which help show how __link to thesis.

Conclusion. This IN NOT merely restating your thesis. It is drawing conclusions. It is saying, “therefore, then this.” It is expanding the ramifications or consequences of your argument. If what you are saying is right, good thinking, then what. Conclusions are very hard to write. It is that final line that is so often the hardest to pen because, well, it’s the FINAL LINE. However, you also have to conclude each idea in your paper. Use words like “Therefore…,” “Thus…,” “As a result…” “This shows that…” Etc. This reconnects your evidence to your thesis.
Although X may seem trivial, it is important because
Ultimately what is at stake here is
These conclusions/This discovery will have significant applications/consequences for the broader domain of ______.

Example: From writing.csu.edu
Section One: An analysis of the weaknesses of current curricular approaches to writing

Transitional Paragraph tying analysis to thesis and next section: As the analysis above shows, none of the available curricular models address multiculturalism except in the most cursory manner. Worse, their very superficiality does more damage than good. By introducing the topic of writing for multiple communities, the pedagogies make an attempt to bring diversity into the classroom; yet their focus remains on teaching academic writing with standard usage and grammar. Although they admit that such teaching is only for this context, putting such emphasis on standard forms introduces the issue: which forms of writing have more power in society, something none of the pedagogies address. By putting forth the academic model as the one which must be taught and learned in schools, they implicitly devalue other forms. The failure to foreground these power issues, then, leads students of difference to conclude that although their language and forms of writing might be acceptable in certain places, they are not welcome in the places which count in society. The effect of such an implicit message can be devastating to maintaining cultural values and difference.

Section Two: Discussion of research on multicultural student reactions' to writing classes.

Sources:
http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/documents/arguedraft/examplecombined.cfm
http://docs.google.com/gview?a=v&q=cache:DZ-lMMO41VUJ:rhsweb.org/assignments/Blaber/Essay%2520Exposition/Brave%2520New%2520World/Essay%2520Outline%2520and%2520Claim%2520Evidence%2520Warrant%2520Model.pdf+sample+warrants+essays&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESiRXnp_rjfp4HhFgsAICqS8vA4x3oSU4xCQV8XejoaTxrhHX0eF5uOodTe4Q0z_aq8XFnMpcPn5Q5oi0eNXtKYFUXHtSNC202HVhsYrcoZf-7Qn9HB-jlsblEdrFUM241XGOF4X&sig=AFQjCNFO4ncCaBlgGTzEsoXUvBK4OL5EQw

Sample Paper

2009-11-09T17:09:00.000-08:00

An Analysis of the War on Drugs

The term “War on Drugs” was first used by Richard Nixon after signing the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act into law in 1970, to emphasize the problem of drug use and characterize the action being taken against it. This act, which includes the Controlled Substances Act, codified the patchwork of existing anti-drug laws and forms the legal basis for the federal government’s anti-drug efforts. As the defining point of the beginning of the War on Drugs the act consolidated drug laws, which had before been enacted based on many different rationales, as a system of laws based on a central set of conclusions.
On signing the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act, President Nixon stated that drugs are a national problem and major cause of street crime in the U.S. He links drug use to crime several times and makes the statement that a program against drug abuse can “save the lives of hundreds of thousands of young people who otherwise would become hooked on drugs and be physically, mentally, and morally destroyed” (Woolley and Peters 1).” Several conclusions underlying these statements have formed the basis for the War on Drugs since, and in order to define the War on

Drugs is it necessary to understand those ideas.
The basic premise supporting any conclusion in favor of battling drug use is the relatively uncontroversial assumption that drugs can be harmful, not only to the user but to the people around them and by extension, society. This premise alone does not support the War on Drugs, because in order to build a case for criminalizing drugs two conclusions need to be drawn on that basis. The first of these is the conclusion that people need to be protected from drugs, and the second is the conclusion that a criminal prohibition will accomplish this goal.

These conclusions formed the basis for the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act and any laws passed since that rest on these ideas can also be considered part of the War on Drugs, as can the enforcement actions thereof, because they are rooted in the same ideology. Although an exact and unanimously agreeable definition of the War on Drugs may be impossible, a usable definition can be reached by stating that the War on Drugs is comprised of any and all actions based on both of those conclusions. This definition of the War on Drugs serves to refer to the vast system of laws, rhetoric, and enforcement actions that treat drugs as a criminal problem.
By classifying the War on Drugs as any application of that concrete set of ideas, any argument that attacks either of them attacks the entire War on Drugs as defined here. Therefore, the common argument against the criminalization of a specific drug based on the failure of that specific prohibition is an argument against the War on Drugs as a whole, because it refutes the conclusion that the criminal prohibition of a drug will protect people from it.

Arguments supporting the War on Drugs tend to take its supporting conclusions as axioms and focus on supporting the basis for that conclusion, that being the assertion that drugs are harmful. Although arguments are sometimes made by attacking that claim, especially in the case of marijuana, it is not necessary to refute the idea that drugs are harmful in order to make an argument against their criminalization. All that is necessary to accomplish that goal is to refute, as history has already done for alcohol, the conclusions that form the case for criminally prohibiting a substance.
That refutation can be seen in the history of American alcohol prohibition, which began in 1920 when the 18th amendment to the U.S. constitution went into effect. The 18th amendment prohibited alcohol nationwide until its repeal in 1933 with the goals, as noted by economist Mark Thornton, of reducing crime, social problems, government expenditures on prisons, and health problems. With legal supplies of alcohol gone tens of thousands of speakeasies sprang up in major cities, supplied with alcohol by organized crime. The huge profits led to police corruption on a massive scale, and violence as criminal groups organized around the steady income source provided by prohibition. Thornton summarizes the results of alcohol prohibition by stating that it not only failed to reduce drinking and the problems it was intended to address but made them worse, with bootleggers and crime bosses being prohibition’s primary beneficiaries (Thornton 9-11).

These results can be explained by considering the economic effects of prohibiting a substance. As a study of drug market economics by Jonathan Caulkins and Peter Reuter published in Journal of Drug Issues explains, criminally prohibiting a substance artificially increases its value. This is dramatically illustrated by the cost of marijuana, which despite being one of the less expensive drugs by weight, is worth its weight in gold. The study goes on to state that while higher prices do provide some deterrent to consumption of the prohibited substance, in the case of drug prohibition it seems that the effect of law enforcement on price encounters a point of diminishing returns. When this is reached, increased drug prohibition enforcement produces smaller and smaller increases in the price of those drugs (Caulkins and Reuter 593-594, 601).
As Mark Thornton concluded, rates of drinking actually rose during prohibition, and if alcohol prohibition can be used as a model, one would expect an increase in drug use. This expectation is realized according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, which reports 41.7 percent of the population over age 12 reporting lifetime drug use in 2001, compared to 31.3 percent in 1979 (United States- Office of Nation Drug Control Policy 1). In addition, in 2007 the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported roughly eight percent of the population over age 12 having used an illicit drug in the past month (United States- Center for Disease Control 271). Clearly, tens of millions of Americans are continuing to use drugs despite massive and increasing expenditures on the enforcement of their prohibition.

This suggests that that in the case of drug prohibition the point of diminishing returns suggested by Caulkins and Reuter has already been reached, and increasing enforcement is failing to drive prices up enough to strongly discourage use. Furthermore, as economist David Sollars of Auburn University explains in his analysis of the War on Drugs, prison space is a finite resource; therefore as more people are incarcerated, the terms of incarceration must become shorter. Sollars presents data showing this happening in Florida where prison space constraints have resulted in shorter and shorter sentences served (Sollars 31). The result is a situation where increasing enforcement of drug laws provides a disincentive to break them via a higher arrest rate, but this disincentive is balanced by the reduction of the severity of punishment. With increasing enforcement already unable to significantly discourage drug use by further driving up the cost of the drugs, and the incentive power of higher arrest rates neutralized, it is unlikely that additional enforcement of drug prohibition would significantly reduce use.

With a demand that is accordingly very difficult to reduce via law enforcement and extremely high prices for prohibited substances, a powerful economic incentive to break the law exists. The resulting black market is inherently problematic because it exists outside the structures and regulations that apply to legal businesses. Not only is consumer protection non-existent, but the profits go to whomever is willing to break the law, providing a ready funding source for organized crime or terrorism. Also, lacking legal recourse, business disputes arising in the black market tend to be settled with violence. This conclusion is illustrated in “An Economic Analysis of Alcohol Prohibition”, a study by Harvard economist Jeffery Miron published in Journal of Drug Issues, by looking at the homicide rate during alcohol prohibition (Miron 741).
Ultimately the economics of prohibiting substances like alcohol or drugs, both of which can be addictive and harmful, explains why despite strict enforcement of those prohibitions fails to stamp out their availability. Not only does a criminal prohibition fail at this, but also produces unforeseen negative consequences. Given that the reason to stamp out availability of drugs is to protect individuals and the public, and the fact that these drugs are still widely and increasingly used with no reason to believe that additional law enforcement can change this, the idea that a criminal prohibition will protect people from drugs shown to be false. Furthermore, considering that this strategy incurs serious negative consequences while failing to accomplish its stated goals, the strategy of criminally prohibiting a substance is seen to be seriously and fundamentally flawed.

The failure of the criminalization strategy of protecting people from drugs begs the question of why people are unwilling to accept that prohibition of drugs should be followed, on the grounds that these laws are in place to protect them. This is a question without a simple definitive answer, because medical, economic, social, cultural, and even religious issues can all play a role in why someone may choose to break drug laws. However, for this question to be relevant it would need to be established whether protecting people from their own choices regarding drugs is necessary, and to do this one can examine the history of another highly addictive and dangerous substance.

Where the War on Drugs makes the assumption that drugs are too dangerous to allow people to make their own decisions regarding use, and therefore attempts to deny people the choice to use drugs, tobacco users have never been denied that choice. If one takes the results of modern anti-smoking efforts which are based on presenting evidence to people faced with the choice to smoke, compared to anti-drug efforts, which are based on denying potential users the corresponding choice, the results clearly show the superiority of a strategy allowing that choice. According to the 2000 Surgeon General’s report “Reducing Tobacco Use” smoking has been declining since 1965, whereas the government statistics already presented show overall drug use increasing. The reasons for that decline in smoking are clear and highlight a problem with parallel efforts to reduce drug use.

In “Reducing Tobacco Use”, the surgeon general shows that for many years smoking rates steadily rose despite numerous efforts to stop tobacco use based on moralistic and hygienic concerns, and even evidence linking smoking to health problems. This report gives a detailed analysis of the history of tobacco reduction efforts, concluding that these efforts were largely ignored because they were seen as moralistic and based on biased evidence. The report goes on to conclude that the turning point for efforts to reduce tobacco use was the 1964 surgeon general’s report which codified the evidence and made a nearly indisputable case linking tobacco to health problems. “Reducing Tobacco Use” concludes in no uncertain terms that the success of following anti-smoking efforts has been based on this more solid platform (United States-
Department of Health and Human Services 38-40).

In parallel efforts to reduce drug use, the strategy of criminalization purports to deny people the opportunity, and therefore the choice, to use drugs. However, because of the flaws in that strategy, drugs are still widely available and nearly everyone is faced with the opportunity to make the choice to use drugs. Drawing the parallel with tobacco it becomes clear that in order to influence that choice, it is necessary to present evidence that leads to the desired conclusion, and that this evidence must be free of the perception of bias.

One problem with the attempt to protect people from drugs by purporting to deny them their own choice is the de-emphasis of the need to present them with credible evidence to base that choice on. If we assume that people will respond to evidence regarding drugs the same way they have with tobacco, this means the single greatest factor in the success of reducing tobacco use has been ignored where it could be applied to drugs.

As with pre-surgeon general’s report on tobacco, the case against drugs can be seen as moralistic or biased, and attempting to deny people the choice to make their own decisions on the matter is insulting. It implies that their conclusion would not be valid, an insult compounded by the fact that the government positions on drugs can be highly questionable. For examples, certain government positions will be detailed including positions on MDMA that cite the studies of the highly controversial Dr. Ricaurte, and positions that refuse to acknowledge the conclusions of the existing research on medical marijuana issue. The issues with positions such as these can result in people, with good reason, seeing government positions on drug use as biased and therefore untrustworthy.

Due to perceptions of bias all around, the validity of the evidence supporting nearly every claim regarding drugs is a contentious subject on its own. These controversies however, invalidate that evidence for the purposes of persuading people to make the choice to not use drugs. It is not the validity of the claims that people will act on but rather their perception of that validity, suggesting that anti-drug efforts that exaggerate the dangers of drug use may actually be counterproductive. This is once again exemplified by the history of anti-tobacco efforts, where evidence of very real health problems was ignored due to lack of consensus and perceived or actual bias of the platform presenting it.

MDMA is a perfect example of a drug where the rationale behind its prohibition can be seen as biased. When the DEA placed MDMA into schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act in 1985, members of the medical community took legal action. Schedule I is the most restrictive schedule under the Controlled Substances Act, defined as having no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse, and these doctors felt that MDMA did not meet either criteria. In 1986 Judge Francis Young ruled that MDMA could not be placed into schedules I or II, because it did have an accepted medical use, and the DEA failed to demonstrate that it had a high potential for abuse relative to other scheduled substances (Young 65-66).

After this ruling, attorneys for the DEA filed a statement accusing Judge Young of bias, accusations they later retracted (Stone and Charlotte 2-3). The United States Court of Appeals eventually agreed with Judge Young in Lester Grinspoon, M.D. vs. DEA that the DEA’s interpretation of “accepted medical use” was incorrect (Justices Coffin, Pettine, and Toruella 39). This resulted in MDMA briefly becoming legal and convictions based on its improper scheduling were overturned. In 1988 the DEA once again placed MDMA in schedule I, a decision based on a re-interpretation by the DEA of “accepted medical use” that stands today and ignores Judge Young’s earlier ruling that MDMA does have an accepted medical use (United States: DEA- Schedules of… 1).

This leaves a situation where both making the law by scheduling MDMA, and the interpretation of the law has been delegated to law enforcement rather than being made by our elected representatives and interpreted by the courts. That delegation is significant, because as will be shown, law enforcement has a vested economic interest in keeping drugs illegal and arrest rates high. Furthermore, the perception of bias behind the DEA’s actions can be inflamed by the fact that if they had followed Judge Young’s ruling they could still have placed MDMA in schedule III. Schedule III drugs are available only with a doctor’s prescription, and the primary result for the recreational user would have been that enforcement efforts would be a lower priority.
The scheduling procedures are not the only controversial aspect of the prohibition of MDMA, the research itself showing MDMA to be unsafe is questionable. The National Institute on Drug Abuse’s info sheet on MDMA, which is itself cited on the DEA’s website, cites a study by Dr. George Ricaurte showing brain damage in animals (National Institute on Drug Abuse 4). Dr. Ricaurte has been widely criticized for his studies on MDMA, with one study being retracted because by his own admission the wrong drug was administered to the study’s subjects (Ricaurte- retraction 1429). The study in question was supposed to show the effects of the equivalent of a common recreation dose of MDMA in primates, but after two of the ten animals died from the drug Dr. Ricaurte went ahead and published the results showing brain damage in the remaining subjects (Ricaurte- Severe Dopaminergic… 2260-2263). With a one in five death rate among two different species of primate in a study designed to examine the effects of a common recreational dose, Dr. Ricaurte’s failure to examine the obvious fact that his study did not model common human use suggests either bias or incompetence.
At least one other study on MDMA co-authored by Dr. Ricaurte, “MDMA- and p-chlorophenylalanine-induced reduction in 5-HT concentration: effects on serotonin transporter densities”, published in the European Journal of Pharmacology also found evidence of MDMA causing brain damage and has been retracted (Boot and Mechan, et al 239-244). A 2006 study published in the Medical Journal of Australia examined every study indexed by Medline to be retracted over a 20 year period, finding a total of 395 out of over nine million and specifically mentioning Ricaurte’s study (Nath, Marcus, and Druss 152-154). With a retraction rate of less than one article in 20,000, two retracted studies by the same author on MDMA severely undermines the credibility of his work. The fact that the government stands by his work hardly inspires confidence in their credibility.

Another area where government positions are seen as highly biased is the issue of medical marijuana. The DEA posted a position statement on their website that in every way exemplifies why a strong perception of government bias regarding drugs exists (United States: DEA- DEA Position on Marijuana 1-2). Once again, the DEA states their case that marijuana has no medical use based on the lack of FDA approval, the very definition ruled invalid twice in the MDMA scheduling proceedings. They go on to cite medical organizations as supporting the assertion that marijuana has “no documented medical value”, but none of those sources explicitly state this. In fact, the American Cancer Society’s statement explicitly acknowledges that marijuana can help some cancer patients and only discourages it as “not the best choice” for treating chemo side effects (American Cancer Society 1-2).

The government position on medical marijuana, as found on the FDA website and cited by the DEA, cites several government agencies in concluding that “no sound scientific studies supported medical use of marijuana for treatment in the United States” (United States- Food and Drug Administration 1). This is simply false; there is no justification for refusing to acknowledge the numerous studies published in peer-reviewed journals here in the U.S. Kevin Zeese, a notable activist for drug law reform, has compiled a long list of studies on the subject highlighting five studies published in scientific journals and six state health department studies concluding that marijuana has useful effects. (Zeese 1-9) Although one can accuse medical marijuana activists of bias, these studies are valid and simply ignoring them without providing a reason while accepting Dr. Ricaurte’s work hardly shows a lack of bias.
Given these examples of anti-drug zealotry, it is easy to discount all anti-drug efforts as propaganda, and as the history of smoking reduction efforts clearly tells us; in order to succeed at reducing drug use efforts need to be based on clear and unbiased evidence. Therefore, unbiased and conclusive research is sorely needed to put the questions regarding just how harmful and potentially useful each drug can be to rest. This needs to be done whether or not drugs are penalized criminally, both because the success of other methods of reducing drug use depends on this evidence, and it is a serious injustice to imprison people for activities that may not cause the harm that those who support and enforce the laws claim.

Punishing people who violate laws which are based on flimsy rationales is a serious injustice, but it is far from the only injustice perpetrated in the War on Drugs. Justice is by its nature a nebulous concept, but an excellent definition of justice as it applies to a law is laid out by Martin Luther King Jr. in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. King defines an unjust law as a code out of harmony with moral law, and states that any law that degrades human personality is unjust (King 3-4). This supports the need to base our laws on sound facts rather than opinions because imprisoning a person for an activity that they believe is morally sound, an opinion solidly based on evidence more credible than that opposing it, degrades this person. Our current laws are degrading because they deny a person’s free will to judge right from wrong simply because they may not reach the desired conclusion, simply holding a different opinion rather than committing a clear moral misdeed, and therefore are unjust.

This position can be attacked because those people that choose to use drugs break the law. That argument holds the view that one is obligated to obey the law, and that punishing someone for breaking that obligation is just. This is, however, an erroneous argument because it assumes that the authority to morally obligate one to obey the law rests with the government that passes the law.

A government does not have the power to impart a moral authority to its laws, a fact exemplified by the segregation laws Martin Luther King Jr. argued against, but rather a laws moral authority comes from a higher, natural law. To borrow a quote from King, “A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or law of God” (King 3). The lack of consensus regarding the basis for drug prohibition laws could by itself leave the moral authority of those laws in doubt. When one faces that doubt and also considers that prohibitions fail due to intrinsic problems, and that drug prohibition in fact causes injustice, it is clear that these laws are neither natural nor moral and therefore have no moral authority.

That is not to say that government does not impart any authority to its laws, merely that the authority imparted is not necessarily moral, and that in the case of drug prohibition it is not. With prohibition laws lacking the backing of moral law, abiding by them is not an obligation, but rather an exercise of reason. The argument that one still has an obligation to follow these laws is refuted by a significant number of circumstances under which using choosing to use drugs is reasonable despite prohibition, and that prosecuting someone who follows both moral law and reason is in fact an injustice.

Without suggesting every drug law violation is reasonable, and that every prosecution under drug prohibition laws is by definition unjust, people are prosecuted unjustly in many different circumstances. Probably the first of these to come to mind occurs when a person is punished for using or helping others to use marijuana medicinally as recommended by a doctor. Another injustice arises in religious traditions including but not limited to the Native American Church and Uniao do Vegetal, which include practices that have forced members to choose between following the law or their religion. Both religions only won their freedom to practice after lengthy and probably expensive court battles that in both cases reached the Supreme Court (Supreme Court of the U.S. 1-19). Although these injustices of the War on Drugs may not be pressing enough to break its laws on principle as Dr. King urged people to break segregation laws, drug prohibition and the enforcement thereof also includes a component of racial injustice.

Some of those opposed to the War on Drugs claim that the first anti-drug laws in this country were based on racial bias, and as the War on Drugs can be seen as a descendant of these earlier prohibition laws they see it as a fundamentally racist set of laws (Drug Policy Alliance 1-3). Today school zone laws, which primarily act to increase penalties, as shown in a study by Boston University disproportionately impact poor inner city areas (Brownsberger and Aromaa 22-26). The Massachusetts school zone law is similar to those in other states, in that it disproportionally affects inner cities and therefore minorities, but school zone laws are not the only type of law to disproportionately target minorities for violations of drugs laws. Another example is the crack vs. powder cocaine sentencing disparity, where harsh sentences for crack as opposed to powder cocaine are disproportionately applied to minorities (Human Rights Watch- Cracked Justice 1-5).

These racial disparities only highlight the problem of racial discrimination in the War on Drugs as the direct effect of its laws, however perhaps an even larger issue is the racial effects of the enforcement of laws in the War on Drugs. A 2008 report by Human Rights Watch examines these effects, showing that minorities are represented at a far higher rate than whites in U.S. prisons for drug offenses. This disproportion arises mostly in a higher rate of arrest for minorities compared to whites who commit the same offenses rather than a higher rate of lawbreaking among minorities, which would have to be enormous to explain the different rates of arrest. The report suggests that this arrest rate is partly a result of enforcement of drug offenses in inner-city neighborhoods being more common, but that race neutral factors are incapable of causing the racial differences seen in the war on drugs (Human Rights Watch- Targeting Blacks 42-47).

In addition to adding another reason for the perception of bias, supported once again by very real evidence, racist trends in the enforcement of the War on Drugs are just one facet of another problem underlying the criminal prohibition of drugs. That problem is the negative effects of the War on Drugs on law enforcement itself, which has resulted in abuses such as the Tulia, TX scandal. Tulia is a rural town where drug laws were used by police to round up and imprison mostly black residents based on false testimony and, as CBS news noted in an interview with former undercover officer Tom Coleman, they received additional federal funding for doing so (Targeted in Tulia, TX 1-6). Tom Coleman was later convicted of perjury for his testimony in the Tulia cases.

Without suggesting that corruption on this scale is common, it is still necessary to recognize that the economic incentives that lead to police corruption are universal and because the scope of the War on Drugs is so vast police corruption is inevitable. Going back to David Sollar’s study, we see that enforcement of drug prohibition may be the most profitable law enforcement activity; therefore it is hardly surprising that his data shows the percentage of arrests for drugs vs. other crimes rising. This creates a problem when as Sollar’s economic model predicts, property crimes rise as police divert more and more resources to more profitable drug enforcement, an effect also seen in his data from Florida. Furthermore police not only lack incentive to reduce drug use, but because their funding for drug enforcement is based on arrests an incentive exists to keep drug arrests high, and under heavy enforcement conditions where the price of drugs rises, the huge profits realized by drug dealers provide a ready incentive to further police corruption (Sollars 29-34).

Having shown that a strategy of criminally prohibiting a substance is inherently problematic, the use of that strategy could only be justified by a benefit outweighing the problems. Examining the economics and history of substance prohibitions, the primary economic beneficiaries are lawbreakers and the police whose jobs depend on the existence of those lawbreakers. Economics aside, the idea that drug prohibition benefits society by preventing the harm caused by drugs is questionable in a pros-and-cons analysis. Due to the continuing availability of drugs, the choice whether to use drugs still lies with every individual, and a prohibition law causes significant problems while only adding one more reason to abstain. Comparing drug prohibition with the history of tobacco use reduction efforts clearly shows that this legal incentive to abstain from drugs lacks the same deterrent power as the health problems posed by tobacco.

Also relevant is the severity of the injustices accepted to achieve this disincentive to drug use, injustices including racism and interference with religious and medical practice. Additionally, the reasoning used to justify the War on Drugs is refuted by an examination of the economics of a prohibition strategy, which suggests that its costs and consequences are incurred without hope of success. Most importantly however, if drugs are truly as harmful as claimed, there exists a proven alternative strategy that does not incur these problems. There is no reason to believe that simply providing proof of the harm caused by drugs would not produce a deterrent effect commensurate with that harm, as illustrated by smoking reduction efforts. Clearly the War on Drugs ignores the lessons of history: not only is a criminal prohibition intrinsically flawed and ineffective, but denying people their own choice in a matter lacking consensus results in injustice.

Introductions

2009-11-04T13:27:00.000-08:00

Introductions

Often, it is easier to write your introduction after you’ve compiled all your research and written the body sections of your paper. However, at the same time it is also helpful to get started, somewhere, and this is an obvious place (which can be helpful because it can allow you to get your thesis down).

Like most writing, there isn’t necessarily one way to write an introduction, but many different styles. It is important to find one that works for you. There is one myth, however, that must be dispelled once and for all and that is that your introduction must be one paragraph long and end with your statement of thesis. Wrong. Your introduction can be a page long, it can be made of multiple paragraphs, and sometimes, in the case of inductive or Rogerian arguments, the thesis is withheld until the end of the paper.

For ideas, here are four types of introductions.
1. Statement and description of a problem that affects writer and audience alike.

The problem of healthcare in the United States is at the forefront of a great debate. However, this is hardly a recent issue. Each president, dating back as far as _____ has attempted to expand coverage while controlling costs. Each president, in turn, has failed to avert the problems facing the United States. At present, 25 millions are uninsured. In 2009, the national health costs are expected to reach more than $2.5 trillion (“Health Insurance Costs” para. 2). In addition, the rising costs, which are expected to outpace US GDP, put undo strain on American businesses, which find themselves unable to afford rising health insurance premiums, and American families, which often cut back on necessities, such as food and utilities when burdened with large health costs ((“Health Insurance Costs” para. 4).

2. A brief anecdote or story that highlights the subject and puts a face on this problem.
John D is a fat man. He’ll tell you that, and chuckle so hard his gut will bounce to and fro. However, what John will also tell you is that he, due to his weight, is uninsurable. On May 22nd, 2008 John had a heart attack. At the time he was working as a nurse in the emergency room when he…

3. Open with a description of important, startling facts or findings.
According to a recent study, 62 percent of all bankruptcies filed in 2007 were linked to medical expenses. Of those who filed for bankruptcy, nearly 80 percent had health insurance (“Health” Para. 4). What is revealing about this statistic is…

4. Pose an interesting question or definition.
Many argue that healthcare is a fundamental human right. Those same people, it is safe to assume, know that this right is simply not available in much of the world. What, exactly, is healtcare? Is everyone afforded the “right” to the newest imaging devices, butting edge medicines and treatments just because they are human? Is healthcare really a service or is it, and has it always been, a business that reacts to the person with money, not the underserved? Is it safe to say that in the U.S. healthcare is a social problem before all else?

Good ideas for introductions: (From http://writing2.richmond.edu/WRITING/wweb/intros.html)

Types of introductions to avoid:

The Dictionary Definition: Many papers begin "Webster's defines X as..." and then continue to discuss the topic. This type of introduction has become very stale with faculty, who have seen it thousands of times.

The "Cinema scope" Intro: These often crop up in introductory history classes. Avoid sweeping panoramas such as "Throughout the march of history, one thing has been true..." or "Many novels have considered the ways in which good people become corrupted by money."

Cutting to the Chase too Quickly: It is too easy to go too far while avoiding overly general introductions. Avoid jumping right into a thesis statement and do not try to cover every topic in the first paragraph. It is difficult to say how specific to be in an introduction, but consider the idea that this part of a paper provides "the lay of the land" for a reader who will then know why the paper is worth finishing.

Memorable Quotations: Some faculty do not like papers to start with another's words. This overused strategy may be acceptable if a direct quotation sets the stage for what follows and its relevance is discussed in the introduction.

[I am adding: Statement of Purpose: Do not announce what you are going to do, just do it. Ie: “This paper will examine the different proposals for health care reform. I will start by looking at …” Similarly, avoid these missteps in the rest of your paper, ie “Now I am going to tell you about this other guy’s argument. “ In short, in an academic paper, these make the reader question your ethos and they waste the reader’s time by describing the paper and the writer’s process, instead of making an argumentative point.

These are called "telegraphic" sentences: Here a writer uses the first person to tell a reader what is going to happen. We have all seen this pattern:

"This essay will consider the development of humor in American Naturalism. My thesis is. . . "

Academic writing tends to adopt a more subtle approach, as in the revised example:

"The Naturalist writers in America, like their European counterparts, rarely flinched in depicting humans as brutal creatures driven by desires venal, animal, and primordial. Forbidden sexuality, gluttony, disease. . . "

Not a cheerful topic, but the tone is correct for these readers.

In addition, there are a number of other styles here: http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/documents/argueparts/introduction.cfm
Such as
*Provide Context for the Argument
* Establish Credible Authority
* Compel the Audience to Listen
* Establish Common Ground
* Clarify a Problem

Go here. Click around, read some examples and use it, with the examples and advice above to write your intro. Due: Tues. 11/10..

WRITING PROCESS 1

2009-11-04T11:05:00.001-08:00

Writing is easy. This is the truth. Anyone with five words at his command can slap together a sentence. It may be a grammarless and guttural burp, but it is writing.

Writing well, however, is hard. Unfortunately, it is made even harder when we stop to consider how hard it really is. When we are scared, when we sit there, pen in hand, and consider Shakespeare. And Hemingway. And Fitzgerald. And Tolstoy. And Baldwin... When we think about all the stuff of language—tone, voice, syntax and all the decisions we must make regarding how and in what order to take all the words of the English languages and lay them down on a sheet of paper so that they mean something—we hesitate. We over think it. We stall. We see that brilliant shining essay at the end of the rainbow. We see its perfections, its charming smile and bright eyes. It’s beautiful, isn’t it?

Surely, that can’t come from this pukey thing before us, we think. We seize up. We stop. We wait for inspiration that never comes.

Our problem: Most of us don’t want to start with the ugliness. I won’t lie to you. Writing is hard work. It is walking forty miles only find you have forty more to go. It stings. But my friends, if you want to write a good paper, you have to start here, in the trenches of the mud field where the sloppy first drafts grow.

How do we get out of here? Write To Discover.

Myth: The first draft is the best draft.
Reality: This way of thinking will cause you to stall. If you strive too hard for perfection in your first draft, you will no doubt come up short and you won’t get a very good grade. A better strategy is to sit down and get started knowing full well you will come back to fix and redo part of it later. This relieves the pressure of having to be perfect. It also allows you the freedom to go back and improve your thinking and your writing after you’ve had a shot at it once or twice. Writing is exploring. Your first draft is are the first crunchy footfalls and there’s a white out up ahead.

Myth: You have to have a clear organized outline before you sit down to write.
Reality: While some people are into outlines and fill one out before they ever write a word, it is more helpful to most of us to build some kind of plan, a flow chart of sorts, that helps keep us on topic without restricting our exploratory process. Not knowing exactly how you are going to pull it off shouldn’t be a reason to stop writing.

Myth: Write your introduction first, then your body, then your conclusion.
Reality. Many good writers write their introduction last. We might even change the thesis after they have written out the rest of the paper. Often, we write entire sections of the paper independently from others. The place we start might turn out to be paragraph 28 in your final draft. There are no global rules for how to do this. You have to develop your own strategies. I use sticky pads. I compose in my head. I compose freehand. I compose outside the constraints of order, keeping faith in the idea I am hunting. Sometimes it works. Sometimes I have to revise a lot.

Myth: You should write an entire draft in one sitting. Don’t stop until it’s done.
Reality: We usually do better if we break the business of writing into bite-sized chunks. If we come back to the paper often, after a break, we are giving ourselves the opportunity to re-read what we have written, to rewrite and revise it, and rediscover what we are up to. It is a process, remember. Make it one.

Reality: You might not be done with your research. You might be unsure of where to go, how to argue, what your point is, and even what your thesis is. It’s okay. Just start. Once you get going, it gets easier. In the end, it is our writing that guides us. We have to trust in it to show us where we are going. We have to have the courage to follow.

Sample Flow Charts

2009-11-03T08:49:00.001-08:00

You should have taken notes today during the presentation. For a few of my favorites, see the following.

In a rhetorical, argumentative paper you have to be persuasive, which means you must include and present information to your audience that will encourage your audience to agree with you. This tension—created between an author (you) that wishes to persuade and the audience who must be persuaded—must be at the forefront of what/how you put your argument together. The common ground we (the persuaders and persuaded) share is reason. (Duffin, 1998).

What kinds of examples you include, style of language you use and when and how you get your reader to embrace your reasons are all chief concerns of the argument writer. How do we arrange this information? I’ve said that I don’t believe a concrete outline helps many of us. However, knowing some common rhetorical methods will help and employing a general flow chart will help (1998, Kathy Duffin, The Writing Center at Harvard University, http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/documents/Overvu.html).

FLOW CHART 1 Building common ground.

In the Rogerian method of argumentation. You build the common ground between you readers and yourself, never giving away your thesis until the very end. Tricky, yes. Useful, probably. This was developed by Carl Rogers, a psychologist, and is useful for emotionally charged topics.

The purpose of a Rogerian argument is to find the common ground held by the author and audience regarding an issue or problem. The authors explores the audience’s POV and must present the audience's perspective clearly, accurately, and fairly before asking them to consider an alternative position or solution.

This method downplays emotional appeals is a must for emotionally charged, highly divisive issues and allows for people of good will on different sides of an issue to find, or agree upon, solutions together.

Here’s a sample flow chart (taken from writing.colostate.edu):

Introduction: A problem is presented, typically pointing out how both writer and reader are affected by the problem. Rather than presenting an issue that divides reader and writer, or a thesis that demands agreement the Rogerian argument does not begin with the writer's position at all. The thesis is withheld.

Then: The Audience Perspective. Described as clearly and accurately as possible-typically in neutral language-the author acknowledges their point of view and the circumstances and contexts in which their perspective or position is valid. Done well, the author builds good will and credibility with the audience, a crucial step leading toward potential compromise. Honest, heartfelt sincerity is the key here: if the audience perceives an attempt at manipulation, the Rogerian argument strategy generally backfires. This segment depends, again, on neutral but clear language so that the reader perceives the fair-mindedness of the writer's description.

Then: The author's perspective comes in the next chunk of the argument. For the audience to give it a listen it must be presented in as fair-minded a way as was theirs, in language as equally neutral and clear. To be convincing, besides describing the circumstances or contexts in which the position is valid, it must contain the evidence that supports the claim

Conclusion: The Rogerian essay closes not by asking readers to give up their own positions on the problem but by showing how the reader would benefit from moving toward the writer's position. In other words, the final section of the Rogerian argument lays out possible ways to compromise. (fromwriting.colostate.edu/guides/documents/arguedraft)

FLOW CHART 2
Deductive Reasoning
This is a direct quote of a page at:
http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/documents/arguedraft/deductive.cfm

The traditional academic argument is deductive, placing the author's position in the introduction and devoting the rest of the argument to presenting the evidence. Unless you are in a field where inductive reasoning is the norm, you can hardly go wrong with this method.

In some cases, all the evidence may be directed at proving the main point; in others, each piece may lead to a sub-point that needs proving before a convincing argument for the main point can be made. Depending on how directly each piece of evidence relates to the position, a deductive argument can be organized in a variety of ways.

* Introduction establishing the context of the argument as well as the author's position.
* Body of Evidence presented, depending on the audience analysis, from most to least, or least to most convincing.
* Conclusion summarizing the argument, presenting a call to action, or suggesting further research.

An argument supporting a ban on logging in rain forests might first need to establish and provide evidence regarding five other environmental premises, each supporting the author's position, regarding the effects of logging. For instance:

• It causes soil erosion
• It affects global warming
• It destroys native species
• It alters water routes and levels
• It destroys indigenous lifestyles

Each premise is a debatable issue in and of itself. Therefore, some measure of the supportive evidence behind each-at least enough to connect them as reasonably evidentiary links-must be given before they can be used to collectively support the author's main position. In these cases, arguments are typically arranged as follows:

• Introduction establishing the context of the argument as well as the author's position.
• Brief Preview outlining each premise, or reason, to be used as evidence supporting the claim.
• Body of Evidence presented, depending on audience analysis, in an order that will make the most sense to the audience.
• Conclusion summarizing the argument and demonstrating how each premise leads logically to the author's position, presents a call to action, or suggests further research.

When opposing arguments are particularly strong and readily accepted, discrediting them point-by-point may be the best strategy for convincing an audience to consider alternative points or support a different position.

• Introduction
• Rebut first opposing argument followed by first counter-argument
• Rebut next opposing arguments, followed by further counter-arguments as you go along
• Conclusion

FLOW CHART 3
Inductive Reasoning

This is a direct quote from: CSU Writing Center at writing.colostate.edu/guides/index.cfm?guides_active=argument&category1=31
Inductive Reasoning

When an audience completely disagrees with your position convincing them that their reasons for disagreeing are faulty before presenting your own position may be the best strategy.

Introduction: States the issue to be addressed and why it is important.

Body of Argument: Examines positions already proposed and refutes each one, showing why they are inadequate. Typically organized like this.

• Position 1
• Your refutation of position 1
• Position 2
• Your refutation of position 2

Alternatively, all positions might be examined first and then refuted second.

• Position 1
• Position 2
• Your refutation of position 1
• Your refutation of position 2

Conclusion/Position Statement: Once all other positions are shown to be inadequate, conclude with your position as the only logical choice. This is where you argue your point. At the end. Hah. See I told you sometimes you hold off on your thesis until the audience is good and ready to hear it.

When an audience partially disagrees with your position, the best strategy still looks a great deal like when they completely disagree: convincing them that their reasoning is faulty before presenting your own position.

Introduction: States the issue to be addressed and why it is important.

Body of Argument: Examines positions already proposed and refutes each one, showing why they are inadequate. Typically organized like this.

* Position 1
* Your refutation of position 1
* Position 2
* Your refutation of position 2

Alternatively, all positions might be examined first and then refuted second.

* Position 1
* Position 2
* Your refutation of position 1
* Your refutation of position 2

Position Statement: Introduced as the only logical choice after the positions your audience finds most persuasive are shown to be inadequate.

Presentation of Evidence: Supports your position as not only reasonable, but the best one available as well.

2009-11-02T13:54:00.000-08:00

Detailed Summary

Assignment: Based on the material you have reviewed on the blog, types of arguments, etc, and on the CSU writing center site, develop a detailed outline wherein you plan out your arguments, both what will go where, but also paying attention to how it will function as a piece of persuasive writing. This should map all the parts of your paper, while paying attention to how you want to construct it. It should a)state your purpose b) state your thesis and c) reveal how you plan to organize your argument and evidence.

Step One: Define Your Writing Purpose
What are your goals in this paper. Your goals may be to pass this class, or to learn to write so you can use it in your future place of employment, but those aren’t the goals of THIS paper. The purpose of a persuasive essay is to convince the audience to change their views on an important issue or to take action to change something. Here describe what your purpose is in this writing situation. What are you trying to do. If we were performing a Precis of your paper, what would we put for sentence 3?

Ex. “In this essay, I want to present the problem of health care, or lack there of, in the United States and explore several possible methods of reforming this problem, at which point I will present my reasons for what is called Guaranteed Issue, where everyone must get insurance.”

Step Two: Develop a Statement of Thesis
First, read the “Thesis Statements” handout.
Second, go here: http://writing.colostate.edu/activities/index.cfm?activities_active=argument&category1=5 and click:
a. Narrowing from Topic to Thesis for an Argumentative Essay
b. Unpacking an Argumentative Thesis Statement
c. Writing Argumentative Claims
d. Supporting Argumentative Claims
e. Revising Your Argumentative Claim
Go through each exercise to arrive at a workable statement of thesis, or main idea, that will guide how you write your paper. The purpose and thesis should guide how you write your paper. These are what you are trying to do, what you are trying to convince readers to consider. Please use the “Thesis Statements” handout from ISU to help you do this.

Ex. Health care reform, no matter how skewed it has become in the cable news media, should remain a priority of the Obama administration because it is the top domestic threat to our well being as a nation. Our current healthcare system is unworkable because it injures American industry’s ability to compete overseas, because it allows insurance companies to make medical decisions, and because it leaves many people uninsured. However, plans for this reform must include Guaranteed Issue, or a plan that mandates universal coverage so that the insurance industry remains viable, and the government does not grow too large, thus creating even more problems.

Third, Write your thesis

Step Three: Developing a Plan
First, review the styles of argument we presented in class. Which works best for your argument? I strongly encourage you to try the Rogerian or Toulmin Methods for their more rational/conciliatory styles of argumentation.
What style are you using? List it and explain why?
Go Back to: http://writing.colostate.edu/activities/index.cfm?activities_active=argument&category1=5
Click the following to develop how you will incorporate proof into your essay.
a. Reviewing How You've Incorporated Proof into An Argument
b. Revising Coherence in the Argumentative Essay
c. Working with Claim/Proof/Warrant--Toulmin Method
Now arrange this info. and WRITE A WARRANT for each. A warrant is a sentence or two that state why your evidence supports your claim. It links, through reasoning, the evidence to the claim.
Ie (from RRW):
Claim: Pete Sampras is a better tennis player than Agassi.
Evidence: He was ranked number one for a longer period of time. He won more tournaments. He won more majors. He didn’t take meth.

Warrant: It is appropriate to judge and rank tennis players on these kinds of statistics. That is, the better player is one who has held the number one ranking for longer, and has one more major and minor tournaments.

Now: Outline Your Evidence. Should look like this:

Purpose: This paper will make a conciliatory argument with the purpose of exposing the real complications of censorship versus First Amendment rights in order to help the reader see why even such ludicrous and offensive publications, such as hate speech, are entitled to these rights.

1. INTRO & STATEMENT OF THESIS [Don’t just put “introduction” but describe what you will do to capture the audience attention. A boring introduction sets your grader up to be extra hard on you. Studies show that the more interesting/entertaining the writing, the fewer mistakes we find.]
1. Introduce the controversy
1. Intro will include a real illustration to gain reader interest, preferably culled from an interview or a recent article. [better than just a hypothetical]
2. Net provides easy access. Easy for the intolerant to spew hatred. [develop this]
3. Exposure causes problems for many (expand here about other civil rights). But it's protected in real space. Is cyberspace different? which right should trump the other? discuss the public interest.
2. Statement of Thesis
1. Hate speech published on the Internet, no matter how egregious, should continue to enjoy the same first amendment protections as the print media. Anything less puts censorship in the hands of government instead of adults and/or parents, goes against the principle of tolerance of opinion so highly valued blah blah blah, marketplace of ideas blah blah, and puts us on a very slippery slope. [please don’t use blah, blah, blah in yours]

2. ANALYSIS AND EXPLANATION OF THESIS; SOME BACKGROUND INFO
1. Internet censorship continues to be debated in Congress, in higher courts, and in the global forum. Add specific examples from both sides of the fence.
2. Risk of no government censorship.
3. Briefly discuss basic principles that restrict government censorship, and WHY.
1. No false ideas; restrictions must be precise; advocacy cannot be outlawed, etc.
2. Briefly mention three-part test (when speech can be curtailed) & why it was made so tough.
4. First Amendment text; highlight parts that are important to this paper.
5. United Nations Declaration of Human rights (discusses dignity and rights to express opinions, etc.)
1. How these relate.

Continue to build the skeleton of your paper now. Do you see how this is building your argument for you? Since you have taken a moment to plan this, now you can focus on the writing and rhetoric of the piece.

Post-Snow Schedule

2009-11-02T09:07:00.000-08:00

We have to move forward despite the interference from the snow last week. Here's the agenda for this week.

Tomorrow, 11/3: Rescheduled Presentations on Styles of Argument. Please have your Power Point pres. ready and know what/how you will present your argument. In-class: Detailed Outline draft; Introductions
Due: Research Summary (50)

Thurs. 11/5 Workshop: Intro/Outline/Evidence (to be explained) Drafting: The body.
Due: Read They Say, I Say handouts, RRW Ch. 11; Detailed Outline Final Draft; Introduction rough draft.

Tues: 11/10: Sample Essays in class.
Due: The Body rough draft workshop; Analysis Sent. Corrections

Thurs: 11/12: Rough Drafts Due. Check grade, RE: drop date

Tues: 11/17 Workshop: Rough Draft: Due: Revision Ideas to Peer Group
Thurs: 11/19 Proofreading in class. Final Draft Packet Due By 5:00

No class until 12/3--Final Exam.

Cross your fingers we don't have any more cancellations!

Campus Closed: No Class 10/29

2009-10-29T05:47:00.000-07:00

No Class. I will update the schedule and post what I want you to do for tues. here.

Styles of Argument--Presentations

2009-10-26T15:02:00.000-07:00

On Thurs. your group will give a presentation on a specific type of (or aspect of) argument.

For this, your presentation needs to be broken down into three distinct parts, which MUST be related in an Power Point presentation.

1) Define and describe your type of argument. What is it? When is it used?
2) Draft a flow chart that breaks this type of argument into its parts. Describe what each part does, how it works, what goes into it, etc.
3) Provide a good example, in flow chart style, that applies a certain topic (ex death penalty, or food safety, etc) to this style of argument.

In class today, you will be developing your presentation. If you don't finish, it is homework.

Use:

This to find good info about arguments and examples of various flow charts
Use your book pages, too.
Use google, by entering your style of argument and looking for results that come from .edu sites.

Please turn in your logic assignment today, as well as your focused topic handouts (if you didn't hand them in already). EMAIL ME YOUR PRESENTATIONS BY TOMORROW.

Research Summary: Due 11/3

2009-10-21T15:42:00.000-07:00

The Research Summary should be a list of all of your sources (including citation) with a Rhetorical Precis of each source. Minimum sources: 10. Typed. Double spaced.

INCLUDE the sources you have used for your Analysis paper, and any other sources you have turned to when building your expertise in this topic. In addition, add all the new sources you found for your new focused topic. If the source doesn't fit the Precis format, summarize it using the guidelines we discussed when you summarized the Frontline episode.

For Example,

1. In "Our Decrepit Food Factories," Michael Pollan argues that the industrial food production system is dangerous and unhealthy. He gives examples of the nation's slaughter houses, he offers testimonials of farmers that can't survive economically in a "corn-mad" world, and finally he assesses the cost, in dollars, of transporting our food from farms (often in other countries) to our tables. His purpose is to highlight the unsusstainable food production system in order to call for a local producers to replace it. His audience in the New York Times Magazine is a general, liberal audeince and he appeals to them by highlighting how much of the food we buy in supermarkets is unsafe.

Pollan, Michael. "Our Decrepit Food Factories." New York Times Magazine (16 Dec.
2007): 25. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State
abbreviation]. 1 Apr. 2009
search.ebscohost.com.skyline.cudenver.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=28004760
&site=ehost-live>.

2. Wendell Barry, In "Being Kind to the Land" argues that local farmers, or farmers that produce food and distribute it within a 150 mile radius, are the future of farming. He cites the persistent problems with industrial food production, giving examples of how this system treats food as a commodity, but fails to recognize quality, and offers the example of Jon Doe as how local, sustainable farming can and should work. His purpose is to debunk the myth that local farming is "pie in the sky" dreaming in order to call for a change in our food production infrastructure. His audience is liberal leaning and he appeals to them primarily with his use of pathos, in the story of Doe, but many of his claims rely on logos to be persuasive as he points to the inherent flaws that affect everyone.

Berry, Wendell. "Being Kind to the Land." Progressive 73.2 (Feb. 2009): 21-23.
Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State abbreviation]. 1
Apr. 2009
direct=true&db=aph&AN=36318145&site=ehost-live>.

Continue your list like this until you have summarized all of your source material. Note the Precis and the citation of each source.

Focussing Your Topic

2009-10-19T19:56:00.001-07:00

The Research Process Part 2
(General Guidelines For Building a Good Paper)

Focusing Your Topic

By this point you know a lot about what you will be writing about. You’ve done background research—reading about the history of the topics, discovering who some key players are in this debate and mapping out the various positions held in the controversy. You have developed your understanding of debate. Now it is time to figure out what aspect of that debate you will examine in greater detail in order to form your argument. First, you must focus your topic.

But why?

Failing to focus a topic is a common mistake students make. When the topic is too broad, there is too much to cover, which results in a paper that feels superficial or shallow. If you topics is too narrow—i.e. “what are the psychological effects of 7 am classes on CCD students with brown, well kept hair…” you won’t be able to find enough evidence to support your points.

What does this mean?

Focusing a research topic (or occasionally broadening it) is narrowing your topic (and choosing to focus on specific parts of it) so that you can demonstrate your expertise on a subject and effectively argue a position in that debate.

Let’s say you like animals. Developing a focus for your paper (and your research) means you start here:
Animals have feelings
And go here:
The use of dogs in the United States Military is useful, but at what cost?

This isn’t necessarily your thesis, but it has narrowed your interests into something you can work with. The point is with the later you have specific research needs; you are working with a specific type of animal in a specific situation—something you can tackle in 10-15 pages.

Note: You will not immediately know what your focus should be. It will come to you, most likely, through trial and error, through reading a lot articles and other literature that you will not ultimately use. Realize, you are shaping your thinking on this topic and as you learn more, your thoughts will change.

Start by defining your terms. How can your terms be broken down?
Example:
War is wrong

Defining the terms:
"War": What type (self-defense, aggressive preemptive strikes, rooted in ideology…)? By whom? What commonalities do you see in the wars you think are wrong?
"Wrong": How so? Results in unnecessary bloodshed? Has a drastic effect on the economy? Fail to foresee and plan for the complexities on the ground?
Focused:
In American history, wars that are rooted in ideology often have dire consequences for the economy.
You can always define again, and again, if need be. Do you see how this is putting the proper restraint on the topic? How you can now find specific examples and evidence to support this idea?

Try focusing on:

A specific location: Colorado’s community colleges have the best students.
Age group: Violence on television begets violence among pre-Kinder kids.
Species: While testing cosmetic products must be done, Chimpanzees should be spared because…
Ethnicity: What are the effects of our current immigration laws on Mexican-American families in the US?

Do Not Merely Restate Terms. War is bad because it’s war. No. Don’t do it.

Most of all, this is the moment to consider your approach to the subject. Are you writing about a specific element of smoking (marketing to children in Third World Countries) or about its more general elements (Smoking is still a big problem among today’s youth). You have to figure out where to go and how to get there.

Test your topic early. The night before a draft is due is a poor time to discover your topic is still too broad. The research process is a recursive one. You will need to come back to your topic time and time again if it isn’t working out. A lot of this is Goldilocks and porridge. You have to try a lot to find what is just right. Remember—Writing takes time.

In addition, try this, from (http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/documents/Topic.html):

“Narrowing the Topic

The topic of an academic essay must be sufficiently focused and specific in order for a coherent argument to be made about it. For instance, "The Role of Such-and-Such in the Case of So-and-So v. So-and-So" is a topic that is somewhat narrowed. But if "Such-and-Such" is extremely general, it too will require further narrowing. "The Role of Societal Pressures in the Case of Jones v. Smith" is an example—it's too general. "Alleged Jury Tampering in the Case of Jones v. Smith" narrows those societal pressures, and begins to suggest a persuasive argument. (Of course, even this topic could be further narrowed.)

Going through the following steps will help you focus your subject, find a topic, and narrow it.

* Carefully read your primary source(s) and then, with the assignment in mind, go through them again, searching for passages that relate directly to the assignment and to your own curiosities and interests. When you find a passage that interests you, write down the reason for its significance. If you don't, you might forget its importance later.
* Annotate some of the most intriguing passages—write down your ideas, opinions and notes about particular words, phrases, sentences. Don't censor your thoughts! Just write, even if you think that what you're writing doesn't add up to much. For now, get your impressions on paper; later, you'll begin to order and unify them.
* Group passages and ideas into categories. Try to eliminate ideas that don't fit anywhere. Ask yourself if any of the emerging categories relate to any others. Do any of the categories connect, contradict, echo, prove, disprove, any others? The category with the most connections to others is probably your topic.
* Look at some relevant secondary sources—at what other scholars have said—in order to get a sense of potential counter-arguments to your developing topic. Remember: While taking notes, make sure to cite all information fully. This is a lot easier than having to go back later and figure out where you got a particular quote, or, worse, being unable to find it.” (Maxine Rodburg and The Tutors of the Writing Center at Harvard University, 1999).

Analysis Workshop

2009-10-13T08:51:00.000-07:00

Workshop: The Analysis Paper

First: Read the paper through to get a feel for what it is about.
Second: Read it again. This time, comment in the text.

To do so:
First: Block out a section of the paper (from a paragraph to a page) and edit it heavily. In the margin the paper, identify any repeating grammatical or syntactical errors (ie run-ons, prepositions, etc).

Second: Examine the following.

Evaluate the way the issue is presented. Does the writer include information about the history of this debate, current relevance or its importance, the various positions in the debate and who the main players are. On the back--List any questions you have that were unanswered. List any information that the essay doesn’t include.

Are the opposing position clearly and accurately identified? Do you know enough about the various sides to this debate? Is the essay too biased (it is clear what the author thinks)? If so, on the back, tell the writer to take a more neutral tone and explore the “other” side in more depth to more fully understand it.

Here are some common problems:
The essay does not focus on the topics developed in the debate.
What topics need further explanation?
Is the issue clear?
The essay seems to be taking a position in the debate or evaluating one or both of the position essays.

Look at the Sources. Here are some issues with them:
The sources are not clearly identified, in part because of vague pronoun reference errors.
Quotes are used too much or not enough from the two position essays.
Citations are not smoothly incorporated into the writer’s text.
Sources are not paraphrased or quoted accurately
Omissions are evident on the works-cited page.
The writer needs to do more research.

Lastly, list the items in bold that the writer needs to focus on for his revision of this essay before he hands it in on Weds.:

Organization. Look at the beginning. Is it engaging? Does it forecast the direction of the essay to come? Does it have a thesis? Are there transitions that guide you through the paper—ie intro’s to each section that link it back to the main idea? Does the conclusion close the paper well, or should it do further.

Look at the transitions from section to section. Do you logically understand how the paper moves from point to point
Requirements: Paper is 2-5 pages, typed and double-spaced. Source material is cited.

Background: The paper presents adequate background information. Key events are identified, and the history of this controversy including how it became a controversy is evident. It is apparent the author has done ample research and uses that expertise to put this topic in context for the reader.

Mapping the Controversy: The paper adequately explores the various positions held in this debate. It presents the arguments from both sides (and in between) to give the reader an idea of what and how this topic is disagreed upon.

Consequences: This paper weighs what’s at stake in this controversy (ie why one side believes what they do, how they benefit from those beliefs, etc.).

Insight : The paper shows insight into the topic. The author explores this subject in all its complexity and reveals and examines the nature of that complexity in his/her essay. Such insights should not be implied but revealed and developed through good examples from the texts.

Grammar/Syntax: Your essay's prose is written in grammatically correct English; it has no spelling or grammatical errors; it shows a sound understanding of the structure of a good sentence and paragraph.

Now: rejoin your group and discuss what you:
A. Liked most about the draft
And B. Discuss how and where the draft needs to improve. Offer suggestions.

Sample Analysis Paper (#2)

2009-10-08T08:47:00.000-07:00

ENG 122-002
October 20, 2008
Jeff Becker
Analysis Paper

Analysis of the Male Body Image Controversy

Introduction:
No one argues that male body image has become prevalent in American society today. All one has to do is observe a magazine rack in a local grocery store and see the titles that pertain to how men should look and feel, like “Men’s Health,” and “Men’s Fitness.” Society demands that men focus on their appearance more than ever today. Harrison G. Pope, Jr., Katherine A. Phillips, and Robert Olivardia are doctors who have studied male body issues for years and are authors of the book, The Adonis Complex. These and other experts agree that body image issues have become as much of a concern for men in the last thirty years as women (Pope, Phillips, Olivardia 17). However, because of the recalcitrant nature of men in general and their fear of being labeled as feminine for talking about their feelings, these issues have remained on the back-burner for years. Experts agree that male body issues exist and are becoming more apparent every day. The controversy, therefore, comes from the causes of these issues. Some experts believe that feminism is to blame, others steroids, others the post-industrial nation and the death of the self-made man, and still others believe that the media should ultimately be held responsible for the negative feelings men have toward their bodies.

Male Body Image and Feminism:
The book, The Adonis Complex, and the study, “Competition and Male Body Image: Increased Drive for Muscularity Following Failure to a Female,” both postulate that male body issues stem from the hypothesis that women can now compete with men in the workforce. Women can now work in pretty much any field that in the past was almost exclusively male. Women can join the military, become police chiefs, or interview football players in the locker room. According to Pope et al, “women have increasingly approached parity with men in many aspects of life, leaving men with primarily their bodies as a defining source of masculinity” (48). Since men can no longer justify their masculinity through the work they do to earn a living, they use their bodies instead. Women can work and run companies; however, women cannot build muscle like men can. Men’s muscles are their way to ensure that they remain noticeably masculine. According Pope, Phillips, and Olivardia, this can become an emotional problem which they call “threatened masculinity,” in which men try to establish their maleness within a societal group yet feel like they cannot do so (23). Jennifer Mills and Sante D’Alfonso ran a study that concluded that after perceiving losing to a female, men felt worse about themselves and wanted to increase their musculature (514). This becomes an issue because men are not only in competition with women, men are in competition with other males. This leads to a drive to increase muscle beyond natural means, which leads us to the next argument.

Male Body Image and Steroids:
According to Pope et al, the drive for muscularity and negative male body image come mainly from the availability of steroids. Steroids allow men to bulk up to levels unattainable by natural means alone, and “it’s impossible to extremely lean and muscular with chemical assistance” (Pope et al 35). Steroids are easy to obtain through the black market and have very little short-term side effects, yet provide immediate and profound results (Pope et al 105). Society seems to be under the impression that steroid use is maybe reserved for professional wrestlers and not those regular guys working out in the gym. However, regular men do use steroids on a regular basis. It is estimated that 2 to 3 million men have used anabolic steroids (Pope et al 104). Steroid use, according to Pope, Phillips, and Olivardia, contributes to a condition called “muscle dysmorphia” (Pope et al 87). Muscle dysmorphia is a condition in which men become preoccupied with how their muscles look and feel that they are always too “small” regardless of their actual size.

Male Body Image and the Post-Industrial Nation:
Some experts argue that male body image issues have stemmed back farther than the feminist movement in the 1960’s. Lynne Luciano, author of Looking Good, argues that since America turned industrial, the nature of how men looked and perceived their looks changed. In the 19th century, for example, most men were self-employed and worked from their hands. A man’s work became the focal point of his masculinity, not his looks. To be concerned about one’s looks would be the hallmark of femininity, and anathema to men. However, when the nature of work moved from individual production to factory production, and then from factory production to corporations and the global marketplace, men and male body image shifted. Identity became based on others’ perceptions and not handiwork any longer. According to Luciano, “the fate of the white-collar employee depended on his ability to please others, forcing him to develop a whole new social character in which his personality and appearance mattered most”(40). Grooming became essential, and bald, fat, or old men, once considered desirable because of their expertise and character, were deemed undesirable because of their looks. Outward pleasantness replaced inward character and loyalty—traits no longer desired by mega-corporations all too willing to replace old men with fresh-faced young ones.

Male Body Image and the Media:
Blaming male body image issues on the media is a touchy subject, since no one can be sure what came first. Did people demand what they see on television, which obligingly supplies, or did the media dictate to men and women what they want? No one can be sure, but some experts do believe that the media at least perpetuates the ideas of male body image. Studies have been done that show the relationship between viewing media images and feelings of dissatisfaction. For example, Daniel Agliata and Stacey Tantleff-Dunn, in “The Impact of Media Exposure on Males’ Body Image,” conclude that men feel dissatisfied with their bodies after viewing media images of the ideal male body (16). Not only do media images play a role in how men feel about their bodies, but action toys as well. Like Barbie for girls, G.I. Joe for boys has increasingly grown more muscular over the years, to the point where if he were life-sized he would have a 36.5” waist, a 54.8” chest, and a 26.8” bicep(Pope, Olivardia, Gruber, Borowiecki 69). After they play with toys in elementary school, children graduate to more grown-up ventures like World Wrestling Entertainment, or the WWE, where wrestlers bulk up to girths unattainable by natural means alone(Pope et. al 45). Even if men do not play with toys or watch WWE, many magazines and movies exist that perpetuate male body image ideals that are simply unnatural without steroids (Pope et al 46).

Implications of Male Body Image: Winners and Losers
Many benefactors exist from men being insecure about their body image and wanting to enhance their muscularity. For examples, the dozens of magazines that line grocery store shelves, the hundreds of gyms with expensive memberships, the countless pricey supplements that promise to enhance musculature all promote insecurity to men and signal that the natural male form is just not good enough. One of the priciest benefactors of men’s insecurities is cosmetic surgeons. In 1996, men spent several million dollars and had 690,361 cosmetic procedures performed (Pope et al 31). Besides the countless millions spent on legal means to attain body satisfaction, men also spend thousands of dollars on anabolic steroids and other medications in order to improve their bodies.

Conclusion:
So what if men seem to overly care about their bodies? Health and fitness are important and necessary, but some men become so overwrought about the state of their bodies that their thoughts become obsessions, and they end up hurting themselves. No one can deny that men have become more focused on their bodies and they image they project on society. However, experts disagree on the causes of why this occurs. Some think the cause stems as far back as the industrial revolution; while others seem to think the problem comes from feminism or the abundance of steroids. No one can agree whether the media begets male body image concerns or simply perpetuates them. However, no expert can deny that male body image issues exist and cause problems for the men who fall prey to their insecurities.

Analysis Research #!

2009-09-30T19:52:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, you will be meeting with me individually for a mid-term conference. On this occasion, I will hand back a pile of your work, talk to you about your writing, and discuss your topic and current work on your Analysis paper.

For that conference, please print out and bring a list of:

A. At least ONE source that relate to the background of your subject. Background can mean history, a summary of the current problem (that the debate rages over), etc. Please annotate the source.

B. At least TWO sources that relate to the differing points of view on this topic, one from each side. Please annotate the sources.

C. An introduction to your Analysis paper that highlights the problem. Notice how the Frontline episode uses narrative to introduce the problem...how can you creatively introduce your subject?

This must be typed, and turned in to me on the day of your conference. Please use the Frontline example to consider different sections to include in your analysis.

For Thurs.

2009-09-28T20:34:00.003-07:00

Watch This, From Frontline.

Summarize it. Type it up and turn it in.

Topic Proposal

2009-09-23T20:26:00.000-07:00

Points: 30 Due: 9/29

The Assignment: Submit a typed proposal for the topic you will research for this course. Your proposal (about two pages) must have three elements:

• a description of your topic and focus
• a one-to-two paragraph keyword tree for the topic
• proof that enough research material exists to support a 15 page paper (just test the waters. Do preliminary searches bring up much?)

This proposal will be accepted (30 pts), accepted with stipulations (20 pts) or rejected (mandatory revision).

Advice for text: Describe both the topic and the focus you will pursue. Explain why you're interested. Be sure your topic is professional and narrow enough.

"Just curious" is an excellent reason for choosing a topic. This should be something that you want to learn more about, something that you would be naturally inclined to read about. You will work on this topic, and read upwards of 100+pages of text on this topic, so it is imperative you pick something you like.

In explaining your focus, take your topic and break off one piece of it. If your topic is animal rights, your focus can be animal rights and the testing of cosmetics on chimps. Use CQ Researcher for help.

Step One: Explore some topics that you are interested in.

• Look through the Topics list created by your classmates. Stop and examine the entries you find interesting. Note those you like the most.

Step 2: Develop a list of search terms and list them. You will do this by digging around. If your topic is

As the Library at St. Thomas Univ. says, “Knowing ahead of time what terms you will use in doing your searching will make your searching more effective and efficient” (http://www.stthomas.edu/libraries/research/tutorials)

• Developing a search strategy involves defining your topic as a sentence or question, identifying the major concepts or key words that make up your topic, and determining the relationship between the keywords and concepts.

• Most online catalogs and databases cannot understand complex sentences or questions, so you need a list of keywords that will bring up the texts you want. These keywords are usually the main concepts of your topic or thesis statement. Ie: Animal rights AND “chimps

o Think of additional terms and names: Ie: Steroids are also called Performance enhancing drugs, cheating, unfair advantage, or you can be more specific and look for EPO.
o Look for a variety of implications of this term, ie:
Steroids AND incentives to use them,
economic implications,
unfair advantage,
biology of,
medical concerns,
surveys, statistics.
Also, Baseball and increase in homeruns,
Cheating
Steroid era
Etc.
These words you will combine to get the results you want.
o Include plurals, synonyms (similar terms), variant spellings (for example, British vs. American spellings), and related terms; this can improve your results and pick up things you might otherwise miss.

Step 3: to prove that enough research exists to make this topic work, go to the library databases, such as Academic Search Premier or One File and start searching. Also, look for books. Specifically, look for an Opposing Viewpoints or Taking Sides. You can use your “Next Step” section as a beginning, but I want proof that there is enough information out there for you to start digging through. You should plan on providing bibliographic info. for at leat 5 articles, 3 books, and maybe a few others (as starting points—ie reliable websites, etc). If all you offer a Wikipedia and dot.coms you will be rejected.

Topics

2009-09-23T20:20:00.000-07:00

PAPER TOPICS BY ENGL 122

Raquel Gomez

Research Questions:
1. What are the negative effects on the U.S. child welfare system?
2. Is the child welfare system relatively working on assuring the wellbeing of foster care?
3. How common are physical, sexual abuse and even murder in the foster care system?

Interesting fact/quotes/ideas:
1. “More than 900,000 children in the United States were victims of abuse or neglect in 2003. Most of the cases involve neglect, but 19% involve physical abuse and 10% sexual abuse.”
2. “Not a single state received a passing grade last year when the U.S. Health and Human Services Department (HHS) completed its review of state and local child welfare systems, and 16 states did not meet any of the seven federal child-care standards used to evaluate the programs. But the first eight states given follow-up reviews met all their initial targets for improvement, says Wade F. Horn, the department's assistant secretary for children and families.” F
3. “The consensus is: Where we can, we should protect the family,” says Fred H. Wulczyn, an assistant professor at the Columbia University School of Social Work and a research fellow at the University of Chicago's Chapin Hall Center for Children. “Where we need to place kids in foster care, we should proceed to permanent placement — such as with adoptive parents — as soon as possible.”c

Next Step/ Resources:
Sallady, Robert, “Battle Over the State’s Foster Care System has kids in Middle,” The San Francisco Chronicle, Jan. 14, 2004, p. A4. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wants to overhaul California's foster care system but has angered child-welfare advocates by proposing budget cuts and overturning revised rules designed to help children escape homelessness or group homes.
Jones, Richard , “New Jersey Failed Basic Checks As Boys Starved, a Report Finds,” The New York Times , Feb. 13, 2004, p. A1. Four boys found severely malnourished had been systematically starved by their adoptive parents while child welfare workers failed to make even the most basic checks on the boys over a dozen years.
Kaufman, Leslie , “Abused Mothers Keep Children In a Test of Rights and Safety,” The New York Times , Nov. 28, 2003, p. A5. In what some call a dangerous experiment, a federal judge in 2002 barred city workers from removing children from a parent just because the parent was a victim of domestic violence or because the parent failed to protect the child from witnessing abuse.

Research Questions:
1. Is it reasonable to confine thousands of animals indoors to produce abundance supplies of affordable food?
2. Are factory farms or CAFOs a great negative effect on animal welfare, public health and environment degradation?
3. Are confined animal agriculture methods inhumane?
Interesting fact/quotes/ideas:
1. Americans eat more meat than any other nation: 218 pounds per capita in 2004, up from 190 pounds in 1980.
2. “U.S. regulators are beginning to restrict non-therapeutic use of antibiotics in animals. In 2005 the FDA banned Baytril in poultry because it may promote drug-resistant Campylobacter bacteria. Campylobacter afflicts some 2 million Americans with diarrhea, fever and cramps and kills 50 every year.”
3. “Some large food purchasers have heeded the warnings. Since December 2005, McDonald's has required that suppliers not use antibiotics that are important in human medicine for growth promotion.”
4. “A single dairy cow produces more than 20 tons of manure annually, and a hog can produce more than two tons. According to the Sierra Club, livestock operations generate 500 million tons of animal waste a year.”

Next Step/ Resources:
Deardorff, Julie, “All is not well with antibiotics in the food chain,” Chicago Tribune, Aug. 6, 2006, Sec. Q, p. 8. Three types of Asian vultures are teetering on extinction, primarily because of the use of antibiotics in cattle. The decline of South Asia's vultures is the latest side effect of what medical groups say is a growing global health threat: the unbridled use of antibiotics in food animals.

Meyer, Ann, “A growing market for natural foods; Demand for organic goods creates room for some alternatives,” Chicago Tribune, July 17, 2006, p. 3. Some old-world foods are cutting edge again, as consumers clamor for organics and other natural products.

York, Michelle, “Hen Activist Says the War On Cages Will Go On,” The New York Times, May 7, 2006, p. 40. An animal-rights activist acquitted of burglary and other charges after sneaking onto the Wegmann's commercial egg farm in Wolcott, N.Y., to film conditions where 750,000 hens are caged said his group would continue to pressure the popular regional supermarket chain to stop caging hens.

Research Questions:
1. Does the easy access to contraception increase the rates of abortion, teen pregnancy and divorce?
2. Is it an ethical right for medical professionals to refuse to participate in contraception prescriptions according to their personal opinion on the issue?
3. Is any kind of artificial contraception wrong itself?

Interesting fact/quotes/ideas:
1. “According to a December 2004 report by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), contraceptive use in the United States “is virtually universal,” with more than 98 percent of sexually active women of reproductive age having used “at least one contraceptive method” at some point.”
2. “According to James Trussell, director of the Princeton University Office of Population Research, nearly half of unintended pregnancies (47 percent) occur among the small group of women who have unprotected sex.”
3. “Aside from questions about Plan B's appropriateness for young teens, the FDA also has dragged its heels in making Plan B available without a prescription for women over 16.”
4. “Many analysts agree that pharmacists' right to follow their consciences must be balanced against patients' right to have legal medications.”

Next Step/ Resources:
“In search of Plan C; Conscience clauses: The fight over the morning-after pill,” The Economist , April 9, 2005. A growing number of pharmacists — from liberal California and Massachusetts to more predictable Louisiana and Texas — are refusing to dispense prescriptions for birth control and morning-after pills, saying it is against their beliefs.

Davey, Monica, and Pam Belluck , “Pharmacies balk on after-sex pill and widen fight,” The New York Times , April 19, 2005, p. A1. In a growing battle over emergency contraception, at least 23 states have passed laws or are considering measures dealing with the question of whether pharmacists should have the right to refuse to dispense drugs related to contraception or abortion on moral grounds.

Japsen, Bruce , “Rx-filling mandate backed by AMA; Contraceptive denial prompts resolution,” Chicago Tribune , June 21, 2005, p. C1. The American Medical Association voted on June 20 to put its weight behind legislative initiatives requiring pharmacies to fill valid prescriptions following recently publicized refusals by pharmacists opposed to dispensing the morning-after contraceptive, called Plan B.

JR Greger

1. Baseball
How have steroids changed the game of baseball?
Do steroids have any side effects?
What are some of the reasons for using steroids?
How has baseball changed since the game was created?
What rules have changed and which ones have stayed the same?
How has the sport transferred to what it is today?

2. Movies

Does the MPAA get the movie rating right all the time?
What classifies a movie to be rated R?
How big of an influence do Hollywood movies have on society?
Why are 58% of all films rated R?
What are some things that happen behind the movies that people don’t know about? (Million dollar advertising, etc.)

3. Video Games
How have video games become so popular over the years, and what makes them so interesting?
Have video games had social side effects on the people who play them?
When you think about technology video games are one of the first things that come to mind, how did this happen? Can you blame video games for influencing people to commit violent

Jaime Lugo

Topic: Movie Ratings

Interesting facts/Qoutes/Ideas:
A. Valenti says. “It warns parents in advance about what's in a particular movie, but ultimately, parents are responsible for the behavior and conduct of their children — not the ratings system.”
B. The MPAA and National Association of Theater Owners (NATO) established the rating system in 1968 solely to inform parents about whether movie content is suitable for children.
C. If the DGA is so concerned about artistic integrity, it should work to make those personally supervised versions available to families who want to see them.

Research questions:
A. Should parents hold movie ratings accountable for what their children watch?
B. Has movie ratings worked effectively when rating movies for children and family members?
C. Are theaters strict enough when admitting children to the proper age ratting when not accompanied by an adult?
D. Have movies and video games been a bad influence on children?

Next Steps/Sources
A. Sullivan, James , “Could Fake Violence Actually Be Good for Kids?” The San Francisco Chronicle , Oct. 28, 2002, p. D1. Some psychologists think that media violence may help children work out unhealthy urges in a safe way.
B. Waxman, Sharon , “Directors Berate Ratings, Seek New System for Films,” The Washington Post , Sept. 15, 2000, p. C1. A group of Hollywood directors says the current rating system fails to provide parents with enough information to choose films suitable for their children.
C. Elder, Robert K. , “From '8 Mile' to 'Jackass': Parents, Children and the R-Rated Dilemma,” Chicago Tribune , Nov. 15, 2002, p. C1. With movies like “8 Mile” and “Jackass: The Movie” capturing the attention of young children, parents are again asking: How young is too young for R-rated fare?

Topic: America's Border Fence

Interesting Facts/Quotes/Ideas
A. "A fence is a clearly proven technology that, when deployed properly and used in conjunction with other enforcement strategies, clearly works," says Dan Stein
B. The Border Patrol made 1.2 million apprehensions in 1992 along the entire Southern border and about the same number in 2004.
C. Americans often take their neighbors — both to the north and south — for granted, even though the Mexicans and Canadians are more important to the U.S. economy than is generally realized.

Research questions:
A. Is the fence a useless investment since immigrants will find other ways to cross illegally.
B. Will the fence only increase the death rate and dangers of people who intend to cross.
C. Will the fence reduce the economical relationship between its neighbor countries.
D. What effect will this fence have in the environment?

Next Step/Sources
A. Irvin, David, "State Aliens Contribute More Than They Take, Study Finds," Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, April 5, 2007. Arkansas' illegal immigrant population contributes $158 per person more to the state budget than it takes out from social services, according to a group of demographic researchers.
B. "From $2 Billion to $30 Billion in a Blink," editorial, The Miami Herald, Nov. 21, 2006, p. A20. Costly border fences, whether real or virtual, are not an effective substitute for substantive immigration reforms.
C. "Fence Foolishness," editorial, Fort-Worth Star Telegram (Texas), Dec. 8, 2006, p. B8. Building a fence along the U.S.-Mexican border represents an undiplomatic and xenophobic affront to the neighbors to the south as well as other countries.

Topic: Marijuana Laws

Interesting Facts/Qoutes/Ideas
A. The National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws (NORML) argues that no one has ever died from an overdose of marijuana but that 50,000 Americans die from alcohol poisoning and another 400,000 die from cigarette smoking every year.
B. More than 755,000 marijuana arrests were made in 2003, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation — a number that has nearly tripled over the past 15 years.
C. Diane Monson had been using marijuana since 1999 to treat her chronic back pain and spasms.

Research questions:
A. Is marijuana a substance that should be legalized for a medical purpose?
B. Will the legalization of marijuana increase crime rate?
C. Is marijuana more or less dangerous than alcohol and cigarettes?
D. Can we benefit financially legalizing marijuana by including taxes?

Next Step/Sources
A. Leinwand, Donna , “Growing Danger: Drugged Driving,” USA Today , Oct. 22, 2004, p. 1A. Police estimate that at least 1.5 million people drive under the influence of drugs each year — and rarely are prosecuted for it — but a growing number of government and law enforcement officials are pressing for laws that target drugged driving.
B. Kohn, David , “Researchers Find Drug High a Potent Field of Inquiry,” The Baltimore Sun , Nov. 1, 2004, p. 1A. A decade ago, scientific studies of cannabis drew snickers and jokes, but now many scientists think marijuana-like drugs might be able to treat a wide range of diseases, far beyond nausea and chronic pain and including Lou Gehrig's disease and Parkinson's.
C. Schlosser, Eric , “Make Peace With Pot,” The New York Times , April 26, 2004, p. A2. Schlosser argues that the current war on marijuana is a monumental waste of money and a source of pointless misery for patients who could benefit from its medicinal effects.

Ashton DuBois

Topic: stopping genocide

Interesting facts/ quotes/ ideas:

A. “Ten years ago, nearly a million ethnic-minority Rwandans died in a government-planned massacre”. Since then black Africans have been killed and raped by the Arab militias, as well as have their villages burnt to the ground. With all these killings there have been an estimated 50,000 dead and 2 million in dire supply of food and medicine, by the United Nations. The only hopes people of Darfur have are those who help with the refugees.

B. The United States government has failed to recognize that in many countries such as Sudan and Rwanda that it has in fact been the effect of genocide.

C. In July of 2004 the “United Nations Security Council passed a U.S.-drafted resolution giving the Sudanese government 30 days to disarm and prosecute the Arab militias or face unspecified sanctions.” In that same year “Under the International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the United States and other participating countries are obliged “to prevent and punish” genocide, although experts say the 1948 treaty is not specific about what that entails.”

D. It has not only been hard for our government but as well as committed activists to admit the genocide in Sudan.

Research questions:

A. Has/ is the US doing enough to protect the genocide in Africa?
-does the US have the power to do so?

B. What exactly does the word genocide mean and does it mean different to others?

C. Is there anything to prevent genocide?

D. who else has the power to stop such a thing?

E. Are people informed enough about the subject?

Next steps/sources:

A. Power, Samantha , A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide, Perennial, 2002. A former journalist in Bosnia argues that American presidents rarely consider it in their political interest to stop genocides even when they know about them.

B. Amnesty International , “Sudan: Darfur: Rape as a Weapon of War,” July 19, 2004; www.amnestyusa.org. Rape, abduction and sexual slavery of young girls is being used on a mass scale by Janjaweed Arab militiamen to intimidate black Sudanese, but Amnesty stops short of calling it genocide.

C. Human Rights Watch , “Darfur Destroyed,” May 2004; http://www.hrw.org/reports/2004/sudan0504. The human-rights group concludes that Sudan has been working hand in glove with the Janjaweed militias attacking villages in Darfur and urges the U.N. to step in.

Topic: preventing teen drug use

Interesting facts/ quotes/ ideas:

A. “54 percent of American kids use an illegal drug before high school graduation.”

B. “More than 80 percent will have used alcohol, and nearly half — 49 percent — will have smoked marijuana, according to an annual University of Michigan survey of teen drug use.”

C. There are many programs that all young children are educated about to tell them about drug use such as DARE.

D. ecstasy is the most used drug within high school seniors and the percentage of them using the drug is quickly rising.

Research questions:

A. Has programs preventing drug use worked?

B. Is there anything more that high schools or even middle schools and elementary schools can do to keep the drug use percentage low?

C. Are consequences at schools for drug use enough?

D. Are drugs used more now or back in the 1900’s

Next steps/ sources:

A. Jonnes, Jill , Hep-Cats, Narcs, and Pipe Dreams: A History of America's Romance with Illegal Drugs, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999. Jonnes, a journalist who specializes in drug-related issues, presents a comprehensive history of drug abuse in America, from the widespread use of cocaine in the 19th century to the crack epidemic of the 1980s and '90s.

B. Leinwand, Donna , “'Date Rape' Drug GHB Making Inroads in Nation's Club Scene,” USA Today , Jan. 28, 2002, p. A1. Leinwand examines the growing popularity of GHB, a depressant that is also used by sexual predators against unsuspecting young women.

C. Piccolo, Jennifer , “Parental Guidance Helps Reduce Drug Use Among Teens,” The Washington Times , July 20, 2001, p. A12. Piccolo examines the latest research, which shows that parental involvement can dramatically improve a teen's chances of remaining drug free until adulthood.

Topic: How America eats

Interesting facts/ quotes/ ideas:

A.” While individuals cut down their consumption of red meat at home by 11.1 percent between 1981 and 1986, they increased their red-meat eating in restaurants by 1.3 percent.”

B. “While meals at home that included dessert dropped 13 percent, dessert consumption in restaurants rose 18 percent.”

C. The main reason for bad eating habits is confusion

D. It is believed that people have cut back on red meat, eggs, butter and cheese because of ads heard about cholesterol and what it can do to your health.

Research questions:

A. What is the main reason why people do not go on diets and live a healthy eating habit?

B. Is there such thing as being too healthy with diets?

C. Are there certain reasons why people diet the way they do?

D. What kinds of foods have been taken out of most homes for healthy eating?

E. How do you know if the foods that you eat are healthy or not?

Next steps/ sources:

A. Brody, Jane, Jane Brody's Nutrition Book, Bantam Books, 1987.An extremely useful guide to healthy eating by New York Times columnist Brody. Her enthusiasm for such high-carbohydrate foods as leftover rice for breakfast may be hard for some people to stomach, but her treatment of recent scientific debates is fair and easy to read. Contains useful nutritional labels

B. Cohen, Leonard A., “Diet and Cancer,” Scientific American, November 1987, pp. 42-48. In a sense …modern people are living in a biological time warp: their Stone Age physiology contends daily with a 20th-century diet to which it is poorly adapted,” writes Cohen in this summary of research examining links between the modern diet and cancer.

C. Levenstein, Harvey, Revolution at the Table: The Transformation of the American Diet, Oxford University Press, 1988.Between 1880 and 1930, according to historian Levenstein in this entertaining history. Americans made a radical departure from huge, meat-dominated feasts toward the higher, more varied meals we are familiar with today. “By the time of the Great Depression,” he writes, “the basic ideas of the Newer Nutrition—that vitamins and minerals were essential to stimulating growth, protecting good health, and even prolonging life—prevailed in middle class America.” Nutritionists bent on health reform urged the change, but it took root because food industry advertising capitalized on health concerns and because modern women were eager for a less laborious approach to cooking.

Jason Powell

Issue #1: Animal Rights
Questions:
• Has factory farming affected the spike in animal flu epidemics?
• What is the meat industry’s effect on current environmental crises?
• Should meat and dairy products be labeled accurately according to the chemicals and processes involved in their production?
• Does the popularity of organic and healthy food create a socio-economic gap due to its vast expense?
Facts:
• Large Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (factory farms) defined as having 1000 animal units (1000 beef cattle, 700 dairy cattle, or 2500 hogs larger than 55 lbs.) represent 10% of factory farms but control half or more of total animal inventory in some sectors.
• In 1950 21.9 million cows produced an average 5314 pounds of milk per cow. Now 9.2 million cows produce 18204 pounds per cow. Half as many cattle produce nearly four times as much milk.
• The global livestock industry produces more greenhouse gas in the process of keeping it going than the entire transportation sector of the global economy.
Sources:
• Livestock’s Long Shadow: Environmental Issues and Options. By Henning Steinfeld. The UN Food and Agricultural Organization.
• Organic Inc. Natural Foods and How they Grow. Samuel Fromartz.
• Beasts of the Earth: Animals, Humans and Disease. Torrey L. Fuller, M.D. and Robert H. Yolken, M.D.
Issue #2: Funding and the Arts
Questions:
• What is the line between art and pornography?
• Does the government have the right to “Sanitize” artistic expression for the sake of the public and tax money?
• In a country with freedom of speech, can anything be considered “politically unacceptable?” (Cite an NEA congressional issue concerning poetry in 1985)
• Is art beneficial or essential to a healthy society?
Facts:
• In the late eighties and early nineties the NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) faced severe prohibition against funding art which could be considered “obscene” and the definition of the word “obscene”
• In addition to being “obscene” artworks had to lack “serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value.”
• The legislation against the NEA was resultant from an NEA-funded art show featuring photographers Robert Mapplethorpe and Andres Serrano, whose pieces were considered both pornographic and blasphemous to some viewers. Robert Mapplethorpe is also known for his celebrity portraits, most notably Arnold Schwarzennager.
Sources:
• Congress and the Arts: a Precarious Alliance? Edited by Margaret Jane Wyszomirski.
• Why We Need the Arts: 8 Quotable Speeches by Leaders in Education, Government, Business and the Arts.
• Arts Funding: Is Boosting the Status of the Arts a Wise Investment? By Charles S. Clark.
Issue #4: Human Rights and China
Questions:
• Should the US intervene in the affairs of other countries when Human Rights are being violated? Would this best be done economically, by individual corporations?
• Could Communism ever exist without Human Rights and free speech problems?
• Should the US intervene (or have intervened) in occupied Tibet?
• Is Western-style Democracy fool proof for every country in the world?
Facts:
• China prescribes the death penalty for ridiculous offenses like tax fraud and “undermining public unity.”
• China maintains a one-child policy that often leads to forced abortion and human trafficking.
• China imprisons more journalists than any other country in the world.
Sources:
• China’s Changing Political Landscape. By Cheng Li.
• Interview with former Ambassador Wu Jianmin. Margaret Warner, PBS.
Neil Duncan

Topic: Afghanistan
Interesting facts/quotes/ideas:

A.The Afghanistan-Pakistan conflict —“Af-Pak” in diplomatic parlance — poses a witch's brew of challenges: fanatical Taliban and al Qaeda fighters, rampant corruption within Afghanistan's homegrown police force and other institutions, not enough Afghan National Army forces to help with the fighting and a multibillion-dollar opium economy that supplies revenue to the insurgents.

B.A total of 21,000 additional U.S. soldiers to fight the insurgency in Afghanistan and train Afghan security forces, plus other strategic resources. By year's end, U.S. troop levels are expected to reach about 68,000.

C. The Taliban are “the frontrunners for al Qaeda,” said Richard Holbrooke, Obama's special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan. “If they succeed in Afghanistan, without any shadow of a doubt al Qaeda would move back into Afghanistan, set up a larger presence, recruit more people and pursue its objectives against the United States even more aggressively.
Research Questions:
Should the U.S. remove their presence in Afghanistan?
Should President Obama create a defined exit strategy?
What is the impact on the U.S. from remaining in Afghanistan?
Given the history of Afghanistan being the “graveyard of empires”, what is different about the current situation and is the U.S. pursuing the right strategy?
Next Step/Sources:
DeYoung, Karen, “Obama Outlines Afghan Strategy,” The Washington Post, March 28, 2009, p. A1. President Obama's strategy assumes the terrorists who planned the Sept. 11 attacks are devising more plots.
Dilanian, Ken, “Poppy Farms Pose Dilemma,” USA Today, March 31, 2009, p. 6A. Profits from poppy farming fields have fueled the insurgency in Afghanistan, but destroying the fields is likely to be just as helpful to the insurgents.
Lubold, Gordon, “US Troop Buildup in Afghanistan Could Be a Defining Moment,” The Christian Science Monitor, Feb. 19, 2009, p. 1. President Obama's decision to deploy an additional 17,000 troops to Afghanistan will either reverse the deteriorating situation or burden the administration with a war with no foreseeable end.

Topic 2: Military
Interesting facts/quotes/ideas:
A. “Team cohesion and concentration on missions would suffer if our troops had to live in close quarters with others who could be sexually attracted to them,” four former high-level commanders said in a Washington Post op-ed last April. “There is no compelling national security reason for running these risks to our armed forces.” They and more than 1,000 other retired general and flag officers had signed a letter advocating retaining the ban, they said.

B. More than 20 nations, including Great Britain and Israel, allow gays and lesbians to openly serve without any detrimental impact on unit cohesion. Believe me, our heroes in uniform are the best fighting force in the world, and just as professional as those of our strongest allies. What's more, we serve alongside these allies in numerous missions throughout the world every day.

C. Service in the Israeli Defense Force is mandatory, but deployments and housing conditions are not comparable to that of America's military. Germany has conscription for both civilian and military duties, but homosexuals serve primarily in civilian capacities. The Dutch, Australian and Canadian forces represent countries with social cultures far more liberal than ours. These forces primarily deploy for support or peacekeeping missions that depend on the nearby presence of U.S. forces. Most homosexuals are discrete, but American gay activists are demanding special status, mandatory “diversity” training and “zero tolerance” of dissent in order to enforce full acceptance.

Research Questions:
Should homosexuals be allowed in the military?
To what capacity should homosexuals be allowed, if any, to serve in the armed forces?

Next Step/Sources:
Bender, Bryan, “Obama Seeks Assessment on Gays in Military,” The Boston Globe, Feb. 1, 2009, p. A1. Obama wants the Pentagon to study the implications on national security of overturning “don't ask, don't tell.”
Shalikashvili, John M., “Gays in the Military: Let the Evidence Speak,” The Miami Herald, June 19, 2009. Although the military remains a traditional culture, that tradition no longer requires banning open service by gays, says the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. “There will undoubtedly be some teething pains, but I have no doubt our leadership can handle Bumiller, Elisabeth, “In Military, New Debate Over Policy Toward Gays,” The New York Times, May 1, 2009, p. A14. Evidence suggests that most West Point cadets oppose allowing gays to openly serve in the military.it,” he said.

Topic: Stem-cell research
Interesting facts/quotes/ideas:

A.Those who say that the use of those embryos for research is the equivalent of murder, I believe also probably say the same of the discarding of embryos that are not going to be used — that it represents 8,000 or 10,000 murders a year.
B. Those of us in the Senate and those across this country who have lost loved ones to some dread disease — Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, heart disease, diabetes — understand that the urgency to do the research to find the cures for these diseases really must be pre-eminent. So many in this country are very concerned that we move forward on stem cell research and try to find ways to unlock the mysteries of juvenile diabetes, ALS [amyotrophic lateral sclerosis], Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and so many more.
C. According to California's Rand Corporation, 400,000 frozen blastocysts have been stored since the late 1970s, and the couples who created them are no longer likely to use them.
Thus, say ESC-research supporters, conducting lifesaving medical research on ESCs harvested from the embryos is justified because the blastocysts are otherwise slated for eventual destruction.
Research Questions:
Is stem-cell research something our country should support?
What is the main point of contention in the stem-cell debate?
Next Step/Sources:
King, Warren, “Stem-Cell Fight Isn't Over,” The Seattle Times, July 25, 2006, p. B1. Democratic U.S. Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, both of Washington, pledged to work for new stem cell legislation after Bush's veto.
Ackerman, Todd, “Scientists See Value in Both Embryonic, Adult Stem Cells,” The Houston Chronicle, July 20, 2006, p. A6. Scientists say both embryonic and adult stem cell research are important, criticizing President Bush for calling into question the “hype” surrounding embryonic stem cells.

Jillian Frimml
Topic: Birth Control

Interesting facts/quotes/ideas:

Since ancient times, women have tried to prevent unwanted pregnancies after unprotected intercourse. As early as 1500 B.C., they were advised to try sneezing, hopping, jumping or dancing. In early 20th-century America, the makers of Lysol and other household disinfectants and detergents advertised their effectiveness for “feminine hygiene.” Even douching with Coca Cola was rumored to interfere with conception, in the late 1960s.

Since the 1970s, however, physicians have known that large hormone doses taken soon after intercourse actually can prevent pregnancy. “Oral contraceptives have been used 'off label' as emergency contraception by at least 225,000 women in the United States,” according to the American Pharmacists Association.

‘Pill’ Is most popular contraceptive:

Birth-control pills are the most popular non-surgical form of birth control in the United States. Overall, 62 percent of American woman ages 15-44 use contraception. Among non users, 7.4% had unprotected sex in the past three months.

Research Questions:

1-Should the Plan B pill be available as an over-the-counter drug?

2-Should minors be allowed access to the Plan B pill without parent consent?

3-Is it morally wrong to take birth control pills?

4-Should Pharmacists have the right to refuse to dispense drugs related to contraception or abortion on moral grounds?

5-What are the pros/cons of using birth control pills?

6-If a teen is on birth control, does this make them more sexually active? And thus put them at a higher risk to get and STD or pregnant?

7-Should a new Plan B pill be developed that is better and safer than the first?

8-Should birth control pills be provided as a service to people who cannot afford it?

9-Should birth control be offered for a lower cost to other countries that need them?

Next Step/Sources:

Davey, Monica, and Pam Belluck , “Pharmacies balk on after-sex pill and widen fight,” The New York Times , April 19, 2005, p. A1. In a growing battle over emergency contraception, at least 23 states have passed laws or are considering measures dealing with the question of whether pharmacists should have the right to refuse to dispense drugs related to contraception or abortion on moral grounds.

Stein, Rob , “Pharmacists' Rights at Front Of New Debate; Because of Beliefs, Some Refuse To Fill Birth Control Prescriptions,” The Washington Post , March 28, 2005, p. A1. Some pharmacists are refusing to fill prescriptions for birth control and morning-after pills, saying that dispensing the medications violates their personal moral or religious beliefs. Their refusal is triggering pitched political battles in statehouses across the nation as politicians seek to pass laws either to protect pharmacists from being penalized — or force them to carry out their duties.

Topic: Evolution, Science, and Creationism

Interesting Facts/ Quotes/Ideas:

The Kansas Board of Education is likely to vote in September to replace the state's newly updated science-teaching standards with a revised version that plays down evolution and rejects the idea that science is a search for “natural” explanations only. The change would open the doors of biology classrooms to supernatural explanations of human life and origins, including the increasingly popular concept of “intelligent design” — the idea that life is so complex it could only have been created by an intelligent being.

According to a June 2005 Harris Poll, 55 percent of Americans want schools to teach more than just evolution. And at least 70 percent of the people in Minnesota, New Mexico and Ohio oppose teaching evolution only.

But Leshner says intelligent-design proponents have clouded the issue by calling their idea a “theory,” thus equating it with the “theory” of evolution. But in science, “if there are no data or tests, it's not a theory,” he says. Evolutionary scientists can produce confirming evidence of many kinds to support their theory, he points out, but intelligent-design theorists cannot.”

In a current debate in Dover, Pa., for example, many supporters of intelligent design, including the Discovery Institute, where Behe, Dembski and Johnson are fellows, have refused to back the local school board's push to require the teaching of intelligent design as an alternative to evolution. “I don't think [intelligent design] should be taught in the sense of a teacher standing up and telling a class that this is something we know to be true,” says design theorist Behe. “But I do think that it could be very good pedagogically to teach it with evolution and other theories of origins.”

Research Questions:

1-How will teaching creationism effect a child’s family religious beliefs?

2-What are the pros and cons of teaching evolution? Of teaching creationism?

3-Why are people against the teaching of intelligent-design in schools?

4-Is there a scientific basis for creationism?

Next Steps/Resources:

Dean, Cornelia, and Laurie Goodstein , “Leading Cardinal Redefines Church's View on Evolution,” The New York Times , July 9, 2005, p. A1. Cardinal Christoph Schonborn's Op-Ed article in The New York Times reiterates the growing chasm between the Catholic Church's views regarding evolution and those of the scientific world.

Flam, Faye , “$1 Million For Science to Discover God's Plan,” The Philadelphia Inquirer , April 6, 2002, p. A1. Investment banker Sir John Templeton hired 15 scientists to further investigate whether God created the universe for a purpose, or if the cosmos is a product of an accident.

Nussbaum, Paul , “Evangelicals Divided Over Evolution,” The Philadelphia Inquirer , Mary 30, 2005, p. A1. Evangelical Christians are split over whether the theory of evolution and a belief in God can coexist.

Schonborn, Christoph , “Finding Design in Nature,” The New York Times , July 7, 2005, p. A23. The archbishop of Vienna negates recent claims that the Catholic Church finds no problems with the theory of evolution, reaffirming the church's view of intelligent design in nature.

Topic: Right to Die

Interesting Facts/ Quotes/Ideas:

Terri Schiavo lay in a “persistent vegetative state” for 15 years until she died on March 31 after hospice staff removed her life-sustaining feeding tube. Schiavo's case touched off a wrenching, nationwide debate that continues in political, legal and medical circles over when, if ever, to withdraw life support from patients unable to express their own wishes. Many advocates and experts used the case to emphasize the need to write a “living will” and designate a “health-care proxy” to help make such decisions, but only a small minority of Americans have taken either step.

Some in Congress want to make it harder to remove life support. But others say that no legal changes are needed and the issue is, in any event, for the states, not the federal government. Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court is preparing to hear the Bush administration's attempt to effectively thwart an Oregon law legalizing physician-assisted suicide — a law twice approved by the state's voters but strongly opposed by right-to-life and disability-rights groups.

Research Questions:

1-Should physicians be able to assist a patient’s decision to die?

2-What are some of the major legal issues involved for the patient, hospital and family?

3-How long is long enough before doctors decided to pull the plug?

4-Should a family be able to assist a patient’s decision to die?

5- Who defines who is fit to live and who isn’t?

6-What if a patient wishes to die and the family doesn’t agree, but the patient cannot give their opinion?

7-How much does it cost a hospital when a patient is in a state like that? What happens to the family and their finances if they cannot afford to keep their loved one like that for very long, or if their loved one was in that state for a long time and the family now has a huge medical bill? Who covers it?

8- Do hospitals have the right to pull the plug if they feel the patient is not getting better? If the patient doesn’t have the money to cover them?

Next Steps/Sources:

MacDonald, Jeffrey , “Faiths Vary on Life-Or-Death Care Choices,” The Christian Science Monitor , March 29, 2005, p. 3. Across and even within religious traditions, views differ sharply on end-of-life questions.

Roig-Franzia, Manuel , “Catholic Stance on Tube-Feeding Is Evolving,” The Washington Post , March 27, 2005, p. A7. Theologians disagree about whether the pope altered Catholic tradition by saying feeding tubes are “morally obligatory” for most patients in vegetative states, but the position has given Catholics a new calculus for end-of-life decision-making.

Belluck, Pam , “Even as Doctors Say Enough, Families Fight to Prolong Life,” The New York Times , March 27, 2005, p. A1. Families once fought to get hospitals to allow their loved ones to die without extraordinary measures. Now hospitals often find themselves pitted against families who want to keep their relatives alive, contrary to the advice of doctors who believe it is time to stop treatment.

Cohen, Eric , “What Living Wills Won't Do,” The Weekly Standard , April 18, 2005. The nation has deluded itself into believing that living wills ensure that everyone defines the meaning of life for herself until the very end.

Daniszewski, John , “World Watching, But No Consensus on Ethics of Death,” Los Angeles Times , March 26, 2005, p. A22. Many developing nations don't have the medical resources to keep patients alive indefinitely, but in developed countries the question of when to allow patients to die has been argued for decades.

Julie Gross

Topic #1

Adoption

Research questions

1. How many children are in Foster homes around the country?

2. What are the problems faced in foster homes today?

3. Would adoption help with population control?

4. Can there be stricter background checks for people who adopt kids?

Chart of children being maltreated

r20050422-atrisk.gif

Bibliography
These are articles about child welfare and other stories about children
Campbell, Joel , “Encourage Access to Juvenile Courts: The Time Is Right for Lifting Juvenile Court and Child Welfare System Secrecy,” The Quill , Aug. 1, 2004, p. 36. A leader of the Society of Professional Journalists' Freedom of Information Committee argues that one way to improve the child welfare system is to let the news media into juvenile courts.
Colloff, Pamela , “Life and Meth,” Texas Monthly , June 2004, p. 120.Methamphetamine is destroying families in East Texas — an epidemic child welfare authorities worry could spike foster care rolls nationwide.
Humes, Edward , “The Unwanted,” Los Angeles Magazine , Jan. 1, 2003, p. 64. The reporter exposes a dysfunctional Los Angeles children's home.
Rockoff, Jonathan D., and John B. O'Donnell , “A Failure to Protect Maryland's Troubled Group Homes,” The Baltimore Sun , April 10-13, 2005. In a four-part exposé, the authors reveal child abuse, neglect and even death within Maryland's state-supervised group homes for children.

Next step
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Child Abuse and Death
Barnhardt, Laura , “County Says It Didn't Find Evidence that Dundalk Boy's Life Was in Danger,” The Baltimore Sun , March 17, 2005, p. 1A. Baltimore social workers visited the home of 3-year-old Roy Lechner Jr. more than 150 times in the two years before he died of suspected abuse.

Contact Material

Child Welfare League of America
440 First St., N.W., Washington, DC 20001
(202) 638-2952
www.cwla.org
America's oldest and largest child welfare organization advocates, suggests standards and educates welfare workers.

Topic #2

domestic animal abuse

Research questions

1. What is considered animal abuse?

2.How many dogs and cats are abused each year?

3. Why are animals being abused in household homes?

4.What are some ways people can prevent animal abuse in homes?

Facts

r19960802-animals.gif

Bibliography

Weiss, Rick , “Cause Celebre Conflict: It's AIDS Research vs. Animal Rights,” The Washington Post, June 15, 1996. Weiss examines the growing opposition to the animal rights movement on the part of AIDS activists. Groups like ACT-UP and the AIDS Action Council have joined with more traditional foes of the animal rights movement, like biomedical researchers, to fight attempts to take animals out of the laboratory.

The Next Step

Herreid, Clyde F. , “Case study teaching in science: A dilemma case on animal rights,” Journal of College Science Teaching, May 1996, pp. 413-418. With varying degrees of success,20students have challenged the traditional use of animals in the classroom. The relationship between animals rights and biology labs is discussed.

Contacts

Animal Welfare Institute
P.O. Box 3650, Washington, D.C. 20007,
(202) 337-2332.
This educational group opposes cruel treatment of animals used in research. It seeks to curtail animal experimentation and favors research methods that rely on non-animal subjects whenever possible

Topic #3

judicial system

Research questions

1. What are the percentages of people in jail? example violent offenders, sex offenders, and drug offenders

2. What forms of rehabilitation are there for drug offenders?

3. How many prisoners are there in this country?

4.How many prisons are there in this country?

5. How do states make money off of prisoners?

Facts

U.S. map detailing cut-off age for juvenile court typically 17.

Bibliography

Cambria, Nancy, "Teen Offenders Get Help," St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Sept. 14, 2008, p. C1. Cambria reports on a sophisticated rehabilitation program for juvenile offenders

The next step

"Hamilton County Prosecuting More Juveniles in Adult Court," The Associated Press, Ap ril 6, 2008. The number of juveniles prosecuted in adult court in an Ohio county has increased by 46 percent in a four-year period.

Contacts

Center for Juvenile Justice Reform
Georgetown University, 3300 Whitehaven St., N.W., Suite 5000, Washington, DC 20057
(202) 687-0880
http://cjjr.georgetown.edu/index.html
Trains juvenile system administrators and advocates policies and laws that focus on rehabilitation.

ENGL 122-402

Genya Tolmatsky

Topic: Animal Testing
Interesting facts/quotes/ideas:
• Knowledge gained from testing on animals is untrustworthy and cannot be applied even to the same species/breed of animals.
• “According to a poll commissioned by The Associated Press in November 1995, two-thirds of all Americans believe that animals have just as much right to live without suffering as humans do. Two-thirds of the respondents oppose the use of animals in cosmetics Previous HittestingNext Hit, while 59 percent say it is “always wrong” to kill another creature for its fur.”
Research questions:
• Should animal testing be allowed in scientific research?
• Are there alternative ways to animal testing?
• What happens to the animals once testing is complete?
Next steps/sources:
• Masci, D. (1996, August 2). Fighting over animal rights. CQ Researcher, 6, 673-696. Retrieved September 21, 2009, from CQ Researcher Online, http://0-library.cqpress.com.skyline.cudenver.edu/cqresearcher/cqresrre1996080206.
Pro/cons of animal dissection and vivisection, is it still necessary?
• Munro, Neil. "Animal Testing Battle Focuses Anew On Apes." National Journal (11 July 2009): 8-8. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State abbreviation]. 21 Sep. 2009 .
Discussion of animal rights versus animal testing.
• Swami, Viren, Adrian Furnham, and Andrew N. Christopher. "Free the animals? Investigating attitudes toward animal testing in Britain and the United States." Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 49.3 (June 2008): 269-276. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State abbreviation]. 21 Sep. 2009 .
Study conducted about how Britain and the United States feel about animal testing.

Topic: Euthanasia
Interesting facts/quotes/ideas:
• Those who support euthanasia argue that it is often that people are afraid of dying alone or in pain.
• Humphry says. “I want as little Previous HiteuthanasiaNext Hit as possible. But . . . there will always be some cases, perhaps 10 percent of [terminal] cases, where the doctor at a certain point just runs out of things to do.”
Research questions:
• Should assisted suicide be permitted in the United States?
• Should those who perform assisted suicide be tried in court for murder charges?
• Is there a legal right to die?
Next steps/sources:
• Schotsmans, Paul, and Chris Gastmans.. "How to Deal with Euthanasia Requests: A Palliative Filter Procedure." Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics 18.4 (Oct. 2009): 420-428. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State abbreviation]. 21 Sep. 2009 .
Provides analysis of the practice of euthanasia.
• Bilsen, Johan, et al. "Medical End-of-Life Practices under the Euthanasia Law in Belgium." New England Journal of Medicine 361.11 (10 Sep. 2009): 1119-1121. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State abbreviation]. 21 Sep. 2009 .
The practice of Euthanasia in Belgium
• DOUTHAT, ROSS. "A More Perfect Death." New York Times (07 Sep. 2009): 1. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State abbreviation]. 21 Sep. 2009 .
The Montana Supreme Court considers legalizing assisted suicide.

Topic: Sex Education
Interesting facts/quotes/ideas:
• Sex education courses do not seem to reduce/prevent the risk of teenage pregnancy, or higher the use of contraceptives.
• Many argue that Sex Ed classes provide information that you’ll use throughout your entire life.
• “One scene in particular shocks them. In the middle of the young man's Spanish exam, his girlfriend walks into the classroom, dumps the squalling infant into his arms and disappears. The movie presents a grim future for the new daddy: Rather than going to the first-rate music school to which he has been accepted, he ends up scooping ice cream after graduation to support his new family.”
Research Questions:
• Do Sex Ed classes provide any type of benefit to the students?
• Are Sex Ed classes being taken on too early?
• Do all schools approve of Sex Ed classes?
Next Steps/Sources:
• Makenzius, Marlene, et al. "Male students' behaviour, knowledge, attitudes, and needs in sexual and reproductive health matters." European Journal of Contraception & Reproductive Health Care 14.4 (Dec. 2009): 268-276. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State abbreviation]. 21 Sep. 2009 .
Talks about how more Sex Ed classes are needed
• Marhefka, Stephanie, et al. "Perceptions of Adolescents’ Sexual Behavior Among Mothers Living With and Without HIV: Does Dyadic Sex Communication Matter?." Archives of Sexual Behavior 38.5 (Oct. 2009): 788-801. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State abbreviation]. 21 Sep. 2009 http://0-search.ebscohost.com.skyline.cudenver.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=44189906&site=ehost-live
Does Sex Education matter when it is developmentally appropriate?
• ERLANGER, STEVEN. "U.N. Guide For Sex Ed Generates Opposition." New York Times (03 Sep. 2009): 6. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State abbreviation]. 21 Sep. 2009 .
Guidelines proposed to help reduce HIV infections in the younger generation.

Angel Bell

Eng 122-402

Research Pt 1

Interesting Facts/Quotes/Ideas:

A. As I said on the Senate floor on July 28, 2003, “much of the debate over global warming is predicated on fear, rather than science.” I called the threat of catastrophic global warming the “greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people,” a statement that, to put it mildly, was not viewed kindly by environmental extremists and their elitist organizations. Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla.

B. Studies show that people acquire attitudes toward smoking as children, long before they try their first cigarette. It has been consistently found and is well accepted that parents, siblings and peers are the most powerful influences in shaping one's attitude about cigarette smoking. Smoking-related beliefs are primarily learned through interpersonal experience with family and friends… The more a person's parents, siblings and friends smoke, the greater the likelihood that person will become a smoker.… Richard W. Mizerski

C. -In state prisons in 2002, only 8,400 prisoners (about 0.7 percent of the total prison population of 1.2 million) were serving time for possession marijuana, and only half of those were incarcerated for a first offense. Prison is not a realistic risk for American marijuana users unless they also are drug sellers. Drug trafficking, including the sale of marijuana, is a serious crime deserving of stiff punishments.

-During the past decade, more than 6.5 million Americans have been arrested on marijuana charges

-Scott Bryant had just settled down to watch TV with his 7-year-old son on the night of April 17, 1995, when 13 Wisconsin sheriff's deputies burst through his front door looking for marijuana. Bryant, 29, who was unarmed, was shot and killed as his young son helplessly looked on. Police seized less than three grams of marijuana in the no-knock raid.

Research Questions:

A. Although Sen. James Inhofe describes some “so thought environmental issues” that do not contribute to climate change, what about other issues such as increased flooding and drought, as well as disruption of agriculture and water systems?

B. Even though there has been no evidence to indicate that advertising causes people to start smoking, shapes attitudes towards smoking, or helps maintain cigarette use, has there ever even been a study done on the effects of smoking rates without advertizing? What about morals and promoting a product that continues to keep death rates climbing?

C. Why is there so much violence involved in the apprehension of marijuana possessors? If it was controlled by government wouldn’t less people be in jail for trafficking? As well as also lessening violent arrest made against marijuana possessors?

Next Steps/Sources:

A. Center for Health and the Global Environment
Harvard Medical School. 401 Park Dr., Boston, MA 02215
(617) 384-8530
http://0-chge.med.harvard.edu.skyline.cudenver.edu/

B. American Medical Association, Council on Scientific Affairs, “The Worldwide Smoking Epidemic: Tobacco Trade, Use and Control, Journal of the American Medical Association, June 27, 1990.

C. National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws

1600 K St., N.W., Suite 501,

Washington DC 20006-2832
(202) 483-5500
www.norml.org

Brittany McGhee

1. Child Abuse

Interesting facts/ quotes/ ideas

o “According to recent estimates supplied to the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) by the American Humane Association, one million children are the object of neglect or abuse each year, and 2,000 to 4,000 die from circumstances involving abuse or neglect.”
o “Parents who mistreat their children are portrayed usually as being insecure, dependent individuals with little self-confidence and few friends.”
o “Dr. C. Henry Kempe and his associates at the University Of Colorado School Of Medicine described the “battered child syndrome” as a “clinical condition in young children who have received serious physical abuse, generally from a parent or foster parent.”
o “One type of child abuse that many physicians are still either untrained or unwilling to diagnose is that of sexual molestation.”
o “Sexual abuse of children is perhaps the most offensive category of child maltreatment, and is still taboo as a topic of conversation for many persons. Very little research has been done on the subject. One of the most comprehensive studies was completed by the American Humane Association in 1969.”

Research Questions

o Are researchers overlooking sexual molestation?
o What can be done as a society to decrease the percentage of abused children?

Next step/ issues

o “Child Soldiers of Misfortune,” Chicago Tribune, June 25, 2001, p. N12. When he was fresh-faced and barely pubescent, 13-year-old Jimmy Tamba was abducted by rebels in Sierra Leone and forced to fight in a bloody civil war. It was kill or be killed — so he killed.
o Children's Defense Fund
25 E St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001
(202) 628-8787
www.childrensdefense.org
CDF addresses abuse, teen pregnancy, gun violence, housing, and other issues affecting poor children.
o Defense for Children International
P.O. Box 88, CH 1211, Geneva 20, Switzerland
(+41 22) 734-0558
www.defence-for-children.org
Investigates sexual exploitation of children and other abuses.
o “Out of the Mouths of Babes: Child Abuse and the Abuse of Adults,” Nation, Feb. 12, 1990. Article describes an investigation by two Memphis reporters into the “hysteria” surrounding 36 cases in which children told of adults molesting them and of satanic rituals. Of the 91 people who were arrested and charged, only 23 were convicted, mostly of lesser charges. The lives of many of those subsequently released have been destroyed nonetheless.
2. Violence in the Media

Interesting facts/ quotes/ ideas

o “A government-sponsored study has indicated that television viewing from childhood onward may be harmful to certain persons. But the study was vague on specifics. TV industry leaders, asked at a recent Senate hearing to comment on the study, said they had been reducing the violence content of children's shows and would reduce it more.”
o “The years during which TV viewing became a universal pastime of young and old were also years of rising social disorder, mounting youth crime, assassinations, street violence, urban riots, school rebellions and campus uprisings. There was evidence everywhere that children and youth were giving vent to aggressive impulses to a much greater extent than in the past. While the causes of the social disorders were recognized as diverse and complex, the questioning often turned to one totally new element in the environment of American children: television. It was hard for many concerned persons not to believe that daily exposure to so enticing a medium during the growing-up years, beginning typically at age two or three, could fail to affect the personality formation, attitudes, concepts of right and wrong, and behavior patterns of the first TV generation.”
o “From its earliest days, television has fed children a steady diet of Westerns and often-violent animated cartoons. Over the past few years, youngsters have also been exposed to increased levels of sexuality on the screen - from sly innuendo or titillating glimpses of skin to nearly explicit bedroom scenes and sex-filled music videos.”
o The effects of viewing violence on television have been debated since the 1960s. Today, according to Kunkel and others, most researchers in the field accept what Kunkel sees as the “unequivocal conclusion” that viewing violence “contributes to real world violence and aggression.”
o But some in the industry continue to dispute the conclusion. “There are lots of intervening factors,” says Weinman, a former sociology professor. “It is very problematic to say even if there is a correlation that there is causation.”
Research Questions
o Is violence in the media a direct effect of violence in children?
o Are television shows too violent and sexual for kids these days?
o Are children’s shows corrupted with violence non-intentionally?

Next step/ issues
o Goldin, Lorrie, “Sex, Violence and Nature Shows,” San Francisco Chronicle, Aug. 28, 1996, p. A19. Goldin argues that nature shows, such as National Geographic specials on PBS, are loaded with sex and violence and should not be used to fulfill the FCC's rule on educational programming.
o “A Little Light From the TV Set,” Los Angeles Times, July 30, 1996, p. B6. An editorial supports a proposal requiring television stations to air a minimum of three hours of educational programming for children each week, noting, however, that a clear definition of what constitutes such programming is lacking.
o Bash, Alan, “Some popular kids TV based on sinister violence,” USA Today, Sept. 20, 1995, p. A1. Some of the most popular Saturday morning kids TV shows contain “sinister combat violence” and pose more concern that most prime time series, a new study by UCLA's Jeffrey Cole finds.
o MediaScope
12711 Ventura Blvd., Suite 248, Studio City, Calif. 91604
(818) 508-2088.
This nonprofit group seeks to promote positive social and health images in entertainment, with a particular concentration on reducing portrayals of violence.
3. Death Penalty
Interesting facts/ quotes/ ideas
o Critics and opponents of the death penalty are warning that capital trials and sentencing hearings are so riddled with flaws that they risk resulting in the execution of innocent persons.
o Most Americans still favor the death penalty, but support has declined in the past five years. Critics point to documented attacks on the reliability and fairness of court procedures in capital cases. They claim too many death sentences are reversed on appeal and that flaws in the system, including inadequate defense counsels, create an unacceptable risk of executing an innocent person. Supporters of capital punishment say legal safeguards are adequate and that no innocent person has been put to death in recent years. The changing climate can be seen in the enactment of state laws to limit the death penalty and in cases before the Supreme Court, which is set to decide whether it is unconstitutional to execute mentally retarded offenders.
o The Constitution of the United States forbids “cruel and unusual punishments” and constitutions of most states have similar provisions. No court has ever upheld the contention that the application of the death penalty violates the prohibition of cruel punishment.
o Executions in 1984 brought to 3,859 the number of persons put to death under state authority since national reporting began in 1930. Between 1967 and 1977, no executions took place while the courts and state lawmakers struggled to devise constitutionally acceptable death penalty statutes.
Research Questions
o Should the mentally ill be faced with the death penalty?
o Is the death penalty cruel and unusual punishment?
o Why has there been a decline in support of the death penalty in the last years? Is it affecting society as a whole?
o Is there more justice done with penalty by death or by incarceration?
Next steps/ issues
o Powell, Michael, “In NY, Lawmakers Vote Not to Reinstate Capital Punishment,” The Washington Post, April 13, 2005, p. A3. A New York legislative committee rejected a bill aimed at reinstating the state's death penalty, citing wrongful convictions.
o Coen, Jeff, “IQ Knocks Out Death Penalty,” Chicago Tribune, April 20, 2004, p. 1. Illinois Judge Kenneth Wadas eliminated the prospect of the death penalty for defendant Randall Jarrett, finding him to be mentally retarded after he scored a 75 on an IQ test.
o American Association on Mental Retardation
444 N. Capitol St., N.W., Suite 846, Washington, DC 20001
(202) 387-1968
www.aamr.org
The largest and oldest organization devoted to mental retardation and related disabilities.
o Death Penalty Information Center
1101 Vermont Ave., N.W., Suite 701, Washington, DC 20005
(202) 289-2275
www.deathpenaltyinfo.org
An anti-death penalty organization furnishing analysis and information on issues concerning capital punishment.

Phil Gust

Topic: Computers – Cyber Socializing

Interesting Facts/Quotes/Ideas:

A. Analysts insist Internet socializing strengthens online AND offline relationships.

B. “The traditional human orientation to neighborhood- and village-based groups is moving toward communities . . . oriented around geographically dispersed social networks”.

C. Meeting potential romantic partners online is “a numbers game,” and the Web lets you search for geographic proximity or mutual interests across a wide variety of potential dates.

D. There's little disagreement that dangers can lurk on the Internet. However, many analysts note that, even as Internet socializing has burgeoned, sex crimes have been decreasing, and data do not indicate an increase in sexual predation due to teens going online. “There is no evidence that the online world is more dangerous,” says Justine Cassell, a professor of communications studies at Northwestern University.

E. In the past year and a half, legislators in several states, including California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Texas and Virginia, proposed requiring online dating sites to conduct criminal background checks of all prospective members or prominently inform users that they do not conduct such checks.

Research questions:

A. Does regularly announcing our activities or moods on social networking sites pose a risk to us?

B. Should potential employers be allowed to use these sites as a way to judge whether we are good potential employees?

C. Should schools/libraries be allowed to block these sites?

D. Are these sites creating more of a social gap between us, or is it bringing communities closer?

E. What are the risks of online dating, if any?

F. Are kids more at risk than adults?

G. Should the online communities have more control over who joins them by doing background check on new users?

Next Steps/Sources:

A. Kloer, Phil, “Site Offers Truth About Personal Ads on Net,” Chicago Tribune, Aug. 7, 2005, p. B3. Truedater.com allows online daters to post reviews of anyone they have dated from a variety of sites, depicting what that person is really like as opposed to his or her personal ad.

B. Center for the Digital Future
University of Southern California Annenberg School, 300 South Grand Ave., Suite 3950, Los Angeles, CA 90071
(213) 437-4433
www.digitalcenter.org
A research program investigating the Internet's effects on individuals and society.

C. Sharos, David, “Internet Safety Fears Spark Education Efforts,” Chicago Tribune, May 8, 2006, p. 8. Law-enforcement officials, school administrators and software companies have begun to address social-networking issues, including pedophiles trolling for youngsters on the Web and the sharing of too much personal information by minors in chat rooms.

D. Apophenia: Making Connections Where None Previously Existed
www.zephoria.org/thoughts/
News, data and commentary on the social Internet by social-media researcher Danah Boyd.

Topic: Publishing Industry – Future of Books

Interesting Facts/Quotes/Ideas:

A. “Suddenly there was a sense in 2008 that an e-book program was something a publisher couldn't be without,” says Michael Bhaskar, digital editor at publisher Pan MacMillan in Britain.

B. Despite rapid growth, sales revenue generated by electronic books, whether read on a laptop, Kindle or cell phone, still accounts for only about 1 percent of the $11 billion adult trade book market in the United States, estimates Michael Smith, executive director of the International Digital Publishing Forum, a trade association.

C. The proposed settlement permits Google's Book Search engine to make entire copyrighted books available online for a fee and to show up to 20 percent of a copyrighted text at no charge. Google will keep 37 percent of the revenue from online book sales and advertisements that run next to previews of book pages; the remaining 63 percent will go to authors and publishers.

D. Some in the industry think 2009 will be the year that changes all that, with the introduction of the Kindle 2.0 and DX, the availability of Kindle books on the iPhone and Google Book Search's deal to provide millions of books to the Sony Reader. A new, lightweight, large-format reader, which feels like a plastic sheet of paper, Plastic Logic Reader, is due for commercial release next year.

E. E-book retail sales last year increased 68 percent over 2007 to an estimated total of $107 million, according to the organization. But that doesn't include some of the largest publishers that have been reporting triple-digit growth, according to Smith. Nor does it include library or higher-education sales, sectors that both boast twice the electronic sales of trade publishers. Meanwhile, Overdrive, a leading seller of e-books to libraries, logged 10 million downloads in 2008.

Research Questions:

A. How might this effect the bureaucracy in schools and their bookstores?

B. Would it be possible to carry only ONE e-book reader that contained all of your college textbooks?

C. Is there an environmental factor in this? Could going to an e-book reduce your carbon footprint?

D. Is it possible e-books will inspire more of the younger generation to read?

E. Does this change how the industry works as a whole? Can joe schmoe avoid the publishing houses all together and sell his book online in an e-book format on his own?

Next Steps/Contacts:

A. Harmanci, Reyhan , “Google, Trade Groups Settle,” The San Francisco Chronicle, Oct. 29, 2008, p. C1. Google has agreed to pay $125 million to start the Book Rights Registry to compensate authors for providing online access to their books.

B. Bonenti, Charles , “Publishing Your Novel in Minutes,” Berkshire Eagle (Massachusetts), March 8, 2008. The Espresso Book Machine automates virtually every aspect of book production.

C. Institute for the Future of the Book
74 N. 7th St., #3, Brooklyn, NY 11211
www.futureofthebook.org
Think tank experimenting with future forms of the book in New York and London

D. Association of American Publishers
50 F St., NW, 4th Floor, Washington, DC 20001
(202) 347-3375
www.publishers.org
Principal trade association for the publishing industry.

Topic: Health Care Reform

Interesting Facts/Quotes/Ideas:

A. A top goal of Democrats' health-care plans is to get everyone covered by health insurance. Despite the existence of Medicare and Medicaid, more than 45 million Americans today lack health insurance. Meanwhile, health costs that rise far more steeply than the gross domestic product (GDP) threaten to price even more people out of coverage.

B. Over the past century, most industrialized countries have launched health coverage for all by “pooling” risk — i.e., requiring residents to make regular payments into a national insurance system. By means of such a “risk pool,” the cost of illness or injury, which for most people is both temporary and highly unpredictable, is spread across the entire population — only a few of whom are ill at one time — and across one's lifetime. Such “risk spreading” protects the sick and injured from the added hardship of high medical bills when they are suffering.

C. Health costs have grown faster than the rest of the economy for decades, an unsustainable trend for any economic sector, says Michael Chernew, a professor of health-care policy at Harvard Medical School. “A higher percentage of our raises every year goes to health care,” he explains.

D. “Your wallet will take a big hit” under any Democratic plan, said Bernadine Healy, health editor of U.S. News & World Report and a former director of the National Institutes of Health. “By law, you and your family will be required to have health insurance,” and “taxpayers will also shell out whatever it takes to help those who can't afford coverage.”

Research Questions:

A. This has been in the works for decades – Will the government and the people come up with a solution that everyone buys in to?

B. Is it fair to spend OUR money on health related issues that are brought on by irresponsible people, ie. the treatment of drug addiction?

C. Will the new solution cause a rationing of health care and keep some people that desperately need treatments from getting those treatments?

D. Will the already declining interest in family practice doctors be affected if salaries are determined by the government run healthcare systems?

E. How will the current healthcare infrastructure be affected if hundreds of thousands of people that don’t normally go to the doctor suddenly have insurance and start going?

Next Steps/Contacts:

A. Mankiw, N. Gregory, “The Pitfalls of the Public Option,” The New York Times, June 28, 2009, p. BU5. A public plan without any taxpayer support essentially becomes a nonprofit company offering health insurance.

B. Heid, Kermit, “Single-Payer Health Care Has Better Record,” Salt Lake Tribune, July 11, 2009. Administrative costs for single-payer systems in the United States are about one-third of the costs for private insurers.

C. Gosselin, Kenneth R., “Cost of Treating Uninsured Keeps Going Up,” Hartford (Connecticut) Courant, June 10, 2009, p. A11. The cost of hospital stays in Connecticut for uninsured patients has increased by more than 40 percent since 2005, even though the number of such patients has declined

D. Alliance for Health Reform
1444 I St., N.W., Suite 910, Washington, DC 20005
(202) 789-2300
www.allhealth.org
Nonpartisan, nonprofit group disseminating information about policy options for expanded coverage.

E. Physicians for a National Health Program
29 E. Madison St., Suite 602, Chicago, IL 60602
(312) 782-6006
www.pnhp.org
Nonprofit group advocating for single-payer national health insurance.

Karina Barron

Topic: Violence in Schools
Interesting Facts/Quotes/Ideas:
A.” Civil-rights and child-advocacy groups say such codes have led to too many cases of harsh punishment for relatively minor violations, sometimes sending youngsters out on the street where they get into worse trouble. Critics also charge that black students are far more likely to be punished for similar misconduct than whites under the zero-tolerance approach.”
B.” In Chicago this year, for example, a student was accused of stabbing a teacher, blinding her in one eye. http://0-library.cqpress.com.skyline.cudenver.edu/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2008021500 - NOTE[5]In February, a female student at Louisiana Technical College in Baton Rouge shot and killed two other women in a classroom before killing herself. And rowdy or bullying behavior undermines learning and drags down teacher morale in classrooms around the country.”
C. Bonding with the students is important. They have been using the zero-tolerance approach inappropriately by suspending and even expelling students for disruption and disrespect.
Research Questions:
A. Is the Zero Tolerance policy fair to all students?
B. Has this policy succeeded and actually made schools safer for students and staff?
C. Is race and ethnicity the cause for this violence?
Next Step/Sources:
A. Diamond, Laura, "Gwinnett Vote Set on School Discipline: Clearer Policy Proposed to Address Racial Disparities," Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 6, 2007, p. 5D. Schools in Gwinnett County (Atlanta) are considering making discipline rules more uniform and consistent in order to reduce the number of infractions, especially among blacks.
B. Flesher, Jared, and Alexandra Marks, "Should Students Be Allowed to Carry Concealed Weapons?" The Christian Science Monitor, April 18, 2007, p. 2. The shootings at Virginia Tech have reignited a debate as to whether students should be allowed to carry concealed weapons on campus.
C. Education Commission of the States
700 Broadway, #1200 Denver, CO 80203-3460
(303) 299-3600
www.ecs.org
Maintains extensive online resources on education policy.
D. Elias, Marilyn, "At Schools, Less Tolerance for 'Zero Tolerance,' " USA Today, Aug. 10, 2006, p. 6D. Zero-tolerance policies may be promoting misbehavior and making students more anxious

Topic: Children’s Television
Interesting Facts/Quotes/Ideas:
A. “Children's television is not a charitable enterprise, however, but a business, and a lucrative one. Advertisers spent nearly $1 billion on children's programming in 1996. Animated programs accounted for about $688 million, or 76 percent of the total. Educational and instructional programs pulled in just $1.4 million. “There's money to be made in kids' entertainment,” says Cyma Zarghami, senior vice president of programming and general manager of Nickelodeon, a children's cable network.”
B. The average kid watches more than 2 hours of television and about half actually have a television in their bedroom.
C. As years pass sexual content and violence on the television increase. There is also a decrease of educational programs for kids and a rise of entertainment programs.
Research Questions:
A. Are children seeing too much sex and violence on television?
B. Does watching too much violence and sex on TV have an effect on children’s behavior?
C. Should advertisement during children programming be reduced?
D. Will the revised television program ratings system help families monitor children's viewing?
Next Step/Sources:
A. Goldin, Lorrie , “Sex, Violence and Nature Shows,” San Francisco Chronicle, Aug. 28, 1996, p. A19. Goldin argues that nature shows, such as National Geographic specials on PBS, are loaded with sex and violence and should not be used to fulfill the FCC's rule on educational programming.
B. Mifflin, Lawrie , “Pied Piper Of Cable Beguiles Rivals' Children,” The New York Times, Oct. 29, 1996, p. C13. Today, the boundaries for children's TV extend far beyond Saturday mornings, and the menu includes much more than cartoons. And, despite the best efforts of ABC, CBS, Fox and other broadcasters, their shows for the under-12 age group keep dropping in the Nielsen ratings while viewership for the cable network Nickelodeon keeps steadily rising.
C. McWhirter, Nickie , “Mastering the Remote Control,” Detroit News & Free Press, June 15, 1996, p. C6. McWhirter comments on PBS President Ervin Duggan's proposal of an enhanced voluntary ratings system for children's TV programming, saying such a system wouldn't be necessary if parents would just watch TV with their kids and use the on-off switch.
D. Center for Media Education
1511 K St., N.W., Suite 518, Washington, D.C. 20005
(202) 628-2620.
The center, founded in 1991, was one of the lead advocacy groups that negotiated the agreement on the new TV program ratings system.

Topic: Prostitution Debate
Interesting Facts/Quotes/Ideas:
A. “Behind the scenes, however, fierce debate rages about the best plan for limiting the harms of prostitution, which include drug addiction and minors being forced into sex work.”
B. What is known is that around 90,000 prostitution arrests occur in the United States annually, with sex workers, not their customers, making up the overwhelming majority of those arrested.
C. Sex is available any day and any time through internet and cellular phones. “The Internet also helps bring escorts together, reducing their social isolation — a big problem for sex workers — says Koken.” Clients are usually married men with children in the 40’s age range.
Research Questions:
A. Should prostitution be legalized?
B. Should the prostitute be jailed or the john, if not legalized?
C. Should only escort prostitution be legalized and not street prostitution?
D. Should Congress make the anti-trafficking law more applicable to the domestic sex industry?
Next Step/Sources:
A. Bazelon, Emily, "Why Is Prostitution Illegal?" Slate, March 10, 2008, www.slate.com. Some advocates say legalizing prostitution would increase the options for women who don't have many to begin with.
B. Meyer, Josh, "Spitzer Rare Only in That He Got Caught," Los Angeles Times, March 15, 2008, p. A10. Local authorities lack the necessary resources to take down high-end prostitution services and end up focusing their efforts on arresting prostitutes on the streets.
C. Vargas, Theresa, "Immigration-Linked Prostitution Cases Pose Challenge," The Washington Post, March 7, 2008, p. B1. Officials debate whether illegal immigrants working as prostitutes should be considered criminals or victims of sex trafficking.
D. Prostitution ProCon.org
www.prostitutionprocon.org
An educational Web site providing information and commentary on the sex industry, including updated summaries of prostitution laws worldwide and a list of experts.
Marc Lee Denny
Three topics that I had thought might be of interest to me where of interest off me to discuss and write about are (1) is the UN effective in it’s policies and procedures, (2) is AA an effective way to stopping addiction, and (3) are prisons revolving doors and/or dumping grounds for the mentally ill. I found interest in these topics from recently watching Frontline and Penn and Teller’s Bullshit. I was how ever having difficulty using CQ tracker and the other library recourses, so far anyway. I am not sure if I need to search using different keywords or need to narrow down my topic search.
I found myself questioning the UN and what exactly they do and how much you can get away with diplomatic immunity. This is when I saw Penn and Teller talking about how the UN is bullshit. They found that when the UN has sent in “peace keeping” troops in to a nation that the soldiers act un-ruled and abuse there power, and is documented cases gotten away with rape and murder of innocent citizens. None of the soldiers where held accountable for there actions due to diplomatic immunity. The UN was created by China, The United States, Russia, France and the UK in after WW2 in order to stop wars between countries, and to provide a platform for dialogue. Has the UN been effective in stopping wars and providing dialogue? Has the UN looked out for the world or only in the controlling interest of the big five?
There is a really good frontline episode that I saw recently about mental health care in prisons. In the 1980’s president Ronald Regan shut down many of the mental health care facilities in America including one of the biggest here in Colorado, Ft. Lupton. Many persons with mental health issues were then forced into the private sector and private health care, health care which they could not afford or easily access. Ever since there has been a rise of mentally ill in prisons, and once released returning to prison for the health care.
Is Alcoholics anonymous an effective treatment for addiction? It was created by the western Judeo-Christian church, and borders on the lines of a religious cult. AA calls alcoholism a disease. AA receives monies both from church and state. Over 80% relapse and return to drinking. Wright, K (1997) "Shared Ideology in Alcoholics Anonymous: A Grounded Theory Approach". Journal of Health Communication, Volume 2, pp. 83–99 “Another study found that an AA program's focus on self-admission of having a problem increases deviant stigma and strips members of their previous cultural identity replacing it with the deviant identity.”
Ashlee Tackett

Topic One: Sexually Transmitted Diseases:
1. The Bush administration says that abstinence is the only 100% way to avoid stds.
2. The United States has the highest rate of STDs.
3. Public health officials say that the abstinence only talk deprives children of crucial, life-saving information.
Question: “Should children be given condoms as part of their sexual education classes?”
Next Step/Contacts:
1. Brody, Jane , “Abstinence-Only: Does It Work?” The New York Times , June 1, 2004, p. F7.
2. Daruvalla, Abi, and Jeff Israely , et al., “Risky Business,” Time International , June 3, 2002, p. 68.
3. Lauerman, Connie , “Lack of Education, Risky Behavior Put Teens in Danger,” Chicago Tribune , Sept. 1, 2004, Woman News section, p. 1.
4. Brody, Jane , “Fact of Life: Condoms Can Keep Disease at Bay,” The New York Times , Jan. 21, 2003, p. F7.
Topic Two: Aggressive Driving:
1. 2/3 of last year’s auto related deaths are blamed on aggressive drving.
2. Many cities are making changes such as more narrow streets in an attempt to slow down aggressive drivers.
3. Many drivers carry weapons such as knives, baseball bats and guns in their vehichle.
Question: “Can police officers and state officials help regulate the aggression on the road?
Next Steps/Contacts:
1. Beamon, Todd , “Cabdrivers Face Off in Traffic Dispute; One Person Injured, Car Windows Shattered After Two Men Pick Up Tire Irons,” The Washington Post, May 23, 1997, p. D1.
2. Benning, Victoria , “On Route 50, A Move to Calm Traffic; Residents Advocate Methods to Slow Cars,” The Washington Post, Jan. 16, 1997, p. 1
3. Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety
750 1st Street, N.E., Suite 901, Washington, D.C. 20002
(202) 408-1711.
4. Surface Transportation Policy Project
1100 17th St., N.W., 10th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20036
(202) 466-2636.
Topic Three: Homosexuals in the Military:
1. Under the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Policy homosexuals are banned from the military unless they hide their orientation.
2. The Don’t Ask Don’t tell Policy was a compromise law put in place in 1993 to lift the ban on homosexuals in the military.
3. No matter the years spent in dedication to the military if it is discovered you are gay the military will dishonorably discharge you from the military because it violates the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Policy”
Question: “Is the “don’t Ask Don’t Tell Policy” morally ethical? If not how can it be discredited?”
Next Steps/Contacts:
1. Garcia, Malcolm, “Kansan's Discharge Heightens Debate on ‘Don't Ask, Don't Tell’ Policy,” Kansas City Star, Feb. 16, 2009, p. A1
2. Bender, Bryan, “Obama Seeks Assessment on Gays in Military,” The Boston Globe, Feb. 1, 2009, p. A1.
3. Center for Military Readiness
P.O. Box 51600, Livonia, MI 48151
(202) 347-5333
4. Palm Center
University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106
(805) 893-5664
www.palmcenter.org
Michael Sanders
1. Topic: Music
A. “Debates over hip-hop have taken place mostly within the black community. Some of hip-hop's fiercest critics, including black intellectuals and entertainers, argue that hip-hop presents a caricature of black America that damages how young black people view themselves and how they're viewed by others.”
B. Gangsta rapper David Banner defends his "dirty south" rap style and misogynistic lyrics, arguing that hip-hop has been used as a scapegoat for society's problems. "Gangsta rap is just a reflection of America," he says. (Getty Images/Erik S. Lesser)
C. Music in general has affected people’s lives in different ways. I will present a good argument that it’s not just hip-hop.
Research Questions:
A. What are the effects music has on people?
B. Is it a difference in the effects from hip-hop and other music?
C. Is the African American youth the main target or has it expanded to White American youth as well?
D. Who’s the blame?
2. Sex Offenders

A. Oklahoma became the fifth state to impose the death penalty for sex crimes against children. (South Carolina had enacted its law one day earlier.)
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1977 that the death penalty was disproportionate in cases involving the
B. “It's not about the overall rate, it's about wanting to make sure that events like this don't occur,” says Lieb.
C. I think sex offenders get off easy.
Research Questions:
A. Do sex offenders get off easier than drug dealers?
B. Should sex offenders be castrated as a sentence?
C. Are sex offenders treated fair?
D. What are the effects of sex related crimes?
Greenblatt, A. (2006, September 8). Sex offenders. CQ Researcher, 16, 721-744. Retrieved September 22, 2009, from CQ Researcher Online, http://0-library.cqpress.com.skyline.cudenver.edu/cqresearcher/cqresrre2006090800.
Katel, P. (2007, June 15). Debating hip-hop. CQ Researcher, 17, 529-552. Retrieved September 22, 2009, from CQ Researcher Online, http://0-library.cqpress.com.skyline.cudenver.edu/cqresearcher/cqresrre2007061500.
Turner, Judith. "Music therapy." Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Thomson Gale, 2006. NA. Academic OneFile. Gale. Auraria Library. 22 Sept. 2009
.
Topic #1: Prison Overcrowding
Interesting Facts/Quotes/Ideas:
A. "In Georgia, some prison inmates are housed in trailers; in New Jersey many live in tents; and in North Carolina, hundreds of prisoners don't even remain in the state -- they were sent to rented cells in Rhode Island.
Faced with such crowding, state corrections officials might be encouraged by recent action in Congress. “The toughest crime bill . . . in American history,” as Sen. Phil Gramm, R-Texas, calls it, breezed through the Senate on Nov. 19, 1993. The bill was passed 95-4 in the wake of public outrage over the murder of 12-year-old Polly Klaas, abducted from her home in California, and the roadside shooting of basketball star Michael Jordan's father in North Carolina. In both cases, violent offenders free on parole were linked to the deaths. In the Carolina case, chillingly, defendant Daniel Andre Green had been released from prison early due to overcrowding."
B. “In many parts of the country, you have to make a reservation to go to jail,” says Rep. William J. Hughes, D-N.J., who specializes in prison issues on the House Judiciary Committee.

“Overcrowded? Underfunded?” asks an advertisement in a corrections journal. Try portable, modular correctional housing units.
C. "Nationally, the prison population has grown by 102 percent since 1983, but violent crime still rose 40 percent, notes the Sentencing Project. A National Academy of Sciences panel last year concluded that increased incarceration had “apparently little effect” on crime. “While average prison time served per violent crime roughly tripled between 1975 and 1989,” the panel said, “reported levels of serious violent crime [remained at] about 2.9 million per year.”
Research Questions:
A. Why are the courts releasing dangerous inmates because of overcrowding? Why not inmates that are in for something like corporate fraud? They are not harmful to people.
B. What are some solutions? Build more prisons? Create a different form of punishment for criminals? Force early release inmates to some sort of civil or national duty, like join the military?
C. Are prisoners who get released more likely to commit crime again?
D. Is America the only place where this is an on going issue? If so, why? If not, Where else and why?
Next Steps/Sources:
A. “Alternatives to prison,” Futurist, January 1994, pp. 53-54. Overcrowded prisons and the ineffectiveness of probation have prompted judicial authorities to turn to alternative measures. Day fines, intensive supervision and electronic monitoring are among proposed alternatives.
B. Curtin, John J., Jr. , “The Crisis in Corrections,” ABA Journal, May 1991, p. 8. Prison overcrowding threatens safety in and outside of the correctional facilities and diverts money from more beneficial domestic programs, Curtin writes.
C. Aduba, J. Nnamdi , “Overcrowding in Nigerian prisons: A critical appraisal,” Journal of Criminal Justice, 1993, pp. 185-191. The special characteristics of the Nigerian prison population are examined, and “overcrowding” in Nigerian prisons is discussed.
Topic #2: Obesity Epidemic
Interesting Facts/Quotes/Ideas:
A. "The percentage of overweight American children and teens has more than doubled in the past decade. Moreover, two-thirds of the adults are either overweight or obese, and at least 300,000 Americans die each year from obesity-related diseases. The reasons aren't hard to fathom. The U.S. food industry aggressively markets high-fat, high-sugar, super-sized foods. Modern communities encourage driving rather than walking. Physical education is being dropped by schools even as fattening snack foods are welcomed onto campus. And children are spending more time playing computer games than sports. The question for policymakers is whether the weight gain is just a matter of individual responsibility, or whether a society that makes it so easy to get fat should be retooled. At stake is not only the health of millions of Americans but also $117 billion in annual health-treatment costs."
B. "But when it comes to the reasons why so many are overweight, the blame gets spread far and wide. The human body was genetically designed to store fat so it could weather famine and other once-common deprivations. Given that biological propensity, many question whether contemporary American culture and lifestyles — the result of a combination of individual, societal, commercial and political decisions — have made it too easy for people to gain weight."
C. "More than 44 million Americans are now considered medically obese, reflecting an increase of 74 percent since 1991, according to a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The rates are highest among the poor and the less-educated. “These increases are disturbing and are likely even underestimated,” said Director Julie L. Gerberding. “More important, we're seeing a number of serious health effects resulting from overweight and obesity. If we continue on this path, the results will be devastating to both the health of the nation and to our health-care system.”
Research Questions:
A. Why must we Americans consider obesity an "epidemic", along with Polio, or the flu? Obesity is something we can prevent.
B. Why are parents becoming less concerned with what types and amounts of food their children are consuming on a daily basis?
C. How come Physical Education in the school systems is no longer important as it used to be before?
D. Again, why is this only a problem in American society?
The Next Steps/Sources:
A. Brink, Susan , “Phys Ed Redux,” U.S. News & World Report , June 3, 2002, p. 50. More and more schools are cutting back on or eliminating physical education entirely, despite concerns over obesity in students and other weight-related problems.
B. Hellmich, Nanci , “Atkins Diet Meets With Success,” USA Today , Dec. 10, 2002, p. D1. New studies show that some dieters lose more weight on the Atkins plan than more conventional low-fat diets, but critics note that other research indicates that the Atkins diet may increase the risk of kidney stones and bone loss.
C. Brownell, Kelly D., and David S. Ludwig , “Fighting Obesity And the Food Lobby,” The Washington Post , June 9, 2002, p. B7. Food-industry lobbying groups have a vocal presence in food legislation and dietary issues — activities that draw disturbing parallels with the tobacco industry.
D. Brody, Jane E. , “Fighting the Lessons Schools Teach on Fat,” The New York Times , April 16, 2002, p. F7. Because schools are offering children more exposure to junk food and less opportunity for physical activity, parents need to encourage better eating and exercise habits.
Topic #3: Teaching Morals and Values
Interesting Facts/Quotes/Ideas:
A. Thousands of schools in more than a dozen states are participating in a new movement to teach values in schools. Leaders of the “character education” movement point to moral decline among America's youth - evidenced by rising rates of teen pregnancy and youth crime - as the main reason schools should teach values. The programs, which vary greatly depending on the school, have provoked relatively little controversy locally. However, both conservative Christians and civil libertarians see the potential for schools to impose ideologies contrary to parents' values. Leading character-education advocates contend that schools can teach such basic values as respect and responsibility without wading into controversial areas like abortion, sex education and homosexuality.
B. Since White beefed up the school's character-education program in 1992, pregnancies have plummeted from 12-15 a year to one this year; thefts and fighting have dropped, too. The gains are impressive for the predominantly African-American school, where 70 percent of the students come from single-parent families. Jefferson's ninth-graders score above grade level in reading, science and math on national standardized tests. The school boasts the best junior high attendance record in Washington.
C. More than 90 percent of the public favors public school teaching of such specific values as respect for others and hard work, according to a 1994 poll. But when pollsters asked about character education in general, 39 percent of the respondents thought that teaching values and ethical behavior should be left to parents and churches.
D. Yet even at Sheridan, where children are overwhelmingly from well- off, professional families, Riddleberger has become increasingly concerned with students' moral sense. “I saw that kids were taking less and less responsibility for their behavior,” he says, “blaming others and making excuses” when teachers reprimanded them. “I saw the teachers hardening their responses by thinking of longer lists of rules.”
Families are spending less time with children, surveys show. As a result, Riddleberger says, parents are missing opportunities to deal with moral issues as they come up - recognizing a child's act of honesty explicitly and saying, “That was a decent thing to do.”
Research Questions:
A. Why does it take teachers to help children develope morals and values? Why not the parents?
B. Is this a good or bad thing?
C. What kind of parents do we seem like if we are in need of someone else to teach or children these aspects of life?
D. At what point do have to teach our children something on our own? Are we a nation who is incapable of doing this?
Next Steps/Sources:
A. Bates, Stephen , “A textbook of virtues,” The New York Times, Jan. 8, 1995, p. A16. Henry Huffman, the assistant superintendent of schools in Mount Lebanon, Pa., is the moving force behind the district's efforts to teach children about courage and other moral values. Huffman says the question is not whether the schools should engage in character education but how they should do it. The way that Huffman introduced character education to the Mount Lebanon schools is described.

B. Michael , “Religion part of every class in curriculum,” Denver Post, Oct. 1, 1995, p. A14. The principal of St. Thomas More school in Denver says “A Catholic education is not different because they have a religion class every day. It's different because everything we say and do is permeated by Christian values.” Education in Denver's Catholic schools is discussed.
C. Bennett, William J. , “The national prospect: A symposium,” Commentary, November 1995, pp. 23-29. Bennett discusses how moral decline is undermining America's traditional confidence about itself, its mission and its place in the world.
D. Cumming, Doug , “Building character,” Atlanta Constitution, March 20, 1996, p. B1. The “word of the week” program at West Point Elementary takes 10 minutes every morning and covers 34 positive traits such as punctuality and cleanliness in a year's time. It has transformed the troubled Troup County school into Georgia's showcase for a movement called character education.

Yasmin Barre

Topic: Islam
Interesting Facts/Quotes/Ideas:
A. “Muslim women who wear the veil are not aliens,” the 24-year-old suspended bilingual teaching assistant told reporters in Leeds, England, on Oct. 19. “Integration [of Muslims into British society] requires people like me to be in the workplace so that people can see that we are not to be feared or mistrusted.”
B. “Muslims feel they are on center stage, and everybody is Muslim-bashing,” says Anjum Anwar, the council's director of education. “They feel very sensitive.”
C. Ever since September 11, 2001, Muslims have been looked at differently for example as a terrorist.
Research Question:
A. Why is it a problem for Muslim women to wear their scarf at work and school?
B. Why do people look at Muslims differently after 9/11?
C. Why do American people call Muslims terrorists when the USA itself destroyed Iraq?
D. Can Islam ever be compatible with western values?
Next Steps/Sources:
A. Jost, K. (2006, November 3). Understanding Islam. CQ Researcher, 16, 913-936. Retrieved September 22, 2009, from CQ Researcher Online, http://0-library.cqpress.com.skyline.cudenver.edu/cqresearcher/cqresrre2006110300.

Topic: Women and Human Rights
Interesting Facts/Quotes/Ideas:
A. In Kenya, 300 boys at a boarding school rape 71 girls in the girls' dormitory. “The boys never meant any harm against the girls,” the vice principal explains. “They just wanted to rape.”
B. A common practice in much of Africa subjects girls to painful coming-of-age rites involving the surgical removal or alteration of their genital organs. Defended as “female circumcision” by proponents of the practice, it has been condemned as “female genital mutilation” by the United Nations and human rights organizations around the world.
C. Known as “female circumcision” by its proponents and condemned as “female genital mutilation” by its detractors, the practice is a common coming-of-age rite in about 28 African countries and a few countries in the Middle East and Asia, including Egypt, Oman and Yemen.
Research Questions:
A. Why can a woman deserve the same rights as a man?
B. Do women deserve full human rights?
C. Why is it okay for females in Africa to be circumcised?
D. why do man have more powers than women?
Next Steps/Sources:
A. Cooper, M. H. (1999, April 30). Women and human rights. CQ Researcher, 9, 353-376. Retrieved September 22, 2009, from CQ Researcher Online, http://0-library.cqpress.com.skyline.cudenver.edu/cqresearcher/cqresrre1999043000.
B.http://0search.ebscohost.com.skyline.cudenver.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=44069240&site=ehost-live

Topic: Gay Marriage
Interesting Facts/Quotes/Ideas:
A. Supporters of same-sex marriage say gay and lesbian couples need and deserve the same symbolic and practical benefits for their relationships enjoyed by heterosexuals.
B. B.“We have a child. We own real estate together. We have wills. We have health-care proxies. But we have no legal relationship to each other,” Julie explains. “That's what we're trying to change with the marriage case.”
C. C.“We favor the tradition of a one-man, one-woman marriage,” says Connie Mackey, vice president of the Family Research Council, a Washington-based Christian organization. “We reject the attempts of the gay community to foist its agenda on the general public.”
Research Questions:
A. How does gay marriage affect tradition or religion?
B. Should gay marriage be allowed?
C. Why do people have a problem with gay marriage?
D. Should gay couples race kids?
Next Steps/Sources
A. Jost, K. (2003, September 5). Gay marriage. CQ Researcher, 13, 721-748. Retrieved September 22, 2009, from CQ Researcher Online, http://0-library.cqpress.com.skyline.cudenver.edu/cqresearcher/cqresrre2003090500
B. GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian & Gay Studies; 2009, Vol. 15 Issue 4, p583-609, 27p
Bianca Munoz

Cosmetics
- Should animals be used for cosmetic testing?
- What are the ingredients used on cosmetics?
- Are cosmetic ingredients harming our skin?

Interesting facts and qoutes
- "parlty because cosmetics present fewer hazards and partly because f.D.A lacked the authority."
- " Cosmetics were the last to come under government supervision."

Sites used
- Shaffer, H.B. (1964). Cosmetics Safeguard. In Editorial In Editorial research reports 1964. (Vol. I). Washington: CQ Press. Retrieved September 22, 2009, from CQ Press Electronic Library, CQ Researcher Online, http://0-library.cqpress.com.skyline.cudenver.edu/cqresearcher/cqresrre1964061700. Document ID: cqresrre1964061700.

Welfare
- Is welfare helping people get their lives straight?
- Should the government stop giving welfare to people?
- How much is welfare used?

Interesting facts
- "About half the welfare recipients who left welfare in 1996 and 1997 had lower household incomes in the year they left — more than $50 a month lower — than their last months on the rolls, according to a study based on a national sample of more than 30,000 households."
-
"About 40 percent of former recipients who have left the welfare rolls are not working, leaving welfare officials scratching their heads as to how they are surviving."
-
"the nation's welfare rolls have dropped by more than half from their peak of 5.1 million families in 1994."

Sites used
- Glazer, S. (2001, August 3). Welfare reform. CQ Researcher, 11, 601-632. Retrieved September 22, 2009, from CQ Researcher Online, http://0-library.cqpress.com.skyline.cudenver.edu/cqresearcher/cqresrre2001080300

Race and discrimination
- Are jobs still discriminating against non-white people?
- Is it okay to separate the disabled students from the normal students in schools?
- Should illegal people be given papers?
interesting facts and qoutes
- "Today the global economic crisis now wreaking havoc on millions of American households is hitting while the first black president is in the White House and the national debate over illegal immigration remains unresolved."
- "Others warn that hate crime statistics aren't reliable where immigrants are concerned."
Sites used
Katel, P. (2009, May 8). Hate groups. CQ Researcher, 19, 421-448. Retrieved September 22, 2009, from CQ Researcher Online, http://0-library.cqpress.com.skyline.cudenver.edu/cqresearcher/cqresrre2009050800
Maggie Tice
Topic: sexually transmitted diseases
Facts/Quotes/Ideas
1. The United States has the highest rates of sexually transmitted diseases out of any industrialized nation Sexually active youth make up almost half the new cases of infections every year.
2. Around the world half of HIV infections are affecting women, and more women are getting infected then men every year.
3. Recent studies found that teens who took the abstinence pledge had the same rate of STDs and pregnancy as those who didn't. Most likely it’s because they were less likely to use contraception the first time they had sex.
Research Questions
1. Is abstinence only sex education effective in preventing STD’s and pregnancy?
2. Should schools provide resources for teens to obtain condoms, birth control, and get tested?
3. Should it be the choice of the parent, student, school, or government in concern to providing effective sex education to students?
Sources
1. Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Is abstinence the best approach to prevention? December 3, 2004 • Volume 14, Issue 42
2. Preventing Teen Pregnacny, Is better sex education the answer? May 15, 1993 • Volume 3, Issue 18
3. Shaffer, H. B. (1972). Contraceptives and society. In Editorial research reports 1972 (Vol. I). Washington: CQ Press. Retrieved September 23, 2009, from CQ Press Electronic Library, CQ Researcher Online, http://0 library.cqpress.com.skyline.cudenver.edu/cqresearcher/cqresrre1972060700. Document ID: cqresrre1972060700.
Topic: Obesity
1. Obesity is the “fastest-growing cause of illness and death in the United States,” U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona said early this month. It is associated with at least 300,000 deaths a year, causing more than 30 obesity-related diseases, ranging from heart disease and stroke to arthritis and breathing problems.
2. Obesity is the “fastest-growing cause of illness and death in the United States,” U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona said early this month. It is associated with at least 300,000 deaths a year, causing more than 30 obesity-related diseases, ranging from heart disease and stroke to arthritis and breathing problems.
3. Industry observers estimate that fast-food restaurant sales accounted for about 20 percent of the $87 billion Americans spent on food eaten away from home last year.

Research Questions
1. Does family income have any direct ties with obesity?
2. Who is responsible for an obese child, the parent, school, etc?
3. Does ethnicity correlate with obesity?
Sources
1. Leepson, M. (1978). Fast food: U.S. growth industry. In Editorial research reports 1978 (Vol. II). Washington: CQ Press. Retrieved September 23, 2009, from CQ Press Electronic Library, CQ Researcher Online, http://0-library.cqpress.com.skyline.cudenver.edu/cqresearcher/cqresrre1978120800. Document ID: cqresrre1978120800.
2. Greenblatt, A. (2003, January 31). Obesity epidemic. CQ Researcher, 13, 73-104. Retrieved September 23, 2009, from CQ Researcher Online, http://0-library.cqpress.com.skyline.cudenver.edu/cqresearcher/cqresrre2003013100.
3. Worsnop, R. L. (1997, September 26). Youth fitness. CQ Researcher, 7, 841-864. Retrieved September 23, 2009, from CQ Researcher Online, http://0-library.cqpress.com.skyline.cudenver.edu/cqresearcher/cqresrre1997092600.

Topic: Ethics and War
1. A nobel laureate economist and a federal budget expert linked the economic downturn to the war and calculated its eventual total financial cost at $3 trillion and possibly even more, plus the tens of thousands of Americans and Iraqis killed or wounded.
2. About 80,000 of the 697,000 American men and women who served in the Persian Gulf during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm say they suffer from the broad range of ailments known collectively as Gulf War Syndrome. The most common symptoms include joint pain, fatigue, headache and memory loss.
3. A recent study of PTSD among veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, noted that up to 17 percent of Iraq veterans were exhibiting signs of “major depression, generalized anxiety or PTSD” but that only 23 to 40 percent sought mental health care because of fear of being stigmatized.

Research Questions
1. Is the use of depleted uranium in the Iraq and Afghanistan war’s a war crime?
2. Are veterans getting the benefits they were promised?
3. Is there a reason for the Iraq war?
Sources
1. Triplett, W. (2004, November 19). Treatment of veterans. CQ Researcher, 14, 973-996. Retrieved September 23, 2009, from CQ Researcher Online, http://0-library.cqpress.com.skyline.cudenver.edu/cqresearcher/cqresrre2004111900.
2. Jost, K. (1995, July 7). War crimes. CQ Researcher, 5, 585-608. Retrieved September 23, 2009, from CQ Researcher Online, http://0-library.cqpress.com.skyline.cudenver.edu/cqresearcher/cqresrre1995070700

3. Katel, P. (2008, April 25). Cost of the Iraq war. CQ Researcher, 18, 361-384. Retrieved September 23, 2009, from CQ Researcher Online, http://0-library.cqpress.com.skyline.cudenver.edu/cqresearcher/cqresrre2008042500.

Analysis of the Controversy

2009-09-23T20:13:00.000-07:00

Assignment: Analysis of the Controversy

Due 10/13 (Final); 10/13 (Rough)
Pts: 100

This is a 4-6 page paper that shows you know the field you are writing about and its literature. You will create a sketch of the different positions people take on a controversial topic. You assignment here, to be clear, is to accurately summarize your topic (not your argument) and present a Wikipedia-like discussion of it--broken down into sections that point out its important elements, important scholars working in this area, and what people disagree about in regards to this subject. Map the various positions held, and explain what they stand for.

Purpose: EXPLAIN/DESCRIBE the debate.

Your paper must include AT LEAST five of the following sections:

* Background/History what “events” turned this issue into a controversy in the first place
* Who this controversy affects, where it is most deeply felt, why.
* Point of View 1 (Pro): Summary of position one—see following
* Point of View 2 (Con)
* Other Points of View (Middle Ground)
*Stakes: What may happen if this issue is resolved according to the Pro and Con agenda. What will happen if it goes unresolved.
* Effects: how the outcome of the controversy might affect that population, the world, etc.
* Benefactors: Why it’s important to others (why should anyone else care?). Who cares and why? What real economic or social incentives guide their belief?
* Key Players: Who are the big names in this debate and what do they say (can be part of Pro/Con.
* Economics: What economic factors influence this debate
* Other Factors: What other factors (IE: Religion. Idealism. Values. Etc) affect this debate
*Local Consequences: How does this debate affect Denver? CO? The West? Etc. How does it affect at certain race? Sexual orientation? Economic status?
* Complications: Roadblocks to this problem/issue being resolved

Each section must be labeled by a sub-header (In Underline and Bold).

Sources:

This paper must include 6 sources (minimum).
• 2 that relate to POV 1
• 2 that relate POV 2 (should disagree with position one)
• At least two others for background, etc.
Sources must come from the Auraria Library databases and books. Newspapers, magazines and respectable websites are permissible, but should be used sparingly (1 to 2 sources, tops). Dot.coms will not be counted. All sources must be cited in MLA format. Paraphrase/Summarize: Only one block quote will be accepted. Work Cited page is required.

For the Pro/Con/Mid Positions in the controversy, look at:

* the reasons offered in support of these positions
* the persuasive styles not directly linked to “logical reasons” (appeals to emotion or the author’s credibility, etc. This could be a Pastor making an argument FOR gay marriage and using the bible as his evidence. He has ETHOS.)
* common rhetorical figures (metaphors, metonymies, analogies, etc.) utilized in making the persuasive case. (IE: “The War On Terror” Saying the Death Panels are coming, etc).
* what’s at stake in upholding this position (who are the winners and losers—including any secret beneficiaries? What will be won or lost? etc. Ie: Where do pharmaceutical companies stand in the Health Reform debate and WHY).

Finally:
Look at how some of these debates can be focused into topics that you can write about (ie if you are writing about the debate of sex education, you could add a section that explains Colorado’s or Denver’s sex ed. programs, etc).

A flow chart of this paper might look like this:

Introduction:
History of debate
Key events
Stats—the problem both sides want to address, disagree on how.
Thesis: Guiding question or statement of problem—“Despite a majority of opinion characterized as ‘middle-ground’, this debate is shaped by the extremism on its fringes. “ or more direct: “This paper will explore how and why this is a debate and what the current disagreement centers around.”

Position one:
Summary of the pro-side
Key voices in debate: Nancy Pelosi, Ginsberg, Professor X and Chomsky

Position two:
Summary of con-side
Key voices/academics: Focus on the Family, Newt G, Professor Y

Position three: The betweeners
Summary of argument
Key voices/academics: Professor W

The Ramifications
Econ. Effects
Social costs

Implications for Colorado

Conclusion
Why we need to succeed.
Works Cited

Sample

2009-09-22T15:49:00.001-07:00

The Controversy on Drug Prohibition: A Look at the Arguments

For roughly the past century there have been various laws in place restricting or prohibiting various psychoactive substances deemed dangerous or harmful in the U.S, but the War on Drugs as we know it today started with President Richard Nixon, who declared the “War on Drugs” after signing the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act into law in 1970. This act included the Controlled Substances Act which created the federal drug scheduling system under which drugs are classified from schedule I to V by their potential for abuse and accepted medical uses with schedule I being the most restricted. (1) This scheduling system has controversially placed marijuana and other drugs into schedule I, defined as having a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical usage.

The argument for this act, as stated by President Nixon at the time of signing it into law, (2) is that drugs are a national problem and major cause of street crime in the U.S. He links drug use to crime several times and makes the statement that a program against drug abuse can “save the lives of hundreds of thousands of young people who otherwise would become hooked on drugs and be physically, mentally, and morally destroyed.” Arguments for the war on drugs then and since use links between illegal drugs and crime (3) to present drugs as a danger that the public, especially young people, need to be protected from. Law enforcement and government officials have used their credibility to assert that enforcing our drug laws is necessary in order to avoid crime, health, and moral problems resulting from drug addiction and abuse.

Since the Controlled Substances Act, hundreds of new drugs have been invented, (4) many of which have been marketed on the street and added to the federal schedule. Often however, these drugs are left in a legal grey area depending on how the Analog Act, part of the Controlled Substances Act, is interpreted. The Analog Act places a drug that is “substantially similar” to a schedule I or II substance into schedule I. Until recently, many of these grey market drugs were available online to anyone with a computer and credit card. Cartels smuggle drugs into the US and other countries where drugs like cocaine fetch high prices, resulting in drug lords like Pablo Escobar becoming some of the world’s most wealthy in the illegal drug trade. (5)

As these developments have surfaced law enforcement has been given more and more funding and tools, with the DEA alone requesting over 2 billion dollars for 2009, according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy. (6) The U.S. coast guard and military also receive billions of dollars to battle the drug trade flowing into the U.S., often from areas such as Latin America or Afghanistan where drug money can fund political instability. In 2007, according to the UN office on drugs and crime, Afghanistan alone produced $4 billion worth of opiates, the production and distribution of which are controlled by insurgents and warlords. (7)

Supporters of the war on drugs argue, like President Bush in his 2008 National Drug Control Strategy message, that the war on drugs denies drug traffickers and terrorists funding for their efforts. (8) Based on the idea that drugs like heroin and cocaine are responsible for funding terrorism and causing crime and addiction, a common

view exemplified by Scott M. Burns in his press release statement on marijuana decriminalization efforts in New Hampshire argues that decriminalizing any drugs will give young people the message that drugs are not harmful and result in increased use. (9)

I don’t believe it is controversial to state that illegal drugs cause a society a lot of problems, but dividing the opinions of those in favor of continuing the war on drugs from those in favor of ending it is the controversy over whether the drugs or the illegality thereof is more harmful. Whether or not the war on drugs is necessary no one is arguing that drugs aren’t still available, so clearly a belief that the war on drugs is necessary goes hand in hand with a belief that we need to do more. Opposing the belief that we haven’t done enough to stamp out drugs is the centerpiece of the arguments against the war on drugs, that being that war on drugs is ineffective because ultimately its methods are flawed.

In contrast to the relatively monolithic ideology supporting the war on drugs, there are a wide range of different opinions against the war on drugs based on many different arguments. What these arguments have in common is raising one or more problems with the criminalization of drugs and contending that since the war on drugs has caused or contributed to this problem without achieving its objectives it should be abandoned. Although many of these arguments are usually only applied to marijuana, the reasoning that drug prohibition has high social costs for questionable benefit can be applied to the war on drugs as a whole.

One of the commonly raised objections to the war on drugs is that it disproportionately affects minorities who, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics Criminal Offenders Statistics, face a far higher rate of incarceration than whites. (10) Another group that feels discriminated against is medical marijuana users, who are often arrested under federal law, which goes against popular opinion with a Time/CNN poll finding 80% of people OK with medical use, which is often legal already under state laws. (11) In addition to the medical use of marijuana other drugs such as MDMA have been placed in schedule one over the protests of the medical community. In the case of MDMA, there are lengthy transcripts archived at MAPS.org documenting the controversy over its medical use. (12)

Another class of arguments against the war on drugs is that it is or results in misuse of government power. There have been severe abuses of police power in the war on drugs like the scandal in Tulia, TX in which police simply fabricated testimony to send people, almost all minorities, to jail on drug charges. (13) As a result of incidents like this many people are uncomfortable with the methods and practices of law enforcement enforcing drug prohibition. Some people even believe that the government has no constitutional authority to prohibit drugs, and point out that it took a constitutional amendment to prohibit alcohol. Although this is a minority view it does raise the question of whether the government is undermining its moral authority in the view of the people by making crimes out of actions that many, especially medical marijuana users following state law, don’t see as criminal.

All of these points, and many more, do nothing more than raise a problem with the war on drugs if taken by themselves. However, if you combine any of them with the contention that criminalizing drugs is, like alcohol prohibition, a failed strategy they all lead to the conclusion that the criminalization of drugs should be abandoned. With the opposing argument being so diametrically opposed in calling for more enforcement of our drugs laws and the costs of the war on drugs rising, it is easy to see why the war on drugs has become so controversial.

References:

United States Drug Enforcement Administration. U.S. DEA History book, 1970-1975. (18 Oct. 2008) < www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/history/1970-1975.html>

Woolley, John T. and Peters, Gerhard. “Remarks [of President Nixon] on signing the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act” The American Presidency Project [online] Santa Barbara, CA: University of California (hosted) 27 Oct. 1970. (18 Oct. 2008) < http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=2767 >

United States Office of National Drug Control Policy. Drug Related Crime. White House Drug Policy Fact Sheet, Mar. 2000. (18 Oct. 2008) < http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/factsht/crime/index.html >

Shulgin, Alexander and Shulgin, Ann. Pikhal, A Chemical Love Story. Transform Press Sept. 1991

"Deepest pockets." U.S. News & World Report 103 (Oct 5, 1987): 12(1). Academic OneFile. Gale. Auraria Library. 20 Oct. 2008
< http://0-find.galegroup.com.skyline.cudenver.edu:80/itx/start.do?prodId=AONE >.

United States. Office of National Drug Control Policy. Table 2: Drug Control Funding By Agency FY2007- FY2009. White House Drug Policy Publication, 2008. (18 Oct. 2008) < http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/policy/09budget/tbl_2.pdf >

United Nations. Office on Drugs and Crime. Opium Amounts to Half of Afghanistan’s GDP in 2007, Reports UNODC. 16 Nov. 2007. (18 Oct. 2008) < http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/press/releases/opium-amounts-to-half-of-afghanistans-gdp-in-2007,-reports-unodc.html >

Bush, George W. National Drug Control Strategy Annual Report: message from the president. (18 Oct. 2008) < http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/policy/ndcs08/message.html >

Burns, Scott M. Statement From Deputy “Drug Czar” Scott M. Burns on Marijuana Decriminalization Efforts in New Hampshire. White House Press Release, 19 Mar. 2008. (18 Oct. 2008) < http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/news/press08/031908.html >

United States Department of Justice. Bureau of Justice Statistics. Criminal Offenders Statistics. Dept. of Justice Publication, 08 Aug 2007. (18 Oct. 2008) < http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/crimoff.htm#prevalence >

Stein, Joel. “The New Politics of Pot”. Time Magazine 27 Oct. 2002. (18 Oct 2008) < http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101021104/story.html >

MAPS. Documents from the DEA Scheduling Hearing of MDMA, 1984-1988. (18 Oct 2008) < http://www.maps.org/dea-mdma/#conclusions >

“Pardons Granted in Drug Sting Case”. CNN. 23 Aug. 2003. (18 Oct. 2008) < http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/08/23/tulia.drug.busts/index.html >

Research. Pt 1

2009-09-16T19:13:00.000-07:00

Engl. 122
Documented Argument: Research Stage , Part 1

Where do you start?

Before you can write an argument, first you need to develop your expertise on a specific topic. To be successful in this class, you must develop an understanding of the wide reaching complications of your topic. Mostly, this comes down to what a great teacher of writing once said is like picking hunting dogs. There are plenty of good dogs out there, but you need to find one that will hunt.

But first, you need to pick something to explore. How? Start looking. There’s a pile of dogs before you, start checking them out.

Today, using only the library databases, you will develop three separate topics to add to a list that will be compiled by the class as a whole. You must take this seriously for it to be effective. If you don’t and pick the first three you come across, you will be subject not only to a lesser grade, but to the widespread scorn of the class.

To start, go the library.cudenver.edu site.

Next, click “Databases A-Z” then enter “CQ Researcher” in the “Search By Title” box.

Topic 1:
*Here is your task, from the “Issue Tracker” tab (left side) on CQ Researcher, scroll and peruse your way through these topics, noting those that seem interesting. Also, you can use the “Pro/Con” tab for this. CQ Researcher is a good place to start.

Click on the topics to reveal the sub-topics. Find some you like, look at the Pro/Con articles and the other tabs on the left-hand side, and consider whether this topic is meaty and interesting enough to look into more deeply.

Click around and read and find at least three interesting facts/quotes/ideas. List them.

Now, put your topic into question form. For example, I picked “Advertising.” I write down, based on what I have found from exploring CQ Researcher: “Does the govt. effectively regulate advertising directed at kids?”

Develop other, ancillary questions if needed. Ie “What are the effects of the increase of advertising and the “advertising /marketing siege” on average Americans? On values? What values are presented most frequently in ads, what message is conveyed?” etc. Just brainstorm, poke around, and come up with more ideas.

Now: List, based on info. from CQ’s “Next Step” and “Contacts” tabs four good sources to turn to for more info. on this topic.

Topics 2 & 3, repeat, but with different topics.

These must be emailed to me (Jeffrey.becker@ccd.edu) before the start of class on Tues. 9/ 22 so I can compile the list.

Here is my sample:

Topic: Advertising
Interesting Facts/Quotes/Ideas:
A. “Drug companies, owing to their clear conflict of interest, are not the ones to educate people about the drugs that they are selling,” two former editors of The New England Journal of Medicine argue. “DTC ads mainly benefit the bottom line of the drug industry, not the public. They mislead consumers more than they inform them, and they pressure physicians to prescribe new, expensive, and often marginally helpful drugs, although a more conservative option might be better for the patient. That is probably why DTC ads are not permitted in other advanced countries less in the thrall of the pharmaceutical industry.” Footnote 10
B. In 2003, Companies spent 243 billion in advertising in the US.
C. Courts largely favor the advertiser. Corporations are granted First amendment rights (including free speech) even though they are not people.
Research Questions:
A. What are the effects of the increase of advertising and the “advertising /marketing siege” on average Americans?
B. On values? What values are presented most frequently in ads, what message is conveyed?”
C. Does the govt. effectively regulate advertising directed at kids?”
D. Should drug companies be allowed to market prescription drugs?
Next Steps/Sources:
A. “Capturing the Minds of Our Children,” The San Francisco Chronicle , Dec. 14, 2003, p. D4. Parents and children are at a huge disadvantage against marketers using sophisticated advertising combined with the latest research into child development.
B. Center for Science in the Public Interest
1875 Connecticut Ave. N.W., Suite 300, Washington, DC 20009
(202) 332-9110
www.cspinet.org
The nonprofit advocacy group tracks a broad variety of issues, including advertising and its impacts on nutrition.
C. Langvardt, Arlen W. , “The Incremental Strengthening of First Amendment Protection for Commercial Speech: Lessons from Greater New Orleans Broadcasting,” American Business Law Journal , June 22, 2000, p. 587. A business law professor at the University of Indiana details the Supreme Court's approach to commercial-speech issues over the past 25 years.

Engl. 122 Sec. 402

2009-09-16T13:19:00.000-07:00

If you are in my 122 class that meets from 5:30 to 6:45, we are meeting in the Library tomorrow, rm. 245.

Change

2009-09-09T14:17:00.003-07:00

For tomorrow (9/10): Read the final three essays of ch. 23 and be ready to write about them.

This I Believe: Final Draft Assignment

2009-09-01T10:10:00.001-07:00

Now ruthlessly revise your essay down to 350-600 words (approx: 1 to 1.5 pages). Look for your most effective statements and illustrations of belief. This will be frustrating, but it should force you to revise/rewrite carefully, and to hone your essay to one clearly defined set of principles.

The Rhetorical Precis

2009-08-21T14:48:00.001-07:00

The Rhetorical Precis
Rhetorical Precis
The Rhetorical Précis Format
(from OSU’s InterQuest Philosophy 201)

A rhetorical précis is a highly specialized, specific type of summary. It differs from the more general summary in that emphasis is placed upon providing the rhetorical aspects of the work under consideration. Like the summary, the goal is to provide in clear, precise language, the main points of a piece. Essential information within the rhetorical précis includes the writer’s name, the genre and name of the piece, the way in which this information is delivered, the main point, how the point is developed, and the relationship between the writer and audience. This information is presented in four very specific sentences as outlined below.

1) In a single coherent sentence give the following:
-name of the author, title of the work, date in parenthesis;
-a rhetorically accurate verb (such as "assert," "argue," "deny," "refute," "prove,"
disprove," "explain," etc.);
-a that clause containing the major claim (thesis statement) of the work.

2) In a single coherent sentence give an explanation of how the author develops and supports the major claim (thesis statement).

3) In a single coherent sentence give a statement of the author's purpose, followed by an "in order to" phrase.

4) In a single coherent sentence give a description of the intended audience and/or the relationship the author establishes with the audience.

Charles S. Peirce's article, "The Fixation of Belief (1877), asserts that (1) humans have psychological and social mechanisms designed to protect and cement (or "fix") our beliefs (2). Peirce backs this claim up with descriptions of four methods of fixing belief, pointing out the effectiveness and potential weaknesses of each method (3). Peirce's purpose is to point out the ways that people commonly establish their belief systems (4) in order to (5) jolt the awareness of the reader into considering how their own belief system may the product of such methods and to consider what Peirce calls "the method of science" as a progressive alternative to the other three (6). Given the technical language used in the article, Peirce is writing to an well-educated audience with some knowledge of philosophy and history and a willingness to other ways of thinking (7).

(1) That
This common pronoun does a crucial job in the Précis. To remain grammtically sound, we must include the subject (the work and it's author), a predicate (your claim about that work). These must be linked by a rhetorically appropriate verb. Rhetorically appropriate here means that it expresses the action of the author in the work. The that phrase is formed as follows: ....verb that.... Without the that phrase and the associated subject and predicate, you cannot have a well-formed Précis.
subject (the work and it's author and date) verb that predicate (your claim about that work)
"Plato, in Book I of his dialogue The Republic (360 BCE), demonstrates that justice is better than force."
"Sissela Bok, in her book Lying (1979), argues that lies can be justified in some circumstances."
"Imannuel Kant, in his essay The Doctrine of Virtue (1797), asserts that lying is morally wrong under any circumstances."

(2) Thesis
The thesis, or major claim, of the work is statement of the overall and final point that it aims at. It is not easy to identify the thesis of a philosophical work (or novel, for that matter). Still, it is a basic part of philosophical reading to be able to say briefly what the main claim of the work is. Note that this claim may never be stated by the author as such. You may have to interpret and synthesize to draw out a thesis. This work is essential because it is the base of your reading. The thesis statement you attribute to a work is your consise summary of what you understood the author's point to be. You may find it frustrating to put the meaning of a long, complex work into a single sentence. If you simply draw a blank or cannot get the words to come out right, that is a sign that you need to read the work again with the intention of getting the major claim.

(3) Explanation
The task of this sentence is to explain how the thesis, presented in the last sentence, is devloped by the author. The author may give seevarl arguments for a single thesis. Or the author may give a chain of arguments leading up to the thesis. The author may define key concepts related to the thesis. Your job in reading intellectual literature is to identify how the main claim is produced by the work. We take it as a basic standard here that sophisticated literature does not merely make claims, it provides support for them.

(4) Purpose
A statement of the author's purpose in writing this work. What is the writer trying to accomplish here? This statement of purpose is connected to the audience effect by the in order to phrase.

(5) In Order To
This phrase is crucial to the Précis. It directly indicates the effect the author intends to have upon the audience. To produce this sentence, think about what change will occur in the reader if the author's purpose is successful. Authors may write with the purpose to persuade, to refute, to change, even to frighten, anger, or confuse. Determine what you think the author's purpose is and what that purpose is supposed to do to the reader. Note that the purpose may or may not be successful (i.e. it may not have the intended effect).
Author's purpose in order to effect on the reader.

(6) Effect
A statement of the author's intended effect on the reader. This statement of purpose is connected to the audience effect by the in order to phrase. Every author writes to have some effect on the audience (readrs). It may be to make the audience laugh, to cause the audience to question their own beliefs, to persuade them to a point of view, to challenge a belief they are likely to have, etc. This effect is not a report of how the work affects you, but of what you think the author's intended effect is.

(7) Audience
A statement of the author's intended audience and the relationship the author establishes with the audience. The language of a work selects a certain audience and excludes others. Examine the language and references of the work to judge what sort of pre-knowledge the author assumes of the reader.

Examples:

Sheridan Baker, in his essay "Attitudes" (1966), asserts that writers' attitudes toward their subjects, their audiences, and themselves determine to a large extent the quality of their prose. Baker supports this assertion by showing examples of how inappropriate attitudes can make writing unclear, pompous, or boring, concluding that a good writer "will be respectful toward his audience, considerate toward his readers, and somehow amiable toward human failings" (58). His purpose is to make his readers aware of the dangers of negative attitudes in order to help them become better writers. He establishes an informal relationship with his audience of college students who are interested in learning to write "with conviction" (55). From (English 8601 • Dr. William P. Banks)

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., world-renowned civil rights activist and philanthropist, emphasizes in his Nobel Prize acceptance speech “The World House” (1967) that all people, regardless of skin color or ethnic background, are negatively affected by the plague of racism and the decline of spiritualism that results. Dr. King begins his speech with an allusion to a famous author that ends up being the theme for his whole speech; his pre-dominant use of examples of past actions are bolstered by several other testimonies from philosophers, historians, and writers as well as an allusion to a well known story. Dr. King is attempting to make people realize the need to correct their self-destructive behavior in order to force society to take up the morals they had lost as well as alleviate the social tensions of the time period. While Dr. King’s intended audience is obviously the black community as a whole, he also tries to get in touch with anyone prejudiced against, black or not; also included are those of the period that had the power to or wanted to stop the decline of society by ending the hatred cultivated by the differences between people of the world so that world would change to be a superior place. (From Preble’s Literature Lounge)

Precis Sample

2009-08-20T10:16:00.001-07:00

Rhetorical Precis:

Sample:

Cite: Adams, Sarah. “Be Cool To The Pizza Dude.” This I Believe. 5/16/05. 8/20/09.
http://thisibelieve.org/essay/23/.

Sarah Adams in “Be Cool To The Pizza Dude” (2005) asserts that one should be cool to the pizza dude. Adams supports this claim with four points, the first is that being cool to the pizza dude encourages humility and forgiveness, the she states that it is a “practice in empathy,” then she says that honoring the pizza dude in turn forces us to honor honest work, and finally that kindness to the pizza dude makes us participate in equality. Her purpose in this essay is to show and explain the benefits of being cool to the pizza dude in order to encourage the listener to be more empathetic to the world as a whole; the pizza dude is a stand in for everyone. Her audience is listeners to NPR, who are highly educated, but need to be reminded to be more empathetic; they will find her humorous metaphor of the pizza dude entertaining.

Welcome

2009-08-20T08:50:00.000-07:00

Hi. Welcome to my 122 class. Click here to find the "This I Believe" site for your homework. Follow each step of the Precis handout. Click the "Explore" tab.

Good luck.

Workshop Assignment

2009-07-15T10:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday you traded drafts. Here's what to do now:

1. Read each draft twice. First, to get the meaning. Second, to analyze it.
2. Edit one section, list common mistakes
3. Mark up the draft.
4. Write a letter to the author, detailing:
A. 3 aspects of the paper that you like and what you think the author is doing well.
B. 3 suggestions, based on the grade sheet I passed out yesterday, for how this paper needs to improve.
C. Give it a mock grade. Explain why. Be honest.

One letter for every author in your group, due tomorrow.

Presenting Your Evidence

2009-07-09T08:53:00.001-07:00

Presenting Your Evidence

In your paper you must demonstrate why a given piece of evidence supports your thesis, claim or position. You must explain the reasoning process by which they are logically connected. (This is called the Toulmin method where the explanations are referred to as warrants.)

If I walk up to you and scream “Immigrants deserve rights” in your face. I am not arguing, I am fighting. However, when we stop to define the reasoning behind our statements, and attach those reasons to evidence, we are now in a position where someone might agree with us.
As a writer you are very much the tour guide through a web of logic, through thought, so it is your job to describe and explain where we are and why we are stopping here (and how this relates to your overall purpose in the paper). While you want to avoid statements that clarify your process, (ex. Of bad writing: “I am now going to give you an example…”; “In all this research I did…”) you do want to clearly show and put into context the evidence and points you are making.

The Colo. State Univ. writing lab website, a leader in web references for writers, states, “First, for each claim that is debatable, or open to question, a reason is offered that supports the claim's validity. A warrant-consisting of a sentence or two-then follows, explaining the reason. Finally, evidence is supplied that supports connecting the reason to a given point or the overall claim of the paper.” Their organization is as follows:
From writing.colostate.edu
Using Subheadings and Transitions: An Example
Chunking text into sections according to where a new point is being made, a new reason in support of your thesis is offered, or a new opposing argument is being addressed helps establish coherence among the various parts of your argument. Using sub-headings to label these different sections will help the audience follow your argument.
In addition, transitions explaining why one section helps support the point made in the previous one or how the next point follows logically from the first helps the reader see more clearly how these points ultimately relate to the claim, or position being argued.
Thesis/Claim: Greenlife's proposal to ban all logging in rain forests should be supported.
Reason #1: It would help prevent global warming.

[This sentence then gets developed, followed by a transition leading to Reason #2.]
Transition between #1 and #2: Although global warming may be the most persuasive reason to stop logging in rainforests due to the effect it has on the entire planet's population, the effect on local culture, affecting a much smaller number of people, is just as important. Losing native habitats destroys ways of life which can never be replaced, displacing people and devastating cultures that can never be restored.

[Logic: both are equally important reasons to stop logging.]
Reason #2: Logging destroys indigenous lifestyles.

[This gets developed, followed by a transition leading to Reason #3.]
Transition between #2 and #3: Not only is the effect on indigenous cultures and global climate impossible to reverse but logging also has a lasting effect on the local environment that could have equally disastrous consequences. The erosion caused by logging results in a change in the ecosystem, particularly the loss of rich, fertile soil essential to both plant and animal life.

[Logic: human effects of global warming and loss of indigenous cultures are not the only considerations: effects on ecosystems are also consequences of logging.]
Reason #3: Logging produces erosion in the local environment.

[This gets developed, followed by a transition leading to Opposing Position #1.]
Transition between reason 3 and opposition #1: Of course, many have argued that the loss of plant life and soil should be considered necessary damages if they work in favor of increasing the quality of human life.

[Logic: Introduces opposing argument #1 and leads to its refutation.]
Opposition #1: The argument that human life is more important than plant life, however, simply does not hold up when considering that the devastation of an ecosystem also affects human life. These effects, as I've already shown, can be measured not only in terms of climate change and the loss of indigenous cultures, but also in terms of losses to farming and other local economic systems.

[Logic: Demonstrates that opposition to point 3 is not viable because of points 1, 2, and 3.]
Topic Sentences
Another good way to help an audience follow the logic of your argument is to use of topic sentences literally telling them how each point relates to the claim, clearly connecting them so that their isn't any question how or why they relate. In longer arguments, entire paragraphs can serve this purpose by explaining the connections between extended summaries of evidence or the logical arguments of sub-points to the main claim. Following are examples of each:
Claim/Thesis of Paper: Writing teachers fail to deal with multicultural issues to the detriment of their students.
Section One: An analysis of the weaknesses of current curricular approaches to writing
Transitional Paragraph tying analysis to thesis and next section: As the analysis above shows, none of the available curricular models address multiculturalism except in the most cursory manner. Worse, their very superficiality does more damage than good. By introducing the topic of writing for multiple communities, the pedagogies make an attempt to bring diversity into the classroom; yet their focus remains on teaching academic writing with standard usage and grammar. Although they admit that such teaching is only for this context, putting such emphasis on standard forms introduces the issue: which forms of writing have more power in society, something none of the pedagogies address. By putting forth the academic model as the one which must be taught and learned in schools, they implicitly devalue other forms. The failure to foreground these power issues, then, leads students of difference to conclude that although their language and forms of writing might be acceptable in certain places, they are not welcome in the places which count in society. The effect of such an implicit message can be devastating to maintaining cultural values and difference.
Section Two: Discussion of research on multicultural student reactions' to writing classes.

Warrants:
One of the best ways to demonstrate why a given piece of evidence supports the thesis, claim or position of an argument is to explain the reasoning process by which they are logically connected. In the Toulmin method, these explanations are referred to as warrants.
First, for each claim that is debatable, or open to question, a reason is offered that supports the claim's validity. A warrant-consisting of a sentence or two-then follows, explaining the reason. Finally, evidence is supplied that supports connecting the reason to a given point or the overall claim of the paper.
Thesis, Claim or Position
Grading should be optional in non-major courses.
Reason/Point #1
Non-major courses are designed to help students become intelligent, well-rounded citizens. If the goal of such courses is the exploration and acquisition of knowledge, grades only get in the way.
Warrant #1
Rather than learning for the sake of becoming a better person, grades encourage performance for the sake of a better GPA. The focus grading puts on performance undercuts learning opportunities when students choose courses according to what might be easiest rather than what they'd like to know more about. [Introduces why proof is relevant to point]
Evidence
For example, students polled at CSU in a College of Liberal Arts study cite the following reasons for choosing non-major courses:
1. Easy grading (80%)
2. Low quantity of work (60%)
3. What was available (40%)
4. Personality of teacher (30%)
5. Something they were interested in knowing more about (10%)
Similarly, in an interview I conducted with graduating seniors, only two of the 20 people I spoke with found their non-major courses valuable. The other 18 reported that non-major courses were a waste of time for a variety of reasons:
1. I'm never going to do anything with them.
2. I just took whatever wouldn't distract me from my major so I didn't work very hard in them, just studying enough to get an A on the test.
3. Non-major courses are a joke. Everyone I know took the simplest, stupidest, 100-level courses needed to fulfill the requirements. I can't even remember the ones I took now.
Warrant #2
Although not everyone in the interviews or the CLA poll cited grades explicitly as the reason for choosing easy, irrelevant, non-major courses, we can read such reasoning into many of the less explicit references as well. Clearly, students are not choosing courses based on what they can learn from them. Yet they are fairly consistent in their choices: 100-level courses with little work. Although laziness might be seen as the cause of such choices, it is just as likely that choosing according to the amount of work, selecting simple courses, or only studying for the exam are a result of the GPA system. Higher work loads and more complex topics obviously could mean receiving a lower grade; thus, they should be avoided. [Demonstrates how proof leads to point as necessary conclusion.]

Getting Started

2009-07-09T08:52:00.000-07:00

Writing Strategies: Getting Started

Writing is easy. This is the truth. Anyone with five words at his command can slap together a sentence. It may be a grammarless and guttural burp, but it is writing.

Writing well, however, is hard. Unfortunately, it is made even harder when we stop to consider how hard it really is. When we are scared, when we sit there, pen in hand, and consider Shakespeare. And Hemingway. And Fitzgerald. And Tolstoy. And Baldwin... When we think about all the stuff of language—tone, voice, syntax and all the decisions we must make regarding how and in what order to take all the words of the English languages and lay them down on a sheet of paper so that they mean something—we hesitate. We over think it. We stall. We see that brilliant shining essay at the end of the rainbow. We see its perfections, its charming smile and bright eyes. It’s beautiful, isn’t it?

Surely, that can’t come from this pukey thing before us, we think. We seize up. We stop. We wait for inspiration that never comes.

Our problem: Most of us don’t want to start with the ugliness. I won’t lie to you. Writing is hard work. It is walking forty miles only find you have forty more to go. It stings. But my friends, if you want to write a good paper, you have to start here, in the trenches of the mud field where the sloppy first drafts grow.

How do we get out of here? Write To Discover.

Myth: The first draft is the best draft.
Reality: This way of thinking will cause you to stall. If you strive too hard for perfection in your first draft, you will no doubt come up short and you won’t get a very good grade. A better strategy is to sit down and get started knowing full well you will come back to fix and redo part of it later. This relieves the pressure of having to be perfect. It also allows you the freedom to go back and improve your thinking and your writing after you’ve had a shot at it once or twice. Writing is exploring. Your first draft is are the first crunchy footfalls and there’s a white out up ahead.

Myth: You have to have a clear organized outline before you sit down to write.
Reality: While some people are into outlines and fill one out before they ever write a word, it is more helpful to most of us to build some kind of plan, a flow chart of sorts, that helps keep us on topic without restricting our exploratory process. Not knowing exactly how you are going to pull it off shouldn’t be a reason to stop writing.

Myth: Write your introduction first, then your body, then your conclusion.
Reality. Many good writers write their introduction last. We might even change the thesis after they have written out the rest of the paper. Often, we write entire sections of the paper independently from others. The place we start might turn out to be paragraph 28 in your final draft. There are no global rules for how to do this. You have to develop your own strategies. I use sticky pads. I compose in my head. I compose freehand. I compose outside the constraints of order, keeping faith in the idea I am hunting. Sometimes it works. Sometimes I have to revise a lot.

Myth: You should write an entire draft in one sitting. Don’t stop until it’s done.
Reality: We usually do better if we break the business of writing into bite-sized chunks. If we come back to the paper often, after a break, we are giving ourselves the opportunity to re-read what we have written, to rewrite and revise it, and rediscover what we are up to. It is a process, remember. Make it one.

Reality: You might not be done with your research. You might be unsure of where to go, how to argue, what your point is, and even what your thesis is. It’s okay. Just start. Once you get going, it gets easier. In the end, it is our writing that guides us. We have to trust in it to show us where we are going. We have to have the courage to follow.

For Tues.

2009-07-06T11:39:00.000-07:00

While I finish up the mid-term conferences, I want you to develop your working outline.

Based on the information here, Parts of an Argument from the CSU writing center, figure out which parts you will include in your argument and what they will consist of.

Review this, and begin to draft your organization flow chart/detailed outline.

To access the types of arguments I went over in class, click here.

There are others, too, and you can find detailed explanations of them in the Good Reasons book.

For example, if your purpose is to propose a solution to a problem, check out the chapter on proposal arguments.

If you want to define graffiti as art, look at the definintion arguments section. Etc.

I will grade these outlines after you workshop them, and I will grade them harshly. If it is clear that you haven't put any effort or thought into this, instead turning in a superficial and unhelpful outline, you will receive a 0.

Schedule Shift

2009-07-06T09:21:00.000-07:00

We will resume mid term conferences tomorrow (which our rather interesting 4th of July debate all but cancelled).

In addition, the workshop we will have on thurs. will be of your Detailed Outline, which I will assign tomorrow. We will push back the Rough Draft workshop to the following week.

Your research summaries are due tomorrow. Don't forget, you need at the very least 8 sources, but should shoot for far more than that.

Research Part III

2009-06-30T08:28:00.001-07:00

The Research Process Part III

Critical Reading and Critical Writing

We are finding sources. They are coming from journals and books, but what now? Oh my, look at all this stuff!

Look, the truth is you have to develop a strategy to effectively analyze your sources in a timely fashion. We are not working on our Post-doc fellowship here, we don’t have five years to do this research, our papers are due in a few weeks and we need to get a move on. To do that, we need to chop this stack of papers in half and make sense of what we have left.

Reading critically is one of the most important aspects of this entire process. In order to write your own analysis of a subject and to add your voice to the larger cultural and academic debate, you have to understand the information before you.

As we grow as readers and writers, we develop our own methods of doing this. However, across these, I think the following advice holds up.
• Read with the intent to understand, to decipher, to make sense of this
• Take breaks
• Read slowly
• Print or make photocopies of articles or book passages and mark them up
• Don’t give up

My advice is to break this practice into two parts: Initial Appraisal of the Text, and Context Analysis.

A. Initial Appraisal: This entails your first approach to the text wherein you discover if it has any value to you and your paper. We start by looking critically at some of the physical characteristics of the text, without delving too deeply into the text. Remember, our job here is to determine usefulness. Start by flipping through the text. Look at:

I. Author: Is this author credible. Will including his words in my paper help my ethos or will it make my paper seem unwontedly slanted or biased (for example, what happens if your papers is full of Rush Limbaugh quotes?)
Does this author have the necessary authority and expertise so that his ideas can serve as evidence in your argument? If no, ditch the article.

II. Date: Is the publication date of this source current enough to meet the demands of your topic? Be reasonable. If I am writing about meatpacking, sure, it won’t hurt to throw in an Upton Sinclair quote from The Jungle, but I can’t rely on that for evidence. I need information that pertains to meat packing plants now. If it’s not timely enough, if it is out-of-date, ditch it.

III. Relevance: Occasionally, I have found a really interesting article that I enjoyed reading and want to use in my paper. The problem, it has nothing to do with my topic. I can either change my topic to fit this in, or ditch it. Quickly analyzing a document’s worth to your own ends takes practice, but remember, in the end doing this saves you time in the long run.

Research III, page 2

So How? My first impressions of a book/article and its material come from browsing. Read the Table of Contents, the Abstract, the introduction, discussion or conclusion. Read any tables or graphs or appendices you find. Look at how the chapters of sections of the text move from beginning to end. Look at the work’s cited. If you see any titles there that might be helpful go find them. Mostly, use this initial analysis to determine if the text before has worthwhile information that will help YOUR argument.

B. Content Analysis: You hooked a nice source, now you have to get it into the boat. To do this, you have to sit down and make some sense of it. Reading complex material can be not unlike reading something in a foreign language that you don’t speak well. Here, read to decipher. To understand. Piece together meaning. Read slowly. Take notes. Look at:

I. Make a Rhet. Precis if the article is argumentative. Look at the Author’s Intentions. Find the thesis of this argument. Analyze the evidence. Examine the author’s purpose.

II. Mark possible passages you may want to use in your paper. Mark them so that you can find them later. Write what it is and why you can use in the margin. Example: “This is a good counter argument to smoking is bad for ducks.”

III. Take notes. Write on sticky notes. Scribble on your articles. You have to organize this information so you can quickly access it later.

IV. Ask yourself, as library.cornell.edu does, if “the work update[s] other sources, substantiate[s] other materials you have read, or add[s] new information? Does it extensively or marginally cover your topic? You should explore enough sources to obtain a variety of viewpoints” (http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref).

V. Contextualize. Dive into text. Separate fact from opinion. Opinion from propaganda. Is the information here well researched? What assumptions does this author rely upon? Is she in line with the others arguments you’ve encountered on this topic? Is she in line with the others, adding to their points, furthering a bit passed over by most. Does this use primary or secondary sources (try to find both)? To do this, you should read everything TWICE.

Mostly, all I can say is this is never an easy process. It gets less painful, however, the more you practice. The good side to this is this process can and should lead to new source material and improved ideas as you go along.

Also, remember that this process is recursive. Reflect on what you are doing often. Fiddle with your topic as need be. Go back and redo. That’s the name of the game.

Tues. 6/30

2009-06-29T09:14:00.000-07:00

Due: Rhet. Precis of three sources for YOUR paper. You must find these sources using the library resources I pointed you to on Thurs.

Please find one book, one journal article, and one "wild card" or source of your choosing (ie a magazine article, newspaper article, another book, etc).

If they are not argumentative, please summarize them as best you can, aiming to keep your summary pointed and succinct like the precis.

From Analysis to Argument

2009-06-24T17:52:00.001-07:00

New Due Date

2009-06-22T09:52:00.000-07:00

Analysis Papers are NOT due tomorrow. Last class I granted an extension. The new due date is Thurs, 6/25.

However, please bring your drafts to class tomorrow.

Analysis Rough Drafts--Due

2009-06-17T09:27:00.000-07:00

Don't forget. Your rough draft of the Analysis paper is due tomorrow (bring three copies of it).

Please have a COMPLETE draft and a Works Cited page to make this peer review worthwhile.

Flow Chart--Analysis

2009-06-15T20:33:00.000-07:00

Making a Flow Chart.

Outlines don’t work for everyone, but it is important to have an end product that is organized. Some writers work from the top, down, which means that they plan and outline the entire paper before they start writing, while others work from the bottom, up, which means they start writing and develop their focus as they go (through lots of revision).

Many academic writers, however, find it useful to have some type of flow chart to help them see what information they have and to consider how they will organize it.

This paper should exhibit no bias (this is not an explanation of YOUR beliefs, but of the opposing sides to a debate and what THEY believe—without your judgment of them). To avoid this, please format your paper with sub-headers (like the sample) so you are forced to explain/analyze(not judge) opinions you may not share.

Today’s class will be devoted to doing research and filling out your paper before workshop on Thurs. You have just looked, briefly, at a sample Analysis paper. Please return to this example often as you compose and notice its organization, the depth of its research and its neutral, academic tone.

A flow chart might look like this (note: your paper does NOT have to look like this. This is a SAMPLE):

Introduction:
History of debate
Key events—riot,
Stats—the problem both sides want to address, disagree on how.
Thesis:

Position one:
Summary of the pro-side
Key voices in debate: Nancy Pelosi, Ginsberg, Professor X and Chomsky

Position two:
Summary of con-side
Key voices/academics: Focus on the Family, Newt G, Professor Y

Position three: The betweeners
Summary of argument
Key voices/academics: Professor W

The Ramifications
Econ. Effects
Social costs

Conclusion
Why we need to succeed.

To Begin:

Go here: http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/processes/topic/pop2h.cfm and spend a few minutes narrowing your topic. You may want to explore this topic broadly at first, but please try to develop a focus, even for the analysis. Basically, this refers to taking a HUGE debate and selecting one element of it to look at in more depth. For example, if you were looking at the death penalty, you would look at NATIONAL voices and opinions, but ALSO focus on the death penalty in Colorado. For this assignment, your topic will probably be a little unrefined. You may, like the sample, just explore a topic that isn’t entirely argumentative (like the sample). Here, you want to show the varying aspects of this topic (ie: Male Body Image in the Media, Male Body Image in Post-Industrial USA, etc.).

Next:

In Bold, title the sections of your paper and develop a flow chart that maps the parts of your paper.

A sample flow chart:

1: The Issue
The paper should have an introduction that introduces the reader to your topic. This can relate a story/event—such as the murder of Matthew Shephard or the invasion of Iraq—that highlights the nature of this debate or recounts when it started. To outline consider,
• History
• Issue
• Positions and Debaters

In this, there should be a brief thesis/topic statement. This should ground your reader in your intentions, and the purpose of this paper. Ie, “Many differ on the role standardized testing should play is assessing a student’s progress. While this debate seems straightforward, there are a multitude of varying opinion supported by national groups, such as…., with a wide variety of causes the consequences, the chief being economic.”

2. The opposing positions (dedicate a section to each position or combine the various arguments in a section about each section of the topic)
• Arguments
• Cited evidence, list studies and stats that are frequently used to support these separate causes
•

3. Other sections
• The economic or social considerations behind this
• Who benefits, how does this influence what they believe
• Representations of this elsewhere (in the media, in politics, etc)
•

4. Conclusion: Larger picture considerations. When will this debate stop being a debate? How will it be resolved? Will it?

Do some research to fill in the gaps in your information. Go to http://library.cudenver.edu/

Click “databases a-z”
Go to academic search premier (the first one).

Develop some key words and connect them using “and.” Ie: “Death penalty” and “Media representations.” As you research, look for new terms that you can also search for. Ie: death penalty=corporal punishment, etc. Search away.

Now go here and read about MLA citation.

Homework 6/16

2009-06-14T13:56:00.000-07:00

The homework assignment for Tues. is different than listed on the syllabus. Please do some preliminary research on your Analysis paper topic. Summarize your findings (you need at least three sources by Tues.). Discuss the arguments your encounter, any important evidence, etc.

Type it up. Cite your sources. 1-2 pages.

Finding A Topic: The Worksheet

2009-06-10T20:23:00.000-07:00

Here’s the deal. Picking a topic is up to you, but if you pick a bad one, you will suffer. It is important that you pick something you are interested in because you will have to research and write about this extensively. However, you must pick something that will work for this assignment. You need at the very least EIGHT to 15 scholarly sources for this paper. If you can’t find any information, ditch it.
First: List three things you are interested in that you wouldn’t mind learning more about. Now go to the list in the post below and skim for ideas. Ask: What do people argue about? Where can you go to find out? If your answer is nothing, pick something else.
List some potential, if broad topics here:
1.
2.
3.

Second: Can you narrow the topic by geographic region, culture, time frame, event or aspect, discipline or subject, person or group, etc.? Ie: If you are interested in gay marriage, look at gay marriage initiatives in Colorado (Narrowing by geographic location).

Third: Go here: http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/processes/topic/index.cfm This site is one of the better I have found for general writing info.
Even if you are pretty sure what you what to write about, use this time to see what you can find about it.

Fourth: Look at Procon.org. Is your topic here. Browse their titles and click on a few links to see if you are interested in any of these topics.

Fifth: Go to CQ Researcher. Go to the Auraria library site at http://library.cudenver.edu/. Click Databases A-Z. Enter CQ Researcher. Browse.
Click “Browse By Topic” to find some ideas.

If you are still stuck, go to Sixth: Go to slate.com, nytimes.com, washingtonpost.com, denverpost.com and look around for opinion pieces that you find interesting. Use this to get an idea for subjects to pursue.

Last. Pitch your idea. I want a list of three to five topics in question form. You may not know exactly where you are going to go with this, but that’s okay. Next, list why you are interested in this topic. Indicate which you are most interested in writing about. Ie:

!. What is the effect of farm subsidies on small farmers, domestically and internationally? I am interested in this because I like cooking and gardening and have been intrigued by food production for some time. It seems like this is a big problem, but we tend to ignore it. I would like to look into this more because I want to look at the sustainability of our food system like Michael Pollan, Eric Scholloser and Barbara Kingsolver have done. I am most interested in this.

When you finish, print and start looking for information.

Possible topics

2009-06-10T10:32:00.000-07:00

You need a topic. That much is true. Look at the following categories and samples to get an idea for where you can go with this project.

Be sure to pick something that is important to you. Try to avoid generic, played out issues like abortion, the death penalty, euthanasia, etc. These are "bad" topics, but in my experience these, and other overly generic debates (or debates that we encounter a lot, but will probably never really do anything about).

Most of these come from www.uwc.ucf.edu/writing%20resources/handouts/research_topics.htm

Race and Ethnicity

* Should racial profiling be a legitimate law-enforcement policy in some areas?
* Should Affirmative Action for state university enrollment be continued?
* Should the primary method of public school funding--property taxes in individual school districts--be amended to create more fairness in schools?
* Should high-school history classes and social-studies curriculum be changed to reflect diversity and multicultural perspectives?
* Should Christmas, Easter, and other religious observances be considered national holidays?
* If a university offers "African-American Studies" or "Black Studies" as courses, should it also offer "European-American Studies" or "White Studies"?
* How do certain television programs perpetuate racial or ethnic stereotypes?
* Should Columbus Day be discontinued in favor of a new post-colonial perspective?
* Should schools only purchase textbooks that offer revised or alternative histories of historical events?
* What should be done about racial disparities in the sentencing of criminals?
* Should the American government pay reparations and return land to Native Americans?
* Should hate groups have the right to distribute literature on university campuses?
* If research shows that certain racial or ethnic groups receive poorer medical care on average, how should this problem be corrected?
* Should governmental organizations have staffs that accurately reflect the racial, ethnic, and gender balance in society?

Gender and Sexuality

* What should be done to eliminate salary disparities between men and women?
* What should be done to create equity in executive positions for women in particular corporations and industries?
* Should women be allowed in military combat? To what extent?
* Is healthcare for women underfunded? In what ways?
* Should insurance companies which cover the cost of Viagra prescriptions also be required to cover birth control and regular examinations for women?
* Are homosexual characters and topics appropriate for prime-time television?
* In what ways does gender play a difference in student success and teacher attention in the classroom?
* Should the Equal Rights Amendment be revived and made part of the Constitution?
* Should the Family and Medical Leave Act be extended beyond 12 weeks?
* Should prostitution be legalized? Under what conditions?
* How does pornography differ from prostitution? Is it contradictory that one should be legal while the other is not?
* Should homosexual marriage be permitted in Colorado?
* Should homosexual couples in Colorado be legally allowed to adopt?

Multiculturalism and Diversity
* Should Colorado univ. allow illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition if they were educated in CO high schools?
* Should the US erect a border fence?
* Are groups like the Minutemen racist or serving the country's best interest?
* Should English be made the official language of the United States?
* Should ESL students be taught content courses in their native language?
* Should Columbus Day be discontinued in favor of a new post-colonial perspective?
* Should Christmas, Easter, and other religious observances be considered national holidays?
* Should the United States have a more stringent immigration policy?
* Is immigration a problem? Really?

Advertising and Marketing

* How do certain kinds of advertising perpetuate racial stereotypes?
* Where do we draw the line in advertising (cigarettes, cartoon characters, alcohol, etc). What is acceptable?
* Should the military be allowed to advertise?
* How do certain kinds of advertising make claims of patriotic values?
* How does mass marketing and manufacturing affect originality and creativity in the arts and other fields?
* Does the American consumerist society conflict with democratic values? In what ways?
* How does advertising treat convenience as necessity?
* What kind of advertising is unethical?
* What current issues of truth in advertising exist?
* Should product placement in movies, film, and other media be controlled?
* Should product advertising and selling by permitted in public schools?
* Should communities retain the naming rights to baseball parks and football stadiums, or should businesses be allowed to purchase these rights?
* Does the modeling industry bear any responsibility in providing healthy, realistic physical role models for young women?
* Is the use of sexual imagery in a certain ad campaign unethical?
* Should tobacco and liquor advertising be allowed on television?
* Should all billboard advertising of alcohol be banned?
* Should tobacco and alcohol companies be allowed to use ad campaigns that could be considered child-friendly?
* Why are alcohol companies now allowed to advertise on television under certain conditions (after prime time, with responsible drinking messages in some ads, etc…)?

Economic Issues

* Why are we in this mess?
* What caused the housing "downturn"? How do we correct it?
* Is this the end of consumer culture?
* What to do about the widening income gap?
* Should the local sales tax be increased/decreased?
* Should "sin taxes" on alcohol and tobacco be increased to help pay for the increasing costs of medical care?
* Should the state increase the use of toll roads to pay for local road improvements?
* Do local power and utility companies operate as monopolies?
* Should purchases made over the Internet be taxable?
* Should the government provide financial assistance to people whose retirement funds were invested in the stock of companies that may have used unethical accounting practices (i.e., Enron, Arthur Andersen, etc.)?
* Argue for or against the earning potential vs. risk of investing in a certain kind of stock.
* Argue for or against a controversial trade tariff or tax.
* Why do many stock analysts describe the nature of today's stock market as completely different from the stock market of twenty or thirty years ago? Argue for or against this assertion.
* Does America have a responsibility to assist its industries financially and politically if other countries' industries receive similar assistance from their own governments?
* Argue for or against Federal Reserve strategies that attempt to keep inflation low.
* Large corporations, such as Walmart and Barnes & Noble bookstores, have been criticized for driving mom-and-pop shops out of business. Is this a valid criticism when considering the nature of supply and demand?
* A few years ago, the U.S. Mint issued a new form of dollar-bill coin. Argue for against the continued use of this new currency.
* Should the United Kingdom join other E.U. countries in converting its currency to euros?

Environmental Issues

* Should national environmental policy focus on developing more oil resources, or developing renewable energy sources?
* Should our national energy policy focus on building more nuclear power plants?
* How does overseas oil dependency influence our economy/ international policies?
* Should genetically engineered food be labeled differently?
* How do city zoning laws and ordinances effect development and conservation?
* What civic policies should be changed to encourage conservation rather than new land development?
* Should recycling be mandatory?
* How should recycling efforts be funded?
* Should fines for littering and dumping be stronger?
* Should fines and penalties for corporate pollution be more punitive?
* Should the fuel efficiency of SUVs and pick-up trucks be raised?
* Should the government offer tax credits for the purchase of hybrid or alternative energy vehicles?
* Should the designations of endangered and threatened species be changed?
* Should loss of economic/industrial benefit be considered when land is preserved for endangered species?
* Should more civilian oversight be created to monitor government and military pollution?
* Should environmental studies become a mandatory part of science curricula in public schools?

Media Issues
* Why did TV go digital and was it a good idea?
* How does profit motive in media corporations influence what and how information is broadcast?
* What ethical considerations or conflicts of interest exist for a corporate media news channel?
* How and why do certain media outlets contribute to sensationalism in news reporting?
* Is the Internet a positive development for news reporting? Does it represent a more democratic medium of information?
* How does specific media bias affect how news is interpreted and delivered?
* How has the conglomeration of media companies influenced radio and TV content?
* Do cable companies represent a monopoly?
* Should cable services be offered on an a la carte system?
* Should a stiffer rating system be imposed upon television programming?
* Should tabloid television be scheduled only for late night time slots?
* Should parental locks be optional or mandatory on televisions?
* After 2006, only high-definition television will be broadcast, and older television sets will require a type of converter box to interpret the new digital signal. Argue for or against this development.
* Consider media influence on national political campaigns fifty or a hundred years ago in comparison with such influence today. Should new regulations be imposed to make current campaign coverage more equitable?
* Should music-sharing programs on the Internet be outlawed?
* Should websites that allow the free download of bootlegged movies be shut down? Do production companies have the right to shut down websites that allow the free download of sound or video clips from their media?
* Are there any good shows left? What does all this "reality" junk say about American culture? Does anyone (with ears) think those American Idol singers are talented? Seriously? No, seriously?

Consumerism and Convenience Culture

* Should the official work week be shortened/extended?
* How is shopping an American cultural value?
* What American or cultural values does the mall represent?
* How does the concept of consumer credit influence our economy?
* How does American consumer culture deal with the concept of death?
* How are the values, expectations, and rituals of specific holidays such as Christmas, Valentine's Day, and Mother's Day influenced by consumer culture?
* What role does product packaging play in consumerism?
* What role does the national debt play in consumer's spending awareness?
* Consider the issue of disposable products and packaging and their impact on the marketplace as well as the environment. Argue for or against new regulation.
* Should third-world countries be held to the same levels of pollution control as more advanced nations?
* Argue for or against new environmental regulation concerning a specific industry (e.g., clear-cutting for cattle raising vs. tropical rain forest protection).
* Argue for a specific regulation that will make a certain business or industry more environmentally safe.

TV and Film

* Should TV ratings be re-evaluated in regards to sex and violence?
* Is there a double standard regarding nudity, sex, and ratings on television?
* Is male nudity rated at a different "level" than female nudity?
* What values do "reality television" shows appeal to? How have they changed television viewing?
* What does the trend towards voyeuristic TV programs reveal about modern American culture?
* To what extent has television as a source of entertainment changed American neighborhoods and leisure activities?
* What values/philosophies/worldviews are expressed by a certain television program?
* What impact has 24-hour news coverage had on our TV watching habits? How has it changed our view of information?
* How does MTV contribute to celebrity and image-selling?
* Should more customer options be available with cable television?
* Should consumers be able to purchase viewing rights to TV channels in an a la carte fashion (for example, paying $40 a month for 40 channels individually chosen by the consumer)?
* How has the television as an invention changed the American household and family life?
* Why is the TV and Film industry considered so hard to break into?
* Because celebrities are so often in the public spotlight, do they have ethical responsibilities to set good examples for young people?
* In the past, the Screenwriters Guild of America has pushed for the credit "A Film By [director's name]" to be banned. Why would the SGA want this, and is this a justified request?
* Do scriptwriters have a right to be allowed on the set of a movie they wrote, or is this a privilege to be allowed at the discretion of the direction?

Sports and Entertainment

* How has the increase in ticket prices and athlete salaries negatively affected professional sports?
* Should professional tennis players only be able to use wooden rackets?
* In World Cup soccer matches that end in ties, should penalty kicks be discarded for some other method of determining a winner?
* Should professional sports leagues such as the NBA , NFL, and MLB establish a promotion/relegation system that rewards strong teams from lesser leagues with promotion, while relegating poor teams to a lower division?
* What changes, if any, should be made to NBA rules to preserve the integrity of the sport?
* Do sports stars or celebrities bear any responsibility for being role models for children?
* Should the instant replay remain in effect in the NFL? Should it be extended to other sports as well?
* Should teams with potentially offensive logos and nicknames (like the Cleveland Indians and Washington Redskins) change their names to be more racially sensitive?
* To what level should collegiate sports be funded? What is their relationship to academics?
* Should college athletes be exempt from taking classes?
* Should college athletes be paid to play?
* Does Title IX actually promote gender equality in college sports?
* Should GPA standards for college athletes be raised, or more rigidly enforced?
* How have professional sporting events been negatively influenced by entertainment, including Jumbotrons, music, and crowd-pleasing activities?
* What kind of performance-enhancing drugs should be allowed in different sports? Should creatine be banned from Major League Baseball?
* Should women be allowed to play in professional sports leagues that have no female league equivalent (the NFL, NASCAR, the NHL)?
* How have the four major professional American sports (baseball, basketball, football, and hockey) affected the rise of other sports such as soccer and lacrosse?
* How has ESPN and other media sources influenced (positively or negatively) professional sports in the last twenty years?
* Should communities bear all, part, or none of the burden of financing new sports arenas for professional teams?

Criminal Justice

* Should the judicial system be reevaluated or changed because of racially unfair sentences?
* What changes should be implemented to prevent male-male prison rape?
* How has the proliferation of privately funded prisons changed the criminal justice system in America?
* Should certain non-violent crimes be punishable by fines rather than jail time?
* Are state-mandated "three-strikes" policies unfair?
* Should children who commit certain crimes be treated as adults? If so, is there a lower age limit to this policy?
* Are exile programs (where a criminal is sent to prison in a distant state) fair?
* What kinds of rights should criminals have?
* What conditions of incarceration are fair?
* Are certain kinds of capital punishment cruel and unusual?
* Should capital punishment be suspended because of racial disparities?
* Should capital punishment be suspended because of the chance of executing an innocent person?
* Should prison be punitive or rehabilitory in nature?
* Now that genetic/DNA evidence is admissable in court, should controversial closed cases be re-opened?
* If someone has already been executed, should his or her case be re-opened under certain circumstances? Should some kind of reparation be made to the families of the wrongfully accused?
* Should there be a limit to the number of death row appeals that can be made?
* Presuming that capital punishment is allowable, what types of crimes should this apply to? Only murder? Treason?
* Is society's obligation to simply remove a criminal from society, to actually punish the criminal for crime, or a combination of both? Considering this, then what is the nature of the death penalty in America today?
* Should the legal requirements for obtaining a search warrant be changed?
* If an officer finds something that he was not looking for (e.g., narcotics in an automobile that was being searched for firearms), why should or shouldn't the officer have the right to take the accused into custody? Consider the issue of "reasonable suspicion" in your discussion.
* Why are lawyers stereotyped as sharks? Is this a fair representation, and if not, why is it so prevalent?
* Many consider today's justice system to be too slow. What improvements could be made to expedite the system without sacrificing due process?
* Many states have harsher penalties than others for drunk driving. Consider the policies of a particular state and argue for a change in the penalties.
* Define "terrorist." Under what circumstances, if any, is "terrorism" acceptable?
* Should terrorists be tried in a military or civil court?
* If being tried in our court system, should the citizens of other countries have the same rights as citizens of the United States?
* Argue for or against an amendment to the statute of limitations for a particular crime.

Religion

* What should constitute acceptable "prayer" or moments of silence in public schools?
* Should religious schools be required to teach health/sexual education from a non-religious perspective?
* Argue for or against school vouchers. How does the separation of church and state apply to this issue?.
* Should religious phrases be removed from American money?
* Should government provide faith-based organizations with funds to help the needy?
* Should evolution be the official curricular focus of public schools regarding human origin?
* Consider the Christian Science relgiion. Discuss why this is a valid or invalid science.
* Should faith-based organizations be given tax exempt status by the government, even if the organization does not provide any concrete services for the needy--food, shelter, etc?
* Should the Orlando-based Holy Land theme park be given tax exempt status because it is run by a faith-based organization?
* Is the government justified in denying the Wiccan religion tax-exempt status because it fails to meet one of the government regulations in defining a religion--that of congregating at a regularly scheduled time and place?
* How has the role of the Catholic Church being affected by the recent accusations of sexual abuse by priests? Argue for a specific change in church policy regarding these crimes.
* Are public school Winter Holidays still generally organized around Christian holidays rather than those of any other religions? Argue for or against a change in policy.
* On campus, faith-based organizations can receive funds as part of a club. Does this follow the seperation of church and state?

The Political Process

* Should the electoral college be discarded in favor of a simple popular vote in presidential elections?
* Do alternative political parties in America receive fair treatment during elections?
* Should third parties be allowed to participate in national debates?
* How does the media help or hinder third parties? Should they receive equal and free airtime on major networks?
* Should the campaign financing system be reformed?
* Should presidential candidates be barred from spending their own money for their campaigns? Does personal campaign finance represent free speech?
* Should terms of senators and congressmen be further limited?
* Should a national form of health care be created, or should health care remain a private industry?
* Examine the historical role reversal of the value systems of Republicans and Democrats.
* Should a particular Congressional District be reapportioned?
* Argue for a policy change that would make the American democratic process more efficient.
* Are checks and balances a crucial element in American government? Do this process work as it was originally intended?
* Has the executive branch of the American government gained too much power in the last fifty years? Cite specific examples in your argument.
* How has/will new technologies like the Internet change the political process?
* How can the voting process in national elections be made less confusing?

Education

* Is standardized state or national testing (such as the CSAP) helping or hurting American schools?
* Is the current system of public school funding--primarily through property taxes--unfair? How does it contribute to inequality in the public school system?
* Should tracking be used in determining courses for public schoolchildren?
* Should magnet and charter schools be encouraged or discouraged?
* Should the system of busing students to school be amended?
* Should local school districts be redrawn to create schools that are more equal?
* Should federal school vouchers be used at religious schools?
* Consider the needs of a teacher's salary vs. the realities of the funding schools now have. Argue for a change in education budget allocation.
* Do teachers in classroom of thirty or forty children accomplish their intended tasks as educators? Should they be expected to?
* Some standardized tests scores factor in to how much money a school will receive in the next fiscal year. Is this an ethical way to demand accountability from a school, or does this further punish lower-performing schools?
* Consider the benefits and drawbacks of a home-school education vs. a public school education.
* Conservatives, liberals, and radicals all have different ideas about the purposes of a public education. Research several perspectives and argue for or against a particular viewpoint.
* How necessary are the arts in the public-school system? Argue for or against a change in funding for a particular district.

National/International Policy
* Was Iraq a mistake?
* How should we move forward in Afganistan or Iraq?
* In what cases is U.S. military intervention in other countries justifiable? In what cases is it not?
* Does the threat of terrorism warrant the suspension or curtailment of civil liberties?
* What policy should the American government have towards certain political crises? To the Middle East? To Israel? To Tibet?
* What should our policy be towards trade with China?
* Should the United States support the expansion of NATO to include the Baltic states?
* Should mandatory military service be required for all men and women in America?
* What are the ethics involved when considering the separation of powers and allowing a Presidential Line Veto?
* Is shuttle diplomacy a better alternative to gunboat diplomacy in the modern world?
* Consider the CIA's pre-September 11th policy of non-assassination, and its post-September 11th policy of pro-assassination. Argue for or against this new stance.
* Does the United States have a right to preemptively protect itself from terrorist attacks by attacking nations accused of sponsoring terrorism?
* Not considering the United States, what is the most powerful nation on the planet? Explain the criteria used in making this judgement.
* Should the United States change its policies on educating foreign nationals and issuing student visas?
* Is a two state solution best?

Civil Liberties

* Should people between the ages of 18 and 20 be allowed to drink adult beverages that contain a lowered alcohol content?
* Should legal hemp production be reassessed by the Colorado legislature?
* Under what conditions (if any) should medical marijuana use be legal? Under what rationale have some states gone against federal regulations and fought to allow medical marijuana use?
* Do terrorist attacks justify any suspension of civil liberties in the name of national safety?
* Should prison sentences for non-violent "victimless" crimes be commuted to community service or alternative methods of punishment?
* What rights do airplane passengers give up by allowing themselves to be checked before boarding? Argue for or against a specific passenger check policy.
* What rights do people lose when on public-school property? Is the suspension of these rights valid?
* Proponents of a lowered drinking age sometimes note the disparity between the draft age (eighteen) and the legal-drinking age (twenty-one). Argue for or against the validity of this comparison.
* Argue for or against a minimum age for mandatory education (usually sixteen).

Counter-Culture Issues

* Should people under eighteen years of age be required to have parental permission to get tattoos and piercings?
* Is ear piercing of children of a certain age child abuse?
* Do owners of raves have a right to operate a business that can be potentially harmful to youth?
* Should parents be forced to vacinnate their kids?

Youth Issues

* Should the minimum age for attaining a driver's license be increased? Should this be a national standard?
* Should the mandatory age for quitting school be raised or lowered, or is the current age of sixteen justified?
* Should computer skills be a fundamental part of education curricula?

Analysis Assignment

2009-06-10T10:31:00.000-07:00

Assignment: Analysis of the Controversy

Due 6/23
Pts: 100

This is a 2-5-page paper that shows you know the field you are writing about and its literature. You will discuss the background of the subject (people started disagreeing about this when.... for example, Matthew Shephard’s violent death brought to light the extreme violence many gays are faced with. Since then other topics of gay rights have moved to the forefront of our culture, including gay marriage. In 2004, Massachusetts made it legal to..."

Some points to consider:
* what “events” turned this issue into a controversy in the first place
* who this controversy affects
* how the outcome of the controversy might affect that population
* why it’s important to others (why should anyone else care?)

You will not make an argument here, but summarize what each side of this debate says. AGAIN. YOU ARE NOT PROVING YOUR SIDE OF THE ARGUMENT. YOU MIGHT NOT EVEN HAVE A SIDE YET. This is just a summation of all the preliminary research you have done on a topic. For the various positions/stances in controversy, look at:

* the reasons offered in support of these positions
* the persuasive styles not directly linked to “logical reasons” (appeals to emotion or the author’s credibility, etc. This could be a Pastor making an argument FOR gay marriage and using the bible as his evidence. He has ETHOS.)
* common rhetorical figures (metaphors, metonymies, analogies, etc.) utilized in making the persuasive case
* what’s at stake in upholding this position (who are the winners and losers—including any secret beneficiaries? What will be won or lost? etc.)

You assignment here, to be clear, is to accurately summarize your topic (not your argument) and present a Wikipedia-like discussion of it--broken down into sections that point out its important elements, important scholars working in this area, and what people disagree about in regards to this subject. Map the various positions held, and explain what they stand for.

Also, look at how some of these debates can be focused into topics that you can write about (ie if you are writing about the debate of sex education, you could add a section that explains Colorado’s or Denver’s sex ed. programs, etc).

You will need to cite your source material. To do so, use your Hacker handbook and follow the instructions for MLA citation style.

The American Idea

2009-06-08T08:52:00.000-07:00

To clarify:
I want you to look over the American Idea essays from the The Atlantic (the link is on the blog) and come up with your own. It should be only 400-600 words (roughly one page to one and half pages). It should answer, what is the "American Idea" to you (does it have a future? what are some obstacles to it). The problem is there is no one definition of the "American Idea," so you must develop your own based on your experience and study of America. Please feel free to interpret this prompt liberally, as the authors for The Atlantic do (hey if you want to make a comic strip--see Stan Lee's submission--go for it).

Since we have such a diverse class in such a diverse school and some of us may not have been born here, some of us may not be citizens, we have each "experienced America" differently (so there isn't really a right or wrong answer here). You can compare this America (of your experience to other places you know). You can address how certain events, texts, or anything else have solidified your belief of what America is. Also, use the texts we have been studying--the Declaration of Independence, Letter from A Birmingham Jail, Ch. 5, Barbara Jordan's piece, the Obama inaugural address, for inspiration and to help firm up and support your beliefs. Answer, what is the American Idea (to you) and use the ideas presented in The Atlantic to help guide your definition. Have fun with it. Rough Draft due Tuesday (3 copies).

Oil

2009-06-01T11:15:00.001-07:00

For Tues. We will discuss this in class.

For Thurs. go here and browse the essays. Find three that you like, or don't like, and write a rhetorical precis of each. Also, notice how they define the "American Idea" along their own terms, and ARGUE for the acceptance of those terms.

In addition, we will listen to this .

Homework for Tues.

2009-05-29T09:46:00.001-07:00

You'll see the schedule says you should be doing a RP of the Rudin posting. Don't do that quite yet.

To be clear, due Tues: Rhetorical Precis of 3 "This I Believe" essays from thisIbelieve.org and a typed rough draft of your own "This I Believe" essay. Use the packet I handed out in class to get this done.

This I Believe

2009-05-28T08:42:00.001-07:00

Go here: Here

Then: Here Scan the essays here, and pick three to write a rhetorical precis of for your homework.

Welcome

2009-05-25T10:11:00.000-07:00

Hi, Welcome to Engl. 122--Summer Edition

This blog will feature prominently in this class. It is a place where I will post lectures and other materials we go over in class. It is a place I will post readings and viewings that I want to talk about in class.

Also, they syllabus and schedule will be posted here, as well as any class business that I need to take care of.

To receive emails each time I update this page, please sign up in subscription thing over there in the corner. See it? Now just enter your email and you will stay informed with this class (you can also unsubscribe when this class is over).

Welcome.

Optional Conferences: No Class 4/29 and 5/4

2009-04-29T06:02:00.000-07:00

Class,

We will not have class today (4/29) and next Monday (5/4) as that time is reserved for optional conferences.

Please return to class on 5/6 at 7 am to take the final.

Thanks

20 Minutes Of Grammer

2009-04-26T18:01:00.000-07:00

Final Paper--Turn In

2009-04-24T13:41:00.000-07:00

Please turn in:
A. A final draft
B. All your old drafts and peer comments
C. A letter to me detailing what you are most proud of in this draft, what you struggled with, and what you need help with.

Turn it in in a manilla envelope.

Putting It All Together

2009-04-22T06:16:00.001-07:00

Writing Process--Putting It Together
This is a direct quote of a page at:
http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/documents/arguedraft/deductive.cfm

Example

Notice how this paper connects its points

Claim of Paper: Decreasing the average work week to 32 hours would help support family values.

From Body of Paper: Although most of us know that working too much affects family time and thus family structure, we usually assume that this is the case only for people who work 40+ hours a week. Studies of how work-related stress influences family time, however, suggest that too much work, even within what is considered "normal," has detrimental effects on family time. [Topic sentence connects evidence (studies) to the point that 40-hour work weeks have negative affects on families.]

For example, in Smith's 1987 study of 15 average, middle-class families, he describes the undue pressure a 9-5 schedule puts on families. In particular, he notes that this time schedule translates to at least three forms of unnecessary family stress: (1) "rushed" mornings where parents desperately try sticking to a rigid time schedule that gets the children off to school and themselves to work between the hours of 7 and 9; (2) financial pressure of paying babysitters or day care facilities during school holidays and the 2 or 3 hours after school while parents are still at work; (3) overly frantic weekends where, since many businesses close at 5:00, all errands must be done before then. [Note how the author highlights only the parts of the study that influence family pressures.]

The stresses Smith documents are not in families where parents work 60-70 hours a week. The parents working 40 hours a week are secretaries, mechanics, bank employees, etc. The effects on them, he notes, clearly translate to less time spent with family members because of work demands as well as increased pressure when the family is together. [Warrant explaining why proof shows the problem is the 40-hour work week discussed in the initial point made]

Such pressures can't help but influence the quality of time the family spends together, influencing its ability to stay together or to have the type of time most conducive to instilling family values. [Topic sentences which ties point 1 to overall claim of paper] In fact, as psychological studies show, the type of time spent together has a great influence on family cohesiveness. [Transition connecting point 1--effect of 40 hour week on families--to point 2: the influence of time pressures on keeping family together]

Parts and Paragraphs in Your Paper.

Introduction: Introduce your paper, yes. But introduce each new turn in the text, too. You are the guide here. The reader is the wide-eyed follower. Don’t lead them into a Croc nest without first telling them why you are heading there.
Context/Background. It helps, in a lot of situations, to discuss the history of your topic, the various positions held, the posed solutions, the failed plans, etc, as a lead-in to your idea on the matter.
Narration: These are parts of your paper that narrate (tell the story of) certain events or circumstances so that the reader will agree with you. In addition to citing a law, it also helps to narrate what that means (by showing how it is enforced).
Evidence/Proof Paragraphs: This is where you really make your argument.
Counter Arguments and Responses to Counter Arguments: Where you consider and rebut opposing views.
Conclusion. This IN NOT merely restating your thesis. It is drawing conclusions. It is saying, “therefore, then this.” It is expanding the ramifications or consequences of your argument. If what you are saying is right, good thinking, then what. Conclusions are very hard to write. It is that final line that is so often the hardest to pen because, well, it’s the FINAL LINE. However, you also have to conclude each idea in your paper. Use words like “Therefore…,” “Thus…,” “As a result…” “This shows that…” Etc. This reconnects your evidence to your thesis.

Sample Paper

2009-04-15T06:31:00.001-07:00

An Analysis of the War on Drugs
The term “War on Drugs” was first used by Richard Nixon after signing the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act into law in 1970, to emphasize the problem of drug use and characterize the action being taken against it. This act, which includes the Controlled Substances Act, codified the patchwork of existing anti-drug laws and forms the legal basis for the federal government’s anti-drug efforts. As the defining point of the beginning of the War on Drugs the act consolidated drug laws, which had before been enacted based on many different rationales, as a system of laws based on a central set of conclusions.
On signing the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act, President Nixon stated that drugs are a national problem and major cause of street crime in the U.S. He links drug use to crime several times and makes the statement that a program against drug abuse can “save the lives of hundreds of thousands of young people who otherwise would become hooked on drugs and be physically, mentally, and morally destroyed” (Woolley and Peters 1).” Several conclusions underlying these statements have formed the basis for the War on Drugs since, and in order to define the War on Drugs is it necessary to understand those ideas.
The basic premise supporting any conclusion in favor of battling drug use is the relatively uncontroversial assumption that drugs can be harmful, not only to the user but to the people around them and by extension, society. This premise alone does not support the War on Drugs, because in order to build a case for criminalizing drugs two conclusions need to be drawn on that basis. The first of these is the conclusion that people need to be protected from drugs, and the second is the conclusion that a criminal prohibition will accomplish this goal.
These conclusions formed the basis for the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act and any laws passed since that rest on these ideas can also be considered part of the War on Drugs, as can the enforcement actions thereof, because they are rooted in the same ideology. Although an exact and unanimously agreeable definition of the War on Drugs may be impossible, a usable definition can be reached by stating that the War on Drugs is comprised of any and all actions based on both of those conclusions. This definition of the War on Drugs serves to refer to the vast system of laws, rhetoric, and enforcement actions that treat drugs as a criminal problem.
By classifying the War on Drugs as any application of that concrete set of ideas, any argument that attacks either of them attacks the entire War on Drugs as defined here. Therefore, the common argument against the criminalization of a specific drug based on the failure of that specific prohibition is an argument against the War on Drugs as a whole, because it refutes the conclusion that the criminal prohibition of a drug will protect people from it.
Arguments supporting the War on Drugs tend to take its supporting conclusions as axioms and focus on supporting the basis for that conclusion, that being the assertion that drugs are harmful. Although arguments are sometimes made by attacking that claim, especially in the case of marijuana, it is not necessary to refute the idea that drugs are harmful in order to make an argument against their criminalization. All that is necessary to accomplish that goal is to refute, as history has already done for alcohol, the conclusions that form the case for criminally prohibiting a substance.
That refutation can be seen in the history of American alcohol prohibition, which began in 1920 when the 18th amendment to the U.S. constitution went into effect. The 18th amendment prohibited alcohol nationwide until its repeal in 1933 with the goals, as noted by economist Mark Thornton, of reducing crime, social problems, government expenditures on prisons, and health problems. With legal supplies of alcohol gone tens of thousands of speakeasies sprang up in major cities, supplied with alcohol by organized crime. The huge profits led to police corruption on a massive scale, and violence as criminal groups organized around the steady income source provided by prohibition. Thornton summarizes the results of alcohol prohibition by stating that it not only failed to reduce drinking and the problems it was intended to address but made them worse, with bootleggers and crime bosses being prohibition’s primary beneficiaries (Thornton 9-11).
These results can be explained by considering the economic effects of prohibiting a substance. As a study of drug market economics by Jonathan Caulkins and Peter Reuter published in Journal of Drug Issues explains, criminally prohibiting a substance artificially increases its value. This is dramatically illustrated by the cost of marijuana, which despite being one of the less expensive drugs by weight, is worth its weight in gold. The study goes on to state that while higher prices do provide some deterrent to consumption of the prohibited substance, in the case of drug prohibition it seems that the effect of law enforcement on price encounters a point of diminishing returns. When this is reached, increased drug prohibition enforcement produces smaller and smaller increases in the price of those drugs (Caulkins and Reuter 593-594, 601).
As Mark Thornton concluded, rates of drinking actually rose during prohibition, and if alcohol prohibition can be used as a model, one would expect an increase in drug use. This expectation is realized according to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, which reports 41.7 percent of the population over age 12 reporting lifetime drug use in 2001, compared to 31.3 percent in 1979 (United States- Office of Nation Drug Control Policy 1). In addition, in 2007 the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported roughly eight percent of the population over age 12 having used an illicit drug in the past month (United States- Center for Disease Control 271). Clearly, tens of millions of Americans are continuing to use drugs despite massive and increasing expenditures on the enforcement of their prohibition.
This suggests that that in the case of drug prohibition the point of diminishing returns suggested by Caulkins and Reuter has already been reached, and increasing enforcement is failing to drive prices up enough to strongly discourage use. Furthermore, as economist David Sollars of Auburn University explains in his analysis of the War on Drugs, prison space is a finite resource; therefore as more people are incarcerated, the terms of incarceration must become shorter. Sollars presents data showing this happening in Florida where prison space constraints have resulted in shorter and shorter sentences served (Sollars 31). The result is a situation where increasing enforcement of drug laws provides a disincentive to break them via a higher arrest rate, but this disincentive is balanced by the reduction of the severity of punishment. With increasing enforcement already unable to significantly discourage drug use by further driving up the cost of the drugs, and the incentive power of higher arrest rates neutralized, it is unlikely that additional enforcement of drug prohibition would significantly reduce use.
With a demand that is accordingly very difficult to reduce via law enforcement and extremely high prices for prohibited substances, a powerful economic incentive to break the law exists. The resulting black market is inherently problematic because it exists outside the structures and regulations that apply to legal businesses. Not only is consumer protection non-existent, but the profits go to whomever is willing to break the law, providing a ready funding source for organized crime or terrorism. Also, lacking legal recourse, business disputes arising in the black market tend to be settled with violence. This conclusion is illustrated in “An Economic Analysis of Alcohol Prohibition”, a study by Harvard economist Jeffery Miron published in Journal of Drug Issues, by looking at the homicide rate during alcohol prohibition (Miron 741).
Ultimately the economics of prohibiting substances like alcohol or drugs, both of which can be addictive and harmful, explains why despite strict enforcement of those prohibitions fails to stamp out their availability. Not only does a criminal prohibition fail at this, but also produces unforeseen negative consequences. Given that the reason to stamp out availability of drugs is to protect individuals and the public, and the fact that these drugs are still widely and increasingly used with no reason to believe that additional law enforcement can change this, the idea that a criminal prohibition will protect people from drugs shown to be false. Furthermore, considering that this strategy incurs serious negative consequences while failing to accomplish its stated goals, the strategy of criminally prohibiting a substance is seen to be seriously and fundamentally flawed.
The failure of the criminalization strategy of protecting people from drugs begs the question of why people are unwilling to accept that prohibition of drugs should be followed, on the grounds that these laws are in place to protect them. This is a question without a simple definitive answer, because medical, economic, social, cultural, and even religious issues can all play a role in why someone may choose to break drug laws. However, for this question to be relevant it would need to be established whether protecting people from their own choices regarding drugs is necessary, and to do this one can examine the history of another highly addictive and dangerous substance.
Where the War on Drugs makes the assumption that drugs are too dangerous to allow people to make their own decisions regarding use, and therefore attempts to deny people the choice to use drugs, tobacco users have never been denied that choice. If one takes the results of modern anti-smoking efforts which are based on presenting evidence to people faced with the choice to smoke, compared to anti-drug efforts, which are based on denying potential users the corresponding choice, the results clearly show the superiority of a strategy allowing that choice. According to the 2000 Surgeon General’s report “Reducing Tobacco Use” smoking has been declining since 1965, whereas the government statistics already presented show overall drug use increasing. The reasons for that decline in smoking are clear and highlight a problem with parallel efforts to reduce drug use.
In “Reducing Tobacco Use”, the surgeon general shows that for many years smoking rates steadily rose despite numerous efforts to stop tobacco use based on moralistic and hygienic concerns, and even evidence linking smoking to health problems. This report gives a detailed analysis of the history of tobacco reduction efforts, concluding that these efforts were largely ignored because they were seen as moralistic and based on biased evidence. The report goes on to conclude that the turning point for efforts to reduce tobacco use was the 1964 surgeon general’s report which codified the evidence and made a nearly indisputable case linking tobacco to health problems. “Reducing Tobacco Use” concludes in no uncertain terms that the success of following anti-smoking efforts has been based on this more solid platform (United States- Department of Health and Human Services 38-40).
In parallel efforts to reduce drug use, the strategy of criminalization purports to deny people the opportunity, and therefore the choice, to use drugs. However, because of the flaws in that strategy, drugs are still widely available and nearly everyone is faced with the opportunity to make the choice to use drugs. Drawing the parallel with tobacco it becomes clear that in order to influence that choice, it is necessary to present evidence that leads to the desired conclusion, and that this evidence must be free of the perception of bias.
One problem with the attempt to protect people from drugs by purporting to deny them their own choice is the de-emphasis of the need to present them with credible evidence to base that choice on. If we assume that people will respond to evidence regarding drugs the same way they have with tobacco, this means the single greatest factor in the success of reducing tobacco use has been ignored where it could be applied to drugs.
As with pre-surgeon general’s report on tobacco, the case against drugs can be seen as moralistic or biased, and attempting to deny people the choice to make their own decisions on the matter is insulting. It implies that their conclusion would not be valid, an insult compounded by the fact that the government positions on drugs can be highly questionable. For examples, certain government positions will be detailed including positions on MDMA that cite the studies of the highly controversial Dr. Ricaurte, and positions that refuse to acknowledge the conclusions of the existing research on medical marijuana issue. The issues with positions such as these can result in people, with good reason, seeing government positions on drug use as biased and therefore untrustworthy.
Due to perceptions of bias all around, the validity of the evidence supporting nearly every claim regarding drugs is a contentious subject on its own. These controversies however, invalidate that evidence for the purposes of persuading people to make the choice to not use drugs. It is not the validity of the claims that people will act on but rather their perception of that validity, suggesting that anti-drug efforts that exaggerate the dangers of drug use may actually be counterproductive. This is once again exemplified by the history of anti-tobacco efforts, where evidence of very real health problems was ignored due to lack of consensus and perceived or actual bias of the platform presenting it.
MDMA is a perfect example of a drug where the rationale behind its prohibition can be seen as biased. When the DEA placed MDMA into schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act in 1985, members of the medical community took legal action. Schedule I is the most restrictive schedule under the Controlled Substances Act, defined as having no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse, and these doctors felt that MDMA did not meet either criteria. In 1986 Judge Francis Young ruled that MDMA could not be placed into schedules I or II, because it did have an accepted medical use, and the DEA failed to demonstrate that it had a high potential for abuse relative to other scheduled substances (Young 65-66).
After this ruling, attorneys for the DEA filed a statement accusing Judge Young of bias, accusations they later retracted (Stone and Charlotte 2-3). The United States Court of Appeals eventually agreed with Judge Young in Lester Grinspoon, M.D. vs. DEA that the DEA’s interpretation of “accepted medical use” was incorrect (Justices Coffin, Pettine, and Toruella 39). This resulted in MDMA briefly becoming legal and convictions based on its improper scheduling were overturned. In 1988 the DEA once again placed MDMA in schedule I, a decision based on a re-interpretation by the DEA of “accepted medical use” that stands today and ignores Judge Young’s earlier ruling that MDMA does have an accepted medical use (United States: DEA- Schedules of… 1).
This leaves a situation where both making the law by scheduling MDMA, and the interpretation of the law has been delegated to law enforcement rather than being made by our elected representatives and interpreted by the courts. That delegation is significant, because as will be shown, law enforcement has a vested economic interest in keeping drugs illegal and arrest rates high. Furthermore, the perception of bias behind the DEA’s actions can be inflamed by the fact that if they had followed Judge Young’s ruling they could still have placed MDMA in schedule III. Schedule III drugs are available only with a doctor’s prescription, and the primary result for the recreational user would have been that enforcement efforts would be a lower priority.
The scheduling procedures are not the only controversial aspect of the prohibition of MDMA, the research itself showing MDMA to be unsafe is questionable. The National Institute on Drug Abuse’s info sheet on MDMA, which is itself cited on the DEA’s website, cites a study by Dr. George Ricaurte showing brain damage in animals (National Institute on Drug Abuse 4). Dr. Ricaurte has been widely criticized for his studies on MDMA, with one study being retracted because by his own admission the wrong drug was administered to the study’s subjects (Ricaurte- retraction 1429). The study in question was supposed to show the effects of the equivalent of a common recreation dose of MDMA in primates, but after two of the ten animals died from the drug Dr. Ricaurte went ahead and published the results showing brain damage in the remaining subjects (Ricaurte- Severe Dopaminergic… 2260-2263). With a one in five death rate among two different species of primate in a study designed to examine the effects of a common recreational dose, Dr. Ricaurte’s failure to examine the obvious fact that his study did not model common human use suggests either bias or incompetence.
At least one other study on MDMA co-authored by Dr. Ricaurte, “MDMA- and p-chlorophenylalanine-induced reduction in 5-HT concentration: effects on serotonin transporter densities”, published in the European Journal of Pharmacology also found evidence of MDMA causing brain damage and has been retracted (Boot and Mechan, et al 239-244). A 2006 study published in the Medical Journal of Australia examined every study indexed by Medline to be retracted over a 20 year period, finding a total of 395 out of over nine million and specifically mentioning Ricaurte’s study (Nath, Marcus, and Druss 152-154). With a retraction rate of less than one article in 20,000, two retracted studies by the same author on MDMA severely undermines the credibility of his work. The fact that the government stands by his work hardly inspires confidence in their credibility.
Another area where government positions are seen as highly biased is the issue of medical marijuana. The DEA posted a position statement on their website that in every way exemplifies why a strong perception of government bias regarding drugs exists (United States: DEA- DEA Position on Marijuana 1-2). Once again, the DEA states their case that marijuana has no medical use based on the lack of FDA approval, the very definition ruled invalid twice in the MDMA scheduling proceedings. They go on to cite medical organizations as supporting the assertion that marijuana has “no documented medical value”, but none of those sources explicitly state this. In fact, the American Cancer Society’s statement explicitly acknowledges that marijuana can help some cancer patients and only discourages it as “not the best choice” for treating chemo side effects (American Cancer Society 1-2).
The government position on medical marijuana, as found on the FDA website and cited by the DEA, cites several government agencies in concluding that “no sound scientific studies supported medical use of marijuana for treatment in the United States” (United States- Food and Drug Administration 1). This is simply false; there is no justification for refusing to acknowledge the numerous studies published in peer-reviewed journals here in the U.S. Kevin Zeese, a notable activist for drug law reform, has compiled a long list of studies on the subject highlighting five studies published in scientific journals and six state health department studies concluding that marijuana has useful effects. (Zeese 1-9) Although one can accuse medical marijuana activists of bias, these studies are valid and simply ignoring them without providing a reason while accepting Dr. Ricaurte’s work hardly shows a lack of bias.
Given these examples of anti-drug zealotry, it is easy to discount all anti-drug efforts as propaganda, and as the history of smoking reduction efforts clearly tells us; in order to succeed at reducing drug use efforts need to be based on clear and unbiased evidence. Therefore, unbiased and conclusive research is sorely needed to put the questions regarding just how harmful and potentially useful each drug can be to rest. This needs to be done whether or not drugs are penalized criminally, both because the success of other methods of reducing drug use depends on this evidence, and it is a serious injustice to imprison people for activities that may not cause the harm that those who support and enforce the laws claim.
Punishing people who violate laws which are based on flimsy rationales is a serious injustice, but it is far from the only injustice perpetrated in the War on Drugs. Justice is by its nature a nebulous concept, but an excellent definition of justice as it applies to a law is laid out by Martin Luther King Jr. in his “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. King defines an unjust law as a code out of harmony with moral law, and states that any law that degrades human personality is unjust (King 3-4). This supports the need to base our laws on sound facts rather than opinions because imprisoning a person for an activity that they believe is morally sound, an opinion solidly based on evidence more credible than that opposing it, degrades this person. Our current laws are degrading because they deny a person’s free will to judge right from wrong simply because they may not reach the desired conclusion, simply holding a different opinion rather than committing a clear moral misdeed, and therefore are unjust.
This position can be attacked because those people that choose to use drugs break the law. That argument holds the view that one is obligated to obey the law, and that punishing someone for breaking that obligation is just. This is, however, an erroneous argument because it assumes that the authority to morally obligate one to obey the law rests with the government that passes the law.
A government does not have the power to impart a moral authority to its laws, a fact exemplified by the segregation laws Martin Luther King Jr. argued against, but rather a laws moral authority comes from a higher, natural law. To borrow a quote from King, “A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or law of God” (King 3). The lack of consensus regarding the basis for drug prohibition laws could by itself leave the moral authority of those laws in doubt. When one faces that doubt and also considers that prohibitions fail due to intrinsic problems, and that drug prohibition in fact causes injustice, it is clear that these laws are neither natural nor moral and therefore have no moral authority.
That is not to say that government does not impart any authority to its laws, merely that the authority imparted is not necessarily moral, and that in the case of drug prohibition it is not. With prohibition laws lacking the backing of moral law, abiding by them is not an obligation, but rather an exercise of reason. The argument that one still has an obligation to follow these laws is refuted by a significant number of circumstances under which using choosing to use drugs is reasonable despite prohibition, and that prosecuting someone who follows both moral law and reason is in fact an injustice.
Without suggesting every drug law violation is reasonable, and that every prosecution under drug prohibition laws is by definition unjust, people are prosecuted unjustly in many different circumstances. Probably the first of these to come to mind occurs when a person is punished for using or helping others to use marijuana medicinally as recommended by a doctor. Another injustice arises in religious traditions including but not limited to the Native American Church and Uniao do Vegetal, which include practices that have forced members to choose between following the law or their religion. Both religions only won their freedom to practice after lengthy and probably expensive court battles that in both cases reached the Supreme Court (Supreme Court of the U.S. 1-19). Although these injustices of the War on Drugs may not be pressing enough to break its laws on principle as Dr. King urged people to break segregation laws, drug prohibition and the enforcement thereof also includes a component of racial injustice.
Some of those opposed to the War on Drugs claim that the first anti-drug laws in this country were based on racial bias, and as the War on Drugs can be seen as a descendant of these earlier prohibition laws they see it as a fundamentally racist set of laws (Drug Policy Alliance 1-3). Today school zone laws, which primarily act to increase penalties, as shown in a study by Boston University disproportionately impact poor inner city areas (Brownsberger and Aromaa 22-26). The Massachusetts school zone law is similar to those in other states, in that it disproportionally affects inner cities and therefore minorities, but school zone laws are not the only type of law to disproportionately target minorities for violations of drugs laws. Another example is the crack vs. powder cocaine sentencing disparity, where harsh sentences for crack as opposed to powder cocaine are disproportionately applied to minorities (Human Rights Watch- Cracked Justice 1-5).
These racial disparities only highlight the problem of racial discrimination in the War on Drugs as the direct effect of its laws, however perhaps an even larger issue is the racial effects of the enforcement of laws in the War on Drugs. A 2008 report by Human Rights Watch examines these effects, showing that minorities are represented at a far higher rate than whites in U.S. prisons for drug offenses. This disproportion arises mostly in a higher rate of arrest for minorities compared to whites who commit the same offenses rather than a higher rate of lawbreaking among minorities, which would have to be enormous to explain the different rates of arrest. The report suggests that this arrest rate is partly a result of enforcement of drug offenses in inner-city neighborhoods being more common, but that race neutral factors are incapable of causing the racial differences seen in the war on drugs (Human Rights Watch- Targeting Blacks 42-47).
In addition to adding another reason for the perception of bias, supported once again by very real evidence, racist trends in the enforcement of the War on Drugs are just one facet of another problem underlying the criminal prohibition of drugs. That problem is the negative effects of the War on Drugs on law enforcement itself, which has resulted in abuses such as the Tulia, TX scandal. Tulia is a rural town where drug laws were used by police to round up and imprison mostly black residents based on false testimony and, as CBS news noted in an interview with former undercover officer Tom Coleman, they received additional federal funding for doing so (Targeted in Tulia, TX 1-6). Tom Coleman was later convicted of perjury for his testimony in the Tulia cases.
Without suggesting that corruption on this scale is common, it is still necessary to recognize that the economic incentives that lead to police corruption are universal and because the scope of the War on Drugs is so vast police corruption is inevitable. Going back to David Sollar’s study, we see that enforcement of drug prohibition may be the most profitable law enforcement activity; therefore it is hardly surprising that his data shows the percentage of arrests for drugs vs. other crimes rising. This creates a problem when as Sollar’s economic model predicts, property crimes rise as police divert more and more resources to more profitable drug enforcement, an effect also seen in his data from Florida. Furthermore police not only lack incentive to reduce drug use, but because their funding for drug enforcement is based on arrests an incentive exists to keep drug arrests high, and under heavy enforcement conditions where the price of drugs rises, the huge profits realized by drug dealers provide a ready incentive to further police corruption (Sollars 29-34).
Having shown that a strategy of criminally prohibiting a substance is inherently problematic, the use of that strategy could only be justified by a benefit outweighing the problems. Examining the economics and history of substance prohibitions, the primary economic beneficiaries are lawbreakers and the police whose jobs depend on the existence of those lawbreakers. Economics aside, the idea that drug prohibition benefits society by preventing the harm caused by drugs is questionable in a pros-and-cons analysis. Due to the continuing availability of drugs, the choice whether to use drugs still lies with every individual, and a prohibition law causes significant problems while only adding one more reason to abstain. Comparing drug prohibition with the history of tobacco use reduction efforts clearly shows that this legal incentive to abstain from drugs lacks the same deterrent power as the health problems posed by tobacco.
Also relevant is the severity of the injustices accepted to achieve this disincentive to drug use, injustices including racism and interference with religious and medical practice. Additionally, the reasoning used to justify the War on Drugs is refuted by an examination of the economics of a prohibition strategy, which suggests that its costs and consequences are incurred without hope of success. Most importantly however, if drugs are truly as harmful as claimed, there exists a proven alternative strategy that does not incur these problems. There is no reason to believe that simply providing proof of the harm caused by drugs would not produce a deterrent effect commensurate with that harm, as illustrated by smoking reduction efforts. Clearly the War on Drugs ignores the lessons of history: not only is a criminal prohibition intrinsically flawed and ineffective, but denying people their own choice in a matter lacking consensus results in injustice.

Using Warrants

2009-04-07T20:08:00.000-07:00

This is a direct quote of a page at:
http:/writing.colostate.edu/guides/index.cfm?guides_active=argument&category1=31m

Presenting Your Evidence

In your paper you must demonstrate why a given piece of evidence supports your thesis, claim or position. You must explain the reasoning process by which they are logically connected. (This is called the Toulmin method where the explanations are referred to as warrants.)

If I walk up to you and scream “Immigrants deserve rights” in your face. I am not arguing, I am fighting. However, when we stop to define the reasoning behind our statements, and attach those reasons to evidence, we are now in a position where someone might agree with us.

The Colo. State Univ. writing lab website, a leader in web references for writers, states, “First, for each claim that is debatable, or open to question, a reason is offered that supports the claim's validity. A warrant-consisting of a sentence or two-then follows, explaining the reason. Finally, evidence is supplied that supports connecting the reason to a given point or the overall claim of the paper.” Their organization is as follows:

Thesis, Claim or Position: Grading should be optional in non-major courses.

Reason/Point #1: Non-major courses are designed to help students become intelligent, well-rounded citizens. If the goal of such courses is the exploration and acquisition of knowledge, grades only get in the way.

Warrant #1: Rather than learning for the sake of becoming a better person, grades encourage performance for the sake of a better GPA. The focus grading puts on performance undercuts learning opportunities when students choose courses according to what might be easiest rather than what they'd like to know more about. [Introduces why proof is relevant to point]

Evidence: For example, students polled at CSU in a College of Liberal Arts study cite the following reasons for choosing non-major courses:

1. Easy grading (80%)
2. Low quantity of work (60%)
3. What was available (40%)
4. Personality of teacher (30%)
5. Something they were interested in knowing more about (10%)

Similarly, in an interview I conducted with graduating seniors, only two of the 20 people I spoke with found their non-major courses valuable. The other 18 reported that non-major courses were a waste of time for a variety of reasons:

1. I'm never going to do anything with them.
2. I just took whatever wouldn't distract me from my major so I didn't work very hard in them, just studying enough to get an A on the test.
3. Non-major courses are a joke. Everyone I know took the simplest, stupidest, 100-level courses needed to fulfill the requirements. I can't even remember the ones I took now.

Warrant #2: Although not everyone in the interviews or the CLA poll cited grades explicitly as the reason for choosing easy, irrelevant, non-major courses, we can read such reasoning into many of the less explicit references as well. Clearly, students are not choosing courses based on what they can learn from them. Yet they are fairly consistent in their choices: 100-level courses with little work. Although laziness might be seen as the cause of such choices, it is just as likely that choosing according to the amount of work, selecting simple courses, or only studying for the exam are a result of the GPA system. Higher workloads and more complex topics obviously could mean receiving a lower grade; thus, they should be avoided. [Demonstrates how proof leads to point as necessary conclusion.]

Organization

2009-04-07T19:56:00.000-07:00

First. Make a flow chart of your argument by stating your position in the controversy--"because"--and the reasons for that position.
Ie: "Waterboarding is immoral because its psychological and ethical effects don't outweigh what social good is served."
This is your working thesis statement.

Now, below it, list the reasons you will use to support this statement. Arrange them, including the research and other material you will use to make them legitimate, well-established reasons.

IE: "Reason 1. The psychological effects of waterboarding
A. Research from Professor X
B. Research from Professor Y

Reason 2. The ethical effects
A. What is ethics--according to Kant
B. Ethics from Journal Article A

Etc.

10 Mins.

Now let's look at some good organizational flow charts for arguments.

In a rhetorical, argumentative paper you have to be persuasive, which means you must include and present information to your audience that will encourage your audience to agree with you. This tension—created between an author (you) that wishes to persuade and the audience who must be persuaded—must be at the forefront of what/how you put your argument together. The common ground we (the persuaders and persuaded) share is reason. (Duffin, 1998).

What kinds of examples you include, style of language you use and when and how you get your reader to embrace your reasons are all chief concerns of the argument writer. How do we arrange this information? I’ve said that I don’t believe a concrete outline helps many of us. However, knowing some common rhetorical methods will help and employing a general flow chart will help (1998, Kathy Duffin, The Writing Center at Harvard University, http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/documents/Overvu.html).

FLOW CHART 1 Building common ground.

In the Rogerian method of argumentation. You build the common ground between you readers and yourself, never giving away your thesis until the very end. Tricky, yes. Useful, probably. This was developed by Carl Rogers, a psychologist, and is useful for emotionally charged topics.

The purpose of a Rogerian argument is to find the common ground held by the author and audience regarding an issue or problem. The authors explores the audience’s POV and must present the audience's perspective clearly, accurately, and fairly before asking them to consider an alternative position or solution.

This method downplays emotional appeals is a must for emotionally charged, highly divisive issues and allows for people of good will on different sides of an issue to find, or agree upon, solutions together.

Here’s a sample flow chart (taken from writing.colostate.edu):

Introduction: A problem is presented, typically pointing out how both writer and reader are affected by the problem. Rather than presenting an issue that divides reader and writer, or a thesis that demands agreement the Rogerian argument does not begin with the writer's position at all. The thesis is withheld.

Then: The Audience Perspective. Described as clearly and accurately as possible-typically in neutral language-the author acknowledges their point of view and the circumstances and contexts in which their perspective or position is valid. Done well, the author builds good will and credibility with the audience, a crucial step leading toward potential compromise. Honest, heartfelt sincerity is the key here: if the audience perceives an attempt at manipulation, the Rogerian argument strategy generally backfires. This segment depends, again, on neutral but clear language so that the reader perceives the fair-mindedness of the writer's description.

Then: The author's perspective comes in the next chunk of the argument. For the audience to give it a listen it must be presented in as fair-minded a way as was theirs, in language as equally neutral and clear. To be convincing, besides describing the circumstances or contexts in which the position is valid, it must contain the evidence that supports the claim

Conclusion: The Rogerian essay closes not by asking readers to give up their own positions on the problem but by showing how the reader would benefit from moving toward the writer's position. In other words, the final section of the Rogerian argument lays out possible ways to compromise. (fromwriting.colostate.edu/guides/documents/arguedraft)

FLOW CHART 2
Deductive Reasoning
This is a direct quote of a page at:
http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/documents/arguedraft/deductive.cfm

The traditional academic argument is deductive, placing the author's position in the introduction and devoting the rest of the argument to presenting the evidence. Unless you are in a field where inductive reasoning is the norm, you can hardly go wrong with this method.

In some cases, all the evidence may be directed at proving the main point; in others, each piece may lead to a sub-point that needs proving before a convincing argument for the main point can be made. Depending on how directly each piece of evidence relates to the position, a deductive argument can be organized in a variety of ways.

* Introduction establishing the context of the argument as well as the author's position.
* Body of Evidence presented, depending on the audience analysis, from most to least, or least to most convincing.
* Conclusion summarizing the argument, presenting a call to action, or suggesting further research.

An argument supporting a ban on logging in rain forests might first need to establish and provide evidence regarding five other environmental premises, each supporting the author's position, regarding the effects of logging. For instance:

• It causes soil erosion
• It affects global warming
• It destroys native species
• It alters water routes and levels
• It destroys indigenous lifestyles

Each premise is a debatable issue in and of itself. Therefore, some measure of the supportive evidence behind each-at least enough to connect them as reasonably evidentiary links-must be given before they can be used to collectively support the author's main position. In these cases, arguments are typically arranged as follows:

• Introduction establishing the context of the argument as well as the author's position.
• Brief Preview outlining each premise, or reason, to be used as evidence supporting the claim.
• Body of Evidence presented, depending on audience analysis, in an order that will make the most sense to the audience.
• Conclusion summarizing the argument and demonstrating how each premise leads logically to the author's position, presents a call to action, or suggests further research.

When opposing arguments are particularly strong and readily accepted, discrediting them point-by-point may be the best strategy for convincing an audience to consider alternative points or support a different position.

• Introduction
• Rebut first opposing argument followed by first counter-argument
• Rebut next opposing arguments, followed by further counter-arguments as you go along
• Conclusion

FLOW CHART 3
Inductive Reasoning

This is a direct quote from: CSU Writing Center at writing.colostate.edu/guides/index.cfm?guides_active=argument&category1=31
Inductive Reasoning

When an audience completely disagrees with your position convincing them that their reasons for disagreeing are faulty before presenting your own position may be the best strategy.

Introduction: States the issue to be addressed and why it is important.

Body of Argument: Examines positions already proposed and refutes each one, showing why they are inadequate. Typically organized like this.

• Position 1
• Your refutation of position 1
• Position 2
• Your refutation of position 2

Alternatively, all positions might be examined first and then refuted second.

• Position 1
• Position 2
• Your refutation of position 1
• Your refutation of position 2

Conclusion/Position Statement: Once all other positions are shown to be inadequate, conclude with your position as the only logical choice. This is where you argue your point. At the end. Hah. See I told you sometimes you hold off on your thesis until the audience is good and ready to hear it.

When an audience partially disagrees with your position, the best strategy still looks a great deal like when they completely disagree: convincing them that their reasoning is faulty before presenting your own position.

Introduction: States the issue to be addressed and why it is important.

Body of Argument: Examines positions already proposed and refutes each one, showing why they are inadequate. Typically organized like this.

* Position 1
* Your refutation of position 1
* Position 2
* Your refutation of position 2

Alternatively, all positions might be examined first and then refuted second.

* Position 1
* Position 2
* Your refutation of position 1
* Your refutation of position 2

Position Statement: Introduced as the only logical choice after the positions your audience finds most persuasive are shown to be inadequate.

Presentation of Evidence: Supports your position as not only reasonable, but the best one available as well.

Class Cancelled. 4/6

2009-04-05T16:32:00.000-07:00

Students. I am not feeling well (and it is snowing). Tomorrow's class is canceled.

Here is our revised schedule

W. 4/8--Research Summary Due (Analysis papers back)
M. 4/13--Rough Draft Due
W. 4/15--In-Class Workshop
M. 4/20--TBA (Rough Draft work and Reading Murray "Writing is Rewriting")
W. 4/22--In class proofing

M. 4/25--FINAL PAPER DUE

I will post some notes tomorrow for you to look over as you work on your draft. Please refer to the "Writer's Reference" or to Good Reasons' MLA chapter for information on citing.

See you Wednesday.

Jeff Becker

Your Teacher's Reading

2009-04-01T09:43:00.001-07:00

Here is the invitation to the event I will be reading at(warning, my essay has a cuss word in it):

Hi there Telling Stories fans!
We’d love to invite you to our final concert this season* this Saturday, April 4. The theme? “A Night on the Red Carpet.” But we’re not doing the same old John Williams tunes – instead you’ll get Ravel’s String Quartet in F, featured in The Royal Tenenbaums, Bernstein’s “What a Movie” featured in Trouble in Tahiti, Gardel's "Por Una Cabeza" from Scent of a Woman, Anne Guzzo’s “Alice in Wonderland” from the book and movie of the same name, and Barber’s Adagio for Strings from Platoon. Also performed are two pieces arranged from the silent movie era, “A Mysterious Event” by JS Zamecnik and “Romance” by Alfred Grunfield.
Each piece will be introduced by a funny review from local film writer Brad Weismann, and Jeff Becker, Jennie Dorris, and Jeanine Fritz will be reading essays.
The show starts at 7 p.m., and Great Divide has provided free libations for the event. The concert takes place at eventgallery 910Arts, at 910 Santa Fe Drive in Denver’s historic art district. We’d love to have you all at our final concert this season!
thanks,
Jennie Dorris
director, Telling Stories
*We are sponsoring a very cool interdisciplinary concert featuring a Harper's essay, a merry band of musicians, a narrator, and a pugilist in late May. More info to come!

Research Summary Due Mon. 4/6

2009-04-01T06:45:00.000-07:00

On Mon. 4/6 Please turn in your Research Summary.

The Research Summary should be a list of all of your sources (including citation) with a Rhetorical Precis of each source. Minimum sources: 10. INCLUDE the sources your have already turned into me and add any new sources you find/have found.

For Example,

1. In "Our Decrepit Food Factories," Michael Pollan argues that the industrial food production system is dangerous and unhealthy. He gives examples of the nation's slaughter houses, he offers testimonials of farmers that can't survive economically in a "corn-mad" world, and finally he assesses the cost, in dollars, of transporting our food from farms (often in other countries) to our tables. His purpose is to highlight the unsusstainable food production system in order to call for a local producers to replace it. His audience in the New York Times Magazine is a general, liberal audeince and he appeals to them by highlighting how much of the food we buy in supermarkets is unsafe.

Pollan, Michael. "Our Decrepit Food Factories." New York Times Magazine (16 Dec.
2007): 25. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State
abbreviation]. 1 Apr. 2009 search.ebscohost.com.skyline.cudenver.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=28004760
&site=ehost-live>.

2. Wendell Barry, In "Being Kind to the Land" argues that local farmers, or farmers that produce food and distribute it within a 150 mile radius, are the future of farming. He cites the persistent problems with industrial food production, giving examples of how this system treats food as a commodity, but fails to recognize quality, and offers the example of Jon Doe as how local, sustainable farming can and should work. His purpose is to debunk the myth that local farming is "pie in the sky" dreaming in order to call for a change in our food production infrastructure. His audience is liberal leaning and he appeals to them primarily with his use of pathos, in the story of Doe, but many of his claims rely on logos to be persuasive as he points to the inherent flaws that affect everyone.

Berry, Wendell. "Being Kind to the Land." Progressive 73.2 (Feb. 2009): 21-23.
Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State abbreviation]. 1
Apr. 2009 direct=true&db=aph&AN=36318145&site=ehost-live>.

Continue your list like this until you have summarized all of your source material.

Thesis Resources

2009-03-31T16:07:00.000-07:00

The Thesis is difficult to master. Go here, for a good exercise.

If time permits, go here

Writing Process 1

2009-03-31T15:16:00.000-07:00

2009-03-29T18:28:00.000-07:00

The Research Process Part III

Critical Reading and Critical Writing

We are finding sources. They are coming from journals and books, but what now? Oh my, look at all this stuff!

Look, the truth is you have to develop a strategy to effectively analyze your sources in a timely fashion. We are not working on our Post-doc fellowship here, we don’t have five years to do this research, our papers are due in a few weeks and we need to get a move on. To do that, we need to chop this stack of papers in half and make sense of what we have left.

Reading critically is one of the most important aspects of this entire process. In order to write your own analysis of a subject and to add your voice to the larger cultural and academic debate, you have to understand the information before you.

As we grow as readers and writers, we develop our own methods of doing this. However, across these, I think the following advice holds up.
• Read with the intent to understand, to decipher, to make sense of this
• Take breaks
• Read slowly
• Print or make photocopies of articles or book passages and mark them up
• Don’t give up

My advice is to break this practice into two parts: Initial Appraisal of the Text, and Context Analysis.

A. Initial Appraisal: This entails your first approach to the text wherein you discover if it has any value to you and your paper. We start by looking critically at some of the physical characteristics of the text, without delving too deeply into the text. Remember, our job here is to determine usefulness. Start by flipping through the text. Look at:
I. Author: Is this author credible. Will including his words in my paper help my ethos or will it make my paper seem unwontedly slanted or biased (for example, what happens if your papers is full of Rush Limbaugh quotes?)
Does this author have the necessary authority and expertise so that his ideas can serve as evidence in your argument? If no, ditch the article.
II. Date: Is the publication date of this source current enough to meet the demands of your topic? Be reasonable. If I am writing about meatpacking, sure, it won’t hurt to throw in an Upton Sinclair quote from The Jungle, but I can’t rely on that for evidence. I need information that pertains to meat packing plants now. If it’s not timely enough, if it is out-of-date, ditch it.
III. Relevance: Occasionally, I have found a really interesting article that I enjoyed reading and want to use in my paper. The problem, it has nothing to do with my topic. I can either change my topic to fit this in, or ditch it. Quickly analyzing a document’s worth to your own ends takes practice, but remember, in the end doing this saves you time in the long run.

Research III, page 2

So How? My first impressions of a book/article and its material come from browsing. Read the Table of Contents, the Abstract, the introduction, discussion or conclusion. Read any tables or graphs or appendices you find. Look at how the chapters of sections of the text move from beginning to end. Look at the work’s cited. If you see any titles there that might be helpful go find them. Mostly, use this initial analysis to determine if the text before has worthwhile information that will help YOUR argument.

B. Content Analysis: You hooked a nice source, now you have to get it into the boat. To do this, you have to sit down and make some sense of it. Reading complex material can be not unlike reading something in a foreign language that you don’t speak well. Here, read to decipher. To understand. Piece together meaning. Read slowly. Take notes. Look at:
I. Make a Rhet. Precis if the article is argumentative. Look at the Author’s Intentions. Find the thesis of this argument. Analyze the evidence. Examine the author’s purpose.
II. Mark possible passages you may want to use in your paper. Mark them so that you can find them later. Write what it is and why you can use in the margin. Example: “This is a good counter argument to smoking is bad for ducks.”
III. Take notes. Write on sticky notes. Scribble on your articles. You have to organize this information so you can quickly access it later.
IV. Ask yourself, as library.cornell.edu does, if “the work update[s] other sources, substantiate[s] other materials you have read, or add[s] new information? Does it extensively or marginally cover your topic? You should explore enough sources to obtain a variety of viewpoints” (http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref).
V. Contextualize. Dive into text. Separate fact from opinion. Opinion from propaganda. Is the information here well researched? What assumptions does this author rely upon? Is she in line with the others arguments you’ve encountered on this topic? Is she in line with the others, adding to their points, furthering a bit passed over by most. Does this use primary or secondary sources (try to find both)? To do this, you should read everything TWICE.

Mostly, all I can say is this is never an easy process. It gets less painful, however, the more you practice. The good side to this is this process can and should lead to new source material and improved ideas as you go along.

Also, remember that this process is recursive. Reflect on what you are doing often. Fiddle with your topic as need be. Go back and redo. That’s the name of the game.

Research Process Part 2

2009-03-18T06:11:00.000-07:00