http://www.youthtoday.org/view_article.cfm?article_id=2873
Wagner, Matt. "Teen Curfew Laws Challenged." youthtoday.org. 30 April 2009. Web. 29 Sept. 2011.
This article was about two cases in New York and Massachusetts that challenged teen curfew laws. Part of the arguments against curfews was unconstitutionality and part of the arguments for curfews was crime reduction. These court cases reached the highest courts possible in each state.
The author's intent was to inform teens (intended audience) of recent news that does concern or could concern them. Youthtoday seems to be a site predominantly for teens and about teens. This article was not written in a personal format at all and not once does it have a personal pronoun. It simply states facts and situations, and lets the readers make their own inferences to everything else. Therefore, there are no fallacies or biases.
This article was quite interesting to read. It was cool to learn about other states' curfew laws. It was also applicable to my own life - I think that Brownsdale's curfew (of 9:30 PM) should be changed. It's ludicrous that the town expects people under 18 to be inside by that time. Midnight would be a much more reasonable curfew. I would even push for having no curfew. They're understandable in bigger cities where there is crime and reason to have curfews in place. But in Brownsdale, nothing ever happens!
I like this topic, but I'm not sure there's too much I could really do with it. Or that anyone could do with it for that matter. But if anyone is intrigued by this topic and would like to attempt something, they very well could.
September 29, 2011
Mental Violence a Crime? In France - Yes
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/26/world/europe/26paris.html?ref=domesticviolence
Erlanger, Steven. "France May Make Mental Violence a Crime." NY Times. NY Times, 25 Feb. 2010. Web. 27 Sept. 2011.
This article is about a proposed law to make psychological abuse illegal in France. Although the proposal doesn't say that in so many words. That is part of the debate on its effectiveness - some think it is too vaguely stated and it wouldn't make any difference. The law relies on proof of the abuse and some believe any proof found wouldn't be tangible enough.
Erlanger's intent was fairly expository, he is telling everyone the facts of the situation. The intended audience would be aimed toward those interested in wordly or foreign affairs. Erlanger does a decent job in covering all sides of the story. He definitely could have done more from the public view although I understand why he stuck to the professional sides - it helps the reader understand more. This isn't a topic readers would connect very well with, so Erlanger stays focused on informing the readers instead of trying to involve them.
As I said before this is a mainly expository and informative article so there weren't any biases or flaws in logic that I could detect.
This article was interesting, but not very attention-grabbing. Unless truly interested in the topic, the reader has to put forth effort to maintain focus on the subject. Although not gripping it was quite an interesting idea. I think mental violence is a very real problem, but I also believe it would be hard to find tangible proof of the abuse. In general I am quite passionate about abuse, be it physical, emotional, sexual, mental, or anything else. It's just not good and I feel very strongly about that (even though I used a terrible adjective).
Perhaps this specific topic wouldn't be something for me to continue with, but I could do something on the topic of abuse - maybe domestic violence. This topic could work for others, but it's only going to be a powerful thing if you're really passionate about the topic.
Erlanger, Steven. "France May Make Mental Violence a Crime." NY Times. NY Times, 25 Feb. 2010. Web. 27 Sept. 2011.
This article is about a proposed law to make psychological abuse illegal in France. Although the proposal doesn't say that in so many words. That is part of the debate on its effectiveness - some think it is too vaguely stated and it wouldn't make any difference. The law relies on proof of the abuse and some believe any proof found wouldn't be tangible enough.
Erlanger's intent was fairly expository, he is telling everyone the facts of the situation. The intended audience would be aimed toward those interested in wordly or foreign affairs. Erlanger does a decent job in covering all sides of the story. He definitely could have done more from the public view although I understand why he stuck to the professional sides - it helps the reader understand more. This isn't a topic readers would connect very well with, so Erlanger stays focused on informing the readers instead of trying to involve them.
As I said before this is a mainly expository and informative article so there weren't any biases or flaws in logic that I could detect.
This article was interesting, but not very attention-grabbing. Unless truly interested in the topic, the reader has to put forth effort to maintain focus on the subject. Although not gripping it was quite an interesting idea. I think mental violence is a very real problem, but I also believe it would be hard to find tangible proof of the abuse. In general I am quite passionate about abuse, be it physical, emotional, sexual, mental, or anything else. It's just not good and I feel very strongly about that (even though I used a terrible adjective).
Perhaps this specific topic wouldn't be something for me to continue with, but I could do something on the topic of abuse - maybe domestic violence. This topic could work for others, but it's only going to be a powerful thing if you're really passionate about the topic.
September 22, 2011
Gay-Bashing on Capitol Hill
http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews35_26/page4.cfm
Wardle, Lisa. "New details emerge in recent Gay-bashing attacks on Capitol Hill." Seattle Gay News. Vol. 35, Issue 26. 29 June 2007. Web. 22 Sept. 2011.
The article is about two separate but seemingly connected attacks on gays. The first was at a Jack-in-the-Box drive-thru in Seattle and the other was near a Capitol Hill gay bar. Although the authorities believe the attacks may be connected, the victims disagree.
Wardle's intent seemed to be updating the readers of Seattle Gay News and nothing more. Wardle states the facts but also uses emotional appeals and there is obvious bias. Clearly as this is from a gay newspaper, there is undoubtedly bias on the subject. There are no fallacies however.
This article was moving and really connected with the readers on a sympathetic level. I do feel strongly about gay bashing. I find it wrong and inhumane, but I don't think this would be a great topic to continue with. It's extremely difficult to find good, usable information. However, if anyone could find info, it would be an interesting and most definitely controversial topic to cover.
Wardle, Lisa. "New details emerge in recent Gay-bashing attacks on Capitol Hill." Seattle Gay News. Vol. 35, Issue 26. 29 June 2007. Web. 22 Sept. 2011.
The article is about two separate but seemingly connected attacks on gays. The first was at a Jack-in-the-Box drive-thru in Seattle and the other was near a Capitol Hill gay bar. Although the authorities believe the attacks may be connected, the victims disagree.
Wardle's intent seemed to be updating the readers of Seattle Gay News and nothing more. Wardle states the facts but also uses emotional appeals and there is obvious bias. Clearly as this is from a gay newspaper, there is undoubtedly bias on the subject. There are no fallacies however.
This article was moving and really connected with the readers on a sympathetic level. I do feel strongly about gay bashing. I find it wrong and inhumane, but I don't think this would be a great topic to continue with. It's extremely difficult to find good, usable information. However, if anyone could find info, it would be an interesting and most definitely controversial topic to cover.
September 21, 2011
The Morning After (Pill)
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1333925,00.html
Blue, Laura. "Why the Plan B Debate Won't Go Away." TIME. 5 Aug. 2006. n.p. Web. 21 Sept. 2011.
This article covered the topic of the "morning after pill: a.k.a. Plan B. More specifically it was about the pill being approved for over-the-counter sale. Blue gave many references to the debate both prior to and after the OTC approval.
The author's intent was to inform the public (intended audience) about the situation at hand. Blue reported the argument from all angles - all sides, and remained objective throughout. There were no biases or fallacies - this was strictly an expository article.
The approval for OTC sale was a move that benefitted most or all of the parties involved - it was good for both Planned Parenthood and the women who would need the pill. Of course there are going to be people against it, but that's how it's going to be with ANY controversial situation or debate.
I think this is a good topic for me. It could fit well into a few larger topics, but I don't think it would stand alone very well. This would be a good topic for anyone interested in the abortion side of it or it could even fit with sex education in schools; but I'm not sure this article would be a lot of help with any research.
Blue, Laura. "Why the Plan B Debate Won't Go Away." TIME. 5 Aug. 2006. n.p. Web. 21 Sept. 2011.
This article covered the topic of the "morning after pill: a.k.a. Plan B. More specifically it was about the pill being approved for over-the-counter sale. Blue gave many references to the debate both prior to and after the OTC approval.
The author's intent was to inform the public (intended audience) about the situation at hand. Blue reported the argument from all angles - all sides, and remained objective throughout. There were no biases or fallacies - this was strictly an expository article.
The approval for OTC sale was a move that benefitted most or all of the parties involved - it was good for both Planned Parenthood and the women who would need the pill. Of course there are going to be people against it, but that's how it's going to be with ANY controversial situation or debate.
I think this is a good topic for me. It could fit well into a few larger topics, but I don't think it would stand alone very well. This would be a good topic for anyone interested in the abortion side of it or it could even fit with sex education in schools; but I'm not sure this article would be a lot of help with any research.
September 15, 2011
Next in line for a bailout: Social Security
http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/02/news/economy/social_security_bailout.fortune/index.htm
Sloan, Allan. "Next in line for a bailout: Social Security." CNN. CNN Money, 2 Feb. 2010. Web. 15 Sept. 2011.
In this article, Sloan brings to light the current, not so promising Social Security situation. Basically, the money that used to be so flush in the system is running out faster than was estimated due to Treasury IOUs that have been collecting interest, causing the deficit(s). This problem could have been avoided by taking action years ago, when there was plenty of S.S. surplus. Unfortunately it wasn't and now it's too late to do anything substantial.
Sloan's intent appears to be mainly expository - he is giving the facts. His audience could be anyone from retirees and veterans to researching high-schoolers. Sloan gives the statistical facts as well as the inferences made based on these facts. There are no obvious biases or fallacies, although some points in his argument may be questionable.
Overall this article was eye-opening, thought-provoking, and informative; it was written well. For me, this topic could work; however, I generally like to avoid topics with LOTS of statistics so as to not get caught up in the numbers rather than the words. I think this topic would be good for anyone who can take the stats and truly analyze and study them to provide their own inferences as well as those of the professionals.
Sloan, Allan. "Next in line for a bailout: Social Security." CNN. CNN Money, 2 Feb. 2010. Web. 15 Sept. 2011.
In this article, Sloan brings to light the current, not so promising Social Security situation. Basically, the money that used to be so flush in the system is running out faster than was estimated due to Treasury IOUs that have been collecting interest, causing the deficit(s). This problem could have been avoided by taking action years ago, when there was plenty of S.S. surplus. Unfortunately it wasn't and now it's too late to do anything substantial.
Sloan's intent appears to be mainly expository - he is giving the facts. His audience could be anyone from retirees and veterans to researching high-schoolers. Sloan gives the statistical facts as well as the inferences made based on these facts. There are no obvious biases or fallacies, although some points in his argument may be questionable.
Overall this article was eye-opening, thought-provoking, and informative; it was written well. For me, this topic could work; however, I generally like to avoid topics with LOTS of statistics so as to not get caught up in the numbers rather than the words. I think this topic would be good for anyone who can take the stats and truly analyze and study them to provide their own inferences as well as those of the professionals.
September 13, 2011
In Arizona, You Can Buy Marijuana, but Not Sell It
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/23/us/23pot.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=marijuana
Lacey, Marc. "Legal Marijuana in Arizona, but Not for the Sellers." nytimes. NY Times, 23 July 2011. Web. 12 Sept. 2011.
This article discusses the effects of the passing of the medical marijuana law in Arizona. In short, it is legal for cardholder patients to buy medicinal marijuana, but not for dispensaries to sell it. Because the state is not issuing licenses to dispensaries, many unauthorized cannabis clubs are forming to meet the patients needs through grower and cardholder donations. Although, the state is fighting against the law, which went into effect at the beginning of this year.
The authors intent seemed to be just bringing the situation to light so others can know about it. Since it was published in the NY Times, the intended audience would generally be those interested in the political and/or ethical news and debates regarding the subject. Numerous times in the article, Lacey reports the situation from all sides: the state and federal government, the patients, and the dispensaries. There seems to be no bias in this article, it is merely stating facts of and about the situation at hand in Arizona. Lacey did well with remaining objective in his article, particularly because the entire marijuana debate elicits strong responses in nearly all Americans, be they for or against its legalization.
I think this would be a great topic for me to continue with; there are a lot of of different directions I could take with the marijuana debate and it's something that interests me. This would be a good topic for anyone looking for something nationwide, or that causes quite a bit of controversy. There is plenty of info out there for both sides of the argument. I find that the NY Times has very informative and applicable articles and resources.
Lacey, Marc. "Legal Marijuana in Arizona, but Not for the Sellers." nytimes. NY Times, 23 July 2011. Web. 12 Sept. 2011.
This article discusses the effects of the passing of the medical marijuana law in Arizona. In short, it is legal for cardholder patients to buy medicinal marijuana, but not for dispensaries to sell it. Because the state is not issuing licenses to dispensaries, many unauthorized cannabis clubs are forming to meet the patients needs through grower and cardholder donations. Although, the state is fighting against the law, which went into effect at the beginning of this year.
The authors intent seemed to be just bringing the situation to light so others can know about it. Since it was published in the NY Times, the intended audience would generally be those interested in the political and/or ethical news and debates regarding the subject. Numerous times in the article, Lacey reports the situation from all sides: the state and federal government, the patients, and the dispensaries. There seems to be no bias in this article, it is merely stating facts of and about the situation at hand in Arizona. Lacey did well with remaining objective in his article, particularly because the entire marijuana debate elicits strong responses in nearly all Americans, be they for or against its legalization.
I think this would be a great topic for me to continue with; there are a lot of of different directions I could take with the marijuana debate and it's something that interests me. This would be a good topic for anyone looking for something nationwide, or that causes quite a bit of controversy. There is plenty of info out there for both sides of the argument. I find that the NY Times has very informative and applicable articles and resources.
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