HOW ARE WE PERSUADED?
Unit Overiew
Throughout this quarter, I wrote a position essay on gun control using Barack Obama’s editorial and news conference to identify his technique to persuade such as using the loaded word. I learned how to form a couterargrument, it is a way to emphasize the negativity of the “opposite side” of the author’s claim. I also analyzed the New York Times “Brother Grim” and Washington Post’s “Donald Trump is an Aimless, Angry Leader” structure and rhetorical devices. Rhetorical devices are used to strengthen the author’s claim and persuasion. I read about What Role Can Art Play in Creating Social Change? online and then I posted a discussion on KQED to form constructive peer feedback in digital spaces. Then I analyzed the Arthur Ahalt’s “The Privacy Debate: One Size Doesn’t Fit All” (newspaper article) and Andrea Rock’s “How Private is Your Private Life?” (magazine article). After that, I posted a Blog on privacy.
What Persuades me?
After I analyzed a few editorials and articles about persuasion and argument in this quarter, I think the most effective persuasive device is an emotional appeal because it is a way where authors use strong personal feelings rather than facts and evidence to persuade. Particularly, it is a great way to express the author’s real emotions to show how much they put in their effort to persuade their claim. For instance, Barack Obama uses his strong, calm tone to show how he has really cared about his citizens and wanted a change for them. Here’s a speech from his news conference that defines emotional appeal, “We all have a responsibility”, this is a strong advice that triggers audience to follow his claim. Therefore, this way can attract audiences to be interested in his claim since he seems really serious about improving U.S gun control issue.
We are persuaded by an author that effectively used rhetorical devices and techniques for their arguments or persuasions. However, we have to be interested to be persuaded, so the author must use rhetorical devices and reasons why we should follow their claims. Rhetorical devices are structures within language that appeal to readers or audiences. Therefore, the author must enhance their argument by using reliable evidence and facts to support their claim. Also, the author must use logic in order to persuade us.To persuade how their claim is better than the opposite side viewpoint, the author counter the opposing viewpoint. We tend to be persuaded by an author that use these techniques effectively.
Stengths and Weakness Area
I wrote about how technology distract us for MOY writing assessment. I think I did a good job on organizing the essay with a crafted introduction and conclusion. But there are still lacks of balance in order of the paragraphs . Particularly, I address the essential elements of the topic yet I still need to strengthen my thesis. Indeed, I improved in style/fluency using adequate variety in sentence structure and a used of a good tone of writing to supports the topic. For language usage, I did well on punctuation and spelling but still improvements in grammar as I usually form weak sentence structure and the learn how to use subject/verb, pronoun referent, and parallelism. Overall, my MOY writing assessment is well supported by essential elements but I still need to work on making my MOY not confusing and choppy by forming a strong sentence structure. To improve, I will have to learn more about grammar on how to form sentence structure and the use of subject/verb, pronoun referent, and parallelism.
THE EVIDENCES
PRIVACY BLOG
In the course of my daily life , I experience invasions, but they don’t really bother me because I don’t risk sharing my privacy. At the same time, I still can’t avoid my privacy being shared or invaded such as location and computer activity.
3:00 pm
After school, Natalie (my twin sister) decided to order an Uber(taxi) to pick us up since it was a
50% discount fare from the school our house. While we were in the cab, we noticed that there
was a security camera located between the front seat and the driver’s seat allowing the taxi to
record evidence if passengers were being harmed or drivers being attacked. Disconcertingly,
is that these types of security cameras can record our faces and movements without
our permission. Also the taxis can track our specific devices’ IP address, which may lead to hackers,
stalkers, criminals that will use our privacy illegally such as credit card number (CCTV in Taxis:
A great idea or an invasion of privacy?,2015). They can search for our IP address online and
track our devices by using a app called Advanced Port Scanner (Hack a Computer Only with
just a IP Address in Easy steps,2013), which will lead to hacking specific apps. Statistically, blogs or business websites were hacked approximately 30,0000 sites a day (30,000 Web Sites Hacked A Day. How Do You Host Yours?,2013)
4:00 pm
After I got home, I did some research online. The “cookies” on my browser can identify my device to the government, the surveillance “cookies” can track my activities with different websites. The government would then narrow their search to our specific location with a IP address. Also they can report us if we engage in inappropriate activities online.
Is your privacy at risk? How important is personal privacy in today’s society?
However, I don’t think my privacy is at risk because I avoid sharing significant information, such as my credit card number. But in general, personal privacy such as addresses, credit card accounts, and names can be important in today’s society because there are hackers out there in the online world that can hack our credit card number. Personal privacy information is pervasive and needs to be controlled by the owner.
Works Cited
"Taxi Camera Security." Falcon Taxis. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2016
Hoven, Jeroen Van Den. "Privacy and Information Technology." Stanford University. Stanford University, 20 Nov. 2014. Web. 19 Feb. 2016.
"Invasion of Privacy Law & Legal Definition." Invasion of Privacy Law & Legal Definition. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2016.
"Can Your IP Address Give Away Your Identity?" Network World. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2016.
"Why Is Privacy Important?" Why Is Privacy Important? N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2016.
POSSITION ESSAY
Gun Control is Out of Control
Gun violence in the United States results in massive deaths and injuries, from suicide to mass shootings. Unbelievably, the US has one of the highest homicide rates in the world. Statistically, there were 464,033 total gun deaths between 1999 and 2013, with 270,237 being suicides and 174,773 being homicides ” (CDC). The U.S must enact stricter gun control law in order to prevent deaths. Luckily, President Obama vowed to take a serious action to prevent this urgent issue. Throughout his January 2016 news conference, he uses the loaded phrase, “common sense” to describe his approach to gun control. Obama also uses analogies to persuades his audience. That guns are dangerous and there must be a background checks to prevent homicides.
There are many reasons that cause gun violence in the United States. Mainly, because of gun laws without a background check is the biggest cause of much violent crime in the United States. Indeed, background checks must be enforced to reduce the death rate. However, children appear to be the greatest risk of shooting themselves or others. Obama came up with the idea of inventing safety locks and GPS to guns. Also, guns with GPS can make a stolen or lost gun useless (Firearms Reported Lost and Stolen, 2013). Secondly, stricter gun control laws will be effective to reduce gun death because background checks will only allow certain people to own a gun.
Obama successfully convinces citizens that guns are used for homicide instead of self-defence. Based on the comparison between homicide rate and self-defence, studies proved that only 0.12% of victims protected themselves with a threat of use of a firearm(Planty and Truman, 2013). Therefore, the U.S must provide proper background check systems to make sure the owner of the gun is only going to the gun as a self-defense. Obama’s plan is to invest $500 million to expand access to treatment across the country since there is part of suicide that were caused by guns. Obama’s Affordable Care Act will expand treatment centers, helping to decrease the amount of psychopath, and mentally ill patients with access to guns.
Gun control opponents claim that we cannot rely on gun control. Opponents of gun control state that gun control laws do not deter crime, but gun ownership deters crime. Basically, they mean that banning assault weapons did not affect the death rate since they believed that owning a gun will protect them from being victimized. Ultimately, gun control in the U.S should be a stricter background check to ensure gun violence, that will reduce the rate of crimes. Imagine one day you are one of the gun violence victims, how would you feel if one of your loved ones were one of the victims. Personally, I think this problem should be solved expeditiously before the next crime. However, gun control in U.S is still not strong enough, so they must enact background checks to prevent death rate to increase.
Works Cited
"Accidental Shootings: Many Deaths and Injuries Caused by Firearms Could Be Prevented," www.gao.gov, Mar. 19, 1991).
CDC, "Data & Statistics (WISQARS)," wisqars.cdc.gov (accessed Oct. 21, 2014)
David Frum, "Are Gun Accidents 'Very Rare'?," www.thedailybeast.com, Feb. 20, 2013.
Obama, Barack._ “Guns are Our Shared Responsibility”New York Times 7January 2016 Print.
Obama, Barack. “President Obama on Executive Actions on Gun.” The White House, Washington house, Washington D.C. 5 January 2016. News Conference. Retrieve from URC.
Michael Planty and Jennifer L. Truman, "Firearm Violence, 1993-2011," www.bjs.gov, May 2013
Violence Policy Institute, "Firearm Justifiable Homicides and Non-Fatal Self-Defense Gun Use," www.vpc.org, Apr. 2013.