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ABSTRACT:

The Discussion Board Post is a chance to think thoroughly about and respond to a provided reading through blackboard discussions. For each discussion board post, a prompt is given. The prompts ask for specific information in order to demonstrate that as a reader and writer we understand the meaning of the article by evaluating and analyzing the authors work. Most posts  are typically exercises to strengthen rhetorical knowledge for the purpose of being able  to fully develop a writing process so that it can be applied to other written assignments. From the first post to the end post of this semester, it reflects the changes in my writing that vary from analytic skill improvement and enhance strategies for reading regarding to comprehending the convections of rhetorical situation. There is an clear indication within these post that shows  a much deeper understanding of an articles rhetorical situation through the writing.

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First Discussion Board Post

Prompt: Find an op-ed article (I recommend looking on The New York Times, The Atlantic, Buzzfeed, or Vice) and discuss the rhetorical situation. Be sure to include the terms we have been employing in class (from the Bitzer reading) and provide textual evidence for your claims. Consider the ways in which the formal features of the article contribute to the author attaining his/her purpose. Be sure to include a link to your article!

My Response:Everyday tragedies occur all throughout the nation. John Donohue touches upon a much debated topic pertaining to gun control in connections with the rise of mass shootings in America. In his article, “That Assault Weapon Ban? It Really Did Work,” Donohue goes against those who believed that a ban on assault weapons from 1994 to 2004 was not effective but he says otherwise because research shows, “the average number of people who die in a gun massacre has increased by 81 percent in just five years. Assault weapons were used in at least 11 of the 15 gun massacres since 2014; at least 234 of the 271 people who died in gun massacres since 2014 were killed by weapons prohibited under the federal assault weapons ban.” He evaluated the factual evidence from databases to prove that the ban that was placed on assault weapons was indeed effective, which shows to prove that strict regulations on assault weapons are to be implemented. In this situation, mass shootings have been the main exigence for the need for stricter gun control to prevent further gun violence.  He continues on and states, “the federal assault weapon ban in effect from September 1994 through 2004 was associated with a 25 percent drop in gun massacres (from eight to six) and a 40 percent drop in fatalities (from 81 to 49).” By doing so he is appealing to the audience’s sense of logic by providing collected factual evidence to illustrate a downward trend in numbers of massacre. Then there’s an appeal to pathos when he says, “If we continue at the post-2014 pace, by 2024 we will have had more than 10 times as many gun massacre deaths in that 10-year period as we had during the decade of the federal assault weapons ban,” This evokes fear for mentioning that if there is no appropriate action taken now, then it will continue to be a pressing matter in the future. He firmly believes that “We should enact a comprehensive federal assault weapons ban and limit on high-capacity magazines, repeal the federal immunity statute and create a more comprehensive and effective background check and red-flag system to ensure that the growing power of advanced weaponry is not readily available to dangerous individuals.” The purpose of his article is to persuade his readers that having effective gun control regulations are to be set in place in order to prevent mass shootings. The audience targeted are for politicians who are resistant to gun control but also American citizens for the reason that we are the ones who can actually make the change and take control because what’s at stake here are peoples lives.

link:https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/04/opinion/assault-weapon-ban.html

 

 

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Last Discussion Board Post

Prompt:Read the following piece and respond in 300-400 words. Additionally, respond to at least on of your classmate’s posts in 150 words.

My Response:  In Audre Lorder, “The uses of anger: women responding to racism” she discusses how because of racism and being discriminated against, the reaction that results from it is anger. She focuses on anger, more especially why women of color feel towards racism and also discusses her frustration with white women who ignore her particular experiences as a black woman. Lorde argument here is that anger is justified and has a purpose to evoke change because anger is strength and is powerful. When she states,”Women responding to racism means women responding to anger; Anger of exclusion, of  unquestioned privilege, of racial distortions, of silence, ill-use, stereotyping, defensiveness, misnaming, betrayal, and co-optation.” This is to say that women of color have a reason to be angry because they have been oppressed by the oppressor. She specifically mentions how white women fear the anger of women of color more than acknowledging their very own racist attitudes and ignore it in order to shield out their feelings of guilt and fear of being criticized.

          Lorde gives examples of racism and she goes about listing them in bullet points. I believe that the inclusion of bullet points rather than cramming it all into a paragraph is made because it makes it clearer for the reader to understand. It allows the reader to understand that each experience is not the same but they all regard to racism. An example she gives is, “ I speak out of direct and particular anger at an academic conference, and a white woman says, “Tell me how you feel but don’t say it too harshly or I cannot hear you.” But is it my manner that keeps her from hearing, or the threat of a message that her life may change?”  She is trying to explain how the anger of women of color is kept repressed but that should not be the case. Instead it should be viewed as a means of striving for change and striving for justice and not a way to make white people feel bad about themselves because racism is an important issue that is meant to be talked about.

           Her argument is persuasive because it is still a recurring issue till this day. It is a reality that women of color especially are encouraged to repress their anger. They have been given a stereotype that they are aggressive because of their anger but no one seems to understand their experience and simply ignore it. She states, “My anger is a response to racist attitudes and to the actions and presumptions that arise out of those attitudes. If your dealings with other women reflect those attitudes, then my anger and your attendant fears are spotlights that can be used for growth in the same way I have used learning to express anger for my growth. But for corrective surgery, not guilt.” Racism will continue to be a topic that nobody wants to acknowledge and talk about but ignore. However to address this issue, one must acknowledge and support the anger of others in a constructive way in order to grow together.