Logical Fallacies Response

The Jon Stewart clip was filled with many fallacies and was quite hysterical.  The first fallacy I noticed was an Inductive Fallacy.  Mr. Hodgman used Hasty Generalization when he showed the news clips about disease coming back to America.  The news broadcasters said that some immigrants have brought back diseases we thought were wiped out.  After the clips, Hodgman said the newscasters had it "exactly right," in that all illegal aliens have tuberculosis and leprosy.  This is a hasty generalization.  Not all illegal immigrants have tuberculosis and leprosy!  Another fallacy that is presented by Hodgman is Anonymous Authorities.  Before the video clips, Hodgman said, "There was a larger concern here, one that my fellow television experts picked up on."  Well, who exactly are your television experts picking up on these clips?  If they are experts, why are the experts not named?  When the authority is not named it is impossible to confirm that the authority is truly an expert, it just sounds better to say television experts versus who these people really are.  Another fallacy presented was Appeal to Authority.  Multiple times throughout the video clip, Jon Hodgman made jokes, or mocked what the newscasters were saying.  The clips had bits and pieces removed, and Jon Stewart was saying what the newscaster would say on the clips, before the clips were presented.  Addressing fallacies comically by watching the clip of The Daily Show helped me see fallacies easier than I had before.

Controversial Topic: Homosexuality

Pros to Homosexuality:
-http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=132D18E380596AA0&p_docnum=11&p_queryname=3
-http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=1325802670ED44C0&p_docnum=16&p_queryname=8
-http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=12C16D65C8D46428&p_docnum=10&p_queryname=13
-http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=13314FF3C391E508&p_docnum=20&p_queryname=30
-http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=12F25EDE0C1DFD60&p_docnum=40&p_queryname=41
Cons to Homosexuality:
-http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=122A75DBCF8075C8&p_docnum=7&p_queryname=37
-http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=131D8F9316F332C8&p_docnum=3&p_queryname=43

Newsbank is a helpful source because it provides many compacted articles that are condensed and summarized from all over the world.  Also there are many ways you are able to refine your research to find exactly what you're looking for.  Homosexuality has turned into a major issue over the past couple of years.  When researching, I noticed that most of the con articles referred back to the Bible as a main reason why gay marriage should not be tolerated.  Meanwhile, the pro articles stated their opinion that we should accept anyone any way they are no matter what.  Either way, Newsbank is a great database to use to reasearch any topic.  It guarantees both sides of a topic as well with the multiple articles that are available to search through.

Persuasive Writing: Health Care

http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20101011/APC0602/10110424/Editorial-Health-reform-provision-may-need-more-reform

http://www.startribune.com/opinion/editorials/105070544.html?page=2&c=y
The health care topic has been a controversial issue for many months.  After reading multiple articles I selected two that helped me see both sides of the health reform.  This reform due to take effect in 2014 will affect all Americans.  One author thinks there will be people trying to cheat the system and the other editorial stated that people are not aware of the benefits they are eligible to receive from the health care reform because they may not know about it or how to join.  However both views as I see it are different. One article states how we "need to find a way to make this work."  Is this author concentrating too heavily on the reform passing? The other article states that "premiums of $5,000 to $7,000 a year are unaffordable."  Both do however agree on adjustments that need to be made in order for the health care reform to be effective as it should.  The authors have similar stands on the topic being they both seem to be fighting for health care, but want the flaws to be perfected as soon as possible.  The second article is more convincing to me because it provides more supporting depth, and evidence supporting why they feel the health reform will work if the concentration is applied more on improvements.  But how much is the government able to reform without losing too much? I believe article two provides a general idea of how it is able to happen.  One example they mentioned was to make an enrollment period to sign kids up, for example.  This would eliminate people from taken advantage of the system after they find out they are extremely sick and need the health care to get cheaper health care costs.  I do appreciate looking at the health care reform and look into it without having already formed a solid opinion. 

Tim O'Brien Response

Tim O'Brien has a talent when writing. He shows the reader and doesn't tell the reader.  Through the writing passage he demonstrates depth, voice, and pulls the reader in quickly with his amazing writing ability.  When I watched the video clip I loved the way he explained his goals versus other authors' goals.  Tim explained how other authors' goals in their writing was more abstract whereas his goal is "to capture the heart, the stomach, and back of the throat."  That's definitely showing and not telling.  He also said the word war has a glaze.  When I hear this I immediately think of a dying soldier or men in combat, yet I've fallen into the category he explains as the mythology we have created about the war.  The reality of war is fighting doesn't solve everything, sometimes it's just a word to resolve the matter.  He had to serve in the military to make this observation.  I would say that him serving in the military during Vietnam has affected his morals and how he wants to portray his voice through his writing.  From his experiences he can visualize what he has been through in Vietnam. It helps others who have never served in the service.  We are lucky to have a strong writer that's willing to help us paint a picture in our minds, and eliminate the label we have created for war.