Final Observations

In reflecting on the course theme of culture, identity, and society I relized that the readings throughout the semester spoke about the difference in individuals, in society as a whole, and in the world. The main point is that factors such as family, religion, education, culture, society, and much more contribute to how were perceive other's and we perceive our own identity. Differences in general contribute to one identity in society and in the world. The focus of the class was on writing and critical thinking that was present throughout the course in rhetorical strategies. These strategies works through attention to persona, audience, and persuasive appeals which the end goal is to persuade one to question or have new aspirations of a new identity. Most importantly, we payed attention to cultural and individual assumptions that are made with identity, to argument and fallacies, and to rhetoric and language. In addition, each of the five course strands (rhetoric and argumentation, information design and technology, research, collaboration, and the lab) all involve the connection of culture, identity, and society.
Most noticeably to me, in the course strand of collaboration one gain experience working with other to achieve a common goal and learn the social aspects of different cultures, identity, and society. To me it is the most important skill in life is interpersonal skills which involves identifying with different cultures, identities, and societies.

Page 219 and Group Discussion

What format will your presentation take?
I am planning on using PowerPoint format and transfer it to the video. The video will utilize transitions, music, and clips as well. The powerpoint presentation within the movie will keep the audience hooked into the topic.

What materials do you plan to use in your presentation?
We are planning on using materials such as interviews, clips from movies and TV shows, and of course pictures that represents the information in the PowerPoint slide show and movie.

What might be a potential outline for your presentation?
The presentation will include sub-categories in the following areas pertaining to American culture:
1. Introduction to key points in the presentation and interview-Elise
2. History of sex in the media and in American homes (Progression in History)-Dana
3. Sex in American homes today (more in depth)- Tim
4. Sex in the media today (more in depth)- Rachel

Group Discussion:
Our group discussed that we are focusing on audience of college students. The purpose is to make the class and audience aware of many of the tools used by the media to convey sex that may be obvious or not.

At a Glance pg. 174/ Multimedia Assignment

At a Glance pg. 174
Revising Draft-
Reading the paper a loud helps tremendously finding typos and missing words that I unknowingly skipped when I was reading . I looked over the Peer Review Questions and it appears that I have minimal corrections with grammar and in content. A few suggestions were made and I intend to consider them. After review by my partners and Amy, I am going to work on my verb choose better using passive and active voice, a better explaination at the end of paragraphs that connect the importance of the section in my own interpretation, better trasitions that help keep the structure of the section and paragraphs, and I am going to insert a timeline to help as visual aid to help the reader understand the time progression of the section of history. Lastly, I will try to cut it down to make it shorter or more consice if possible.

Multimedia Assignment
This assignment will be very time and work intensive because includes different forms of media to support observations.
Ideas: I was thinking about reviewing a book vs. a movie. Maybe using quotes from the book, clips from the movies, and music combining them into a video. The purpose would be to support a thesis about the subject matter. Such as, the theme of the difference between media. Which is more effective and a better way to get across the importance of an issue a book or a movie.
In addition we could show how media has influenced us today and will continue to do so in the future. We can show how it has shaped our identity, society, and culture positively and negatively.
Technology: ads, photos, websites, videos, clips, and blogs. I would like some exposure doing mp3 because I have not learned how to do so.
Questions: I am not sure what our overall theme should be. Do you all have any suggestions that we can connect all the media to support it?
Would we try to persuade the audience of the effectiveness ? Or do we try to inform the audience of the importance of the subject? And/or both?

Outline
Dana Hamilton
Topic- The FBI battle against terrorism
Question- Is the FBI organization and culture capable to adapt to new national security threats?
Hooker/ Introduction- Each detail of the FBI seal has special meaning and symbolic.
A. The background of blue represents justice, the thirteen stars exemplify the original 13 colonies to demonstrate unity, and the laurel leaf represents academic honors, distinction, and fame. The 46 leaves in the two branches were for the 46 states in the union in 1908, the year of founding of the FBI. The red parallel stripes stands for courage, valor, and strength. On the other hand the white parallel stripes stand for cleanliness, light, truth, and peace. “Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity” (Seal) is the motto and inspiration of the FBI. (Seal)
1. *“The most important symbolization; however, is the peaked beveled edge surrounding the Seal which symbolizes the challenges facing the FBI and the ruggedness of the agency”(Seal)
Transition- Of all the important virtues represented by the seal, none is currently more needed than the FBI’s commitment to meet challenges head in and most importantly, the challenge of meeting the new demands posed by the threat of terrorism. In this paper, I will discuss:
Main Points: (1) The question is raised by the critics and 911 commission if the FBI is capable to change and adapt in order to effectively meet the new national security threats. (2)How the FBI has consistently demonstrated its capacity to meet the challenges of new national security threats throughout its history. (3) Next, the paper will examine the FBI’s fundamental change in policies, tactics, and even structure in order to address the threat and to answer its many critics. (4) Lastly, Review of major changes and reflects on whether the organization has met the challenge of change and reinventing itself.
I. The Critics/ 911 Commission
Transition: “As its agents sift through ruble and interview countless people about the attacks of September 11, the FBI is in its element. Its traditions, rules, and organizational structure generally make it very adept at crime-solving—but very poor at terrorism prevention” (Frater 1)
A. Not everyone believes the FBI is up to the task: the critics and the 911 commission findings- Major problems:
B. According to most authoritative review of the FBI performance the 9/11 Commission report has several key findings(4)
1. The FBI did not have capability to link the collective knowledge of agents in the field to national priorities, and other domestic agencies, deferred to the FBI
2. The intelligence community (including the FBI) struggled through the 1990s up until 9/11 to find out about transnational terrorism. The combination of an overwhelming number of priorities, flat budgets, an outmoded structure and bureaucratic rivalries resulted in an insufficient response to this new challenge.
3. Problems at the FBI included limited intelligence collection and strategic analysis capabilities , a limited capacity to share information, insufficient training and inadequate resources.
4. The origin of the money that paid for the 9/11 attacks is still unknown.
C. 9/11 Commission Key recommendations pertaining to the FBI (4):
1. To create a national counter-terrorism center unifying strategic intelligence and operational planning against Islamist terrorists across the foreign and the domestic divide.
2. To appoint a new Senate-confirmed national intelligence director to unify the intelligence community of more than a dozen agencies.
3. To create a new Senate-confirmed national intelligence director to unify the intelligence community of more than a dozen agencies.
4. To set up a specialized and integrated national security unity within the FBI; the report did not support creation of a new domestic intelligence agency.
5. To strengthen the FBI and Homeland defenders.
D . National Journal Group finding flaws: (1-3)
1. flaws in intelligence-gathering methods
2. it is great at crime-solving but not on strategic intelligence- identifying potential threats and alerting appropriate officials to avert a major crisis.
3. few specialists in the area of languages
a. “Juliette N. Kayyem, a Harvard professor who served on the National Commission on Terrorism, notes that piecing together and disseminating intelligence has not traditionally be an important part of the FBI’s mission.” (Frater 2)
4. Lack of data-sharing among the FBI field offices and other agencies
a. “need to know” culture
b. a habit of not sharing information with the CIA, Immigration, and Naturalization Services, Customs Service, or the Federal Aviation Administration
c. “ the 1996 report ‘Preparing for the 21st Century: An Appraisal of U.S. Intelligence’ found that agencies such as the CIA strictly interpret their legal authority to be limited to ‘foreign intelligence.’ So they often decline FBI requests for intelligence information.” (Frater 2)
Transition: Critics of the FBI raise important issues. However; it is important to note that as a domestic law enforcement agency with rigorous congressional and Department of Justice oversight, the FBI has been actively discouraged from engaging in extensive proactive intelligence activities The FBI has, however, responded quickly and effectively once the organization has been empowered with a new mandate and given the tools to do the job.
II. In the past, the FBI has consistently demonstrated its capacity to meet the challenges of new national security threats. (Throughout the FBI History)
Transition-Many factors have influenced the changes that have taken place including the culture and atmosphere within the FBI.
A. Origins/ Early Days of the FBI
1. “Today, most Americans take for granted that our country needs a federal investigative service, but in 1908, the establishment of this kind of agency at a national level was highly controversial.” (FBI throughout the years)(pg.1)
2. Few federal crimes, investigated violations of laws involving national banking, bankruptcy, naturalization, antitrust, peonage, and land fraud.
3. No formal training
B. The “Lawless” Years
1. 1921-1933 Gangsterism and public disregarding Prohibition – “the gangster era”
2. Al Capone- “fugitive federal witness”; KKK
3. traditional investigations of neutrality violations and antitrust violations, gained stature, but could not fight crime without public support, Attorney General in 1925 stated “The Agents of the Bureau of Investigation have been impressed with the fact that the real problem of law enforcement is in trying to obtain the cooperation and sympathy of the public and that they cannot hope to get such cooperation until they themselves merit the respect of the public” (History 5)
4. Steps to Credibility
A. Professionalize the organization
1. abolished the seniority rule of promotion
2. introduced uniform performance appraisals
3. inspections
B. establishing an identification division
1. Special Agent training/ institutionalize
2. “the Bureau was equipped to end the ‘lawless years’”(5)
C. The New Deal
1. expand federal jurisdiction- President Roosevelt influenced Congress to expand federal jurisdiction for crimes due to the rise in crime during the Great Depression
2. Director Hoover created a new identity- for the FBI took its newly retooled identity public
a. through media- coordinated by Hoover to take the message of the war against crime to the American people
b. “Prior to 1933, …public considered them interchangeable with other federal investigators.”
c. Identification with the FBI- special pride and commanded instant recognition and respect from the public
d. training intensive
3. Notorious crimes such as the kidnapping of the Lindburgh baby, in 1932, the exploits of John Dillinger, and the Kansas City Massacre all led Congress to further enhance the FBI jurisdiction and power.
a. Passed a federal kidnapping statute
b. Congress gave FBI jurisdiction for instate crimes
c. Congress gave FBI the power to carry guns and arrest criminals
4. The continuing insensitive of the FBI coupled new congressional statues resulted the end of all major gangster by 1936
D. World War II Period
Transition: “However, fascism in Adolph Hitler’s Germany and Benito Mussolini’s Italy and communism in Josef Stalin’s Soviet Union threatened American democratic principles. With war on the horizon, a new set of challenges faced the FBI” (History 7)
A. Growing Fascist and Communist groups are the new threat to American liberty and security
1. FBI given the authority by the Smith Act in 1940 to outlawing advocacy of violent overthrow of government which gave a base for the FBI to pursue fascist, communist, and other groups that advocated the overthrow of government.
2. Responsibilities and concerns- subversion, sabotage, and espionage= new internal focus
3. For the first time the FBI began to create a continuous network of informational sources that would provide the FBI with information of potential threats
4. In addition the FBI became an intelligence collection agency capable of penetrating or controlling the flow of information through technical innovations
5. During this period the faith in the FBI grew due to spectacular investigation where the FBI intercepted saboteurs and espionage rings.
(History 9)
E. Postwar America
A. The Red Scare- The soviets detonated own atomic bomb, Americans lost monopoly on the atomic weapons and the main focus of the FBI became contracting the Communist threat.
B. The FBI gain new powers to investigate the loyalty of individuals with access to secret information
C. FBI used in alerting the public of Communist threat through speeches, articles, testimonies, and books that was written by the Director Hoover himself.
D. Congress gave FBI the ability to prosecute civil rights violation, racketeering, and gambling.
1. Laws passed by congress to counteract and investigate organized crimes or “La Cosa Nostra” (History 13)
a. The Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968- electronic surveillance of certain crime by court order
b. The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO)Statute of 1970- “which allowed organized groups to be prosecuted for all of their diverse criminal activities, without the crimes being linked by a perpetrator or all-encompassing conspiracy” (History 13)
c. Together these laws along with the undercover investigation technique resulted all major traditional crime family heads being imprisoned by the 1980s.
E. “By the late 1960s clear federal authority and local support for civil rights allowed the FBI to play an important role in enabling African Americans to vote, serve on juries n, and be on an equal basis.” (History 12)
F. The Vietnam War Era
A. the FBI the lead federal agency in investigating violent groups associated with the anti- Vietnam war and anti- establishment new left movement
B. the aftermath of the Watergate scandal- in order to regain the support and faith in the FBI after the scandal
1. New policy changes in selecting and training FBI agents and law enforcement leaders
2. Uniform procedures in collecting intelligence
3. first series of barriers were enacted in order to protect public from intrusion which were the guide lines for FBI’s foreign counterintelligence and domestic security investigations
G. The Rise of International Crime
A. The FBI continued to refine the art of undercover activities, this technique and its statutes authority produced important public corruption convictions including members of Congress (ABSCAM), the judiciary (GREYLORD), and state legislatures in California and SC. (History 17)
B. “In 1986, congress had expanded FBI jurisdiction to cover terrorist acts against U.S. citizens outside the U.S. boundaries” (History 17)
H. The Post-Cold War World
A. An important technical tool was the breakthrough of DNA technology and laboratory use
B. During this time period the FBI moved from its traditional approach of defending against hostile intelligence agencies to protecting our information and technologies. In doing so we expanded the threat to include proliferation of “chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons; the loss of critical technologies, and the improper collection of trade secrets and proprietary information.” (History 19)
I. The Rise of a Wired World
A. Under the leadership of Director Freeh the FBI aggressively establish Legal Attaché offices around the world including in Russia
B. with the rise of computers used in committing global crimes the FBI put in place measures to combat crimes in cyberspace.
1. Computer Investigations and Infrastructure Threat Assessment Center (CITAC)
C. In response to events in Ruby Ridge, Idaho and Waco, Texas Director Freeh formed the Critical Incident Response Group (CIRG) to deal more effectively with crisis situations (History 20)
D. As a result of sexual crimes against children the FBI has initiated the Bureau’s Innocent Images Program to identify and stop pedophiles especially through the use of the internet.
J. Change of Mandate
Transition- Robert S. Mueller, III (Director of the FBI) “It has been said that the September 11th attacks were a ‘failure of imagination.’ We cannot fail to imagine the consequences of a nuclear terrorist attack. Nor can we fail to imagine that there are those for whom such an event is the end game.”
A. The President and Congress quickly went to work to equip the FBI and other agencies to combat the still very undefined issue of terrorism.
B. U.S. Patriot Act- which gave the FBI powerful new weapons to address the issue of terrorism
C. On May 29, 2002 “ the Attorney General issued revised investigative guidelines to assist the Bureau’s counterterrorism efforts” by taking the handcuffs off its agents.
D. Reengineering the FBI structure and operations to more closely aligne itself with the fight against terrorism
E. Partnerships- that expanded and strengthen the FBI
F. Importantly the FBI committed itself to upgrade its antiquated technological infrastructure which is critically needed to affective analyze intelligence and communicate efficiently new intelligence to its personal and partners.
1. the former associate deputy director of the FBI and former advisor to the national Security Council, Oliver Revell states “The Constitution, federal privacy laws, and stringent Justice Department counterintelligence guidelines all focus on protecting individual civil rights. This emphasis hinders crime prevention by severely limiting the surveillance of suspicious individual and groups, the interception of mail and phone calls, and the seizure of evidence, such as computer hard drives, that might provide clues to the plans of would-be terrorists.” (Frater 1)
*Transition- This is a model for the FBI creates an internal entity within the FBI as a result of a pressing and identified crime problem.
III. Next, the paper will examine the FBI’s fundamental change in policies, tactics, and even structure in order to address the threat and to answer its many critics.
A. U.S. Intelligence Community counterterrorism center
B. Reallocated resources/ money to the counterterrorism
C. Restructured the internal workings of the FBI
1. Significant increase in the number of intelligence analyzed who’s job is to assess what information is needed in the future, to evaluate intelligence that we have required, and importantly to “connect the dots” or the conclusion concerning the intelligence.
D. The FBI utilized new tools provided by the Patriot Act
Transition- “As its agents shift through rubble and interview countless people about the attacks of September 11, the FBI is in its element. Its traditions, rules, and organizational structure general make it very adept at crime-solving- but very poor at terrorism prevention.”(Frater, Elisabeth)
A. Questioning whether the FBI can change
1. “The pressing question now is whether the FBI can radically shift gears, despite its own inertia and investigative limits imposed by Congress and the Constitution. More specifically, can the FBI systematically detect and deter future terrorist attacks?” (Frater, Elisabeth)
IV. Conclusion and Reflection- Review of major changes and reflects on whether the organization has met the challenge of change and reinventing itself.
To sum up- Based on the above analyze it is clear that the FBI has fundamentally challenged in more significant ways since 9/11 than perhaps in its entire history.
Though it is impossible of what tomorrow might bring it is clear that there was not been any significagant terrorist attack on U.S. soil since 9/11
Since most serious observers believed that the U.S. would be subject to one or more major terrorist attacks in the years following 9/11 it is reasonable to conclude that the FBI’s tremendous efforts to establish itself as an effect counterterrorism agency have at least appear to be successful.
The FBI has throughout its history continued to change and evolve to meet new threats; yet, it maintains the most important and irreplaceable virtues that many of its critics would want to get rid, its unique culture and its commitment to excellence.
The FBI has earned and deserve the privilege of once again rising to the occasion. Just as the FBI has in its past responded and changed the future holds much more for the FBI to learn and grow from.
As discussed in this paper the FBI has earned the respect and confidence of the American people by successfully defeating the crime problems of each American era. Perhaps the FBI greatest asset is, in fact, the trust and confidence that it has earned. This should not be taken for granted or dismissed lightly.
Work Cited
Deutch, John M., and Jeffrey H. Smith. "Smarter Intelligence. " Foreign Policy. (Jan-Feb 2002):
64(6). Expanded Academic ASAP. Gale. Clemson University. 9 Feb. 2009
.
"Facts & Figures: FBI Throughout the Years." OPA intranet. 27 Feb. 2006. 30 Jan. 2009.

Frater, Elisabeth. “Can the FBI Switch Gears?. ." National Journal. 33.40 (Oct 6, 2001): 3106.
Expanded Academic ASAP. Gale. Clemson University. 9 Feb. 2009
.

"Heraldry of the Seal." Federal Bureau of Investigation. Department of Justice. 17 Feb. 2009
.
Mueller, Robert III S. "How the FBI Defends American Lives While Defending American Liberties." A necessary Balance. Harvard School of Government, Cambridge. 26 Apr. 2007. 29 Jan. 2009 .
Mueller, Robert S. "From 9/11 to 7/7: Global Terrorism Today and the Challenges of Tomorrow." Chatham House, London, England. 7 Apr. 2008. 29 Jan. 2009 .

Why it is Important to Avoid Plagiarism

In our Integrity Pledge assignment we were pledging on how we were going to avoid plagiarism and what it means. However, why is it important?
It is important to avoid plagiarism because obviously in the simplest terms it is cheating and as students and as a human we have a moral responsibility for our actions. Yet not everyone believes in the same moral responsibility so why else is it important?
It is not easy to see it from a point of view other than yourself; however, if someone stole your information and your words that took time and effort wouldn’t the situation be different. It is a courtesy to others efforts and achievements as well as an obligation to your integrity in the assignment or piece of work. We all know what plagiarism is but it is important because it is a matter of pride that you took the time to learn the information and grew in knowledge yourself not by saying what someone else thinks. It is a matter of effort and just imputing what you believe which is not as hard has many feel. Many are discouraged and worried that their impute and thoughts are not right or does not matter; yet, that is better than showing no thought at all and being not intellectual at all. So it is important to avoid plagiarism for not just moral and integrity reasons, but to contribute what you believe in the subject matter.

Research Update

The research I have completed includes the following: transcripts of speeches to various law enforcement, academic, and governmental entities by high ranking FBI officials including the director, deputy director, and assistance director for the counterintelligence division. In addition I have accessed historical overview information from the FBI office of public affairs (OPA). I have reviewed historical FBI poster including the significance of the seal. I have discussed possible topics with my father who served as special agent in charge of counterterrorism in the Chicago division during and post 9/11. Also, I reviewed several books and web sites including the official FBI website.

Kinds of Questions to Guide Research

Questions of Fact

• What is the major events in FBI history?


• How did the FBI come about and for what purpose?

Questions of Definition

• What is the FBI?


• What does the FBI do and cover?


• What are the divisions, core values, mission, motto, and priorities of the FBI?

Questions of Interpretation

• How has the events in FBI history and the changing national threat influence the FBI?


• Can the FBI and is the FBI equipped new and changing national threat?

Questions of Consequence

• Events that show how the FBI has evolved and adapted to national security?


• How has the face, motto, and skill sets of the FBI and the employees have changed and what results in this change?


• How will the FBI will change in the future?


• How does the culture of the FBI result in a personality and system of support?


• How has the events in the top story of Robert Hanssen affect and changed the FBI?


• How did the story of Rob Hanssen affect and change the FBI and how did it affect my family? (Interview with Blake Hamilton)

Major focus of Argument

Is the FBI equipped to handle new national threat because of its culture and history that shows the change the Bureau?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2e/US-FBI-Seal.svg/600px-US-FBI-Seal.svg.png

Research Freewrite

The face and image of one of the most respected and well known defense organisations FBI has changed over the years to adapted to new and threatening national security reasons; however, the question is whether the FBI is equipped to handle these national security reasons. Many factors have influenced the changed that have taken place including the culture and atmosphere within the FBI. I will discusses the major events in different time periods that show the progress and change of the FBI. Also, how factors such as the founding principles, motto, and priorities the FBI has also influence the FBI and question the FBI ability to change. In addition, I will include a top story that affected the FBI greatly for the story of Robert Hanssen, the greatest spy, and how he hurt; however, changed the FBI in an interview with Blake Hamilton (an FBI agent). A tentative thesis is that the FBI is fully capable to respond to national security issues and as a result of its evident culture it has proven throughout the years its image of security and justice.

To research this topic, I will examine government material such as the FBI website, pamphlets, time lines, speeches , and books. I will compare different time periods and the major differences in those times based on the events in time lines and other resources. I will have an interview where an explanation of the culture influences agents and the organisation. As well as the story of Robert Hanssen and how that changed the FBI; however, brought up the question whether the FBI was capable to handle national security threats. In addition I will also, include facts and statistics to support the paper and the issue.

The most difficult part will be determining the most influential events in history and cutting the amount of information to come together in a very concise manner. Also, having the information portray the importance of the government agency and how it must learn and does learn to protect the nation from many threats. I will include the areas of threats and the priorities in these areas. In conclusion, I hope to show the effectiveness, the honor and culture of the FBI, and the importance of the Bureau throughout history.

Super Bowl Commercial

http://www.albc-usa.org/images/horses/Clydesdalestallion.jpg
The commercials during the Super Bowl range from beer commercials to car commercials and just as the products are very different so are the rhetoric persuasion and the way the appeals utilize (ethos, pathos, logos). However, the one of the common commercials during throughout the year and also during the Super Bowl that appeals to pathos appeal is the Budweiser commercials. The common symbol is the Clydesdales horses. In one Budweiser commercial the horse was in love and went on a journey. The purpose was to have a sympathetic yet hope reaction. In the other it was a comic use of pathos for the horse was like the dog but “a show off” for better than the dog. Thus in a way the message or purpose was that the beer is better than others or the “show off” according to the commercial. Ethos is very subtle for the authority is in the name and reputation of Budweiser. As for logos appeal, logically animals have been utilized in all different types and products in commercials because the effects on all types of audience. Thus the way the Clydesdale is uses the appeals is very successful rhetoric commercial and persuasion tool.

Research Topic

Possible Topics- Government, national security, the FBI, CIA, Department of Justice, change over time.

At A Glance
1. Am I interested in the topic?

My passion, interest, and curiosity is in government. Ever since I was little and my father being in the FBI I have wanted to be a part of the “family business,” and be a part of the Department of Justice.
2. Can I argue a position on this topic?

The FBI as an organization and culture is capable of growing, changing, and adapting to meet new national security threats.
Question- Is the FBI organization and culture capable to adapt to new national security threat.
3. Will I be able to find enough research material on this topic?

The FBI is a broad enough topic where I can go into the many aspects and faces that it has to definitely will have enough research material. Plus, in my dad being a part of the FBI I have an inside source of information for an interview on controversial issues such as the Robert Hanssen.
4. Does this sort of research appeal to me?

Yes, with a topic of interest research will come easy; however, the hard part is pulling the information together and cutting it down.

Rhetorical Analysis Peer Review Form

Paper #1
Not Even Once: Methamphetamines Addiction Prevention through the use of billboards
By Rachel Bowers

Reflection: I understood the text how Meth truly affects all those around. Also, that the strategies can be underlined and not plainly states (said in a more creative and subtle way). In addition, the wording was very colorful and painted a picture of the consequences of using Meth.


Paper #2
China's Getting Ready
By Tim Rogers

Reflection: I learned about the history, culture, and desire to succeed of the Chinese and more information about a very recent issue of controversy. Also, the sentence that stood out to me was the last sentence, "No longer can we stand by while a modern nation is allowed to shamelessly go about governing it citizens in this manner." This stood out because it is rhetoric argument that persuades action and is very colorful showing the passion for this issue. In addition, it was clear that the issue has recently been thrown aside; however, the issue and problem is far from over and will continue to come up and influence foreign policy.

Superman Thesis

Both ads are very different; however, both are effective with their respective audiences. How can these two very different ads have the same effectiveness on their audiences? The answer is in celebrity endorsement. So do celebrity endorsements work? The answer is yes when it comes to a character that has been ingrained into our society’s values and culture. The American people are skeptical of celebrity endorsement, yet I don’t agree with this assumption. It is often an effective persuasive technique to appeal to an audience by using a famous endorsement.

Superman Ads

This ad for the Vespa is a very persuasive and the targeted audience is those who can’t afford a car or motorcycle. Also, it is much more “clean” so it is appealing to the environmental friendly crowd. Also, traditionally Vespa’s are frequent on college campuses and around town. Those who don’t have to travel far the Vespa is appealing. My interpretation is meant to be very patriotic and an “out of the earth” experience for Superman is meant to be perfect and something that is hard to come by. Thus, this ad is an example of pathos and ethos. However, logos is present, but very subtle. In addition, there are more elements present to analyze this ad sufficiently. In addition, I know that the author is from Vespa and they are relying on the “perfect” image the character Superman has.

http://creativebits.org/files/images/vespa_superman.jpg

http://media.marketwire.com/attachments/200604/257101_SupermanHighRes.jpg

I added the top picture (the "got milk" ad) to show how two very different ads uses the same subject of Superman and both be very convincing for the audience.

Being Green

“I guess it is easy being green,” is the slogan of one of the green campaign posters (pg. 46 Envision in Depth). In each advertisement, there are specific argumentative strategies and rhetorical appeals. In the slogan mentioned above, the targeted audience is the environmentally conscious and family oriented population. Regarding marketing in cars, the Escape Hybrid, a family car or SUV, has lettering which is also in green. Also, being a hybrid, it is more efficient than cars that are “gas guzzlers.” The purpose of the advertisement is to sell the car to the targeted audience; however, more subtly, it is to get people to buy the car, not the company. For example, the Ford symbol is very small in the right corner because Ford is close to going bankrupt and is in trouble financially so the purpose of the small logo is to detract from the company that manufactures the Escape Hybrid and focus on the looks and appeals of the car itself. This car has family appeal but also sporty appeal as it is advertised off-roading in the outback. The car is framed by nature and emphasizes the two main subjects, the car and the cartoon, Kermit the Frog. In addition, in the small lettering on the vehicle, the number 36 is larger than the rest to emphasize the mpg the car gets, which is rhetoric that could help persuade a buyer interested in getting good gas mileage. The “green” campaign has been in effect for years, and has had a major influence upon the environment. It was also a significant factor in the recent election. The campaign has grown in support over the years and is considered highly successful.

http://www.autoblog.com/media/2006/03/Kermit-with-Ford-Escape-450.jpg

My Bio

My name is Dana Hamilton. I come from Colorado Springs, CO. My parents’ names are Blake and Jean. I have two siblings, both younger than I am. My brother’s name is Drew, and my sister’s name is Leigh. Also, a member of the family is our dog, Beau. My whole family is very close, and we all are very strong Christians and very conservative politically. Coming to Clemson is a big adventure and I am a long way from home, but I am here majoring in Political Science. I hope to someday be in the FBI or another governmental agency. Some interesting facts about me are that I have moved around the country a lot due to my dad’s job and I had played highly competitive club soccer and basketball basically my whole life until I tore my ACL/ meniscus in my knee my senior year of high school. I love doing anything adventurous, and everything is always more fun when I am with my family. I feel very driven to succeed most of the time, and I believe I am somewhat of a perfectionist. However, I do have my blonde moments!

Rhetoric Generation

As I walked to class, I noticed marketing everywhere with rhetoric trying to persuade audiences one way or another. However, some rhetoric (advertising) was more evident in its persuasive content above others. One such argument in particular stood out among the rest: a debate between two students as they discussed the upcoming presidential inauguration. One student described the excitement of a new change in government and the other described the fear of where America’s future was heading. This conversation made me look back prior to the presidential election and remember all of the media coverage and commercials and how each commercial used visual persuasion, hybrid texts, ads as arguments, strategies in all different forms, and all the logos, pathos, and ethos appeals for support. These commercials were blatantly biased in their appeals to the American audience. It disturbed and saddened me that my generation, the college age group, blindly followed the shallow media strategies of persuasion advertised on shirts of famous Holly wood stars, on MTV, and articulated in the words of the “candidate” the media supported. Many of the voters in this past election voted on the race issue alone, or the economy issue alone, but not on issues of traditional values or morality. The voting patterns of the youth of America in this past election will be analyzed someday by future generations, just like we have judged those that came before us. In order to win this past election, the president-elect utilized in part the ad hominem debate, or “an argument that attempts to persuade by attacking an opponent’s ethos or character” (pg. 47 Envision in Depth). He also used other tools of persuasion such as effective facial expressions and actions, both of which may be difficult to read, although actions do speak louder than words. The president-elect won the election; the question is at what cost to America? Just as commercials sell products, I just hope we haven’t been persuaded to give up what really matters: morality and faith.