Revised Conclusion

My peer's comments suggested that my conclusion was strong the way it was, and I agreed with them. However, in order to receive a fresh take and possible better my essay, I rewrote it in a different way. I changed sentences around and varied my vocabulary to hopefully make my new conclusion superior to my original. As I stated in my last blog post, I would appreciate an instructor's take on both of these paragraphs to help me choose the most suitable one.

Revised Introduction:

         

           With an elaborate and clever use of rhetorical strategies, Dighe's article is able to appeal to his audience's values and beliefs, while not veering from his focus on why marijuana should be legalized. The author appeals to older generations by not insulting their beliefs that marijuana is harmful and illegal, but effectively conveys his claims without forcing an opinion on his audience. Dighe's article outlines the economic net benefits of marijuana legalization in a manner that outweighs the net negative benefits. He provides personal stories, factual claims, and credible information in order to appeal to ethos, pathos and logos. He does this while sneakily persuading his audience by his easy-going tone and concise method of presenting his information.

Original Conclusion:

Dighe’s extensive use of rhetorical strategies throughout his article appeal to his audience’s values and beliefs, while maintaining a focus on his pro legalization argument. While still adhering to cultural values of older generations where marijuana was looked down upon by not forcing an opinion on his readers, Dighe’s article outlines the economic net benefits of marijuana legalization while showing readers that they outweigh the net negative benefits. He provides personal stories, factual claims, and credible information in a non-argumentative way, while sneakily persuading his audience by his conversation-like tone and “cut to the chase” business-style writing.

Pixabay. Change, July 2012, CC0 Public Domain

Revised Introduction

Business writing is supposed to be clear cut and to the point. I slimmed down my introduction to remove information that is not essential to my essay to make my introduction easier to read and more concise. While I am not 100% it is necessarily superior than my old introduction, I would enjoy someone else's opinion on it. Perhaps an instructor? Down below you can review my revised paragraph as well as my original.

Revised Introduction:

          Legalizing marijuana in the United States is a topic that many have voiced their opinion on in the past decade. Over the course of the past few years, advances have been made and marijuana has became legal in several states, including Colorado and Washington. The question now is whether or not the legalization of marijuana will benefit or be detrimental to the U.S. Economists deal in the sector of determining if the net benefits of a certain action outweigh the net negative benefits. One of those economists, Ranjit Dighe, provides readers with ideas and examples supporting his pro position on the legalization of marijuana in the U.S. He appeals to his audience's values and beliefs, while retaining his own personal bias in order to let the reader decide for themselves whether or not they think believe marijuana should be legalized.

Original Introduction:

The debate of whether or not the legalization of marijuana in the United States would benefit the country or harm it, has been floating around for many decades. In the past half decade, it has come into the forefront of debate, with several states such as Colorado and Washington legalizing the recreational use of marijuana. Many economists along with the general public now question whether or not this is a good idea. They’re debating if it should be rolled out across the country, or if it is going to be detrimental to the U.S. As a result of this, many experts and journalists alike have taken their side of the debate to the media by voicing their opinions on the issue. An example of this is an article from the Huffington Post. In his article, "Legalize It -- The Economic Argument," Ranjit Dighe provides readers with ideas and examples supporting his pro position on the legalization of marijuana in the U.S. He appeals to his audience's values and beliefs, while retaining his own personal bias in order to let the reader decide for themselves whether or not they think believe marijuana should be legalized.

Wikimedia Commons. Change, May 17, 2005, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic

Reflection on Project 2 Draft

To start, I reviewed Mark and Brandon's projects.

1. Who is my audience?

- This essay was focused toward business students who have an interest in economics. The paper was written as an example rhetorical analysis on a business article in a method that business students will learn to write in college.

2. What biases might my readers have? Am i respecting their opinions while also achieving my own purpose?

- In my essay, I stayed as unbiased as possible. I stated the facts from the author, and analyzed why and how he was getting his selected information across. My author's bias was that marijuana should be legalized, but my essay allows my readers to decide for themselves.

3. What are their values and expectations? Am I adequately meeting those expectations?

- Business students value short and concise articles. They are taught to get their point across in as few words as possible. I feel that I met this expectation by providing just the right amount of information without being overbearing or not adequate enough to understand the topic at hand.

4. How much information do I need to give my audience? How much background information or context should I provide for them without insulting their expertise?

- As I previously stated, a student in the business field does not need loads of information. However, not all students would be familiar with the topic of marijuana legalization so I provided adequate information that give the perfect amount of background information for the reader to make an informed decision for themselves whether or not they believe marijuana should be legalized.

5. What kind of language is suitable for this audience?

- Business papers are not too technical and do not include substantial quantities of large, complex words. An easy to read, approachable language that anyone could follow, not just business majors, is suitable for this audience, and I feel that I stuck to that well for the most part.

6. What tone should I use with my audience? Do I use this tone consistently throughout my draft?

- My goal was to maintain a formal and informative tone. The general bulk of my essay maintains this format, however, I have noticed a few sentences that undermine that goal and need to be re-worded to appeal to my desired tone better.

Flickr. Hand with Reflecting Sphere, June 18, 2005, Attribution Non-Commercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic

Clarity, Part 1

In reading the Clarity section of Rules for Writers, I focused on four topics, those being: Add needed words, Emphasize key ideas, Provide some variety, and Eliminate distracting shifts.

Add Needed Words:

I often find myself omitting words because I feel that my sentences can become too wordy, or repeat themselves. After reading the Clarity section on adding needed words, I learned that omitting certain words can lead a sentence to defy grammar, and even recognized that I do this in some of my writings. This knowledge will help me make sure my sentences are logical, while also not becoming too wordy.

Emphasize Key Ideas:

The section in emphasizing key ideas that stood out to me the most was "Excessive subordination." When I am trying to strongly emphasize something, I often add words to create length as I believe this makes the reader focus more on the sentence. I learned that this is not always the case and that you have to be careful to not overdue it.

Provide Some Variety:

A huge problem of mine is that I am bad at wording similar sentences differently. I often find myself using the same sentence openings that are easily picked up by then reader. This section has opened my mind on ways to include some variety as well as changing up the sentence structure of my writings.

Eliminate Distracting Shifts:

Another problem of mine when I write is I can change verb tense and the point of view without noticing it. This makes the writing's tense confusing and can take away from the message being delivered. I need to choose a suitable perspective and then stay with it, as the book states.

Pixabay. Climber & Clarity, October, 2014, CC0 Public Domain

Draft of Rhetorical Analysis

I am not too familiar with analyzing specific texts, as that has never been my strong suit. I wrote this as best as I could, trying to stray away from my familiar methods of persuasion and just stating facts. Please take a look at my draft and help me to better it in any way, specifically, my comments on how the author's statements appeal to my audience's values and beliefs with regard to ethos, pathos, logos.

Also, please keep an eye out for any repeated information, or statements that do not add significant understand to the analysis, as business students are taught to write short and straight to the point.

Here is a link to view and comment on my draft of Project 2.

Pixabay. Comments, July, 2014, CC0 Public Domain

Reflection:

After reading the comments on my own essay and reviewing Mark and Brandon's, I learned that clarity issues are more common than I previously thought. I recognized more mistakes in my essay after reading the comments that were given, and realized I make more grammatical mistakes that I never even knew were mistakes. I reviewed Brandon and Mark's rough draft:

Brandon:

"As the previous factor suggested that newly brought-in species can affect the world due to their non-exposure of the world around them, these new species can be more harmful to an ecosystem where it lives than it is beneficial to it."

• In Brandon's own reflection, he noted that he often struggles with using too many complex sentences. On that note, I thought that commenting on one of his complex sentences would be ideal as a review on clarity. In his above sentence, you can tell that it is very long and wordy, and can be split into two ideas. One sentence can be how newly brought-in species can affect the world due to their non-exposure. The sentence should end with that idea and a new one should begin regarding how those species can harm the ecosystem rather than benefit it.

Mark:

"Although this piece is concerned with a scientific topic, its audience is not limited to technical readers only."

• The word only is a limited modifier. In speech, you can often get away with incorrect placement of dangling and limited modifiers. In writing, the mistake often stands out more and needs to be more carefully thought out. I myself am no grammar expert, but I believe the word only should go before "technical readers" to provide more clarity and make the sentence grammatically correct.

Project 2 Outline

Here I will lay out what I plan to accomplish in my analysis of "Legalize It -- The Economic Argument."

Introduction:

I will give background context about the debate of whether marijuana should be legalized or not in the United States to give my readers a grasp on the concept in order to better understand the analysis to come. Followed by that will come my thesis statement.

Body Paragraphs:

1. I will analyze the audience and context of the piece, while providing information on the author and how he will be appealing to the values and beliefs of his audience.

2. This paragraph will go into the depth and analysis of the first cultural value I have decided to analyze, which is the health and safety of the public in regards to if marijuana is addictive, and analyze how the author, Ranjit Dighe, states the evidence using rhetorical strategies to appeal to his readers.

3. This paragraph will analyze yet another cultural value of the text, this time being how the author presents his information on the economic costs of legalizing marijuana in the U.S, and the net benefits and net negative benefits.

4. This paragraph will be mainly focused on pathos, and how the author uses emotional context and stories about his own life to appeal to his readers values and receive an emotional response, which in turn helps with persuading the audience to agree on Dighe's stance, pro-legalization.

All of my body paragraphs will contain a topic sentence and end with a sentence relating back to the thesis.

Conclusion:

My conclusion will restate the thesis statement in a new way, while also briefly covering all the rhetorical strategies that were used in the text. I will summarize the information presented to leave my readers with a copy of the text, which will give them the opportunity to decide for themselves if they believe marijuana should be legalized in the United States.

Wikipedia. Planning Process, May 16, 2007, Public Domain

Draft Thesis Statement

Flickr. Write till you drop, April 9, 2008, Attribution No-Derivs 2.0 Generic

Thesis 1:

In his article, "Legalize It -- The Economic Argument," Ranjit Dighe, a Professor of Economics at the State University of New York at Oswego, provides readers with ideas and examples supporting his pro position on the legalization of marijuana in the U.S. He appeals to his audiences' values and beliefs, while retaining his own personal bias in order to let the reader decide for themselves whether or not they think believe marijuana should be legalized.

Thesis 2:

In his article, "Legalize It -- The Economic Argument," Ranjit Dighe constructs an argument supporting the legalization of marijuana by appealing to emotion and logic as he provides clear examples of why it should be legalized. He writes his article in a format that is easily readable by his business audience, and lets them decide for themselves their own position on the matter.
-------------------------------------------

For my thesis statements, I tried to incorporate the author's stance on the issue at hand, while also mentioning the rhetorical situations that are most prevalent in the article. I believe I am going to have a hard time explaining in depth the rhetorical situations and strategies in the article, as I do not follow them well, but am trying my best. I believe it will be easy to write without bias because I am indifferent to the issue, and am solely focusing on analyzing the author's intentions, not my own.

Reflection:

After reading Mark and Brandon's thesis statements, I learned that it is an effective method to introduce the rhetoric strategies used in the author's article, in order to set up the analysis to come. I have not yet reflected on comments on my theses, as I do not have any yet. Besides looking at my peers theses, I learned that writing multiple thesis statements is an effective writing method, and can only help to improve the message being delivered.

Analyzing My Audience

• What are their beliefs and assumptions?

My audience consists of students entering my field of economics. If they are passionate about economics, they will know that it does not always have to do with money. Economics can be defined as weighing the net benefits vs. net negative benefits in a given scenario. If they are citizens of the U.S., they will believe that marijuana is illegal and the U.S. government spends billions of dollars fighting a losing war on drugs.

• What kind of language is appropriate for them?

Students in the business sector are taught to avoid lengthy sentences and unnecessary information that is not crucial to the writing task at hand. Short, informative sentences that get straight to the point are the kind of language business students use, in order to appeal to a wide variety of clients, customers and individuals.

• What are their sociopolitical and economic backgrounds?

This is a difficult question to answer for my field. As my audience is students in my field, that is their social background. However, any individual from any political or economic background can become successful in a business career with hard work and determination.

• What position might they take on this issue?

While some students may agree that marijuana should be illegal, as that was what they were taught growing up, I truly believe that many students of this generation would take the pro-legalization side. This generation has a tendency to advocate for the legalization of marijuana, as in just the past few years, it has started becoming legal in certain states, something that older generations did not experience.

• What will they want to know?

Students in the economics field would want to see the net benefits of legalizing marijuana laid out, as well as the net negative benefits (pros and cons.) They will want to know all the facts, and then make a decision based off if they believe the benefits outweigh the cons, or vice versa.

• In General, how can they best be persuaded?

If the author can effectively display and state the information without showing bias to one side and slandering the other, that is the first step. The next step is the author needs to be able to show that the net benefits outweigh the net negative benefits, which to an economist, leads to a profitable or valuable decision, and that is what they want to see.

Pixabay. Students Multicultural, April, 2015, CC0 Public Domain

Cluster of "Legalize It -- The Economic Argument"

For my cluster, I used Google Drawings to clearly lay out the key rhetorical strategies, the rhetorical situation, and the cultural values and ideologies presented in the article by Ranjit Dighe. The corresponding elements of those prongs are laid out in a web formation, connected by arrows. I have provided a picture of my cluster, as well as the link if you would like to view it here.

Mike Huebener. Screenshot of Cluster of "Legalize It -- The Economic Argument."

Analyzing Rhetorical Strategies in "Legalize It -- The Economic Argument"

Appeals to Credibility or Character (Ethos)

• Personal stories

The author uses this strategy by saying, "In my own neighborhood a kindly older gentleman was recently arrested for possession of not quite four pounds of marijuana and sentenced to a year in state prison." He goes on to say, "His imprisonment has been devastating to his wife and family, has deprived the community of a good and well-liked neighbor, and has made him a convict or ex-convict forever." Dighe uses this strategy to connect with the reader, possibly to make them think what if that happened to one of their family members, and the lasting impacts it would have. I believe this makes the audience perceive the author as a good character who means well and transforms the text's overall message into something that the readers can relate to, and thus may sway them into also believing that marijuana should be legalized. Dighe is pro-legalization so depending on the reader's views, may impact his credibility.

• References to credible sources

"Ample medical evidence suggests that marijuana is less dangerous than alcohol, and in a recent New Yorker interview even President Obama concurred." The New Yorker is a credible source, and the author uses this strategy to show readers he is not just voicing his own personal opinion, but backing it up with credible and factual information to further his claims. This makes the readers open to accepting the information much more, as it is backed up by scientific studies.

• Word Choice

The author uses the words "benefit" and "decriminalize" substantially to appeal to readers and make them feel like it will make the U.S. a better place to live with more freedom with what an individual can do with their body. 

• Tone

Dighe uses a very informative yet conversation-feeling tone that makes the article flow extremely well. A well written and sounding article affects the reader by making them believe the information truly is factual and correct, as the author "knows his stuff." This makes his claims seem more believable and one step closer to making his audience also believe marijuana should be legalized.

• Appeals to values or beliefs shared by the audience

"I might not approve of someone's choice to consume pork rinds and Keystone Light, but if it makes them happy we have to take that into account." The author knows not all citizens approve of the legalization of marijuana, and he does not force it upon them. That makes him seem more credible and a better character, which in turn, ups the notches on the text's effectiveness at conveying his message.

Appeals to Emotion (Pathos)

• Personal stories or other emotionally compelling narratives

By stating that his elderly neighbor's family's life has been ruined, he is attempting to create a sense of sympathy for the victims who have been affected by harsh laws, when they are indeed not criminals at all. These emotions are effective because the reader asks themselves, "what if that was my own child or husband, etc."

• Repetition of key words

"decriminalize" is used frequently throughout the text. The author is attempting to make the readers sympathize for the 19-32 million frequent marijuana users in the country who are labeled as criminals in the justice system. I'm not sure the resulting emotion is gained however, as Dighe mostly goes on to explain what decriminalization is and how it relates to prohibition, rather than tell a story that appeals to the emotions. It does not affect his credibility however, as his message around decriminalization is full of factual statistics and compelling evidence.

• Humor

I'm going to repeat a quote from above, "I might not approve of someone's choice to consume pork rinds and Keystone Light, but if it makes them happy we have to take that into account." This got a laugh out of me, and I'm sure it would do the same for other readers. Dighe's occasional insertion of one-liners in the article makes the reader smile and enjoy reading the piece. It creates an article that is not 100% technical and statistic, while still retaining the overall thesis.

• Shocking statistics

Many people argue that legalizing marijuana will lead to increased usage, and more accidents on the road or elsewhere. Dighe states, "A recent study by economists D. Mark Anderson and Daniel I. Rees found that semi-legalization, in the form of medical marijuana, in 16 states led adults to consume more marijuana but to moderate their alcohol consumption, leading to a 9 percent decrease in traffic fatalities." That is shocking and appeals to the emotions because nobody appreciates drunk drivers and the harm they cause to communities across the world. This enhances the author's credibility greatly.

Appeals to Logic (Logos)

• Historical records

"It was called Prohibition, which actually did not ban the consumption of alcohol but only its manufacture, sale and transportation. We've all heard how that turned out." The author is comparing prohibition to decriminalization in several states, where marijuana consumption is legal, but the manufacture or sale of the drug is still illegal. The same was the case with alcohol during prohibition, and that resulted in criminal empires supplying alcohol, violence, and just shear bad decision making. Effective at pushing for the full legalization of marijuana.

• Interviews

The article links to an interview by the New Yorker where President Obama concurred that marijuana is less dangerous than alcohol. Many people respect the President's opinion, and this is an effective strategy at increasing the authors credibility and moving one step closer to having the readers agree with the Dighe.

• Case studies

"Marijuana has not been found to be physically addictive, and addiction rates of any kind are lower for marijuana than for alcohol, tobacco and harder drugs." This strategy creates believability in the author's claims that marijuana is not a health risk to the general public, and throws out the notion that marijuana is a gateway drug to even harder drugs.

• Effective organization

The author separates his claims and evidence by paragraph. Each separate claim has its own paragraph, and information is not thrown around randomly and ineffectively. He starts the paragraphs with his ideas and claims, and then gives ample background knowledge and factual references to back up his claims and improve credibility.

• Clear transitions/connections

Dighe does a fantastic job of transitioning from topic to topic. His transition sentences all relate to the previous claim and the next one, and his ideas basically one-up each other. He states a claim, gives evidence, and transitions into another claim that is made possible by his previous one. Usually, it is evidence of benefit to the U.S.

Logical Fallacies

• Casual generalization

In Dighe's statement regarding decreased traffic fatalities from decreased alcohol consumption, it does not state that the fatalities were related to crashes involving alcohol. The credibility still holds, however, more specifics would provide a stronger argument.

• Non sequitur

"(Aside: I live in upstate New York, which has an indoor smoking ban, and every day this winter I see nicotine addicts shivering and smoking outside; it's hard to imagine someone going outside in the dead of an upstate New York winter to smoke a joint.)" The author draws a conclusion that from his claim that usage would not go up by saying in the cold, users would not be smoking marijuana. That is not true, and I'm sure people would still be doing it. The effect on the reader is minimal because individuals who live in extremely cold areas would probably agree, and for those who don't, the content surrounding the claim enhances it, and makes the fallacy minimal.

Flickr. Rhetorical (1 of 2), July 8, 2011, Attribution 2.0 Generic

Analyzing Message in "Legalize It -- The Economic Argument"

Reflecting on the bullets from pg. 182 of A Student's Guide to First Year Writing:

Relevant Bullets:

• Express an idea or opinion

The author is expressing his opinion that marijuana should be legalized in the U.S. by providing examples of ways it would benefit the country and citizens of it.

• Respond to a particular occasion or text

The text responds to an event where one of the author's neighbors was arrested for pot possession, and how he received a 1-year sentence for the minor charge. He goes on to state how the neighbor was a kind, older gentleman who was a well-liked community figure, and how his imprisonment for a petty crime has not only devastated his own life, but also his wife and family's.

• Explore a topic

The author explores the notion of legalizing marijuana and changing current laws to ease the burden on the U.S prison system, migrate funds used for unnecessary enforcement to areas of the economy that would have greater need for them, such as schools and infrastructure, as well as explores the topic of how marijuana has not been found to be harmful to the human body.

• Inform the reader about a topic that is often misunderstood

The text aims to inform the reader that current beliefs about marijuana are often misunderstood and the facts that most people live by are not correct. Dighe does this by stating generally believed facts, and proving they are myths with the use of secondary sources and credible information.

• Advocate for change

Dighe advocates that the current laws change in the U.S., and marijuana becomes legalized. He is pro-legalization and does not support the current system of suppressing marijuana usage.

• Move the readers to feel a certain way

The author uses detailed examples, such as how his elderly neighbor got arrested and the resulting ruining of his family, as well as uses analogies such as Prohibition, and reminds the readers how that worked out and the influx of criminal organizations during that time.

• Analyze, synthesize, or interpret

Dighe analyzes the current laws and societal beliefs, and interprets them as being unhealthy for the U.S., and how they could/should be changed to improve the U.S.

• Reflect on a topic

The article reflects on how legalization of marijuana would benefit the U.S.

Not Relevant bullets:

• Persuade readers of something

A fantastic example of an informative piece, Dighe never forces anything on anyone in the text. He does not turn bias and say "If you don't support legalization, you're a bad person." Only informs the readers on his opinion, gives reasons and examples, and then lets the reader decide what they want to think.

Any nuances to the text?

The general message is that marijuana should be legalized. Some nuances that are expressed are why it should be, the benefits of it being legal, the health implications, current and future usage of the drug, and the positive impacts it would have on families and communities, as well as the U.S. economy.

Flickr. Purpose, March 27, 2012, Attribution Share-Alike 2.0 Generic

Analyzing My Own Assumptions

1. What cultural or social values, beliefs, etc., do we share with the society or culture in which the text was written? Why have they endured?

• As this text was written for modern day society, we share most of the beliefs and values presented in it. They have endured because we have grown up believing that marijuana is bad and those who use it should be criminalized because that is what our government has told us via laws and the constant prosecution of marijuana users.

2. What cultural or social values, beliefs, etc., do we not share? Why not?

• Some members of our society do not believe in the current cultural norms surrounding marijuana. Some believe that it should be decriminalized and that it is not a negative thing. The author is focusing on those points as to why it should not be a criminal act, and trying to inform the readers on why it should be legalized.

3. If the text is written in a culture distant or different from our own, what social values, beliefs, etc., connect to or reflect our own culture? What social values, beliefs, etc., can we not see in our own culture?

• This text was not written in a distant culture, however, it does reference the legalization of marijuana (which is different from majority of U.S. culture) in the current states that have legalized it, and overseas countries alike.

4. If the text is written in our culture but in a different historical time, how have the social values, beliefs, etc.m developed or changed over time?

• The article was not written in a different historical time, however, it does mention the changing times and how the legalization in certain states could lead to more widespread legalization, and that could change the values and beliefs of this time period in the U.S.

Empower Network. Eliminate Your False Beliefs, April 15, 2013, Public Domain

Post edit:

After reviewing Nicole's and Erick's assumptions regarding their text, I learned that analyzing information that is not based on factual evidence can lead to bias in someones writing, and I have to be careful with that in my text, because the author states his own opinion and ideas as well as factual and scientific evidence. I must make sure I do not agree or disagree with the author in my project.

Analyzing My Audience

1. What values, ideas, norms, beliefs, even laws of the culture play an important role in the text?

• Every aspect of this question plays an important role in this text by Ranjit Dighe. It addresses how the current laws of this country hinder users of marijuana, and set them up for failure in life. To go off of that, because the law states that the drug is illegal, it explains how most citizens' values, ideas and beliefs are negative of the drug due to the laws regarding it. 

2. Does the text address these cultural values, beliefs, etc., directly or indirectly?

• The text addresses these values and beliefs directly. Dighe states what the country thinks of the drug and then goes on to provide a rebuttal argument to maybe have the reader ponder and think: "hey, maybe legalization isn't such a bad thing, after all."

3. What is the relationship of the text to the values, beliefs, etc.? Is it critical of these aspects of the culture? Is it supportive? Does it seek to modify these aspects of the culture in a certain way?

• The author is not supportive of the U.S.'s current values and beliefs regarding marijuana. He seeks to modify the public's values and current culture in America by providing examples of how legalization of the drug can be beneficial to public health, the incarceration situation in the U.S., and how it would keep families and friendships bonded, rather than destroyed.

Pixabay. Presenter and Audience, July 2014, CC0 Public Domain

Cultural Analysis of "Legalize It -- The Economic Argument"

Legalize It -- The Economic Argument, by Ranjit Dighe

The main argument of this article is that the economic benefits of legalizing marijuana in the U.S. far outweigh the economic windfalls. The article is drafted around two main keywords that I found: benefits, and decriminalization. These words support the author's argument by showing the reader how the legalization of marijuana will benefit the U.S., and how decriminalizing it would improve the lives of families who use the drug, and/or have been affected by the harsh laws surrounding it.

The author respects the current cultural norm of disapproval of the drug due to it being illegal in this country, but he works around those norms and beliefs by providing arguments and examples of why marijuana might not be so bad, without being persuasive and making readers feel that they must accept the drug.

A large focus of the article is aimed at the U.S. national identity of being too harsh with laws regarding the drug, and how the country treats occasional users as dangerous criminals who must be locked up with severe punishment. It aims to stray from this reputation and connect with the reader by giving examples of family members locked away for harmless "crimes" that were "committed" by users of the drug. I put those words in parentheses because the author is trying to show how they are not actual crimes, and no one is doing anything bad to the public by lighting up a joint in their own home or leisure time.

Wikipedia. Schein's model of organizational culture, July 7, 2009, Attribution Share-Alike 3.0 Unported

Evaluation of Rhetorical Situations

I chose three articles to analyze the rhetorical situations in each of them. Here is a link to my informative table that I set up in Google Docs:

Evaluation of Sources

Wikimedia Commons. Dr. Cyril Ponnamperuma analyzing a moon sample, March 16, 2008, Public Domain

Developing a Research Question

Pixabay. Exhange of Ideas, July, 2014, CC0 Public Domain

While browsing for controversies during project 1, I came across a few articles that really intrigued me and made me want to learn more about them. They were topics that covered issues that are at the forefront of conversation in this current age and would all be a great topics to analyze.

1. What makes cyberspace a world of opportunity for bullies?

• I was interested in this topic because you always hear about the dangers of online chat rooms, and more recently, the damage kids can do to each other behind a computer screen. Cyber bullying affects many kids' lives in a huge way, and I would be interested to analyze the reasons and methods behind it.

2. How is text messaging affecting teen literacy?

• The first text message was sent in 1992, and since then, has become a global phenomenon with a majority of the world's population being frequent texters. Texting has since blown up during this generation of teenagers, and many are afraid the short blurbs and abbreviated messages are affecting teen literacy in a negative way. When I text, I often use shortened phrases to save time, and would love to read and learn about what the experts have to say, and texting's affect on teenagers' social skills and literacy.

Last but not least, the topic you can't go a day without hearing in the news due to recent rulings:

3. Should marijuana be legalized and how it would affect the U.S.?

• With the recent legalization in several states, many say it is only a matter of time before it is legal across the United States. Upon researching this topic, it was the most diverse with opinions from both sides, those who are pro-legalization and those who are not. Due to the huge presence of this topic in recent times I think it would be extremely rewarding and interesting to read what people are debating about, and their opinions on it, not just a teenage paper on "weed is cool, it should be legal."

Uber: A QRG

I saw that we were asked to directly embed our a PDF of our QRG for this post, however, I could not get the embedded window big enough to view the entire document, so here is a link to my project:

Uber: What's all the fuss about?

Reflection on Project 1

What challenges did I face?

• At first, I knew nothing about a QRG, and originally thought it was similar to a tri-fold informational pamphlet. (Embarrassing, I know.) I was nervous because I had never done a project like this, and was scared my lack of knowledge was going to result in a poor grade. However, after seeing many examples and hearing tips from my instructor, I felt confident that I had the correct format, and my QRG would turn out just fine.

What successes did I experience?

• I did not think I was going to have enough information for a substantial QRG, but that was not the case. After planning what I was going to write and then actually putting it on paper, I realized I had more than enough information which came from my ten sources, and it resulted in a lengthy, but still easy to read QRG.

Writing practices I found most effective:

• For this project, I found looking at both sides of the argument was effective in getting the point of the controversy across, while maintaining a neutral side and letting each side's opinion be heard. I also found that sub-headings dividing my paragraphs in the form of questions was a great design choice that made my QRG have a more conversational feel, which made it easier to read and follow. I also found it very effective to plan out what I was going to say first, rather than type a lot, and do a lot of revising.

Writing practices I found not effective:

• I did not find it effective to write my QRG by listing many endless facts that did not reinforce the controversies. A few short facts were all that was needed to get the point and information across. Also, I did not find it effective to write this QRG in the standard 5 paragraph form, (introduction, body, body, body, conclusion) as a QRG is designed to be quick, informational, and most importantly, easy to read. Something that a five paragraph essay is not.

How was this similar to other writing experiences?

• This was very similar to past experiences in the fact that I had to research my topic thoroughly before writing about it, as well as properly cite my sources. Along with that, I have completed a few projects where the writing assignment wasn't to create a multi-page essay, but rather, a short summary of the information. That is exactly what this project felt like to me, a short summary.

How was this different from past writing experiences?

• This was different from past experiences because I have never written a QRG before. I'm very accustomed to writing full essays, or short, 1-2 paragraph summaries. This was the first time I was able to incorporate different formatting and design choices, rather than the normal "Times New Roman 12-pt font" throughout, in a genre I had previously no experience with.

Will the skills I practiced be useful in other coursework?

• I hope so! I thoroughly enjoyed writing this genre, and feel that it is much more informational and easy to read compared to a traditional essay. I never enjoyed writing, but I did enjoy this project and I hope my future coursework can incorporate this genre as well, so that I may actually want to do the work!

Wikimedia Commons. African Lion Resting, August 8, 2008, CC Attribution Share-Alike 3.0 Unported

I chose this image because this is how I look after completing a long project!

Identifying Basic Grammar Patterns

My annotated paragraph:

https://docs.google.com/a/email.arizona.edu/document/d/1B9Vc_aYYVuv-OCKLm1LXZo62WCbUpFwE8c3LikcxWFA/edit?usp=sharing

What did this lesson teach me?
- While completing this activity, I never truly realized how many ways there were to write a sentence, and all this different types/forms/etc. This activity has made me realize that I tend to stick to some of the same sentence formats in my work, and that I need to branch out more. I want to improve my writing by always making sure I have different sentence patterns, as well as different sentence structures in my work.

Wikimedia Commons. 3D Structure, January 10, 2010, CC Attribution Share-Alike 3.0 Unported

Reflection on Project 1 Draft

Peer Review:

To begin, I reviewed three of my classmates' QRG drafts.

They are:

1. Nicole's QRG on Hacking
2. Jason's QRG on Lasix use in horses
3. Mark's QRG on Fracking

Personal Reflection:

• For this project, my intended audience is my instructor and my classmates. I am trying to get my point across to them in an easy to read way that thoroughly informs my peers on my topic, even if they are not familiar with it. 
• Throughout the QRG, I maintained a neutral take on the controversy, only stating the claims and facts from both sides of the issue. I did not voice my opinion, which may lead to readers losing credibility in my article. However, in the conclusion, I do speak in a tone that shows my personal view, and that is I am for Uber. I plan on revising this to remove my personal view, and keep it neutral.
• My audiences expectations are that I provide them with a modern controversy that contains a lot of facts and information, and slim it down to make the reading enjoyable and interesting. I believe that I am meeting those expectations as I keep my paragraphs short and to the point, while also showing readers the most crucial information. 
• I need to give my audience enough information to understand and get a good grip on the topic, but not too much that I drown them with endless facts that they may not care about. I believe I provided just the right amount of statements from authors and credible articles that do not take a stance on the issue, as to not offend anyone.
• A QRG is designed to appeal to a larger audience with many age groups. As such, I used easy language with not many words that the average person would have to look up. My QRG takes a conversational approach, which I feel is very suitable for this project. I just have to revise my QRG to make sure the language is not too conversational, and maintains a professional approach.
• I maintain a tone that is easily approachable. It is not too stern, and not too comical, but it gets the information across in a professional, yet uplifting way. 

Deviant Art. Quagsire Reflecting, October 28, 2011, CC Attribution-Noncommerical-No Derivative Works 3.0 License

Learning Reflection

After filling out weekly calendar sheet, I realized I do not have a huge amount of free time to complete my coursework for this class. This summer, I work 5 days a week, 8 hours a day, which consumes my mornings every weekday. I get off work at 4 pm, and then usually have dinner with my family. That leaves me 6 pm - bedtime to complete homework, or do anything recreationally.

.......That is when I'm lucky.

Unfortunately, my family is in the process of moving, and my days are sometimes filled with packing, unpacking, and moving boxes for hours on end. I am a determined student however, and know I will be able to find the time to sufficiently complete my coursework for this class.

Pixabay. Clock Schedule, July, 2013, CC0 Public Domain

Uber and the Controversies around it

Why did I choose this article?

This article really stood out to me and made me choose Uber to write about because it listed 7 serious controversies that are surrounding the company. Seeing the number 7 made me realize this company is under much public scrutiny and I believed it would be an awesome topic to write about. I also am a big fan of Uber and use it frequently to get around Tucson, so I was intrigued that so many people have issues with it. I found this article on TIME.com: 7 Dead-Serious Uber Controversies That Somehow Didn’t Sink the Company.

Pixabay. Newspaper Journal Article Headlines, July 2014, CC0 Public Domain

My (not so great) Writing Process

• After reading about the four types of writers, I decided that I am mostly a "sequential composer" with an emphasis on being a "procrastinator."

• Before I begin to write anything, I generally take a piece of scratch paper and write out my main ideas, and what I want each paragraph to contain. Unfortunately, I have a bad habit of doing this right before the deadline, so that makes me a procrastinator. Over the years and throughout many school projects, my writing style has been mostly effective for me, only failing me a handful of times.

• My strengths are that I rely heavily on written notes in order to maintain the topic and not get off track, which is immensely helpful in shaping my drafts. I also work slowly through papers, generally not moving on to the next paragraph until the current one is perfectly composed.

• My weaknesses are that I usually wait until the last day to write my papers, and that really limits my creativity. I say this because I usually don't have multiple days to leave my paper, think of new and better ways to say the information I'm presenting, and then edit my draft. I usually stick to one draft and slightly tweak it, which I would like to change and I feel by doing so I could write much better papers.

• I do believe it would be beneficial to me to try a new approach, such as the "heavy revising" approach. I already plan my papers out well and thoroughly, but after that, I don't do much revising. Coming up with new ways to say my information and editing it more thoroughly would definitely be more beneficial to me.

Flickr. Rough Draft, June 25, 2010, Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic

I picked this photo to represent my writing style because before I draft, I write out what I want in each paragraph, and then add/delete/revise information before putting it in my paper.

Integrating a Quote

Legend:

In red: Establishing authority
In green: Signal Phase
In pink: Marking quote boundaries
In yellow: Actual quotation

OpenClipArt. Quotation Marks, June 8, 2011, Public Domain

Draft of Quick Reference Guide

Here is my (extremely) rough draft of my QRG, on the topic of Uber, and the controversy they have surrounding them. I would really appreciate help with better organizing my information, rather than stuffing a lot of sporadic information into a single paragraph. Along with that, suggestions on how to format so that I might better be able to show the two sides of each claim, from Uber's perspective, and the respective group making the claim. Any and all help and honest feedback is welcome and appreciated. I know the QRG is very bland and boring at this point, but I'm more focused on content than appearance in my rough draft, and will look a lot better on the final copy.

Here is a link that will take you to my rough draft, in order for you to comment on it: 

https://docs.google.com/a/email.arizona.edu/document/d/1jFxw9ghYQw2ixNFEG3frmzyqYWz7G5Uu9MCMqgnp4A0/edit?usp=sharing

OpenClipArt. Text Edit Buttons, February 24, 2011, Public Domain

QRGs: the Genre

QRGs:

Flickr. Making Baby Smile, January 25, 2008, Attribution ShareAlike 2.0 Generic

What are they?
- A quick reference guide is just that: quick, like a notecard to an essay or speech. It provides the reader with a concise bundling of notes and facts about a specific topic. They work extremely well in informing readers on topics that generally consist of a lot of information, space travel for example, and basically, dumb it down to appeal to the masses and make it enjoyable to read for the everyday person.

How do they work?
- QRGs work by dividing information up into sub-topics, and briefly explaining each topic. The author can choose to format this by creating a main header, usually describing what the QRG is about, and then multiple, smaller sub-headers that contain the information. The Gamergate QRG is a fantastic example to this. The header states it is the only guide you will ever need to read, because it contains all the vital information in a quick, easy to read format. The author's sub-headings are questions that a reader might have about Gamergate, and then he goes on to explain the question in a condensed paragraph. This makes the information crisp, and easy to understand by just looking at the formatting.

What is the purpose?
- The purpose of the stem cell QRG is to inform readers of the different types of stem cells, and their respective purposes, in a way that the average human would understand. It doesn't include complex scientific equations, or terms that some people would consider alien. The Gamergate guide picks apart the world of gaming, and the two different sides that have emerged in the internet culture. Again, it does this in terms that everyone would understand, not just people of the gaming community. That is the real purpose of QRGs: inform an entire audience on a topic that only a certain few would be able to get technical on.

Who is the intended audience?
- For these listed examples, the intended audience is all the same in my opinion: the general public. The authors of each QRG are clearly well educated on the topic, and want to bring the same understanding to the masses. They keep it basic and to the point, which keeps most readers from drifting off and losing interest, and thus, the reader becomes informed on a topic they may have never even heard about beforehand.

EDIT:
- After reading Nicole's, Sayanna's, and Mark's posts regarding the QRG genres, I decided my opinion on the intended audience being the same for each QRG was not correct. My classmates' opinions and supporting facts about how the audiences differ made me think the same way, and now I believe the intended audiences do indeed differ from post to post, as the reader has to be somewhat interested in the topic at hand to enjoy reading it, which therefore means the audience cannot be the entire general public as I first thought.

Summary of "What you need to know about Uber's latest controversies"

What you need to know about Uber's latest controversies

A summary

Step one:

A lawsuit against Uber in California is just the latest battle for the ride sharing service.

- Two district attorneys from California, Uber's home state, filed a civil lawsuit against the company, whose current valuation is at $41 billion. They accuse Uber of misleading customers about the extent of background checks it performs on its drivers, as well as illegally providing services at airports without authorization and defrauding customers with a $4 "airport fee toll." The DA's claim Uber is putting its customers at risk by not fully ensuring the quality of its drivers and wants Uber to fully reimburse customers who paid airport fees and bizarre charges.

Trouble overseas:

- New Delhi, India's capital city, banned Uber after allegations an Uber driver raped a passenger using the service in the city. While a troublesome issue, officials claim the ban is because Uber is using a taxi permit that applies to other parts of India, but not in the capital city itself. Uber has also been banned in Spain and Thailand, due to claims that the ride sharing service is unfair competition to taxi services. Uber is also having issues in Germany, the Netherlands, and Toronto. In the U.S., Uber is facing challenges in Nevada and Oregon, where officials want Uber to comply with state regulations in order to operate.

Questions over passenger safety:

- The alleged rape in India is nothing new to Uber, whose drivers have been involved in similar instances in Chicago, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. Uber's website claims it is "the safest ride on the road," however, The New York Times reported that Uber has lobbied against laws that would require stronger background checks for its drivers.

Public Relations Blemishes:

- Uber has been attacked by some as being sexist, thanks in part to a promotion in France that offered to pick passengers up with a "hot chick" as the driver. Along with that, BuzzFeed reported that Uber was hiring investigators to get information on journalists who were criticizing the company, so that they could use it as blackmail against the journalists. Peter Thiel, a billionaire investor in Lyft, claimed that Uber is the "most ethically-challenged company in Silicon Valley." Competition between Lyft has also caused hits to Uber's reputation, with accusations that both companies have attempted to sabotage drivers of the opposite company.

What's at stake?

- Despite the growing list of controversies, Uber's value is currently at $41 billion, based on recent fundraising. Fortune reports that an IPO could be a year away, and worth billions of dollars when the time comes. The many blemishes facing the company could turn away some investors, but facts don't lie, and Uber has continued to grow even with all the controversies surrounding it.

---------------------------------------------

Claims & Evidence:

• Uber is misleading customers - lying about scrutiny of background checks, and charging illegitimate fees.
• Uber drivers rape passengers - passengers from various cities around the world have reported it
• Uber doesn't go through required regulations - cities around the world are trying to ban it unless it cooperates with city and state regulations
• Uber is sexist - had a promotion with "hot female drivers" picking up passengers
• Uber can succeed - has been growing, app usage and value wise, even with all the controversies

Step two:

Uber is currently involved in a lot of controversy. From misleading customers about their safety, as evidenced by allegations of rape by drivers, to trying to jump through loopholes in state regulations in order to operate, as well as being labeled sexist and morally corrupt by certain individuals. Through it all, however, Uber still has the opportunity to freshen its image, and succeed in this ever-changing world.

Step three:

The controversies surrounding Uber are not some to be pushed underneath the carpet. From allegations of rape by drivers, as reported by passengers, as well as misleading customers about the depth of driver background checks, Uber's safety to passengers may be a concerning question to some. To go along with that, the company does not follow set transportation regulations in certain cities around the world, which is causing governments to limit or ban the service entirely. Add all that up and include allegations that the company is sexist and ethically-challenged, and it seems you have a company that is doomed to fail. However, Uber continues to defy odds and gain business in this new world of electronic, app based companies.

Step four:
I compared my summary to Erick Hannah's summary of "Why Indiana's Religious Freedom Law Is Such A Big Deal." Our summaries were formatted in the same way, with the steps numbered, and the work shown, albeit different topics. Our main difference was that for step one, I made a short summary for each paragraph of my article, as outlined in step 1 of the Student's Guide, page 89. That helped me immensely by being able to look at the short paragraph, and come up with a claim and evidence for the next part. Although our first steps were different, the end result was the same, a well written and concise summary of a longer length article.

Wikimedia Commons. Condense Facts and Information to Knowledge, July 1, 2011, CC Attribution 3.0