Silly Positions class lab

Our group (Melissa, Charlotte and Myself) had a very silly position to argue about in this class lab. We chose to prove the point that the elderly should take on NASCAR Racing!

1. Our reinforcing points were:

-It would be a great hobby

-It would "spice up" their Sundays

-They may not have much time left to live, so why not live it up?

-Who doesn't love the movie Talladega Nights?

2. Our Audience was directed toward our fellow classmates, along with any elder person that may want to learn more about the benefits of NASCAR Racing!

3. Our points included the benefits of watching, learning, and experiencing the thrill of tons of race cars going around a track.

4. If you want to be a true, fun loving all-American, it is necessary to love this sport.

5. A common argument about NASCAR is that it's not a sport. But we have news for you! NASCAR is a captivating, thrilling activity that has many people's interests, thus considered (to us at least) a great sport.

6. After church on a Sunday morning, Jesus can take the wheel.

7. If none of these factors are convincing enough to become a NASCAR race car driver... well, bingo is pretty fun too.

reading sources critically lab

Reading sources critically:

What arguments does the author make?

He argued that no other race should say the N word at all and that if you are in any kind of group that has an offensive label then you are the only person that can say the offensive label, and if you are outside of the group then it is not your place to say it. 

2.    How persuasive do you find the argument?

There is historical evidence of the argument he expressed, like how the term was used back in the day and how degrading it was and how “white folk” shouldn’t call their friends the N-word loosely. There really isn’t any citations or links, it was just Tim Wise at what it seemed a conference. He was citing that there actually is history how the term was used and it was offensive and how he sees people throw the word around when it shouldn’t be. 

3.    What is the author’s stance?

He does use multiple examples of different types of people, “Black folk”, Redneck and also about him being Jewish, he didn’t only talk about the N word. He did have a particular bias about no one using terms that are derogatory or offensive even if they think it may not be offensive, people of that certain group like being a redneck can call themselves and others that but not people that are not redneck is what he says. He is using only one viewpoint saying that terms calling people a certain name isn’t okay. 

4.    Does the publisher bring a certain stance to the work?

He brought up Jeff Foxworthy and how really all he talks about when he is doing comedy is redneck jokes and it is okay for him to do that because he is from the South and he actually is a redneck and he calls himself one so it is okay, if a different comedian Jerry Seinfeld were to crack jokes publicly then it is not okay. 

 Yes white people cannot say the N word. It should be common sense not to use offensive words like that.

6.    Does this source support or challenge your own position -or does it do both?

This source would support our own positions, we do not say the N word, or any other derogatory words that we know would offend or make others feel bad. 

7.    What can you tell about the intended audience and purpose?

The intended audience would most likely be anyone actually because he does not only talk white people or black people the main purpose is to inform everybody of how to not be racist and to watch what you say, don’t use offensive terms and all people need to be aware that peopl

5.     Do you recognize ideas you’ve run across in other sources?e do get offended by what others say and not to say words about labeling people in an offensive way.

Developing your argument: position paper

1. What are you trying to change?
My position on this paper is the minimum wage, and how it should be raised.
2. To whom are you writing?
I am writing for an audience that is interested in political points in America, and for people who are interested in controversial topics such as this one.
3. How do you appeal to their beliefs?
I was able to write this paper in a non-offensive yet informative way for people of all backgrounds and religions. I made it appealing because I added in other viewpoints on the matter such as why it shouldn't be raised, etc.
4. Why should your audience believe you?
They should believe me becuse this is a topic that has to do with every american. Most likely everyone has worked a minimum wage job in their life, so they should see where I am coming from. Also, if they are at all interested in other people's lives and doing what they can to make them better, this would be a good read for them.
5. What are at least 2 reasons the change should be made?
-Raising the minimum wage would help families that dont have much money
-raising the minimum wage would help the overall economy to get going again
6. A good point that the other side makes about this argument is that raising the minimum wage makes it so jobless rate would increase, and no one wants that, especially in this economy.
7. I would answer that point by making it clear that joblessness wouldnt occur unless the minimum wage was changed drastically fast. If it is a slow process of increasing money, employers would be able to keep their employees as well as not worry about losing money.
8. Another good point for the opposing argument would be that the rich dont have to worry about anything
9. I would answer that point by saying; "if you're rich, good for you."
10. Society would benefit from this change. The economy. People in poverty and families with little money.

Polished paper #2:

Laura Combs

English 101

Begert

Nov. 5th, 2015

Ad Analysis

For this paper, I chose to do an analysis on the objectification of women in ads for alcohol. Alcohol has been popular for a long time and has been many people's go-to drink after a long day at work, at a party, or even along with a meal. Specifically, men are known to drink more alcohol than women. According to the National Institute for Alcohol Abuse in 2013, a reported 16.6 million Americans 18 and older have an AUD, (alcohol use disorder.) and 10.8 of those million are Men. This is just a statistic of alcohol abuse, not counting the number of deaths from alcohol of that year. With these studies in mind, some companies selling alcohol have geared their audience toward men, and in the process...have objectified women.  

In these advertisements, you’ll see that they all have a female in them. Two of them, you can’t even see their eyes, but their bodies are what is targeted for these ads. Not only are their bodies being shown off with minimal clothing, but they don’t look happy. These women have little to no expression, being another aspect to seeing these people as objects, not people.

In relation to alcohol, One of these ads shows an overjoyed man wrapped around two ladies’ legs with a drink in each hand. The setting seems to be a crazy party-scene, filled with drunk people and some bright lights. This aspect may be appealing to those that love to party and have a good time. And with partying sometimes comes alcohol. The ladies’ faces aren’t even shown, suggesting that they don’t matter. This ad is trying to showcase that with this product, you can get any girl you want. And in this case, girls plural.

With this happy expression on the man’s face, this will suppesedly get men to buy their product, not even thinking twice about the misogynistic, inappropriate aspect in the first place.

In the second ad, there are two women on either side of a vodka bottle, only focusing on their open mouths. Again, there are not one but two women in this advertisement, possibly suggesting that they come a dime a dozen to men. These women are expressionless and look like mannequins, possibly suggesting that with this bottle of vodka, you will receive the “perfect” woman you deserve. With the infamous cherry red lips and flawless complexion, this product is bringing more attention to the ironic statement at the bottom to “Go Natural.”

In the third ad, there are not one, not two, but three women posing for a budweiser advertisement. They are all laying down on a towel appearing to be living perfect and relaxed lives. Although somewhat dated, this picture still speaks a thousand words. These women are the same size, same skin color, and nearly same hair color and texture. This Budweiser ad from the 80’s was released in the summertime, appealing to the satisfaction of an ice cold beer on a hot summer day. And in this satisfaction comes every man’s dream; the perfect woman! With no question, this picture has been photoshopped, showing no flaws. These women have been sexualized to be more appealing to the buyers of this product, including the idea that if women get this product, they may look the same as the women in this picture!

All of these advertisements relate in the visual and verbal content of objectifying women for alcohol. With the fact of alcoholic beverages being loved around the world, companies have used this to their advantage to get men, specifically to buy their products.

Paper #3 Final

Laura Combs

English 101

Begert

19 November 15

Paper #3: Should the U.S. minimum wage be raised?

In this day and age in America, the economy is changing with a blink of an eye. Does it cause a disadvantage because it raises firms’ costs or would some businesses experience higher sales because their customers’ income is higher? Certain companies and people have power over others, drastically impacting where and who money goes to. This creates a huge difference in economic status within Americans. With certain people having an advantage over others, people working that earn a minimum wage salary shouldn’t have to be living a check-to-check life. As cliche as it sounds, there are bills to pay and mouths to feed, and some families in poverty are doing whatever they can to get by. With this in mind, the minimum wage in this country should be raised.

“It has been six long years since the minimum wage was changed.” In 2009 it was raised about two dollars to $7.25 nationally but this is still not enough to support a family. Hopeful-Presidential, democrat Bernie Sanders is determined to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. His valid point is to “protect the least powerful members of our society from predation.” (dailycaller.com). President Barack Obama has looked at a reasonable $10.10 an hour, but labor unions are wanting more, hoping for $15 an hour for America’s minimum wage. The increase of the minimum wage have had a great deal of success and outweigh the cost of low-wage workers, “But in the highly volatile low-wage job market, many people regularly move between having a job and looking for one.” (U.S. News).

There is a constant argue of whether or not minimum wage should be raised. Some think it’s pointless or won’t do much, but those people are typically the ones that don't have to worry about money. And with women making up two-thirds of the minimum wage workers, the increase of minimum wage would benefit them greatly, giving them a chance against today’s economic challenges.  The increase would of course raise the whole family income, as well as… “employers facing a higher minimum wage might demand less labor, leading to more joblessness and lost income in families with low-wage workers.” (U.S. News).

The Congressional Budget office has found that a hike of about three dollars minimum wage would result in reduction of poverty across America. To be specific, roughly 900,000 people would no longer be living in poverty. President Obama is in favor of it, as well as other democrats. Obama has in fact looked at a reasonable $10.10 an hour, but labor unions are wanting more, hoping for $15 an hour for America’s minimum wage. It is up to lawmakers to enact it. With this is mind though, the CBO had come to realize that there would be some downsides to raising the national minimum wage. With employers covering a higher labor cost, they may have to let some workers go, due to a possible loss of income for their business and purchasing power. Job loss is a recurring worry for Americans, but you have to remember that states won’t drastically raise their minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 an hour. That would be too drastic of a change. Like everything, it will take time, and with a slow and steady pace, people won’t have to worry about losing their jobs. However, a rough downside to raising minimum wage was between 2007 and 2009. This was when the minimum wage was raised 41%. Sure, from the sound of it, it seemed like a good plan, but not to those 16-19 year olds that were unable to find a job. The jobless rate for people those ages rose 10%, from about 16% to 26% between those two years. But looking closely, does this even compare with the middle- aged workers doing whatever they can to support a family? The percentage doesn’t even compare from the number of parents 16-19 to the number of parents 20-retirement age working a minimum wage job. People at that young age still have hope and more employment opportunities than people older that are being relied on by their families to bring food to the table.

“A higher minimum wage can spur businesses to operate more efficiently and employees to work harder. Employers may look for ways to increase productivity, such as setting higher performance standards for employees or investing more to train them. A higher wage may motivate employees to work harder because when they're paid decently, they have more to lose by getting fired.”

The argue against minimum wage also has a great deal to do with political standpoint. For example, a pew research center surveyed people in 2014 about their opinions on the matter. 73% of people voted an increase in the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, a solely Democratic-backed proposal. While they and 71% of independents were in favor of the raise, 53% of republicans were in favor and 43% were opposed. With a great deal of this argument having to do with political viewpoints, as well as religious or communal opinions that affect one’s view on the matter. As frustrating as it may be, we cannot change someone's opinion on such controversial issues such as this one, but it is up to the state and national lawmakers to decide the minimum wage. With an increase within even the past few years, there is hope for more of an increase within the upcoming years. Certain cities already have enacted a minimum that will be set in the next few years. For example, Seattle will be $15 an hour by 2021. San Francisco will be $18 an hour by 2018, and Chicago will be $13 an hour by 2019. In seattle specifically, Robert Reich believes that the current economic state of America is “anemic” because people don’t really have the money or power to get the economy going again. His guess is that “Seattle's businesses will adapt through the years of change in minimum wage without any net loss of employment.” He goes on in a positive, reinforcing tone about how Seattle's employers will also have a wider availability of choices – as the $15 an hour brings in the labor force, some people who otherwise weren’t interested. This means that the workers they have will be reliable and stay longer.“The gains from a higher minimum wage extend beyond those who receive it. More money in the pockets of low-wage workers means more sales, especially in the locales they live in — which, in turn, creates faster growth and more jobs.”

“You know what that means when someone pays you minimum wage? You know what your boss was trying to say? ‘Hey if I could pay you less, I would, but it’s against the law.’” -Chris Rock

Wolf, Connor. “It’s Been Six Years Since Feds Raised The Minimum Wage. What Were The Economic Results?” The Daily Caller News Foundation.  The Daily Caller News Foundation, 25, Jul. 2015. Web. 19, Nov. 2015.

http://dailycaller.com/2015/07/25/its-been-six-years-since-feds-raised-the-minimum-wage-what-were-the-economic-results/

Harvey, John. “The real argument for raising minimum wage.” Forbes Leadership. Forbes Leadership, 31, Jul. 2015. Web. 19, Nov. 2015.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/johntharvey/2015/07/31/real-argument-for-raising-minimum-wage/

Delsiver, Drew. “5 Facts about the minimum wage.” Fact Tank. Fact Tank, 23, Jul. 2015. Web. 19, Nov. 2015.

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/07/23/5-facts-about-the-minimum-wage/

Stone, Chad. “Raising the minimum wage brings many benefits” U.S. News, 21, Feb. 2014. Web. 3, December. 2015.

http://www.usnews.com/opinion/economic-intelligence/2014/02/21/raising-the-minimum-wage-has-many-benefits

In-Class Lab: Analyzing an Argument 2

Morgan Carlson

1. What is the claim?
The claim is that having a cow is good for anyone with enough space, time, and money. The author says that it's beneficial for a family with patience and capacity for a cow.
2. What support does the writer offer for the claim?
Reasons such as production of milk and meat are apparently good for a family, however they are not necessary. But for a family that would appreciate having those around the house, as well as a manure for your lawn, it is beneficial to add a cow to a home. The author adds facts regarding health and beneficial ingredients in food produced by the cow's milk. With factoids from the food & drug administration and other well-educated sources, the author is able to support his claim that having a cow is good.
3. How evenhandedly does the writer present the issue?
The author doesn't really bring in counterarguments to the paper, however with important information that has to do with the manure, enzymes and pesticides in the cow's milk, the author is able to cover enough ground without the extra counterarguments involved. His arguments are appropriately qualified, with no cliche's, no insulting or crude remarks, and a well-thought out opinion regarding the ownership of a cow. 
4. What authorities or sources of outside information does the writer use?
The author uses sources from credible authors and professionals on the subject such as Carl Rosen and Chris Kresser. Rosen has credible information from the University of Minnesota to back him up on the information, and Kresser wrote an article discussing the dangers of raw milk, and the appropriate way of consuming it.
5. How does the writer address you as the reader?
The writer is able to discuss the benefits of having a cow in your life as well as the dietary needs and restrictions involving what is in the cow's milk and meat. Although I think the overall paper is well-written and uses important information and credible sources, I myself am a vegetarian agree with the idea of using a cow for its milk and meat. Many people do, and many believe its necessary in a diet, so this paper will prove beneficial to their liking, but I don't and I have opinions quite opposite to these, however I was respectful and supportive of this author and their viewpoints. Just because I don't exactly agree with the writer doesn't mean it wasn't informative.

In class Lab- Analyzing an Argument

1. What is the claim?
The claim is to abolish the death penalty. The author goes into great detail with thought-provoking reasons behind it that it should be abolished, and she adds facts, quotes and references to help her argument.
2. What support does the writer offer for the claim?
The author supports her paper by adding interesting facts such as people being wrongfully accused after execution, and even references to the bible. Reasons such as being impractical because it is costly to taxpayers and the government, and it is humane and unjust.
3. How evenhandedly does the writer present the issues?
The author mentions counterarguments, thus helping contrast her argument, making for a better paper. The author goes into detail with this by mentioning how some people believe keeping the death penalty is beneficial, and how that is put to the contrary with the fact that 140 countries have already abolished the death penalty. With the contrasting beliefs put in her essay, she respectively and appropriately mentions them, without being offensive.
4. What authorities or sources of outside information does the writer use?
The Author uses an article from huffington post, time magazine, and even the bible. With these pieces of information, she is able to further prove her point in her argument; the death penalty should be abolished. The audience isn't aware of the date that these were published, however we are all aware the time the bible was published, and that time isn't a valuable factor for that source.
5. How does the writer address you as the reader?
The author writes in a tone that is well-understood by many, yet the piece is from a subject that the author researched thoroughly and is well-educated on, coming across as professional and worth your time. I feel as a reader I was included in this essay, and my opinions and beliefs are similar to hers.