Weekly News Blog November 18

"Gay marriages should be allowed because the U.S. Constitution does not discriminate against individuals based ont heir sexuality."

This is a controversial statement. It is big news right now. It is an issue, a discussion...and more importantly, an argument. Please read the following update on gay marriage legislation here in DC, and answer the following question:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/17/AR2009111703492.html?hpid=sec-metro

Who is making a proposal in this debate?
(Please frame the rhetorical triangle to dicuss the proposal, or say who the speaker is, the audience, the thesis/topic, the occasion, and the purpose.

Weekly News Blog November 10, 2009

This week's blog posting is an argument about Education...specifically, rating schools versus rating teachers on how they work effectively to raise student achievement.

Please read the following article, and define the author's argument, as well as include your own thoughts and personal argument on the topic. :-)

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/class-struggle/2009/11/those_unfortunate_people_in_th.html?hpid=sec-education

Weekly News GRASPS November 2, 2009

This week I want you all to investigate and consider what is happening right now in Afghanistan. Afghani whaaaaaat? That's right, Afghanistan. The U.S. sent troops to the country after September 11, 2001 to look for Osama bin Laden, mastermind of the 9/11 attacks here in New York and Washington. They have not found bin Laden yet....but they have encountered resistance and conflict with local tribes affiliated with the Taliban, the Islamic fundamentalist movement/government that was running Afghanistan prior to September 11. It is believed that the Taliban, who operate heavily on the border of Pakistan, may be harboring bin Laden, and are considered a threat to regional stability.

We have many troops in Afghanistan today, and American military members are dying in the conflict. President Obama is considering sending an additional 20,000 troops to the country--and the national debate is whether we should pull our troops out of Afghanistan all together, avoiding more American deaths...or send more troops and try to crush the opposition and increase stability in the country.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT:
Please read the following op-ed:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-engelhardt/too-big-to-fail-why-all-t_b_341599.html

You assignment is to break down this writer's argument, answering the following questions:
1. What are the pros and cons of sending more troops to Afghanistan, according to the author?
2. What are President Obama's options?

You must then research one RECENT (last month) news article about Afghanistan from a credible source, and include reference to the news article in your response.

Good luck....this is a huge and important issue right now for the United States...so get involved and understand all sides of the argument!!
k.

Weekly News GRASPS, October 19: Reshaping America

Please read the following op-ed by Bono, lead singer of the music group U2:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/18/opinion/18bono.html?em=&pagewanted=print

I would like you to comment on the following elements of this article: What is the SUBJECT, who is the SPEAKER, and what ARGUMENT is he making? Please provide 2- 3 quotes from the article to support your statements.

Think about this in terms of the "American Dream" and the promise of what America represents to other countries....

Weekly Newspaper Posting, Week of October 13th

Please read the following op-ed regarding President Obama's recent win of the Nobel Prize for Peace and Diplomacy.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/10/opinion/10sat1.html?_r=1&sq=the%20peace%20prize&st=cse&adxnnl=1&scp=1&adxnnlx=1255458415-YNCpsgLmFoh75DDDd7p1YA

In your posting, analyze the rhetorical triangle for this article: Who is the SPEAKER, the AUDIENCE, the PURPOSE, the TOPIC and the THESIS in the article.

Next, make an argument if YOU think Obama has earned the Nobel Prize...why or why not? Defend your argument with EVIDENCE/EXAMPLES.

Future Nobel Peace Prize Winning Members of the Class of 2010

Weekly Newspaper GRASPS, Week of October 5th

In last week's New York Times magazine, writer Benoit Lewis covered the challenges facing students who are "coming out in middle school". In the story, the writer interviews various students who are openly gay/homosexual at school, from the angle that students are braving harassment and misunderstanding on the part of their peers, in order to be themselves.

Please print and read, MAKE SURE YOU ANNOTATE, the following article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/27/magazine/27out-t.html

The assignment is for you to pull one quote from the text that you think is significant, or hits you. Something the author says, maybe a quote from a student, etc. Please type up the quote in your post and explain why you chose it, and answer the following question:

*Is the author accomplishing a form of rhetorical appeal with your quote? If so, explain. If not, what do you think the author IS trying to accomplish?

**NOTE: This article is 9 pages!! Don't only read the first page!!!