Category: Authors SP18

Definition argument- Morty39

Pitbulls can and should be used as police dogs. There are tons and tons of pitbulls sitting in shelters right now, waiting for a home and somebody to love. Nobody wants them, because they are viewed as being dangerous and harmful, even though this is false people will not let them in their homes. If these dogs are considered dangerous, but can be trained, why not train them to be police dogs to get them out of the public. This is not a new idea, to take dogs from animal shelters and train them to be part of a canine unit (surprising police). They usually do not take pitbulls, because of their bad reputation. On the website http://www.dogbreeds.net/police-dogs.html they do not list pitbulls as police dogs, which proves my point that people do not think these dogs could be useful to them, even though they have dogs like rottweilers which can be even more dangerous than pitbulls, they even have the same qualities. Dobermans are listed as part of the police dog unit too, they are also known to be mean and very unfriendly, the only difference is that that stereotype is actually true. Pitbulls on the other hand have a stereotype that is not fair to them, they are lovable and easy to train dogs. Which is perfect for police dogs, because the dogs live with their handlers and their families, and when they retire they stay with their handlers. They are family dogs and working dogs. They show this even when they are used as fighting dogs, pitbulls are trained specifically not to bite their handlers and know when to stop fighting, they were even bred that way. The ones that would bite their human or continue fighting were killed and not bred, even though that is awful for those dogs it helped them become great dogs for police. It solves two problems in one, get rid of pitbulls in animal shelters and prevent them from being killed because of too much space and on top of that the police get great dogs to work with and have a best friend for life.

 

http://www.dogbreeds.net/police-dogs.html
http://www.hero911.org/surprising-facts-about-police-dogs/

PTSD Claims- amongothers13

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“The amount of progress in Caleb’s six years of therapy has been frustrating for everyone. “

Caleb’s PTSD plays a role in his family’s lives because they are constantly trying to help and worrying about what happens next for Caleb.

Does the family ever worry about suffering from PTSD as well? Do they think it could happen to them if they start acting like Caleb without realizing it after being there for him for so long?

Perhaps some people are so frustrated that they are coming less hopeful for Caleb.

“Some state VA offices even offer group therapy.”

Group therapy is often used in situations where something traumatic happens to a family and effects everyone in different ways, like a house fire, or the loss of a parent. But, group therapy for people with PTSD means a lot of people have it and struggle with it. Could the number of people suffering from PTSD for different reasons prove it is contagious by association? What if group therapy really makes the PTSD worse?

“The VA also endorses eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR), which is based on the theory that memories of traumatic events are, in effect, improperly stored, and tries to refile them by discussing those memories while providing visual or auditory stimulus. “

If this is true, that traumatic events are improperly stored, could it be true that I, myself, have PTSD from events I try not to think about because they caused me great sadness? Is it possible if I bring them back into memory I could develop PTSD? Could anybody have PTSD if they simply try to remember things in their life that effected them a great deal?

“Currently, the agency is funding 130 PTSD-related studies, from testing whether hypertension drugs might help to examining the effectiveness of meditation therapy, or providing veterans with trauma-sensitive service dogs, like Caleb’s.”

Studies are being done to see if the hypertension drugs help PTSD patients- they are looking for a cure.

Perhaps more people will admit to having PTSD if there is a known cure for it. Most people with PTSD don’t tell professionals or doctors and end up staying inside their houses everyday. If there is a cure, something might spark inside of them to try it, or for one of their loved ones to get the cure for them. And of course, puppies are always a positive.

“But a lot of FOV members and users are impatient with the progress.”

A lot of work has been done, but no true cure or drug has been proven to work to ease the memories. People are growing impatient for PTSD cases keep increasing, which adds setbacks to the research because they keep discovering new aspects.

Does this mean cases of PTSD are getting worse? More severe? Will there ever be something that helps these people suffering from PTSD?

Model Definition Essay Available

Help if you need it.

I’ve posted the first draft of my Definition Argument for your benefit.

This post will remain pinned to the top of the blog
until I’m sure you’ve had a chance to see it.

Mine “defines” a term by comparing it to another.

  • I began my research with the belief that polio eradication would be very similar to smallpox eradication based on similarities in the approaches taken by health organizations to immunize entire populations with vaccine.
  • What I learned by reading is that the polio virus, the body’s method of fighting it, and the effectiveness of vaccines against it are fundamentally different than the same factors for smallpox.
  • Therefore, my argument concludes, eradicating polio will be very different than eradicating smallpox, perhaps even impossible. At a minimum, we’ll have to harm a lot of intended beneficiaries in the process, which did not happen in the smallpox campaign.

In other words, polio eradication DOES NOT BELONG to the category: world health campaigns that can be accomplished with just money and effort.

dog-awake

  1. My post is about 1100 words before the References section.
  2. It uses in-text citations WITHOUT parentheses.
    • Please follow this model in your posts as well.
  3. It uses an AP-style References section
    • AP is the new style choice of the Writing Arts Department
    • I made mine for free using BibMe.com
  4. It DOES NOT cite the dictionary or in any way telegraph that its job is to define a term. Instead it makes a persuasive argument (about the difficulty of eradicating polio) that clarifies an aspect of polio: it’s NOT LIKE smallpox.
  5. It’s a first draft, so it will embarrass me until I revise it.
  6. Once I revise it, it will be a second draft, still embarrassing but less so.
  7. Questions? Use the Reply field below this post.

Definition Argument – summergirl1999

Life Delayed by Student Debt

In American society, a college education and degree hold a vast amount of weight. “Successful”, is an adjective most Americans want to describe themselves as, American society says that college is a prime factor to help graduates move in the right direction towards success. A college degree is important to Americans because it can potentially mean determination, larger salaries, and a steady career. Due to the high increase of college tuition, it is making many Americans feel like college is not worth its penny. The drastic number of money that needs to be paid back after graduating is leaving graduates in enormous amounts of debt. Student debt is greatly impacting graduate’s lives.

Student debt is one of the largest amounts of debt that American holds. It is also the most popular, making many people’s lives more challenging. “Fewer know that growing alongside 42 million indebted students is a formidable private industry that has been enriched by those very loans.” (Steele. 2016.) Steele is sarcastically stating the large population of Americans that have student loans. Depending on the university attended and the money granted, the amount of student debt per-person fluctuates. Leaving some graduates in more challenging situations than others. “’I feel I kind of ruined my life by going to college,’ says Jackie Krowen, 32, of Portland, Oregon, a nurse with a student loan balance of $152,000. ‘I can’t plan for an actual future.’” (Steele. 2016.) This woman encountered such a large amount of debt, it is making her hesitant about her future. To take out student loans, students need loan companies. Companies that loan student’s money for their college tuition, but the money must be paid back and with interest. Interest on loans can vary depending the company.

The longer you hold the loan, the more it will cost. Although the five-year plan comes with much higher monthly payments, following the 25-year plan will cost you $17,402 extra in the end. In all cases, the interest on your student loans means you’ll be paying more than what you borrowed to go to school. Even on the shortest payment plan, you’d be forking over $3,704 more than you originally received.” (Insler. 2017.)

Although $3,704 is not as large as the student debt itself, it is still a factor.

The high amount of student debt is delaying society, and affecting American’s personal lives. “More student loan debt means some kids are starting households later and moving from renting to ownership later than their parents did, which ripples throughout the economy—so when you don’t form a household, you delay when would purchase a car, furniture, appliances and utilities.” (Peterson-Withorn. 2014.) Many graduates are postponing or limiting purchases on common expenses and utilities, because they need to save enough to have the monthly payment. A report from “Life Delayed” by the American Student Assistance, did research and surveys on graduates that encounter student debt. “According to the survey, 62 percent of respondents said their student debt posed a hardship on their personal budget when combined with all other household spending.” (Lanza. 2016.) Having a college diploma should come with great honor and relief, for all of the hard work. “While loans are intended to expand college access to a broader population, the nature of risk that they entail also produces the opposite result. Low- and middle-income students worried about the consequences of taking out a loan will be more likely to decide that college attendance is not worth the risk.” (Freedman. 2014.) Along with college, loans were put into place to help students no matter their financial background have the opportunity to attend college.

Graduates that come out of college with a degree are still not guaranteed a job in the field that they studied and not guaranteed a high paying career right away. Graduates that go out in the real world need a job to pay for all of their expenses, beyond what they owe on their student loans. Although students attend college so they can have a higher chance – or even a chance at all at pursuing a career, the career is not always guaranteed. “If we tell our young people that more education leads to higher earnings, we are not telling the whole truth. Higher education will increase the chances of a well-paying job, but there is no guarantee.” (Parker. 2017.) Loan companies usually give the graduate a six-month curtesy period to get themselves ready to pay back their loans. It is not the colleges or the degrees fault for not being able to seek a job, there are just more college graduates than careers. “The number of jobs paying what college graduates expect depends on the needs of employers. That number will not increase because there are more graduates.” (Parker. 2017.) Loan companies do not usually care about the personal or financial situations that graduates may be in when they finish college, companies are mainly worried about the money being paid back to them. A website named “Money Crashers” that was featured on CNN, Forbes, and the Wall Street Journal gives tips and “helpful” advice for graduates that cannot find a job. “Stay positive, reduce your cost of living, move back home, and put yourself on a budget.” (Slide.) Job popularity can have an effect on graduates not being able to find a profession’s. “At a median wage of $83,580 a year, the occupation with the fastest projected job growth, industrial-organizational psychologists, pays well. But, there’s not much demand for this type of psychologist. The field will generate only 900 jobs in 10 years, according to the Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook.” (Weiner. 2014.) Graduates may have degrees in professions that are not so popular anymore which means less jobs.

Attending college is a choice that is given to everyone. Going to college and having a college degree does have its benefits and pros. The rise of college tuition and student debt graduates encounter after college are a couple cons. Student debt is impacting many lives of graduates.

References

“Student Debt—Lives on Hold.” Consumer Reports. June 2016.

https://www.consumerreports.org/student-loan-debt-crisis/lives-on-hold/

 “How Today’s Student Loan Debt Is Failing Future Generations.” Forbes. July 2014.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/chasewithorn/2014/07/30/how-todays-student-loan-debt-is-failing-future-generations/#4d9e5f124b3c

“Student Loans are a Drag on the Economy and Society.” Forbes. February 2014.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshfreedman/2014/02/11/student-loans-are-a-big-drag-on-the-economy-and-society/#7bf123014bc1

 “What Do You Do If You Can’t Find a Job After College.” Money Crashers.

https://www.moneycrashers.com/cant-find-job-after-college/

 “Why Sally can’t get a Good Job with her College Degree.” The Washington Post. September 2014.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/she-the-people/wp/2014/09/05/why-sally-cant-get-a-good-job-with-her-college-degree/?utm_term=.8b458336a8a4

Hypothesis 2- tjjones123

Hypothesis

Kneeling during the NFL

 

  1. It’s a slap in the face to people who risked their lives for our country or lost loved ones doing so.
  2. There are no real benefits of kneeling during the anthem.
  3. Sports stars have a great life so why show contempt towards a country that makes it possible?
  4. Not one single person, behavior or law is changed by football players refusing to stand for the anthem.
  5. If these players making hundreds of millions of dollars want to protest, with the money they make they can do so in several other manners without disrespecting everything this country stands for.

 

Definition Argument – picklerick

Reading books is no different than consuming any other type of media. Many people believe that reading is a hobby to be prouder of than watching television, for example. Why is television any different though? You receive language and picture on a TV, whereas reading a book only gives you the language. This often makes it more difficult to understand concepts from text than it would be from a screen. One may argue that you will learn far more from reading than from television because reading offers infinite knowledge from nonfiction literature. Sure, learning from nonfiction may be more beneficial than watching shows like, “SpongeBob.” But there are countless documentaries and other informational films to watch that will allow to you learn just as much. Another reason why reading is no better than any other form of media is that it does nothing to improve your long-term health. There is a growing problem of adults staying sedentary for too long. A study by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) concluded that an average of 60% of adults’ waking hours are spent sedentary (Matthews). This is detrimental to our health because without an active lifestyle, your whole body slows down. In his manuscript, “Too Much sitting: The Population-Health Science of Sedentary Behavior,” Neville Owens suggests, “Canadians who reported spending the majority of their day sitting had significantly poorer long-term mortality outcomes than did those who reported that they spent less time sitting.” While you may think you are benefiting yourself by sitting down and reading a book all day, it may be a healthier idea to go for a walk or participate in a more active hobby.

 

Works Cited

Owen, N., Healy, G. N., Matthews, C. E., & Dunstan, D. W. (2010). Too Much Sitting. Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews, 38(3), 105-113. doi:10.1097/jes.0b013e3181e373a2
Matthews, C. E., Chen, K. Y., Freedson, P. S., Buchowski, M. S., Beech, B. M., Pate, R. R., & Troiano, R. P. (2008). Amount of Time Spent in Sedentary Behaviors in the United States, 2003-2004. American Journal of Epidemiology, 167(7), 875-881. doi:10.1093/aje/kwm390

PTSD Claims—moonlightsonata

BEGIN THE ONE HOUR EXERCISE

Section 20

  1. “Charles Marmar, a New York University professor who was on the team of the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study, the most comprehensive study of combat stress ever conducted, points out that you really have to spend the money to treat PTSD since the costs of not treating it are so much higher.”
  • “the most comprehensive study of combat stress ever conducted” indicates the incredulous weight and the number of resources allocated to conducting this study.
    • “points out you really have to spend money to treat PTSD” indicates the idea that earlier low cost/resources treatments were ineffective in treating PTSD.
  1. “ “Stress-related health problems—cardiovascular, immunologic. Heart attacks, stroke, and even dementia. Residential rehab programs, and motor vehicle accidents because people with PTSD self-medicate and crash cars; the cost of domestic violence; the cost of children and grandchildren of combat vets witnessing domestic violence. The treatment and compensation disability programs have cost billions. And the costs of the untreated are probably in the tens of billions. They’re enormous.” ”
    • A categorical claim, it groups all the costs of PTSD into health and side effects.

 

  • Billions: The word “billions” is used to compare the whole severity of how much untreated PTSD costs, painting a picture of just how expensive it is.
  • Enormous: Similar to “billions”, paints an image of how big and expansive the roots and branches of PTSD goes into.

 

  1. “Experts say it’s nearly impossible to calculate what treating PTSD from Vietnam has and will cost American taxpayers, so vast are its impacts.”
  • “Experts say it’s nearly impossible to calculate” states the severity that those with expansive knowledge on the issue cannot accurately calculate the cost of the effects of PTSD.
  1. “…and while no one is sure what PTSD among them will ultimately cost us, either, everyone agrees on one thing: If it’s not effectively treated, it won’t go away.”
  • “Everyone agrees on one thing”, a generalization is made with no data to support it. Some may think it would go away as time goes on.
  1. “Vietnam vets still make up the bulk of Danna’s clients—though she is assisting traumatized men who served in World War II, in the early years of which half the medical disability discharges were psychiatric, and some of those men still show up at Danna’s office and cry, and cry, and cry.”
  • “Vietnam vets still make up the bulk of Danna’s clients–though she is assisting traumatized men who served in World War II,” indicates the time differences between her two types of clients, that time isn’t the answer to treating PTSD.
  • “…cry, and cry, and cry.” Repetition of words that indicate or stress the heavy emotional aspect that stricken veterans post-war for long periods.
  1. “The chaplain assured him that he shouldn’t feel bad about killing gooks, but the chaplain was paid by the Army, and who took moral advice from a chaplain carrying a .38?”
  1. “Back at home, Steve drank wildly. He waged war with his wife, attempted to work odd jobs where he had as little contact with humans as possible.”

 

END ONE HOUR EXERCISE

 

PTSD Claims- Doublea

15

Categorical- “.. or that it can it can exacerbate its symptoms of exhaustion, agitation, confusion, headaches.”

  • It is a categorical claim because it lists the symptoms of having TBI. TBI is a traumatic brain injury.

Casual- “Researchers posit that TBI can make the brain more vulnerable to PTSD…”

  • This is a casual claim because it lists a certain circumstance, they’re saying since the patient has a TBI they are more susceptible to having PTSD.

Casual- “James Peterson’s post-injection chill-out wore off after a month, faster than it does for other patients—maybe because of his TBI.”

  • This is a casual claim because they cannot prove that James Peterson’s PTSD was a factor in his recovery, but it shows a cause and effect that maybe because of his PTSD his recovery was so much quicker than others.

Factual-  ‘Maybe not. Either way, as for TBI, well, “there is no cure,” says David Hovda, director of UCLA’s Brain Injury Research Center and an adviser to the Department of Defense.’

  • Even though it is just one doctor saying “there is no cure” it is still a factual claim because it is a factual statement that there is indeed no cure to TBI.

Factual- “In one small study, trauma victims given beta-blockers within six hours of the incident had a 40 percent less likelihood of developing PTSD.”

  • In regards to this small study, this is a factual statement because they analyzed the data of the experiment. In analyzing the data of the experiment they were able to calculate the fact that 40 percent of the study within six hours of the incident had a less likelihood of developing PTSD.

Evaluative/Casual- “Treatment offered vets might be less effective than what’s offered to civilians with trauma. With veterans, there are important concomitant issues.”

  • In evaluating vets this is an evaluative claim because doing these studies they encountered that veterans have a harder time with PTSD because of the experiences and issues they faced in war.
  • This is also a casual claim because although they have evaluated the veterans and although the claim does seem reasonable it is not a proven factual claim yet.

 

 

 

 

PTSD Claims- MyrtleView

18

“Way up north, and nearly as west as you can go, in Ferry County, Washington, there’s a little town with no stoplights by the name of Republic. There’s an abundance of parks and lakes and campgrounds—though I lose track of how many people warn me not to walk any unknown path for fear of trip wire and booby traps.”

A factual claim since you can prove that there is a town in Washington called Republic with no stoplights. Also an evaluative claim because he believe that there are many parks and hazardous traps outside of the paths.

2. “Yeah,” a county commissioner says, squinting against the afternoon sun, speaking of the high proportion of Vietnam veterans who live here, “they wanted to get away from society. And for the most part, they’ve blended in really well.”

The county commissioner makes an evaluative claim stating that the veterans that moved into town fit in well with the locals.

3. Between 200 and 300 people show up, a big turnout in a county of 7,500 spread over 2,000 square miles. Dressed in a patriotic red shirt and blue jeans, Danna smiles easy but moves pretty slow because she threw her back out  again.

This is an quantitative claim that shows the number of people that come to this event.

4. It may take years for the verdict to come in on whether secondary trauma will be officially acknowledged as its own unique form of hell.

Amoral claim since it suggest the hell is similar to feel secondary trauma.