Open web source

This article is about outlining acts and bills regarding abortion. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (U.S. representative) has tweets contained in the article. She states that it’s an infringement on personal rights. She explains how certain states’ legislature allows for no exceptions. This criminalizes abortion. The article speaks about how the age of the baby impacts the sentences (years of jail time) of doctors performing an abortion in certain states. Alabama and Ohio are the states focused on. A big portion of the argument is deciding when the fetus is a baby, making it a moral issue. People use heartbeats and trimesters to measure this. 

Source:https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-says-abortion-bans-are-a-brutal-form-of-oppression-and-are-about-controlling-womens/

Magazine article

This magazine article deals with the issue of Supreme Court justices being appointed by Trump and trying to overthrow the roe v wade decision.  As there is a majority in the Supreme Court of Republicans, decisions are easier to agree on. Checks and balances work if one party doesn’t have control of all three branches of government. The Louisiana Unsafe Abortion Protection Act is interpreted by each group to their advantage. The pro-choicers say that it protects pregnant women while pro-lifers disagree and say it values human life as unique by God. This article draws on previous decisions such as Planned Parenthood v Casey (1992) and Whole Woman’s Health v Hellerstedt (2016). 

Source:https://link-gale-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/apps/doc/A624488250/STND?u=cuny_ccny&sid=STND&xid=b72c2573. Accessed 18 Sept. 2020.

Newspaper article

In this article, the main topic is how a politician’s stance on abortion can help or hider them. Republicans tend to be more religious than Democrats and look for a pro-life candidate. Statistics in this article prove that abortion rates have been going down because of various reasons. In other words, it doesn’t need additional funding unlike what pro-lifers have stated. The article then goes into depth about the stances of the different democratic candidates for the presidency. For example, vice president Joe Biden changed his stance. He wanted restrictions on abortion but altered his views and now adopted a more ”popular” opinion. 

Source:https://www.usnews.com/elections/abortion-2020

Scholarly source

In this scholarship repository, the history of feminism is outlined, from 1968 to 2013. The focus is on feminist pro-lifers and feminist pro-choicers. It creates common ground between both groups to try to better understand them. In particular to author states that she is trying to ”capture the complexity…of the pro-life feminist movement.” In other words, this article tackles if the right to abortion is an equality right. Many organizations like the SBAL, PRENDA, FFL, and the ERA are dissected. It’s important to have a wealth of knowledge about the timeline of an issue to understand it better. 

Source:https://ir.law.fsu.edu/articles/328

A social issue that interests me is abortion. The government should never be able to dictate what you can or cannot do with your personal life, especially when it doesn’t affect other people. I’m pro-choice. This issue interests me because I’ve leaned pro-life. This is because all I was told was that a baby was being killed. I feel religion plays a large part in this argument which is ridiculous because of the separation of church and state. I understand that pro-choice allows for a decision to be made. I feel that my knowledge from both sides helps me in making a more informed decision. I believe that there is a spectrum people fall on for this issue. Some people want abortion with certain restrictions while others want it to be illegal with certain exceptions. There is a bit of an overlap in these sides. On the other hand, there are people on the extreme ends. There are pro-lifers who have harassed people going into clinics. I’ve never understood this hate.

 I have learned that when abortion is illegal and is still performed it doesn’t end very well. Sometimes there is little to no access to the proper equipment to keep the woman safe. Abortion; the word has baggage within itself. It’s stigmatized. I want to know more about the specific laws and regulations regarding abortion. I want to understand the history of abortion because I haven’t tackled it before from that angle. Usually, I argue about moral issues. I also want to learn more substantive arguments from the pro-choice side. 

Author

The author of the New York Times article is Maggie Doherty. She appears in many other publications as well. She has a Ph.D. in English from Harvard and teaches there currently. This makes her a credible author. 

Rhetorical Situation/Exigence

The article was published on August 26 which is the anniversary of Women’s Equality Day. It marks the passage of the 19th amendment giving women the vote. The author is shedding light on the hardships women had to go through to achieve this success while also nodding at the process made acknowledging the inequality that remains. Especially as the election is drawing near it is a reminder that voting has not always been a given.

Audience

The target audience for this text is primarily for women to celebrate the day. The author assumes that readers are reading to gain historical knowledge. The title, “Feminist Factions United and Filled the Streets for This Historic March”, alluded to that fact.

Purpose

The purpose of the text is to inform readers of how the celebratory march took place 50 years ago and still remains a big step of progress. The central point to outline the obstacles that had to be crossed for progress to be made.

Genre

The genre is a newspaper or magazine feature. The author mirrors this format by taking a serious tone and a developed vocabulary. The author writes in third person.

Stance

The author’s stance on the subject is supportive as she openly praises women and advocates for further change in the future. 

Source

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/26/us/womens-strike-for-equality.html

Justine M. Tourdot

(She/her)

ENGL 11000-5BC2

Undecided 

After reviewing the syllabus, I am excited about the peer review workshop. It’s really great to have different sets of eyes looking over your work to provide feedback. The class description states that there would be a focus on social justice. It’s important to discuss complex topics. I am pretty opinionated but I would like to get my points across more clearly in writing. 

I am nervous about the reflections because I don’t find them easily. It’s hard to critique your own work and be objective. I have written reflections before and I never feel like I had anything substantive to say. The qualities of good writing are creating interest in your work and getting your point across articulately. To be a good writer is a bit subjective. Some people like to read lengthy descriptions of scenery while others prefer to read short direct sentences. One thing all good writers have in common is personality. It’s what makes the work unique. 

It is important to write well because it’s another form of communication besides speaking. If you can do both very well you’re a force to be reckoned with. Writing is encountered in daily life. It can range from a diary entry to a resume. Personally, I find creative writing very simple. It allows the imagination to flow freely. The hardest part of writing is the deadlines. I find jobs that are writing based very interesting. What holds me back is the hard deadlines. I do not know what genre I will be expected to write for my intended major because I am undecided. Being an effective writer will broaden your career opportunities because it is a sought after skill.