Your vote this upcoming election: more than just an opinion?

In the editorial section of the Sunday New York Times, I came across an article arguing that Congress should require voter-verified paper records for every electronic ballot cast due to the unreliability of electronic voting machines. The writer warranted their claim by stating the various serious problems of electronic voting, including miscounts, vote flipping, and the use of uncertified software for the machines. The appeals of this argument are aimed primarily at logic, logos, for there are serious problems which need to be fixed. Also, the author is appealing to ethos by giving the reader a sense of worry that their vote may not be counted properly. Furthermore, in critiquing this argument, there is not much to assess for it is very straightforward. However, it would have been a stronger case if the writer included a pathos, emotional appeal, by emphasizing the effect the flaws of the machine can have on the outcome of the election. Since many Americans identify very strongly with their political views, the possibility that their vote will be compromised will most likely make them feel more passionate about the unreliability of the electronic voting machines. 

A lesson from the Puritan Dream

     

    It seems that society is teaching children at a younger and younger age the difference between realistic and unrealistic dreams. As 1st graders we trade in our aspirations of becoming ballerinas and astronauts for more "sensible" options, such as doctors, lawyers, and business positions. In other words, professions that will provide us with a decent living. One might argue that this is evidence of the foundation of the American Dream: Americans wanting and securing a better life for their children. 

      This ideal can be traced back to Puritanism. As concluded by Cullen in The American Dream, the Puritans solidified the many cornerstones for what we consider the American Dream today: prosperity, happiness, and a better life for future generations. However it is vital to denote the importance of one aspect of Puritan society that they are commonly criticized for: the fact that their attempt at a "perfect society" was merely ideological, rather than realistic. While this did play a large role in failing the Puritan society, it is also responsible for a great deal of their success. They had a vision of becoming "a city upon a hill" and risked everything to achieve it. Although it is important to ground our aspirations in reality, with the growing pressure of society we are forgetting the importance and power of a dream. If we choose playing it safe for fear of failing, then how rewarding will our success be when and if we achieve it? 

      While the Puritans may have made many flaws in their structure of society, we must look to them as an example of how with dedication and discipline, we can challenge ourselves beyond what we thought we were capable of to follow our dreams. Through this, we have a much greater chance of ultimately achieving the true American Dream-whatever it might mean to you. 

What lies behind their media masks?

As we stand poised on the precipice of what promises to be a deeply partisan presidential election, it is becoming increasingly clear how many Americans are choosing to focus on the candidate's media image, rather than their true stand on the issues. For example, in this election more than any other, more and more voters seeking information in a hurry opt for the internet as their sole source of news. To see what kind of information I would get, I googled Senator McCain's running mate, Governor Sarah Palin, and received 14,900,000 hits. The danger of choosing modern technology over an old fashioned newspaper or magazine, is that it retrieves a much larger base of biased and/or even unfactual information. I came across a very interesting website, grizzlybay.org, which chooses to focus on Palin's "barbaric" alaskan life as an "animal killer". Although this homepage claims to have all their facts backed up by "credible journal citations", its facts and photos are manipulated to discourage animal lovers from supporting the conservative vote. As seen below, while the first picture is clearly Palin, the other two picture below contain no evidence that their death is due to Palin. However, the ignorant might fail to properly assess the truth of the website's narrative, and believe that Palin is responsible for the wolve's deaths. This is why is it crucial for the reader to question the reliability of their sources before they are swayed into mistaking the fiction for the truth.

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