TOW 25: Medical Report Says Fujimori Currently Doesn't Have Cancer

The former president of Peru, Alberto Fujimori is an extremely controversial figure. He had shocked the global community with his corrupt crimes during his presidency, however, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison. He requested a pardon from current president Ollanta Humala and  he is still pleading the case that he is suffering from cancer. However, medical specialists have said that he is suffering from depression and that his previous cancerous region is no longer cancerous. The release of his health report has sparked a large debate on whether he should be pardoned or not.

This article is from The Peruvian Times, a news outlet specializing in telling the most updated news in Peru.

This article is somewhat significant in context. Whether Humala agrees to pardon Fujimori or not is a decision being anticipated by the global community. However, whether he is released from prison early or not does not have a significant impact on Americans.

The purpose of this article was to release the reports that said that Fujimori was no longer suffering from cancer. Attempting to generate sympathy for this ex-president, the article included details on his severe depression and that he is on the verge of suicide.

The audience of this article is the general public, but especially the Peruvian people. Many Peruvians had Fujimori as their president at one point, and they may either hate him or love him and this article keeps the people updated on his status.

A rhetorical device utilized in this article is ethos. Utilizing evidence from Fujimori's health reports, as well as direct quotes from those involved in his trials and other officials, the article got across the point that a pardon may not be in the foreseeable future.

The article's purpose was achieved. Although it included details of his severe depression, the article was objective as it did not explicitly support a pardon for Fujimori. Instead, it laid out all the details and what other officials were saying and allowed the audience to generate opinions on this issue.

TOW 24: Robert Nixon Political Cartoon

This political cartoon is of former President Robert Nixon in reference to his Watergate scandal.

The Watergate scandal erupted and removed Nixon from the Presidency. It was basically one in which Republicans were caught planting microphones in the Democratic party headquarters. Initially, Nixon said he had no connection with this incident, but it was discovered that Nixon had tape recordings of all the conversations in his Oval Office. After many refusals, Nixon finally gave the tapes to the Supreme Court where it was discovered that Nixon had been aware and ordered a cover-up. This political cartoon depicts a serious Nixon with large headphones on that is connected to each star on the American flag. This essentially symbolizes that Nixon is listening to and pays close attention to what each state is doing. Because of Nixon's illegal intrusion of privacy by allowing such snooping to be done, Nixon's potential to hone in on and eavesdrop conversations is exaggerated in this cartoon. Nixon's obvious wrongdoing of snooping on the Democrats' conversations is exemplified in this cartoon.

A rhetorical device of color is shown in this cartoon. As everything is in black and white, including the American flag, this cartoon displays a sort of somber ambiance. Because of this embarrassing scandal that shook America, America was having a difficult time closing the credibility gap between the people and the government. In addition, the complicated tangle of wires from the headphones to the states parallel the complicated mess that Nixon found himself in.

The cartoon was intended for the general public.

The painting's purpose was accomplished. The message emphasizing Nixon's wrongdoing of allowing illegal eavesdropping is clearly depicted in this cartoon. America's upset response is also displayed through the usage of only black and white.

TOW 23: Softball Coach Accused of Sending Team to Find Him Dates

Now, this is not one of those typical stories about a teacher abusing his power to take advantage of high school students. Instead, a softball coach, Troy Hennum, took advantage of his softball team by sending them on "scavenger hunts" to find potential dates. One woman, Kat Aagard, who was the woman that the team found for Hennum, decided that this was not okay and told Roosevelt High School's principal, and Hennum has left his position.

This article is from ABC News, a very reliable source.

This article was significant in context. As the stories we hear about the inappropriate teacher-student relationships, this article was a bit strange in that it did not follow that storyline. However, using a team as a coach to find potential girlfriends is just as inappropriate, and raises awareness of the wrong things that are happening inside schools.

The purpose of this article was to tell of a strange event of a softball coach being accused of taking advantage of the team for his own benefit.

The audience of this article is the general public. However, educational administrators may be more interested as they are now more aware of the things that can happen between teachers and students. They may take more precautions against such events, and possibly tough up teacher/coach positions with stricter rules and regulations.

Ethos through pecific quotes were utilized in this article. Word-for-word text messages between Hennum and Aagard were displayed in this article. These direct quotations proved that the coach had taken advantage of the girls to meet a girl. These quotes provided evidence for this case, and made the article more credible. 

The author's purpose was achieved. It told of a strange, yet true story of a coach taking advantage of his leadership position. This article raised awareness for such inappropriate events and will hopefully reduce or prevent them from happening again. 

TOW 22: Scientists Report First Cure Of HIV In A Child, Say It's A Game-Changer

It is a known fact that HIV is an incurable virus, whose rapid growth can only be curbed with rigorous medication. However, the story of a 2 1/2 year old baby tells otherwise. 30 minutes after she was born, she was diagnosed with HIV, and it was inferred that her mother had had it and received no medical care. Immediate treatment was given to the baby, within 31 hours of her birth, which is much faster than when other infants get treated. In addition, more doses than normal were given to the baby. After months of treatment, the virus was no longer detected in the baby's blood. However, the mother suddenly stopped bringing her child in for checkups. After last seeing the baby at 18 months, Dr. Gay located the baby when she was 2 1/2 years and she expected the worst. However, there was absolutely no trace of the virus in her blood. Gay believes that this phenomenon can be explained by early and aggressive treatment. 

This article is from NPR, written by Robert Knox. He has written many articles on public health, medicine and science and also done extensive research on HIV/AIDS Africa, North America, and the Caribbeans. 

This article was very significant in context. The disappearance of the HIV virus from the baby's body is a tremendous step towards the fight against HIV in newborns, and hopefully and eventually the fight against HIV in adults. As HIV is becoming more prolific yet there is no cure, this major finding will hopefully be an important stepping stone towards the cure.

The purpose of this article was to tell of a groundbreaking event in medical history; the cure of HIV. 

The audience of this article is the general public, however, those affected by HIV may be the main audience. Those with HIV may find strength and hope from this article, knowing that one day, a cure may possibly be found. This breakthrough event gives hope for the future, that a cure for HIV may be discovered.

Ethos was utilized in this passage. Because of this remarkable and unbelievable story, valid information was necessary to back it up. With quotes from various doctors such as the main Dr. Hannah Gay, Dr. Luzuriaga from the University of Massachusetts and Dr. Persuad from Johns Hopkins, this event was verified and proven true. In addition, a very detailed account of what specifically occurred, such as the testing and type of medication given was stated. In order to gain the audience's trust, Knox included many quotes and specific information to construct a reliable and trustworthy article.

The author's purpose was achieved. With specific facts and evidence, Knox created a very credible article that discussed a breakthrough event in medical history. This discovery may provide hope and inspiration from current HIV victims to look forward to a brighter day when a cure will be found.

TOW 21: World War II Political Cartoon

This political cartoon is from World War II with no specific illustrator.

During World War II, there were numerous drafts to account for the many men that went away to or died in battle. Because of the large absence of males, women were forced to fill in these void roles. This political cartoon depicts just this; women dressed up in largely male attire saluting in loyalty to their country. The short but impacting text reveals that women "served," or worked jobs to assist those in battle. The soldier in the corner is clearly smaller than the women; emphasizing the importance of the women during this time. The men were able to enter battle and fight because of the assistance and professionalism from women. The three women also all have short, cropped hair, to equalize their presence to males. As women were still fighting to be treated as equals during this time, they desired to show their capability to work just like men, and they did this by attempting to be physically similar to males.

The rhetorical device of placement is emphasized in this poster. The man in the corner is obviously not the main figure in this painting, as the women's roles are being exaggerated and prioritized. However, this also goes to show the growing role of women. Without the females, the men would be unable to fight in battle because of the lack of uniforms, ammunition, or other necessary supplies. The role that women were playing during this time were crucial, and this is reflected through the strategic placement of the men and women in this picture.

This painting was intended for the general public. It may have been, however, specifically aimed at females, to encourage their presence in the workforce and show their growing importance and need.

The painter's purpose was accomplished. Depicting women as strong and capable most likely pushed women to play a bigger role in society to aid the men that would be unable to fight without their help. The strategic placement of figures helped further emphasize the women's roles in society.

TOW 20: Pastor Apologizes to His Denomination for Role in Sandy Hook Interfaith Service

After the shocking event that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School, many would reason that families of the victims and the whole community would come together. However, a Lutheran pastor named Rob Morris was heavily criticized for his participation of a joint worship in which he gave the benediction at the large memorial service held after the incident. Rev. Morris apologized for his "false teachings," and explained that his work was not one of worship, but of community service.

This article comes from The New York Times, published by Sharon Otterman.

The article was not too significant in context. Although the apology may seem like a shock, that facilitating a vigil service would deserve such backlash, this article included a sincere apology from Rev. Morris.

The purpose of this article was to tell of an incident in which the people under the Lutheran denomination were offended that Rev. Morris had seemingly gone against his teachings and gave a benediction at a worship with many other religions.

The audience of this article is the general public, however, those under the Lutheran religion may have impacted the most. Reading Rev. Morris's public apology may ease their tensions towards him. In addition, the audience for this article could have been those who were offended by and confused about why Rev. Morris was getting so criticized by his Church, as reasoning is provided; the Lutheran Church does not allow joint worship with other religions because such participation may give off the false impression that they are endorsing a Savior other than Jesus.

This article exudes ethos. In order to let the audience know that the content in this article is credible, many quotes from different sources were used, such as the main pastor from the Lutheran church. It also included direct quotes from Rev. Morris's apology. To gain credibility and show that her content is reliable, Otterman included direct quotations.

The author's purpose was achieved. Otterman summarized the criticism that Rev. Morris received as well as the reasoning behind it. She also included his public apology so that any misunderstandings would be erased.

TOW 19: Does it "get better" for bullied or bisexual youth?

With the issue of bullying growing to be a serious, nationwide issue, this article brings some hope. The overall incidences of bullying for being lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) decreases significantly after high school, as research as shown. Over half of teens from ages 13-14 are bullied for being LGB, but this number is drastically reduced to 10% when they are 19-20. However, this number did not drop for gay/bisexual males as males were more than 4 times more likely to report bullying at the end of the study.

This article was written by Georgiann Caruso, a CNN Medical Producer.

This article was important in context. Bullying is a very serious issue that has caught the attention of many schools, and this article displays studies that have been done on it. Although bullying seems to decrease after high school, it still continues to persist for males. This issue of bullying and the effects it has on the victims must be heard and learned about in order for it to stop.

The purpose of this article was to tell of a study that was performed in the UK on the statistics of students who were bullied for their sexuality, and whether this continued after high school or not.

The text was written for the general public. This is an article that can appeal to a large audience as even those who have no direct correlation to the topic of the article can be informed of the bullying that goes on. The LGBs may also read this article and gain hope that the bullying they are enduring now is most likely going to end after high school.

The article does not contain any conspicuous rhetorical elements, as most of the article consisted of results from the study performed and their implications on the future of LGBs.

The author's purpose was achieved. Through giving details on the study, Caruso was able to raise awareness on the growing issue of bullying, as well as possibly make people feel sympathy for LGBs. The fact that they are two more times as likely to get bullied is a horrible fact, and this may induce readers to become more open-minded and treat LGBs exactly the same as heterosexuals.