WP2: Pre-Writing Assignment 2

On March 20th, 2003 President George W. Bush went on national television to address the nation. He told the American people that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, capable of threatening the United States. He offered Saddam Hussein an ultimatum - step down or face war.

48 hours later, amid protests and anger from the international community, the United States invaded Iraq. They barely put up a fight. And a few weeks later on May 1st, 2003, President Bush announced the end of major combat operations in Iraq.

Six years, $700 billion and 4,000 American lives later, we are still engaged in major combat operations in Iraq. We never did find those "weapons of mass destruction". And most importantly, evidence has come to light suggesting that the Bush administration mislead the country in it's attempts to start a war with Iraq in the first place.

In 2002 many months before the war began, George Tenet of the CIA insisted there was no connection between al-Qaeda and Iraq. In response, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld initiated a secret program to re-examine the evidence, this time excluding the CIA and Tenet. This new and controversial information was not analyzed and instead presented directly to the public. Many believe this move was pushed for by Vice President Cheney.

A month later, Tenet once again briefed the Bush administration. He presented information suggesting that Iraq did NOT have weapons of mass destruction. This information was dismissed and never shared with Congress.

Than in September 2002, the Bush administration claimed to have evidence suggesting Iraq was making an effort to create nuclear bombs. This analysis was opposed by the US Department of Energy, who are considered experts in gas centrifuges and nuclear weapons programs.

An effort by the department to correct Colin Powell's forthecoming address to the United Nations on the issue was rebuffed. Powell later admitted he had presented inaccurate data to the UN, and that the intelligence he was relying on was in some cases "deliberately misleading."

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This information is eye opening and shocking to many. But let's be honest, people don't often connect well with raw information, complicated quotes and massive documents released years after an event took place. Sometimes you have to make things a little more simple to get through and make your point.

And that's what this cartoon is able to do. It translates that information to convey a message that might be considered inappropriate or unproffesional for a newspaper or newscast to report.

On that note, let's assume for a second that Dick Cheney was behind the Iraq War, and that he lead the country into this under false pretenses. And for fun, let's throw in the idea that President Bush is an incompetent puppet under the control of Dick Cheney. To many Americans, that probably seems direspectful and hard to believe. They were the President and Vice President after all.

And because of their former position, you probably won't hear statements like that from any conventional source of news.

But luckily for Oliphant, he is not restricted by the same rules and code of ethics that people in the journalism world are. He can be brutally honest and even interject his own opinion to make a point. It's one of the perks of being a cartoonist instead of a columnist.

And so, we see this cartoon openlyblaming Bush for bringing us into war with faulty intelligence. His quote makes him look irresponsible, immature and incapable of performing his job.

And then look at Dick Cheney. He looks angry, intimidating and shows no compassion for the result of his actions. And while viewers of this cartoon may or may not agree with the statement, they are thinking about it in the back of their minds. The idea that the Bush adminstration did not perform their jobs properly is being considered when anyone views this image.

Today things are better. We have a new administration. Security in Iraq has improved dramatically. And perhaps in the end, some good came out of this war. But we must never forget the lessons we learned in 2003. Trust our government, but use discretion and take everything with a grain of salt. Don't rush as a nation into important decisions with unknown repricussions.

And most importantly, remember the power we are granting a person or political party when we elect them into office.

And this cartoon does just that. It makes sure that we never forget the sacrifices made in the name of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

WP2: Pre-Writing Assignment 1

In 2003 the United States invaded Iraq in what was then called Operation Iraqi Freedom. Six years later, the new Iraq is still a dangerous place requiring the protection and assistance of American troops. In some ways the Iraq War was a success. The United States was able to remove one of the most evil and tyranical leaders in modern history in Saddam Hussein. Democracy though fragile has been planted in a Middle East nation. And since the invasion of Iraq, the United States has not been attacked by terrorists on American soil.

But there has been a price. Over 4,000 US troops have been killed in Iraq since the war began. And the fighting has bled American's of another $700 billion to support the effort. And what many people forget is why America went to war in Iraq in the first place. Or at least the reasoning at the time. To this day, we have not found a single weapon of mass destruction in Iraq. Yet that was the defining reason and propaganda used by the Bush administration in it's push for war.

This cartoon was created by world famous political cartoonist Pat Oliphant. Oliphant doesn't hide behind his work. He openly calls the Bush administration evil and questions the leadership they provided during the past eight years. But it doesn't take bold statements like that to understand what he is trying to say in this photograph.

The first thing I noticed when looking at this picture is Dick Cheney towering over this dead soldier. He looks angry, dominant and even evil as he towers over the scene. This contrasts the small, innocent cowboy dressed version of George Bush we see looking curiously at the man on the ground. Why is Cheney so much larger in this photograph than Bush? Why is Cheney dressed in a suit looking angry, while Bush is dressed informal cowboy style with a look of almost childlike innocence on his face?

These minor details that Oliphant works into the picture send a clear message. In his mind, Dick Cheney was the man responsible for what happened to this soldier. And while Bush is on his knees trying to comfort him, Cheney stares angrily from above into the man's eyes. This tells us that Bush, though uninformed and inept for the task at hand, feels bad about what has happened to the soldier. We see no such indications through body language or any form of communication from Dick Cheney.

But what really seals the message in this cartoon are the words spoken by Bush. "Would it make you feel better to know we had inaccurate intelligence?" Notice also the typography, and the lack of color, size, weight and shape in the words. Nothing is done to the text to make it stand out, or to draw attention.

I believe this was intentional. Oliphant wants the site of a dead soldier on the ground, surrounded by an incompetent President and his destructive Vice President to sink in. He wants us to notice these subtle but powerful messages, before we read the akward quote that pulls all of the details and elements together.

The argument could be made that this soldier died for nothing. Or at least not for the reasons that he thought. We started this war to defend America from terrorism. We were told that Iraq was a threat to our country and our way of life. But was that true? Is the world safer today because of what happened in Iraq? And more importantly, did the Bush administration take advantage of September 11th to accomplish a political agenda. It's an issue I aim to explore in this project, and a message I believe Oliphant was preaching loud and clear through this cartoon.

WP1: Final Draft

- Statement of Purpose

- Rough Draft 1

- Rough Draft 2

Author's Note

When choosing what picture I wanted to use for my project, I stumbled upon this image by accident. Upon seeing it, I immediately felt an emotional connection to the girl who is battling cancer. I looked into her eyes and could understand where she was coming from. I think this is because my own life has been greatly affected by cancer. I have lost two grandparents to it and have several friends who are fighting for their lives today.

When I first began writing the paper however, I got lost. I had two directions I really wanted to go. The first was strictly emotional. I wanted to convey in this project why cancer awareness was so important to me, and the emotional effect I felt towards the topic and the photograph. However, I also wanted to incorporate common sense and logical information. I wanted to make it obvious how dangerous cancer is and why people should be aware of it.

What resulted in Rough Draft 1 was a messy jumble of various information, life stories and emotional appeals that didn’t add up. So in my second draft, I worked really hard to clean things up and tightenthe focus of my project. I deleted information that detracted from the main ideas, and incorporated more themes from the book to support my argument. I found ways to use vector lines, pathos, logos, body language and contrast to show how the photograph was making an argument.

For my final draft, I felt it was important to cite my information to add credibility, and to incorporate photographs that did more than just make my project look pretty. I looked for pictures that would help connect my readers with the argument. A picture of a grandpa with his grandchildren for example uses pathos. Another photograph of a cancer victim being lovingly held by her husband demonstrates body language. I wanted these pictures to make my audience feel something, just like the initial photograph.

Overall I am satisfied with how my project turned out. The message is not to take life for granted, and to feel empathy towards the people in the photograph, and to others in the world who dealing with difficult problems.

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I don't know the girl in the photograph. And I probably never will.

But she and I share a connection. Both of our lives have been affected by cancer.

My Grandpa died of lung cancer before I was born. I never had a chance to meet him. To play sports, celebrate holidays or enjoy his handpicked Christmas presents. He was taken from me by a terrible disease, and left me in this world without a grandparent.

And like me, it's possible that this mother could also lose someone that she loves. Her beautiful little girl could die from cancer.

Cancer contributes to 23.1% of all human deaths in the United States (American Cancer Society). To put that number in perspective, that's more than the number of people who die from diabetes, influenza, alzheimers and all other unintentional accidents combined.

And unfortunately, thousands of these deaths could have been prevented through preventive care. Movements like the pink ribbon campaign to raise awareness for breast cancer are working to change that, but it's just a start. Too many people don't know or underestimate the danger of cancer.

Instead of getting into the doctor's office for simple tests that could save their lives, they only make an appointment when symptoms begin to appear. And by then, it is usually too late. They are lost to those around them, just like my grandpa. And that is a tragedy.

But let's be honest. It's hard to connect with raw information and statistics. Sometimes you need something more to get through to people. That is why this photograph of a young girl fighting cancer, with her mother by her side is so important. Unlike a statistic, this image puts a face on cancer and its effect on the world.

There is no color in this photograph, which shows you the seriousness of the situation. The picture is cropped to focus completely on a loving mother and her sick little girl. At first glance, you probably notice that this girl has no hair and that she has IV's coming out of her arms. Hair loss is a common side effect of chemotherapy, a costly treatment used to fight cancer (American Cancer Institute).

But the vector lines in this picture lead you beyond her initial appearance and force you to gaze into her eyes. It's like she's staring back at you. You begin to feel a human connection, because you realize this girl could be your daughter or younger sister. And all of a sudden, you begin to care.

This is classic pathos, appealing to our emotions and making us feel something. We feel compassion and empathy for the girl and her mother. Many of us probably are probably reminded of our own families. And when we can relate to the characters in an image, the argument being made is much stronger.

This photograph also argues its point through logos and it’s arrangement of the photograph. The daughter laying her head on the mom's shoulder, with her mother's hand pressed against her back is a classic demonstration of love. They look happy in this picture. Happy simply to be together. Happy just because they are alive. They don't have to say this with words, because we can see it in their body language.

Body language often communicates our deepest feelings. Anyone can vocalize the words "I love you." But the affection shown in this picture can't be replicated or faked. The human smile is also a universal symbol for happiness, and in this case a picture is worth a thousand words.

Through happiness and love, this photograph reminds us of the good that can be found even in a difficult situation. We see contrast between the two brave people we see brightly lit in the foreground, somehow making it through another day with a positive attitude; and the dark, uncertain world around them.

It’s classic good versus evil, hope over despair. By refusing to be defined by the difficult circumstances around them, they are an inspiration to anyone looking at the picture.

If the mother and daughter in the photograph could say anything, I think they would remind us not to take life for granted. And the world certainly needs more reminders like that. Statistics show that millions of people will have cancer in their lifetime (American Cancer Society).

Yet the warning often goes unheard or boldly ignored, especially by young people. To understand why this happens, we have to look at the context at which the average young person is coming from.

When you’re healthy, care free and disinterested in the future, it’s hard to really think about something like cancer. Instead, it's all about today and what's happening over the weekend.

But a picture like this can bring you back down to Earth. Connecting with this image and feeling compassion to their situation makes us think. What if this happened to me? What if cancer took away someone that I care about? This is another appeal to our emotions through pathos.

Many of us take our lives for granted. We waste precious moments that we will never get back. But this picture really puts things in perspective. For this mother and her daughter, life isn’t about the little things. It’s about surviving, and keeping close to you the only things that really matter.

This picture reminds us that life is short. It uses pathos to connect with our emotions, and to get through to people who otherwise might not listen. It communicates without using words through logos and body language. And it forces us to contrast our own lives and values with the cancer stricken world that we see in the photograph.

So maybe it’s time to stop and think about where your life is going. Maybe it’s time to make some changes, and head in a new direction. And don’t worry, if you get lost along the way, maybe this picture can help you find the light.

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Works Cited

• “Cancer Statistics 2009” American Cancer Society. 2009. October 18^th, 2009 <http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PRO/content/PRO_1_1_Cancer_Statistics_2009_Presentation.asp>.

• “Understanding Chemotherapy” National Cancer Institute. 2009. October 18^th, 20009 <http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/chemo-side-effects>

• "Cancer." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 18 October 2004, 10:00PM CST. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cancer>

• "Chemotherapy." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 18 October 2004, 10:00PM CST. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemotherapy>

WP1: Rough Draft 2

I don't know the girl in the photograph. And I probably never will.

But she and I share a connection. Both of our lives have been affected by cancer.

My Grandpa died of lung cancer before I was born. I never had a chance to meet him. To play sports, celebrate holidays or enjoy his hand picked Christmas presents. He was taken from me by a terrible disease, and left me in this world without a grandparent.

And like me, it's possible that this mother could also lose someone that she loves. Her beautiful little girl could die from cancer.

Cancer contributes to 23.1% of all human deaths in the United States. To put that number in comparison, that's more than the number of people who die from diabetes, influenza, alzheimers and all other unintentional accidents combined.

And unfortunately, thousands die every year from cancer that could have been prevented. Movements like the pink ribbon campaign to raise awareness for breast cancer are working to change that, but it's just a start. Too many people don't know or underestimate the danger of cancer. Instead of getting into the doctor's office for simple tests that could save their lives, many only get it when symptoms begin to appear, and by than it is too late. They are lost to those around them, just like my grandpa. And that is a tragedy.

But let's be honest. It's hard to connect with raw information and statistics. Sometimes you need something more to get through to people. That is why this photograph of a young girl fighting cancer, with her mother by her side is so important. Unlike a number, this image puts a face on cancer and it's effect on the world.

At first glance, you probably notice that this girl has no hair and that she has IV's coming out of her arms. This is a common side effict of chemotherapy, a costly treatment used to fight cancer. But when you look beyond her initial apperance and gaze into her eyes, you begin feel a human connection. It's like she is looking back at you. They say the eyes are a window into a person's soul. And when you look inside the soul of this little girl, you begin to feel like she could be your daughter or younger sister. A member of your family. All of a sudden, you begin to care.

This is classic pathos, appealing to our emotions and making us feeling something. We feel compassion and even pity for the girl and her mother. Many of us probably are probably reminded of our own families when we see such genuine affection in a picture. And when we can relate to the characters in an image, half of the argument is already won.

This photograph also argues it’s point through logos and it’s arrangement of the photograph. The daughter laying her head on the mom's shoulder, with her mother's hand pressed against her back is a classic demonstration of love. They look happy in this picture. Happy simply to be together. Happy just because they are alive. They don't have to say this with words, because we can see it in their body language.

Body language often communicates our deepest feelings. Anyone can form the vocalize the words "I love you." But the affection shown in this picture can't be replicated or faked. The human smile is a universal symbol for happiness, and in this case a picture is worth a thousand words.

Instead of focusing on the bad, this photograph focuses on what little good there is in a situation like this. There is a contrast the two brave people we in the foreground, somehow making it through another day with a positive attitude; and the dark, blurry and uncertain world around them. It’s classic good versus evil, hope over despair. By refusing to be defined by the difficult circumstances around them, they are an inspiration to anyone looking at the picture.

This picture is a reminder not to take life for granted. And the world certainly needs a reminder. Statistics show that millions of people young and old will have cancer in their lifetime. Yet the warning often goes unheard or boldly ignored, especially by young people. To understand this, we have to look at the context at which the average college student is coming from. Because students are generally pretty healthy, care free and disinterested in the future, it’s hard to really think about something like cancer. For us, it's all about today and what's happening over the weekend.

But a picture like this can bring us back down to Earth. Connecting with this girl and feeling compassion to her situation makes us think. What if this happened to me? What if cancer took away someone that I care about?

So many of us take our lives for granted. We waste precious moments that we will never get back. I mean think about it, when was the last time you genuinely stopped and thought about someone else’s needs? When was the last time you genuinely helped a stranger or even a friend?

Do we need some sort of award or incentive stop being selfish for a few minutes? Why is it that in a country where we have so much, we have so much trouble giving even just a little back? Look at how lucky we are to be living in a country like America with the opportunities that we have. Why don’t we do something with it?

This picture really puts things in perspective. For this mother and her daughter, life isn’t about the next vacation or what hot new toy you want to buy next. It’s about surviving, and keeping close to you the only thing that matters.

Compare that with your own life, and what do you see? Are you living your life to it’s fullest potential? Do you appreciate all of the people around you? In short, could you be doing better?

Life is short. So make the most of it. And if you get lost along the way, maybe this girl can help you find the light.

WP1: Rough Draft 1

I don't know the girl in the photograph. And I probably never will.

But she and I share a connection. Both of our lives have been affected by cancer.

My Grandpa died of lung cancer before I was born. I never had a chance to meet him. To play sports, celebrate holidays or enjoy his hand picked Christmas presents. He was taken from me by a terrible disease and left me in this world without a grandparent.

Then again when I was 8 years old, brain cancer took the life of my grandmother. I never had a chance to say goodbye because we were living overseas. It just wasn't right.

Unfortunately, I am not alone. Cancer contributes to 23.1% of all human deaths in the United States. To put that number in comparison, that's more than the number of people who died from diabetes, influenza, alzheimers and all other unintentional accidents combined. But that's just a statistic. And it's hard to connect with a statistic. Which is why this photograph of a young girl fighting cancer, with her mother by her side is so important.

From what we can see, it appears that this girl is being treated for cancer and fighting for her life. Unlike a number, this image puts a face on cancer and it's effect on America. When you look into the girls eyes, you feel a human connection. That's the argument I feel the photographer was trying to make when he took the picture.

The first thing I noticed when looking at this photograph is that there is no color. And I believe this was done to show the seriousness of the picture. But despite the technical aspects of the photograph, the moment it captures is filled with color. You can see and feel the love shared between a sick daughter and her mom. They care about each other. They trust each other. They would do anything for each other.

I also thought it was interesting how the photographer arranged the mom and her daughter in this picture. The daughter laying on her shoulder, with her mother's hand pressed against her back is a classic demonstration of love. They look happy in this picture. Happy simply to be together. Happy just because they are alive.

There is a contrast between the daughter and mother in the foreground, and the world behind them. Rather than include a hospital scene with nurses and medications, we instead see a dark out of focus background. I believe this represents all of the negative stuff this family is probably going through. There is no mention of costly chemotherapy, no hospital bed for the little girl to be confined to or nurse waiting with her next dose of pills.

Instead of focusing on the bad, this photograph focuses on what little good there is in this picture. And that's a smile, a smile that shows hope. The focus of the picture is on two brave people, somehow making it through another day with a positive attitude. They are refusing to be defined by the difficult circumstances around them. In just a simple frame, they are sending a deep and lasting message.

Despite statistics that show millions of young people will die from cancer in our lifetime, somehow the message often goes ignored. And to understand why this is, we must look at context. As college students, we are generally pretty healthy, care free and disinterested in the future. It's all about today and what's happening on Friday. It's not really our fault. It's just the care free world a lot of us live in.

But a picture like this can bring us crashing back down to Earth. Seeing the pain on this girl's face and knowing what she has been through, it makes us think. What if this happened to me? What if cancer attacked someone that I care about?

Perhaps this photograph is not only a call to be aware of cancer in the world. Maybe it is also a warning, that bad things can happen to anyone. Even you. If an innocent little girl can be chosen as the victim of such a terrible disease, who is to say it couldn't happen to you? And as much as we would love to look at the positives in a picture like this and hope that the girl will be ok, we also have to look at the facts. People die from cancer. She might die from cancer. Thousands do every single year.

So many people out there take their lives for granted. They waste precious moments that they will never get back. How often do we stop and think about someone else? How often do we do something for another person just because we can. It seems like that most of us, we need some sort of award or incentive to really get involved in the community. Why is it that in a country where we have so much, we have so much trouble giving even just a little back?

But I think this story can change that. This picture can you make reconsider the course that you are on. When we look at our lives, and compare them side by side with the face we see in this picture, maybe it will make us think. Our we living our lives to their full potential? Are we appreciating all of the people around us? In short, could we be doing even better?

Life is short. And the best things about life often get overlooked. Maybe this girl will send you a message. Maybe this girl will show you the light