Parents Should Encourage their Children to Read Fictional Books You have to follow the requirements and answer the questions in the attached files. i’ve at

Parents Should Encourage their Children to Read Fictional Books You have to follow the requirements and answer the questions in the attached files. i’ve attached a sample and questions and requirements files.

this is the editorial link: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/23/opinion/banned-…

make sure it’s about harry potter.

Assignment Requirements

Intriguing and memorable title that reflects the issue at hand
Opening paragraph that hooks the reader and gives an overview of the issue at hand. NOTE: do not refer to the editorial in this paragraph, since you will not introduce it until the second paragraph. You can paraphrase info from the editorial in your overview, but do not mention refer to it with phrases like “the editorial says.”
First few sentences of the second paragraph introduce the editorial smoothly, weaving in important source details including the author’s full name, title, where it was published, date of publication, and what prompted the author to write this argument. 1
student
Professor
English 102
15 June 2019
Pot Holes In the Justice System
These days, it is hard to imagine that people are being sentenced years and sometimes life
over marijuana. The reason for these lengthy jail times are mandatory minimum sentences.
Mandatory minimum sentencing is the legal minimum a judge can sentence an offender for a
crime. By cause of judiciary discretion, judges were handing sporadic sentences for the same
crimes which led to a national crime wave back in the 60’s, because the government wanted
consistency; they started mandatory minimum sentencing (Otis). Mandatory minimum sentences
have been a topic of debate for years because liberty is fundamental to America so and issues
like this is taken seriously. Many claim that mandatory minimums violate their 8th amendment,
this amendment protects against excessive bail, excessive fines, and cruel and unusual
punishment (Crelin). Opposers of mandatory minimums say that the sentence lengths are cruel,
because offenders are being sentenced with mandatory minimums for life over marijuana and
other small drug charges. Supporters of mandatory minimums say that the harsh lengths deter
people from committing and have led to a steep decline in crime over the last 40 years (Martin).
Reform has been made to mandatory minimums over the years, with shorter lengths and clauses,
but many feel that more work needs to be done.
In “Outrageous Sentences for Marijuana”, published on April 14, 2016 by the New York
Times, its Editorial Board argues that the life sentence given to Lee Brooker for possession of
marijuana is cruel and unusual. The Editorial Board uses all three forms of rhetoric to form a
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strong argument that Brooker’s sentence is unjust, they use ethos through its diverse and
politically different writers, pathos through public attitudes towards marijuana, and logos
through the legality of marijuana in other states. The Editorial Board, comprised of experienced
and award-winning writers, say that life without parole should never be a mandatory sentence
because it is the second severest punishment, behind death and should be decided by a judge who
has taken mitigating factors into consideration. They argue that public attitudes and policy
towards marijuana have changed, making Brookers punishment both cruel and unusual. Supreme
Court Justice Kennedy spoke and said that mandatory minimums are “unwise and unjust.” The
opinion finishes by stating that mandatory death sentences and life without parole for juveniles
are banned because of the 8th amendment and say that no one should be sent to prison for
possessing marijuana for medical or personal use.
The New York Times is iconic and the most coveted newspaper in the world, giving them
strong ethos. Their Editorial Board is comprised of professional writers who have strong
credentials under their belts; from Pulitzer Award winners to Harvard law school graduates,
these writers are elite. These credentials, without a doubt, strengthen the persuasiveness of the
argument. Along with strong accreditation, the Editorial Board’s tone also improves the strength
of their argument. The tone is direct and frustrated; the direct tone gives the reader all the facts
and circumstances in order for them to understand where the frustration comes from. For
example, “He received a punishment typically reserved for the most violent crimes, like murder,
rape, and terrorism, even though he poses no threat to society.” This shows the frustration the
Editorial Board has with the sentence while still keeping things direct and professional. Overall,
the usage of ethos in this article is effective and adds to the article’s argument that mandatory
minimums for drug offenders are too harsh, the New York Times credibility adds tremendous
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ethos to the article and the word choice is very particular on creating feelings of sympathy,
unfairness and outrage.
When people see ASPCA commercials, they feel sympathetic towards the animals shown,
which might compel them to send money, this emotional appeal that ASPCA uses is known as
pathos. In this article, the Editorial Board uses pathos with words such as “no threat to society”
and “not even a crime” when talking about life without parole as a minimum sentence to make
the reader feel bad for Mr. Brooker. The usage of the word “barely” in the sentence talking about
possession amounts for a life minimum is used to show the reader how frivolous the crime is. In
the first sentence of the article, it states, “Life without parole, second only to the death penalty in
severity, should never be a mandatory sentence for any crime, much less for simple possession of
marijuana, which is not even a crime in many parts of the country.” The Editorial Board
describes the life without parole sentence as the second harshest punishment in order for the
reader to grasp the gravity of the sentence; then uses the word “simple” when talking about
possession of marijuana, as well as stating that it is legal in areas of the country in order to show
the pettiness and hypocrisy of these charges. In another sentence, “Almost everywhere else,
public attitudes and policy toward drugs in general, and marijuana in particular, have changed
significantly.” This sentence attempts to evoke sympathy because everywhere else in the
country, places are becoming more lenient towards marijuana, and it feels unfair that someone is
spending the rest of his life in jail for something that people do for recreation. The usage of
pathos in this article is impeccable, from the word choice to the angles of unfairness, the reader
should really feel sympathetic towards Mr. Brooker.
A politician will sway their constituents by bringing up facts, figures, and projections to
create a logical appeal or better known as logos. This article uses logos to create a logically
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sound argument that the sentence given to Mr. Brooker is too harsh for the crime. The authors
first state the severity of a life sentence without parole as a minimum so that the reader
understands the magnitude of the sentence. Then, compares state laws by making the argument
that Mr. Brooker would not have broken a law in half of the other states. The strongest
supporting point is that he received a sentence that is reserved for people who commit worse
crimes, i.e. murder, rape, and terrorism. The authors mainly used comparisons in order to create
their logical appeals, laws were used but still in a comparative way. The comparisons are spot
on, specifically the state laws regarding recreational use and possession amounts. The overall
usage of logos was very powerful and made the article stronger, seeing the unfairness through
comparison of different states is very eye opening because in one state this man gets to live his
life free, while in another he can be locked up for life.
The article “Outrageous Sentences for Marijuana”, published on April 14, 2016 by the New
York Times, its Editorial Board argues that the life sentence given to Lee Brooker for possession
of marijuana is cruel and unusual. The New York Times Editorial Board uses all three forms of
rhetoric to form a sound argument that Mr. Brooker’s sentence is unjust, they use ethos by being
a world renowned new source and having diverse and politically different writers, pathos is used
by presenting public attitudes towards marijuana, and logos is used through comparison of
legality of marijuana in other states. The New York Times is trusted by millions, giving their
Editorial Board instant ethos, not to mention the board members have great credentials on their
own. Pathos was used in the article by using words and phrases, such as emphasizing the gravity
of a life sentence to make the reader feel that Mr. Brooker had been sentenced way too harshly.
Logos was used by comparing the legality of marijuana in states, showing the reader the
hypocrisy of the American justice system and the discrepancies between state laws. Overall, the
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article undeniably makes a sound argument that the punishment Mr. Brooker received was cruel
and unusual.
6
Works Cited
Crelin, Joy. “Mandatory Minimum Prison Sentences for Drug Offenders:
Overview.” Points of View: Mandatory Minimum Prison Sentences for Drug Offenders, Apr.
2016, p. 1. EBSCOhost,
search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pwh&AN=114927055&site=pov-live
Martin, Rachel. “Former Prosecutor On Why He Supports Mandatory Minimums.” NPR,
May 2017,
www.npr.org/2017/05/31/530843623/former-prosecutor-on-why-he-supportsmandatory-minimums.
Otis, William, and Julie Stewart. “Should Mandatory Minimum Laws Be Repealed?” U.S.
News Digital Weekly, vol. 5, no. 34, Aug. 2013, p. 17. EBSCOhost,
search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=89984460.
Paper 2: Editorial Analysis
An editorial is an article in a periodical (newspaper or magazine) that provides an opinionated
argument made by a writer, editor, or editorial board on a current, debatable issue. In this essay,
we will analyze the persuasiveness of an argument made in an editorial. Your essay, then, will
not be about the issue discussed in the editorial, but will discuss whether the argument is
effective based on the author’s ethos, and use of pathos and logos.
The first step in the writing process of this assignment is to select an editorial. Look at the
editorial pages of major newspapers like the New York Times and the Washington Post; the
opinion features in magazines like Time and The Atlantic; and in online news outlets like CNN.
You should choose an editorial long and detailed enough to provide sufficient evidence for your
analysis.
Essay Structure
The first paragraph of your essay will provide an overview of the issue discussed in your
editorial without referring to the editorial. It should open with a hook to grab the reader’s
attention, and then tell why the issue is relevant and what makes the issue debatable.
The second paragraph will introduce the editorial and its publisher, identify the editorial’s claim
and supporting reasons, and assess the strength of argument (based on the writer’s ethos, and use
of pathos and logos) in a thesis statement. Reminder: This paper is not about your position on the
issue, only your position on the editorial’s use of logical, emotional, and credibility appeals.
Your thesis sentence will answer two questions: is the argument made in the editorial
convincing? Why or why not?
The body of your essay will discuss the author’s ethos and use of pathos (emotional appeals) and
logos (logical appeals).
Once you have drafted the middle section of your paper, move on to a strong conclusion that
restates the thesis and sums up the essay’s main points.
Your Works Cited page should include a citation for the editorial, and for any outside sources
you bring into the paper (note: you are not required to bring in any outside sources).
Assignment Requirements
–
–
Intriguing and memorable title that reflects the issue at hand
Opening paragraph that hooks the reader and gives an overview of the issue at hand.
NOTE: do not refer to the editorial in this paragraph, since you will not introduce it until
the second paragraph. You can paraphrase info from the editorial in your overview, but
do not mention refer to it with phrases like “the editorial says.”
First few sentences of the second paragraph introduce the editorial smoothly, weaving in
important source details including the author’s full name, title, where it was published,
date of publication, and what prompted the author to write this argument.
–
–
–
–
–
–
Second paragraph then summarizes the main argument the editorial makes and
supporting points (about 4 to 6 sentences)
Second paragraph ends on your thesis about the overall success of the argument in a
clear, strongly worded thesis statement at the end of the second paragraph that tells
overall whether the author of the editorial makes a successful argument based on the
author’s ethos and use of pathos and logos appeals
Body paragraphs focus on analyzing the editorial’s persuasiveness in terms of the
rhetorical triangle
Essay integrates the editorial as evidence using things like summary, paraphrase, and
direct quotations. Any direct quotation should be introduced with a signal phrase like
“according to ____” or “The author argues that _____”
Conclusion restates the editorial information (author, title, date of publication, and
publisher), rephrases your thesis and overall conclusions about the success of the text
based on the writer’s ethos, and use of pathos and logos
Essay employs tone appropriate for an academic audience by using strong, sophisticated
vocabulary, avoiding the use of the second person ‘you’, avoiding conversational
language and slang, and by referring to the author(s) by last name
Length: 3+
Works cited page cites editorial in MLA 8 and cites any outside sources
The paper demonstrates clear understanding and execution of MLA conventions and
formatting rules such as referring to the editorial in the present tense and using quotation
marks and italics properly
Paper uses clear and appropriate transition words and phrases both within the paragraphs
and between them to help ideas flow smoothly.
Paper varies sentence structure to avoid repetition and choppiness. Uses a mix of
sentence types and variety of short and long sentences
Paper uses sophisticated and varied word choice appropriate for a formal, academic
audience
Questions for Analyzing an Editorial
1. What is the publication info of your editorial? Name the author of the editorial, the title,
where it was published, and the date of publication.
2. What is the main argument of the piece? Hint: see the title!
3. What are the most important points made?
Ethos
1. What are the writer’s credentials?
2. How would you describe the author’s tone? Does the tone hurt or help the argument?
Why?
3. Does the author provide examples of his/her own credibility on the topic? If so, what
examples? Do they help the persuasiveness of the overall argument? Why/why not?
Pathos
1. Give 4-5 examples of emotionally loaded words that the author uses. What emotion was
the author trying to evoke in the audience with each of these words?
2. Does the author use any examples meant to elicit an emotional response from the
audience? If so, what are they? What emotion(s) is the author attempting to make the
audience feel?
Logos
1. Is the main claim of the argument logically sound? What about the supporting points?
Does the evidence logically connect to the supporting points and overall main claim? Is
the evidence taken from legitimate, credible sources? Explain.

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