Working Hypothesis

When I first began this research assignment I was unsure about the inquiry question I wanted to pursue. It was between the ideas of the liberals during this war in Iraq or the amount of people that have been killed in the war so far and why we are still fighting this war. As I did more and more research and posted on my blog, my inquiry question evolved and changed. I took my idea of why are we still fighting this war and turned it into finding reasons for the lack of respect and support for the United States (after September 11 more specially). I feel that my question has changed into this because originally my ideas were very broad. By focusing on different aspects of them it narrowed down my field of inquiry. Also, by exploring the sources that were out there and coming across different blogs and sites it helped to change my focus as well.
I know a lot more about my topic now than I did before. When I first began this unit I was unsure about a lot of things and even still a little up in the air about my overall feelings on the war in Iraq. After a lot of research though, I have been able to put a lot of ideas together and form my own opinions on the issue. In relation to my topic of inquiry I now know that the bush administration has done a lot of lying and misleading to the American people. Because of all of this, the American publics support for the war has gone downhill. As a result of this, it has seemed that the support for the soldiers and troops oversees has diminished as well although this is not the case. When people are not in favor of the administrations decisions they will do what they have to and feel is necessary to voice those opinions. The only way Americans now know how to voice those opinions is through a lack of support for all aspects of the war. Since this war has not made any progress in ending, Americans are growing tired of waiting around and having hundreds and hundreds of soldiers coming home injured and dead. By reading the blogs of veterans it has given me the knowledge of their feelings on the war and it has become more and more relevant that they are just like most other Americans- they want the war to end.
Overall, I think I want to know more about the underlying reasons for the Bush administration lying to the Americans for the reasons for declaring war in Iraq. Reasons such as them having weapons of mass destruction were used and the public eventually realized that it was all false. These are the things that lead to the disrespect for the United States. Nationalism and patriotism are things that link all of this together. Although I have some reasons for this, such as by having immense support for the war at first by many Americans and then it slowly falling apart, I know there are still more out there. All of this potential information is important because it will enhance my idea and topic of why is there a continuing disrespect for the United States after 9/11. By getting more in depth to my sources hopefully some of this new information will evolve for me. Otherwise, will look even more at new sources and distribute my survey to even more people.
For the most part, all of my sources work together. My topic that I am researching is not specific in the sense that there is only one idea linked with it, but that there are many different ideas that can make it up. Since this is the case, it is hard to find gaps in my research for new ideas, but my new ideas come from different sources and how they work together in conversation. Everything that I have believed to be true for the most part has been true. The fact that I am anti-war has in some ways influenced my beliefs as being true but my sources are what confirmed all of this. The media is also works in connection with my ideas because at this point in time most of the American public is against the war in iraq and what the Bush administration is doing. Media works in the fashion that they want the public to believe what they say. So, if they work with the majority they will get the most viewings and positive responses. Although this might not always be the most accurate information to go off of, it is still useful in research because it is opinions and beliefs that are out there.
At this point, I feel that I have a lot of good information. An argument that I feel I could make right now is that the lying and misleading of the Bush administration is what has lead to disrespect for the United States by many Americans. My justifications would be that as Americans, we were mislead as to the reasons that we were going to be fighting this war. After being lied to various times, how is one supposed to take anything else the Bush administration has to say seriously. By having a lack of respect for the administration in charge, it relates to having a disrespect for the country as a whole. Other countries view America negatively and it is a problem that most Americans agree with them and view our country in the same way. Our soldiers that are coming home and our veterans even are not in support of this war. It is hard for soldiers to fight for our country during this war when it is something that they do not believe in. All of these feelings are what have lead to the disrespect of the United States by American people.

Add a comment August 6, 2008

Visual Images

“I’m Digging My Grave Today… Yours Tomorrow!”
1940’s Propaganda Remixed- CafePress
August 2006
www.cafepress.com/warposter/11049

This image is a part of the Propaganda Remix project, which took images from the 1940’s and redid them to relate to the current war in Iraq. Instead of holding a gun, the soldier is holding a shovel. This relates to the text of the image because the soldier is digging his own grave. The obvious message of this poster is that war kills many of its soldiers and by enlisting in the war you are possibly killing yourself. By having “WAR: GET USED TO IT” written on the bottom of the poster in large letters, it implies that the war is not going to end anytime soon. There is also an emphasis on various words in this poster. The ‘my’ is italicized while the ‘soon’ and ‘your’ are in caps. I think this was done to show that every soldier in the war could potentially be dying before they make it out. The font works to stand out in this image because it is a lot brighter and bolder than the image. Although the image is a key part of it, the text is what sends the message to Americans. This poster is biased in the sense that the creator feels like no one is going to make it out of the war alive. They make shovels the weapons as opposed to the guns to make it more dramatic and emphasize the face that by joining the military you are going to be digging your own grave. The audience is essentially anyone who knows what’s going on with the war in Iraq, but more specifically people who are thinking about enlisting in the war. It seems that this poster is intended to discourage Americans from joining the military. I think that this can relate to my research paper because it can be used to show that even other Americans don’t want to be fighting in this war. The soldiers should be optimistic and positive when fighting and have feelings that they are doing the right thing. During this war more than anything, these feelings have disappeared. People are focused more on the deaths and injuries then on the progress being made. If Americans did not step up to fight in this war, then there would be no one overseas. We went into this war because we were lied to and now our soldiers have to face the Bush administrations consequences.

“Dead Marine Poster”
Gathering of Eagles
June 28, 2007
Gatheringofeagles.org/2007/06

The font is something that really stands out in this poster. It uses a catch phrase of the army, “be all that you can be,” but puts it in a different context. The image helps to clarify what this context is. The poster was originally put outside of a Military Recruiting office, so that alone lets you know it was created by people who are opposed to this war. The underlying message that I got from this poster was that too many marines are dying. Various coffins are shown along with a falling over marine. The lack of color used allows you to focus on the red, white, and blue of the American flags. The message that this is relaying is that you can go into the marines thinking you are going to be all you can be and reach your goals, but you will most likely come out dead- and if not dead then injured. It is biased in the sense that it is clearly stating the opinion of someone who is against the war. The audience is intended to be anyone who is considering joining the military and that is why it was placed outside of a military recruiting office. This ties in with my research paper in that people do not want to be fighting this war. Ever since it began, people have lost more and more respect for the United States as a whole because of the poor decisions made by the Bush administration. It is being said that because Americans disrespect the war, they disrespect the soldiers. This is untrue but it is easy to understand why it is being said. I think as time goes on and the war continues to go on, the American people are going to become less and less in support of the war (if they are not already) and although they do not mean to be, they are going to focus less and less on the people who are oversees fighting for us.

3 comments July 30, 2008

Blog Assignment #6

Moore, David W. “Public Polarized Over Iraq.” Gallup. 2 Feb. 2006. 22 July 2008 <http://www.gallup.com/poll/21256/public-polarized-over-iraq.aspx>.

Gallup.com was originally a site that I found through LexisNexis. It is a data-driven site that provides news to leaders, business executives, and decision makers worldwide. It focuses on many topics. Some of the “Hot Topics” are Muslim World, Iraq War, Race, Consumers, Gas Prices, and Election 2008. Gallup.com publishes timely stories, videos, and analyses related to important world developments and the daily updates make it a must-read.

“Small majorities of Americans say the war has been a mistake and that the Bush administration deliberately misled the public about whether Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.”
What do I think of this idea?
I think that it is a reason why people are against our country since the war. The fact that the people feel like they are being lied to is a quality reason for why they should not trust the president and his decisions. The Bush administration wanted the people to think there was a real reason for fighting this war, when now they are realizing that they were misled.
How true is it?
I feel that it is true because it is the opinions of the Americans and they were polled to find out these answers. I also know that this was a reason used by the Bush administration to justify their reasons for going to war and Americans now feel misled by it.
Why does it resonate with you?
This quote resonates with me because I personally am not in favor of the war. When doing my research however I cannot be biased, but facts like these that come from the Americans make it clear that the majority of the country is not pleased with what is going on.
Does it challenge or support anything I know or believe?
It supports the idea that Americans are against the war in Iraq as well as the decisions made by the Bush administration. If a large majority of Americans believe that this war is a mistake, then they are not going to be in support of the things going on in this country.
Does it raise or answer questions?
The only questions that I connect with this statement are ones related to the weapons of mass destruction. The public originally obviously would believe what the Bush administration had to say, but what did the Bush administration think the outcome of lying to the public would be? They would have to realize that their would be a repercussion to their lying as well as knowing that the American public would eventually find out what they did wrong.
How does this quotation or claim make you think differently about your topic?  How does it challenge or push your thinking or give you a new line of thought to pursue?  What new original ideas arise from your encounter with this source?
It makes me think a little differently about my topic of why there is disrespect for the United States after September 11 because the underlying root is most likely related to the lying and misleading that occurred. It pushes my thought in the sense that a majority of the American public is against the Bush administration, making it more difficult for them to gain support and correct their mistakes. This source as a whole works to backup the ideas that I had about majorities being against the war and the decisions made. A lot of polls were given and the percentages are somewhat surprising as well as very useful for my research.

““If You Don’t Support the War, You Play Into the Hands of the Enemy, and you Help Destroy the Morale of the Troops…”.” Voice of a Veteran. 22 Feb. 2007. 22 July 2008 <http://voiceofaveteran.blogspot.com/>.

Voice of a Veteran is a blog created by a Veteran from the Iraq war. The first posts began in February of 2004 and have continued to June of 2008.

“So, the administration and its remaining backers in Congress are using the troops and their ‘morale’ as pawns in making you feel guilty about your increasing opposition to the war in Iraq – 2/3rds of you in this country.”
What do I think of this idea?
I think it is a new idea that is brought up that is seemingly very true. The public does not want to be against the soldiers because they are the ones who are fighting for us in this war and in the end many of them are losing their lives and coming out injured. The administration knows that America as a whole does not want to be against the soldiers, so they are using it against them and using it as a way to get to them during this war.
How true is it?
I feel that this is a true statement because as the source before this stated, a majority of the country is against this current war. The Bush administration knows that so they are trying to do everything they can to gain back some of the support. However, their tactics are not effective since the country knows what they are trying to do.
Why does it resonate with you?
This resonates with me because I think it is terrible that the administration is using its soldiers as a way to manipulate and get to the public. The morale of the soldiers for the most part is low and by having them know they are being used as a way for the administration to get to the public, it will make their morale even lower.
Does it challenge or support anything I know or believe?
I know that not many American are in support of the war so this just confirms that even more. For the most part, I do not think that by using the troops as pawns there will be more support for the war. The public knows the general idea of what the soldiers are going through and the number of them that are getting injured and killed. Although they are not going to want to go against the troops for the most part, they are not going to become in support of the war based on the fact that the administration is yet again lying to them and misleading them.
Does it raise or answer questions?
This statement works to clarify that the administration is pushing the public away. By lying to them more and more, they will have less trust in the administration and their decisions. When I read “the remaining backers in Congress” it makes me wonder how much of Congress is against the current war and how much of Congress is one of the backers.
How does this quotation or claim make you think differently about your topic?  How does it challenge or push your thinking or give you a new line of thought to pursue?  What new original ideas arise from your encounter with this source?
This makes me think differently about my topic because the administration is now clearly using the troops as a way to get to the people. I do not believe in this and this is another reason why Americans may be against the country. Yet again they are being misled and lied to. It pushes my ideas more because it is another idea to explore and brings in a new aspect of the lying being done and the reasons for it.

2 comments July 30, 2008

Survey Questions

1. What are your feelings towards the United States after 9/11?
2. Have any particular events or occurrences influenced these feelings?
3. If you were in control, what would your actions after 9/11 have been?
4. Do you feel that other countries view the United States as you do?
5. Why or why not?
6. Do you think that nationalism is something that influences our country greatly?
7. Why or why not?
8. To describe your feelings towards the United States in general would you use the word respect or disrespect?
9. If willing to say, are you for or against the current war in Iraq?

3 comments July 23, 2008

Primary Research Method

What do I want to discover?
By giving out a survey to many individuals I hope to discover why there has become a disrespect for the US after 9/11 as well as why nationalism may have lead to this.

How do I plan on discovering it? (This is called your research methods or methodology)
I plan on discovering this by asking thought provoking questions. These questions will hopefully cause detailed responses that will lead to other realizations by me. 

Who am I going to talk to/observe/survey? (These people are called your subjects or participants)
I am going to survey people around me such as friends and family as well as any bloggers I come across that seem to know anything on the subject. By getting opinions from people who focus a lot on the subject, I think it will be very useful to me.

How am I going to be able gain access to these groups or individuals?
Any US citizen knows the relative idea of what is going on in Iraq and has been since after 9/11. Because of this, anyone can be useful to survey. The people through the internet will be harder to get access to and that is why I will use people I know as well. That way, I will at least have some useful results and possible explanations.

What are my biases about this topic?
I am not in favor of this war so it might be difficult for me to see many views on the other side. After 9/11 our country slowly began falling apart and there could be various reasons for that. This current war has caused a lot of controversy and because of this I feel that

How can I make sure my biases are not reflected in my research methods?
By asking questions that are open ended, my opinion will not shine through. After getting all of the information i will have to piece it all together and this is where my biases might come in. I will have to analyze the information and use it in my paper without putting my personal opinion into it.

What do I expect to discover?
I expect to discover why US citizens are slowly starting to disrespect this country even more and more. Granted a lot has to do with the war in Iraq, why arent people more supportive of it since men and women are fighting for us and many of them are coming back injured?

2 comments July 21, 2008

Blog Assignment #5

After doing a lot of research and coming across many different blogs and websites created, I am still not 100% about the specific topic I want to further research and pursue. A lot of my unit 1 essay focused on the liberals and their views on the war as well as how they are in some ways terrorist agitators.  Although this topic is very interesting to me, another thing that I came across is the amount of people that have been injured and killed during this war. Taking the movie Alive Day for instance, each person discussed their injuries they obtained and their experiences fighting in the Iraq war. Aside from knowing that during war many soldiers will be injured and killed, seven to eight million were killed during World War I, why continue to fight this war? Is the deaths of all of these Iraqi and American soldiers as well as civilians really worth it? And for what reason? All of these questions are still up in the air for me. When looking at the ideas and views of the liberals however, I wonder why they “are against” our country. People can disagree with the war but I do not understand why they are essentially in support of the terrorists. All of these ideas branch out of my unit 1 paper.

If following through with the idea of the amount of people killed during the Iraq war so far and how this is affecting our country I feel that the documentaries I have seen will help to emphasize my thoughts. Seeing people talk about their experiences such as in Alive Day, really got me thinking about their futures from this point on and how many people are actually dying and getting injured. I personally do not think we should be continuing to fight in this war especially with the amount of people who are coming home injured as well as the civilians in Iraq who are being harmed. I possibly intend to research this topic because I feel that many people think they know a lot about the war and what is going on in Iraq when in reality, they don’t know much at all. By digging deeper into the motives behind the war and figuring out why we are still fighting in lieu of all of the soldiers that are dying, I feel that it will help to answer a lot of questions about the war.

Research is obviously an ongoing thing in any research assignment. I have already found many blogs created by veterans that express their feelings and attitudes towards the war. Since my unit 1 paper is still a work in progress I could use sources then I find for that obviously for this. There have been a few news articles as well as blogs created with the views and ideas of the liberals, especially during this war. I think that any of the sources I come across will be slightly opinionated and because of that, I don’t know how creditable they will be. Veterans view the war a lot differently than us civilians do and although the ideas are based off of the events, having been there first hand and seeing the harsh realities can easily impact someone’s attitude towards the situation as a whole. The liberals as a general group of people have a set of ideas and beliefs. it would be interesting to me to find someone who is a liberal and hear their personal opinions and views. I think that any first hand encounters although they are probably mostly opinion, can be useful.

Either of these topics obviously will interest anyone who has feelings and interest towards the war. For people that don’t know as much about what is going on in Iraq it will also interest them. Whether it is the reason we are fighting, about the the amount of soldiers and civilians who are getting injured, or the views of the liberals in this country based on the current war, I feel that it can enhance any information people already know, or teach them a lot about what is actually going on overseas related to our country.

2 comments July 18, 2008

Blog Assignment #4

This presentation begins with discussing various examples of war porn and how it even began in our society. Through the use of various images and relevant sources, the questions of what is the function of war porn and how are we to interpret the meaning and the societal role of this new cultural phenomenon are brought up. One original idea that is brought up during this presentation is that “war porn as a genre is a social actor in which spectacle enacts and encourages democratic participation through the public screen.” Drawing on various sources and using them together to create a thought brought about this idea. Although many ideas are created throughout this presentation, the major idea of “what is the function of war porn” is the intended rhetorical purpose. You can tell this because all of the information told in the beginning of the essay is used as background to support this. The images shown also add to this because it allows for the reader to formulate their own ideas of what the function of war porn may be. A good concept that is used in this presentation is not only using facts to make a point, but also adding opinion. In doing this, the audience is able to relate more to the topic presented and understands where the author is coming from.
Research is a main part in any formal essay that is written. By incorporating many primary and secondary sources into the paper, it works to emphasize the points being argued as well as force the audience to see where the writer is coming from. Right from the beginning of the presentation you can tell that a lot of research went into it. The first two pages all include images that serve as primary sources since they are actual accounts of the events that occurred. They are taken from Abu Ghraib and work to appeal to the audience emotionally. Since the images are not just placed in the presentation, but they are also discussed they let the audience really see the harsh things done to the prisoners instead of forcing them to imagine it on their own.
On the bottom of the second page a quote by Susan Sontag is included which comes from “Regarding the Torture of Others.” In this quote Sontag analyzes where the pictures during the war comes from. She points out that it is no longer the responsibility of outsiders to document the events that occur, the soldiers do it themselves and even swap images with each other. This serves as a primary source to emphasize a point that these atrocities during the war are not exaggerated, but things that actually occur.
On the third page another image is included which although it is a primary source, it is used to back up some secondary sources. Websites such as YouTube, Afterdowningstreet.org, salon.com, and NowThat’sFuckedUp.com are listed and not taken from directly, but they are used to emphasize the point that soldiers themselves are changing the meaning of things. Originally some of these sites were used to publish pornographic images of women, but now include images of themselves in graphic ways. Others include videos that show the torture done, such as being forced to masturbate on film.
On the fourth page Haim Bresheeth’s work in “Projecting Trauma: War Photography and the Public Sphere” is discussed as well as quoted. By discussing the quote and work before adding the quote in, it transitions the reader well and also is more effective. The discussing of the work before is used as a secondary source. It analyzes what Bresheeth concludes and further adds to the rhetorical topic of what is the function of war porn. The quote that is added is used as a primary source since it is a question that Bresheeth has as well as the writer of the presentation so it is also used as research. Also included on the fourth page is ideas by Brian Latour, Kevin Michael DeLuca, and Jennifer Peeples. This is used as a secondary source since the writer works with all of the ideas included and researched to bring up a point to argue. Using multiple sources together shows that a lot of research went into the topic as well as enforce the thoughts created because more than one source brought about the same idea.
On the fifth page Jean Baudrillard presents a long idea. He argues what the idea of war porn at Abu Ghraib. This fits in because as discussed in the presentation earlier, Abu Ghraib is a big source of war porn. As you continue down the page Baudrillard’s ideas are tied in with Latour and definitions that he creates. By using the same sources throughout the presentation works to validate the sources and emphasize their originality. This is used as secondary sources since the author is creating ties between the sources. These ideas are carried on throughout the next few pages and the conversation created between the ideas brought about from the research is very powerful.
On the eighth page Kevin Michael DeLuca and Jennifer Peeples bring about the idea of shifting in thinking that is done. Mass media is also discussed and that is very relevant to our society today since the public pays a lot of attention to the media in the society that we live in. Andy Grundberg’s quote that is added shortly after this discussion argues the points that were made. This use of these primary sources creates yet another conversation between sources. By presenting opposing ideas in any presentation, it creates even more of a conversation and works to get the audience to think even more about the topic being discussed.
On the bottom of the eighth and the ninth page John Thompson and Wendy Hesford are used as primary sources. Thompson claims that the Abu Ghraib incidents have given a new status to the publics feeling toward explosive political events. Both Thompson and Hesford discuss war porn in a lot of detail. By bringing in political actions that occurred, such as by John McCain, the audience is able to see how this is all related in the end. Many people may think they understand the overall picture that discussing war porn is trying to create, but by having political evidence to back it up emphasizes and puts it into perspective even more.
On the tenth page personal evidence is given in research done about the Abu Ghraib incident. This research can be used as a primary source since the author did the research herself and saw how many hits on Goggle were generated over time. This immense difference in number proves that society is becoming more aware of the incident and war porn as a whole. The images on the tenth page also allow for questioning since they are done by artists. These work to prove that the function of war porn can also lead to art. The images themselves are primary sources.
In this overall presentation the images help to enhance it a lot. By having visuals in any work they help to appeal to the audience emotionally. In this presentation especially, by appealing to the audience emotionally you will get more of a positive reaction. Anything in society that deals with the war forces people to focus their attention because it is such a big partof our society now.

2 comments July 16, 2008

Blog Assignment #3

            In order to be a strong reader and writer there are some abilities and knowledge you need to have. In the article “Helping Students Use Textual Sources Persuasively” by Margaret Kantz, she makes it clear that a good reader and writer works hard to gather their sources. By having sources that you can converse with, the idea of not restating and paraphrasing will be easier to achieve. A good writer is someone who can take the information that is gathered and create a whole new idea and opinion based off of their knowledge that they gained. Bits and pieces from each source, what a good reader will feel is important, is brought together into new ideas that the writer creates. As in any type of writing as well, the subject should be interesting to the reader and a little creativity should be used.

            Kantz believes that a strong sustained research assignment starts with the right sources. By choosing sources from different points of view and periods of time, alternating opinions are slowly leaked through and this is the initial aspect of finding an interesting research topic. After reviewing the sources and the information that is available, Kantz feels that the writer should be able to invent an original problem and purpose that will sustain the readers attention while also causing them to question the problem brought up. As a result of the sources then conversing with each other throughout the paper, the argument should be strong and effective.

            Although rhetorically thinking facts and opinions are both claims, they are distinguished by the way the audience receives them. A fact the reader will accept as true without requiring proof, while an opinion will not be seen as true without proof. This distinction is seen as important because the audience is the one who is forming new opinions based on the overall information given throughout the paper. A fact can also be used as evidence for an opinion so they both work together to form a rich analysis. Rhetoric and rhetorical analysis comes into play in reading and writing according to Kantz in the sense when reading the sources one must be analyzing the information. It cannot be expected that the information is going to all factual and that is where the rhetorical analysis comes in. By looking at the context of the time period in which the source was written, the author, and influential things of that time, it will create a more complete rhetorical analysis for the writing that you are trying to create.

            The ethos, or credibility, that Kantz wants you to create is one that is backed up by sources while also forming new ideas and opinions. The sources are used as a supplement to prove to the audience and persuade them that your thinking is correct. Having facts from your research included will help to validate your point being made as well as convince the audience that you know what you are talking about. Comparing what Kantz advocates to that of the thinking of Edward Said, he can be seen as a role model. Kantz advocates for the kind of reader, writer, and thinker who pieces many outside sources together to come to a conclusion and branch out to prove many points. In Said’s work, he used past historical experiences to explain why orientalism is still present in our society today. Even though his speaking on orientalism was before the incidents on September 11, 2001, it still holds true today now even more than ever. Drawing on past issues to explain current ones is what Kantz wants to be done. She feels that to effectively achieve a successful work you need to look at all angles of your argument.

            In my sustained research argument I will gather sources from many different areas and from different points of view. I will also make sure they are credible so I can attempt to base some of my information off of the facts found. Another thing that will make these sources more credible and useful to me is researching the authors of the sources. Said as well as Kantz believe that you need to see as the experts see in an attempt to get the best experience possible. By understanding the author’s views and opinions on the situation it will be easier to take the information and use it towards a new topic of inquiry. In order to create ethos on my own page I will look into the views of the Iraq war now and even past views such as when the war began. As a result of having sources to compare it begins to create conversation that stimulates even more questions and information. Finding information from veterans will also be very useful because they are going to be as close to firsthand information as you can get. Although it will still be opinionated, the general feel of the veterans and soldiers will be relevant. When moving on with this paper I can see myself facing issues of not knowing where to go exactly with the information I have. I tend to get too much information and have a hard time sorting through all of it. Now that I am aware of my weakness however, I will be more cautious when finding sources and picking out their relevance to my topic. 

2 comments July 10, 2008

Blog Assignment #1

“Liberals Side With Terrorists; Again.” [Weblog entry.] Bohography. 18 February 2008. <http://bohography.wordpress.com/2008/02/18/liberals-side-with-terrorists-again/>

This blog article and overall blog seem like they will be useful to my research because one topic I focused on in my unit 1 paper was how the liberals are seen as terrorist supporters.  This blog is from a veteran’s perspective so it is seen from a point of view that many people don’t get to see since the news and media try to hide the negatives of the war.  There is also present political information incorporated on the blog so that can also give useful feedback in reference to other issues that affect the war such as the current presidential candidates.

“Iraq Fund-Raising Approved.” [Weblog entry.]  30 October 2003. <http://prowardotcom.typepad.com/prowardotcom/2003/10/iraq_fundraisin.html>

By having opinions based on the pro-war point of view it is easier to form opinions of your own since the anti-war views are the ones who are heard mostly. Since a question I had was why are we still fighting when thousands of soldiers are coming home severely injured, this blog works to add in positive aspects of the war. It is good to also have views that contradict what you believe and are writing about to help work with the information you have and push you to find more. 

Add a comment July 8, 2008