So what do we do?

(I LOVE this. You couldn't find a better text for analysis of logos, ethos, pathos, audience, and all 5 claim types if you tried.)

We've spent the semester so far reading, talking, writing, watching, and observing the world around us for the causes and effects of violence, its impact on various communities, its prevention and possible cures. We've examined different types of claims and persuasive appeals, analyzed specific audiences, and shared our thoughts here on the blog.





So now what?





What do we DO with all of this information, and our growing awareness of violence as a social, family, gender, individual issue? We COULD write a traditional (e.g. boring) research paper where you dump a bunch of information onto some pages, and I mark it up and give a grade and no one outside of this class ever sees it.



Here are a few other things you could do, which might be more useful:

Students at High Tech Chula Vista are working with 2 of their teachers on a video project called Beyond the Crossfire, which explores what young people in San Diego (and everywhere else) can do to combat gun violence in their communities.

Remember our friend at Purdue University who invited us to participate in the flashmob? (We couldn't arrange it, but there will be more opportunities.) One of her professors emailed me this morning to say this:
I was talking with a Psychologist friend yesterday and she told me that after the flashmob their clinic received 5 calls from women who had been raped [in the past], and our Lafayette Crisis center was also busy with similar calls...
It's amazing what the power of art can do. By speaking out, the Purdue students let other survivors of violence know they are not alone, and help stop the cycle of silence and shame that allows violence to flourish.

Kids who live in the Back of the Yards neighborhood in Chicago (where 13 people were shot by someone with a semiautomatic rifle last year, including a 3-year-old boy) are creating art to post in public spaces that urge an end to the violence in their community. Here are some even younger Chicago kids who live with the very real fear of violence every day, and are using art to speak against it.

Public awareness campaigns like It Gets Better, the Trevor Project, and others work to stop bullying and discrimination against LGBT youth. Alyssa G.'s group works with survivors of sexual abuse, as do After Silence and many other organizations.

What do all these movements and projects need in order to get off the ground? Commitment, dedication, organization, and RESEARCH. Each of these organizations is making some persuasive claim (often of policy, though there may also be others) that targets people who need most to hear it. They're not vague or unfounded ideas or imaginings - they're real, concentrated efforts that know how to present their claims and anticipate counterarguments from opponents or simply indifferent naysayers.

(Btw, people once said that desegregation would never work, that women couldn't possibly be trusted with the right to vote, that Mothers Against Drunk Driving would never work, and that even if it did, drunk driving laws would be a threat to liberty everywhere, and they've been proven wrong.



I really do think that writing is the path to a better world. As a civic action, its power is immeasurable. As a mode of learning and of expression, it requires an active effort to organize ideas and express them precisely. It helps us define issue, take stands, and expose our ideas to critical evaluation. Most of all, it's a crucial first step towards translating ideas into action. (Thanks, Creighton University!)

I'd like you to spend spring break thinking (and hopefully even doing some internet research) about what idea(s) YOU want to think about translating into action - preferably action that prevents or counteracts violence. What do you want to convince people to do, who do you need support from, why is this a crucial issue, why should they care about it, how will they need to be persuaded to act?


Post your what-I'd-like-to-do statements below!