TOW #21 "The Bernie Sanders Revolution" by The NY Times Editorial Board

In this article, the NY Times Editorial Staff accesses the validity in Bernie Sander's most frequently used word in his campaigning, "revolution." The Times Editorial staff argues that Sanders will not be able to actually induce a revolution, but rather an evolution at best. As a very big Sanders supporter, I can definitely think of some examples that would argue against this particular take on the situation. Sanders has a great deal of experience and has made some enormous strides towards progress during the fifty plus years that he has played an active role in politics. He also has a large, passionate group of supporters willing to do whatever it takes to implement his bold ideas. However, I think I have to agree with the Editorial Staff overall in that I do think Sanders will be able to create a great deal of change, just not necessarily in an immediate sense. A revolution is usually defined as a dramatic 180 degree turn which results in a change in direction of sorts. I think that while a change is inevitable, and a new direction for American would surely occur if he became President, it would take a lot of time and effort for his ideas to be implemented. Even though it would be really helpful to have such a liberal person overseeing the executive branch of government, there would still be some major disputes with the other various branches of government. A really strong example that the author provides regarding how we fulfill the author’s vision today is some of the setbacks that Barak Obama faced during his presidency. Although he certainly had many great ideas and programs, many of these plans were put on pause by the Senate, preventing him from being able to implement, them. He uses many figures that outline the percent of the House and Senate that are republican, in addition to drawing statements from websites who campaign for and against Sanders. This contributes to the argument in that it seems much more logical, and gives a more well-rounded take on the situation. If I were to rewrite this argument, I would want to add even more of these sources earlier on. Considering how strongly this argument makes its claim, it is most likely safe to say that the author does not believe any president could make a revolution happen overnight. I think we can assume that Trump is no more likely to "make America great again," than Sander is to spark a revolution.

TOW #20 "What If Animals Tested on Humans?" by PETA

This visual text, published by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) really caught my attention because of the strong claim it's making and the strong visual means it uses to make this claim. Overall, I do agree with the author's claim in that I believe animal testing for cosmetic purposes is unethical. However, the portion of the add that states that the add is only against cosmetic testing isn't emphasized at all so it seems as though it is against all animal testing. Although I am definitely a huge animal lover, I do think that for scientific and medical reasons some animal testing should be allowed. So many incredible scientific discoveries have come from animal testing, and any of these advancements and innovations could be used to challenge the author's position. Additionally,  because the advertisement doesn't qualify exactly what "cosmetic" pertains to, someone could easily talk about skin treatment and things along those lines that seem much more essential, rather than talking about the luxury lipstick and mascara that people may usually think of.

PETA usually caters to a very extreme group of people, so my guess as to why the fact that this advertisement deemphasizes the fact that it is just about cosmetic testing was probably very strategic. PETA supporters often argue against eating animals and animal byproducts, animal testing, animal exploitation, and very strong against animals being used for fur. However, with advertisements such as this one, PETA is not merely trying to gain the support of people who already avidly support their cause. I think that this advertisement does a really good job in being relatable, but also playing off of something surreal in order to make sure it catches the eye. Most people grow up with this concept of terrifying aliens abducting humans and doing horrible things to them due to the way aliens are portrayed in most movies and television shows. So, this concept is somewhat familiar. Yet, this advertisement is definitely one that is hard to miss due to the juxtaposition of color and form, plus the giant green alien in the back. I think the sense of flashiness that is created by this strong composition is definitely something I would choose to incorporate if I was making my own visual text similar to this. Also the add, which was originally featured in a Bollywood magazine, featured a famous actress which would also greatly help its success.