SWA #3

The issue that I decided to focus on from the Carolina Reader was the environment.  This article focuses on the manmade wasteland created in countries such a Russia and China.  It talks about how a once luscious landscape had now become uninhabitable desert.  The main argument it makes is that we are not unaware of what is going on, but rather don’t really care what is going on.  We know we are the causes of problems such as deforestation, wetland destruction, and greenhouse gas emissions, but instead of trying to fix them we have turned a blind eye to these issues.  Our recklessness has set up a problem that the future generations will be required to deal with.

            By pointing out this issue and citing examples of where irreversible damage has already occurred the author is calling for a change.  At no point in the article does the author come out and directly say, “this must change,” but by giving examples of issues where there have been a change of practice such a water boarding and slavery, he is calling for a change of practice in how we deal with the environment.

            The image I decided to focus on can be found on page 27 of the Writing Arguments book, and it is figure 2.1.  This picture focuses on a man standing outside of a Home Depot store holding an American flag and a sign that says, “It’s illegal to hire illegal’s.”  The man is protesting the practice of contractors and businessmen hiring illegal immigrants to do work for them at a price that is below minimum wage.  This man is protesting the act of illegal immigration and giving jobs that could be given to hard working Americans to workers that will do it for illegally low wages.

            By holding the American flag and the sign about the illegal immigrants this man is saying it is un-American to hire illegal immigrants.  He is making the argument that American worker should be hired to do jobs in America and should be given fair wages.  This sign bring attention to issue that might be commonplace at this location and serves as a reminder that it is an illegal practice.  It is estimated that there are around 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States.  These people do not pay taxes that the US citizens pay and take jobs for less than minimum wage.  The man in the image is protesting that we keep these people from taking American citizens jobs.