For my E-portfolio assignment there are many aspects I considered when deciding how I was going to create it.  I first examined how I was going to create a visually appealing website.  To do so, I examined multiple suggested site builders and decided that Wix.com was the best website for the image I was trying to create.  I wanted it to look clean-cut and modern and that is exactly what Wix.com could provide.   The purpose of my E-portfolio project is to display the best works I have created over the year throughout RCL.  I am essentially creating a museum out of my own work.  The audience for my personal “museum” of work would be students in RCL, the professor, and the TA’s.  It is these individuals that would being viewing my work, so I therefore want to tailor everything I do to them.  I would probably group my work based on larger themes.  Therefore, one of my themes would be advocacy, one would be fun or spontaneous writing (passion blogs), and another would be political writings (civic issues blogs).  I chose these writings because these are where my best works were produced, and I obviously want to display my best work to the public.    I am choosing about 3 pieces of writing from each that way I have around nine artifacts which is the required number of artifacts for this project.  I hope to make the website visually appealing so that it draws people in and motivates them to look around the site more so than just the homepage.  I think that seeing that would be an indication of a successful project.

The primary idea I have regarding my advocacy project is to continue my discussion of the opioid crisis and what needs to be done to deal with the impacts of the crisis.  For this project, I believe that the opioid crisis is a prime topic as there are numerous methods to deal with the crisis and advocating for a single one and why it is the best one makes clear sense.  In addition, there has been numerous advocacy campaigns done regarding this issue.  It’s likely that any individual in RCL 138T has seen at least one opioid warning related television ad, seen ads on the internet, or heard government ads about it.  Therefore, I will use a similar structure in advocating for my own plan to deal with the larger opioid crisis in the United States.  The proper audience for my advocacy project would be doctors, insurance companies, and the U.S. government.  These are the individuals that would have the most impact if my plan was enacted.  This group should listen to my plan so that they understand why it should be used and why it is the best course of action to deal with such an immense problem.

“The Photographer As Witness: A Portrait of Abuse” is an extremely detailed and impactful collection of photographs detailing the struggles of dealing with abuse, jail, and poverty.  In my opinion the photographs are a collection that works to establish advocacy for those who are abused.  The photographs are useful in establishing the horrific trauma that the family endures under the hands of an abusive partner.  The images are trying to get people to feel bad for everyone involved and this is specifically why it is an advocacy piece.  The piece in my opinion is not unethical.  Although it is difficult to not intervene when a crime or abuse is being committed, it is an essential part of the advocacy project.  If an individual intervened the photographs could not have been taken and an essential element of pathos would be completely lost.

Attached is the PDF of my issue bried.

Aidan-Maguire-Issue-Brief

Addressing America’s Hidden Killer: The Opioid Crisis

The opioid crisis is one of the United States greatest national crises.  In the 1990s, pharmaceutical companies asserted that opioid pain relievers were not addicting and thereby patients could be prescribed these drugs at a greater rate.  Unfortunately, this resulted in a great deal of drug misuse and it wasn’t until years later that it became clear that these drugs were having a negative impact on individuals and were indeed addictive.  In 2017, over 47,000 people died due to overdose and an additional 1.7 million people suffered opioid substance disorders (National Institute on Drug Abuse).  In roughly a twenty-year span, the impact of the rapid opioid influx can and continues to be felt throughout the United States.  In response to this crisis the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services implemented five major priorities.  These priorities are increasing access to treatment and recovery promoting the use of overdose-reversing drugs, greater public health surveillance, more research into pain and addiction, and better practices.  Although the government has been rapidly working to fix the opioid crisis, the impacts have yet to be completely countered and there has not been any substantial decrease in the death rate or disorder numbers.  Therefore, a comprehensive plan addressing the opioid crisis and working to better deal with the crisis is extremely necessary in order to create a healthier, less drug-dependent America.

Works Cited:

National Institute on Drug Abuse. “Opioid Overdose Crisis.” National Institute on Drug Abuse, 11 Mar. 2021, www.drugabuse.gov/drug-topics/opioids/opioid-overdose-crisis.

Addressing exigence and the rhetorical situation is essential for the policy intervention paper.  Exigence is very clear with a discussion about the opioid crisis as thousands and tens of thousands of people are dying within the United States each year.  This is also one of the leading causes of deaths in the country and therefore, it needs to be addressed immediately.  Intervention is necessary to reduce the risk of more people dying.  The rhetorical situation is also clear as many people throughout the country are calling for changes to big pharma.  Many big pharma companies are currently or have been brought to court over their improper distribution of opioids.

Audience is also important to consider when addressing this policy intervention.  The audience for this project is two-fold.  The first main audience is the citizens of the United States.  All citizens will want to read this policy intervention to not only learn more about the crisis but also enlighten themselves on a possible way this situation could be bettered.  The second audience that will want to read this policy intervention is the United States government.  The government is the ones who can institute the change and therefore listening to a possible way to deal with the situation could be beneficial.  Both audiences would benefit from reading this piece.

The issue I would like to discuss in my policy intervention is a discussion on tighter controls on the opioid distribution.  The opioid crisis has become one of the most talked about issues facing the country today.  Thousands of people overdose each day, and it has become a seriously pressing issue especially within the United States.  In 2018, over 67,367 people alone died from overdose, the majority of these from opioids (cdc.gov).  It has become hotly debated over who is at fault for causing the crisis.  Many people point fingers at the big-name companies that produce these drugs as they say they have produced them in excess and are pursing doctors to prescribe them.  This entire process has created a network of kickbacks where doctors, big-pharma, and others profit and benefit.  The only people that are getting hurt are those who are prescribed opioids and become addicted.  Such a large issue calls for stricter regulations regarding opioid distribution.  Many policy makers have begun implementing policies to make it more difficult to prescribe opioids and this should be further investigated.

The opioid crisis was intentionally caused.  The epidemic/crisis was intentionally caused out of greed, primarily corporate greed.  Multiple big name pharma companies were recently brought to court and lost forcing them to shell out billions in reparations for pushing doctors to prescribe their medication.  For the doctors to be motivated to do this, big pharma was paying the doctors significant amounts of money.  This process intentionally increased opioid usage and dependency on the drug.  Therefore, this epidemic could have been avoided had opioids not been pushed so rapidly into the market.

The policy instrument I will most likely use when crafting this policy change is a system change.  A system change is necessary for this issue because the companies that are controlling the opioid distributions re extremely powerful.  They are so powerful and so influential that they influence polices that come from the United States government and out of the Supreme Court.  Therefore a significant largescale change is needed where the influence of big-pharma is reduced so they can be held responsible for their actions.

Works Cited:

“Drug Overdose Deaths.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 19 Mar. 2020, www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/data/statedeaths.html#:~:text=In%202018%2C%2067%2C367%20drug%20overdose,driver%20of%20drug%20overdose%20deaths.

Leslie E. Sekerka & Lauren Benishek. “Thick as Thieves? Big Pharma Wields Its Power with the Help of Government Regulation: Emory University School of Law: Atlanta, GA.” Emory University School of Law, law.emory.edu/ecgar/content/volume-5/issue-2/essays/thieves-pharma-power-help-government-regulation.html#:~:text=Given%20its%20mega%2Dprofits%2C%20Big,administrators%2C%20hospitals%2C%20and%20consumers.

The capital riots that happened in late January 2021 were a demonstration of numerous things that the country is currently facing.  It demonstrates the buildup of tension and overflowing anger about the United States actions in dealing with racial issues, COVID-19, and an election process that was not transparent.  As President Trump officially lost the election and was project and planned to move out of White House in the ensuing weeks, rioters, most of whom touted pro-Trump memorabilia stormed the capital building.  Many cited that Trump’s speech at the “Save America” rally prompted the rioters while others disagree.  In order to determine if Trump’s speech truly can be tied to the incitement of the riots, a rhetorical analysis of the speech is necessary.

From the start of the speech, Trump calls out both the media and the radical left.  He asserts that the media unjustly crucified him during his presidency and during the election.  Throughout his speech he further delves into why the media was unjustly going after him and how they stole the election.  In addition, Trump claims that the left worked to “steal” the election.  Whether this statement is true or not, it is certainly a large assertation to make.  On top of this he justifies the ways in which the election was stolen including a discussion about mail in voting and computer-generated tallying.  For these reasons, Trump claims that he will not concede the election and that he will not stand down.  Trump then continues to lay out why it would have been impossible for Joe Biden to win this election.  Throughout Trumps over hour-long speech, he asserts the many injustices that he, citizens and his party has faced.  He commends himself for standing up against the media which he claims is tyrannical and controlled.

What many claim Trump said that incited the riots is when he told listeners to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue and demand change.  While it is true that this happened and that it likely caused rioters to move closer to the capital, yet, asserting that Trump instigated the riot would be a huge exaggeration and overstep.  Trump was simply stating his political beliefs on what happened during the election, why it was a rigged election, and why people should question the integrity of the voting process.  In doing so, he calls on his supporters to call for congressional change.  Nowhere does Trump directly call for a riot or tell his supporters to storm the capital.  Therefore, Trump is within his right to claim that he was not responsible at all for the capital riots.  It is the action of the masses that caused these actions not the words of Donald Trump.  Claiming that Trump incited the riots would also be infringing on the free speech amendment.

By no means did Trump instigate or cause the riot.

There is no debating that President Biden’s inauguration came at one of, if not the United States most trying and difficult times.  Racial injustice, full scale insurrections, along with the COVID-19 pandemic has put the country and its citizens through extremely trying times.  The economy has slumped and public trust and confidence and trust in the government is at an all time low.  In addition to all of this, the Presidential Election along with the controversies over the election results has and continues to cause citizens to question the true validity of the election itself.  Therefore, as Joe Biden comes into the presidency at such a pivotal time in American history, it is important that he attempts to sew the country back together.  This is what makes Joe Biden’s presidential speech so valuable and important.

Joe Biden’s first order of business when creating and writing the inaugural address is to perform the ceremonial function.  From the get-go, Biden’s speech works to convey that he will attempt and work to unify the country.  He addresses that his role and movement to becoming president should not be looked at as if they voted in one person but rather voted in democracy.  He tries to instill in the people, the ideas that he will bring the country back together.  He states, “…we come together as one nation…”.  Such assertion are essential to address the nation so that he can get the entire country, not just one political party or small group behind him.  In addition, Biden discusses pivotal figures in American history such as Abraham Lincoln in order to add an element of the discussion about the great things this country has achieved, yet how much it still has to achieve.  These types of discussions lead to another discussion about how rhetorically effective the speech is.

President Biden attempts to answer and at a minimum discuss the many issues that are currently plaguing the country.  Biden addresses from the start the issues that the pandemic has created.  He addresses how widespread the implications of the pandemic are, asserting that the pandemic has caused jobs to be lost and forced business to close. In addition, to addressing the pandemic he also addresses racial divides and issues in this country.  Specifically, Biden asserts that now is the time to address white supremacy and domestic terrorism.  He also discusses making schools safer for children which is a reference to recent gun violence in school.  While Biden obviously cannot and does not have the time to address every issue the country is facing, he does effectively lay out all the issues the country is currently facing and how he will work hard to bring the country back together to address these issues.

Overall, Biden’s speech rhetorically and from a ceremonial aspect is effective at addressing the current issues that face the country.  Yet, his speech is ineffective in that he paints an overexaggerated bleak picture of the country.  His focus on so many of the issues and not on the positives demonstrate a seemingly negative take on the country, not a positive one.  This is one of the few elements that detract from his overall speech which all-in-all is rhetorically effective.

I’m a firm believer that people come in and go out of one’s life for a reason.  Whether it’s a girlfriend or boyfriend, friend, relative, or just about anyone, there is a purpose to their presence.  This is something I will stand by.

My belief proved stronger than ever when I met Victor, an immigrant worker from Mexico.  Now, I think it’s important to preface my discussion with a bit of a backstory.  I live in a town of white-collar workers, many of whom commute to New York City to work high level corporate jobs.  I have been provided a life that I am very fortunate to live, where I do not worry about food security, where I might sleep, or how I might have to get to work or school.  The towns that surround where I live are not as fortunate.  These towns, many of which are considered the slums and outskirts of the New York City metro area are some of the most impoverished areas in the entire country.  There is high drug usage, high crime rate, food insecurity, and widespread homelessness.  But, for myself and people in my town these were the areas that were avoided.  These were the areas that were cast off as areas that were too forgone to be fixed up.  Growing up I lived in what I would consider a bubble.  It was a bubble compromised of families who were like mine, kids who were given anything and everything they might need, people of similar skin color, and people who had similar religious beliefs.

Until maybe 15-16 I never really got to experience anything outside of this bubble.  Of course, I drove through these areas and saw the people that lived in the towns that had been cast off, but I never truly go to experience life outside the bubble.  When I was 15, I began working my first job as a floral assistant.  This job was really unique as I got to work with flowers, go to weddings, and drive all across New Jersey and New York to go to various wedding venues.  I learned the names of flowers I had never heard of and got to see some really unique places.  After a few months of working this job, I met Victor, who would now also be accompanying me on my flower deliveries and working alongside me.  Victor, as I came to learn was an immigrant from Mexico who lived in the cast-off towns.  Through our numerous conversations during our drives, I learned and discovered many things about him.  In Victor’s self-taught broken English, I learned that Victor had come across the border into the United States and had to pay his way across the border after being caught by criminals who extorted people who were crossing the border to seek a better life.  Victor also taught me and even let me try some of the food his wife prepared for me.  In addition, Victor would talk on and on about his two little boys who he adored.  They were really cute kids and he explained to me that a large part of his reasoning for coming to this country was so that one day he could give his kids not just a better life but a better education so that they would have the opportunity to high level employment.

Victor came into my life to break me out of my bubble and I am grateful that he did.  He showed me that this cast-off area was in fact really great people who were hardworking individuals, worthy of every opportunity.  People have come in and out of my life for every reason and Victor is no exception proving once again that there is a reason behind everyone’s presence.

In regard to the topic of my passion blogs I have decided that I will write about skiing and my experiences when I am skiing.  While I really enjoyed writing about the beach, I think I have exhausted the majority of what I could write about.  I think writing about skiing will help to bring a new level of energy to my passion blog.  Therefore, this is the topic I will continue with.

The topic I will be writing about for my civic issues blog is U.S. foreign policy with other countries.  I think that this topic will be very interesting and insightful to write about. I believe that this topic is also very open ended so I will have a lot to write about which will help to always keep my blogs engaging.

These two topics will allow my blogs to keep readers invested in what I am writing and wanting to come back to read more.