I plan to address exigence in my issue brief by tying this issue to the current COVID-19 crisis. There is a much bigger need and focus on prisoner safety today than there was before the pandemic. The communal living of prisons creates a very dangerous environment because of how easily COVID can spread. Prisoners are therefore put at an increased risk. According to The Guardian, the COVID death rate in prisons is three times higher than outside. This is evidence of the urgency of the situation. It is crucial that they are given the proper tools to be as safe as possible during this pandemic.
Similarly, I plan to address the rhetorical situation by talking about COVID-19. This is a major issue across the world today. The issue of prisoner safety is closely tied to this. Although there are many other issues of safety besides COVID-19, the pandemic has brought safety and health to the forefront of the conversation. Therefore, this issue is relevant today and has been more of a focus in the media.
I completely agree. COVID-19 affects everyone in some sort of way. Either you know someone who has contracted it or are limited by the social distancing regulations. This pandemic plays to both kairos and the urgency of finding a solution for our people.
That statistic about the COVID death rates is SHOCKING!! I definitely believe this agree that this issue can address exigence. One thing I am still wondering about is the target audience, how can us students at Penn State help with something that seems so out of reach?