Monday Matters #13

Is College Worth It?

For many years in our society, college has been looked upon as a necessity and this is true, in some cases. Peter Theil from the Washington Post is discussing his view on choosing to go to college after high school in Thinking too Highly of Higher Ed. In this article Theil is voicing his opinion that college should not be viewed as a necessity to be successful. College does not guarantee you a job and, as a result, could put you in huge debt. However, Theil is also not discouraging college. Overall, college needs to be determined by the person and not by sociey. 

Monday Matters #12

Ebola

One of the most talked about issues at this time is the epidemic of Ebola. When the first Ebola case in America was exposed, the United States became horrified. With the disease killing thousands in third-world countries, Americans feared the same would happen. However, this is simply not the case. Very few Americans have died of Ebola since it entered the US, because of modern medicine and quarantine that is provided in America. This is why I would agree with The Washington Times and Lauren Garrett of CNN, that Americans do not need to fear Ebola. The virus is simply being blown out of proportion. Americans should fear the flu more than Ebola, which is elaborated on by Karin Klein in her editorial. I found flaws in the editorials by The L.A. Times and David G. Brown in that they did not take into consideration, how little the Ebola virus has affected the United States.

Monday Matters #10

Ebola in the United States.

The Ebola virus has sparked fear in the nation. However, is it really something that needs to be feared? In the editorial by The Washington Times, Ebola Comes to America, it is felt that ebola is not something to be afraid of in America. Things as simple as washing hands can help prevent the virus. It is only so frightening in third world countries, because these hygiene tactics can not always be done. In contrast, the editorial board of the New York Times writes in Stopping Ebola in America the ideals that the US needs to take more extreme precautions to prevent the virus, even as severe as stopping all flight between the US and countries where ebola is most prevalent.

Monday Matters #11

Is Ebola a Major Concern?

Over the past few months the Ebola epidemic has brought about conflicting views. Laurie Garrett from CNN believes that although the Ebola virus is a serious issue, the disease is becoming over-exaggerated. She describes in, Why an Ebola epidemic is spinning out of control, that the Ebola virus can be easily contained and America is doing a good job at it. However, in this illustration (http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/display.cfm/136428/) by David G. Brown, he feels that the Ebola virus is not being contained well enough because the US does not have their priorities in straight. The cartoons in the picture are more concerned about the man in the turban, than the ghost of death, labeled as ebola.

Monday Matters #9

Ebola... Over or Under Exaggerated?

In Karin Klein's opinion-based article, Is the flu really more dangerous to Americans than Ebola? It depends, she gives her opinion that the widespread epidemic of the ebola virus may be over-exaggerated. She gives statistics that show that America currently faces over 3,000 deaths per year due to the much more common flu, while there have been only a handful of reports of Ebola in the U.S. In contrast, however, the Associated Press of the L.A. Times writes the article, Fifth doctor dies of Ebola in Sierra Leone, to inform readers on the recent death of an Ebola-diagnosed doctor in Sierra Leone. The severity of Ebola is expressed in this article through visual rhetoric, by including images of Africans being sprayed by a disinfectant spray. Also, they are including that Ebola has not only killed many, but has set back political stability and economic recovery in the afflicted countries of Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia.