Wiki Honesty?

Wikipedia is a multilingual web-based project that combines many featured encyclopedias, almanacs and other forms of informative content. Its articles are written from a neutral stance that gives no personal opinion to its readers. The Wikipedia Project wants its readers and viewers to actively participate in searching for any topic that interests them, especially when any person who has access to the Internet can use, edit and redistribute any and all the articles. Bullard mentions that, there is an underlying theme of policy change and the need to do so, rather than just agreeing or disagreeing. Wikipedia was created to where curious individuals can research very broad and very specific topics and issues without selective standpoints.

Searching through Wikipedia’s website, there is a section called “Subcategories,” which entail very specific and particular stubs that contain unfinished and uncertain articles that need reviewing. I thought it was very interesting that Wikipedia actually took the time to separate those articles that were not sited from reliable sources before a reader or viewer actually believe the information given.

Under the “Subcategories” section, there are thousands of stubs that were reviewed and all of them surprised me, some more than others. Two different stubs that had taken me aback were, California and New York United States Representative Stubs that are listed in this category. I found it quite interesting that our own governments’ stub is listed with articles sited with unreliable sources, and unfinished editing. Jones instantly came to mind when she mentions in her article of truth and logic. The quote, “things that are naturally better and things that are true have always succeeded to be proven right,” reiterated the government’s honesty towards its civilians. If the government can control most of the daily errands us citizens do, why not correctly site their own stub and complete finish editing their own stub? Does the government not want to be seen in the finest of light?

Speaking of good lighting, Guo Shengkun has recently been appointed China’s Minister of Public Security. As jones has strongly repeated in her theory that truth is very important for one’s argument and speech, Shengkun has little to possibly no experience in his new appointed field. Since the article stated that Guo Shengkun was not suitable for his position, when he is not only a native to his country but also has been held accountable for being a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, working during the Cultural Revolution, China Non-Ferrous Metal Mining Corporation and many other positions. Although this may not be a case of discrimination, the content and the treatment of Guo go hand in hand with Bullard’s argument. Since Bullard makes use of extensive historical evidence to support his claims of discrimination throughout his argument, Shengkun has served over two decades of governmental work for China. This operates on the stasis levels of value and policy. The value of Guo Shengkun and how his newly appointed position and how it affects his people is what is driving his evidence. This level affects the concept of policies and how these policies, especially in disasters, are carried out in areas of diversity.

In Guo Shengkun’s article, I immediately noticed that there were not any sources but rather references. Both are equally important, however, both are very different. The three references are the Xinhua News, People’s Daily and South China Morning Post. The Xinhua News is the “official press agency of the People's Republic of China and the biggest center for collecting information and press conferences in China.” People’s Daily is a “daily newspaper in the People's Republic of China. The paper is an organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), published worldwide with a circulation of 3 to 4 million.” Lastly, the South China Morning Post is the Sunday morning paper for China. After researching these three difference references, I found them to be very reliable sources as well as informative. Jones claims that in the history of rhetorical argumentation there is a distinction to be made between being logical and being truthful (163). Logic was lacking from the article because of its lack of detail explaining why Shengkun was appointed his new position. If the editor decided to state, “He had little legal experience,” the editor would have needed to provide sources and strong details to support such a statement.

Work Cited:


Jones, Rebecca. “Finding the Good Argument, or Why Bother with Logic?” Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing, Volume 1. Ed. Charles Lowe and Pavel Zemliansky. West Lafayette, IN: Parlor P, 2010. Available online via WAC Clearinghouse at http://wac.colostate.edu/books/writingspaces1/ .

Bullard, Robert. "How Race Affected the Federal Government’s Response to Katrina." 2005. Online.

Class blog: Truth in Arguments

I would like to make the presumptuous accusation that everyone always has some sort of altercation with their roommate. However, not many people room with a friend that they have known for seven years. My roommate being male and gay and someone who I have danced with for five years, has the personality of a “Bro” and the attitude of a model. As honesty is the best policy he also thinks that goes hand in hand with insults and negativity. Freedom of speech can go a long way but arrogance is a short stop from the take off. Once becoming a Nole and beginning my new college life at Florida State University, the relationship that him and I had shared for so many years had made a complete 180 degrees. Beginning with his insatiable outlook on life and the people he meets, it only makes things clearer for me knowing I was his only friend he had left. Level five of Kaufer’s levels have more commonalities with our argument than the relationship my roommate and I had. Insulting my life choices, my sorority sisters and my family, I had to draw the line. A friend would never say those things and would never mean them. A person who lives so comfortably with lies and deceit is not someone I want to have infecting my life. Rating the altercation between my roommate and I, I rate it a four. From yelling, to unnecessary use of words and false accusations, the only reason I refrained from rating this argument a five is because there was no physical dispute. I held onto my morals and values to a certain degree when arguing with my roommate but sometimes, one cannot simply “stoop down” to their level and get even. After receiving rude text messages I decided to give myself what I have always wanted, him out of my life. A polite text finalizing our friendship as no more and being civil roommates, has so far worked in my favor. I did exactly what Kaufer had said one would do when they could temporarily result the conflict. I referred to level four because once him and I had clarified how we felt towards each other, then as Kaufer described it, “…we might be able to resolve the conflict by convincing ourselves that one set of local values is more consistent with certain global values…” (Kaufer59)

The New Yorker (online) posted an article by George Packer titled, “Long Engagements,” in which he discusses Hillary Clinton’s leave from the White House after a very tiring and hectic four years. Her relationship with President Obama was affectionately showed when they were being interviewed on “60 Minutes.” After Clinton’s hard work that has been more than obvious to our countries government she was known as “The Principal Implementer” of Obama’s foreign policy. Saying this, logic has a huge role in today’s governmental decisions and it is crucial that one must know how to implement it correctly. Aristotle described logic as an artistically valuable criterion of rhetoric. Jones claims that in the history of rhetorical argumentation there is a distinction to be made between being logical and being truthful (163). Since this article shows more of deductive reasoning, showing its readers great use of cause and effect, Aristotle states that you can be logical without being truthful. Our government is known to not tell its people the whole truth and possibly even lies but that doesn’t mean they were necessarily wrong. In Packer’s article he wrote, “Obama and Clinton inherited two unwinnable wars, a toxic international atmosphere in which America was reviled where it wasn’t ignored, and a badly diminished stock of national power.” In this case, Obama had to do what any other newly appointed president would do, take action. There is a time for war and there is a time to be truthful just like there is a time to be logical. We saw the cause of what war was doing for nation’s troops and families and it is time for effect and change to take place.

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama did not always have a professional, affectionate relationship. George Packer describes the interview they were both having on the show “60 Minutes,” “they all but held hands, swearing deathless affection and respect, and they seemed to mean it.” Having good relations with your business partners can only put a more honest and healthy workable environment for the both of you and everyone else. Because of their honesty and respect for each other, Clinton and Obama do not have any blurred altercations or formulating arguments. “Even though our current media and political climate do not call for good argumentation, the guidelines for finding and creating it abound.” (Jones177)

Work Cited:

Kaufer, David S. “A Plan for Teaching the Development of Original Policy Arguments.” College Composition and Communication 35.1 (Feb 1984): 57-70.

Jones, Rebecca. “Finding the Good Argument, or Why Bother with Logic?” Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing, Volume 1. Ed. Charles Lowe and Pavel Zemliansky. West Lafayette, IN: Parlor P, 2010. Available online via WAC Clearinghouse at http://wac.colostate.edu/books/writingspaces1/ .

Fearless Editing: Wikipedia

Fearless Editing

I do not own this image.

Throughout my educational career, Wikipedia has arguably been the worst/best website to gain critical information from. The skepticism of where they draw their opinions and accusations and quickly being posted on the website that is always the first search engine to appear in any search, is beyond me. Upon conducting my own research of Wikipedia that resulted in me searching through their website to reading other articles that speak on behalf and about Wikipedia I found that everyone was struggling with the same issue. I found it amusing when I found grammatical errors, especially when my assignment asked me to edit and article.

Editing, Moran’s "The Top 10 Reasons Students Cannot Cite or Rely On Wikipedia," had intrigued me because of my interest in finding out the truth of Wikipedia but also with how I write my papers. As a writer, it is important to be aware of your flaws so you repeat them less and less to where you have completely gotten rid of it. To a certain extent, we as writers attempt to untangle grammatically incorrect statements and attack others opinions to revitalize our own but Jones made it clear that we all have different and multiple standpoints. Once catching my own issue being shown throughout this article I realized I did not want my professors to interpret my writing as insubstantial for the level I am supposed to be. Small errors is my main forefront of writing errors and editing and actually seeing these edits from a different standpoint allowed me to fully see what my problem is.

Wikipedia wants its viewers to have access to all the information in the world about anything in the world, even if it results in inhumane false information. Editing Moran’s article was almost ironic to me because its subject was Wikipedia. However, one thing I did read that I could also apply to this assignment was Kaufer’s theory of public policy writing. The famous quote, “any publicity is good publicity” came to mind when learning about Wikipedia. Just because it is displaying false information does not mean it does not make a great guideline for students and bloggers, etc. about knowing which search engine is actually reliable. “I have found them especially useful for guiding students to responsible summaries and evaluations of policy arguments already applied to a controversy by others.” (Kaufer57)

On another note, in Moran’s article I found a reoccurring error in which it began at the beginning of every new point he made. I noticed that he would at times open a statement with the details than opening with stating the subject of which you are going to be talking about. I rearranged the paragraphs and reworded sentences with an overuse of commas and dashes.  When Kaufer went into detail about deciding among the competing analogies to a resolution, he went into detail how students have the knowledge and instructions they need in order to fulfill a skillful resolution on their own. Having a good understanding on what is true and of how certain premises are taken can also be applied to editing an article, like how I did for this assignment. 

Work Cited:


Kaufer, David S. “A Plan for Teaching the Development of Original Policy Arguments.” College
Composition and Communication 35.1 (Feb 1984): 57-70.


Jones, Rebecca. “Finding the Good Argument, or Why Bother with Logic?” Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing, Volume 1. Ed. Charles Lowe and Pavel Zemliansky. West Lafayette, IN: Parlor P, 2010. Available online via WAC Clearinghouse at http://wac.colostate.edu/books/writingspaces1/ .

Minorities and Binge Drinking

(I do not own this image)

Dr. Henry Wechsler conducted a research study on the subject of college binge drinking. The objective throughout his entire course study was to examine college students and their correlation with binge drinking. Reading Wechsler’s statistical research, it was hard to believe that some of his statements were true such as, “Each of the following variables- being male, white and single- elevated the risk of binging; somewhat smaller effects were noted for having at least one parent who had earned a college degree.” (Wechsler922) Oddly enough, this “statistical claim” did not make any sense towards me. Would it have changed if the man were Hispanic instead of White? In my opinion, yes, however, Megan Oglivie, a Harvard student, quotes in an article Harvard Study Finds Binge Drinking LessFrequent on Diverse Campuses, “White male college students may be less likely to binge drink at institutions with higher percentages of minority, female and older students…” (Oglivie1) Megan also quotes from Wechsler explaining the statistic of approximately two of every five students is considered to be a binge-drinker, which also varies among student sub-groups. Race, ethnicity and sex play beneficial factors for binge drinking. Since those particular demographics were related to binge drinking, one could only question when the individual started to drink alcohol.

Being from a Hispanic family, I know I was introduced to alcohol at a very young age. However, I don’t necessarily agree that it would make any one else less or more prone to becoming a binge drinker. However, I agree with Wechsler’s conclusive paragraph, which entailed to holding interventions in high school about preventing alcohol consumption below the age of 21. “Age played a modest role in predicting binge drinking in this sample, with the legal drinking age being of almost no predictive value.” (Wechsler922) Every variable that shadowed each sex, single, was as they say, at the top of the food chain. They were much more prone to becoming binge drinkers unless at least one of their parents had earned a college degree. Gaining from the articles and studies I have read, they all mention that single white males who did not binge drink in high school would be peer pressured into binge drinking in college within their first year.

 In spite of this, prevention programs can alleviate binge drinking if they are exposed to students at a very young age. Being a Cubana, if I was introduced to alcohol awareness at an early age, I would have been aware of the toll it takes on your body and your health. Hispanic families are filled with rich foods, close families and excessive amounts of booze. “Drinking is a behavior that takes place in a context and whatever the context, people are influenced by the environment that they are drinking in,” said Dr. Alan Berkowitz. So as a young girl, being around her family, I only thought it was normal to drink. Sure, I knew abusing it wasn’t the right way but drinking with my family was. Wechsler stated, “public health research might focus on alternative activities and programs that would lower rates of binge drinking or weaken the link between binge drinking and adverse health outcomes.” (Wechsler926)

I am Latina and the first time I binge drank was when I was 16 years of age. If I knew then what I know now, I would understand how much alcohol, let alone binge drinking, ruins your health and your body. On a more positive note, statistics show that binge drinking in high school is in decline, which then only means that college binge drinking will lessen. Despite the minorities, American colleges also contain plenty of variables that lead to binge drinking. In which examined the extent to which background factors, previous experience with alcohol, school and school related activities, views on drinking, and participation in other high risk behaviors other than binging are related to binge drinking. Arguably, binge drinking is the number one public health hazard and also the number one preventable illness for American college students including minorities. All in all, binge drinking within minorities start at a much earlier age than the white male would. As Megan, a student from Harvard, quoted doctors from her article claiming that it all matters where the individual is and who surrounds him or her.

For other resourceful links:
College Drinking Prevention