Persuasive Outline

Here's my preliminary research. I'll post more tonight!

Most everyone has a cell phone these days.  Chances are that if they do, they know what text messaging (SMS) is.  It is widely accepted that texting is a great way to communicate with others.  It’s cheaper than talking on the phone, less of a disruption or inconvenience, and most would argue that it’s probably easier than calling someone.  Text messaging receives issue when paired with doing other things – driving being the most prominent and controversial to date.  Ever since texting became popular in the early 2000’s, research has been conducted on the dangers of doing so and whether or not it impairs the operator of the vehicle.  Each study performed has been relatively constant and unwavering, yielding the same results as each of its predecessors; the only difference being the ever-increasing number of injuries and fatalities due to texting-related accidents.  The statistics are there and support the idea that cell phone usage while driving should be made illegal.

1.       Various studies have shown that texting and driving is more impairing than being illegally intoxicated.

2.       For every 6 seconds of drive time, a driver sending or receiving a text message spends about 4.6 of those seconds with their eyes OFF the road; making texting the most distracting of cell phone related tasks.

3.      As much as  81% of American drivers admit to using their cell phone while behind the wheel of a car.

Essay 4 Topic

The topic I chose for the persuasive essay is that the government should make texting and driving illegal. I realize that there are already certain states that have laws prohibiting the use of cell phones, but it is not yet nationwide. I will be writing to persuade the reader that texting and driving severely impairs driving abilities and reaction times, all the while increasing car-related injuries and fatalities. This topic sparks controversy among it's viewers, as many (mostly kids our age) will argue that it should not be banned or made illegal. Any feedback would be appreciated, as well as critique on how I could maybe improve the topic. I will post my first draft soon. Thanks!

Essay 3 Sources

"About the Century Foundation — The Century Foundation." The Century Foundation. Web. 08 Nov. 2010. <http://tcf.org/about>.

"Bono: Biography from @U2." U2 Home Page: @U2 - U2 News, U2 Lyrics, U2 Photos and More! Web. 08 Nov. 2010. <http://www.atu2.com/band/bono/>.

"Bono Biography." Biography.com. Web. 08 Nov. 2010. <http://www.biography.com/articles/Bono-16257407>.

"Bono Biography." Entertainment News | Entertainment Photos | Entertainment Video | Starpulse.com. Web. 08 Nov. 2010. <http://www.starpulse.com/Music/Bono/Biography/>.

Oprah Winfrey Biography -- Academy of Achievement." Academy of Achievement Main Menu. Web. 08 Nov. 2010. <http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/win0bio-1>.

"Oprah Winfrey Biography - Life, Family, Childhood, Parents, Name, Story, History, School, Mother, Young, Book, Old, Information, Born, College, Movie, Contract, House, Time, Year." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Web. 08 Nov. 2010. <http://www.notablebiographies.com/We-Z/Winfrey-Oprah.html>.

Oprah Winfrey - TIME." Breaking News, Analysis, Politics, Blogs, News Photos, Video, Tech Reviews - TIME.com. Web. 08 Nov. 2010. <http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1187226,00.html>.

"Barack Obama Biography." Biography.com. Web. 08 Nov. 2010. <http://www.biography.com/articles/Barack-Obama-12782369?part=1>.

Barack Obama Biography. Web. 08 Nov. 2010. <http://barackobamabiography.org/>.

"President Barack Obama." The White House. Web. 08 Nov. 2010. <http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/president-obama>.

Cause/Effect Revised

Everyone is familiar with “rags to riches” stories – they are inspiring, uplifting, and create the idea that the dream of coming from poverty to prosperity can be reality.  This idea, however, is based on false pretenses.  A recent study conducted by The Century Foundation found that children born into poverty are more likely to stay in or near poverty (“Century Foundation”).  Of course, there are exceptions in which people have been able to overcome these odds.  Bono, Oprah Winfrey, and Barack Obama all came from humble beginnings, yet were able to surpass their hardships and become powerful and influential people today.  These high profile examples represent a small portion of the population that used their humble beginnings as inspiration to gain wealth and power, ultimately leading them to become positive influences.

            More affectionately known as “Bono,” Paul David Hewson was born on May 10^th, 1960 in Dublin, Ireland.  He grew up as the second child of a middle class Irish family, living in the typical three bedroom house.  As lead singer of one of the most popular and influential rock bands in history, Bono used his humble beginnings as motivation and influence to become the rock star that he was, and eventually the respected, admired, multi-faceted figure that he is today (“@ U2”).  Because of the respect and wealth that he’s gained through his music, he is able to use his celebrity to generate influence and awareness outside of the music scene.  Over the course of his career, he has met with countless world leaders and politicians, constantly supporting many global causes such as debt relief in third world countries, world poverty, and AIDS awareness among many others (“Bio”).  Maddy Fry, a well-renowned and respected writer for U2’s number one fan site on the internet had this to say about Bono: “His rare ability to effectively straddle the spheres of both entertainment and politics remains rivaled by few in the realm of popular culture, and his determination to change the world for the better continues to inspire millions on both sides of the political divide.” (“@ U2”)

            Oprah Winfrey was born to an unwed teenage mother on January 29^th, 1954.  During the course of her early life, she was abused and emotionally devastated, eventually being sent away to a juvenile detention home (“Academy of”).  Moving past her rough childhood, Oprah was able to use her difficult early years as inspiration to become the respected and influential benefactor that she is today.  She used her hardships to become the richest self-made woman in America, and then proceeded to use her wealth to garner support for many global causes, specifically focusing on AIDS awareness in South Africa among many other things (“Encyclopedia of”).  Like Bono, she used her humble beginnings to motivate her to help change the world in any way that she can.  Former United States Secretary of State, American politician, diplomat, and author Condoleezza Rice said this regarding Oprah: “I believe influence is the union of power and purpose. As a TV star, magazine founder, businesswoman and celebrity, Oprah Winfrey certainly has power. But most important, she has purpose—an abiding commitment to the principles of goodness and generosity that transcend any one individual.” (“TIME”)

 Born on August 4^th, 1961, Barack Obama had what many would consider an unstable childhood.  Growing up without the presence of his biological father, he and his family moved often until settling with his grandparents during his teen years (“Bio”).  A graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, Obama was elected Illinois State Senator in 1996, United States Senator in 2004, and President of the United States in 2008.  Now known as the 44^th and current President of the U.S., he is also the first African American to hold office (“Barack Obama”).  Obama, like Bono and Oprah, used his humble beginnings as motivation to become influential.  He uses his power and influence to govern, reform, and enact laws that help people in the U.S. and all over the world.  This statement was taken from the White House’s official website about Barack Obama: “His story is the American story — values from the heartland, a middle-class upbringing in a strong family, hard work and education as the means of getting ahead, and the conviction that a life so blessed should be lived in service to others.” (“White House”)

            As can be seen, Bono, Oprah, and Obama all share the same theme within their stories.  Starting out with humble beginnings, they used their hardships and experiences as inspiration to become the influences that they are today.  Instead of abiding by the standard, these examples wanted to be different and make a difference in the world.

Works Cited Reliability

Sources used in essay 3.

Works Cited

"#2 Warren Buffett - The World's Billionaires 2009 - Forbes.com." Forbes.com - Business News, Financial News, Stock Market Analysis, Technology & Global Headline News. Web. 23 Oct. 2010. http://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/10/billionaires-2009-richest-people_Warren-Buffett_C0R3.html>.

Forbes proves to be a reputable source for this paper because they have proven their credibility over years of existence. They also publish a magazine which contains many lists of today’s “top” people. There is not only one writer for this article; however, it provides relevant information for the paper as well as an established track record.

"52 Must Read Quotes from Legendary Investor – Warren Buffett." Investing School. Web. 26 Oct. 2010. <http://investing-school.com/history/52-must-read-quotes-from-legendary-investor-warren-buffett/>.

Investing School proves to be a reputable source as it is a non-profit organization established for no other reason than to disclose information that could help investors. The author is an investor that wanted to start a site that allowed other people and investors to make smarter investing decisions. Though it has credibility, this site was used for nothing besides finding quotations to use in the paper.

"Why Is Warren Buffett the Most Successful Investor?" Associated Content - Associatedcontent.com. Web. 26 Oct. 2010. <http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2764916/why_is_warren_buffett_the_most_successful.html>.

Associated Content is a reputable source of information for this paper because they also have established a credible track record over years existence. Powered by Yahoo, this site provides information on virtually every topic. The writers use other reputable sources to provide the most reliable information possible.

"Billionaire Warren Buffett Signs on as Schwarzenegger's Economic Advisor. | North America United States from AllBusiness.com." Small Business Advice and Resources from AllBusiness.com. Web. 23 Oct. 2010. <http://www.allbusiness.com/government/elections-politics-politics-political-parties/10376234-1.html>.

This source is also credible as the publisher and publication date are advertised at the top of the page right under the title of the article. They too, have a long record of providing credible information over a long period of time. Though this source is credible, it was used minimally in the paper.

"The Breakthrough Institute: Gandhi the Modernist?" The Breakthrough Institute: Home. Web. 23 Oct. 2010. <http://www.thebreakthrough.org/blog/2008/06/gandhi_the_modernist.shtml>.

This source is recognized as a blog; however, the publisher lists her name and the date of publication before getting into any information. Though this is a blog and anyone could have posted it, the information within it seems credible (as backed up by other reliable sources).

"Interesting People - Mohandas Gandhi." Harley Hahn Web Site. Web. 23 Oct. 2010. <http://www.harley.com/people/mohandas-gandhi.html>.

Though cited incorrectly in the paper, this website is also credible because it was published by the best-selling internet author of all-time. It provides reliable information (as checked with other sources) at no cost.