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Essay Available:
Pages:
3 pages/≈825 words
Sources:
1 Source
Style:
MLA
Subject:
Social Sciences
Type:
Essay
Language:
English (U.S.)
Document:
MS Word
Date:
Total cost:
$ 12.96
Topic:

Persuading Readers to Act

Essay Instructions:

Persuading Readers to Act
(750-1000 words, 20 points)
OVERVIEW:
Because this is the final shorter essay of the class, it requires you to use a combination of your critical reading and writing skills. I want you to choose an issue of current significance, one that you've read about in a newspaper. It MUST be a newspaper. You may not use other news sources such as television or magazines. Your newspaper should preferably be an online edition because you will be required to hand in your article with the essay you write. See the links to local newspapers below.
First, spend some time reading the newspaper. You will probably find that if you spend any time at all doing this, an article will stick with you for some reason. I often turn immediately to the Opinion pages because I like to read the Community Forum. I often find articles there that incite my reactions and that cause me to write something in response.
As you read, you may focus on any section you find interesting, and your goal is to find an article that poses a problem to which you think you have a solution. As you already know, I often suggest that students choose topics that are as close to home, as local as possible because these seem to be the most interesting to students and seem to help students produce the best writing. Ultimately, though, the choice is yours.
Here's an example. Some time ago I read a Community Forum article in our local paper, The Californian, by a student whose parents recently bought a home and moved into my area. The student was complaining about the lack of manners and general culture in our town, and he was blaming it on several factors, one of which was the fact that lots of Republicans live here. He went on to point out that Republican voters tend to be a bit unenlightened about the extent to which their party actually benefits them.
The article made me perturbed because I thought his reasons were biased and based in political generalizations. I wrote a response where I pointed out my own opinions about the reasons for the problems he raised, and I pointed out what I thought the solution might be. The conclusion of my response was a call to action, asking the folks who live in this part of the county to start realizing that we all benefit when we start making positive contributions to the community.
It felt good to be part of the local "conversation" so to speak. Here is what I want you to do. Write an essay that proposes a solution to a problem you've read about in the paper. Introduce the problem with any of the three forms of personal writing that we've covered -- personal narrative, personal reflection, or personal description. Then you will proceed to persuade your readers to take action using the techniques outlined in the Guidelines on page 320 of your text.
NOTE: As stated above, you will be required to include the original article when you hand in this essay. See the instructions for how to do this under "SUBMITTING ESSAY 4."
LINKS TO LOCAL NEWSPAPERS CAN BE FOUND BELOW.
LA Times
OC Register
North County Times/The Californian
Long Beach Press Telegram
GRADING CRITERIA:
You will be graded based on the following checklist. 4 points possible per category.
The IDEAS in your essay prompt readers to change their thinking and behavior. The essay has a clear opinion statement, effective reasoning, good support, and a clear call to action.
The ORGANIZATION is logical. The opening is engaging and effectively uses personal narrative, reflection, or description to raise the issue. The argument is clearly sequenced, and the conclusion is convincing and focused on change and action.
The WORDS are precise, concrete, and easily understood. The language is free of cliches and glib phrases.
The SENTENCES flow smoothly, with effective transitions and logical connections.
The COPY follows correct format, documentation, and rules of writing.
PLEASE USE THIS ARTICLE FOR THE PAPER: http://www(dot)ocregister(dot)com/articles/codes-688232-medical-icd.html

Essay Sample Content Preview:
How much is too much?
Reading Ian Lamont’s article was an uncanny experience. First, I thought I was reading and opinion piece, but somewhere in the middle of the article, I just had to check, was this legitimate piece and not just a lampoon? Just to give you a backgrounder, Mr. Lamont wrote about the codes used by our dear physicians when they report our ailments to health insurance companies. He says that before October 1, there were 14,000 diagnostic codes. We might think that is already a staggering number, but wait until you hear the next part. Apparently, these 14,000 codes are not descriptive enough. And so, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) had to release a new set of codes just this October 1, called the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10).
What’s wrong with having new codes, you say? Well, for one, this move has increased diagnostic codes by more than 400%, reaching up to 70,000 codes. If that wasn’t baffling enough, you just have to read what those newly added codes are. Check these out these new codes (Williams):
* Accidental striking against or bumped into by another person, sequela. (Beware of the human bumper car!)
* Activities involved arts and handcrafts. (Yes, you could get injured while sewing or embroidering, but really, do you need to go to the hospital for this?)
* Dependence on enabling machines and devices, not elsewhere classified. (If leaving my mobile phone at home makes me crazy, can I now claim for insurance?)
* Problems in relationship with in-laws. (What exactly does this mean?)
Of course, I just had to do my own research. If this is related to my health insurance, I just need to know if this is real or not. Well, guess what I found? Apparently, Mr. Lamont is not alone in his opinion that the new ICD-10 is senseless. In fact, many other writers have written about the new absurd codes, and a research has already been launched to inquire on the possible effects of this new development. The sad part here is that ICD-10 is actually counterproductive as it adds complexity to the reporting process, hence taking quality time away from the doctor-patient relationship. Moreover, most health care providers that this move will actually decrease their revenue in the long term, but despite this fact, most are now preparing their organizations to make the change. While the rest of the health care industry try to adopt to these new developments, the WHO and CMS are again up to their knees trying to cook up new codes for ICD-11! How descriptive should health insurance reports really be? Do they really need to know what sort of contact you had with a cow or a pig? Isn’t it enough to know that you have been hurt by an animal and that the injury is major?
This article brings to mind the many criticisms I have of Western society. For one, we are already aware of the problems, and yet we choose to turn a blind eye to processes that no longer worked. The only reason WHO and CMS continue to churn out codes is because it is their job to do so. But when do we tell...
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