Running Head: Steroids Are No Joke

Rhetorical Analysis: Steroids And Other Performance Enhancing Drugs Jonathan Berrios UTEP

Running Head: Steroids Are No Joke

Imagine a couple goes to a doctors office and they are told that they cannot have kids due to the steroids the man took at a younger age that caused him to be sterile. He looks at his wife, which had planned for children, crying and devastated. Or even wanting to enlist in the service because one wants to serve their country but they get rejected because he/she tested positive for steroid or other performance enhancing drug use, or any job, as a matter of fact. These scenarios happen every day because people decide that being strong and looking big is what they really want, but in reality it is only what they want at that moment in their life. These decisions could affect one for the rest of their life as well as their future drastically. How would one feel if this happened to them? Can it be stopped? No, not really. Its a personal choice to do that and run the risk of damaging ones health or putting their future at stake. This paragraph is an example of pathos because the author uses a dramatic explanation on the result of steroids to convince one to not use any of those performance enhancing drugs. The real prizes are a pair of shrunken testicles and surgical scars across my nipples from having breast tissue removed from my chest. This is an example of what has been going on across the United States and even globally. People want to get bigger and stronger without putting in the hard work that it takes to get to where they want to be. Or they simply dont have the time to be in a gym for 2-3 hours every day to reach their goals so they result to steroids of other performance enhancing drugs. As shown in Suellen May (2011) Steroids and other performance enhancing drugs steroids have a lot of side effects and can cause a lot of damage. For example, an interview with a man named Dan Clark a.k.a. Nitro from American Gladiator, a well-known T.V. show where competitors would fight a Gladiator to earn points to make it to the end and win a money prize, says, As a result of 20 years of steroid use, I walk with a limp, I have seven scars on my face, two destroyed knees, and
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Running Head: Steroids Are No Joke

I cant walk up a flight of stairs until I chug a couple cups of black coffee and a handful of antiinflammatory pills ending up with a herniated back disk and a neck that pops like fireworks a pair of shrunken testicles and surgical scars across my nipples from having breast tissue removed from my chest. He was 18 when he started his cycles and he got the results he wanted. As well as the ones he wasnt expecting. The author writes about health and environmental science books as well as weight-loss drugs, Ritalin and related drugs, Botox and other cosmetic drugs, date rape drugs, and a five-volume environmental series titled Invasive Species. She has also earned a B.S. from the University of Vermont and a M.S. from Colorado State University. She is experienced in this field of information that is why this paragraph explains ethos. It shows the proof about the consequences and the reliability of what the author wrote through another persons experience. This paragraph also shows pathos because it shows Nitros permanent health issues and his pain from the steroid use. Steroids are no joke. As a result of 20 years of steroid use, I walk with a limp, I have 7 scars on my face, two destroyed knees, and I cant even walk up a flight of stairs. They will boost your strength and performance within a couple days. Dan Clark experienced this as well and this is what he had to say about it: I was amazed with how quickly my body responded to the steroids. One day I was benching 185lbs, and the next I was hitting 225lbs. I recall being quicker, stronger, and explosive. I also had noticed a change in my psychology. My self-doubt was gone and replaced with over-the-top aggression, and the belief that I was the best on the field. He became addicted and started abusing the steroids and it left him with permanent damage to his body. Steroids are a class of drug that contains testosterone, a sex hormone. Steroids are classified by their molecular structure, which is made up of 17 carbon atoms arranged in four rings. With that being understood, it leads to the creation on hundreds on
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Running Head: Steroids Are No Joke

synthetic steroids by tinkering with the molecular structure. . This is a major factor to the shrunken testicles conclusion. In this paragraph the author shows the problem with steroids and other performance enhancing drugs and a solution to the problem, providing a logical way to stop the use as well as a persuasive way to fix it. In this situation the author talks about both ethos and logos. The ethos would be the information she adds about the steroids and how they were formed. The logos would be the logic and consistency that she incorporates to not use steroids and how it can really mess someone up. Sports prohibit the use of steroids in any competitive leagues; the majors, minors, college, high school, etc. For example, the famous international race of Tour de France, The Tour de France is the extremely difficult bike race that takes place annually in July Prior to the race, numerous riders were removed from the race for doping. Not even a bike race lets a rider race if they have taken any performance enhancing drugs. They are just that, performance enhancing and it wouldnt be fair to other riders that have a disadvantage to riders that have increased their ability illegally. American cyclist Floyd Landis won the 2006 Tour de France but was later stripped of his title after he failed a drug test at the end of the race. They test for it in the military services as well and if one comes out positive for steroid use they do not let he/she play or even enlist. Recently, Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees was suspended for 211 games because he admitted to using steroids in 2001- 03 and now he is banned through 2014. Steroids can have a major affect on peoples lives and futures, so why risk it for more muscle mass and more strength? Do it naturally and with legal supplements that cant harm them in the future. There are a lot of athletes that are suspected to have taken steroids but have yet to receive a drug test, some due to religious beliefs. Such as Manny Pac-Man Pacquiao, a famous boxer in middleweight, super middleweight and lightweight boxing. Floyd Mayweather has challenged
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Running Head: Steroids Are No Joke

him to a fight, but on specific terms. Pacquiao must take a drug test to check for steroid use but it is against the Philippine religion to take such tests. This has trainers wondering if he is only refusing the test because he knows his results will be positive or if he really cannot take the test due to religious reasons. He might eventually take the test after having confirmation from a Philippine priest or he might just fight people who dont require him to take said test as terms to the fight. The author has ethos in this chapter by showing the usage of steroids in sports as a way to show how powerful they are and the advantage it gives athletes to the point where organizations and leagues have to prohibit it because of peoples thoughts that it can make someone super-human. Which is a good way to show the ethos in this section. There are plenty of steroid addicts in the world. 41% of Americans use steroids and 23% of those 41% are addicts. There is treatment for this addiction and it could be found at South Coast Recovery in San Clemente, California. Addicts can enroll in a 30-, 60-, or 90-day program. The treatment is the same as any for marijuana, heroin, or cocaine addicts. The use of steroids is a lot easier to sure though. there is still the perception that they are not as difficult to stop taking as other drugs such as heroin or cocaine.. Help isnt hard to find for these situations. says Suellen May.