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Allie Lindquist

Letter of Transmittal
Professor McBeth-Smith,
Throughout the course of this semester I feel as if my writing has improved drastically. At the
start of this course my writing was incredibly long winded, I know that isnt a bad thing,
however it was quite difficult for me to be concise. This course has taught me how to effectively
and quickly convey my message without the excess information I started out with.
In my flash narrative my intended audience is my professor and other students who are looking
to get a new pet. I wanted them to understand how shelter animals feel, and hopefully encourage
them to adopt rather than shop. I did this effectively by telling the store from the animals point
of view. This piece had the most revisions out of the three major papers. As I stated before I was
very long winded and included details that were not needed. Going over it enabled me to cut
down on not needed parts which helped me develop the story line.
The rhetorical analysis of The Optimism of Uncertainty was the most difficult piece for me. In
the beginning I found it very difficult to critique someone elses style of writing, I felt as if I was
searching for a subliminal meaning that wasnt there. However, as I read through more and more
examples, attended labs, and watched the provided videos I was able to grasp the concept of this
assignment. This piece required three hefty revisions on my part, eventually I was able to delve
into the parts that built my case.
Finally, the research and viewpoint thesis was my favorite piece that we did this semester. It
required the least amount of edits. That may be because I have gotten better as a writer, or
because it was something I was truly interested in writing about. My first draft was picked apart
multiple times because I didnt truly understand the assignment. However, I was able to cut it

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down, make it concise and effective. I addressed multiple viewpoints and made a good case for a
subject that hits close to home.
Overall, this semester did for me what four years of high school English couldnt. It instilled a
sense of confidence and strength in my writing capabilities. I now have a clearer understanding
of analysis, rhetoric, citations and most of all peer reviews.

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Flash Narrative
PLEASE stop meowing Snowball! Worst alarm clock evershe wakes me up every morning
with her incessant howls for water and a clean litter box.
Myrtle, Im just meowing because its so cold in here. Can we snuggle? I think to myself,
why is this my life? Why couldnt I have been like the other cats who get a cage to themselves?
Slowly, I start to hear the growls of the other inmates, it must be morning. I do my routine
stretches and yawns as I prepare for a new day in paradise.
Other than the cries of the other cats waiting to be let out for the day, it is pretty quiet in here I
guess. Theres the occasional hiss, the smell of brand new litter being poured into the blue square
boxes, but for the most part everything is the same. Sometimes they switch up the dinner menu
and give us some chicken. Every morning I wake up in hopes tonight will be a chicken night.
My plans for the day are as usual: clean myself, take a cat-nap, clean myself again, hiss at
Snowball, and nap some more.
I hear the pitter patter of socks and sandals and I can just feel it in my tail that my least favorite
guard is on duty for the day.
Hello welcome to the Humane Society!! This room has all the kittens, if you want a meet and
greet with any of these babies let me know and I would LOVE to set up a room for you
Called it. Margie the crazy cat lady works today, how is a kitten supposed to get any piece and
quite in this place? The mornings are peaceful, I hear the squeals of excited children, and the
shuffle of the lonely old ladies, at least somebody finds some joy in this prison.

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Suddenly, I listen as the door is peeled open and the rusty hinges scream. In comes a young
couple, hand in hand. There is a woman probably about 20, I can see the excitement in her eyes,
she looks like a damn owl all wide-eyed like she is looking for her next victim.
She starts opening each and every cage, kissing each kitten on the head and then slamming the
door shut. She must be one of those. With my luck, I would be the winner that gets dragged off
by her today.
I can hear her explaining to the skinny, tall man that she wants a fluffy black cat, which means I
am out of the picture seeing that my fur is muddy brown and orange. Thank God for tabbies.
I am half way dozed off when I start to hear a rattling at my cage. I prepare to be head bopped
but instead I am flying through the air, out of my cage and looking eye to eye at the tall man with
glasses. I feel the coldness of his fingers across my belly, and all the sudden my stomach sinks. I
just know whats coming next.
Allie, come look at this little lady!
In an effort to evade adoption, I savagely start to bite at the metal frame around his face, in
hopes he will realize I am not the cat for him.
Allie she is biting my glasses oh my GOSH, we have to take her home
Okay, Ill admit. I let my emotions get the best of me. I dont want to be known for murder so I
chill out on the glasses. If I remember correctly she said she wanted a black cat so I relax, and
wait for the sting of a very wanted rejection.
Little BABY. Oh my gosh she bit your glasses?? What are you thinkin little one? Do you want
to come home with us? I think you do!

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And here it comes.the kiss. *SMACK* my head bobs back up, I feel like a cartoon character.
You know when they hit their head and the birds start flying all around?
I start to wriggle back and forth trying to get out of his grasp but he holds me there, petting the
top of my head over and over again until it feels like I have no more fur. I meow as loud as I can
hoping that Margie or Snowball will come to my rescue. I start to think about what happens after
I leave my metal cage here and I realize that I dont know. Whenever my neighbors leave they
never return, and when new cats move in that have been to the outside they hide in the corner for
days on end. It makes me wonder what theyve seen. What is out there? Why doesnt anyone
know?
I come back to reality just as the woman is explaining that the black cat was merely a suggestion.
Who knew there was wiggle room when it came to kidnapping. I hear the man tell her that its
whatever she wants and that seals the deal.
Hello, excuse me? Hi we would like to take this one home please.
Perfect! I will go get the paper work started, follow me!
I get the feeling thats the last time I will ever hear Margies voice again. They start walking
towards the door and I can hear Snowball cryingAsking me where Im going. Unexpectedly, I
am dropped in a brown box with holes in the side. The bottom is soft and slippery and I cant
stand up. I start to panic, and hiss. The panic turns to soft cries when I realize I dont know where
Im going I close my eyes and start to prepare for the new unknown.

(950)

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The Optimism of Uncertainty

In Sept. 2004 The Nation, a newspaper that was primarily read by the liberal population
of the U.S published an article called The Optimism of Uncertainty. It was written by Howard
Zinn, an American historian, World War II Veteran, a writer, and most importantly an optimist.
Zinn wrote this article just a year and a half after the U.S went to war with Iraq, during a time of
national uncertainty, especially within the liberal community. There was an intense uncertainty
about what the future for this country would hold and an overall belief that the new war would
bring downfall to the country we all call home. The Optimism of Uncertainty is a piece in which
Zinn gives specific examples of downfalls and triumphs throughout the history of the world, and
he uses these examples as a driving force to convey his belief that human kind as a whole is
good. He emphasizes his belief in being an optimist and how he thinks it to be a life changing
mindset.
What Zinn was trying to accomplish with this work was to change the way that the liberal
American population of the country was thinking, essentially he was taking on the task of
changing a pessimist to an optimist. The liberal Americans, to this day have a typically bleak
outlook on the future of America but back when this article was published, times were even
worse. The liberal Americans were upset about the Bush Administration and the actions they
were taking, but they were also outraged about the ward on Iraq. Despite having a hard-headed
audience to appeal to, Zinn does an excellent job of accomplishing this task by effectively
pathos, ethos and logos to encourage and comfort readers not only in America in 2004, but
people all over the world at any given time.

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From the start, the audience is showered with hope, empathy, and optimism. Zinn starts
out by saying In this awful world where the efforts of caring people often pale in comparison to
what is done by those who have power, how do I manage to stay involved and seemingly
happy? By opening up the article with this question he allows the readers to indulge in their
personal feelings of hopelessness. The reader is able to relate to this question all too well, with
all the awful things going on in our world at any given time, how is one supposed to stay
hopeful? How is one supposed to want to continue on doing good when it seems as if those
actions will amount to nothing?
Zinn continues on to say There is a tendency to think that what we see in the present
moment will continue. We forget how often we have been astonished by the sudden crumbling of
institutions, by extraordinary changes in peoples thoughts, by unexpected eruptions of rebellion
against tyrannies, by the quick collapse of systems of power that seemed invincible. Zinn goes
back to the feelings of hopelessness that the reader feels, and encourages them to remember that
history can not be predicted or controlled. Not only does he use effective word choice such as
astonished, extraordinary, unexpected, and invincible to convey the idea that life happens
quickly and that society has a track record of being surprised by meeting an end to something
that seemed as if it never would. But he also appeals to the readers emotions by reminding us
that nothing is forever, and that to remain optimistic one must remember this is a key component
to our worlds history.
Another excerpt from this piece that invokes strong emotion in the reader is when Zinn
brings up the fact that although human nature has led us to believe there are only bad things, we
forget to see the good. To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on

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the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty but also of compassion, sacrifice,
courage, and kindness. Here the audience is reminded that we choose to focus on the bad, and
rarely remember to acknowledge all the good things around us, it is a feeling of realization, and
enables to reader to see past their bleak mindset and remember to look for hope. Throughout the
entire piece Zinn uses such examples that remind the reader that in times on uncertainty or fear
we must remember to be hopeful, and to still try to be good and kind. He accomplishes this very
well by being relatable and hitting on key emotions that people in our society feel from day to
day.
Throughout the article it is very clear that Zinn is well versed in all things history. He
brings up important moments in the worlds history and he mentions how they end and how that
affected the world at that time. By doing this, the reader begins to truly admire his vast
knowledge for these things. Because it is obvious that he is very educated on history the reader
begins to trust him. Zinn was also a World War II veteran which also builds on the fact that
despite all the things he has seen, if he is able to remain hopeful then the reader can too. This is
how Zinn uses ethos to successfully encourage his audience to adopt an optimistic mindset even
in times when it seems as if its the end of the world. Revolutionary change does not come as
one cataclysmic moment (beware of such moments!) but as an endless succession of surprises,
moving zigzag toward a more decent society. When Zinn says to beware of such moments it
also does an effective job of making the reader see that he is speaking from his own point of
view as well, rather than just quoting wars throughout history. He makes it seem as if he has truly
lived through cataclysmic meaning a violent event and it did not end well for him or society.

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When it comes to the use of logos throughout this piece it is very redundant. Zinn gives
several examples, maybe a few too many, to give hope to the reader. After going through a few
paragraphs citing examples of terror, tyranny, war and failure he says Looking at this catalogue
of huge surprises, its clear that the struggle for justice should never be abandoned because of the
apparent overwhelming power of those who have the guns and the money and who seem
invincible in their determination to hold on to it. This section effectively sums up his ideas of
power of to the people. He lists several events that have transpired but eventually came to an
end. A lot of the events were ended by everyday people and workers. Essentially, the use of logos
is effective in enabling the reader to see a hopeful means to an end. All of the things going on in
the world today, and yesterday, and tomorrow will all come to an end. There is historical proof
that no event or ruler will be forever.
By successfully building a sense of trust with the reader, Zinn is able to give examples of
history and encourage the reader to look at life in the long run. The use of pathos enables to
reader to relate and understand the emotions that both parties are feeling, and while the reader is
vulnerable and open to these ideas, he proves time and time again that there is always hope.
(1250)

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Viewpoint Synthesis
How would the decriminalization of drug possession affect the mortality rate in the U.S?

The use of illicit drugs in our nation is not only a deadly and dangerous issue, but its also
becoming extremely costly. According to Katherine Waldock and Jeffery Miron, authors of The
Budgetary Impact of Drug Prohibition, the U.S Federal Government spent fifteen billion dollars
in 2010 on the war on drugs. That adds up to approximately five hundred dollars per second.
These figures take into consideration the cost of incarceration, salary for government workers,
and other costs that go into arresting drug traffickers and users. The disturbing part about this
enormous statistic is that only a very small percentage goes towards helping drug users heal and
overcome their addiction. Because of this, the drug using community has fallen into a deadly
cycle. When the government does not provide the resources needed to heal from addiction,
repeat drug offenders will continue to move through this cycle until they get the help they need,
or they are killed at the hands of the drug. This repetitive cycle claimed the lives of over 67,500
American citizens in 2014. As a nation we have come to a cross road, do we continue our current
approach or do we initiate a new drug reform policy in attempts to save lives?
Switzerland and Portugal both have adopted a new drug policy in attempts to end their war on
drugs. In 2001 Portugal decriminalized the possession of illegal drugs. If a drug user is caught
with less than a ten day supply of an illegal substance they are charged with an administrative
crime, rather than a punishable crime. The user then has to attend a three day drug conversion

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class. This class is made up of a social worker, a doctor and a lawyer, they will then recommend
treatment or a fine. In the beginning, this was a monumental change and was widely chastised by
other countries.
Would this new approach encourage people to use drugs? The answer is no, according to a report
by Zeeshan Aleem from Policy.Mic. Since this new approach has gone into effect there has been
no notable increase in drug usage within the nation. If anything there has been a decrease in
continued usage, specifically among users aged 15-24. In 2001 there were 1,016 new cases of
drug related HIV diagnosiss in the country of Portugal, compare this to 2012 where there were
only 56 new drug related HIV diagnosiss. This amazing reduction comes from the Say NO! To
Used Needles act. This program allows the country to focus its monetary resources on
providing sanitary needles to drug users on the streets. This program has certified psychologists
that walk around the streets in the city and pass out clean needles, they offer advice to those who
ask for it. They do not criticize or judge users, they simply allow them to understand that their
government is here to help. This approach encourages drug users to reach out for help, and at the
very least provides them with safe and clean equipment. Because of this approach, the amount of
drug related deaths in Portugal has decreased significantly. In 2012 there were only 16 drug
related overdose deaths.
Although the decriminalization of drug possession in Portugal has undoubtedly led to a decrease
in drug related deaths, is this an approach that is likely to be adopted in the United States? In a
poll conducted by HuffingtonPost and You.gov, there is a very slim percentage of Americans that
want to legalize any drug other than marijuana. In the survey made up of 1,000 random
American citizens only about 9% support the legalization of Cocaine, Heroin,
Methamphetamine, etc. The problem with this information is that there is a strong difference

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between legalization and decriminalization. This is something that would need to be introduced
more into American society in order to draw the line and truly invoke an understanding that this
reform does not encourage drug use. It is simply reassigning where the tax dollars are being
used, and allowing the government to use the money to provide affordable rehab programs to
eliminate drug usage, rather than incarcerate users. Each year, the average working American
spends about $260 dollars to keep prisoners in jail. As previously stated, the US Government
spent nearly 15 billion dollars in 2010. According to the Waldock and Mirton, if the U.S were to
decriminalize the possession of narcotics we would save nearly 8.7 billion on marijuana, 32.6
million on Cocaine and Heroin, and 5.5 billion on other drugs. This equates to a national savings
of nearly 25.7 billion dollars. As an American Citizen, it is simple to grasp the concept that this is
a vast amount of money that could be used on many other things. A three month drug rehab
program in the US costs approximately 12,000-60,000. This is an incredible amount of money
that very few people can afford. If drugs were decriminalized in the US, we could reallocate the
revenue to cheaper and more effective drug rehab programs and sanitary products for users who
could not afford it otherwise. However, many American citizens have the idea that drug users are
lazy and selfish, and would not support their hard earned money going to clean drug needles.
In contrast, with all of the statistics on money that we would save by decriminalizing drug
possession there was a study posted CBS news that stated that if jails and prisons were to release
all inmates that were incarcerated solely on drug abuse charges, they would only release 700 per
100,000. The reasoning behind this is that often times drug charges come about through a
different more intense crime. Crimes that range from domestic violence, theft, etc. This being
said, although we would be able to save more money, we would still be paying for a significant
amount of prisoners to stay fed and clothed. It would take many years for these changes to truly

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make a difference in the drug community, and for that reasoning I do understand why some
Americans would not support this approach.
I think that D. Gouloa, a Portuguese Drug Official, said it best; Harm reduction is not giving up
on people, I think it is respecting their time line and assuming that even if someone is still using
drugs, that person deserves the investment of the state in order to have a better and longer life.
As a nation, I think it is very important for our government to respect the fact that drug users are
still people, and they deserve help to recover from their illness. Addiction is not a choice, it is a
disease that grips its victims until death or until they get the help and support that they need and
deserve. Instead of punishing drug users, I think it would be more effective to decriminalize
possession and use the resources to create more sustainable and affordable rehab programs so
that drug users can break the cycle of drug addiction.
(1175)

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Works Cited
"The High Price of Incarceration in America $80 Billion." CBSNews. CBS Interactive, n.d. Web.
28 Nov. 2016.

Roeder, Oliver. "Releasing Drug Offenders Won't End Mass Incarceration." FiveThirtyEight.
N.p., 2016. Web. 18 Nov. 2016.

Swanson, Emily. "Here Are All The Drugs Americans Want To Legalize." The Huffington Post.
TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2016.

Portugal's Example: What Happened After It Decriminalized All Drugs, From Weed to Heroin |
VICE News." VICE News. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2016

Waldock, Katherine, and Jeffery Miron. "The Budgetary Impact on Ending Drug Prohbition."
The Budgetary Impact on Ending Drug Prohitbition (2010): n. pag. Web. 15 Nov. 2016.
Zamora, Kevin. Drugs and Democracy: Towards a paradigm Shift. 22 4 2009. Document. 09 11
2016.