Visual Rhetoric Two

Visual Rhetoric Two: This image communicates through the rhetorical strategy logos, which engages our intellect and reason by means of text (slogons, posters with text).  This image communicates through the rhetorical strategy mythos, which engages our  common beliefs. Some people’s religion does not allow them to go to doctors but, instead, only to trust in their higher power (mythos).

 

 Retrieved December 8, 2012; Rogue Gunner a Tale of PTSD

www.roguegunner.com

Analysis of the Image:

           

This is a poster that want to communicate to the general public who has not been in service that it is okay to reach out for help during the hard times.  No one has to suffer alone and that there are people who are willing to help an individual get better. The words on this poster wants an individual to trust that change is soon to come and life will get better ( ethos).

This poster shows two sentences: “Don’t wait until you break . . .” “Learn to cope through counseling.”  

The first warning commands the viewer of this poster (a soldier or a veteran) not to wait until it’s almost too late to receive help from professionals to build him/herself back up.          

The second quote “P.T.S.D” means Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which singles out the main disorder among active duty soldiers and verterans, the ones who are  waiting  too long to receive help.

           The third quote (“Learn to Cope Through Counseling”) suggest to  individuals going through a tough time in life to cope with their problems by seeking professional help from a counselor. You do not have to settle your problems alone. There are trained specialist in the world who has the tools to guide you to overcome your issues.  

I believe that the mottoes in this poster should be everyone’s motto whether they are soldiers or not. Many people tend to wait until it is too late before going to receive any professional help. It is at this breaking point when suicide comes into play.

This poster also shows us an image of a rope hanging on by a small weak string, i.e. the breaking point.  This one image is very powerful when delivering the message of the poster to seek counseling before the breaking point (ethos & logos).

Most people go through battles with themselves and their mind, especially the soldiers who are all returning from war. They have a lot of guilt and sorrow for the tragic crimes they have witnessed. I realized after my father had been away from his family for so long, he began to treat us as if we were the enemy. He felt like the whole world was against him.

Individual family members are also greatly affecting by the plight of the returning soldier/father.  I was almost at my breaking point because I was experiencing post partum depression before I finally got help.  I wish that I would have went gone sooner.  Like many people,  pride and ego get in the way of  people’s seeking help for emotional stress.

            We live in such a judgemental world that we fail to realized that among those who wrongly judge , there are also people among us who are reaching out with helpful hands.  The army should take this quote and have it posted everyone and make the soldiers know that it is okay to cope with PTSD and any other issues they may have with their mariage, health, etc.

           

Visual Rhetoric One

Visual Rhetoric One: 

A soldier returns home after a 12-month deployment, having been away from all his family and friends. One of his friends sees him and greets him with a warm welcome home. The welcoming civilian views the returning soldiers as survivors because, daily, they hear about the constant casualties.  However, just because a soldier is home safely does not mean the war is over.   The image below tells this story.

The image engages our feelings (pathos) and our belief system (ethos) because it grabs our attention about the reality for a soldier when he/she returns. The returning soldier may look the same on the outside, but he/she might not feel the same on the inside—he/she has changed.

The cartoon informs us (logos) of the issues regarding the soldier. Mythos plays a part in this image because we civilians are thankful to the soldiers for sacrificing their lives for our country. 

Retrieved December 8, 2012;www.socgen180cd.wordpress.com/page/3/

             

The soldier in the image above is still in uniform and is labeled “P.T.S.D” where his name should be. Instead of a head on his shoulders, his head is replaced with a ticking bomb. His patriotic friend is greeting him and states, “Great to have you home, Bro and not a scratch on you.”

These details engage me because every small detail means something much bigger. The ticking grenade as a head means that the soldier’s head is about to explode from all the thoughts and tragic memories going through is mind that he wants to forget but can’t. We empathize with the soldier’s situation (pathos).  The P.T.S.D name tag signifies the soldier being singled out from the other soldiers with his diagnoses (logos). It informs about what the soldier is going through. The patriotic friend (mythos) is ironic because he says “…And not a scratch on you.” However, in reality, even though his battle scars are not visible, this doesn’t mean he does not have internal issues.

This image is a perfect example of how civilians view soldiers, especially the ones who have been to war. We are so caught up in having them return home safely so that our lives can get back to normal. My mother continually stressed how she could not wait until my father returned home. She was tired of being a single parent. I was tired of having to grow up early and assist my mother with my siblings.  We had mixed emotions toward the army and toward my father, both when he was present and when he was away. Every time my father returned we just expected him to jump back into the routine of picking up the children from day care, helping with house chores, cooking, helping the children with their homework, etc.

However, it was during my father’s return from his last deployment that when we noticed something was wrong. We greeted him just like the guy greets the soldier in the image above, but, as in the cartoon, my father’s brain was going to explode.  For example, my father is quicker to snap at a member of his immediate family versus a complete stranger out in public because I think that the afflicted soldier is more likely to vent and lash out at a family member or close friend because, instinctively, he/she knows family members won’t hold the outburst against him/her.

           

            On a good note, everywhere we go people thank my father for his service, and he sometimes receives free items. When he is around other people I feel he is calmer and a better person.

Reflective

Blog Reflective 

 As the student, one of the learning objectives of the blog project is to focus on one issue to write scenarios and to find relevant research on the issue to make discoveries. I took four articles from the academic search complete database and my writing of the various scenarios, researched summaries, and follow-up discussions construct a few discoveries for me. I was able to learn more about PTSD and how it affects a person. I was able to have different perspective on what my father is going through and how I can better cope. My father is actually on of the ones who were mistreated from the start. He recently visited his doctor again and they changed his diagnoses from depression to anxiety, which makes more sense.

 The translation of research and documentation skills into a conversational, episodic online format did construct new learning experiences by being able to tell stories from my point of view. I really enjoyed blogging versus writing an actual paper. Analyzing images and connecting them to the research topic made this project even more interested. Yes, this online format and the study of and inclusion of visual rhetoric into the postings did introduce me to aspects of learning that would not have developed with a traditional format because I was able to be more vocal and not worry about being judged about the situation.  Overall this new learning experience has interest me to begin a new hobby. I never knew why people where so obsessed with blogging until now.