PSA-Memo

Memo

To:        English 1311 Students

From:    Zachary Ornelas

Date:     12/6/2010

Re:        Terrorism

Message

Terrorism is defined by Webster’s Dictionary as the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion. Terrorism is also defined as “Terrorism is the premeditated use or threat of use of violence by individuals or sub national groups to obtain political, religious, or ideological objectives through intimidation of a large audience usually beyond that of the immediate victims.” (Counterterrorism-A Game-Theoretic Analysis, Daniel G. Arce) With more and more terrorists’ camps rising in the Middle East, we need to stay vigilant and cautious with what we do every day. We can’t complain about the new body scans and body pat downs that the TSA are doing because they are doing it for our safety. The TSA are trying to do the best they can so you can feel safe as soon as you step onto the plane. They don’t want another tragedy like 9/11 happening. So just bear with the TSA and let them do their job, which is to keep you safe and sound. We also need to report any mysterious activity you see or hear about. We need to help the FBI and all the other government agencies so they have all the information to stop innocent citizens from being attacked by terrorists’ cells from around the world. The only things that we as citizens can do to help with this community problem is by being vigilant but also going through your day without being paranoid that another attack is coming. Also, let the TSA, FBI, CIA, and other government agencies do their jobs and don’t give them a hard time. Those agencies are just trying to do their job to protect you and all the other citizens of the United States of America.

PSA-Terrorism

Visual Analysis

Zachary Ornelas

English 1311

10/27/10

Visual Analysis

You can analyze anything you see throughout the day and you will always see Pathos, Logos, and Ethos. Every visual advertisement you see every day, from commercials to print advertisement, always have a hidden meaning as well as Pathos, Logos, and Ethos no matter what kind of advertisement, and then some advertisements have not so subtle meanings to them. The subtleness of the meaning depends on how the advertisement is presented from clarity, emphasis, arrangement, and conciseness. Arrangement is the organization of visual elements. Emphasis is making certain parts more prominent than others by changing their size, shape and color. Clarity helps the reader understand the message in the advertisement quickly. Conciseness generates designs that are appropriate to a particular situation and still go with the flow.

The clarity of this advertisement helps me understand what the company is trying to get at, as long as I know that cats don’t like water. If I didn’t know that cats didn’t like water, than the clarity would have an effect on me understanding the message. Emphasis is prominent on the cat only in this advertisement. The emphasis of the outline of the goggles emphasizes that the cat was in the water and in there for a long enough time to have the indentations of the goggles still around his eyes. Arrangement of the advertisement makes the message clear to the reader. The Company’s logo is on the bottom next to the punch line but not too big and bold to take away from the message of the picture. The advertisement is concise because of the way cats don’t like water but it is an advertisement for a dive school and the cat has goggle indentions on its face, then the punch line says we’ll make you like water.

Ethos is defined as an appeal based on the character of the speaker; an ethos-driven document relies on the reputation of the author. The credibility of the company trying to promote their diving lessons isn’t as credible here then near the oceans because we don’t live near water. Maybe the dive school is the Cadillac of all dive schools in oceanic areas, but in this area isn’t a great dive spot so we wouldn’t know. So the credibility of the dive school is not very good.

Logos is defined as an appeal based on logic or reason, documents distributed by companies or corporations are logos-driven, scholarly documents are also often logos-driven. The reason behind the cat is for the water part. Cats hate water and go crazy whenever water hits their fur. But the advertisement is saying they are really good at teaching people how to do dive that the company can teach a cat how t dive and they will love the water unlike other cats that hate the water.

Pathos is defined as an appeal based on emotion; advertisements tend to be pathos-driven. This advertisement isn’t as emotional as an advertisement about drunk driving or spousal abuse, the advertisement is supposed to be humor based. The advertisement is supposed to get you to laugh and realize that they are good at what they do. Not try to make you really think about the meaning and have you contemplate the meaning. The purpose of the advertisement isn’t supposed to make you emotional and want you to do something about it fast, it’s supposed to make you chuckle.

In conclusion, the advertisement is short and to the point and has a funny meaning to it. The advertisement has a funny but hidden meaning to it. The advertisement follows all the guidelines of Ethos, Pathos, and Logos. But always has emphasis, conciseness, clarity, and good arrangement to get the point of the advertisement across without much thinking.

Memo to the FBI

Memo

To:  English 1311 Students

From: Zachary Ornelas

Date: 12/6/2010

Re: Federal Bureau of Investigation and Counterterrorism Task Force

Message

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, or the FBI, is one of the most well know government agencies in the world. They deal with everything from White Collar Crimes, which consist of Bank Fraud and Embezzlement, to terrorism and counterterrorism. The FBI has more than 400 small offices and headquarters around the United States. The FBI also employs more than 35,000 employees from special agents that work out in the field to support professionals that work with intelligence and language specialists. (www.fbi.gov)

The main national security priority for the FBI is terrorism throughout the world and terrorism threats against the U.S. The FBI use counterterrorism to intercept those threats and attacks and stop them before they happen. The FBI has a counterterrorism taskforce within the Bureau to specifically work on intercepting and stopping terrorism attacks on the U.S and its citizens. One of the main points in counterterrorism is tracking Weapons of Mass Destruction, or WMD’s. The FBI use intelligence gathering to track down these weapons and stop the countries that have them from using them. (www.fbi.gov)

We need to put more resources into the government agencies that have these kinds of programs so we don’t have another disaster as 9/11. We need to stop the terror attacks before they are even thought of and put into motion. If the FBI had the resource they have now, I’m sure 9/11 could have been stopped and those 3000 lives that were lost on that tragic would be saved.

Terrorism and Counterterrorism

Zachary Ornelas

English 1311

Terrorism and Counterterrorism

The main priority and the main problem the Federal Bureau of Investigation, is terrorism.  Especially since the tragedy of 9/11 that took 3000 innocent American lives. Ever since those attacks shook America to the bone, the main priority of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is to detect the when and where the next terror attacks will happen and stop them before anyone gets hurt like past terror attacks. One of the FBI’S mottos is "to protect and defend the United States against terrorist and foreign intelligence threats and to enforce the criminal laws of the United States." That has always been the main priority but the terrorism part is more emphasized now since the 9/11 attacks happened. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and many other agencies around the United States have separate departments that deal of with foreign intelligence and terror threats called Counterterrorism.

Terrorism is defined by Webster’s Dictionary as the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion. Terrorism is also defined as “Terrorism is the premeditated use or threat of use of violence by individuals or sub national groups to obtain political, religious, or ideological objectives through intimidation of a large audience usually beyond that of the immediate victims.” (Counterterrorism-A Game-Theoretic Analysis, Daniel G. Arce) “By simulating randomness, terrorists create an atmosphere of fear where everyone feels vulnerable, thereby extending their sphere of influence as far as possible. Suicide missions can heighten this air of anxiety and place greater pressures on governments to capitulate to terrorist demands owing to the greater casualties, on average, associated with such events-thirteen deaths per suicide attack compared with less than one death per non suicide attack.” (Counterterrorism-A Game-Theoretic Analysis, Daniel G. Arce) Terrorism is a major problem in today’s society because of so many terrorist groups being raised and trained in the Middle East Countries. Many terror groups succeed in their attacks on the United States such as the 9/11 attacks, the Anthrax Mail Attacks, and the 1993 World Trade Center Bombings. The 9/11 attacks could have been prevented if the FBI, CIA, NSA, and other government and state agencies would have communicated and passed along information about an imminent attack on the United States days before the attack was put into motion. If people within those agencies would have followed their chain of command and communicated with their colleagues and supervisors, the proper precautions could have been put in place to slow down the attack or even stop the attack on the United States.  But many attacks have been also stopped due to the diligent people in the FBI and other agencies. 

Counterterrorism is defined by Encarta Dictionary as activities to combat terrorism: military or political activities intended to combat or prevent terrorism. Counterterrorism is used to intercept and stop terror attacks from happening in the United States. Counterterrorism is also used to detect spies inside the United States such as the 10 Russian spies that were captured and sent back to Russia in July. “Counterterrorist policies may involve taking direct actions against terrorists or their sponsors. Such proactive policies may include destroying terrorist training camps, retaliating against a state sponsor, infiltrating terrorist groups, gathering intelligence, or freezing terrorist assets.” (Counterterrorism-A Game-Theoretic Analysis, Daniel G. Arce) “More defensive or passive counterterrorist measures include erecting technological barriers (e.g., metal detectors or bomb-sniffing equipment at airports), fortifying potential targets, and securing borders. These defensive policies are intended to deter an attack by either making success more difficult or increasing the likely negative consequences to the perpetrator. Efforts to deter terrorist events often displace the attack to other venues, modes of attack (e.g., from a skyjacking to a kidnapping), countries, or regions, where targets are relatively softer.” (Counterterrorism-A Game-Theoretic Analysis, Daniel G. Arce)  Since the 9/11 attacks on the United States, communication has improve between government agencies, state agencies, and even local police departments by reporting any threats on the United States, credible or not, and working together to investigate those threats. The Federal Bureau of Investigation uses counterterrorism/counterintelligence  “to foster communication and build awareness through partnerships with key public and private entities by educating and enabling our partners to identify what is at counterintelligence risk and how to protect it. It's all about identifying the research, information, and technologies that are targeted by our adversaries and establishing an ongoing dialogue and information exchange with partners to change behaviors and reduce opportunities that benefit the opposition’s efforts.” (www.fbi.gov) In present day, cyber terrorism is being used more and more, and  with an “unprecedented scale with extraordinary sophistication.” “While both the threats and technologies associated with cyberspace are dynamic,

the existing balance in network technology favors malicious actors, and is likely to continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Sensitive information is stolen daily from both government and private sector networks, undermining confidence in our information systems, and in the very information these systems were intended to convey.” (Annual Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community for the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Dennis C. Blair) 

           

            With many more threats against the United States coming in daily to different agencies, communication is vital to investigate and ultimately stop these threats against the United States and its citizens. Counterterrorism and counterintelligence is also plays a vital role in stopping those threats. Without the intelligence and counterterrorism task force, the 9/11 attacks could have been just the start to a lot of terrorist attacks on the United States.  Those people in the agencies that deal with counterterrorism need to stay diligent to keep the citizens of the United States safe.  

References

·         www.fbi.gov

·         www.merriam-webster.com

·         dictionary.msn.com/

·         Counterterrorism: A Game-Theoretic Analysis

Daniel G. Arce M., Todd Sandler

The Journal of Conflict Resolution
Vol. 49, No. 2, The Political Economy of Transnational Terrorism (Apr., 2005), pp. 183-200

Published by: Sage Publications, Inc.

Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/30045107

·    Blair, D.C. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, FBI. (2010). Annual threat assessment of the us intelligence community for the senate select committee on intelligence

Persuasive Essay

Zachary Ornelas

English 1311

11/10/10

Dear Director Robert S. Mueller III,

     The main issue about Homeland Security is Terrorism on the United States and the citizens that live here. The citizens of the United States shouldn’t live in fear because of the September 11^th Terror Attacks. They should be able to go through their day without having to wonder if there is an imminent attack on them and the Country. The F.B.I needs to do something to ease all the citizens’ worries and pain. The F.B.I also needs to put more into the Counter Terrorism Task Force so there won’t be any more attacks like what happened on September 11^th, 2001. Those attacks devastated the whole country but also brought the country together. But more could have been done to stop those attacks, even the slightest clue or tip should have been followed through till the end. Those clues and tips shouldn’t have been pushed aside like they were; investigators should have treated those tips as it was true. More should have and should be done with the counter terrorism whether it be more agents on the case or something else, but more needs to be done for the United States and its citizens and their freedom.

Sincerely,

Zachary Ornelas

Annotated Bibliography

Annotated Bibliography

1.      www.fbi.gov

·         The FBI website talks about the procedure and everyday life of an agent when at work. From counterterrorism to white collar crimes and everything in between throughout the United States. The FBI websites also have the core values of the Agency. The website also has quick facts about the Agency, such as their budget and motto to priorities and mission.

2.      Counterterrorism: A Game-Theoretic Analysis

Daniel G. Arce M., Todd Sandler

The Journal of Conflict Resolution
Vol. 49, No. 2, The Political Economy of Transnational Terrorism (Apr., 2005), pp. 183-200 Published by: Sage Publications, Inc.

Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/30045107

·         This article is all about the difference between terrorism and counterterrorism, and how governments around the world are developing counterterrorism agencies and groups to stop and deter the terrorism in their country. It defines the word counterterrorism and what the agencies do. It also talks about the preemptive strikes from the terrorist groups from the Middle Eastern countries.

3.       What Terrorists Really Want: Terrorist Motives and Counterterrorism Strategy

Max Abrahms

International Security
Vol. 32, No. 4 (Spring, 2008), pp. 78-105

Published by: The MIT Press

Stable URL: http://0-www.mitpressjournals.org.lib.utep.edu/doi/abs/10.1162/isec.2008.32.4.78

·         This article talks about the counterterrorism strategy and the strategic model of the dominant paradigm in terrorism studies. It also explains why terrorists do what they do and why they do it, just to put a scare in people. The article says “The actual record of terrorist behavior does not conform to the strategic model's premise that terrorists are rational actors primarily motivated to achieving political ends.”

4.       US Counterterrorism before Bin Laden

Timothy Naftali

International Journal
Vol. 60, No. 1 (Winter, 2004/2005), pp. 25-34

Published by: Canadian International Council

Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40204017

·         This article talks about the counterterrorism policies, or the lack of policies, before Bin Laden and the 9/11 attacks. The lack of policies before the 9/11 attacks led to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. It also explains the reason why the U.S had so little policies for counterterrorism before the attacks.

5.       Counterterrorism: A New Organizing Principle for American National Security?

James Steinberg

The Brookings Review
Vol. 20, No. 3 (Summer, 2002), pp. 4-7

Published by: The Brookings Institution

Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20081044

·         This article talks about counterterrorism as a staple in the policies in the U.S National Security. How the policies came to be policies and what the agencies do with counterterrorism.

6.       Assessing U.S. Strategy in the War on Terror

Stephen Van Evera

Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science
Vol. 607, Confronting the Specter of Nuclear Terrorism (Sep., 2006), pp. 10-26

Published by: Sage Publications, Inc. in association with the American Academy of Political and Social Science

Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25097833

·         The article talks about what the U.S strategy and what they are doing with that strategy in the War on Terror. Because of the Al Qaeda attacks in the U.S, the U.S government changed their tactics to fight the War on Terror in the Middle East. The strategy in the War on Terror is more offensive, rarely defensive to assert power over the terrorists.

7.       Counterterrorism's New Tool: 'Metanetwork' Analysis

John Bohannon

Science
New Series, Vol. 325, No. 5939 (Jul. 24, 2009), pp. 409-411

Published by: American Association for the Advancement of Science

Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20536690

·         The article explains the new tool in the War on Terrorism known as the Metanetwork Analysis. Metanetwork Analysis is basically a social network analysis used by the U. S Military to catch the terrorists groups and keep track of the groups and their movements. Some people think they are putting too much time in this analysis but the analysis has helped the U.S Military keep track of terrorist movements, which is basically counterterrorism.