Journal Entry #1

The claim being made in this particular editorial from the New York Times is that the same peace and spiritual satisfaction that one would find in a church service is similar to what others find in a bar or an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. Whether its confessing your sins to the preist, or pouring out a days' upsets to the bartender, receiving a blessing or taking a shot of rum and coke possesses the same sort of after affects that allow us transcendence and complete euphoria beyond all understanding.Attending an AA meeting can also allow people personal serenity because it gives them the opportunity to talk about their troubles and begins their process of healing. This claim written by Susan Cheever is defenitley a claim of value because there is no real facts that proves that church services and bar attendances produce the same effects for everyone and it is not a claim of policy because Cheever does not propose for us to attend one (either a bar or church) and disregard the other. Wording proves that Cheever chose to propose her claim through an emotional appeal (ethos) in the beginning of her composition and switched to character later on through discussing her personal experiences with church services, bars, and AA meetings.
http://proof.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/08/bar-and-peace/?ref=opinion