Week 7&8 - Reading Response #3

The United States distributes fliers to inform its employees of the diverse population that reside in America. Their goal is to educate people who are ignorant of different cultures in attempt to avoid religious and racial discrimination. Their goal of distributing this helpful information is to regain respect for all nationalities regardless of their religion. They also want to inform their workers that not all people wearing a head covering are going to create terrorism.

Unfortunately, due to the 9/11 attacks, crimes have been committed against people who resemble a Middle Eastern person with an Islamic religion faith. That fact is sad, but is realistic discrimination. By educating people, the government’s hope is to prevent anymore discrimination or prejudice among its employees.

The pictures in this visual argument are important for the overall point, because they show real people who are here in America wearing some sort of head covering. Their purpose in displaying the pictures is to give some common ground to the viewer. One picture shows a child who would relate to parents. A second picture shows someone graduating and that would relate to a lot of viewers as well. By helping the viewer relate with the people pictured, they hope to make them more accepting of the harmless head wear.

Without the actual pictures, this flyer would be pointless. By just having text on the flyer it wouldn’t show the reader what exactly they are intending to portray. People need a mental image if they are going to make fair judgments and by seeing actual people wearing the head coverings, they may be more tolerant.

Being provided by the ‘American Arab Anti discrimination Committee’ gives this visual argument more credibility, because it is backed by an official group of people who recognize the prejudices in American today. They are a real group working to prevent discrimination. It wouldn’t be enough if it were put together by just one person.