The truth is in the evidence!

            Evidence has proven over time that no matter what, the truth is out there. While an individual sits down to produce a story or argument, many things come into play. Though not all stories need backed up with evidence, most arguments tend to rely heavily on this critical key factor. As chapter 5 of the Writing Arguments text book describes, using persuasive evidence can easily help make any argument effective to its’ audience. As I often find myself dealing with skeptical individuals who are interested in a military career, I always reach for my evidence. The evidence I use takes many forms and depends clearly on the person I am conducting my interview with. Most of my evidence falls under my personal experiences whether over seas in foreign countries or state side in a non-deployed status. At times when some may not feel my experiences are sufficient enough, I bring on my visual aides whether it is my Marine Corps Opportunities Book or even personal pictures. While I personally prefer visual aides over anything else, my target audience are generally the same way.

            As the old saying goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Many live by this saying and can relate to the many pictures they come across daily. Even when the angle of vision might be misconstrued, the audience visualizing the scene has the ability to normally see exactly what he or she wants to see no matter what. While some writers may find themselves “framing evidence” to misguide their audience, I have come to realize most the time the audience can see right through them. This tends to be the case if the writer does not effectively use the STAR criteria developed by Richard Fulkerson. This criterion is described on page 90 of the Writing Arguments text in which it represents Sufficiency, Typicality, Accuracy, and Relevance (Ramage, Bean & Johnson, 90). Though many people may not even realize they are using this technique, the evidence clearly shows.

Work Cited

Ramage, John D., John C. Bean, and June Johnson. "Chapter 3." Writing

             arguments: a rhetoric with readings . 8th ed. New York:

             Pearson Longman, 2008. 90. Print.