WEEK 4 ASSIGNMENT

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Texas State University *

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Philosophy

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Apr 3, 2024

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Week 4 Assignment – Jordan Mayorga Mail-In Voting: 1. (50+ words) Based on the overview research in the scholars.org source and the brennancenter.org source, has voter fraud ever been a serious, wide-spread problem? Cite direct evidence from the sources. According to brennancenter.org, The incidence of voter fraud has been studied numerous times. The consensus from credible research and investigation is that the rate of illegal voting is extremely rare, and the incidence of certain types of fraud – such as impersonating another voter – is virtually nonexistent— underscoring the fact that voter fraud is not a widespread problem whatsoever. Scholars.org also states that, in the first three years of the U.S. Justice Department searching for fraud, only 26 people out of 197,056,035 were convicted, which amounts to a microscopic 0.00000132%, once again highlighting the infrequency of voter fraud. 2. (100+ words) Evaluate the White House source. What is the argumentative goal of the page? How is the argumentative goal reflected in the page design (amount of info on each page, font, color, etc.)? What is the time frame for these incidents? What important information was the White House omitting? Based on the omission of context information, is this ethical argumentation? The goal of the page is quite obvious—to blow the issue of voter fraud out of proportion, making it seem much more prevalent than it truly is. The first sentence on the page states, “The United States has a long and unfortunate history of election fraud,” and the top of the page uses a bright red background to evoke aggression and urgency in the reader. Paired with all-caps statements like “PROVEN INSTANCES OF VOTER FRAUD,” the overall aim is to make the reader believe it’s a serious issue .The website then proceeds to display very little info per page with large headings, as well as using every instance from 1996-2017 to create a facade of substantial evidence. The website is purposely omitting the truth that voter fraud is extremely rare; the majority of cases can be traced down to simple mistakes by election officials or voters, and conspiracies by politicians were behind most violations. With all the facts considered, the argument this website fights for is not ethical due to the fact that important relevant information is purposely left out. 3. (100+ words) Based on the niemanlab.org source, why are conspiracy theories so common in human societies? What potential damage can the voter fraud conspiracy theory cause? Conspiracy theories are nothing new and have existed throughout history. They have become common in human societies because they fulfill psychological needs, allowing people to make sense of and provide explanations for complex events, helping individuals cope with their political values and beliefs. In the new age of information, such as the internet and social media, repetition of these theories contributes to their acceptance. Political conspiracy theories, such as voter fraud, can cause serious damage not only due to the mass spread of information about both parties but also because they can influence laws and restrictions, similar to the Jim Crow laws of the early 19th and mid-20th centuries, which are detrimental to the U.S. in achieving true democracy. Coronavirus: 4. (50+ words) What was the overall, comprehensive conclusion of the NCBI research article? Cite direct evidence.

The research article shows that there is plenty of evidence supporting the use of masks and respirators not only for medical workers but also in communities through a review of randomized controlled trials on the use of masks and respirators by healthcare workers and the general public. Masks were found to be more protective for well people in communities, especially when combined with hand hygiene; "masks appeared to be effective with and without hand hygiene, and both together are more protective." Respirators were effective for healthcare workers during a shift if worn continually but not intermittently, while medical and cloth masks were not; "health care workers showed that respirators, if worn continually during a shift, were effective but not if worn intermittently. Medical masks were not effective, and cloth masks even less effective." The use of masks by sick people is also likely protective; "when used by sick patients, randomized controlled trials suggested protection of well contacts." 5. (100+) Choose two common coronavirus myths you have encountered through social media, word of mouth, etc. Then, evaluate those myths in comparison to the factual truths in the mayoclinic.org source and the ourworldindata.org source. Many myths about the coronavirus are spread through social media; however, they are quite abundant in small Texas cities as well. I remember hearing people at work talk about how the COVID-19 vaccine implants microchips into your body, which would give the government your location, along with other various side effects. I even remember one person doubling down on the microchip myth, saying the vaccine was also “satanic” because apparently being microchipped is "the mark of the beast." I've also seen girls posting on TikTok, saying that they would never get the vaccine for fear of becoming infertile. According to Mayo Clinic's Debunking COVID-19 myths page, "COVID-19 vaccines won't track your location or movements," refuting the microchip theory, and "There is currently no evidence that any COVID-19 vaccine causes fertility problems. COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for people who are trying to become pregnant or might become pregnant in the future," which actually recommends vaccination for those wanting to have children. Final Question: (150+) In your Paper 1’s, most of you elected to leave the city based on the unfair suffering of one child, and those who elected to stay expressed extreme discomfort with staying. This impulse is called empathy. Take into consideration your response to the Omelas scenario in your Paper 1 and evaluate how your impulse of empathy changes when applied to real-life issues like voter fraud and coronavirus. Why does it change? In the Omelas scenario, I chose to stay within the city, with my empathy focused on the greater population because the suffering-to-true happiness ratio is much better in Omelas. I feel that my empathy towards real-life issues, such as voter fraud and the coronavirus, is actually more similar than if I had chosen to leave Omelas. Creating laws based on exaggerated claims of fraud that discreetly attempt to limit the voting rights of certain groups damages one of the core properties of America—democracy. Spreading lies and mythical theories about wearing masks and getting vaccines hurt the people of America. Neither of these things benefits our country for the greater population and actually does the opposite—makes the rich richer and more powerful while slowly deceiving the masses and covertly stripping them of their rights. The people behind these blown-out-of-proportion myths obviously lack empathy towards the majority of Americans and are selfish beings who only care for their own agenda and wealth.

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WEEK 4 ASSIGNMENT

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