Section 12
“By this point you might be wondering, and possibly feeling guilty about wondering, why Brannan doesn’t just get divorced.”
This is an example of a Recommendation or proposal claim. It gives us a recommendation on how to feel. It shows that we may or may not think that Brannon should just get a divorce. And if we feel like there should be a divorce, it tells us how we may be feeling guilty for thinking that.
“In the wake of Vietnam, 38 percent of marriages failed within the first six months of a veteran’s return stateside; the divorce rate was twice as high for vets with PTSD as for those without. Vietnam vets with severe PTSD are 69 percent more likely to have their marriages fail than arm vets. Army records also show that 65 percent of active-duty suicides, which now outpass combat deaths, are precipitated by broken relatiosnhips. And veterans, well, one of them dies by suicide every 80 minutes. But even igoring that though vets make up 7 percent of the United States, they account for 20 percent of its suicides—or that children and teenagers of a parent who’s committed suicide are three times more likely to kill themselves…”
This is an example of a factual or numerical claim. This claim provides evidence and numerical data that can be proven based on different studies that have been done. This claim uses numbers and statistics to prove the different rates mentioned.
“Brannan fully supports any wife who feels that she or her children are in danger, or in an untenable mental health environment, or for whatever reason who decides to leave. She’s here, through the Family of a Vet, to help those people. But she’s also there for those FOV users who, like her, have decided to stay.”
This is an example of a numerical claim. This is because she will help any number of people who are going through the same thing she went through.
Counterintuitive Fall 2024 
This is an example of a Recommendation or Proposal claim.
It gives us a recommendation on how to feel. It shows that we may or may not think that Brannan should just get a divorce. And if we feel like there should be a divorce, it tells us how we may be feeling guilty for thinking that.
—I don’t disagree that the quote suggests how the reader might feel.
—But it’s more than that, right?
—It more than suggests that the Author acknowledges the narrative would lead a reasonable person to wonder why Brannan sticks around.
—It also (to me, at least) suggests that the Author is wondering why and feeling guilty about it.
—We haven’t named that sort of claim yet. What do you think? A Confessional claim?
This is an example of a factual or numerical claim. This claim provides evidence and numerical data that can be proven based on different studies that have been done. This claim uses numbers and statistics to prove the different rates mentioned.
—A full paragraph is WAY TOO BIG to be just one claim.
—38 percent is SUCH A HIGH percentage of divorces that the first claim MUST BE a Causal claim, declaring that living with a returning vet is nearly impossible.
—The second statistic, “twice as high for vets with PTSD” is EVEN MORE Causal, and it’s also Comparative since it compares rates for two veteran types.
—The Vietnam/army vets number is another Comparative claim.
—The Comparative claim that compares suicides to combat deaths is another.
—It’s also very CAUSAL since it declares that broken relationships cause suicide.
—And so on.
Are you getting a better idea what a thorough analysis of claims looks like?