Section 19

There’s an abundance of parks and lakes and campgrounds—though I lose track of how many people warn me not to walk any unknown path for fear of trip wire and booby traps.

–The use of an Analogy and Comparative claim, not pointed to but implied with contrasting the ideality of parks and lakes, with grimness that people are warning him of trip wires off the beaten path in rural America.

 Today, VVW is dedicating a new, second building, a log safe house open 24 hours a day so vets who feel themselves becoming episodic have someplace to go—it’s better than just driving to VVW’s parking lot and sleeping in their trucks. 

–The use of an Illustrative claim pushes the reader to paint the VVW in a greater light, that they’re specifically dedicating a new building for some place to go.

 But it takes more than that. “She,” Danna says, meaning the wife—nearly all the vets around here are men—”NEEDS therapy.”

–Using a Definition claim, it’s obvious that they’re telling you spouses of vets also need therapy. It’s laid out directly Infront of you.

But she knows how it feels to have your nervous system turn against you, and that it’s harder for veterans to get better if their spouses don’t get treated.

–Using a Casual claim, they’re not saying it but implying again that their spouses need to get therapy, that it’s harder for vets to improve if their spouse doesn’t.

 Meanwhile, Hofstra professor Motta says, while “a simple Google search [of the research] would tell you that the children of traumatized people have problems, the VA doesn’t wanna spend the money. 

–The Credibility claim specifically implies the use of Professor, which most imply to be someone of scholarly intent, and often truth.

Even with veterans, they try to say, ‘Well, you really had a preexisting condition.’ It would cost millions upon millions to treat the people affected. They just don’t want to foot the bill.”

–This is a Factual claim, it’s using nonspecific numeric values and something that is indisputable, that the VA may deny your claim which may cost them millions.

Then again, the VA already is footing some $600 million worth of PTSD treatment for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan** in 2013, via hundreds of medical centers and smaller outpatient clinics, plus 232 vet centers that offer general readjustment services. 

–This uses a Numerical Claim, specifically to give the VA credit for the work they currently do, even if it isn’t enough. It’s meant to not seem so aggressive against the VA, even when previously they paint the VA as an organization who doesn’t want to help.