Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Editorial Essay: In Harm's Way

After enduring both the violent sinking of their ship and the ensuing life-or-death drama at the mercy of hundreds of tiger sharks, the crew of the USS Indianapolis eventually had to bear the court-martial of their captain, Charles Butler McVay III. In what many have called one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in the Navy's history, McVay was convicted of "suffering a vessel to be hazarded through negligence" and "hazarding his ship by failing to zigzag." But as Doug Stanton illustrates in In Harm's Way: The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis and the Extraordinary Story of Its Survivors, the captain's trial was less than fair and impartial. In fact, Navy officials used the sinking of the cruiser to distance itself from the incident and impugn the captain's reputation. In a concise editorial, mount a robust defense for the Indianapolis' Captain McVay against the Navy’s charge of negligence. Cite specific evidence from Stanton's In Harm's Way to support to clear the captain's reputation.

Requirements:
  • MLA format, including parenthetical citation
  • 3-page minimum

The best papers will:
  • Have a title that articulates its point of view
  • Have a concise thesis with a clear argument against the indictment of Captain McVay
  • Utilize rhetorical techniques in order to convince readers of your position 
  • Are written in a voice that is casual, yet informed
  • Support their thesis with solid evidence organized in a logical structure
  • Properly cite evidence, using MLA's parenthetical citation method
  • Conclude with a summation of main points
  • Be in MLA Style 


Due: TU 10.15 (DRAFT 1; BRING TWO COPIES)

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