The American Values Network has recently launched a new set of advertisements on the sides of buses that read "Iran makes a KILLING every day we wait" with a picture of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's face and hand in obesiance. Next to the words, there is a barrel of oil and American money.The American Values Network is attempting to promote the end of oil dependence in Iran and clean energy legislation. However, Iranian-American groups are offended by the attacks because they feel that the ads are representing an ulterior motive - some think they are too provocative and promote war against Iran.
We have been working with the idea that word choice is the most powerful tool in making your argument since our Trivial Pursuits activity at the beginning of the year. This is why this article interested me so much. Eric Sapp, the creator of the ads, responded to the requests to remove the adds in a variety of quite frankly, contradictory ways.
To me saying that "Every day the Senate waits to pass clean energy legislation, Iran makes $100,000,000.00 more on the global oil market." does not say "Hey, we love the Earth." Partly because it associates Iran with its leader and only its leader, and our dependence of oil is not linked only to Iran. To me, it goes more along the lines of what Sapp later said, "[Iran] are clearly a threat. They're responsible for the bullets and bombs that kill our troops." Sapp also mentions that what they are doing is the "right" and "patriotic" thing and that Iran is one of our "enemies".
It seems as though this was ineffective ad as it tackled more than one issue, and then tried to get away with it. On the AVN website, their belief is that they should "actively participate in building up the American family and community values that have always been at the core of our successful efforts to create a “more perfect union.”' Successfol efforts? I'm not really sure if this ad campaign is considered successful considering the opposition and the unclear message it presents. What do you think?
There is a heavy link to the American Value Network's beliefs and Scripture. They say, "Our failure to answer the calling to be good stewards of God’s creation has consequences." I promote clean energy legislation no matter where it came from but I think that much of these "global" initiatives are being promoted in order to make the lives of Americans easier: "As food, water, and land become scarce due to climate change, millions of people here at home and globally are suffering and American security is endangered by the the threat of political destabilization in regions around the world."
This website reminds me eerily of the American Tea Party one because the language is so caught up in preserving the values of our founding fathers that I don't know quite what they believe in. In this case, I don't know whether the environment or foreign policy is being discussed.
What do you think about the word choice? What was the American Values Network trying to get at?
We have been working with the idea that word choice is the most powerful tool in making your argument since our Trivial Pursuits activity at the beginning of the year. This is why this article interested me so much. Eric Sapp, the creator of the ads, responded to the requests to remove the adds in a variety of quite frankly, contradictory ways.
To me saying that "Every day the Senate waits to pass clean energy legislation, Iran makes $100,000,000.00 more on the global oil market." does not say "Hey, we love the Earth." Partly because it associates Iran with its leader and only its leader, and our dependence of oil is not linked only to Iran. To me, it goes more along the lines of what Sapp later said, "[Iran] are clearly a threat. They're responsible for the bullets and bombs that kill our troops." Sapp also mentions that what they are doing is the "right" and "patriotic" thing and that Iran is one of our "enemies".
It seems as though this was ineffective ad as it tackled more than one issue, and then tried to get away with it. On the AVN website, their belief is that they should "actively participate in building up the American family and community values that have always been at the core of our successful efforts to create a “more perfect union.”' Successfol efforts? I'm not really sure if this ad campaign is considered successful considering the opposition and the unclear message it presents. What do you think?
There is a heavy link to the American Value Network's beliefs and Scripture. They say, "Our failure to answer the calling to be good stewards of God’s creation has consequences." I promote clean energy legislation no matter where it came from but I think that much of these "global" initiatives are being promoted in order to make the lives of Americans easier: "As food, water, and land become scarce due to climate change, millions of people here at home and globally are suffering and American security is endangered by the the threat of political destabilization in regions around the world."
This website reminds me eerily of the American Tea Party one because the language is so caught up in preserving the values of our founding fathers that I don't know quite what they believe in. In this case, I don't know whether the environment or foreign policy is being discussed.
What do you think about the word choice? What was the American Values Network trying to get at?
Great critical reading of the media, Gooms. I think parsing the name of AVN, would be even more devastating.
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