Who have PTSD

The article I am writing about is “A New Act Could Provide Veterans Who Have PTSD With Service Dogs,” published by The Huffington Post. Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) writes the article and he outline plan of passing a bill entitled the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers Act (HR4764).

The act would start a $10 million pilot program to pair post 9/11 veterans with service dogs to assist with their Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The act was inspired by United States Marine Corps veteran Cole Lyle and his service dog Kaya. Kaya is a psychiatric service dog trained to assist Lyle with the symptoms associated with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The overall argument of the article is the positive effect service animals have on veterans who have been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This article uses a logical style of argumentation. A logical conclusion is arrived upon by using facts to support the argument of the effects of a service animal regarding veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. An ethos is an appeal to ethics within an argument and it is a way to convince another person of the character or the credibility of the persuader. Pathos is an appeal to emotion within an argument and it is a means of convincing an audience of an argument by eliciting an emotional response from the audience. Logos is an appeal to logic within an argument and is a method of convincing an audience by matter of reason. In this article the logos of the argument are the statements made by a United States Marine Corps veteran name Cole Lyle about his service dog Kaya.

Lyle stated he had been prescribed medications by the Department of Veteran Affairs for the treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; medications that he felt were making his symptoms worse. After a year and a half of taking the prescribed medications Lyle stop his treatment and acquired about a service dog. Having a service dog has helped Lyle tremendously and has allowed him to regain some of his independence by attending college and becoming an advocate for veteran rights. The ethos of the argument in this article is the use of an elected official in the sense of Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) starting the bill and having statements from Lyle, a veteran coping with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder with the help of his service dog Kaya. The first hand experience explained by Lyle gives the argument credibility. The integrity of Lyle as a United States Marine veteran deepens the validity of the argument. The pathos of the argument in this article is stressed much more than the logos and the ethos.

It is no secret that many Americans want to show the rest of the world how patriotic they are; supporting the veterans of the Armed Forces does exactly that. Many people are extremely sympathetic regarding the Nation’s veterans once they return home. The success experienced by Lyle once he started working with his service dog shows the reader that there is another option for veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder besides prescription medication. It also shows the reader that is possible to overcome a serious mental illness, the victory achieved by Lyle elicits a feeling of joy and pride from those who read this article. All three of the elements, logos, ethos, and pathos are used very effectively in the article. The article appeals to the reader’s sense of logic, sense of ethics, and their emotions. The argument of the article is described very clearly and it is easy to read.

A person could not have any knowledge of service dog or what they do and still understand the overall point that the article is trying to make. I chose this article because it is a subject that is extremely close and important to me, my initial reading of the article was not from a critical thinking perspective but rather as someone that relates to Lyle’s experiences. Analyzing the article from a critical thinking perspective has allowed me to gain a greater understanding of not only the article but the process involved with the production of the article. The three elements of the psychology of argumentation are clearly stated and the article is well written. References: Wanshel, E. (2016, March 23). A New Act Could Provide Veterans Who Have PTSD With Service Dogs. Retrieved March 29, 2017, from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/paws-act-veterans-ptsd-service-dogs_us_56f1a5bbe4b02c402f6590c6 Y. (2016, June 21). Examples of Ethos, Logos, and Pathos. Retrieved March 29, 2017, from https://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-ethos-logos-and-pathos.html 

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