Weekly News 12.14
The news article “Texas Judge Grants Woman’s Request for Abortion, in Rare Post-Roe Case” written by J. David Goodman was published in the New York Times on December 7, 2023. The article discusses an important judgment decision in Texas that granted a lady Kate Cox, an abortion. Despite the state’s strict abortion policies, her fetus was diagnosed with a fatal condition to be an exceptional case. However, the judgement is still controversial, and been pointed out that the legal responsibility of stakeholders might be ambiguous. To elaborate, the author first introduces this judgment by mentioning Judge Maya Guerra Gamble issued a temporary restraining order for Kate Cox to have an abortion without facing penalties. After knowing the background, the reading asserts that it represents a broader challenge to Texas’ abortion laws rather than a mere single event because This ruling is the first instance of seeking a court-sanctioned abortion since the federal right was overturned. So the author includes the opponent’s view in the following paragraphs like the Texas attorney general opposed the ruling and threatened legal consequences. The author establishes a logical line of reasoning in this process, to first explain the current phenomenon, point out its implicit significance and enhance the complexity by engaging with the opposing claim.To better construct the arguments, the author also involves rhetorical skills like ethos, pathos, and logos. For ethos, the author introduces an interpretation from Marc Hearron to this case. As an attorney with the Center for Reproductive Rights, his professional background adds to the article’s authority and credibility. Pathos also appears when the author suggests the dilemma of Kate Cox, “…her lawyers said she had visited the emergency room four times because of pain and discharge…”. This detail portrays Cox’s physical and emotional pain which enhances the reader’s emotional reaction and makes them tend to believe author’s viewpoint. Lastly, the logos provide strong reasoning stemming from scientific report to illustrate why she needs for abortion in such circumstances. “Ms. Cox’s fetus was found to have trisomy 18, a genetic condition that in all but very rare cases leads to miscarriage or stillbirth…”, suggesting the severity of this illness. Overall, the author makes his work be very compelling to readers, especially those who interested in women’s rights and law through these strategies. However, leaving the skills and focus on the content of the article, some issues begin to be revealed. Most of the evidence consists of the author himself or comments from others, which can be categorized as secondary sources. However, the primary sources could provide more detailed and neutral messages. The lack of support from primary sources reduces the credibility of the article since readers are unable to identify the authenticity of this information and any biases it may contain. Therefore, although the author provides a good discussion about abortion, and raises public awareness of social issues such as women’s rights and medical concerns, the evidence selected by the author might not be comprehensive enough for readers to fully understand the complexity of the event.Reference
Goodman, J. David. “Texas Judge Grants Woman’s Request for Abortion, in Rare Post-Roe Case.” The New York Times, 7 Dec. 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/07/us/texas-abortion-ruling-exception.html?searchResultPosition=1