Kairos (For Class: Mandatory)

I remember the very first practical lesson I learned when I was in the Journalism major. That practical point was about timing. Timing is practically everything when reporting. It is much like using bread. Wait too long and the bread gets stale. Sometimes it even grows mold. Issues are not important forever, they, for the most part, come with use by label. A fire might go out in a few hours, and then the story on it wafts away like so much smoke. Then something else happens. Timing has a lot to do with how affective an argument is, a fact that is often forgotten in the real world.

The most effective arguments focus on an issue that is currently on the minds of the populous, or at least on the minds of the target audience. A good example right now would be the health care debate. The question on whether we should ensure everyone is a powerful subject. Combining this with the current economic crisis can make an especially effective argument for the public option. Since the cost of health care is going up, and the income of the average person is going down, it makes sense that everyone would rather have health care cheaper. Looking at that fact, it becomes clear that the only way to make the greedy health insurance providers lower their prices is through competition. The public option is a very obvious example of competition, since it would be not be answerable to stockholders and would therefore be more likely to not cheat the client in the name of profits. Without the current economic crisis, the argument would be significantly weakened, since people could afford to pay the premiums until now.

Another argument made stronger by current events is the argument for programs to combat poverty. When the economy was good, the topic of poverty was hardly touched, as it was easy for the average person to look at their jobs and feel secure. Now, however, there is the real possibility for practically anyone to lose their job. This creates a feeling of urgency to argument for better welfare programs. As people lose their jobs, they lose their source of income, and thus are vulnerable to the possibility of dipping into the poverty line. This is especially true of those who had good jobs, as there is certainly time needed to adjust spending habits to the new income level. As the public watches the increase in homelessness and unemployment, they begin to consider the possibility that they may to lose their jobs. They start to identify with the poor on a level they did not previously consider, as they themselves have to cut back more and more. It is one thing to say you pity the poor and want to contribute time and resources to helping them. It is entirely another when you fully understand what it is like to have to survive on less, and then desire institutions that would help you. Providing a net for people who don’t have enough money is essentially to restarting the economy, and right now the argument for strengthening that net is especially powerful.