Mass Murderers & National Security Leakers

On Sunday, September 29, 2013, a USA Today journalist published an opinionated argument article, "Security clearance flaws: Our view". The article explains the similarities that Aaron Alexis, mass murderer, and Edward Snowden, national security secrets leaker, had in common: national security clearance.

The author does an excellent job of "digging" up the unknown information about the two men to inform the audience that they should be upset with the government. They note many major flaws that are towards Alexis' credibility. I enjoyed reading this article not only because I agree with the author, but also because the author kept their audience informed. The opinion was clear from the very beginning and was not biased. Many journalist cannot be one sided because of the audience, whom varies in opinions. However, this author felt that their views needed to be shared in a powerful way.

The only problem that I had with this article was that it might have been not as relatable to the audience. It lacked examples of the problem. Instead, everything was implied, which is dangerous when explaining an argument. They carry a plethora of information and comparisons, but does not go into detail about each example. Towards the end of the work many instances were named and left unexplained. For example, "Since the Navy Yard shootings, officials in many of the agencies involved have scurried to investigate and promise reforms."  This statement was very vague and did not flow with the rest of the article. 

Overall, the article had many flaws, but also many well-written moments. The author did intensive research over the argument and influenced many about it was published. I enjoyed critiquing the author's work.