I was thinking about the topic I would choose for my op ed on my train ride back home after I knew I had to write one. I thought about the opinions that I held most strongly and began thinking about my political views and beliefs. In light of the recent political climate, I decided to write about my opinions on “Trump’s Gaza” and his imperialistic plans surrounding the region. I knew I had prior knowledge about this topic and I felt really strong about it so it was the perfect topic.

I wrote it all in one sitting during a long gap I had between classes. I had already read a few articles about the topic because I was invested in it even before the Op Ed so I decided to bookmark those articles and write it down for my citation in the Op Ed. I wasn’t really sure how strictly I had to follow any citation norms for the Op Ed so for my first draft I just used quotation marks without even citing the articles explicitly. After receiving feedback from peers, I decided to make it clear where I was getting my information from for a few of my citations.

As for the structure, I kinda just followed an essay format with an introduction that provides a thesis statement, supporting body paragraphs and a conclusion. In hindsight I feel like a different more unconventional structure may have gotten my point across better so if I had more time, this is definitely something I would experiment with.

I like my line of reasoning, I believe I had very strong points supporting my argument about why Trumps plans for Gaza only serves to benefit the rich imperialistic investors that greed for the land and how it would be devastating for the Palestinian who are trying to gain a foothold in their own land even after relentless attacks. What I would and should have expanded on is how the opinions of zionists and the president pushes a false narrative and shapes a dangerous belief for common people that justifies the atrocities happening in Gaza. I regret not including a section talking about this because my Op Ed is meant for regular people and targeted to a broader audience that may have mixed views about be Israeli Palestinian conflict. If I had more time, I would take more time to analyze my rhetorical situation and change my framework for my ideal audience. The purpose of my op Ed was not only to inform but also change the minds of people who may have initially thought otherwise. This relates to more then just an Op Ed but any rhetorical work that I have to do in the future. I think planning out my writing and thinking about rhetorical situation before I start writing would better my writing and make it more persuasive.

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