This is my first rhetorical situation post. I had to choose an Op-Ed, discuss the rhetorical situation, who the audience was, the purpose, author, and include textual evidence to support my answer.

The article I selected was “I’m a Public Defender. My Clients Keep Getting COVID-19 While Incarcerated” and was written by Liz Oyer. Before the COVID-19 outbreak was initiated we all began to take precautions in order to keep everyone from distributing the deadly virus named COVID-19. However, multiple jails initiated basic COVID-19 precautions later than everybody else resulting in most of the incarcerated individuals to acquire this COVID-19. One of the methods attempted consisted of incarcerated individuals being instructed to sleep “head to toe” while bunking with others to reduce the likelihood of transmission. Yet, when the men were tested “1,500 out of 2,500” men had contracted the virus. As a result of the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the incarcerated people, the author, who is also the public defender, desires to put to use all of the tools that they have to protect these people. When it narrows down to hospitalized/nursing patients, or any other individual that is not viewed as inhumane because they’re incarcerated, they’re prioritized. However, the author hopes that the incarcerated people receive the “vaccinations” that have been released and “compassionate release, home confinement” and last but not least, “clemency(…).” There’s absolutely no reason to continue to incarcerate more people even when the jails are breeding grounds for this virus. And those that are seriously ill, or are at risk of contracting this virus should receive a diminished sentence or if not, an understanding release to protect them just as others are being preserved.