This picture ties together two topics. One concerns the end of tuition assistance to US service members due to federal budgets cuts. The other concerns illegal immigrants qualifying for in-state tuition. The picture is meant to incite shock and anger. It shows a wounded army vet with prosthetic legs next to a photo of a group of rowdy people of Hispanic heritage. When people think of illegal immigrants they often picture Mexicans. One girl in the photo almost appears to be laughing and giving the veteran the finger. The words on top simply asks the reader in red letters to 'guess who gets tuition assistance?' The message is clear and to the point. It basically questions the actions and priorities of our government.
The political advertisement relies on pathos to incite both sympathy toward the veteran and anger towards illegal immigrants and the government. At the same time it simplifies or distorts both issues. The end of tuition assistance only applied to US service members currently in active duty not veterans. For veterans there is the both the Montgomery and Post 9/ll GI Bill which provides monthly payments for veterans enrolled at an accredited school. So the veteran pictured here can still get educational benefits from the government.
Not all states provide in-state tuition to illegal immigrants. And in the states that do provide, not all illegal immigrants will receive it. Most states require the undocumented student to have resided in the state for a certain amount of years and to have graduated from a high school within the state.
And they don't qualify for financial aid, so they still pay for their education unassisted.
Thus this picture may be effective in communicating the message but it does so through highlighting a few parts of the truth.
This piece of visual rhetoric is definitely designed to get people worked up and, as you point out, it only tells parts of the truth. In particular, the gestures the woman is making are included to present an unsavory image of all illegal immigrants even though this is just one person.
ReplyDeletethis image makes good use of great contrast. on the left, you feel sympathetic for the veteran who is wounded from serving his nation and on the right, a group of people who are using rowdy and one of them using visual profanity. It is really shocking and takes it to the extreme, which makes it more appealing to the audience and draws you in for more.
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