Pre-Writing Rhetorical Case Analysis

How are your sources related together?
All of my sources are drawn together by the common thread of the Drug Wars in Mexico, the kidnappings and violence associated with them and their specific effects on tourism to the country. Two of my four sources enforce that Mexico should not be traveled to right now because of its dangerous conditions. The other two share the opinion that when visiting Mexico for Spring Break, there are certain precautions that individuals can take to ensure that they have a safe trip or decrease their chance of encountering problems within the country. There are also suggestions for improving the condition in Mexico in three out of the four articles by implementing the Mexican and United States Government.

Controlling Idea (Narrowing it Down):
The Drug Wars in Mexico, bringing both issues of kidnappings and violence to the country, have been specifically impacting tourists who consider traveling to the country.

Organization:
Introduction – description of what is actually going on and what the major concerns are and potential ideas as to why tourism is being impacted by these events
Mexico: The Third War – Security issues are getting worse and Mexican government is very decentralized and ineffective (Start with this source because it is the most negative and explains a fair amount of the background of the situation)
Q&A: The Drug War – Enforces how big of an issue Mexico’s problems are and that they should not be ignored by Americans/ Directly addresses travel and safety concerns (This source will be helpful in explaining specific areas to avoid and what locations are safe to travel to, gives reassurance that tourist towns are okay to visit as long as travelers are sensible)
Travel Alert – Issued by the United States Government and its undertone is encouraging Americans to be very alert and safe when traveling to Mexico and that there may be graver concerns other than just drugs/ Who to contact and local governments within Mexico that may be helpful to travelers if caught in a dangerous situation (Credibility of this source is key to their argument, although not explicitly stated, they would recommend not traveling there, however, they offer ideas for those who will be within the next 6 months)
Mexico Travel Safety – Article that tells travelers not to be worried about the situations and enforcing that those who do travel should follow specific guidelines and suggestions (Good because this person is very credible and works for the Mexican Government, not ulterior motives associated with the writing, ends essay on a positive note, summarizing all sources suggestions with an added bit of confidence in the situation)
Conclusion

Transitions from Source to Source:
Mexico: The Third War (Informative and Negative Towards Travel) -----> Q&A: The Drug War (Answers specific questions and concerns starts to really address the issue of travel) -----> Travel Alert (Informative, specifically addresses issues about travel to Mexico from the United States along with suggestions of precautions to take) -----> Mexico Travel Safety (No concern at all for safety, describes beauty of Mexico and gives several suggestions of things to consider when traveling to any foreign country, but in particular Mexico)