blog 6

The argument this photo makes is that even though war is a conflict between adults, kids are left to suffer as a result of it. I say this because in the picture there are only 4 adults, and three of them look like they belong to the armed forces. The main focus is on the children. Another thing to note is that you can't really see the faces on any of the adults, except for the woman standing in the background. When most people think of war, they fail to realize that that soldier may be someone's dad or someones big brother.
Theres a few things the photographer utilizes to make his argument here. First off is the camera angle. It looks as though it was taken from above the base of the coffin or close to it as the coffin is barely in the picture and the entire focus is on the three children in the middle. Its also taken from a low angle. In doing so, you are not looking down on the children, but rather looking straight at them.
If I was to construct an argument using this picture I would say that fighting the Iraq war is a frivolous cause. Looking at it from an adults perspective its easy to say "Oh we're investing billions of dollars into a lost cause" but the greater question is who is really being effected here. The cost we pay out of pocket is almost irrelevant when compared to the losses families have to deal with when a father or a husband is lost. When you look at the kids, they are all wearing uniforms themselves. It's almost as if, from the loss of their father, they were forced into the armed forces themselves as a way of becoming "the man of the house".
If I was to come up with a title it would be "Children's View on the Iraq War". I feel like this title refers to the general concept of the photo while still sending a strong message. This title uses pathos as it relates emotion to the subject.