Op-Ed New York Times Analysis

Analysis of 

Deafness at Doomsday by Lawrence M. Krauss

 Krauss' Op-Ed piece in the New York Times is about nuclear weaponry. The author expresses severe wariness about the lack of scientists involved in the development of nuclear weapons throughout history following World War II. Part of Krauss' concern is the United States government and the lack of a ban on testing.

The tone throughout the piece is clear apprehension about the way the world is heading and lack of of scientist involvement. In some of his other op-ed columns for the Times,  Krauss often discusses science and politics. In this particular piece, he mentions his involvement with the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, which, as he states, "supported the call for a world free of nuclear weapons." Krauss is also a theoretical physicist at Arizona State University, and the author of "A Universe From Nothing: Why There Is Something Rather Than Nothing."

Krauss' background indicates that he is qualified and an expert in the field of which he is writing.While the lead is a bit long, it accurately depicts what the rest of the piece is about without being unnecessarily wordy.  The column as a whole is timely—there is no particular issue discussed, so it reads as an evergreen piece. It is clearly and concisely written, and Krauss makes a strong argument. He manages to take the subject of nuclear weaponry and scientist involvement, and write at a level that can be read without difficulty if the reader lacks prior knowledge.

Analysis of

The Ugly Side of the Southern Belle

by Blain Roberts 

 In "The Ugly Side of the Southern Belle," author Blain Roberts discusses the latest Miss America Pageant. She begins by mentioning a specific contestant, winner Mallory Hagan, who was celebrated as being the first winner from Brooklyn since 1945. The interesting part, as Roberts states, is that Hagan was born in Tennessee and raised in Alabama. She leads into the discussion of exactly why America is fascinated with the "Southern Belle" in the world of pageantry. Roberts attributes the Southern Belle success to pro-segregation. "Southern beauty queens could serve as persuasive pubic relations agents, a genteel veneer to cover up the region's unsavory behavior," Roberts said. 

Contestants defended their Southern heritage, as well as the ideals. Roberts does state, however, that the racial overtones have faded over time. In 1993, an African-American contestant from South Carolina was crowned. "Still, we would do well to remember the troubling historical links between Southern beauty queens and racial politics, even when the winner lives in Brooklyn," Roberts said in closing. 

The Op-Ed piece was clearly written as a whole. The lead, however, does not truly give an idea on what the piece is about. While it is a was to lead into the racism issue Roberts correlates with the Southern Belle, and it does add timeliness to the piece, it lacks the depth the rest of the column has. The author seems to have knowledge about the subject matter, even stating that she is the daughter of a Texan beauty pageant winner. Roberts is also the author of the upcoming book "Pretty Women: Female Beauty in the Jim Crow and Civil Rights South." The argument Roberts makes is one that I have never heard before, and she makes a lot of interesting points along with evidential support.