Analysis of Jacob Kirsch's Essay

1.       Claim

Jacob’s claim is that the ban placed against gay, bisexual and transgender men being allowed to donate blood is outdated and discriminatory and should be uplifted. His stance was made clearly at the beginning paragraph, on the last sentence.

2.       What support does the author offer for the claim?

Jacob’s reasoning are: technology has made improvements on how to detect HIV positive blood, it disrupts equality and the ban decreases the amount of donors who can give the life-saving blood. He supports his clams by giving examples, presenting graphs and citing information from credible sources such as GMHC.org and the FDA forum. His reasoning is plausible and strongly supports his case.

3.       How evenhandedly does the writer present the issues?

Jacob acknowledges counterarguments to his claims while respectfully presenting evidence that refutes them. His provided information is well used in supporting his claims.

4.       What sources does the writer use?

Jacob has used information from credible sources such as, the National Gay Blood Drive website, Article from the Huffington post, The Gay Men’s Health Crisis and the FDA donor history Questionnaire. All of his sources are relevant and up to date.

5.       How does the writer address the reader?

Jacob presents his beliefs to the reader in a polite manner so that like-minded people can sympathize. He makes sure to give plenty of background information and to use inclusive language.