Gomez, Alan. “Floodwaters Close Roads in Washington.” USA Today. 9 January 2010.
The torrential downpours continue today in Washington state. Alan Gomez writes this article in
Alan Gomez
response to the negative effect these floodwaters are causing on traffic. “Highways south of Seattle are covered with water, paths through the mountains are covered by avalanches or mudslides, and Amtrak rail lines are also blocked,” he says. I, personally, struggled to put an exact word to Gomez’s tone, and quite frankly that’s because it sounds so blank. Yes, I realize it is supposed to be an informational piece, but there are just so many places he could have worked some emotional appeal into his article. He could have focused on the damaged homes, the stranded and separated families instead of the mere inconvenience of traffic.
I agree in the fact that word needs to be spread about this, but I disagree in the way it was presented. The absence of heart in this article greatly demeans its message and lessens the impact. It’s a shame, because so much more could have been done with this, and simply wasn’t. Oh well I guess, but I certainly won’t be reading any of Gomez’s articles in the future.
