Analyzing Context

Webb, Michaela "sleeping brother" 2012

1. Key perspectives and schools of thought? Major disagreements? Major ideological disagreements? The two main schools of thought are that there shouldn't be a mine build on Oak Flat, and that there should be. Within those there are many different groups that think those things for different reasons. There's the San Carlos Apache who generally believe that their sacred site should be protected and that their culture and beliefs should be honored and should not be destroyed as they have been over and over throughout history. There's the environmentalists and recreators who believe that Oak Flat has value as a beautiful wilderness and that a mine would ruin that. There's the politicians who are the reason that Oak Flat is in jeapordy who say they value economic growth. With a little more digging, though, it becomes evident that there are ulterior motives involved in their decisions. 
2. Possible common ground: The only possible common ground that I see between those who want a mine and those who want to protect Oak Flat is that probably even the San Carlos Apache value economic growth. They just don't want it as a result of a mine that destroys so much.
3. Actions requested from the audience: Those who want Oak Flat to be protected are asking for the audience to join with them in trying to make that happen: to sign petitions, come to rallies, pressure lawmakers to make the right decisions. Those who ant the mine to be constructed don't really have to ask anyone for anything: They have the power in this situation.
4. Perspectives useful to my argument: I think that I want to focus on the ulterior motives of the politicians and the sneaky methods that they used to pass the bill that opened Oak Flat up to mining. I think that because of this the perspectives that will be useful to me are those that critique corporate campaign financing, as well as those that exemplify the value of Oak Flat from a social and environmental perspective. 
5. Perspectives that threaten my argument: The main perspective that I will need to refute is that of the economic growth potential of the mine. I think that this is the only potentially valid argument for building a mine on a piece of pristine wilderness with cultural value to a group of people.