How can one write a compelling argument without ethos, pathos, and logos? That is right you can not! Nathan Wuertenberg, an author for The Washington Post, argues in the article “ Gun Rights are About Keeping White Men on Top” that gun laws had always been made to benefit white men instead of everyone. Wuertenberg uses multiple examples from the Civil Rights Movement, slavery, and school shootings to argue that in all those different situations gun laws have been put in place to benefit white men. Wuertenberg concludes that we can not blame anyone for what this country has turned to because we are the ones that are letting this happen. Even though some people believe that Wuertenberg did not have an effective rhetorical strategy, Wertenberg …show more content…
For instances, after the title of the article Wuertenberg puts that he is an author for the New York Times. This shows that Wuertenberg is a credible person because the New York Times is a company that is well known for their credible articles. Since Wuertenberg is an author for the New York Times, it builds his credibility making the audience see him as a trustworthy person. Also, Wuertenberg builds his credibility by using facts from different articles to further the knowledge of gun rights for his audience. For example, Wuertenberg uses facts from the Civil Rights Movement, the slavery period, and school shootings. In other words, he uses multiple real-life examples to back up his argument. Using a wide spread of real-life examples builds trustworthiness throughout his audience by showing that he can use multiple events to further his argument. Overall Wuertenberg uses ethos effectively to convey to his audience that he can be …show more content…
For instance, he tells us facts about historical events. Wuertenberg says, “The commander of the militia in Henrico County, Va., William Byrd, noted . . . he made a practice of awarding pistols to the men who won the competitions that took place on militia days.” This shows that for white men guns meant power. So the soldiers would have done anything to win the competitions so that they can get the pistol. He also says, “ When Black Panther members in California armed themselves in the 1960s to patrol communities abandoned by local law enforcement, the State Assembly passed legislation repealing an earlier law that allowed the open carry of firearms.” This shows that he is telling his audience that when the NRA (National Rifle Association), saw that black citizens were getting guns they changed the laws right away so that they would not be able to carry guns with them at any time. Wuertenberg well use of logos throughout his argument helps him build up his position, and the facts that he uses makes his argument more appealing to his
\The right to bear clubs is a biting satire by Dave Barry in which he employs satire and many of its techniques to stealthily poke fun at heated topic of gun ownership and regulation in the United States. Berry seems to be targeting the governments poor handling of the gun crisis by using a “Ballistic Driver” golf club as an allegory for a firearm while bringing up arguments used for and against firearms. The audience for this particular work is relatively broad considering most everyone has an opinion on the topic, yet the reader could interpret the satire to be either for against Americans’ right to bear arms. Just reading along the surface, Barry’s work could easily appear to lean towards firearm possession but after reading deeper and picking up on the more
Assuming Names, by Tanya Thompson, was a mere sneak peek into the past of a young girl who fooled the FBI, Interpol, DEA, and numerous other federal offices. She has an innate hunger for adventure and will do anything to free herself of the curse of boredom. Tanya was also born with ability to charm people into believing her deep twisted lies. Throughout her account, Thompson is able to lure the reader into her life full of lies by using an ample amount of intricate diction, syntax, and other rhetorical strategies. The purpose of her book was to inform her audience, young adults, of what occurred during those many years, how she handled situations, and what emotions she felt.
All good essays use some combination of the three rhetorical appeals: logos, ethos, and pathos. Logos is an appeal to logical reasoning and how a writer puts together a cohesive, flowing argument. Ethos is an appeal to a writer’s credibility and good character, while pathos is an appeal to the emotions of the audience. “The Great White Way” by Debra J. Dickerson is an essay that questions America’s racial and social norm of “whiteness”. Dickerson describes how the terms of being “white” have differed over the past century and how this infatuation with race still defines American society.
In the essay we read, entitled “Why Our Campuses Are Safer Without Concealed Handguns”, we see the author use five main points, as well as using appeals to Ethos Logos and Pathos to help reinforce his view on the topic. The five main reasons that the author feels that college campuses are safer without concealed handguns are introduced to us in the opening of the article, listed as bullet points. The author then goes on to break the article into these separate sections to allow him to go more in depth and explain his position. In this way, he appeals to the reader’s sense of Ethos throughout the entire article by convincing us that he knows what he is taking about. However, the author does not stop here.
Many authors use different techniques such as appeals, evidence, and sense of urgency to support an argument, or claim. In the essay, "Why Don’t We Complain," by William Buckley, one of his main points is that people today are not complaining and speaking up. In another essay, "The Paranoid Style of American Policing," by Ta-Nehisi Coates, one of his main points is that violence is not always necessary to solve a problem. Both authors use appeals such as pathos, logos, or ethos to make their arguments stronger. Both authors have similar arguments, that the government is getting too much power from the people.
Some may wonder, does the use of rhetorical devices like logos, pathos, and ethos enhance an argument? Well, does a bear shit in the woods? William Apess fills “An Indian’s Looking-glass for the White Man” with all three forms of rhetoric, but perhaps the one of most significance is ethos. Apess spends a good deal of time using ethos to establish a connection between himself and the intended audience, white Christians; this collective identity that Apess forms allows him to make better use of pathos and ethos in his writing. Even though Apess’s ideas may not have presented well to his audience, his arguments based in logos and pathos would have gone over rather poorly had he not established a clear connection between himself and his
Many writers use several diverse ways to persuade readers into believing them. Some writers may tell a story, provide facts and information, or other ideas to encourage his or her reader to agree with the argument. Aristotle’s rhetorical triangle describes three diverse appeals: logos, pathos, and ethos. Logos is based on facts and reasons explaining logical arguments that rely on information and evidence. Logos is built with enough evidence, data, statistics, and reliable information. Another type of appeal is pathos, which attracts the reader’s emotions and feelings into the work. Many writers who use pathos tend to write about their personal experience and by diction and tone. In addition to logos and pathos, ethos corresponds with
Gun control is a very big issue in the United States today. Many people don't agree with the gun control laws that they have today. Gun control laws only take guns away from law-abiding citizens. Many people have their own reasons for owning a gun. Why would the government want to make it harder for people to own a gun? People that own guns are not very likely to be attacked by criminals. Owning a handgun is one of the best ways of protection. The second amendment states "the right to bear arms" does this grant everyone a right to own a gun? Gun control laws have not been proven to do anything for citizens. Gun control laws just make it harder for a good guy to own a gun. Gun control laws are not a good idea.
Usually when people think about guns they think about crime. But are the two really related? Do guns really lead to crime? And if they do, do laws that restrict firearm ownership and the use of guns stop the crime or protect people? These are the questions many politicians are asking themselves when creating gun control laws. The debate over gun control is nothing new. As you can see this debate still goes on today and is the cause for the beginning of gun control laws.
Through the use of ethos, pathos, and/or logos; style, word choice, and tone; and the author's purpose are magnified through the authors use of language. As an author, the goal is not to change the reader's mind, but to help he or she see a new point of view using ethos, pathos, and/or logos; style, word choice, and tone. Through many persuasive techniques, writers bring credibility to their arguments. The beginning remarks
Gun control is a law that controls how guns are sold and used, and who can own them. Allowing people to possess and use a gun with legal documents in the United States is legal. There have been arguments on whether or not is should be legal to own a gun as some people see it as beneficial and others do not. It is believed that guns are beneficial to have, and they are there because we need to be able to protect ourselves. We should not allow the government to have power over gun control for many reasons including the loss of tradition of hunting, not being able to protect ourselves, and simply because of the second amendment.
In James Q. Wilson’s New York Times article, “Just Take Away Their Guns,” Wilson sufficiently reasons how the elimination of illegal guns on the streets should be the central focus in determining the limits regarding American gun control regulations which are frequently debated in our modern world. While Wilson makes an effective argument, at times, he racially profiles which is a definite form of deceptive reasoning; in addition, many of Wilson’s arguments lack the elaboration he needs to avoid making hasty assertions.
The issue at hand was whether or not capital punishment should be allowed to continue in the United States, and why? In my arguments for capital punishment I used pathos to appeal to the human emotion of revenge. If someone had murdered your family member wouldn't you want them to be put to death? In my research paper arguing against capital punishment I was able to use pathos to appeal to the human emotion of forgiveness. After the perpetrator is put to death would that really make you feel at peace, would you really find the closure you were looking for, would it not be better to forgive and let go of that burden? In both positions I used logos to present the same statistics that when interpreted one way makes capital punishment seem as the ultimate deterrent. Though when they are shown another way the statistics paints the practice as a racist and discriminatorily applied measure with little effect on overall murder rates. However, in political issues such as these, while there is an ethos (or moral) appeal to each position these are by no means universal. Everyone has a distinct set of moral ideologies and as such it is quite difficult to implement a well executed ethos into a position paper. In the case of capital punishment the moral case for it lays in biblical principles and the idea of "crime and punishment," while the case against tends to highlight social justice issues in which those of minority ethnicity and lower socioeconomic status tend to be executed while wealthy Caucasians seldom if ever are. The proper execution of all three rhetorical strategies ultimately will mean the difference between an undecided reader adopting the position of the author or perhaps at worst even dismissing it out of hand as inappropriate or
Living a life in America, we all get to have all the rights that included in the Constitution. One of those was the Second Amendment which is the rights to bear arm, the purpose was to protect ourselves from danger but nowadays a lot of people have take advantage of it and use it in the wrong way. I believe our government need to have a strict limit on guns possession.
There are gun control laws to try and reduce the number of violent shootings that occur. They are trying to put limits on weapons that Americans can own. The government is trying to take our guns away mainly because of people that are criminally insane. Most of the people who commit crimes don’t even have the weapons legally. If the government takes away the rights of people who are allowed to have firearms in their possession, it will most definitely cause an outrage. Most people believe that the people should be more capable of maintain proper use of the firearms instead of having them all taken away. Taking the firearms from Americans away would cause a lot more problems than there actually are. The people will be upset with the