This week's blog post

I received an email from Barackobama.com entitled, "We don't quit." I've pasted the email twice below. In the second one I've left comments identifying the Ethos, Pathos, and Logos in the rhetoric.

John --

I just finished delivering my first State of the Union, and I wanted to send you a quick note.

We face big and difficult challenges. Change on the scale we seek does not come easily. But I will never accept second place for the United States of America.

That is why I called for a robust jobs bill without delay. It's why I proposed a small businesses tax credit, new investments in infrastructure, and pushed for climate legislation to create a clean energy economy.

It's why we're taking on big banks, reforming Wall Street, revitalizing our education system, increasing transparency -- and finishing the job on health insurance reform.

It's why I need your help -- because I am determined to fight to defend the middle class, and special interest lobbyists will go all out to fight us.

Help me show that the American people are ready to join this fight for the middle class -- add your name to a letter to Congress today:

http://my.barackobama.com/SOTU

We have finished a difficult year. We have come through a difficult decade. But we don't quit. I don't quit.

Let's seize this moment -- to start anew, to carry the dream forward, and to strengthen our union once more.

President Barack Obama

We don't quit (Ethos, Americans don't quit. I'm an American, I shouldn't give up on him)

I just finished delivering my first State of the Union, and I wanted to send you a quick note. (Logos with some Pathos to make me more endeared and open to what he has to say)

We face big and difficult challenges. Change on the scale we seek does not come easily. But I will never accept second place for the United States of America. (Ethos, sense of self as an American, and Pathos to scare me.)

That is why I called for a robust jobs bill without delay. It's why I proposed a small businesses tax credit, new investments in infrastructure, and pushed for climate legislation to create a clean energy economy. (Logos to convince me he's still the right man for the job and that I should back the new bill)

It's why we're taking on big banks, reforming Wall Street, revitalizing our education system, increasing transparency -- and finishing the job on health insurance reform. (Logos/Ethos mix matters of opinion and what many people want to create the desire(pathos) to continue backing him)

It's why I need your help -- because I am determined to fight to defend the middle class, and special interest lobbyists will go all out to fight us. (Pathos to protect him, pathos in gratitude, pathos to create anger)

Help me show that the American people are ready to join this fight for the middle class -- add your name to a letter to Congress today:(Ethos meaning me, Pathos against the special interests)

http://my.barackobama.com/SOTU

We have finished a difficult year. We have come through a difficult decade. But we don't quit. I don't quit. (Ethos/Pathos mix, I'm an American, so I'm not a quitter. He's not quitting, so I as an American shouldn't quit on him.

Let's seize this moment -- to start anew, to carry the dream forward, and to strengthen our union once more. (Pathos to create hope, and desire to carry on)

President Barack Obama





Defining Objectives Worksheet

Rhetoric 101

Rhetoric is the art of persuasion, and everyone uses it. It’s not good or evil, but a tool people use to convince others. If I were having a discussion with my girlfriend about what movie we should go see, I could use any of the three parts of rhetoric to convince her to see what I wanted. I could use Ethos by telling her the movie recently got two thumbs up by movie critics. I could get her with Pathos and say it was a remake of a movie my father and I would watch together while I was growing up, and I so (tear) miss him sense he passed. I could also just use Logos, and remind her it’s my turn to pick the movie, convincing her with logic.

I believe rhetoric has gotten a bad rap in our society because all too often rhetoric is used a bit unethically, like in my example of Pathos. Marketing campaign managers will tell us something, implying that it’s in our best interest, like that cookies are healthy for us because they have vitamin b12, when really that tiny amount of vitamin doesn't balance against all the other stuff in that cookie that's horribly bad for you.

Rhetoric isn't good or evil, but is often used unethically by people to get what they want. People need to keep an eye out for what’s being implied, and the actual truth. Don't be a tool, there’s a world of difference.

*For some reason its not allowing me to increase the font size

A Writer's Relationship

I've always had a love/hate relationship with writing. While I love to read, (mostly fantasy, with some sci-fi mixed in) I can't stand writing, it's something I've always avoided when I've had the opportunity. It maybe the procrastinator in me but I've always disliked the process. I dread sitting down and starting a paper, which I can't put off, because I know the amount of time I will sink into it. In classes prior to this one I've spent more time reviewing my peers work than my own, because can't stand it when a papers poorly written, it eats at me, and I end up constantly doing revisions. I think that maybe why I hate creative writing and do so poorly at it, its contents can always be changed and improved upon, but research papers are very specific and deal with facts that once laid out properly, are done.
The first day of class was relaxed and enjoyable, hopefully a sign of what's to come. Something else I really like about the class is having access to a computer; I've always hated writing by hand. I expect to continue enjoying this class because we will be covering methods of writing that are more technical then they are creative. I can also see the importance of mastering these methods of communication and how useful they will be in the professional world. I've always done poorly in Creative Writing classes, but since the styles of writing this class will be covering are fact based, I should do well. Straight and to the point is my favored style of writing, I expect this class will be more love than hate.

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