Alternative Assignment

This video was very interesting to me. I am not much for Comedy Central, so this was my first time having ever seen anything like this. The simple idea of changing the word "nigger" to "slave" in Mark Twain books is just outstanding and unbelievable. Having never read any Mark Twain novels, I would not be able to say that I know exactly how much he uses the word but I do know it should be left alone. Many people in the past have been known to try and change history in their benefit. People like Hitler! I personally do not think this is right, ever. Even though the word nigger may be frowned upon, it does not mean that it should be erased from history. Many things that are frowned upon haven't been erased. For this reason, I dislike that idea. Beside that, I laughed at the video and found that the writers were very talented at picking words.

Column Work: Analyzing Rhetorical Strategies

The ethos that Collins uses within the article is very prominent throughout. During the entirety of the column, she continually quotes well known sources as well as referencing some as well. For example, she makes the point to quote Obama as to raise her ethos and make her seem more knowledgeable  Despite the fact she leaves the experts unnamed, she even uses them to back up one of her points. This all works very well for the average reader, who most often does not care to check into their sources and enjoys reading surface details such as that included.

The pathos that Collins includes is scattered throughout the article well. She poses rhetorical questions such as "was there ever before a presidential candidate who could sound that enthusiastic while vowing to defund Big Bird?" in order to trigger emotional appeals to those who support PBS. Equally, she enhances her writing with hints of opinion to propagate feelings from the reader. As a very well thought-out writer, she knows the effectiveness of her opinion in small doses. She comes off as unbiased at first, but then starts to stir feelings with little pieces of her opinion.

The logos used was not so much in the form of numbers as it is in other documents, but more in the form of sources and facts presented. "Witness the large proportion of Ohio Republicans who told a pollster that they thought Mitt Romney was the person most responsible for killing Osama bin Laden" she says in reference to the overwhelming amount of very committed people.

Column Work- Summary

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/04/opinion/collins-the-season-of-debates.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&_r=0

"The Seasons of Debate," an opinion article by the well known opinion columnist and former editor of the Editorials part of NYTimes Gail Collins. It discusses the beginning of the "debate era", introducing Romney's character while presenting himself at the debate. It goes into detail about Obama's mannerisms and some of the ideals that the candidates referenced. She then poses the question: "Do debates really matter?" Answering her own question, she introduces some ethos into the argument, stating that the experts say no. Delving further into the topic, she states that "the committed are already committed" and that it's about the "voters with failure to commit." Addressing the reader as "you", she touches upon important rhetorical points such as the pathos of calling "you" an interested citizen, and that "you" have been through a lot, then stating some facts that "you" may have been through. She closes the article with a reference to John Noble Wilford's article in the past NYTimes, proving some ethos.

Column Work- Ethos Pathos Logos

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/04/opinion/collins-the-season-of-debates.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&_r=0

Ethos: 

Quoting Obama: 
“At some point, I think the American people have to ask themselves: Is the reason that Governor Romney is keeping all these plans-to-replace secret because they’re too good? Is it because that somehow middle-class families are going to benefit too much from them?” Obama retorted. 

Mentioning CNN: 
"CNN managed to corral some of them to register their responses to the debate’s every jab and parry."

Mentioning known sources:
"Did you read John Noble Wilford’s article in The Times about the discovery of the remains of a dinosaur the size of a house cat?"

Pathos:

"...was there ever before a presidential candidate who could sound that enthusiastic while vowing to defund Big Bird?"

"The president thinks these debates are ridiculous, and he may well be right. But, truly, it would have been a better idea to keep the thought to himself."

Logos:

"Witness the large proportion of Ohio Republicans who told a pollster that they thought Mitt Romney was the person most responsible for killing Osama bin Laden."

"No candidate wants to repeat the saga of Rick Lazio, who ran against Hillary Clinton for the United States Senate in New York in 2000."

Debate (10/10/2012)

Why Men Fail (10/9/2012)

In the article "Why Men Fail" by David Brooks, featured in the New York Times on September 11th, 2012, the author discusses the trend in men who do not work for academic excellence. Appealing to all three of the major areas of persuasion, those being Ethos, pathos, and logos, Brooks does a fantastic job providing a solid argument with facts to back up what he believes as well as adding credibility and feeling to his article. A key logical appeal in this article is the amount of statistics utilized right from the beginning. First off, Brooks begins with the fact that men are behind in college. He supports this claim with the appeal to logos: "Only 40 percent of bachelor’s degrees go to men, along with 40 percent of master’s degrees." Going further to prove his point, he includes this fact: "In 1954, 96 percent of the American men between the ages of 25 and 54 worked. Today, that number is down to 80 percent" along with a short, but influential bit, "Thanks to their lower skills, men are dropping out of the labor force." To any man, this would be a kick to the stomach, an intriguing and punctual "WOW" inducing statement. If I were a man, I would be offended, which is why this appeals so much to pathos. Again, he uses these tactics, including "Women in their 20s outearn men in their 20s." He follows this pattern throughout the article, mentioning many things, from sexuality to gender roles to income. He references National Federation of Independent Business, appealing to ethos, and concluding strongly. "If she’s right, then men will have to be less like Achilles, imposing their will on the world, and more like Odysseus, the crafty, many-sided sojourner. They’ll have to acknowledge that they are strangers in a strange land."

Debate Response (10/3/2012)

The debate held on October 3rd, 2012 between the two main presidential candidates at the University of Denver emphasized the important differences between Romney and Obama. Despite my personal tiffs with either of the candidates' beliefs, basing my thoughts solely on the discussion at hand, it is obvious to me that Romney won the debate for a few vital reasons. One reason I found him to be more persuasive than Obama was that he would address every charge put against him, explaining, in full, his plans for America. For example, even though it causes him to have to interrupt Lehrer, he makes sure to emphasize how important it is to him that people know that he is "not in favor of a $5 trillion tax cut" and that it was never part of his plan. Many people may have found this rude, but on its own, I think it's a very convincing strategy to get American citizens to know his true motives, as well as lets them know that he is willing to do what he has to in order to assert himself in a situation. (I know, personally, I would want an assertive president, rather than a passive one who wants to please everyone.) I also think that Obama also fell hard during this debate. He seemed very unattached throughout the debate. I also noted both of their use of facts and evidence supporting their beliefs and view points, strengthening either of their arguments. Although President Obama was more respectful, Romney came to the floor with confidence rather than arrogance, and left with a bang, leaving Americans with a great source of emotional appeal: "I will not cut our commitment to our military. I will keep America strong and get America's middle class working again."

Friedman Article Analysis

Write a blog entry (at least 250 words) that summarizes the charts you've created in class about the Friedman article.
 

The Friedman article that we've read, titled "New Rules" was published in 2012 in the NYTimes. It was written regarding the change of learning standards throughout the world and how, no longer can people follow the old Bill Clinton saying from 1992, that if you just "work hard and play by the rules" that one can attain a good American life through the system set up in America. This no longer is the case, as discussed by Friedman. Friedman goes to persuade his audience to believe him using a well thought out rhetoric that both appeals to the logical and factual parts of the human mind. He also brings a great amount of ethos to the table with the quotes of famous and well known people in society. An intriguing statement Friedmen brings is, "You have to work harder and smarter and develope new skills faster" in respect to the new, changing, technology-based world that we live in. He says that unemployment by those who only have a highschool degree is 8.8%, while 4 year college goers have half that as their unemployment rate. People in the world know that learning is important which is why Estonian children are now being taught how to program at the age of 7-16, knowing this skill could aid them in being ahead in the software industry (which they already are, according to Friedman who says Estonia developed Skype back in 2008.) Friedman points out that futurist Avin Toffler supports this argument as well, saying, "illiteracy will to be defined by those who cannot read and write, but by those who can not learn and relearn." The point is made also that lifelong learning is the key to getting into, and staying in, the middle class. This is very rhetorically intriguing the both the ethos and pathos. Ethos due to Alvin Toffler, and pathos because many people strive to be part of the middle class. It is the American dream, more or less, to be in the middle class.