Age before wisdom?

When I was a child, I was often told of things that I was unaware of, or had no reason to discount. The earth is round; the dinosaurs died millions of years ago; global warming is caused by cows farting. A variety of things were bestowed upon me in a manner that make it hard to discredit any discernible fact from truth, and from these, which I should credit, and which were merely speculation.

When you are young, these things sound great. The age of wisdom is that which you are unfamiliar with, and because you are young, it is there responsibility to give their knowledge to you at any means necessary. Today however, especially in the media and politics, we are it is different by a landslide. We're led to believe in facts over opinions, and undisputed truths. Today's media has made it easier for any generation before us to access information at literally the click of a button.

Age may have helped those before us establish those intrinsic proofs they needed to verify something, but our extrinsic reality allows us to default something as they're saying it. There is a form of artistry to crafting an argument that allows the reader to not only know, but understand without a reason of a doubt that you're genuine.

Rhetorical Activity #5

Hey Charlie,
I just thought I'd let you know that I got that job over at the magazine. It sucks that I don't hear from you. You should wright me sometime. Anyway, this job is going to be awesome. There's lots of cool stuff to do, and it's right up my alley with all that English I did in College. We should catch up sometime at dinner.

-Josh

Dear Dr. Souder,
I am e-mailing to inform you that I received the job at Such-N-Such Magazine. I appreciate your recommendation with the editor, and I really look forward to my first day. The articles of the publication are interesting and entertaining, and there is always something to occupy my time. The editor is exactly like you said he would be, and his enthusiasm for the job is admirable. I hope later we can discuss this during your office hours.

Yours truly,
Joshua Edgecomb


What I found out was that in the first letter, to my friend Charlie, I am a lot less formal. He isn't necessarily interested in what the publication does, or who my boss is. The purpose of the letter is mostly just to touch ground and to allow that conversational aspect of my life into his life. To let him know what is going on, and to establish that commonplace for us later on.

With Donna, it is a lot more formal. I noticed I used substantially more descriptive adjectives, and more description in general. I gave the publication a name, rather than leaving it ambiguous, and with that, I gave life to the job, rather than just stating I had it. Establishing ethos is a monumental step in writing to your peers, and to someone you are more formally engaged.

Rhetorical Activity #3: Appropriate Appeals

Appealing to one's emotions can be a tactful, and wise choice in determining which aspects of the audience you want to convince, and how. Using a pathos approach to your argument appropriately can add the flare that you need to spur the audiences attention, win their hearts over, anger them, as well as a slue of emotions that are equally, and potently effective. I have used this tactic myself when trying to convince my friends on arguments I feel passionate about, that they might or might not have an opinion on. As a student, I am often times found trying to defend my own beliefs against those around me. Appealing to the emotional aspects of my audience I have found to win over my audience more often than not.

Appealing my audience to shame may seem like a lack-luster approach to winning an audience, but that's because you may not see it the same way I do. Shame is a powerful tool; A scornful look from a mother, teacher, or peer can correct a situation in many ways that conversation can not. That isn't to say that shame can't be expressed through the use of words, but a guilty mind will go farther than a dedicated one, in my experience. We can see this used through religion as a means of keeping order, or establishing a means of persuasion through the congregation. Allowing the believer to know that they may be absolved of their shame by simply confessing them has a tremendous power over them.

Appealing to shame may be one way to persuade an audience but allowing them to feel compassionate about it can have the same effect. Making the feeling mutually available for both parties establishes a commonplace with your audience, and gives them footing into the topic. This method may also be used to inspire, or motivate the audience to action. Feeling passionate about a topic may be one of the most solid ways to express your emotions for the subject. Tears, yelling, getting up and moving around are all great examples of how the compassion for the topic has spread throughout the audience. Allowing them to share your emotions with you can have a great impact on them.

Cheating - Common Place

PROLOGUE: Since the academic standard for excellence rises the further you apply yourself, rules for these standards are monitored not only by the supervising professor, but also the entire institution. Cheating in an institutionalized university is against those rules and standards applied.
CONTRARY: Conditions that lead to cheating can range from desperation, ambition, all the way to obstinacy. In all of these instances, the students acting on their own will to lie their way though a course.
EXPOSITION: However, on a larger scale, the ramifications of one person cheating is grave towards the whole institution. The entire goal of the institution is to provide the best education to the student, and by them cheating, it not only deprives the institution of their ability to give education, but the student to receive it.
COMPARISON: A cheater is a horrible thing to be, who condones the willful act against the rules of the institution they abide by, and agreed to when joining.
INTENTION: Those who intentionally cheat decide this for themselves, and by doing this, prove their intent to the instructor as well as the institution.
DIGRESSION: A person who cheats knowingly is guilty. If they did not knowingly commit a wrongful dead, then they may be excused from their act.
REJECTION OF PITY: Cheating hurts everyone. It hurts those who are not even in college yet. Children in grade school will be effected by every cheaters action, and because of that, the evolution of their education is directly impacted by a cheater today.
LEGALITY: It is never been customary for people to cheer on the person who goes behinds others backs. It should follow that it is right to punish those who do so.
ADVANTAGE: The benefits for those who punish the wrong doers will be lofty, as they not only rid themselves of the cheater, but they also provide themselves with the moral obligations of punishing them.
POSSIBILITY: It would definitely be easy to punish those who cheat. Perhaps it should be better if it is left in the hands of a higher authority rather than the individual teacher.

Ch 3-Rhetorical Ex. 2. Pg 116

Assertion to be confirmed: Sentencing prisoners to death is a fair and just action by the united states government.
Encomium: The government makes decisions based on emotional appeal, on an 'eye for an eye' basis.
Exposition of the situation: It is legal to sentence prisoners to lethal injection ensuring the maximum punishment for their crimes. 32 states presently enact capital punishment.
Certainty: With criminals constantly pushing the borders of society, and becoming more cruel, and vindictive with their crimes, we should have something that should deter them.
Credibility: The majority of the Continental united states have accepted capital punishment in the form of the death sentence.
Possibility: It is quite possible that some people that were sentenced to the death sentence were actually innocent. Without adequate time for the defendant to appeal his case, he could be wrongly convicted.
Consistency: A sentence can be commuted at any time.
Propriety: Because of this, it can be stated that any sentence can be refuted given the proper evidence.
Convenience: This can save the govenment a lot of room in prisons, as well as the taxpayers money.

The root of education is bitter, but sweet are its fruits. - Isocrates

ENCOMIUM: Isocrates was a teacher, a learner, and above all, he sought out knowledge. He praised it, as we praise food, or water, and as such, it is fitting to think this quote is deserving of such a man.
PARAPHRASE OF SAYING: Education may seem as though it is a waste of time, money, and effort for you when you are starting out, but once you graduate, and reap the hypothetical fruits of your labor, it is well worth it.
CAUSE OR REASON FOR SAYING: Without knowledge, the world would crumble, and without the use of what you as a student have cultivated being here, it would be pointless.
A CONTRAST: A student who knows how to read and doesn't has no advantage over those who cannot read. This too, can be applied to Isocrates quote of knowledge's labor.
A COMPARISON: As farmers need to take long periods of time to grow their crops into a harvest, so too, do students need to fine tune their minds into wonderful flourishing plants.
AN EXAMPLE: A newly graduated college student gets hired over a newly graduated high school student. This is because they show ethic in their work, their mind, and dedicate themselves to the betterment of their life.
TESTIMONY: I have seen the darkness that academia can bring, with long nights, disappointment, and egregious work that seems to get me nowhere except the in the teacher's favor, but without any of those things, I would be unable to progress in what will eventually benefit me in my life.
EPILOGUE: We can only see so far because we are standing on the shoulders of giants. This is one of the foundations of academic research, technologies, and inspirations every day, inside and outside the classroom.

Rhetorical Activity 2: Gun Control

While gun control may not be on the same page as Connon O'Brien vs. Jay Leno's debate over the Tonight Show, it has power just the same. One aspect that gun power has over debates like the one above is its residence in the society of America. The actions of Columbine in Colorado shocked the entire nation just the same as they did with the shootings at Virginia Tech. It is not only a political and social issue, but a constitutional and representational issue.

The topic itself spans from Teen Suicide,safety all the way to the far range of books being written on saftey. They staying power of this topic yields only to the community's need for information on the topic. Because of the relevance across the nation, it remains to be a topic of exploration.