TOW #28 – "Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl"

In her personal diary, Anne Frank describes her life as a teenage girl hiding from the Nazis in Germany during WWII. Although her journal entries had a veil of occasionally ordinary language of a teenager, Anne Frank’s diary reflects the pain that was suffered by so many in WWII, giving a greater understanding of the horrible conditions. Although she did not write to any audience beside herself in order to clear her thoughts, Anne Frank’s diary tells her life story with the war developing often in the background. Explaining her interaction with the adults in her life, Anne Frank wrote, “Kitty, if only you knew I sometimes boil under so many gibes and jeers. And I don’t know how long I shall be able to stifle my rage. I shall just blow up one day” (Frank 30). Although many teenagers continue to have conflict with adults, readers of Anne Frank’s diary understand that she faced incredibly dangerous and hostile conditions. Thus, although she does not develop the diary for it to be read by an audience, Anne Frank produces an appeal to pathos by displaying the problems expected of a teenager beside the enormous troubles facing Jews during WWII. Likewise, she writes, “I must tell you more about my time-killing subjects (I call them such, because we have got nothing else to do but make the days go by as quickly as possible…)” (Frank 67), showing a hardship in hiding from the Nazis.  As she refers to her classes as “time-killing subjects,” the secluded and troubling life of hiding from the Nazis is apparent. Although Anne Frank did not write the diary for any purpose beyond organizing her thoughts on paper, her emotional story is remembered by millions. Beyond the stories often explained in a textbook, Anne Frank’s diary shows the emotional life story of a young girl hiding from the Nazis in WWII.

Works Cited

Frank, Anne. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl. New York, NY, Simon & Schuster, Inc., 1972.

TOW #27 – “Ending hell on earth for D.C.’s children” by Colbert I. King

In his editorial “Ending hell on earth for D.C.’s children,” Colbert I. King contests society’s standard of providing only limited relief to those born into bad situations. Recognizing that children born into poor or violent areas “didn’t ask to be born” (King), King develops an appeal to logos and pathos throughout the editorial. Throughout, King shares his own experience on the subject; his trip near San Francisco was mainly notable for the discrepancy of living conditions from Washington D.C. His trip widened his perspective on the issue of poverty and violence in neighborhoods; no kid should be shaped with fear as a constant concern. To reinforce his argument that children are not responsible for their living arrangements, he likewise recognizes that “the kids enjoying the delights of Half Moon Bay were not responsible for their comfort” (King).  He understands his audience; he understands that those entertaining Washington Post editorials may not be struggling with living arrangements as many in D.C. are. Thus, King appeals to pathos; he enforces this truth that no one should be punished for being born into poverty and danger. King asks for honesty beyond the typical defenses put up by those against governmental support – we cannot assume it is the parents’ fault, we cannot assume they are not trying to place their children in the best position possible. Therefore, he argues, “[d]emanding greater police presence, strict law enforcement, more competent adjudication and rehabilitation of offenders” (King) is necessary action that must be taken to begin a process of making D.C. safer. He proclaims, “it falls to us, if we really care, to help out,” (King) emphasizing the need for Americans to support struggling communities, continuing his appeal to pathos. To overcome these barriers, to relieve families from hopelessness, governmental support must be made accessible and possible to these communities in Washington D.C.

Works Cited

King, Colbert I. “Ending Hell on Earth for D.C.'s Children.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 28 Apr. 2017, www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/ending-hell-on-earth-for-dcs-children/2017/04/28/e2b85502-2b53-11e7-a616-d7c8a68c1a66_story.html?utm_term=.0a26618c3514. Accessed 29 Apr. 2017.

TOW #26 – “Earth Day with a side of fossil fuels” by Ann Telnaes

With regard to Earth Day, cartoonist Ann Telnaes depicted United States President Donald Trump taking a bite out of the Earth. She mentioned several cuts that the Trump administration has made in regard to the environment, reflecting the perspective that Trump is hurting the Earth. Her argument is invaluable; as conscientious citizens, we must protect the Earth with whatever means necessary to protect future generations. Many of Trump’s policies violate this fundamental truth – the head of the EPA denies irrefutable evidence that CO2 causes global warming (Milman), and very little action is being made in favor of the environment. Global leaders, such as the United States of America and China, are largely responsible for contributing to global warming, as many industries rely upon damaging modes of production. The Trump administration has met this fact with little regard to the environment; a large focus is being made in sustaining industries that contribute to environmental damage, such as the collection of fossil fuels. In order to prevent irreversible damage to our globe, we must not allow leaders like Donald Trump to damage enormous parts of the world through the duration of his term. As he has already begun the process of cutting environmental protection programs, we as citizens must be responsive and work to protect the environment. Telnaes shows the world as a sandwich and Donald Trump taking a large bite out of North America in order to show how his policies are negatively affecting the globe. Americans should be prioritizing environmental protection, as it is not only a matter for this generation, but also all future generations. While Trump has not yet reached 100 days in office, the consequences on our environment will become more apparent as he continues to cut federal spending for clean energy. Talnaes demonstrates in her cartoon that the President of the United States is placed with very large power to damage the environment, something that must be protected by citizens.

Donald Trump depicted taking a bite out of the Earth.

Works Cited

Milman, Oliver. “EPA Head Scott Pruitt Denies That Carbon Dioxide Causes Global Warming.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 9 Mar. 2017, www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/mar/09/epa-scott-pruitt-carbon-dioxide-global-warming-climate-change. Accessed 23 Apr. 2017.

Telnaes, Ann. “Earth Day with a Side of Fossil Fuels.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 22 Apr. 2017, www.washingtonpost.com/news/opinions/wp/2017/04/22/earth-day-with-a-side-of-fossil-fuels/?utm_term=.fbe606e51843. Accessed 23 Apr. 2017.

IRB Intro Post #4

During the final quarter of school, I will being reading Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, a diary describing a group of Jews who fear being discovered by Nazis in Germany. My interest is in the book is primarily because I want to become more educated about the Holocaust and the immeasurable damages it placed on Jews and other targeted minorities. Likewise, as WWII was recently taught in my history class, I would have a historical/macro understanding of what occurred during the Holocaust, allowing me to better understand the pain of Anne Frank. In reading this book, I hope to continue educating myself about the Holocaust and see the perspective of someone who was being targeted, which allows me to recognize Anne Frank's pain more fully.

TOW #25 – “If Obama Had Acted like Trump…” by Juan Williams

Made relevant by the United States’ most recent presidential election, Juan Williams constructed an opinion article apologizing to President Obama for out-of-proportion ridicule and coverage during his presidency. As President Trump is distrusted by a majority of Americans – “his disapproval rating has risen to 56 percent” (Williams) – it has become more clear that President Obama perhaps did not deserve as much negative coverage as he received. Proving an argument that the executive position is one that necessitates trust and credibility, Williams calls attention to President Trump’s poor representation of Americans. While President Obama, a democrat, received a lot of unwanted and perhaps unwarranted attention, many of those same right-wing reporters still see a worse image of President Trump, a republican. William’s claim of the importance of a strong, trustworthy executive is of the utmost relevance in our democracy. While not in the position of passing legislation, President Trump is given the enormous task of developing legislation to fit the public’s interest, a task that requires communication beyond Trump’s “endless stream of exaggerations, evidence-free accusations, implausible denials and other falsehoods” (Board). Not only is the media calling Trump out for his false assertions, but several congressional representatives are also recognizing their heightened duty to protect the public’s trust. As the Wall Street Journal – which Williams recognized was “never a friend to Obama” (Williams) – was extremely critical of Trump, it is a clear reflection that Trump is neither an ideal reflection of democrats nor republicans alike. Furthermore, Williams strengthens his argument by essentially overcoming the bias of the reporters; as the reporters regularly called out democratic President Obama, their comments towards President Trump reflect closely the public’s opinion rid of much bias. As many Americans continue their frustration with the reliability of the government, perhaps a reminder of President Obama’s few, minor frustrations best puts the public’s opinion into position.

Works Cited

Board, Editorial. “A President's Credibility.” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, Inc., 21 Mar. 2017, www.wsj.com/articles/a-presidents-credibility-1490138920?mod=trending_now_1. Accessed 2 Apr. 2017.

Williams, Juan. “If Obama Had Acted like Trump. . .” Fox News, FOX News Network, 28 Mar. 2017, www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/03/28/if-obama-had-acted-like-trump.html. Accessed 2 Apr. 2017.

TOW #24 – "Heart of a Soldier" by James B. Stewart

In the beginning of Heart of a Solider, James B. Stewart introduces three unrelated names: Rick Rescorla, Dan Hill, and Susan [Rescorla] (later in the story). While individually characterizing the three individuals, Stewart includes details of the Vietnam War, in which both Rick and Dan fought. Commenting on two poles of emotion, pain and love, Stewart constructs an argument that selfless, unconditional love for humanity trumps any other action. As was developed previously, Rick Rescorla fought in the Vietnam War with Dan Hill, developing a strong bond that lasted well into their old age. Additionally, following his service in the military, Rescorla met Susan, who was the love of his life. Upon defining the immense value of these bonds, Stewart describes Rescorla’s selfless need to save civilians during the 9/11 attack, in which he sacrificed his own life to ensure he could save as many people as possible. As many people could not make the selfless sacrifices that Rescorla did, Stewart develops a strong appeal to pathos through the development of the Rescorla’s life. While almost the entirety of the book describes Rescorla’s background, its strongest message is in the final chapters in which Stewart shows what it truly means to have the “Heart of a Soldier:” to have an innate, unrelenting will to help others even in the face of adversity. Speaking to not only Americans, but relating this principle to humans around the globe, Stewart comments on the enormous impact an individual can make upon society. Evidently, the “search of stragglers” (Stewart) remains to be a defining aspect of Rescorla’s character; he is unwilling to leave another human to suffer, perhaps relating to the comraderie that existed during war. Delivering Rescorla’s life story, Stewart’s appeal to pathos illustrates how a single person can impact society based upon a selfless unwillingness to leave others in suffering.

Works Cited

Stewart, James B. Heart of a Soldier: a Story of Love, Heroism, and September 11th. New York, NY, Simon & Schuster, Inc., 2003.

TOW #23 – “Migrant Mother” by Dorothea Lange

Early in the 20^th century, due to a variety of factors, the United States suffered the greatest depression to date. Along with the stock market crash, agricultural practices like shallowly planting seeds in the ground contributed to this depression, as this initiated the Dust Bowl. Lange’s sad, reflective image of a mother holding her children produces a strong appeal to pathos, producing an argument that in times of distress, family and love is invaluable. Lange primarily focuses her argument around the family dynamic; a protective mother holds her children and comforts them, displaying the value in having a strong central figure to look to in times of crisis. Likewise, the mother is placed in the center of the image because although she is facing the devastating effects from the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, she remained an important, loving figure in her children’s eyes. Lange captures the young children facing backwards as the mother directly sees the devastation that took place, representing the important job for parents to protect their children and ensure their safety. While the mom was traveling in attempt to find an income to support her children, even in this time of a collapsed economy and impacted agriculture, Lange shows America that through love, through persistence and will, these obstacles can be overcome. Although little could be done for the family at the time, this exposure of the problems that Americans are facing helps to begin a process of reconstruction and development. While some people were less impacted by the depression than others, Lange portrays an average American facing unfortunately typical circumstances for the time-period. Capturing an image for all of America to view, Lange displayed one family’s response to the depression. Although defined by disorder and suffering, and while this image does display sorrow and anguish, Lange displays a family’s love that remained strong the depression.

Mother with children during the Dust Bowl in the United States (Lange)

Works Cited

Lange, Dorothea. “Migrant Mother.” Wikipedia, 23 Feb. 2017, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Owens_Thompson. Accessed 18 Mar. 2017.

TOW #22 – “The travel-ban casualty the White House is ignoring” by Albert Teich

With relation to President Trump’s travel ban that is scheduled to take effect in March, Albert Teich argues in “The travel-ban casualty the White House is ignoring” that President Trump’s ban will negatively impact the United States of America’s role as a global leader in scientific studies. Backed with a strong appeal to logos, Teich supports a strong argument that Trump should reconsider his travel ban because of the unintended consequences on the field of science. Commenting specifically on Trump’s rhetoric, Teich recognizes the dangerous nature of Trump’s policy – he is simply not viewing the enormous contributions immigrants have that make America great. Arguing for the importance of immigrants in American schools, Teich cites, “foreign nationals represent more than 70 percent of full-time graduate students in electrical engineering, 63 percent in computer science and about half of all engineering faculty members” (Teich). Evidently, fields like computer science that may define the future of America currently accept many applicants from other countries. This is very significant for the field of science, because the United States can continue attracting interested students and also develop leading schools. Trumps immigration policy will prevent many of these students from seeing the United States as a leader in science, hurting the collaboration and achievement that scientists currently make globally. Additionally, Teich connect to the reader by stating, “Approximately 40 percent of Fortune 500 firms — including such tech-based giants as Google, Intel, eBay, and Apple — were started by immigrants or children of immigrants” (Teich). These enormous companies that are based in America are very widely known and seen as American enterprises. This supports Teich’s argument that Trump should reconsider his travel ban, which challenges fundamental American principles and has raised protest in response. While Trump claims to be acting in favor American industry, which was so heavily grown by immigrants and American-born citizens alike, he is failing to see that our American dream isn’t a White Picket Fence around our border. To continue our collaboration, to share the prosperities of science, to protect our American dream, Trump must lift his travel ban upon our “tempest-tost” (Lazarus).

Works Cited

Lazarus, Emma. “The New Colossus.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, 2002, www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poems/detail/46550#poem. Accessed 12 Mar. 2017.

Teich, Albert. “The Travel-Ban Casualty the White House Is Ignoring.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 10 Mar. 2017, www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trumps-travel-ban-is-a-threat-to-science/2017/03/10/b1b25158-0504-11e7-b1e9-a05d3c21f7cf_story.html?utm_term=.d63d2c0a0533. Accessed 12 Mar. 2017.

TOW #21 – “A painful apology to a kid at church” by Joshua Rogers

In his opinion article “A painful apology to a kid at church,” Joshua Rogers takes a firm stance that practicing apology, recognition of your mistakes, is essential to forming a healthy relationship. Developing a strong appeal to pathos, Rogers employs an anecdote to demonstrate how apologizing has been significant in his own life, as well as religious allusions to connect more closely with many people in his audience. Rogers is absolutely correct in his position – apologizing is fundamental in the development of young children, as it promotes healthy communication and acknowledges imperfections in a person. To write on behalf of this topic, Rogers explains a specific interaction he had with his daughter whilst attending his religious service on a Sunday. After requiring her to say hello to another girl going to religious school even though she did not wish to, Rogers recognized his wrongdoings and immediately talked to her outside of the classroom. In his emotional dialogue with his daughter, his complete honesty and vulnerability, Rogers demonstrated the receptiveness of young children to mistakes. Rogers later continued with another anecdote between him and his father: later in his life, his father finally apologized for his mistakes, individually. Rogers opens up the effect this had on his relationship with his own father – after many years, he was finally ready to trust him again. Evidently, via the use of these anecdotes, Rogers shows specific examples of the effect of apologizing on his life. Additionally, Rogers quotes the Bible: “’People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy’ (Proverbs 38:12)” (Rogers). Rogers is communicating his own religious beliefs to his audience, many who may be Christians, to strengthen his argument of the importance of apology. Apology is an action that defines honesty and communication in a relationship. This, Roger argues via anecdotes and religious allusions, is fundamental to forming meaningful, happy relationships.

Works Cited

Rogers, Joshua. “A Painful Apology to a Kid at Church.” Fox News, FOX News Network, 3 Mar. 2017, www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/03/03/painful-apology-to-kid-at-church.html. Accessed 5 Mar. 2017.

TOW #20 – "Heart of a Soldier" by James B. Stewart

Depicting both the suffering and valor associated with war, the nonfiction book Heart of a Soldier written by James B. Stewart introduces several truths about war and soldiers: one of heroism, one of chaos, one of comraderie. To demonstrate these truths of war, Stewart employs symbolism of danger and rhetorical questioning to present difficulties in decision-making during war. After being told about a lion who was attacking the livestock in a village, Rescorla extended his duties to fully protect the citizens. As he stood facing the threat, he fired his rifle and killed the lion. To be worn on a necklace later during war, “Rescorla had two of the lion’s teeth … [which were considered] a good-luck charm” (Stewart 50). Rescorla later told Dan Hill, his comrade, “[t]hey say it gives you the heart of a lion,” (Stewart 50) representing the soldier’s strength and valor on the battlefield. Later in the book, Stewart employs rhetorical questioning to demonstrated Rescorla’s distress during war: “Why had they marched overland to Albany without air support … Why had there been no reconnaissance units, farther forward … Any why hadn’t they reacted immediately to the capture of two North Vietnamese regulars?” (Stewart 104). These three questions were asked in no particular direction; they were primarily sequenced by Stewart to display the chaotic thought-process of Rescorla during war. As Rescorla was revisiting decisions that were already made, Stewart effectively shows that soldiers are heroes who hold an enormous importance in society. Reflected in this rhetorical questioning is the disorder of war, assisting Stewarts purpose of presenting these truths in the former half of the nonfiction book. Evidently, Stewart, writing to many Americans who have not served in the military, was effective in achieving his purpose via his use of symbolism with lion teeth, as well as rhetorical questioning.

Works Cited

Stewart, James B. Heart of a Soldier: a Story of Love, Heroism, and September 11th. New York, NY, Simon & Schuster, Inc., 2003.

TOW #19 – “I'm a Democrat (and Ex-CIA) but the Spies Plotting against Trump Are out of Control” by Bryan Dean Wright

Written transparently by former CIA officer Bryan Dean Wright, the editorial “I'm a Democrat (and Ex-CIA) but the Spies Plotting against Trump Are out of Control” reflects the perspective that American spies are not following proper legal proceedings. The danger, Wright argues, lies in this invalid assumption of responsibility to investigate Trump’s relationship with Russia. It is evident that American spies must follow the appropriate legal process to truly preserve American democracy; what separates the treason of a CIA officer from that of an executive? Wright defends this argument by describing the “slippery slope of political tribalism,” (Wright) which is the expected reactionary process in America’s bipartisan system that would defeat effective democracy. It is apparent that both conservative and liberal power-seeking spies would disrupt the natural process of shifting executive power, and thus, we must heavily investigate spies to ensure they are working within their legal limits. Whereas the federal government recognizes the importance of investigating the relationship between Trump and Russia, Wright defends his position that this investigation must be carried out on a national level within “the Department of Justice or Congress” (Wright) to preserve American democracy. Written by a former CIA officer, who has assumed the legal responsibilities of this governmental position, this article shares a unique perspective with an immediate appeal to ethos. As an ex-CIA officer, Wright comments to liberal Americans that the proper process for checking the power of the President must be upheld. Furthermore, enforced by the Hatch Act, spies have a responsibility to stay out of governmental affairs unless they are designated specific permission to investigate a case. The Hatch Act reinforces the ideology that no spy – whether liberal or conservative – should assume the power to interfere with the American governmental process. In order to protect democracy, and in order to preserve our American identity, it is essential that Americans understand the risks associated with spies conducting private investigations under the law.

Works Cited

Wright, Bryan Dean. “I'm a Democrat (and Ex-CIA) but the Spies Plotting against Trump Are out of Control.” Fox News, FOX News Network, 18 Feb. 2017, www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/02/18/im-democrat-and-ex-cia-but-spies-plotting-against-trump-are-out-control.html. Accessed 19 Feb. 2017.

TOW #18 – Burly Tweed Cartoon by Thomas Nast

Thomas Nast's political cartoon portraying Burly Tweed

Thomas Nast’s cartoon featuring Burly Tweed, often portrayed as an overweight politician during the Gilded Age, had a significant impact in lessening Tweed’s power in New York City’s Tweed Ring. Placed in a position of power and control, Tweed manipulated the citizens of New York to fund his personal wealth, a sum of $200 million. Recognizing the apparent flaws of Tweed, Nast portrays him as a large figure with a money bag for a head to speak out against his fraud. Because “[h]onest citizens were cowed into silence [and p]rotesters found their tax assessments raised,” (Kennedy 505) Nast was placed in the difficult position of speaking out against Tweed’s fraud to the citizens of New York City. By using a money bag in place of Tweed’s head, Nast constructs an argument that many politicians, particularly Tweed, abuse their power to overrule the law. Additionally, Nast characterizes tweed by emphasizing his large size, particularly to emphasize his power over the government. Likewise, this portrayal of Tweed does not reflect him well, immediately assisting Nast to accomplish his purpose of showing the wrongdoings of Tweed and have him face prosecution. Tweed stands with his hands in his pockets to further the idea that he is hiding something from the government – an enormous sum of money that drove him to “[employ] bribery, graft, and fraudulent elections” (Kennedy 505). Evidently, Nast is taking a stance against a trend in the Gilded Age in which individuals were able to bypass the law for their own motivations. Furthermore, as speaking out individually against Tweed was proven ineffective by his retaliations, Nast was successful in relaying to the citizens of New York City that Tweed was wrongfully taking money. In drawing a money bag in place of his head and putting his hands in his pockets, Nast communicates nonverbally that change is necessary and that Tweed should face prosecution.

Works Cited

Bovsun, Mara. “How a Series of Political Cartoons by Artist Thomas Nast Helped Send William 'Boss' Tweed to Prison.” NY Daily News, 12 Dec. 2015, www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/ink-clink-cartoons-send-boss-tweed-jail-article-1.2463810.

Kennedy, David M., et al. “The Era of Good Stealings.” The American Pageant, 13th ed., Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, MA, 2006, pp. 505–506.

IRB Intro Post #3

To begin the second semester in the school year, I will be reading Heart of a Soldier written by James B. Stewart. As I have previously selected very political IRBs and TOWs, I want to refocus my interpretation to other forms of nonfiction works. Thus, Heart of a Soldier depicts a war hero who risks his own life helping others during the attack on the World Trade Center on 9/11. This book is suggested to delve into “war, love and comradeship, danger and heroism,” which are qualities that were not present in my previous IRBs. I hope to gain an even greater appreciation for nonfiction works, as this book will likely make a strong appeal to pathos.

TOW #17 – “The Future Is Now” by Katherine Anne Porter

Following the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in WWII, the globe was effectively destabilized and a strong nuclear threat remained even into the 21^st century.  Recognizing the immense danger posed by atomic weaponry, Porter’s 1950 essay “The Future Is Now” took an unclear stance that while atomic warfare is dangerous, it should not be a cause of major concern. Porter, recognizing that she was speaking to Americans following WWII, commanded that “[i]n his pride to explore his universe to its unimaginable limits and to exceed his possible powers, [humans have] at last produced an embarrassing series of engines too powerful for their containers,” (Porter 196) which suggests Porter’s disapproval of atomic warfare. Later, she maintains, “I fail entirely to see why it is more criminal to kill a few thousand persons in one instant than it is to kill the same number slowly over a period of time,” (Porter 198) effectively delivering a counterargument to the destructiveness and damage caused by atomic bombs. Likewise, Porter upholds that “the invention of every new weapon of war has always been greeted with horror and righteous indignation,” (Porter 197) essentially stating that while there is fear surrounding the atomic bomb, we must move forward as a society. Evidently, the threat of nuclear arms is a constant topic of discussion even today in 2017, a clear disruption of global communication and cooperation. Thus, Porter underestimated the impact of this new warfare entirely, as it redefined military balance of power to require these incalculably destructive bombs. She optimistically exclaims, “it may be that what we have is a world not on the verge of flying apart, but an uncreated one … still in shapeless fragments,” (Porter 198) suggesting that atomic bombs will likely not cause global tensions. Still in the early stages of this new type of warfare, Porter did not effectively recognize the long-term impacts that these immediate threats may pose on a global level, invalidating a central position of her argument.

Works Cited

Porter, Katherine Anne. “The Future Is Now.” The Best American Essays of the Century, Edited by Joyce Carol Oates and Robert Atwan, Houghton Mifflin, Boston, MA, 2000, pp. 193–198.

TOW #16 – "Politics" by Aristotle

In his book Politics, Aristotle attempts to define the ideal government within which inhabitants should be ruled. In order to best define the ideal government as applicable to circa 330 BCE, Aristotle effectively employs synecdoche and juxtaposition to demonstrate the advantages of an involved community. Describing the ideal leader, Aristotle states, “For every ruler who has been trained by the law judges well; and it would surely seem strange that a person should see better with two eyes, or hear better with two ears, or act better with two hands or feet, than many with many” (Aristotle 86). Relating to oligarchy, Aristotle essentially states that with the advisement of a council, a government may be more likely to prosper as opposed to under a single individual’s direction. He uses different parts of the body, relating to sight, hearing, and touch, to emphasize that a leader’s actions are subject to one’s own circumstances. Furthermore, he continues this use of synecdoche to suggest that involvement of “many [people]” contributes to a full, balanced government offering multiple perspectives and advantages. Additionally, Aristotle employs juxtaposition to show contrast between oligarchy and democracy; a distinction Aristotle deems relevant to his purpose. “Therefore we should rather say,” he recognizes, “that democracy is the form of government in which the free are rulers, and oligarchy in which the rich; it is only an accident that the free are the many and the rich are the few” (Aristotle 93). Identifying the importance of wealth of a leader, Aristotle composes an argument that a true democracy is one in which all inhabitants, inconsequential to wealth or possession or status, maintain an equal level of participation in governmental affairs. While written before modern developments to political science, this excerpt from Politics appeals to logos, as a government structured around the powerless is truly one of the people. Moreover, via his employment of synecdoche and juxtaposition of rich versus poor, Aristotle proposes a coherent argument to the effectiveness of government, of community.

Works Cited

Aristotle. Politics. New York, NY, Barnes &Amp; Noble, Inc., 2005.

TOW #15 – “The Optimism of Barack Obama”

Less than a week before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, the Editorial Board of the New York Times published an article, The Optimism of Barack Obama, regarding the presidency of Barack Obama. Suggesting he is “one of the most popular presidents in recent decades,” (Board 1) the Editorial Board employs strong diction and statistical information to drive his argument to Americans that President Barack Obama was a progressive leader over his two terms in office. Connecting this presidency to President-elect Donald Trump, the board states, “the bigotry that president-elect Donald Trump capitalized on during his run for office [showed that] simply electing a black president would not magically dispel the prejudices that have dogged the country since its inception,” (Board 2) suggesting that while Obama’s presidency itself was progressive, it does not mean the nation has been automatically healed. With these connections, the Editorial Board includes the wording “magically dispel” in order to define what is expected of a president. Furthermore, the Editorial Board includes statistical data to remind Americans of some of President Obama’s accomplishments: “preserving or creating an average of 1.6 million jobs a year for four years” (Board 3) and “[reducing] Americans without insurance to a record low 9.1 percent in 2015” (Board 4). With this data, the Editorial Board produces a strong appeal to logos, logically proving several aspects of Obama’s presidency that defined him as a successful leader that Americans needed. The Editorial Board’s strong diction and use of statistical information assists to evoke emotions of patriotism in Americans, allowing the board to continue extensively on the beneficial impacts Obama has had on the nation. Moreover, given the identified rhetorical devices above, the Editorial Board demonstrated a focused argument to Americans that Obama’s optimism and leadership made him an effective executive to direct the nation.

Works Cited

Board, Editorial. “The Optimism of Barack Obama.” The New York Times, 15 Jan. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/01/14/opinion/sunday/the-optimism-of-barack-obama.html?ref=topics&_r=0, p. 10.

TOW #14 – “Cold War relic, present day threat”

Charles Krauthammer, a writer for the Washington Post and winner of the National Magazine Award for Essays and Criticism in 1984, wrote Cold War relic, present day threat to comment on practical solutions to the large threat North Korea poses to the United States of America. Krauthammer produces an effective argument through his rhetoric, including elements of listing and hyperbole to emphasize his argument. While Krauthammer recognizes that the United States’ “options are stark,” (Krauthammer) he continues to suggest multiple plans of action, including “preemptive attack,” (Krauthammer) shooting the test ICBM, and leveraging China. While he only provides a minimal addition to expand upon each of these possible plans, listing alternative routes shows how United States intervention in North Korea could be effective in deterring the threat they pose. Additionally, Krauthammer employs hyperbole to exaggerate to Americans the need for intervention in the first place. He claims that “[supporting Japan in acquiring nuclear weapons] is a radical step that goes against our general policy of nonproliferation. But the point is to halt proliferation to the infinitely more dangerous regime in North Korea” (Krauthammer). While North Korea poses a very large threat to the United States, Krauthammer employs hyperbole in his rhetoric via phrases like “infinitely more dangerous” to stress the enormous threat that North Korea poses with nuclear weaponry. Furthermore, he discusses the possibility of the United States violating this policy of nonproliferation as a “radical step” (Krauthammer) that can be taken if other plans were proven ineffective. Krauthammer’s editorial takes a very serious tone as it suggests nuclear armaments to counteract North Korea, but his employment of listing and hyperbole contributes to his purpose of describing the importance of United States action in North Korea. While military action is a very complicated and difficult process, Krauthammer proves a convincing argument to all Americans that governmental action can—and should—take place.

Works Cited

Krauthammer, Charles. “Cold War Relic, Present-Day Threat.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 5 Jan. 2017, www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/cold-war-relic-present-day-threat/2017/01/05/623c720e-d384-11e6-9cb0-54ab630851e8_story.html?utm_term=.a660d3b6baad.