Task: Review ethos here: Ethos One-Pager. Then, in a response of no more than 350 words and no less than 250 words, describe a situation in which a speaker effectively appealed to ethos or failed to appeal to ethos. You can use one of the speeches we analyzed in class last week or come up with your own example. If you analyze a speech, you should include direct evidence, but if you describe a scenario, description is fine.
Checklist
- My blog post is fully developed (250-350 words).
- My blog post follows a logical structure that is focused on one supported central idea
- I use my own thinking to back up my thoughts rather than over reliance on quotations from the text (when relevant)
- I use content-area vocab, including terms from the ethos one-pager and the rhetorical situation (first day lecture).
- I use transitions to connect my ideas
- I vary my sentence structure and adopt conversational tone to engage my peers
- Contains few errors in spelling, grammar, and conventions
In the Presidential speech by former President Obama, Obama addresses the tragedy of the Sandy Hook Elementary mass shooting. In this speech in particular Obama develops a strong use of Ethos when conversing with his audience. Obama believes, "We've endured too many of these tragedies in the past few years. And each time I learn the news, I react not as a President, but as anybody else would: as a parent. And that was especially true today. I know there's not a parent in America who doesn't feel the same overwhelming grief that I do.” (Obama, 2012) He approaches this by creating a relatable link with him as a person (not as president) to the people in the audience, by commenting on being a parent. To let the parents who are suffering know that he understands their pain since he is also a parent. This is an effective use of Ethos because often society views Presidents as important figures and not a person who comprehends issues below the Presidential status. In response to that gap between the President and society, Obama realizes this and tells people that he can imagine the pain of losing their child, especially at a young age.
ReplyDeleteHe then proceeds, "The majority of those who died today were children, beautiful little kids between the ages of 5 and 10 years old. They had their entire lives ahead of them: birthdays, graduations, weddings, kids of their own. Among the fallen were also teachers, men and women who devoted their lives to helping our children fulfill their dreams." (Obama, 2012) Since these children were so young in age Obama emphasizes this and notices that these parents are in deep despair because they will never see their child grow up and experience life, building the use of Ethos to not only say I understand what you’re feeling but why you’re feeling it. Overall, the application of Ethos used my Obama makes him trustworthy and credible.
Former President of the United States Barack Obama demonstrated an effective use of the artistic appeal ethos in his statement on a school shooting. On December 14, 2012, Barack Obama made his statement on the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Twenty children between the ages of six and seven years old were fatally shot. In his statement, Obama informs Americans about the tragic event and shows that he cares for the victims and wants to counsel their families. Obama uses ethos automatically because he himself is a father of two children and understands what the families of the victims must be going through.
ReplyDeleteFirst, Obama uses ethos in order to display that he cares for the victims on the Sandy Hook school shooting. Obama states, “each time I learn the news I react not as a President, but as anybody else would- as a parent”. This demonstrates the usage of ethos because he is connecting with the audience with the shared position as a parent. This an effective form of using ethos because it is a way for him to connect with the grieving families of the young victims and displays that he cares about the families. He displays through his speech that he understands the pain of losing a child. In addition, Obama’s use of ethos in this speech is also significant because he shows that he is not only a president but he is also a parent like many others that were impacted from the school shooting.
Next, Obama continues to use the artistic appeal of ethos throughout his statement on the school shooting in order to call for meaningful changes in policy to prevent such tragic events like the Sandy Hook school shooting. Obama says, “And these children are our children”. By saying “our children” Obama is emphasizing that he cares for the victims as if they are his own. It makes Obama seem similar to the audience and thereby effectively showing that he cares about the loss of children as much as the children’s own parents. He calls for meaningful change because he also does not want to see children dying in such tragic events.
Therefore, Barack Obama’s use of ethos in his statement was effective because he is a reputable speaker that can connect to the event through being a father.
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ReplyDeleteFormer President Barack Obama demonstrated ethos in his statement after a school shooting. Obama connects with his audience through displaying his sympathy for the parents who lost their children. Obama stated, "We've endured too many of these tragedies in the past few years. And each time I learn the news, I react not as a President, but as anybody else would: as a parent. And that was especially true today. I know there's not a parent in America who doesn't feel the same overwhelming grief that I do"(Obama,2012). This illustrates a form of ethos that Obama used because he is connecting with the audience as a parent, not as the powerful president he is. Furthermore, this is an effective form of ethos because now the audience views Obama as credible and trustworthy, the audience can now see he connects with them, and feels for them because he is a also a parent who cares deeply for his children. In addition, Obama continues to use ethos throughout his speech when he talks about change that can prevent further tragedies like this from happening again. Obama states, “And these children are our children”. By saying the words "are our children" Obama displays his care for the parents who lost their kids and kids across the world. Obama Calls for meaningful change because he doesn't want to see any children dying in such tragic events. Lastly, Barack Obama's use of ethos was indeed effective because he is credible, trustworthy, and was able to connect to his audience from the standpoint of a parent.
ReplyDeletePresident Obama most effectively appeals to ethos through his connection to his audience, his parenthood and his tears during his speech. Although many may believe that his tears were staged for the speech and not genuine, it must be considered that staged or not, his speech was convincing and no one can underestimate his ability to convey his message of political change through a poignant and grim tone. His personal connection to parents is his first appeal to ethos. He says, “ And each time, I react not a president, but as anyone else would--as a parent”. His choice of words include “broken” and “torn” later on in the test depict the empathy he posses for victims and the parents and family of all those who attended Sandy Hook Elementary School. This only elevates his argument for stricter gun laws and a call for action for all americans, parents in particular. He is triggering the parental pain and protective feeling and channeling it into positive action. His second appeal to ethos is when he tried to convince his audience that he needs them. He recognizes the collective effort required to change laws and he wants to make sure that he needs his audience to “come together”.
ReplyDeleteHis compared and contrasted the different shootings and tied them all back into his argument against gun violence and for “meaningful action...regardless of the politics”. His choice of saying “regardless of politics” suggests that he will sincerely try to bring about political change. Overall his credibility comes not only from being president but also his convincing speech that makes his audience trust his abilities and will thus cooperate with his requests.
On December 14, 2012, former President Barack Obama made a presidential speech informing Americans of the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. In this speech Obama appeals to ethos connecting to his audience and proving his credibility. In the beginning of his speech, Obama says “And each time I learn the news I react not as a President, but as anybody else would — as a parent…. I know there’s not a parent in America who doesn’t feel the same overwhelming grief that I do”. When Obama refers to himself as a parent, he allows the audience to not only see him as the President of the United States, but as another parent in America who cares for their child’s safety. This allows American parents to relate to another parent in America causing them to want to hear what he has to say now that they find him more credible. Later in his speech, Obama then says, “Michelle and I will do what I know every parent in America will do, which is hug our children a little tighter and we’ll tell them that we love them”. As Obama describes how his family will react, he further relates to parents in America as he shows how he will act the same way as they will due to this unfortunate event. As Obama proves his credibility as a father, parents in America are more likely to listen and believe what he has to say as they see he understands what they are going through. Overall Obama appeals to ethos throughout his speech to gain his audience’s attention and trust to help him inform Americans of a tragic event that has occurred.
ReplyDeleteIn 2012 Barack Obama addressed the tragedy of the Sandy Shooting in Newtown, CT. Obama established ethos in his speech to help deliver his overall message. Obama begins his speech by providing information on the investigative activity that would be pursued. He utilized his resources around him to express a dejected tone throughout the speech. Obama maintains his tone by giving statements of comfort to the families and credibility. Obama asserts the idea that “ We’ve endured too many of the tragedies in the past few years.”(Obama,2012) by making a statement as small this he is able to build a connection between him and his audience. Using the term “we” created a bridge between the families dealing with this tragedy and the Former President himself. Obama continues to state “And each time I learn the news I react not as a President, but as anybody else would— as a parent.”(Obama,2012) Obama’s use of diction only makes his ability to use ethos so much stronger.
ReplyDeleteObama magnified the tone of the speech entirely by classifying his audience ‘parents’. He unfolds how he too stands in the same position as the parents, which only reinforces his credibility as a person giving the speech. By establishing that he connects with the audience he forms a potential to trust .His position of power did not give him that credibility but his connection as a parent allowed the audience to believe in his message. Obama further exercises his sympathizing technique to secure his message. “ because while nothing can fill the space of a lost child or loved one, all of us can extend a hand to those in need.”(Obama,2012) The success of ethos served in Obama’s favor because he was able to link a group of people together to deliver his message.
On December 12 , 2014 former president Barack Obama spoke a speech to address the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting. In this speech Obama uses appeals, to ethos right at the start of his speech showing his credibility by saying , “We’ve endured too many of these tragedies in the past few years. And each time I learn the news I react not as a President, but as anybody else would -- as a parent. And that was especially true today. I know there’s not a parent in America who doesn’t feel the same overwhelming grief that I do.” He is using ethos by connecting to the audience, who may be fellow parents who are dealing with grief dying this tragedy. He is not looking at this as a president, but as one of the parents who are trying recover after this ghastly act. This allows the audience to relate to a fellow American parent which makes him more credible. Later , in his speech he continues showing his credibility by saying , “This evening, Michelle and I will do what I know every parent in America will do, which is hug our children a little tighter and we’ll tell them that we love them, and we’ll remind each other how deeply we love one another. But there are families in Connecticut who cannot do that tonight.” As Obama continues to explain how him and his family will act during this time , this will be visible to other Americans which they can relate to when trying to fully understand what happened during this disastrous event. Obama, using the appeals of ethos by proving his credibility of a father which convinces fellow Americans to understand what he saying. Overall Obama using appeals of ethos, grabs the audience attention by Saying how he would act as a father not a president during this unfortunate time.
ReplyDeleteIn President Barack Obama's speech following the attacks on Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, he appeals to Ethos by creating a connection to the Victims and people of America and showing his credibility towards the situation. Towards the beginning of the speech he states " And each time I learn the news I react not as a President, but as anybody else would, as a parent. And that was especially true today. I know there’s not a parent in America who doesn’t feel the same overwhelming grief that I do.” In this part, Obama is building a connection with those parents who during the time of the incident had felt a sort of sorrow and were deeply impacted by the attacks on little children. He is also reacting to the situation as someone who has also been hurt by the following events, by doing this the audience feels safer and can relate to. Continuing on in the speech, and he states "Michelle and I will do what I know every parent in America will do, which is hug our children a little tighter and we’ll tell them that we love them". By sharing out the actions Obama and his wife did following the attacks, gives the audience another thing to relate to in terms of being parents as well during this miserable time in America. Overall Obama uses ethos in order to prove his credibility to his audience and sharing out with America how his reactions were also similar to those of other parents in America.
ReplyDeleteIn President Barack Obama's speech following the attacks on Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, he appeals to Ethos by creating a connection to the Victims and people of America and showing his credibility towards the situation. Towards the beginning of the speech he states " And each time I learn the news I react not as a President, but as anybody else would, as a parent. And that was especially true today. I know there’s not a parent in America who doesn’t feel the same overwhelming grief that I do.” In this part, Obama is building a connection with those parents who during the time of the incident had felt a sort of sorrow and were deeply impacted by the attacks on little children. He is also reacting to the situation as someone who has also been hurt by the following events, by doing this the audience feels safer and can relate to. Continuing on in the speech, and he states "Michelle and I will do what I know every parent in America will do, which is hug our children a little tighter and we’ll tell them that we love them". By sharing out the actions Obama and his wife did following the attacks, gives the audience another thing to relate to in terms of being parents as well during this miserable time in America. Overall Obama uses ethos in order to prove his credibility to his audience and sharing out with America how his reactions were also similar to those of other parents in America.
ReplyDeletein former president George w bush's speech addressing the attack on the world trade center in New York. he appealed to Ethos very effectively by creating a unifying statement while also telling the country why this will never break them. "The pictures of airplanes flying into buildings, fires burning, huge -- huge structures collapsing have filled us with disbelief, terrible sadness, and a quiet, unyielding anger. These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat. But they have failed. Our country is strong." he is presenting that the damage done was temporary but America will never be broken. this appeals to ethos because it reinforces people hope in America while also giving people time to grief. another way he appeals to ethos through unifying statements such as "Tonight, I ask for your prayers for all those who grieve, for the children whose worlds have been shattered, for all whose sense of safety and security has been threatened. And I pray they will be comforted by a Power greater than any of us, spoken through the ages in Psalm 23:" overall his use of unifying statements give the victims time to grief while also saying we will come back stronger then ever before.
ReplyDeleteImmediately after the 9/11 tragedy, former president George W. Bush appeals to ethos by creating a sense of credibility between himself and the audience. Throughout his speech he maintained a hopeful tone which helped him describe why the attack on the World Trade Center was immoral, the attacks aren’t going to damage the heart of America, and it also helped him connect with his audience by asking the victims to pray for the people who have lost their lives and for the future of America. Bush states “ We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbored them.” Therefore he gains some credibility by saying this because he is arguing that those who created this tragedy committed the same “ evil acts” as those who actually perpetrated it. Many families who lost their loved ones will feel the need to support Bush’s claim because they would also put a direct blame on the terrorists for doing such a thing in the first place. This implies that Bush is categorizing the actions of the terrorists as immoral by calling it evil. This further creates a connection with him and the audience because many people felt like their lives were “shattered” after the loss of their loved ones. Secondly, he asks for the prayers for the victims of this attack. He states “ Tonight I ask for our prayers for all of those who grieve, for the children whose worlds have been shattered … And I pray they will be comforted by a power greater than any of us.” This demonstrates that Bush is being relatable towards his audience and is creating a sense of unity between people because he wants everybody including himself to have hope for those who were affected and for the safety of America. In the end, he gains more trust by saying “ America has stood down for enemies before, and we will do so this time.”Therefore he further maintains a hopeful tone by saying that the United States isn’t going to back down from further attacks on American “ Freedom”. Overall Bush appeals to ethos throughout his speech in order to ensure that the victims will feel hopeful that America will be more safer and secure in the future.
ReplyDeleteIn 2012, there was a mass shooting at Sandy Hook elementary school in Connecticut. 20 children and adults were killed in this tragic incident. On December 14, following the shooting, President Barack Obama spoke on the subject. In his speech, President Obama effectively uses ethos to appeal to the audience. First, he connects to the audience by emphasizing the similarity between himself and those affected by the Sandy Hook shooting. He states “each time I learn the news I react not as a president but as anyone else would.” Obama is able to connect to his audience by associating himself with the parents experiencing this tragedy. He emphasizes that he is also a parent and can connect to the pain they are feeling from losing a child. Obama also does this to appear less authoritative and more caring and remorseful, which makes him appear trustworthy and endears him to the audience. Similarly, President Obama uses a variety of diction to establish ethos. Throughout the entire speech he uses phrases like “we” and “our.” These words are specifically chosen to suggest the president believes this shooting is not only an issue in Connecticut, but an issue concerning the entire country. Repetition of the phrase “we” implies a sense of communal support for the victims of this tragedy. It makes Obama appear reliable and trustworthy because it suggests he truly cares about the issue. Overall, President Obama’s successful use of ethos allows him to appeal to an audience of distraught parents following a school shooting.
ReplyDeleteIn response to the Newtown shooting, President Barack Obama issued a speech dedicated to the grieving families of victims affected by the tragedy. He uses the artistic appeal of ethos to characterize himself as sincere and relatable in order to connect with the audience at a deeper level. He also uses ethos when he establishes credibility after informing the audience of the frequency behind similar attacks the country has faced, overall emphasizing the need for stronger policies to prevent further shootings.
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of his speech, Obama uses ethos to relate to his audience and inform them that in response to the Newtown shooting, he reacted as any other parent in America would. He says, “We’ve endured too many of these tragedies in the past few years. And each time I learn the news I react not as a president, but as anybody else would -- as a parent.” By establishing that his reaction to such tragedies is that of any fathers, he is able to relate to the parents in the audience and inform them that he too, is concerned for the safety of their children and can relate. Stating his reaction as a parent first, reveals that he is trying to show the audience that he is one of them, which generates sincerity.
Equally important, towards the end of his speech, Obama uses ethos to address the country as a whole and remind them that this is not the first time a tragedy has happened before. He says, “As a country, we have been through this too many times.” His use of the word “we” already draws the attention of everyone watching by addressing the country as our country. He goes on to say, “Whether it’s an elementary school in Newton, or a shopping mall in Oregon, or a temple in Wisconsin…” This reveals that not only is Obama emotionally connecting with the audience, but he is also establishing credibility as president. He sheds light onto previous shootings throughout the U.S to reaffirm the consistency behind them and ultimately call for the need of stronger policy.
Thus, within his speech, President Barack Obama uses the artistic appeal of ethos to characterize himself as sincere and relatable by sharing similarities with the audience, and demonstrates his credibility as president by shedding light toward the many tragedies and responses they have faced as a nation.
In former president Barack Obama’s speech where he addresses the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting, Obama utilizes the artistic appeal that is Ethos to develop credibility and trust between the audience and himself. Obama reassures to his audience that he too is a parent and can only imagine what the families of the victims are going through. Obama states, “each time I learn the news [of tragedy] I react not as a President, but as anybody else would -- as a parent” (Obama, 2012). In other words, Obama clarifies that not only has this tragedy impacted him poorly, but due to his shared title as a parent, he is farther more sympathetic. Obama employs Ethos in this portion of his speech as he connects with the parents that have been affected by this tragedy. This is effective as he characterizes himself as relatable and sincere to the audience, but more specifically to the victims who have lost a loved one. Ultimately, this builds Obama’s credibility and trust for his audience to feel as though they are in good hands.
ReplyDeleteObama continues to use techniques that emphasize Ethos further in his speech. He maintains, “This evening, Michelle and I will do what I know every parent in America will do, which is hug our children a little tighter and we’ll tell them that we love them” (Obama, 2012). Here, Obama addresses once again that he too is a parent and he, along with his wife will be sure to cherish their children as they would never want to be ungrateful of them at a time where parents are mourning theirs. The use of Ethos in this part of his speech strengthens his similarity to the audience and essentially creates an engaging connection with his viewers. By doing so, viewers will deem Obama as a reliable figure and wont stress something terrible like this tragedy affecting them in the future.
Furthermore, Obama perpetuates the artistic appeal of Ethos to build honesty and validity between the audience and himself. He emphasizes his title as a parent and sympathizes with the victim of the tragedy to do so.
On December 14th, 2012, Obama responded to the Sandy Hook shooting in which he effectively appealed to ethos. He conveyed credibility and shared interest with the audience in order to prove that he is sincere and trustworthy. For instance, in his speech he exhibits that he shares the concerns of the audience. He makes his feelings about the school shooting known when he states, “I react not as a President, but as anybody else would -- as a parent.” (Obama). In this way, he connects to the audience by revealing how he has the same viewpoint on the tragedy. By saying that he does not react as a President, he is setting aside the politics of it in order to represent his true feelings that many Americans also share. He describes his feelings as “overwhelming grief”. This implies how much he can relate to the audeince because they also share the same feelings. Many Americans and families of the victims are also experiencing grief as a result of the shooting. Overall, Obama is able to defend that he is credible and Americans should listen to him because he feels the same way. Obama also announces that “Michelle and I will do what I know every parent in America will do, which is hug our children a little tighter and we’ll tell them that we love them.” Through this statement, Obama displays shared interest with the audience again by shedding light on how important his kids are to him. This enhances his sincerity because he was also affected by the shooting just like all parents in America that can relate in the same way. To conclude, through exemplifying his feelings subsequent to the school shooting, Obama is able to connect to the audience and prove to them that he is trustworthy, sincere, and credible.
ReplyDeleteIn Former President Obama’s speech addressing the tragedy of the 2012 shooting in Connecticut, Obama uses ethos. He has automatic ethos and his speech, because of his position as The president at the time, this conveyed his hope in taking steps in trying to resolve the worsening situation, as these events continue to occur. But he also creates ethos as he conveys to his audience that he understands what everyone is going through because he is a parent. In The beginning of a speech he states “each time I learn the news I react not as a President, but as anybody else would -- as a parent.” (Obama, 2012) By stating this he is able to appeal to ethos by convey his message without seeming to be uninterested in the topic. He is also able to connect with the people by stating that he understands how the nation is feeling. This not only acknowledges the nation as a whole, but also sympathizes with the audience, as it makes the president seem more like a regular citizen not like the at the time president, making it easier for the audience to connect with the what Obama saying. Not only does this apply to ethos but it also applies to pathos, as it evokes feeling and sympathy from the audience. To conclude Former President Obama appeals to ethos in his speech addressing the 2012 shooting, by conveying to the audience that he understands the pain the nation is going through as a parent, in doing this he is able to prove that his speech is credible, because he understands the true tragedy that happened.
ReplyDeleteOn December 14, 2012, former President Barack Obama delivered his statement on the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newton, Connecticut. In his speech, Barak Obama demonstrated an effective appeal to ethos as he calls for changes in policy that will prevent more shootings through a sorrowful tone. The way he effectively appealed to ethos was when he responded to the shooting with his connection as a parent. He states, “And each time I learn the news I react not as a President, but as anybody else would -- as a parent. And that was especially true today. I know there’s not a parent in America who doesn’t feel the same overwhelming grief that I do.” (Obama, 2012). He displays a connection he has with the audience that reveals him to be relatable and trustworthy because he is a parent of two children. In other words, Obama understands the pain and the distress feelings grieving Americans are going through, creating a sense of credibility between the audience and himself as he shares the same emotions and concerns as other parents. He continues to do so when he says, "Our hearts are broken for the parents of the survivors as well, for as blessed as they are to have their children home tonight, they know that their children’s innocence has been torn away from them too early, and there are no words that will ease their pain. " (Obama, 2012). When Obama uses the word "our" it emphasizes that everyone is facing the same struggles and that no one is in this situation alone. By doing so, he convinces the audience to believe and support his message. Overall, Barack Obama's use of ethos allowed him to be credible and trustworthy as he was able to connect with the audience.
ReplyDeleteIn Former President Obama’s speech addressing the tragedy of the 2012 shooting in Connecticut, Obama uses ethos. He has automatic ethos and his speech, because of his position as The president at the time, this conveyed his hope in taking steps in trying to resolve the worsening situation, as these events continue to occur. But he also creates ethos as he conveys to his audience that he understands what everyone is going through because he is a parent. In The beginning of a speech he states “each time I learn the news I react not as a President, but as anybody else would -- as a parent.” (Obama, 2012) By stating this he is able to appeal to ethos by convey his message without seeming to be uninterested in the topic. He is also able to connect with the people by stating that he understands how the nation is feeling. This not only acknowledges the nation as a whole, but also sympathizes with the audience, as it makes the president seem more like a regular citizen not like the at the time president, making it easier for the audience to connect with the what Obama saying. Not only does this apply to ethos but it also applies to pathos, as it evokes feeling and sympathy from the audience. To conclude Former President Obama appeals to ethos in his speech addressing the 2012 shooting, by conveying to the audience that he understands the pain the nation is going through as a parent, in doing this he is able to prove that his speech is credible, because he understands the true tragedy that happened.
ReplyDeleteOn October 1st of 2017, there was the biggest mass shooting that America had ever seen in Las Vegas, at the Harvest music festival. There was more than 50 killed, and over 500 people injured. On the following day, October 2nd, President Donald J. Trump gave a speech addressing the tragedy. He was able to demonstrate his Ethos to the audience by making himself seem knowledgeable and trustworthy. To make himself appear more knowledgeable, he quoted the scripture by stating, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” By alluding to the bible, it makes what he is conveying more clear and relatable to the audience by referencing literature that many people are aware of. This also connects to his strong sense of Ethos because quoting the bible with a hopeful makes him more credible and will get a larger reaction from his audience. People tend to turn to higher powers in times of despair, and the fact that Trump did that will cause the audience to gain confidence in him as a leader. The next way that Trump validates his Ethos is by stating in his speech that “The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security are working closely with local authorities to assist with the investigation, and they will provide updates as to the investigation and how it develops.” It may not seem like he is doing much here, only just stating the process of the investigation. What he is actually doing is providing the audience with information that he had access to because he is the president. When a crisis happens and there is not a lot of information released on it, people will listen to anyone in attempts to uncover the details. By saying that there are organizations working on the case, it proves to the audience that he may know something they don’t, or that they should trust him, since the FBI would directly be reporting to him. Overall, Trump is able to establish a strong sense of Ethos with his audience by making himself seem credible, trustworthy and authoritative.
ReplyDeleteOn the day of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, former President Barack Obama delivered a speech informing Americans about the catastrophic shooting and shared his thoughts on it. In his speech, Obama appealed to Ethos by empathizing with families who were deeply affected by this tragic event---demonstrating that he could relate, and by presenting his credibility. In the beginning of his speech, he used an empathetic and warm tone to let parents know that he could relate to their grief and sorrow towards their beloved lost ones. Obama stated, “I know there’s not a parent in America who doesn’t feel the same overwhelming grief that I do”. The words “I know” and “overwhelming grief” suggests that he understood exactly how mourning families felt. He connected to others when saying this and he conveyed a sincere message that he cared for the lives of Americans. Obama reacted to the news not as a President but “as anybody else would--as a parent” and this demonstrates his empathy towards families that were grieving from the news. This made him seem more trustworthy to the audience, meaning he was establishing his credibility as President, because he then assured them that he would do everything in his power as President to help. In this statement, he stressed to his audience that he would do whatever he could to prevent future situations like this from happening and reminded them that he would do his best to comfort those saddened by the news. Thus, this was how former president Barack Obama appealed to Ethos in his speech on the Sandy Hook school shooting.
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ReplyDeleteIn 2012, former US president, Barack Obama made a speech on the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. In this incident, 20 innocent children and adults were killed. In order to be credible, he appeals to ethos by making a connection to himself and the audience. In the beginning, he describes how many Americans were facing fear and grief, and how he relates to them as a parent. “I know there’s not a parent in America who doesn’t feel the same overwhelming grief that I do.” He shares the same value with the audience, which is being part of a family. “So our hearts are broken today-for the parents and grandparents, sisters, and brothers of those little children and for those families of the adults who were lost.” By using “our” he is trying to be relatable and feel connected with individual victim to be trusted.
ReplyDeleteIn the end, he explains his future plans to bring back the attention that he is the president. By doing this, he is appealing to ethos by being trustworthy. At the time, he was one of the powerful leaders in the country, he held the power to increase the security of the citizens. “And they need all of us right now. In the hard days to come, that community needs us to be at our best as Americans. And I will do everything in my power as President to help.” He is illustrating what he can do and what each person can do. By being knowledgeable and relatable, he is persuading the audience to grief and be hopeful as well.
Ethos is a characteristic that is witnessed through credibility and trustworthiness. This characteristic is used by speakers to inform their audience about a topic that concerns everyone. Ethos can be seen in Former President George W Bush’s speech on the September 11th terrorist attacks on the United States of America. At the time of these attacks, Bush was the president of the United States. He appeals to the audience using ethos because he reassures citizens that there will be no attacks on the United States in the future because of their strong security. He also reassures Americans that they have a strong military that can withstand any enemy, which appeals to the trust portion of Ethos. This is because he is trying to gain trust from fellow Americans, he is trying to persuade them that they are safe. As he states, “ut they have failed; our country is strong... A great people has been moved to defend a great nation. Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shattered steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve (Bush,2001)”. This proves how Bush appeals to the Ethos of the audience because he wants Americans to know that they will not fall to their enemies, they are strong and they are powerful in response to these attacks. All in all, Bush wants American citizens to understand that they are safe, and that they can trust him to achieve the goals of American liberty.
ReplyDeleteFormer president Barack Obama, uses Ethos effectively when he delivers his speech addressing the Sandy Hook Shooting that killed students between the ages of 5 and 10 years old and teachers. Ethos is a mode used by speakers to appeal to an audience by demonstrating the same beliefs and having credibility to convince their audience. In his speech, Obama states, “I react not as a President, but as anybody else would -- as a parent. And that was especially true today. I know there’s not a parent in America who doesn’t feel the same overwhelming grief that I do.” By stating this, he asserts his credibility both as former president and a parent to appeal to his audience. This is effective as it demonstrates that Obama can relate to how the parents watching his speech might feel. Obama continues using ethos in his speech when he states, “Our hearts are broken for the parents of the survivors as well, for as blessed as they are to have their children home tonight...” In saying this, Obama appeals to ethos in a way where he acknowledges the emotions of the audience. However, Speeches such as Donald Trump’s statement on the Shooting in Las Vegas, aren’t as effective because of their lack of appeal. Unlike Obama, Trump doesn’t establish a connection with the audience and families of victims in his speech, and his way of addressing it can be more appealing. In his speech, Trump states, “Hundreds of fellow students are now mourning the sudden loss of a loved one-- a parent, a child, a brother or sister.” Although Trump has credibility as president, in his speech he doesn’t form a connection with his audience as effectively as Obama did.
ReplyDeleteOn September 11, 2001, tragedy occurred. In New York City, terrorist had conducted an act of violence causing panic and fear to spread. In response to the event, former President George W. Bush released a public statement. Throughout the release, Bush establishes a strong use of Ethos in order to calm and inform concerned Americans. In the beginning, Bush uses specific diction to categorize himself with the millions that read his address. He states “Good evening. Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack”. (Bush, 2001)The word “our” implies that this event deeply affected all Americans. Regardless of status or amount of power, Bush makes it clear that even himself was shaken by what happened. This is a successful usage of Ethos, as it connects the speaker and his audience by stating their common concerns. With clearly stated common interests, the audience is more likely to understand and acknowledge the purpose of the release. Later in the release, Bush is able to ease the restless audience by listing reasons to avoid panic. At the end of his address, Bush states “America has stood down enemies before, and will do so this time. None of us will ever forget this day. Yet, we go forward to defend freedom and that is good and just in our world.” (Bush, 2001) While stating previous experience involving acts of terror, Bush effectively using Ethos in order to fulfill the purpose of the address. To stop the spread of panic, Bush notes that this is not the first tragedy America has face showing the experience that the government has with these situations. This further clarifies Americas credentials as citizens are put to ease with an understanding of experienced security. To conclude, the extended usage of Ethos, advertises former President Bush as a credible source.
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DeleteIn response to the 9/11 attacks, former President George W. Bush released a public statement. Throughout the speech, Bush categorizes himself with the million concerned Americans. In the beginning, Bush uses specific diction to categorize himself with the millions that read his address. He states “Good evening. Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack”. The word “our” implies that this event deeply affected all Americans. Regardless of status or amount of power, Bush makes it clear that even himself was shaken by what happened. This is a successful usage of Ethos, as it connects the speaker and his audience by stating their common concerns. With clearly stated common interests, the audience is more likely to understand and acknowledge the purpose of the release. Later in the release, Bush is able to ease the restless audience by listing reasons to avoid panic. At the end of his address, Bush states “America has stood down enemies before, and will do so this time. None of us will ever forget this day. Yet, we go forward to defend freedom and that is good and just in our world.” While stating previous experience involving acts of terror, Bush effectively using Ethos in order to fulfill the purpose of the address. To stop the spread of panic, Bush notes that this is not the first tragedy America has face showing the experience that the government has with these situations. This further clarifies Americas credentials as citizens are put to ease with an understanding of experienced security. To conclude, the extended usage of Ethos, to the eyes of the public, acknowledges former President Bush as a credible and trustworthy speaker.
DeleteWhen responding to the shooting in Newtown, former President Barack Obama issued a speech dedicated to the families of victims affected by this horrible event. He uses the artistic appeal of ethos to characterize himself as a sincere and relatable person to connect with the audience at a deeper and closer level. Ethos is also used when he establishes his credibility after demonstrating to the audience of the frequency of attacks the country has faced before, emphasizing the need for stronger policies to prevent shootings in the future.
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of the speech, Obama uses ethos to relate to his audience and inform them that he reacted as any other parent in America would in response to the shooting. He stated, “We’ve endured too many of these tragedies in the past few years. And each time I learn the news I react not as a president, but as anybody else would -- as a parent.” By establishing that his reaction to these shootings is that of any American father, he relates to parents in the audience and inform them that he is concerned for the safety of their famies and can relate. Stating his reaction as a parent first shows how he is trying to show the audience that he is like them.
Equally important, towards the end of his speech, Obama uses ethos to address all of America, reminding them that this is not the first time a tragedy has happened. He stated, “As a country, we have been through this too many times.” The use of the word “we” draws the attention of everyone watching by addressing the country as everyone’s country. He later states, “Whether it’s an elementary school in Newton, or a shopping mall in Oregon, or a temple in Wisconsin…” This reveals that Obama emotionally connecting with the audience and establishing credibility as the president.
To conclude, Barack Obama used the artistic appeal of ethos to characterize himself as a sincere and relatable person by showing his similarities with the audience, demonstrating his credibility as president by shedding light toward the many tragedies and responses they have faced as a nation before.
In the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attack, president Bush used ethos to relate to and reassure the nation in order to keep the nation calm and collected in such a time of crisis. His diction and tone are the tools that he used to convey that feeling of relation and reassurance, and he commands them both masterfully in order to accomplish his goal of national calmness and level-headedness in the aftermath of such a devastating attack.
ReplyDeleteHis impeccable diction made the audience feel his message on a much deeper level, thusly causing it to be extremely impactful. His goal in the speech was to essentially reassure the nation that everything would be okay, and when he used the phrase “America was targeted for attack because we're the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world” it seemed to really accomplish his goal (from a vocal standpoint). The specific words “because we’re the brightest beacon for freedom” not only define to the audience why we were targeted, but why that same statement is a good thing for America. President Bush made it clear to listeners that not only does he believe that we (America) were targeted because were the brightest beacon of freedom on the planet, but that we should celebrate that and not let this act of pure violence and hatefulness change our view on our great nation.
President Bush also has a very convincing and reassuring tone to have in conjunction with his aforementioned powerful diction. He uses words and phrases like “I implemented our government's emergency response plans” and “Our military is powerful, and it's prepared” that can make people feel safe if taken at face value, but there’s even more to it. For those who he knew would dissect this speech he decided to leave even deeper tone meanings, and by saying that he’s implementing protocols and we have a powerful military he not only reassures the people but also terrorists and people with heat in their heart directed at America. He reassures them that America is protected and ready to defend itself.
George W Bush, former president gave a speech addressing the attack on the world trade center in New York this tragedy occurred in which two planes led by terrorist group al Qaida crashed into the towers killing thousands of innocent people. Through his speech he appealed to Ethos very effectively by creating a statement that unites the people of America while also telling them amd the whole country of America why this will never break them. "The pictures of airplanes flying into buildings, fires burning, huge -- huge structures collapsing have filled us with disbelief, terrible sadness, and a quiet, unyielding anger. These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat. But they have failed. Our country is strong." He is presenting that the damage that was done and the pain being felt was temporary and America would not be permanently broken by this event. This appeals to ethos because it reinforces people hope in America while also giving people time to grief. Another way Bush appeals to ethos through more unifying statements such as "Tonight, I ask for your prayers for all those who grieve, for the children whose worlds have been shattered, for all whose sense of safety and security has been threatened. And I pray they will be comforted by a Power greater than any of us, spoken through the ages in Psalm 23:" Ultimately Bushs use of unifying statements appeals to Americans ethos of hope and showing that although we may grieve the losses of our loved ones and heroes the wounds will heal and we as one as America must unite to move forward, together.
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ReplyDeleteOn December Fourteenth, 2009, an Elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, suffered an attack conducted by Adam Lanza. The school was shot down by this killer, and on the day of the incident, president Barack Obama made a statement. Obama’s statement was made up with mainly his empathy towards the victims of this attack, and therefore resulting in his speech using many forms of Ethos, a process that describes a speaker’s ability to tap into shared values with their audience and results in the impression that the speaker is credible, sincere, and trustworthy. Obama would talk about how the victims of this attack weren't just the children or staff members who were killed, but also the parents of these children. He talked about how he felt the parent’s pain, as he is a parent himself and can imagine how hard it must be to lose his kids, as he says “... each time I learn the news react not as a president, but as anyone else would— as a parent.” (Obama). Obama knows that it is more than just heart breaking to find out what has happened to these children and shows this with his use of Ethos. He has obvious shared values between him and the audience, that being his and the audiences offspring and their title as parents. To wrap it up, President Obama clearly knows how to effectively use ethos in his statement on the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, as he relates himself to the audience by stating how he has shared values with the audience and by the use of empathy in his statement.
George W. Bush uses the literary device of Ethos to effectively grasp the readers attention, and further their message. Bush uses a variety of rhetoric and language to appeal to the readers sense of Ethos, for example he states: "Today, our nation saw evil, the very worst of human nature. And we responded with the best of America -- with the daring of our rescue workers, with the caring for strangers and neighbors who came to give blood and help in any way they could"(Bush, 2001). This quote describes how Bush is appealing to the readers sense of belief and faith by referring to the perpetrators of this attack as "evil" or their action being "the very worst of human nature". By doing this, Bush gives the reader a sense of faith and belief that these people are morally and indefensibly wrong in their actions. Bush counters this argument by giving examples of how the American people will prevail despite this evil, and that morally the U.S is superior. Bush does this by stating "daring of our rescue workers" and "caring for strangers and neighbors" to show how the American will and might will prevail despite this attack and evil. This appeals to the readers sense of ethos because it plays into their emotions, and gives them a sense of faith and belief. Another use of ethos in Bush's speech is when he states "America and our friends and allies join with all those who want peace and security in the world, and we stand together to win the war against terrorism"(Bush, 2001). Bush appeals to the readers sense of ethos by placing "America and our friends and allies" as the moral superior in the war against terrorism. This grants the reader a sense of faith and reason for why the U.S is morally right, and terrorists morally wrong.
ReplyDeleteIn the wake of the Sandy Hook shooting on December 14, 2012, President Barack Obama addressed the nation in hopes of informing and comforting the people, and more specifically the victims. Obama was successful in this in large part due to his use of Ethos. Obama was successfully able to make the readers relate to his own experiences, making him seem like a "regular" guy, not a politician. Obama began the speech by informing the nation, and then focusing on a role many can relate to, the role of a parent. Obama directly pointed to the fact that he is able to empathise with the families of the victims, being a father himself. By establishing how he sympathizes with the victims, he became a trustworthy source for the audience. This is directly seen in the 2nd paragraph, saying, "Each time I learn the news I react not as a President, but as anyone would, as a parent". (Obama, 2012). By using the words "as anyone else would", Obama was able to creative the narrative of him being a regular guy, someone everyone can relate to. Often times, politicians are seen as dishonest and deceiving, so Obama shifted the focus from his role as the President, but instead focused on his role as a parent. Simply stating that you are a president does not prove your trustworthiness due to the stigma of dishonesty surrounding politicians. Parents on the other hand is a beloved role, which a large part of the population can relate to. This was a successful use of Ethos, as Obama was able to prove his trustworthiness, by focusing on a shared experience with the audience.
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