Editorial Rhetorical Analysis: Prohibition at Wrigley

I came across an editorial from the Chicago Tribune Online, entitled Prohibition in Wrigleyville by an unlisted author. This editorial addresses the topic of Mayor Daley asking tavern owners around Wrigley Field to "voluntarily" cut off alcohol sales in the 7th inning of Cubs games during post-season play, just as vendors in the park do, to keep levels of mischief and violence down. This author argues that this is not a good choice for several reasons. The audience for this argument includes two major groups: government officials that have a say in this issue and more Cubs fans over the age of 21 that would be watching the post season games from the taverns surrounding Wrigley Field. The author mostly appeals to the second audience mentioned because he demonstrates that he shares values with those readers and understands them, especially in his closing remark "Cubs fans have waited 100 years for a World Series title. Come October, they're going to need a beer to celebrate—or to cry in. They shouldn't have to leave Wrigleyville to find one." He shows that he shares the feelings of those fans by using pathos to appeal to that group of fans emotion of excitement for their favorite baseball making their way towards history.

This author lacks some ethos because his or her background in the subject matter is left unstated. Also, most of the evidence is tailored to writer's agenda and the counterarguments/objections are left mostly unexplored. However the writer does sound trustworthy because the sources used as evidence to support the claim are documented. The evidence used appeals to logos because of the reliable proof of firsthand account quotes cited to be said by Mayor Daley and the Chicago Police spokeswoman.

This argument succeeds in presenting the issue at hand and clearly stating its viewpoint, backing it with supporting details and facts. However the argument is only somewhat successful in the editorial's purpose of persuasion to its viewpoint. Rather it does a better job of informing readers about the issue with a strong bias.

Fear of the Weather

With the record-breaking amount of rain we have been receiving all weekend and the news of Hurricane Ike, I thought of the driving question of our new unit: "What happens to the people in charge in a fearful time?" Although these current weather conditions are by no means a disastrous time to the extent of the events that we will be studying in this upcoming unit, the people of these regions still look to "the people in charge" for guidance and direction. After an reading article about Hurricane Ike relief efforts , I learned that President Bush is planning to travel to Houston on Tuesday to offer sympathy to families that have been devastated by the Hurricane and "lend support to victims." Also quoted in the article were several victims of the storm who evacuated in fear of the weather to come, and also others who feared for the well-being of family members they have residing in Texas because they have not been able to contact them. In addition, the Governor of Texas and the mayor of Houston along with the mayors of the individual towns outside of Houston and on the coast that were effected, are working hard to put their emergency plans into action. They have instated curfews in Houston and are ordering people to evacuate until power can be restored to certain areas. The leaders of this region are displaying their authority over the people that reside there by declaring a plan of action. Many people have not listened to those in authority though, and have tried to ride the storm out. Those who listened to the plan and evacuated were glad they did. Eight deaths have resulted from the storm.
An interesting parallel on a much small scale to Hurricane Ike is the flooding in the Chicagoland area due to the severe rainstorms this past weekend. In an article discussing these rainstorms, it was stated that "Chicago authorities asked Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to issue a disaster declaration after rainfall Saturday." It seems to be a common theme in times of fear to look to the leaders in charge to seek guidance and to ask for them to take control. It will be interesting to see how our driving question is answered during this unit, and what the common themes seem to be throughout history.

Identifying with Ethnicity, Gender, Race, and Religion

After choosing Palin as his running mate, McCain's campaign has gained significant momentum. The most recent polls put him at about neck-and-neck with Obama in the 2008 presidential race. It has been speculated that McCain chose Palin as his running mate to gain the female supporters of the former democratic party candidate Hilary Clinton. This raises the question: do people identify with one canidate versus another based on gender? How about based on ethnicity, race, or religion?

In Reservation Blues, ethnicity plays a big role in determining how the members of Coyote Springs identify with others around them and how others reacts towards the members of Coyote Springs. One of the reasons Thomas is so drawn to Chess is because she is a fellow Native American. Chess and Checkers dislike Betty and Veronica because they are white women. Checkers grows fond of Father Arnold though their sharing in the Catholic faith. People have a tendency to identify with people of their own race, religion, gender, and ethnicity due to the commonalities they share.

With this generalization in mind, are certain people supporting Palin just because she is a woman? McCain because he is a white male? Obama because he is an African-American Christian? In my opinion, people should not support on candidate over other based solely on their race, religion, gender, or ethnicity. Each candidate should be viewed based on their political stances on the present concerning issues.

I found these articles to be relevant to this topic:
McCain Gains Momentum in New Poll
Obama's 'My Muslim Faith' Gaffe Fuels New Round of Rumor-Busting

First Post

American Studies First Post