Soapstone Analysis:
Speaker: Malcolm Jenkins, Doug Baldwin and Eric Reid are all National Football League players which appeals to ethos because they have a first hand account of the "take a knee" protest. They all disagree with the injustices that occur and they demonstate this through their earnest tone and eagerness to "take a knee" in order to fight for what they believe in. In addition, they are all apart of a minority, which are often the target for discrimination and injustice, so their point of view helps readers understand why they participate in the protest and wrote the article. Occasion: This article was published on October 16, 2017 which was around the time when the "take a knee" protest grasped the attention of many people. An abundance of football players this year also began participating in the protest in order to get point across that these injustices are unacceptable and would not be taken any further. Audience: The author intended this text toward other NFL players who also want to support the protest, in order to show that this is a big problem and many have concerns over it. In addition, Jenkins, Baldwin and Reid also intended this article toward anyone who supported the fight to end racial injustice Purpose: Jenkins, Baldwin, and Reid wrote this article with the purpose to bring awareness to the racial and social injustices that certain groups of American civilians face. These groups are often the minority race or minority social class/ status and are treated differently in the justice system, which has even caused many lives over the past couple of years. The authors explain why they "take the knee" by including actual statistics that deal with major aspects of injustice, such as jail time and bail. They want readers to understand that these injustices will no longer be taken lightheartedly and protest will be in effect so long these injustices continue. Subject: The general topic of this article is that many minorities face injustices in many aspects of their life, which often limit their opportunities, and many are protesting against it in order to put a stop to it. Tone/ Diction: The author’s forthright and earnest tone are conveyed through their informal diction. Although the diction was informal, the earnest and forthright tone helped give it a bit of seriousness aside from the word choices. The diction helped emphasize the tone by including serious remarks and problems, using words easily understandable to most readers. This diction was evident in the phrase such as "we keep people locked up who are are too poor to pay bail..." Using this type of diction can have positive and negative implications but these authors made the most out of it by making it have a bit of a formal feel to it. They also conveyed the forthright tone by not sugar coating any of their opinion and starting right off the bat with their argument, without hesitation. They also convey their tone through their angry and concerned emotions which allow readers to understand that they are very passionate in their rights and would do anything in order to keep them. This was shown in the phrase, "A system that keeps people locked up because of poverty is morally reprehensible." This statement was very passionate and illustrated the main argument in a way through which the tone and diction contribute to the significant meaning of the article. Rhetorical Appeals: Rhetorical appeals were literary devices that contributed to understand the underlying meaning of the article and they were evident abundantly throughout the text. The authors established ethos first by writing on CNN, which is a global news site known for credibility. They also appeal to ethos by being both NFL players so they get a first hand account of the "take a knee" protest so they are more knowledgeable about it. In addition, the author includes testimonies of other people's cases to add to the credibility because those people had first hand endeavors with injustice. The authors appeal to pathos by including things like "She lost her job, home and couldn't care for her children." and "Kandace Edwards, unemployed, homeless and seven months pregnant, allegedly forged a $75 check. Slapped with a $7,500 bail amount she could not pay, Edwards slept on a mat in the jail for one night". most people have a strong emotional bond with their children so to think about not being able to provide for them because of being in jail is very heartbreaking. This adds to pathos by leaving a heartbroken feeling, that is often associated with not being able to provide for kids and doing desperate things in order to make ends meet. Lastly the authors appeals to logos on many accounts through the statistics and facts they use in order to add to both credibility and to back up information provided in the text. This appeal was evident in the phrase “75% of people who are locked up are there for low-level offenses like drug or property crime, according to a study by the Criminal Justice Policy Program at Harvard Law School.” This statement includes both a credible source and statistics to back it up which are key in rhetoric. These appeals are key in conveying Jenkins, Baldwin, and Reid’s argument and allow readers to understand the purpose of the text. http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/16/opinions/nfl-bail-reform-opinion/index.html
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