Entry #5 - Ducey's Rhetoric
Governor Doug Ducey wrote to the citizens of Arizona in September 2016 with concerns about the future of Arizona. In the article titled "Ducey: Why Arizona needs more college grads" published by AZ Central, Ducey's main idea was the importance of achieving a degree for employment and the Achieve60AZ plan. What the plan entails is that 60 percent of Arizonians are to have a degree by 2030 and the benefits associated with that goal. Doucey claims if we raise degree numbers in the workforce, problems like poverty will decrease, employees will receive higher wages, and more job opportunities will be available.
Taking a deeper look into the article, Ducey uses strong rhetoric to influence his readers and set the tone. What is rhetoric? Why is it important? According to San Diego State University, "Rhetoric refers to the study and uses of written, spoken and visual language" most often referred to as the rhetoric triangle. Included in this so-called triangle are the Latin words ethos, pathos, and logos which help create the message of the text; in English translation, the audience, the writer, and the context.
Ducey writes not as a governor, but attempts to build a connection with the audience by creating an ethical appeal; ethos is evident in his writings as demonstrated in his opening statement:
I’m honored to be governor of Arizona, but today I’m writing not just as an elected official, but as a husband and father. Like you, I care deeply about the future success of all children in our state.
In writing about the success of future children, Ducey uses a high ethical appeal to connect with the audience, and it helps build credibility as well as trustworthiness among readers. He also uses logos, which is the logical or the point of the writing. Ducey uses many statistics and facts from credible and reliable sources to gain the readers' approval of the topic discussed. Lastly in the rhetoric triangle, Ducey uses pathos which is directly related to the emotion of the text. Depending on the words used, the writer can direct the feeling of the text. Continuing on his article, Ducey tries to connect with the current parents of Arizona and the education of their children.
Personally, I do not agree that "education = opportunity." Living in today's economy, there are many opportunities to be successful without a degree. In many cases, people can not afford the expenses of today's education and the fees that tag along with it. Loans and payments are outrageously expensive causing people to not want to get a college education for the fear of being owned by the bank and having to pay off hundreds and thousands of dollars in debt. Jobs today are looking for experience, yes some require degrees, but employers want experienced and hard-working individuals as they are hard to come by. So I see his idea as a good attempt, but I do not think it is highly achievable.
The rhetoric triangle is a key to creating a well-written article and without it, the paper and idea would fall apart. From the author to the logic to the emotion, it all ties together to help with the message the writer is trying to convey. As to the Achieve60AZ plan, I do not that it is highly obtainable due to the high expenses of today's education.
Comments
Post a Comment