Final Post-Definition of a Protest

After experiencing a class such as the rhetoric of protest, I have learned about a variety of protests. I still feel that many protests are violent while many are also nonviolent. Although I first learned that protests where sit-ins, riots, strikes, pickets, and marches, I have now learned many more ways in which people protest. I have seen protests done through a variety of artwork, even some extreme cases such as the starving dog, through music, and through websites or various blog postings. The start of a protest happens because someone or some group of people feel that something is not right and should be changed. Protests can be about anything you could imagine. Examples are protesting against war, various groups of people, government or any type of authority, abortion, starvation, religion, and even things such as what days students should be allowed out of school. I have also learned from this course that not all protests actually work. Many, in fact, get their point across to the listener or viewer but that is merely it. The listener then goes on with his or her day without being drastically changed from the message that the protester was trying to spread. I still agree with my point made in the first blog post that read that in order for a protest to be a success, it must grab, as well as hold, the attention of its audience. Without people's interest in the matter being protested about, no change will be made and the protest will not be a success.

protest song

When choosing protest songs I could not decide between two. Not only did I like both songs and feel that they both represented great protests, but I also could not remember if they had already been shown in class so I decided to bring in both to class. The first I chose was "We're not gonna take it" by the Twisted sisters. This song is sung by a group of punk singers who protest against authority figures in the world. This song can be against anything from parents, to teachers, to the government. The group implies that they will no longer conform to or obey any further authoritative actions.
The second song I chose was "What's going on" by Marvin Gaye. This song protests against social injustice. I talks about how love is the only think that can conquer hate. Marvin Gaye says too many people are unhappy and too many people are dying. He, along with many Americans, wants to know where the love and peace in our world has gone.
Protest songs are effective because they allow people to really put emotion into something they believe in. They are especially effective for those who love music and listen to regularly. "We're not gonna take it" is effective because it is a very fast, upbeat song that one cannot help but to dance and sing along to. "What's going on" is effective in that it focuses on the softer, more emotional side of the issue. It brings to light the fact that people are dying and unhappy and that it needs to be fixed. Protest songs seem to bring about awareness but usually do not seem to bring about change unless the changes are small, personal changes.

The Rhetoric of Ann Coulter and Michael Moore

In my opinion neither Ann Coulter nor Michael Moore should be considered a protestor. I feel that both of these people are not protesting anything but are rather strongly supporting their positions and beliefs. They are more like persuaders than protestors in that they openly state their ideas and feelings in hopes of changing people's views on the political world. I think the American public supports both Coulter and Moore because they are two of very few people who will actually express the feelings and so therefore the people simply follow along with what they say. They have also captured the public eye due in large part to their means of speaking on the subject at hand. Coulter tends to use very strong, aggressive means when speaking. She also uses personal attacks in order to protect her appearance and ethos. On the other hand, Moore has been seen to use comedy and satire as his choice of expression. People find both means of speaking to be interesting and always sure to grab the audience's attention. Although people seem to watch and listen to both Coulter and Moore, I feel that neither is very well respected. The way they come across can be seen as attacking and uncomfortable to many people.

Fallacies and Ann Coulter

Ann Coulter is an extreme conservative who stresses her point about all political issues through her books and her appearances on several talk shows across America. She uses a very harsh tone. She is able to keep her cool while very strongly making her point. She respectfully listens to what her "opponent" is saying and then she defends her argument by making very brief, to the point remarks about the reality of the situation and then stating what the conservative belief is on the issue. She presents her points usually as a defense to what others, often liberals, have said about it. She holds very strong beliefs so it is therefore usually very easy for Ann to make her points. She never lets the words of others bring her down. She simply continues on with her original belief ignoring what was said against it. I find Ann's method somewhat persuasive. However, I think that she is more the type of person who is willing to stand up for what she believes in whether someone else shares her point of view or not. I think she is far more interested in backing her beliefs than in trying to persuade others to take her side in the argument. Other people may or may not find this type of speaker persuasive. Her strong points could capture people's attention but if the audience is full of people just like Ann who have such strong beliefs, then she would probably have a harder time swaying their opinions. The only fallacy I could point out is one that I personally do not see as a fallacy but several other people may. It occurred as Ann compared the war in Iraq to abortion. I agree with her point that killing is the same in all aspects. However, others may feel that she was comparing two completely different things in this conversation.

Writing A Paper

When writing a paper I usually begin by brainstorming about the topic of the paper. I try to come up with several ideas and different paths which I could take to prove my point or to display the argument. I have tried using outlines before but they never seem to be of much help to my paper. However they do help a little bit to put my thought process in a written out and organized format. I think the hardest part for me when writing a paper is the beginning. Once I am started everything seems to flow pretty smoothly. The hardest part of the paper for me is coming up with a thesis that accurately portrays the paper's main argument. It is also a challenge for me to construct a conclusion paragraph that fully and briefly describes the entire paper. The easiest part of the paper is dividing up the argument into three main points which will be talked about throughout the body of the paper. Overall, it seems to be that starting process as well as the conclusion that give me the most trouble.
When I write a paper I usually prefer to be in a quiet place where I can think by myself. I like to be alone so that I can have my entire concentration focused on what I am trying to right about. A clean surface helps me to clear my mind and not focus on the clutter and mess around me. All of these things combined help me to write a proper and well thought out paper.

How does Appearance Affect Protest?

This week we studied The Yes Men as well as the punk rock culture. Both groups, although very different in one sense, have similar means of rebellion. The Yes Men appear like real business men when in reality they are simply two men trying to rebel against the actions and words of the World Trade Organization. Because of the way they are dressed in business suits, people automatically treat them with more respect and authority. In this case, their appearance affects their ethos in a positive way. The punk rock culture appears as a group of adolescents who are always trying to go against authority and to rebel against any norms in society. They are usually seen wearing black clothes, jeans with holes in them, old looking t-shirts with inappropriate wording on them, dog tags, combat boots, khakis, and even camouflage gear. They also use their bodies as a means of rebellion by covering them in tattoos. This appearance was used as the main weapon to defy any authority in society. Their choice of appearance represents their values that people should all be independent and not afraid to do what is not considered normal. I feel that both of these groups represent accurate protests. The Yes Men protest against the WTO while the punk culture protests against authority.

Staging Protests in Different Mediums

PETA and the Guerilla Girls are both groups of individuals who fight strongly for what it is that they believe in. Just as much as PETA wants to protect the safety of animals, the Guerilla Girls wants to enforce feminism just as badly. Both groups use things such as billboards, stickers, and bumper stickers to enhance their protests. With these various ways of stating their claims, both PETA and the Guerilla Girls are able to reach a variety of people. They can influence people walking down the street as they look at billboards or influence people in cars at a traffic light if they use bumper stickers. I feel that for PETA both billboards and stickers are effective. However for the Guerilla Girls, I feel that they should try to influence more areas of society having to do with mostly women such as dance companies or flower shops. My opinions of PETA vary. I agree with not harming animals, but I do not agree with people needing to become vegetarians. Looking at PETA from a position opposite of mine, I would have to believe that animals are equal and just as smart as humans in order to become a vegetarian. For the Guerilla Girls, I find their bright, outgoing ads to be most successful because they immediately grab the audience's attention. Using their specific means to protest such as wearing masks and making humorous signs makes the issue not look as important as I feel that they wish it did.

Critical Mass

Critical mass involves people taking over the streets with bikes rather than cars, buses, or any other means of transportation. The turnout for the critical mass was so large that it upset many people who were trying to continue their normal day to day measures of transportation to and from work. I feel that in some ways this could be seen almost as a silent protest. The bike riders are trying to make a point to all other people that riding bikes as opposed to cars or buses not only eliminates traffic, but it also allows for a more peaceful, thrilling means of transportation. Because this group of people has no assigned leader, it is difficult to pinpoint this act as a true protest. It also makes it more difficult for any type of authority figure to control the group's actions. However, as seen in the video, this led to some harsh actions by the policeman as they pushed people off of bikes and arrested them. If I was a bystander to this act, I would probably think it was very creative. On the other hand I would be a little angry if I was the person in the car and was being blocked from the streets by people on bikes.

Ethos as a Means of Persuasion

Ethos is supposed to be used in order to support the author or speaker as being credible for what he or she is talking about. There are a variety of ways to create good ethos for yourself and we have recently seen many examples of these various means of improving your credibility. In Frannie Lou Hamer's speech she presents a good ethos by stating everything she says as very straightforward. This lets the audience know that the speaker has nothing to hide and is being truthful in what he or she says. Another example was found in Stokely Carmichael's speech. He presents himself as a funny, down to earth man. Because he sets up his ethos like this, he is more likely to appeal to the college age group of students which he is trying to persuade. A third example is that of the Freedom Riders as well as the march which we watched on the computer. Both groups of protestors presented themselves in a non-violent manner. This made them seem more credible to the public eye and therefore more successful in their protest. Although each of these means of providing a better ethos was successful, not all of them would have worked in any situation. For example, had Stokely Carmichael tried to persuade the same audience as Frannie Lou Hamer, he would not have chosen jokes to better his credibility because he knew that the more sophisticated group of listeners would possibly look down upon his silliness. For this reason, one must be very careful when choosing a way to present himself as trustworthy and worth listening to.

Ethos, Pathos, Logos

In the speech given by Frannie Lou Hamer, there is a great representation of ethos, pathos, and logos. As she very firmly stated her exact address and various dates, she gave statistics and showed the audience that she had observed everything she had claimed to observe. In this way she is also showing her ethos because she allows the audience and all members of the Credentials Committee to trust her as she speaks. She is very upfront with the people she is speaking in front of. She brings out pathos for much of the speech. She vividly explains the way she and her friends were treated in restaurants, bathrooms, jail, and many other places. These descriptions causes the audience to react in a more sensitive manner. In the speech given by Stokely Camichael, once again we can see ethos, pathos, and logos being used. He shows his ethos by informing the audience that he has done several things with very well known groups and people such as Martin Luther King Jr. and the Students Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. This allows the audience to believe the things he says knowing that he is being truthful. He uses pathos in a very different way than many speakers. He uses jokes as an attempt to draw his audience of college student's attention to what he is saying. The laughter from the crowd shows that this appeal to emotion benefits his speech. He appealed to logos by giving clear examples of the things that occurred as well as when and where they happened.

I believe...

I believe that we are all here for a reason. Although that reason may be unclear at times we must continue to push forward in hopes of becoming aware of our purpose in life. I believe that everyone should make the most out of life and live everyday as if it could be the last. Leave no regrets and take many chances. I remember when I played basketball my coach would say, "You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take." This is true not only in basketball, but in everyday life. We must do things even if there is a chance we may fail because if we do not try we will never know. I believe we should not be scared to love. Though it may leave us in deep sadness at times, we must remember it is "better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all." I believe in the power of family and friends. I think we should all have people in our lives that we can trust to never leave. I believe laughter is the best medicine for the soul. There is nothing better than laughing to the point of tears with the ones you love the most. I believe we should give our very best effort in all that we do. If we are not willing to do the best we can, then we should not even bother trying. I believe we should always be working to help others and to lift them up every chance we get. Above all, my religious beliefs teach me to live my life through God. I believe I should always remember to live with the knowledge that I am loved and to live with a smile on my face knowing that the bad times come and go but the good times will always be there.

Protests

Protests occur everyday whether we realize it or not. They can happen in a variety of forms including violent as well as non-violent protests. Some examples are strikes, pickets, sit-ins, marches, riots, as well as many more. Protests begin when a person or group of people disagree with something being said or done. The actual protesting is their way of arguing for a certain cause. Protests can be anything from a student disagreeing with something stated in class, and then proving his or her point, to a massive group of people fighting for something they believe in. Sometimes protests are simple and easily handled, but other times they involve the mass media and are very difficult to deal with. The actual protesters usually stand their ground until a change is made. Sometimes protests can go on for very long periods of time. However, some last only minutes depending on who is making the argument and why it is being made. In order for a protest to be successful, I feel that, no matter the size, the protest must grab the attention of its wanted audience. Whether it is a single person or large group, if someone’s attention is caught and a change is made, then the protest was a success.