Article: "Free speech: What it is-- and isn't"
Leonard Pitts Jr. appeals to ethos and establishes credibility in the first paragraph when allowing readers to protest their First Amendment rights to Leonard Pitts Jr.'s boss. For this reason, he expresses confidence and and reliability. His use of diction produces emotions. Therefore, through diction, Leonard Pitts Jr. appeals to pathos. Charged words such as bestiality (Line 15) and asinine (Line 26) illustrate Leonard Pitts Jr. argument: the free market can punish anyone for offensive remarks. Lastly, Leonard Pitts Jr. uses a variety of sentences in his syntax. He often uses dashes to make a sarcastic remark or an interpretation. Inevitably, Leonard Pitts Jr. appeals to ethos and pathos, uses diction, and uses a variety of sentences to magnify his argument.
- Speaker: The author is Leonard Pitts Jr. He is an Op-Eds. columnist. Leonard Pitts Jr. has been a columnist for 35 years. To Leonard, Phil Robertson's first amendment rights were not broken. The free market can punish Phil Robertson because free speech does not apply to the free market.
- Occasion: GQ magazine interviewed Phil Robertson, a Duck Dynasty star, who made some questionable remarks pertaining to homosexuals and African Americans. The article was posted on January the Fifth which may be outdated because the original interview was on December 18th. Because the article was posted rather late, people seem uninterested on the topic.
- Audience: The audience includes: Miami Herald readers, homosexuals, African Americans, and anyone else interested in the GQ magazine interview with Phil Robertson.
- Purpose: Leonard Pitts Jr. wrote the article to inform readers about Phil Robertson's first amendment rights. He wrote it to counter and persuade readers that Phil Robertson's first amendment rights were not broken.
- Subject: The subject pertains to Phil Robertson's temporary suspension from Duck Dynasty. Leonard Pitts Jr. argues that there is nothing in the First Amendment that says a private company can't fire you (Pitts Jr.). Therefore, the First Amendment applies to the government but not the free market, and the free market can punish someone for disliked comments.
- Tone: Leonard Pitts Jr. seems indignant to the situation. He seems to show annoyance at those who think Phil Robertson's First Amendment rights were violated. He also views Phil Robertson as ignorant.
Leonard Pitts Jr. appeals to ethos and establishes credibility in the first paragraph when allowing readers to protest their First Amendment rights to Leonard Pitts Jr.'s boss. For this reason, he expresses confidence and and reliability. His use of diction produces emotions. Therefore, through diction, Leonard Pitts Jr. appeals to pathos. Charged words such as bestiality (Line 15) and asinine (Line 26) illustrate Leonard Pitts Jr. argument: the free market can punish anyone for offensive remarks. Lastly, Leonard Pitts Jr. uses a variety of sentences in his syntax. He often uses dashes to make a sarcastic remark or an interpretation. Inevitably, Leonard Pitts Jr. appeals to ethos and pathos, uses diction, and uses a variety of sentences to magnify his argument.