Giving a Voice to the Voiceless

Rhetoric, or the art of persuasion as defined by Aristotle, remains one of the most useful skills to master in life. It not only proves to be useful when formally writing an argument of some sort, but rhetoric also permeates the daily lives of every human being in his/ her communication skills, vocabulary, decision making, and much more. When specifically delivering a message as a fitting response to a rhetorical opportunity through speaking, writing, or some other means of broadcast, the speaker almost always keeps a rhetorical audience in mind to influence or change. For James M. Perrin, his fitting response “Children in Poverty” responded to the op-ed column “Progress in the War on Poverty”, written by Nicholas Kristof. The New York Times published both pieces in their newspaper and website. The rhetor’s argument consisted of the assertion that too many children currently suffer in the face of poverty and that budget cuts to federal support systems harm the potential for these children to succeed in life.
Perrin aimed to persuade the readers of the New York Times, in particular, those that maintain a very weak political stance who can be persuaded towards democratic perspectives, and elected officials that possess the power to create change in the country. According to the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, political demographics of the New York Times assure that 68% of readers have little to no political views. Therefore, a great potential exists for Perrin to persuade a large amount of people that remain in the middle of certain beliefs. Furthermore, only 13% of readers maintain right wing views while 44% remain self-identified Democrats. This statistic proves to be beneficial for the author due to the fact th...

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...to simply presenting his assertions, he also suggests a solution that his readers could support through political participation, whether it be voting a certain way for a candidate, or taking a stance on a bill. The text suggests that Perrin knew his audience well, calling out not only to common readers of the New York Times with no political stance, but also those who possessed the ability to take direct action in Washington, elected officials. The author’s use of statistics and current events to influence readers proved to be entirely valid. Perrin’s long history of leadership as a pediatrician served as the most solid source of ethos he could possibly provide in this situation. Lastly his genuine concern and vision for a better future for the children of America completed the rhetorical formula that deserves recognition for its solid composition and thoroughness.