Rhetorical Activities 2 & 4

2.) Today people argue about almost anything. Arguing has become a form of speech just as common as talking. Most people can even find themselves arguing about something that they truly don't even care about. Sometimes during an argument the people involved tend to discover they agree with each other and there was no need for the argument to take place at all. Our current society doesn't not think anything of arguments unless they become more serious then the normal everyday argument. During each day people argue about very little things like where to go to lunch or who is better between Kobe and Michael Jordan. These are not serious arguments but even these debates can become heated and spark a possible confrontation.

I work for the WVU college radio station of U92. I am involved in both the sports and news departments there. While at the station employees who are either just sitting around in between classes or are working on a cast tend to randomly get in arguments. During each day we argue about very little things usually like where to get lunch or who is better between Kobe and Michael. These are not serious but sometimes can lead to heated debates. We do not mean to be cruel or scream but in the heat of the moment it just happens. Sports and politics are hot button issues at the station and people have strong opinions one way or the other. This sets them off and forces you to defend what you believe in. Everyone there is studying some form of English or broadcasting in college and is not afraid to speak their mind. We have both theatrical arguments as well as rhetorically engaged arguments in our everyday lives. A theatrical argument is where the participants yell until there points are heard. This is similar to the example to the arguments I described at the station. A rhetorically engaged argument usually has a winner and loser. In this type of argument one person tends to stand out and dominate the debate even though both people get time to state their points. However, in a theatrical argument it is hard to determine a fair winner or loser since not everyone always has time to speak and the content can be lost in the shouting match.

4.) There are many reason why people change their minds about topics. When one person feels a certain way he or she may attempt to persuade someone else to agree with them. Persuasion is something that can be a skill and can only work if done correctly. If you start out by looking down at the person for their beliefs or by coming across as arrogant the persuasion most likely will fall on deaf ears.

I am usually an open person. I am eager to learn new things and can accept change if it is presented to me properly. It may be hard to change my mind about something but it can be done if enough facts are presented in the opposite direction. This was true for me recently in the presidential race. I originally felt as if Obama did not have enough experience to lead our country and even though I am a Democrat was not going to vote for him. I then decided to conduct research sparked by others and after reviewing all the facts have since changed my opinion on the matter and realize he is the best man for the country at this time.

Controversial topics such as changing ones religion is a very serious issue. Most people feel strongly about their religious beliefs and do not change them. In order to persuade someone about religion or even for a person to switch religions a lot of work needs to be put in. This work includes first hand research as well as trying to live that religion experience for yourself. It is important in a decision like that one you take everything into account and know what your getting into before making the change official. Other serious issues are easier to persuade someone about. Deciding to stop smoking is very difficult to be successful at but usually smokers try to stop at some point or another. This is due to the obvious health risks attached to the habit. These risks are on the labels and are made evident by commercials and other forms of media. Deciding to attempt to quit smoking is something that may not even take much persuading because the smoker may want to be healthier on their own. This could be for themselves or wanting to live long for their loved ones. The only catch with this is smoking is an addictive habit and is hard to stop all together it takes time to eventually be done. It can not just be stopped cold turkey. Finally the topic of how people become racist usually goes back to how a person was brought up. Most racist people had racist parents and are around other racist individuals reinforcing their negative beliefs. If this same person was born to non racist parents and was surrounded by accepting people. Being around others who do not judge a person by the color of their skin or where they are from might help to change that person and they probably would not be racist to begin with. Presidents use all of these approaches when either running for office or when trying to persuade the public to agree with them. Recently this is seen in the President trying to use these strategies to persuade the public to believe he made the right call in deciding to go to war with Iraq and other terroristic countries.