Lerida 1 Hannelise Lerida Professor Wolcott ENC 3331 November 5, 2012 Rhetorical Citizenship: What is it to be Rhetorical?

Cultures and individuals all decide ho to be rhetorical citi!ens" #e$endin% on the ant to contribute somethin% to better the

culture, it can ma&e us as individuals decide if e

communit'" (Culture is com$osed of &no led%e, values, meanin%s, reli%ions, conce$tion of time, social roles and beliefs ac)uired b' a %rou$ of $eo$le"( *Palc!e s&i 1+," -o most ill $arta&e in volunteerin%, advocatin% for a cause, $olitics or an'thin% that ill hel$ ma&e chan%es ithin the communit'" .s rhetorical citi!ens, e $arta&e in an o$$ortunit' to ma&e the orld a better $lace" /Culture frames ho 1+," When tal&in% about citi!enshi$, one ill thin& about the $erson0s lin& ith the state" Ho ever, rhetorical citi!enshi$ is different from hat $eo$le normall' thin& of citi!enshi$" 1efore definin% hat rhetorical citi!enshi$ is, e must se$arate the t o to understand the true meanin% behind it" 2he ord rhetoric is defined b' different $eo$le in man' different a's, but it ultimatel' leads to the same thin%" 3n -am Leith0s boo&, Words Like Loaded Pistols, Leith defines rhetoric as /the art of $ersuasion4 the attem$t b' one human bein% to influence another in ords"( *1," .ristotle defines rhetoric as /an abilit' in each case, to see the available means of $ersuasion"( *Palc!e s&i 12," #ifferent ordin%, but same meanin%" 2hou%h, it has several sim$l' definitions, the' do not e5$lain the com$le5it' that rhetoric reall' is" 2hrou%h out man' of the readin%s, it as noted that rhetoric e5ists in ever'thin% and ever' here, de$endin% on ho a $erson sees it" 3socrates sa that and &ne ho im$ortant 'ou inter$ret rhetorical messa%es"( *Palc!e s&i

Lerida 2 rhetoric reall' as" /With s$eech e fi%ht over contentious matters and e investi%ate the un&no n" We use the same ar%uments b' hich e $ersuade others in our o n deliberations6 e call those able to s$ea& in a cro d /rhetorical"( *3socrates 252," 3socrates s$o&e about rhetoric in $olitics and ho influential rhetoric as in s$eech" 7hetoric e5ists not

onl' in $olitics, but in communities, lan%ua%e, societ' and the streets" .ccordin% to the boo&, Rhetoric in Civic Engagement, rhetoric /involves not onl' hat $eo$le communicate *the ords and ima%es,, but also as hom the' communicate( *Palc!e s&i 158," 2his sentence alone brin%s me to define rhetoric as a communication that encoura%es others to ta&e $art on an issue b' $ersuasivel' a$$ealin% to the audience" When a $olitician is tr'in% to debate h' he ould be a %reat $resident, he is rhetoricall' ar%uin%" He is $ersuasivel' tr'in% to chan%e $eo$le $ers$ective on certain issues and sho tal&in% about ar%uments, $eo$le vie hat he has to offer" 9nfortunatel', hen

it as a bad thin% more than a %ood thin%" /ar%uments

are essential in democratic societ'"( *Palc!e s&i +:," 2his all has to do ith the $ers$ective of the $erson and ho the' ta&e the ar%ument as" -ome ill ta&e it offensivel' instead of ta&in%

it as $roductive, hen in fact rhetorical ar%uments are $roductive" 2hus, rhetoric is used as a a' to better the communit' and chan%e the $roblems, but no that rhetoric is defined, hat is a citi!en; 3n the article /3n the Name of Citi!enshi$4 2he

Writin% Classroom and the Promise of Citi!enshi$,( .m' Wan tal&s about citi!enshi$, but rarel' defines hat a citi!en should be" -he )uestions hat a citi!en should be, but she does, ho ever, mention that a %ood citi!en is /one ho $artici$ates, ho is en%a%ed, ho can criti)ue societ', and ho is $roductive, satisfied member of the nation, usin% advanced literac' s&ills as a means to achieve these civic acts *Wan 33," <f course, 3 am not so much in a%reement ith the fact that a %ood citi!en is an'one ith advanced literac' s&ills, but 3 do believe one should have the &no led%e and effective communication s&ills to reach out to

Lerida 3 others" 2hat said, a rhetorical citi!en is a citi!en ho incites others to be more a are of certain issues throu%h communication and action" . rhetorical citi!en is someone ho s$reads &no led%e and $rett' much /recruits( others into advocatin% for a %reat cause" .s 3 mentioned before rhetoric is ever' here, it is even out in the streets" 2he more $ersuasive the s$eech, the more $eo$le $erce$tions ill chan%e de$endin% on ho ell the messa%e is received as

ell as $erceived" 2he same %oes ith $olitical candidates, the' use $ersuasion in their s$eech to ma&e us a are of $roblems, so if the' sa' the ron% thin%, it ill be $erceived the ron% a'" 3 believe this is h' Wan believed that a %ood citi!en had to have advanced literac' s&ills, but even those ho are not as advanced can $ersuade others and even ma&e a difference, if the' %et to &no ho their audience" 3n order to conve' a messa%e, one must &no

to use the ri%ht ords for the audience" Even so, as a rhetorical citi!en, one must not

onl' teach others, but also learn to ma&e that difference in the orld" .s a rhetorical citi!en, 3 have volunteered m' time to different or%ani!ations" #urin% the summer 3 volunteered at 9nited Cerebral Pals' *9CP,, hich allo ed me to or& directl' ith s$ecial needs children" 2hrou%h education and $atience, 3 as able to assist others ith the care of these s$ecial needs children and as able to assure $arents of the safet' of their children" Wor&in% at 9CP not onl' tau%ht me the value of our health, but also ho man'

children e5$erience cerebral $als' and hat must be done to hel$ them" 2hese children are =ust li&e an' other> lau%hin%, $la'in% and =ust bein% &ids" <f course, those ho suffer from cerebral $als' have a much more difficult time learnin% and de$endin% on the t'$e of cerebral $als', most can barel' handle li%ht or loud noises" .s a volunteer, 3 &ne not much of cerebral

$als', but as a rhetorical citi!en, 3 learned and too& action to encoura%e others to =oin m' advocac' for these s$ecial need children"

Lerida 4 2his fall, 3 decided to volunteer for the .merican Lun% .ssociation *.L.," 3 ill admit, 3 as not a are of hat e5actl' .L. did, but as a volunteer 3 came to learn ho im$ortant it is

to have health' lun%s and h' smo&in% can reall' hurt 'ou in the lun% run" While volunteerin% for this or%ani!ation, 3 as able to or& ith other volunteers, donors and s$onsors on a charit' event fi%htin% a%ainst lun% disease" .s 3 met most of the donors, 3 reali!ed that each and ever' one of them had a stor' of their o n" -ome had famil' members $ass a a' from lun% cancer and others became involved because li&e me, the' had volunteered" Not onl' as 3 the rhetorical citi!en, but each and ever' one of these $eo$le hel$in% in the fi%ht a%ainst lun% disease ere as ell doin% their rhetorical dut' as citi!ens" 2o see others ma&in% a difference, made me ant to continue m' dut' as a rhetorical citi!en and continue volunteer or& as much as 3 could" 3 have $ut m' rhetorical citi!enshi$ to use in a a' here m' ords, ritin% and actions affect man' $eo$le" Peo$le are not a are of hat Cerebral Pals' is or ho lun%

disease occurs, but as a rhetorical citi!en it is m' dut' to %uide them to that &no led%e, teach them hat 3 m'self have learned and ma&e a difference ithin m' communit'" ?no in% that there are others li&e me, tr'in% to ma&e a difference, %ives me the stren%th to continue bein% a rhetorical citi!en and hel$ ma&e a difference in m' communit'"

Lerida 5 Wor&s Cited @ritch, Aohn, 7ichard 3ce and Catherine Palc!e s&i" Rhetoric in Civic Life" Penns'lvania4 -trata Publishin%, 3nc, 2012" Print" Leith, -am" Words Like Loaded Pistols: Rhetoric from Aristotle to Obama " Philadel$hia4 1asic 1oo&s, 2012" Print" Birhad', #avid C" and Cun Lee 2oo" Isocrates I. 2e5as4 9niversit' of 2e5as Press, 2000" Wan, .m' A" /3n the Name of Citi!enshi$4 2he Writin% Classroom and the Promise of Citi!enshi$"( College English 7 .! *2011,4 28>DE" Web" November 5, 2012"