A Rhetorical Analysis Of Brian Jones

Rhetoric Analysis
When creating an argumentative paper, it is important for the author of the essay to persuade their audience to their point of view. The author wants the reader to be a believer of their perspective and therefore it is important to make use of rhetoric appeals to grasp at the reader’s emotions and prove the author’s credibility. From the “Americans and Their Flag”, a section from New York Times’ Room for Debate collections, there are two essays from a collection of four that sparked from San Francisco’s 49ers’ quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, decision to take a knee during the National Anthem at a football game. The debater, Brian Adam Jones, a former U.S. Marine, defends Colin’s decision while debater, Marc Leepson, historian and journalist, believes that his decisions directly defy the United States and disgraces the American Flag. After reading both essays from the debaters,

Brian Jones is a former U.S. Marine which he states in his essay, and that alone establishes a strong ethos in his essay. It is safe to assume that when people think of a U.S. Marine, it is believed that they are the pinnacle of patriotism. The connotation that a U.S. Marine has here in the States is someone who is willing to put their life on the line for their country to protect American values. The ethos established with the knowledge of Jones being a former marine is strong because how relevant it is to the topic of the argument. Jones states that, “…symbols of patriotism hold meaning wherever they appear across American society, including at sporting events,” meaning that since he was a former marine, he understands a citizen’s right to protest even during the National Anthem because it is under their belief that this is what they have fought