Unit 1 Assignment: Rhetorical Analysis
Editorial: Urban Perspectives/ Cut the wealth gap: A civil rights fights
Acel Moore's editorial "Cut the wealth gap: A civil fight" seems to be a call for the younger generations to become more aware of their rights and of the struggle that the older generations went through to get things to be the way they are today. Narrowing the gap between rich and poor is our fight of the century. He says it "should be a civil right priority in the 21st century". Moore talks about the idealized vision of the belated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and how things have evolved since the segregation era but points out that we are still very far from unity. His main concern is obviously fighting class disparities, which he claims, "enforce racial division". I think Moore gives us many good reasons to support his position and claims and also gives us many alternative courses of action.
Acel Moore uses many writing techniques to convey his message and to support his claims. His arguments mainly derive from ethos and logos. I think what makes the writer credible is the fact that he is black and his deep involvement in civil rights movements and in the community. Also his level of education and his talents proves his credibility and add to his trustworthiness. After all, he is a columnist at the Philadelphia Inquirer. In the ninth paragraph, he appeals to the readers' ability to judge the fairness of a situation, the ethical standards engraved in our minds. He cites a Brandeis University Professor who gives some examples of laws that had as consequences the exclusions of African Americans from "the greatest wealth-building opportunities in American History".
Moore uses a lot of numbers and pro ...