Appeals to Ethos

The Freedom Marches we viewed this week appealed largely to ethos by demonstrating themselves as good, peaceful people. In each march they protested in a nonviolent manner putting themselves under a good light, while all the white people were viewed as extremely violent and irrational. They were very patient and submissive, even asking the police if they could pray, which gave them even more credit for not wanting to cause any harm. These marches gave African-Americans a great deal of ethos, for it showed that they are truly good people who do not deserve any of the hardships they have had to overcome. Even after being beaten, criticized and sent to jail, they continued to fight for what they deserved, proving their perseverance (which is another very credible trait).

Cindy Sheehan also created a strong ethos through her extensive knowledge of the Iraq War, and her perseverance in protesting against it. She set up camp outside President Bush’s Ranch in Texas for weeks protesting against the war. That kind of determination definitely adds to her credibility. However, after watching her demonstration in front of the White House, I found the Freedom Marches to be more appealing. I agree with a lot of what Cindy Sheehan had to say, but I felt like she expressed her views in a more aggressive way. I felt as if she was almost attacking the audience for not giving up all their “stuff,” even though I highly doubt she has, which in turn decreased her credibility. Even though Cindy Sheehan and the Freedom Marches both protested in a non-violent way, I think the Freedom Marches established a greater appeal to ethos, which in turn has made me more supportive of their protests.