Shades of Scarlett by Scarlett Robinson

Shades of Scarlett

Scarlett R. Robinson

Table of Contents 2........................................................................................Introduction 3..........................................................................................Journalism 4...........................................................Peace, Love and Peanut Butter 5...........................................................Crossin’ Tees and Boppin’ Style 6............................................................................How to ‘Win’ College 8....................................... “I Have A Dream” Speech 50th Anniversary 9................................................... 5 Men Plead Guilty to Animal Abuse 10..............................................Scientist Arrested for Alleged Treason 11..............................................................................Creative Writing 12......................................................................................A Tree’s Life 22............................................................................Academic Writing 23......”Cómo dar a un perro un baño y cortarles las uñas de los pies” 25..............................................................Rhetorical Speech Analysis

Introduction Colors are produced with our eyes and their ability to see differ-

ent wavelengths and light. There are an immeasurable number of colors that exist and this is much like a human being. No two people are alike just like the stripes on a tiger’s back are never the same as the next. The problem with tigers, though, is that their stripes stay the same their entire lives. Human beings are constantly changing and growing. The color scarlet isn’t just one color. It’s a million different colors in different shades and variations. This is much like myself. I’m not the person I was when writing some of these pieces, nor am I right now the person who will create more works in the future. A lot of thought went into choosing a title for this work. The problem seemed to be the overwhelming variety of pieces that were going to be included. During my time at the University of North Alabama, I wrote pieces for technical writing, grant writing, layout and design, journalism, creative writing and in a foreign language to name just a few. I fretted over the word, “Versions”, knowing that it wasn’t quite right. Another title that I toyed with was “Pieces” because all of the classes and pieces of writing I created made up who I was and am. Then, the title “Shades of Scarlett” was suggested and I knew that one word could not possibly wrap itself around a human being with so vast a mind that a million different thoughts form in the blink of an eye. No, “Shades of Scarlett” was absolutely perfect. I am a million shades, ever-changing and constantly evolving into something hopefully bigger and better. This portfolio is comprised of only a few works that I have produced at UNA, but I am confident that they are some of my best because of the help and encouragement I have received here.

Journalism

My love and passion for AP Writing has only grown

since taking COM 220 Basic Reporting. I love the simple style that it has. I had never been introduced to it before, so it was a challenge to make the switch to including information first and details second. “Peace, Love and Peanut Butter” is a small brite that I have included from my COM 370 Feature Writing. Also included from the class is a how-to magazine article on better study habits. “Crossin’ Tees and Boppin’ Style” is a piece that was published in the April 2014 issue of SET Magazine which is owned by Listerhill Bank. I have also included 3 pieces that were created in COM 220 Basic Reporting. These pieces were created for experience in writing for a newspaper. One piece covers a speech made by Jimmy Carter in 2013, but it’s written to seem as if it happened the day before. The other two stories are mock news pieces that gave me a better sense of structure and brevity. It was interesting and a joy to learn the differences between writing for a magazine and a newspaper.

Peace, Love and Peanut Butter N

ovember is National Peanut Butter Lover’s Month, so it seems only fitting that we learn a little more about our favorite sandwich spread. According to peanutbutterlovers.com (Yes, there is a website dedicated to this delicious snack.) there is a lot to be learned. Peanuts usually take 120160 days to fully mature and become ready to gather. Once harvested, they sit in the sun to dry for usually two to three days. After they’re sorted, sold and delivered to the manufacturers, the peanuts are then ground twice to make the butter. “Peanut butter today is remarkably similar to that produced a century ago,” the website says. “To legally label the spread as peanut butter, it must contain a minimum of 90% peanuts with no artificial sweeteners, colors or preservatives.” Unfortunately, not everyone can enjoy this healthy creation. “About 0.6% of the American population has a peanut allergy, and about 0.1% of the American population is believed to be subject to a life-threatening peanut allergy,” the website explains. But don’t

worry; everyone can enjoy these little-known facts about peanut butter found on the PBL website: • Runner peanuts are preferred for peanut butter, and are grown primarily in Georgia, Alabama, Florida and Mississippi. • Africans ground peanuts into stews as early as the 1400s; Chinese have crushed peanuts into creamy sauces for centuries; and Civil War soldiers dined on “peanut porridge.” • In 1903, Dr. George Washington Carver developed more than 300 other uses for peanuts, and is considered by many to be the father of the peanut industry. • During 1922, Joseph L. Rosefield sold peanut butter in California, churning it to make it smoother. He received the first patent for peanut butter that could stay fresh up to a year. • One acre of peanuts will make 30,000 peanut butter sandwiches.

How To ‘Win’ College College can be one of the best experi-

zone out diminishes greatly. Sitting in the front will help keep you focused and it’s ences of your life, but it’s easy to get swept also easier to see the board or projector. up in the social scene and forget why The individuals in the back are usually just you’re actually there: to get a degree. A glad they could make it to class. They’re few failed tests, quizzes, and papers later, generally fidgety or doing something that panic sets in. Maybe there are even some can be easily distracting. “Once something failed classes. The good news is that there is stored in our brains, we never forget it,” are some simple steps that can help in Virginia Tech University says on their webmany ways during your four years at a uni- site, www.vt.edu. “We may, however, have versity. If the necessary steps are taken, difficulty recalling the information.” The there should be no problem with passing people in the front are generally the ones classes and getting to keep that (let’s face who genuinely want to learn, grow, and it) more important social life thriving. make good grades. Surround yourself with The first step might seem a little too simthose people and you’ll see how easy it is ple to mention, but the number of times to adopt their good habits. this happens is gigantic. Don’t skip class! Now that you’re seated, take a moment When you skip class for a reason other to turn your cell phone off. The cell phone than illness or an emergency, you miss is probably the number one distraction important information given directly by the that students face today. Everyone has professor who gives the tests and hands one and there are a million different apps, out the assignments. Sure, notes can be texts, and calls going off at any point durborrowed but let’s be honest, this is coling the day. It’s best to rid yourself of that lege. When you’re in that classroom for temptation right from the start. A study by 50-75 minutes a few times a week, it’s a Trudy L. Hansona, Kristina Drumhellera, little hard to make friends or even muster Jessica Mallarda, Connie McKeea and up the courage to speak to anyone. Rely Paula Schlegela found that students spend on yourself and your own abilities. It could way more time on social media and desurprise you at how much better you feel vices than they do in class or studying for once finals roll around. said classes. Decide that you’re okay with Once in class, take a seat in the middle of being away from your phone just during the room or toward the front. Do not sit in class time. Classes are relatively short the back unless there are no other seats compared to the eight hour day of grade available. When you’re toward the front of school. the room, the temptation to daydream or

During the class, make sure to take useful notes. Shorthand can be a lot quicker, but it’s sometimes hard to decipher once it’s time to study them again. If you decide to go with shorthand, be sure to use the same shorthand words or abbreviations. If you change things up, it will get confusing and you’ll use up time meant for studying figuring out what is actually written down on the paper. Don’t just write down what’s on the slides or board. Usually, that’s just a summary and the professor will elaborate. Make sure to write down everything you feel is important or that could be on the test. If you don’t write down much, it will be harder to recall what was spoken during the class. Date your pages of notes and keep them in the same place. If they’re all jumbled up and strewn around, something could easily be forgotten that’s very important. Organization is definitely the key in taking notes. Preparing for the test, quiz or essay is crucial in making good grades in college. Depending on how much studying it takes to adequately prepare, you’ll need to start studying anywhere from a few days to a week in advance. Sectioning off things to study each night can make it seem less overwhelming. If you’re studying for a midterm or final, it’s best to start studying, or a least looking over the material, a couple of weeks in advance. Texas A&M University recommends studying daily on their website at scs.tamu.edu. An article on their website stated, “Start studying the first day of the semester and keep up. It is easy to spend the first month of classes “adjusting” and “organizing”, but often the result is

falling very far behind in your work.” Study sessions don’t have to be long. A 50-minute slot is fine if you keep to that schedule each night. Avoid using cell phones, watching television or doing anything that could distract you from learning the material. These steps will help you to keep your grades up in school. When mapped out, the time spent in class and studying is small compared to the time you’ll have for social activities. A lot of new students have a hard time adjusting to the new-found freedom and ability to make their own decisions. Following this process from the beginning will help you to better organize your schedule, feel better about tests and just make life a whole lot easier.

Quick Tips and Tricks:

1. University libraries are usually the quietest places on campus. Choosing that as your go-to place to study could greatly improve your concentration and focus. 2. Listening to classical or calming music with no words is thought to help the studying process. 3. Most universities have on-campus tutoring services. Take advantage of them! It’s their job to help you out and improve your grades. 4. Find out if you study better with a partner or alone. If you’re better with another person, make sure the topic of conversation stays on the material that you need to learn or else it will be a waste of time.

“I Have A Dream” Speech 50th Anniversary Former President Jimmy Carter stepped up to the podium on a

rainy Wednesday afternoon to give a speech on the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s (MLKJ) “I Have a Dream Speech”. 50 years ago exactly, MLKJ (1929-1968) was a prominent figure in the fight for civil rights in the US during the 60s. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 and was given his own federal holiday beginning in 1986. Our 39th president, President Carter, was there to see the Civil Rights Movement unfold and was the perfect candidate for the speech. Not only was President Carter alive during this time, he was a close personal friend with the King family. President Carter mentioned in his speech that the Kings supported him during his candidacy and were with him when he won the office of President of the United States. It’s no wonder that the Kings and President Carter were such good friends. President Carter gave vivid details in his speech of the injustices that he witnessed growing up in the South close to where MLKJ grew up. His feelings about racial equality were strong and it was clear that they had remained just as strong more than 50 years later. His closing remarks included all of the things that he believes that America needs to fix. Some of the points included: Voter’s Rights Act, unemployment of African Americans and states passing “stand your ground” gun laws. In a way, President Carter humbled us and made us realize that the battle MLKJ fought is still not over. America still has a long way to go and we, as a nation, need to keep his dream alive.

5 Men Plead Guilty to Animal Abuse The Humane Society of Missouri today confirms guilty pleas have

been entered in connection to the July 8, 2009 multi-state federal dogfighting raid that resulted in the rescue of more than 500 fighting dogs in 8 states as well as 26 arrests. This 18 month rescue operation is the largest dog-fighting raid in US history. So far, 5 men have pled guilty to the charges of animal abuse. These 5 men are Robert Hackman, Teddy Kiriakidis, Ronald Creech, Michael Morgan and Jack Rupel. The humane society hopes that these guilty pleas will raise awareness that dog fighting is inhumane, unacceptable and illegal. Kathy Warnick, president of the Humane Society of Missouri, said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Humane Society of Missouri staff and our many partners have selflessly sacrificed much of their personal lives in the pursuit of this investigation and the care of the dogs. We fervently desire that this historic effort marks the beginning of the end to dog fighting in the United States.â&#x20AC;?

Scientist Arrested for Alleged Treason Stewart David Nozette was arrested in an FBI sting operation and jailed without bond for allegedly trying to sell classified secrets to Israel. A former colleague of Nozette says the scientist worked on the Reagan administration’s ‘Star Wars’ Missile Shield Program. In an interview, Scott Hubbard, a professor of aerospace at Stanford University who worked for 20 years at NASA, said Nozette was primarily a technical defense expert working on the Reagan-era effort formally named the Strategic Defense Initiative and worked on the ‘Star Wars’ Project at the Energy Department’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. “This was the leading edge, Department of Defense national security work,” said Hubbard. At DOE, Nozette held a special security clearance equivalent to the department’s top secret and “critical nuclear weapon design information” clearances. DOE clearances apply to access to information specifically relating to atomic or nuclear-related materials. Hubbard said that the Clementine project Nozette worked on in the 1990s was essentially a non-military application of ‘Star Wars’ technology. Nozette also worked for the White House’s National Space Council in 1989 and 1990. He more recently developed the Clementine Bistatic Radar Experiment that is credited with discovering water on the South Pole of the moon and was a leader in recent lunar exploration work. “Nozette was arrested Monday and charged in a criminal complaint with attempting to communicate, deliver and transmit classified information,” the Justice Department said.

Creative Writing

EN 355W Genres in Creative Writing is where I wrote

most of my creative works. The piece I worked on the longest is called, ‘A Tree’s Life’. I submitted it originally for the creative writing course. In my EN 498W Portfolio class, we had to choose a piece of writing that we previously created and turn it into a braided work. This involves including research material to the original text that adds or gives new insight to what was previously intended for the original work. I chose this specific piece and transformed it into a creative, yet informative work on White Oak Trees.

A Tree’s Life A Tree’s Life

“Five hundred years is the estimated Oregon white oak lifespan [102]” (Gucker).

Scarlett R. Robinson

When we think about deforestation, our minds go directly to rainforests and places that we don’t live. Many times, trees that could be saved are cut down in our very own back yards such as the White Oak Tree. What do we already know

I was in the prime years of my life. My 250th birthday would be arriving soon. The wind’s cold bite didn’t seem to hurt me as much as it had a few weeks before. Spring would be arriving soon and bringing with it warmer weather, the beautiful birds and their calming songs, and my leaves. All of the animals would return or awaken and be there to keep me company. I would be there to watch it all as I had every year since I could start to remember things. “Studies suggest that Summer would come a short time after that and I Oregon white oak acorn about White Oaks and could just imagine the production increases warmth on my new leaves what are some things that with increased and the thunderstorms that we could do to preserve brought me the water we all sunlight…” (Gucker). them? needed so desperately. The animals would then come to me for shade in the heat of the day where I could watch them and be happy with their presence for a little while. And just like that, a particularly frigid gust of wind took me from the warmth I had been thinking about and shoved me back into the present. I only had a few more weeks to endure. After three weeks, the temperature finally began to rise. It rose and rose every day until it was pleasant to be outside. Spring had arrived. I was drunk with spring. I simply couldn’t get enough. Winter had been unusually cold with a lot of snow and ice. The squirrels that made their homes in this part of the woods mostly stayed in their homes in my trunk and branches when in past years they loved to scamper about and eat all winter long. This winter had just about been too cold to do that and I was so glad to catch a glimpse of “…Oregon white oak's them running around in the grasses that were now becoming green. Little leaves began to poke out on my DBH [Diameter at Breast branches before long and in what seemed like no time at Height] is typically 24 to all, I had my beautiful foliage back. I felt beautiful and important again. After all, I was the biggest tree in the 40 inches (61-100 cm), woods. I had seen no other that could even compare to my although a DBH of 97 size and was glad of that. inches (250 cm) was One day after it had warmed up quite a bit more, I heard a strange noise coming through the woods. It was reported in a review something that sounded so familiar yet I couldn’t place [102]” (Gucker). exactly what it was or where I had heard it. I decided I must have come in contact with it when I began to remember things. It became louder until the things came

into view. I immediately thought the word “human”. I searched through my memories and came up short. I didn’t know why that word popped into my brain, but I went with it. They must be humans. One was taller than the other and had different things covering up its body. I didn’t know which was a girl or boy quite yet but I guessed the girl had the longer pieces on and longer fur on her head. They walked a little further into view and I could now see that the boy was carrying something in his hand. My heart began to hurt a little when I realized that it was a box made out of wood. The girl was carrying something that was the same material as what they were wearing but thicker. They stopped for a minute to look around. The humans puzzled me quite a bit. I couldn’t figure out what they were going to do next. Their actions weren’t those of a squirrel, deer or even a fox. They were entirely something different. They were smarter maybe since I could hear them communicating to each other in a way I’d never heard before. The boy and girl came very close to me. They walked right under my branches, spread the square material on the ground and sat on it with the wooden box next to them. The boy opened the box and began to take things out of it. It looked like “White oak acorns vary food but it was none I had ever seen before. Anything I’d ever seen animals eat was green, brown or one solid color. This food in taste but are often was compiled of maybe ten different colors. The boy gave sweet and palatable. some to the girl and she began to eat. No other animals I’d seen had ever shared before except mothers and their babies. Things Since mammals were getting to be the strangest I’d experienced. The two generally prefer them finished eating and lay down on the blanket and looked up to me and my great branches. The boy began to talk. above all acorns, food “This is now my favorite tree. Wouldn’t it be great to competition in a good live out here in these woods and have this tree in our back mast year can become yard?” I couldn’t really understand what they were saying, but intense. White oak his tone sounded pleasant and calm. The girl began to talk back acorns germinate to him. “It would be a beautiful house, Thomas. Any girl would quickly, and once love to be in it with you.” sprouted, are difficult to “Does that mean you are including yourself in that? digest, so squirrels tend Please say you will, Annie.” “We’ve only been seeing each other for two months! I to consume more on the would love to and you know that but what would our families spot than they retrieve say? What would the town think? Surely there must be some scandal to discover about us. We have to keep it a secret.” from buried or stored

White Oaks can be found, “From Maine to Florida and west to Minnesota and Texas…” (Cockran).

caches.” (Eastan).

“Knots and knot clusters are considered degrade defects in all log grades.” (Thomas).

“I understand,” Thomas said. “We will keep it a secret then. My lips are sealed. Hey, I have an idea. Come here.” Thomas got up and helped Annie onto her feet. He took her hand and they walked over to my base. Thomas searched in the things that he wore and pulled out something shiny. At that moment I was afraid. He opened the shiny thing, touched my trunk and began scratching me. I was in pain, but something inside of me told me that it was alright. When he was finished, he had carved out an odd shape with three symbols in it. He looked at Annie and said, “Look, T + A. It’s to show that this is our tree. Not mine and not yours but ours together and I can buy this land from your father one day and build you a grand house to live in where you will be able to look out a window and see this little heart. We can always remember today.” He then did something very strange. He put his arms around the girl for a moment and began to swing her round and round in circles. She wasn’t being harmed because I could hear her high pitched laughter as he did it. They then sat back down with Thomas’ arms still around Annie and they talked until it was nearly dark. After some time, Annie jumped up with the box and a huge smile on her face and began to run away. Thomas jumped up as well and began to chase after her with what I learned was a blanket in his arms. I knew I wanted them to return again so I could watch them and their strange nature. They did return after a while just as I had hoped. They would come together a lot, but sometimes Thomas would come by himself with a rectangular object in his hand. He would open it and stare at it for hours, occasionally turning the pieces of paper inside. Annie never came back by herself. She was always with Thomas when I saw her. I was thankful for each memory I got to spend with “Oregon white oak them. wood is strong, hard, When it was barely summer, I heard the familiar footsteps of Thomas, but was surprised to see that it was and close grained. In the not him when a man stepped out of the forest and into the past it was used for clearing. This human was much older than Thomas and bigger too. He had an air of smugness about him and in ships, wagons, and the way he walked. railroad ties [106].” He kept walking “Today Oregon white until he was right (Gucker). oak is used to make in front of me. He had a can of something in his hand. He dipped a stick-like thing into it and drew two crossing furniture, flooring, lines on me. I was afraid like I had never been with veneer, boxes, crates, Thomas and his knife. I knew this mad was not kind like pallets, and caskets Thomas or Annie. I could do nothing about it, though, and tried to push things out of my mind. [102].” (Gucker). A few hours later, there were other footsteps in

Without adequate

the woods. They sounded tiny and quiet. Annie stepped measures to maintain into the clearing and walked briskly towards me. She had papers in her hand. When she saw the marks on me, she oak regeneration and stopped and looked at them with an expression of dominance in oak disbelief on her face. She then turned around and ran back the way she had come. Thomas was with her when forests, an ecosystem she returned. They both started at me with an expression that has dominated I couldn’t place. Thomas was the first to speak. “No one else could have done that but Mr. millions of acres Rampsey. It must have been him. White oak is marine throughout the eastern lumber. I bet he’s gotten a request for some wood to United States for over build a boat with. Your dad must have just agreed because he doesn’t know about this spot that we share.” 6,000 years (Lorimer “I have to talk to him,” Annie said. “We can’t let 1993) will shift to a this tree be cut down. It’s lived this long and deserves to live a full life in this forest. Plus, it is home for so many different forest type animals out here. It would be disruptive for everyone.” dominated by They stared at me some more and then turned mesophytic species. around and slowly walked back to where they must live. Their expressions made me quite nervous. I couldn’t stop (Dreisilker). wondering what was “Oregon white oak produces a going to happen to me. Would I die? Would they central taproot and many lateral hurt me? roots in the top 12 inches (30 A few days later they came. The Mr. Rampsey returned with a lot more men riding on cm) of soil [60]… Just one large some growly things that carried the men places tree had a taproot extending faster than they could walk or run. The men jumped beyond 68.9 inches (175 cm) off of the things they were riding in and began to deep.” (Gucker). walk around looking at the trees around them. Some of them, I noticed, were carrying around these things in their hands. I assumed they were bad. Mr. Rampsey appeared and walked right over to me. He called two of the men that were looking Hannah (1987) suggests around and they came over with their metal objects in their hands. group selection openings “This is the biggest white oak tree I have of at least 0.25 acres (1,012 ever seen. It’s beautiful and it will make a great boat,” one m^) in the canopy are man said. necessary to support oak Mr. Rampsey nodded to the man who had just regeneration…” spoken. I knew at that moment that the “x” on my trunk

(Dreisilker).

was for them to cut me down. Fear gripped me and my thoughts became jumbled because of the fear. I didn’t want to leave the forest. I also had no idea what would happen once they cut me down. The men turned on their large cutter things and began the process of cutting me out of the beautiful forest that I loved so dearly. It was the worst pain that I had ever felt in all of my 250 years. The whole process took about five minutes, but it felt more like an eternity. Once I was on the ground, I was shocked to still be having thoughts. Why wasn’t I dead? Maybe it would take a minute or two. I waited and when nothing happened, I was filled with relief. Maybe the worst was over. The men loaded me on what I learned was a truck and away I went. That patch of forest was my whole life and I had nothing now. The truck went to a place I had never imagined existed. It was very bright and loud. Chaos was everywhere. “Oregon white oak The men that helped Mr. Rampsey cut me down took me trunks have thick, inside and some other men took me from them. They took off all of my bark, cut me in to identical pieces and left me with some furrowed, scaly bark other wood that now looked like I did. I stayed there for a very [63,110].” (Gucker). long time listening to the loudness and looking at the extremely bright light. I had no sense of what day it was or season. The temperature and light stayed the same. It was a very dull and boring time in my life. I wished to stop thinking. I prayed to stop living. I had no such luck. After what seemed like forever and a day, I was taken and put on another truck. A man who’s name I didn’t know “Most species are found unloaded me and put me with wood that looked exactly like I in the cool and warm did. He was an even older man than Thomas and even Mr. Rampsey. He had white fur on his head that stuck out in all temperate parts of the directions. He sat me down, walked inside a place smaller northern hemisphere, than the one that cut me into pieces and just like that I was extending as far north as alone again. I could hear an occasional loud noise come from the the limits of the smaller place. It made me wonder what was to happen to me. deciduous forests.” When would all of this be over? My thoughts began to wander to Thomas and Annie. I wondered if they were doing alright (Cochran). and if they had even tried to stop what had happened to me. I wondered if they had “The wood of the white known my fate when Annie saw the mark on my trunk. They oak is used for furniture, had to have known because their faces showed it. After what I estimated to be a week of sitting in the flooring, interior spot that the old man had put me in, he came inside one day finishing, boat building, and picked me up. I was carried into the place where he would sometimes make the loud noises. I had no reason to be and wine and whiskey

casks“ (Cochran).

afraid of nervous. All that there was to fear had already been done to me. Curiosity had replaced that fear long ago. Once inside the building, the man set me on a table like the one I had been cut up on and walked over to a huge contraption in the middle of the place. It was made of wood with some things sticking up in the middle of it. It looked to me like a leaf with both of its sides curved upward like a cup. Pieces of wood were missing in the design and I knew I was to be placed in one of those spots. All the wood had been filled in on the bottom and the old man was up to the middle by now. He did some things to his cupped leaf made of wood, came and got me and brought me over to it. He put a substance on my sides and stuck me next to another piece of wood. He then hammered some nails into my ends to hold me in place. I wondered what this all meant. The old man, I discovered, took a very long time to decide to work on what I later discovered was called a boat. He would put some more of me on the boat and then leave the place and not come back for many weeks or months. I could catch a glimpse of what season it was when he opened the door. A blast of cold air told me of autumn or winter. The smell of flowers or scorching heat let me know that it was spring or summer. I didn’t know how long I had been taken from my forest, but I was severely homesick. I missed the squirrels “Ecological restoration of this and birds who called my branches home. I ecosystem is also important to missed getting to predict when the seasons humans who depend on would change. Most of all, I longed for maintaining over 50 species of oaks those days when Thomas and Annie would for sawtimber (Loftis 1990, Larsen come and entertain me for hours. It took a very long time for the man and Johnson 1998).” (Dreisilker). to finish the boat. I heard that it was called that when the old man and a considerably younger man came to where we were and just stared at it. The younger man opened a huge section of the place we were in and light flooded the room. It lifted my spirits like I had never thought anything could anymore. The old man left and in a minute I heard a truck start up. It got louder until it came into view and hooked itself to what the boat was resting on. The younger man got into the truck with the old one and off we went. It didn’t take long to get to the water. This was not just any puddle like I was used to seeing after a big rain. This was the most water I had ever seen before. It went as far as I could see and even beyond that. There was a constant breeze blowing and there were few clouds in the sky. The truck backed the boat into the water and that was when I understood my purpose. I could see things in the distance that looked just like I looked. We allowed people to float in the great water! The young man unhooked me from the contraption I was on and I began to float. The truck was pulled a considerable distance away from the water and then the men got inside the boat and off we went. I was in and out of the water. When a big drift of the water would come, I would find myself totally immersed in it. I loved when I got to be in the water. It was quiet and

peaceful like I have never experienced. We went about this for a long while. Both men laughed and talked but I didn’t want to listen. I only wanted to enjoy my freedom in this new place. When it began to get dark, the men left me in the water with a great number of boats. I was tied to another wooden thing that allowed me to stay in one place. This went on for a great number of years. I would be tied to the flat wooden thing and after a while, the men would come and I was able to go freely for a short while. I was always sad to see them go. They wouldn’t come if it was not warm. I figured the water and wind was too cold for their hairless skin. One particularly warm day, just the older man came out to ride the boat he had built. He was a good bit older than when I had first been taken out. He had trouble getting me untied, but once that was done, it was all smooth sailing. The further we went out into the water, the darker the sky seemed to look. The normally clear sky began to get cloudy until all I could see were the heavy and dark clouds billowing past us. The water was choppy and then it began to rain. The wind howled and there was lightening everywhere. I was truly afraid for myself and the old man. I struggled through the rough waters trying to get back to the wooden flat I would be tied to. I felt water leaking into the place that the man sat. I had a sinking feeling that this would not have a happy ending. After a little time had passed, I couldn’t hold myself together. Some of the wood cracked and before I knew it I wasn’t a boat anymore. I was a million pieces of wood in a crashing body of water and I had no idea where the man was. I hoped he would be okay. When the morning came and the storm had cleared, I found myself washed on land again. Days in the same spot turned into years. The sun baked me and the cold was absolutely unbearable without my bark to protect me. Even though I learned many things when people would walk by talking, I loathed my existence. I wished that I had never sprouted into the tree I had become. My life felt “The most severe worthless and I was miserable. defects are One fateful morning in the early summer, I saw a man generally the most that was walking along the beach. What seemed strange was him recent ones on the not looking at the beautiful waves. He had his back to them, in tree… Distortions fact. He would occasionally pick up a piece of driftwood only to set it back down. A glimmer of hope rose in my heart. The man and bumps are slowly made his way over to where I lay. He saw me and defects that have instantly picked me up without a moment’s hesitation. He existed long enough searched some more and when it seemed that he had all he to become mostly needed, he headed home. Once home, he began to make a box out of the wood he encapsulated within had gathered. It was all white oak wood and I was curious as to the log.” (Thomas). why. The man also looked quite familiar to me. He made a beautiful box out of the wood he had collected. It didn’t take him long. Once done with the box, he took out his knife and carved the same thing Thomas had carved on my trunk so many years

ago. It was then that I knew who this man was. My spirits lifted instantly to a height I had never known before. He showed his work to a woman who had a familiar high pitched voice. “Look, Annie dear, it’s made of the same wood that we wanted to build our house beside. Do you remember that? That was an amazing tree. I’ve never seen one bigger or more beautiful than that one.” “It’s gorgeous, Tom! We will have to set it here so I can look back on it and remember all of those wonderful times when we were young.” She took it from his hands and placed it on the kitchen counter and then put a vase of flowers beside me. It was then that I took back all that I had said. If I had not been cut down, this opportunity would never have come to me. I wouldn’t be with the two people that I loved so dearly. It was then that I began to enjoy the moments.

Works Cited Dreisilker, Kurt, Andrew Koeser, and Jeffrey O. Dawson. "Enhancing Establishment Of White Oak And American Hazelnut Enrichment Plants In A Mesic Forest Using Understory Removal And Group Selection." Ecological Restoration 32.2 (2014): 171-178. Academic Search Complete. Web. 29 Sept. 2014. Gucker, Corey L. "Quercus Garryana." Quercus Garryana. N.p., 2007. Web. 29 Sept. 2014. Cochran, Kenneth D. "Ornamental Plants Annual Reports and Research Reviews 2004." How Mighty Is the Oak: Oaks for the Midwest Landscape. Ohio State University, n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2014. Eastan, John. "Oak, White." Forest & Thicket (1992): 145-149. Book Collection: Nonfiction. Web. 29 Sept. 2014. Thomas, Ralph E. "Predicting Internal White Oak (Quercus Alba) Log Defect Features Using Surface Defect Indicator Measurements." Forest Products Journal 61.8 (2011): 656663. Business Source Complete. Web. 29 Sept. 2014.

Academic Writing M

any pieces that I have written and been most proud of don’t fit into the other two categories. I’ve spend a lot of time working on papers, speeches and other types of academic-style works during my time here at The University of North Alabama that have made me a better writer and helped me to learn skills that I might not have aquired with more creative-style writing courses. Included in this section is a speech that I wrote for my upper-level Spanish course, SP 350 Conversation and Composition. We were instructed to write an 8 minute tutorial that could teach the rest of the class something. In EN 472W Rhetoric: Argument and Style, I composed a speech analysis paper consisting of six sections that broke down 40th President Ronald Reagan’s speech in 1984 commemorating the 40th Anniversary of D-day.

“Cómo dar a un perro un baño y cortarles las uñas de los pies” Como ustedes saben, me encantan todos tipos de animales. Yo

crecía con perros y gatos en mi casa. Tuve grandes perros cuando era joven, lo que les da un baño era difícil. Cuando llegué a mi perro pequeño, Jazzy, que era fácil de darle un baño. Hoy te mostraré cómo dar a un perro un baño y cortarles las uñas de los pies. Primero, obtenga todos sus suministros juntos. Usted necesitará una toalla o dos. Depende del tamaño de su perro. Usted también necesitará champú para perros. No use champú humano. El aceite de un perro y el aceite de un humano no es la misma. Ten cuidado utilizar el tipo correcto. Yo uso el champú de Petco. El champú de Walmart no limpia tan bien en mi opinión. La otra cosa que usted necesita es un cortaúñas. NO los obtenga de Walmart. Se trata de un proceso especial y no quería asustar a su perro. Vaya a Petco y escoga un par de tijeras que son nítidas y mirar bien hecho. Los míos eran 13 dólares en Petco creo. A continuación, ponga su perro en la bañera o en el fregadero. Asegúrese de que el perro está tranquilo. Abra el agua. Ponga su mano en la boca del perro. Esto cierra los ojos del perro. Ahora, se puede mojar la cabeza del perro. Comience con la cabeza y termine con la cola. Cuando el perro está mojado, cierre el agua. El perro va a estar más tranquilo sin el agua.

Ponga el champú directamente en el perro. Como con el agua, comience con la cabeza y termine con la cola. Haga una línea curva en la espalda. Luego, frege o “scrub” el perro. Comience con la cabeza también. Ponga un punto de champú en la cabeza del perro. Ten cuidado al frotar el champú. Este seguro no conseguir champú en los ojos del perro. Lave entre los dedos del perro también. La mayoría de las personas no se lavan los pies bastante bien. Mantenga su mano en la boca del perro. Abra el agua y comience con la cabeza. Lave la cabeza del perro rápidamente y lave todo el jabón de la piel del perro. Cuando termine, cierre el agua y recoja sus cortaúñas. Esta es una foto de la uña de un perro. La parte rosada de la uña no se debe cortar. Ponga sus cortaúñas justo encima de la rosa. Preserve la tranquilidad del perro y corte rápidamente. Hay otros tipos de cortaúñas, pero me gustan estos. Me corté las uñas de mi perro después de que le doy un baño, porque el agua caliente ablanda las uñas. Son más fáciles de cortar. Finalmente, obtenga su toalla y poner a su perro en una mesa. Es mejor que el perro fuera de la piso. El perro va a correr más si se sienten cómodos en el piso. Comience con la cabeza y termine con la cola. Si usted hace todas estas cosas, usted no tendrá que dar a su perro un baño tanto. Usted tendrá una casa más limpia y su perro será más feliz. ¡Gracias!

Rhetorical Speech Analysis Section One: Contextual Information

On June 6th, 1984, President Ronald Reagan gave a speech remembering the 40th Anniversary of D-Day on the cliffs of Pointe Du Hoc, France in front of many people among whom were some of the soldiers that fought 40 years previously. President Reagan began his speech by explaining what the specific 225 men at this location had to accomplish in order to complete their mission successfully. These men of the 2nd Ranger Battalion had to scale 100 ft. cliffs at night in order to take out the German defense guns that were somewhere above them (Wikipedia.org). He explained that this place was the beginning of the rescue of much of Europe that was then under oppression. These 225 men had to climb the very cliffs that Reagan and the men and women listening were on while being shot and blown away. The Academy Award-winning movie, “Saving Private Ryan,” is said to depict some of the perils that these men faced almost exactly. Like this movie, Reagan did a tremendous job at giving the listener a somewhat vivid mental image of the horrors and bravery that unfolded that day. Reagan didn’t just end with the cliffs at Pointe Du Hoc. He then shared more stories of not just “American Rangers,” but of soldiers from Scotland, Poland and the Highlands. He, in his speech, made it easy to feel camaraderie between the listener and the other nations fighting against the common enemy. This speech and the lessons it included came just in time for the then current President of the United States. The election was drawing near and it was uncertain who the next President would be. Reagan, of course, wished to be re-elected, and after this heartfelt speech, went on to sweep the vote and keep his office for another term (rushlimbaugh.com).

Section Two: The Speech:

Ronald Reagan Remarks on the 40th Anniversary of D-Day [1] We’re here to mark that day in history when the Allied armies joined in battle to reclaim this continent to liberty. For four long years, much of Europe had been under a terrible shadow. Free nations had fallen, Jews cried out in the camps, millions cried out for liberation. Europe was enslaved and the world prayed for its rescue. Here, in Normandy, the rescue began. Here, the Allies stood and fought against tyranny, in a giant undertaking unparalleled in human history. [2] We stand on a lonely, windswept point on the northern shore of France. The air is soft, but forty years ago at this moment, the air was dense with smoke and the cries of men, and the air was filled with the crack of rifle fire and the roar of cannon. At dawn, on the morning of the 6th of June, 1944, two hundred and twenty-five Rangers jumped off the British landing craft and ran to the bottom of these cliffs. [3] Their mission was one of the most difficult and daring of the invasion: to climb these sheer and desolate cliffs and take out the enemy guns. The Allies had been told that some of the mightiest of these guns were here, and they would be trained on the beaches to stop the Allied advance. [4] The Rangers looked up and saw the enemy soldiers at the edge of the cliffs, shooting down at them with machine guns and throwing grenades. And the American Rangers began to climb. They shot rope ladders over the face of these cliffs and began to pull themselves up. When one Ranger fell, another would take his place. When one rope was cut, a Ranger would grab another and begin his climb again. They climbed, shot back, and held their footing. Soon, one by one, the Rangers pulled themselves over the top, and in seizing the firm land at the top of these cliffs, they began to seize back the continent of Europe. Two hundred and twenty-five came here. After two days of fighting, only ninety could still bear arms. [5] And behind me is a memorial that symbolizes the Ranger daggers that were thrust into the top of these cliffs. And before me are the men who put them there. These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc. These are the men who took the cliffs. These are the champions who helped free a continent. And these are the heroes who helped end a war. Gentlemen, I look at you and I think of the words of Stephen Spender’s poem. You are men who in your “lives fought for life and left the vivid air signed with

your honor.” [6] I think I know what you may be thinking right now -- thinking “we were just part of a bigger effort; everyone was brave that day.” Well everyone was. Do you remember the story of Bill Millin of the 51st Highlanders? Forty years ago today, British troops were pinned down near a bridge, waiting desperately for help. Suddenly, they heard the sound of bagpipes, and some thought they were dreaming. Well, they weren’t. They looked up and saw Bill Millin with his bagpipes, leading the reinforcements and ignoring the smack of the bullets into the ground around him. [7] Lord Lovat was with him -- Lord Lovat of Scotland, who calmly announced when he got to the bridge, “Sorry, I’m a few minutes late,” as if he’d been delayed by a traffic jam, when in truth he’d just come from the bloody fighting on Sword Beach, which he and his men had just taken. [8] There was the impossible valor of the Poles, who threw themselves between the enemy and the rest of Europe as the invasion took hold; and the unsurpassed courage of the Canadians who had already seen the horrors of war on this coast. They knew what awaited them there, but they would not be deterred. And once they hit Juno Beach, they never looked back. [9] All of these men were part of a roll call of honor with names that spoke of a pride as bright as the colors they bore; The Royal Winnipeg Rifles, Poland’s 24th Lancers, the Royal Scots’ Fusiliers, the Screaming Eagles, the Yeomen of England’s armored divisions, the forces of Free France, the Coast Guard’s “Matchbox Fleet,” and you, the American Rangers. [10] Forty summers have passed since the battle that you fought here. You were young the day you took these cliffs; some of you were hardly more than boys, with the deepest joys of life before you. Yet you risked everything here. Why? Why did you do it? What impelled you to put aside the instinct for self-preservation and risk your lives to take these cliffs? What inspired all the men of the armies that met here? We look at you, and somehow we know the answer. It was faith and belief. It was loyalty and love. [11] The men of Normandy had faith that what they were doing was right, faith that they fought for all humanity, faith that a just God would grant them mercy on this beachhead, or on the next. It was the deep knowledge -- and pray God we have not lost it -- that there is a profound moral difference between the use of force for liberation and the use of force for conquest. You were here to liberate, not to conquer, and so you and those others did.

12] You all knew that some things are worth dying for. One’s country is worth dying for, and democracy is worth dying for, because it’s the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man. All of you loved liberty. All of you were willing to fight tyranny, and you knew the people of your countries were behind you. [13] The Americans who fought here that morning knew word of the invasion was spreading through the darkness back home. They fought -- or felt in their hearts, though they couldn’t know in fact, that in Georgia they were filling the churches at 4:00 am. In Kansas they were kneeling on their porches and praying. And in Philadelphia they were ringing the Liberty Bell. [14] Something else helped the men of D-day; their rock-hard belief that Providence would have a great hand in the events that would unfold here; that God was an ally in this great cause. And so, the night before the invasion, when Colonel Wolverton asked his parachute troops to kneel with him in prayer, he told them: “Do not bow your heads, but look up so you can see God and ask His blessing in what we’re about to do.” Also, that night, General Matthew Ridgway on his cot, listening in the darkness for the promise God made to Joshua: “I will not fail thee nor forsake thee.” [15] These are the things that impelled them; these are the things that shaped the unity of the Allies. [16] When the war was over, there were lives to be rebuilt and governments to be returned to the people. There were nations to be reborn. Above all, there was a new peace to be assured. These were huge and daunting tasks. But the Allies summoned strength from the faith, belief, loyalty, and love of those who fell here. They rebuilt a new Europe together. There was first a great reconciliation among those who had been enemies, all of whom had suffered so greatly. The United States did its part, creating the Marshall Plan to help rebuild our allies and our former enemies. The Marshall Plan led to the Atlantic alliance -- a great alliance that serves to this day as our shield for freedom, for prosperity, and for peace. [17] In spite of our great efforts and successes, not all that followed the end of the war was happy or planned. Some liberated countries were lost. The great sadness of this loss echoes down to our own time in the streets of Warsaw, Prague, and East Berlin. The Soviet troops that came to the center of this continent did not leave when peace came. They’re still there, uninvited, unwanted, unyielding, almost forty years after the war. Because of this, allied forces still stand on this continent. Today, as forty years ago, our armies are here for only one purpose: to protect and defend democracy. The only territories we hold are memorials like this one and graveyards where

our heroes rest. [18] We in America have learned bitter lessons from two world wars. It is better to be here ready to protect the peace, than to take blind shelter across the sea, rushing to respond only after freedom is lost. We’ve learned that isolationism never was and never will be an acceptable response to tyrannical governments with an expansionist intent. But we try always to be prepared for peace, prepared to deter aggression, prepared to negotiate the reduction of arms, and yes, prepared to reach out again in the spirit of reconciliation. In truth, there is no reconciliation we would welcome more than a reconciliation with the Soviet Union, so, together, we can lessen the risks of war, now and forever. [19] It’s fitting to remember here the great losses also suffered by the Russian people during World War II. Twenty million perished, a terrible price that testifies to all the world the necessity of ending war. I tell you from my heart that we in the United States do not want war. We want to wipe from the face of the earth the terrible weapons that man now has in his hands. And I tell you, we are ready to seize that beachhead. We look for some sign from the Soviet Union that they are willing to move forward, that they share our desire and love for peace, and that they will give up the ways of conquest. There must be a changing there that will allow us to turn our hope into action. [20] We will pray forever that someday that changing will come. But for now, particularly today, it is good and fitting to renew our commitment to each other, to our freedom, and to the alliance that protects it. [21] We’re bound today by what bound us 40 years ago, the same loyalties, traditions, and beliefs. We’re bound by reality. The strength of America’s allies is vital to the United States, and the American security guarantee is essential to the continued freedom of Europe’s democracies. We were with you then; we’re with you now. Your hopes are our hopes, and your destiny is our destiny. [22] Here, in this place where the West held together, let us make a vow to our dead. Let us show them by our actions that we understand what they died for. Let our actions say to them the words for which Matthew Ridgway listened: “I will not fail thee nor forsake thee.” [23] Strengthened by their courage and heartened by their value [valor] and borne by their memory, let us continue to stand for the ideals for which they lived and died. [24] Thank you very much, and God bless you all.

Section 3: Audience Analysis

The audience with President Reagan on the cliffs that day included his wife who could be seen sitting to his right in the video coverage of the speech, some of the men that climbed the cliffs 40 years earlier, and other men and women all around. It was only fitting that the President of the United States gave the speech because the men that fought at that location were American Rangers. Many different countries fought that day at different beaches, but there, at Pointe Du Hoc, American men lost their lives and fought bravely against tyranny. This speech was also televised and it aired at a time that many US citizens were able to watch during regular viewing hours. The date of the speech was significant, so many people were already geared up and ready to hear many speeches or a few similar to this. This could have helped the listener to become informed or to brush up on the details of what happened in 1944 before Reagan gave the speech. His audience was more than likely very grateful for this speech and honored to be in the Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presence. Also, the location of the speech could have caused the audience to become more somber and thoughtful because there was a memorial behind Reagan as he spoke.

Section Four: Rhetorical Appeals

In President Reagan’s speech, it was clear that ethos and pathos were present throughout. It took a little effort to pick out the logos, however. Of course, a President of a strong nation had all of the ethos that he could ever want. He was in charge of millions of people and the figurehead that so many people looked at across the globe. As was said before, the President of the US should have presented the speech because of the men that fought on those specific cliffs that day. The US was a major factor in the winning of the war. With all of that said, President Reagan didn’t have the kind of ethos in the way of firsthand experience. It was known that Reagan stayed on US soil during World War Two (WWII) and made war-time movies. He wasn’t one of the men or young boys that landed on enemy soil and fought the enemy in person. He wasn’t an expert on the subject either. He didn’t have a degree in the study of the war so his ethos wasn’t found there. It was all in him being an authority figure and he was the perfect person for the job. Most people wanted to hear someone that they know and trust to speak the truth in situations of remembrance and death. They were too emotional to check the credibility of the speaker. Since it was the President, everyone knew that he would speak the truth. Also, in a way, it made America as a nation look just as strong as it was when it was fighting the war against the Nazis. If a strong leader of a country stood up and continued to speak against tyranny and opposition, it would send a message to all those that might have the potential to become those things. Just as Reagan was a strong and effective leader, he was also honest and trustworthy. The majority of our county loved him and respected him immensely. That was part of ethos too, and it helped Reagan be heard effectively. Pathos was a whole different part of the speech and there were many instances of this throughout. The speech itself was a remembrance of terrible and noble things that happened that day 40 years earlier. It was a hard time for a lot of mothers and families that lost their loved ones that day. Reagan couldn’t have conducted this speech without some emotion and reflection.

He began in the first sentence, really, but where it really took shape was the third through the sixth paragraphs. He talked in depth about how many men died climbing the cliffs. That was supposed to get the men and women listening to the speech to really realize what these men went through. He then brought every other nation into this by recounting different stories where the men of their nation showed valor and bravery. Reagan was evoking a sense of unity between all of the countries that stood together to fight a common enemy for the good of all mankind and especially the nations and people that had already been overtaken by the enemy. He began in lines 1 and 2 of paragraph 6. There was a purpose in his speech and in order for it to make sense; he had to first get all of the people listening into the mindset that he wanted. He brought all of these men together in the way they fought, but also under God’s protection. Reagan began in the last lines of paragraph 10 and continued through 14. He especially used pathos in paragraph 12: “You all knew that some things are worth dying for. One’s country is worth dying for, and democracy is worth dying for, because it’s the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man. All of you loved liberty. All of you were willing to fight tyranny, and you knew the people of your countries were behind you.” In a sense, Reagan was telling these men before him that fought on the cliffs and the other men who fought that they were the smart ones. They knew what needed to be done to help their cause and God’s hand would keep them safe because he was on their side. That would evoke a sense of comfort and safety in anyone. There was some logos in President Reagan’s speech and he usually used it after using pathos. It would have been easier to listen and agree with what the President said after evoking some sort of feeling in everyone. The first instance when logos was used was in paragraph 11 with the lines, “You were here to liberate, not to conquer, and so you and those others did not doubt your cause. And you were right not to doubt.” Reagan was justifying the act of war because it was necessary.

He believed that actions needed to be taken against the enemy or all democracy in the world would be lost. Another instance of logos was in the very next paragraph with a healthy dose of pathos mixed in. He used logos to tell his audience that democracy is worth fighting for, but used pathos to do so by evoking emotion with stating that all of this is worth dying for and that everyone was behind them in the fight to save democracy. His use of ethos helped some in this paragraph too. The nation that was known for its democracy and freedoms speaking in favor of these things made sense. He had experience in it and it was the perfect time to introduce the idea. The major and minor premise could be found a little farther down in the speech towards the end. This speech began by explaining what all of the men fighting had to go through. Then, Reagan explained that it was their faith in God and providence that allowed them to prevail and fight with such courage. It was also their enemy that had all of the different countries to be united. The major premise would be that isolationism isn’t a response for tyrannical governments. The minor premise would be that the Soviets entered and stayed, uninvited, in places such as Warsaw, Prague, and East Berlin after the war was over. This means that the conclusion would be that isolating ourselves was not the correct response to Soviet aggression. All of this can be read in paragraphs 17 and 18 of the speech. Reagan was very much against the Soviets and their response to the world after the war. He explained this in line 4 through 7 of paragraph 17 saying, “The Soviet troops that came to the center of this continent did not leave when peace came. They’re still there, uninvited, unwanted, unyielding, almost forty years after the war.” He wanted his audience to know that the US didn’t stand for anything other than democracy and that his country wouldn’t sit idly by and watch other countries suffer like it had 40 years previously.

In saying all of that, Reagan then stated in paragraphs 18, 19, and 20, using ethos and pathos, that he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want a war with Russia. He reached out to the Soviet people by remembering their 20 million that died in WWII and let them and everyone else know that he was trying to reach out to their leaders to try to come to some agreement of peace. He pleads with them in paragraph 20, line 1. He refocused on his allies at the end of his speech using pathos. He stated how important and thankful he was to all of them and how they were all bound together by the same beliefs and ideals. He asked his audience basically to make a vow against anything other than democracy and to remember what the men that died in this war fought for.

Section Five: Rhetorical Figures:

Some rhetorical figures were used throughout Reagan’s speech and many were used more than once. The first use of accumulation was in paragraph 1, lines 3 and 4. “Free nations had fallen, Jews cried out in the camps, millions cried out for liberation.” Each clause here represented basically the same thing which was that Europe was in trouble. The next use of accumulation was used in paragraph 11. It said, “The men of Normandy had faith that what they were doing was right, faith that they fought for all humanity, faith that a just God would grant them mercy on this beachhead, or on the next.” Reagan wanted to emphasize here that these men that fought at the Cliffs of Pointe Du Hoc, as well as other locations on D-Day, had great faith in their cause, God, and their country. They knew that they were fighting for the right side. Another use of accumulation was, “You all [Men of Normandy] knew that some things are worth dying for. One’s country is worth dying for, and democracy is worth dying for, because it’s the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man.” This basically meant that these men knew that democracy was the best form of government and that they would die to keep it from being taken away from their nation. These men were the protectors of freedom and Reagan wanted to be extremely clear on that. In paragraph 16, Reagan emphasized again the men who fought for freedom and why by stating, “But the Allies summoned strength from the faith, belief, loyalty, and love of those who fell here.” He wanted everyone listening to know how brave they were and used pathos to do so. In speaking against the Soviet Union, President Reagan used accumulation and explained that the Russians were in no way welcome in any country but their own even though they were still occupying many places that weren’t their own. He said, “The Soviet troops that came to the center of this continent did not leave when peace came. They’re still there, uninvited, unwanted, unyielding, almost forty years after the war. Because of this, allied forces still stand on this continent.” This was be found in paragraph 17.

There are 2 examples of anaphora in President Reagan’s D-Day speech. The first one was be found in paragraph 10. Reagan said, “Why? Why did you do it?” He was speaking to the men that fought on the cliffs and risked their lives. He wanted to make sure that everyone knew how dangerous it was before telling about the men’s faith in God and belief that what they were doing was right and completely necessary. Another use of anaphora was found at the end or Reagan’s speech in paragraph 22 when he stated, “...let us make a vow to our dead. Let us show them by our actions that we understand what they died for. Let our actions say to them the words for which Matthew Ridgway listened: ‘I will not fail thee nor forsake thee.’” President Reagan wanted his audience to join with him to remember the dead on this day and for days to come. He wanted everyone to stand up for freedom and remember what those brave men died for. An antithesis was used in paragraph 11. Reagan said, “You were here to liberate, not to conquer, and so you and those others did not doubt your cause.” [Italics used to show antithesis]. Reagan was explaining that our troops were there to free nations from enemies of democracy and freedom. He was getting ready to introduce the point of the Soviets still invading and being a hindrance to democracy. Personification was used at the beginning of Reagan’s speech to help aide in the use of his pathos. The first use was in paragraph 1. By saying, “Europe was enslaved and the world prayed for its rescue. Here, in Normandy, the rescue began.” [italics used to show personification], Reagan emphasized just how large this problem with Germany was. He was saying that every person in the world knew about this war and every person was praying for peace and an end to the madness. Another use of personification was used in paragraph 16. The sentence read, “There were nations to be reborn.” President Reagan was telling his audience that Europe would never be the same because of this terrible time. He wanted everyone to know that just because the war was over, people and governments still had to be rebuilt and changed for the better.

Section Six: Rhetorical Fallacies

There were several rhetorical fallacies that were used in President Reagan’s speech. These fallacies often were the cause of the use of pathos in his speech. Example reasoning could be found in paragraph 3. At the beginning of Reagan’s speech, pathos was heavily used. He wanted his audience to be in the right mindset for the rest of the speech. His use of example reasoning came in the first sentence of the paragraph. He said, “Their mission was one of the most difficult and daring of the invasion: to climb these sheer and desolate cliffs and take out the enemy guns.” Reagan states that their mission was one of the most difficult and dangerous, but didn’t give us any other information about any other dangerous mission. He only gave us this one example to go by. Another instance of example reasoning presented itself in paragraph 12. It read, “All of you were willing to fight tyranny, and you knew the people of your countries were behind you.” The problem with this statement was that he gave no examples or real stories to show that each country was supporting the war. Were there some countries that had to be involved because they had promised other nations that in a time of need that they would help? Were there others that opposed the war altogether but the government made the decision to go anyway? His audience really had no context other than what Reagan told them. This was where ethos came in for him. Everyone believed him because he was the President of the United States. Why would he lie? Could he, perhaps, have said that to make the larger point that democracy was the best and subtly warn the Soviets of America’s power? There was a reason behind almost everything. An example of post hoc ergo propter hoc was also found in paragraph 12, although it’s stated in lines 1-3. Reagan said, “One’s country is worth dying for, and democracy is worth dying for, because it’s the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man.” He was saying, basically, that because some of those men died in the war, it was a result of dying for democracy which was the greatest form of government.

During the war, men were drafted to fight for their country. If all men were willing to die for the greatest democracy in the world, no draft would have been needed. Everyone would have volunteered. This was not and will not ever be the case in the future. Democracy is one of the most free forms of government in the world and all US citizens should be proud to live here, but not everyone would die for it. The last fallacy was the reductio ad absurdum in paragraph 18. The first sentence contained the fallacy and it stated, “We in America have learned bitter lessons from two world wars. It is better to be here ready to protect the peace, than to take blind shelter across the sea, rushing to respond only after freedom is lost.” Reagan was warning the audience that if his country didn’t take appropriate action early on, terrible things would happen possibly in their own country. He also meant that because we didn’t respond soon enough, the enemy created an even bigger problem just for the US to clean up. The enemy didn’t see it as freedom being lost. They saw it as expanding their territory and régime. The enemy was wrong in the end, but it was ridiculous to state that if we don’t respond within days, all freedom will be lost.