Dustin Smith
Professor Ireland
English 102
4 April 2014 Playing with a three year old is a fun thing to do, they often come up with fun games and create the rules as they go, they are cute; when the forty year old president of the United States, George W. Bush does it we don’t think it’s as cute. In the president’s remarks to New York Times about constitutional amendment on marriage, he’s essentially playing game and making up rules as he goes. Through out Bush’s speech he argues that we should make a constitutional amendment defining marriage as one man and one woman. This amendment effects the American people because many cultures and religions in the united states allow polygamy, and by limiting marriage to only one man and one woman by law would restrict the freedom of religion and trample many other rights. Only he often is lacking ethos, or has too many faulty warrants and fallacies. George W. Bush’s remarks he often comes up with fun arguments and creates the rules as he goes. George isn’t well at establishing an ethos, also known as creditability. He doesn’t have a strong ethos to his audience because in many of the arguments that he brings up he lacks any evidence what so ever. Eight of the ten arguments his conclusions are based from do not include any evidence. For example in paragraph eleven bush makes an argument that the definition of marriage is of national importance. What is the definition of national importance? He uses such an unspecific term as if the making of a definition in the constitution is comparable to national security. George also lacks ethos by using charged language. For example bush decides to use the word “protecting” in paragraph one when describing how he doesn’t want the definition of marriage to change. This is considered charged language because by using the word “protecting” he establishes already existing connotations that appeal for the need for safety. By using these strategies for his remarks for the New York Times George has lost much of his credibility. Another way George has not done well at to convince his audience is by creating fallacies in his arguments. For example in paragraph four George says “ And unless action is taken, we can expect more arbitrary court decisions, more litigation, more defiance of the law…” This is a well known fallacy called slippery slope. The reason this is a slippery slope fallacy is because he alludes that if one person were to break the law then they might break them all and allow kayos to erupt in to America. Another fallacy in paragraph 12 known as the bandwagon fallacy, Bush states, “The union of a man and woman is the most enduring human institution, honoring – honored and encouraged in all cultures and by every religious faith.” This fits the bandwagon fallacy perfect
