4/6/09 Op-Ed Prewriting

1.The general tone of op-eds posted in the Orlando Sentinel is purposeful, witty, and often is blaming. It is clear that the authors feel strongly about the topics being discussed and the editorials call upon a specific party to be responsible for the issue at hand. The assumed audience seems to be educated individuals living in greater Orlando who are of voting age. It is interesting that there is a liberal feel with each piece since the audience is not predominately liberal or conservative. A lot of the articles are currently dealing with new budget cuts, education, and topics related to jobs and the economy.

2.The op-ed I will write will focus on persuading readers that education should be at the top of priorities for legislators based on evidence suggesting negative results that sprout from poor education such as a weakened economy and work force. I will discuss some suggested options that can be initiated to make sure that education is not sacrificed amongst budget cuts. This topic runs parallel to the theme of most of the op-eds currently in the Orlando Sentinel.

3.My purpose in writing on this subject is to persuade readers to write to or call the governor of Florida’s office and other legislators about their concern for the lack of focus on sustaining and improving public education in Florida.

4./5. /6. The most effective rhetorical appeals will probably be ethos and pathos, but also logos. I will give personal experience or anecdotes to bring pathos to the piece. This will be effective if the audience is as I assume: educated. It will be most effective in persuading parents of school aged, or soon to be school aged children. I will establish ethos by discussing the topic with an educated view, not simply opinions. For example, I will provide results from research on the effects of poor education on a county or state (which I will have to do some researching to find). This will also provide logos, as will bringing up other arguments in the correct logical order.