7
AssignmentLong Text

Comparing Argument Techniques in Two Speeches

Question 7 • CA-Expository Reading and Writing B

Explain how Wallace uses one of the three rhetorical appeals to support the claim that Alabama has the right to continue policies of racial segregation.

Answer

Answer:

George Wallace uses the rhetorical appeals of ethos and logos to support his claim that Alabama has the right to continue policies of racial segregation. He uses logos by referencing the legal structure of the U.S. Constitution, arguing that because the federal government is not explicitly granted the power to regulate social policies like segregation, that power remains with the states. He also uses ethos by framing his position as a defense of the founding fathers' original intent and the moral authority of state sovereignty. By positioning himself as a protector of constitutional liberty against federal overreach, he attempts to give his argument legal and moral credibility.