Rhetoric

How Lincoln Used Words To Get His Way

Posted 05.18.2012

Read More: Words Like Loaded Pistols, Video, Lincoln, Sam Leith, Abraham Lincoln, Abraham Lincon, Gettysburg Address Speech, Gettysburg Address Facts, Rhetoric, Gettysburg Address, Books News

Excerpted with permission from Words Like Loaded Pistols: Rhetoric from Aristotle to Obama by Sam Leith (Basic Books, $26.99). Available from Basic Bo...

Read Whole Story

American Heritage Dictionary Redefines "Anchor Baby" as "Offensive" and "Disparaging"

Mary Giovagnoli | Posted 02.05.2012

Read More: Restrictionists, Undocumented Immigration, Anchor Baby, Rhetoric, Immigration Blog, Birthright Citizenship, Latino Voices News
Mary Giovagnoli

While the origins are not reflected in the definition, characterizing the term as both "offensive" and "disparaging" says volumes about how it is used in real life.

Read Post

"Anchor Baby" Added to New American Heritage Dictionary

Mary Giovagnoli | Posted 02.04.2012

Read More: Immigration, Rhetoric, Undocumented ImmigrationFollow, Immigration Blog, Birthright Citizenship, Politics News
Mary Giovagnoli

While dictionaries may be neutral, language isn't. "Anchor baby" is a term that epitomizes the way words reflect and reframe a debate.

Read Post

How to Talk Turkey on Immigration

Mary Giovagnoli | Posted 01.23.2012

Read More: Restrictionists, Undocumented Immigration, Rhetoric, State and Local Immigration Law, Progressives, Immigration Blog, Politics News
Mary Giovagnoli

Here I offer a list of tips for making the case, politely but firmly, for a rational immigration policy.

Read Post

Jon Stewart and the Kids

Ming Holden | Posted 12.01.2011

Read More: Indiana University, Politics, Education, Freshman Composition, College, Jon Stewart, The Midwest, Comedy Central, Political Humor, Teen Suicide, Creative Writing, Bloomington Indiana, Comedy, Culture, Rhetoric, Culture News
Ming Holden

Jon Stewart came to Indiana for my birthday. Well, okay, on my birthday. When I was a college freshman in 2002, we used to gather in the basement o...

Read Post

Why Everybody Thinks Those "Lazy, Immoral, Inherently-Defective" Poor People Are Actually Quite Well-Off

Erica Payne | Posted 06.05.2011

Read More: Narrative, Heritage Foundation, Poverty, Daily-Agenda, Social Policy, Frank Lutz, Inequality, Rhetoric, Politics News
Erica Payne

By changing nuances within the language we use to describe poverty and inequality, we can begin to change the narrative so it is finally accurate.

Read Post

3 Words We Need in Politics

Dr. Jim Taylor | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Michelle Bachmann, Tucson Shooting, Politics, State of the Union, Gabby Giffords, Conservatism, I Was Wrong, Liberal, Tea Party, Rhetoric, Politics News
Dr. Jim Taylor

You didn't hear those three words from Michele Bachmann after her history-revising Tea Party response to President Obama's State of the Union speech. What are those three words, you ask? "I was wrong."

Read Post

From Ground Zero To Gays In Uganda: A Millennial Response To Modern Moral Crises

Chris Stedman | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Uganda, Lgbt, Atheism, 9/11, Immigration, Groundswell, Common Ground Campaign, Auburn Theological Seminary, Sikhism, Muslim, Balbir Singh Sodhi, National Prayer Breakfast, Millenials, David Kato, park51, Brisenia Flores, Rhetoric, Gay Rights, Religion News
Chris Stedman

Our generation can no longer afford to cede authority to the angriest voices, whether they broadcast from down the street or across the ocean.

Read Post

The Palin Problem (It's Not What You Think...)

Erica Payne | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Andrew Breitbart, Dick Armey, Tea Party, Koch Brothers, Conservative Political Action Committee Conference, Not a Witch, Freedom Works, Ann Coulter, Agenda Project, Rick Santorum, Conservatism, Jim Demint, Russell Kirk, Sarah Palin, Christine D'Donnell, American Politics, Erica Payne, Richard Hofstadter, Climate Science, Corporate-Ocracy, Anti-Intellectualism, Irving Kristol, William F. Buckley, Gabrielle Giffords, Glenn Beck, Leo Strauss, Conservative Ideology, Vitriol, Anti-Intellectualism in American Life, Rhetoric, Politics News
Erica Payne

The real crisis in American politics isn't about one tragic shooting, its about a cultural phenomenon -- the celebration of stupidity -- that has taken over this country.

Read Post

Traumatic Events Can Alter View Of Language

npr.org | By Geoff Nunberg | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Language, Language Codes, Trauma and Language, Words, Political Rhetoric, Rhetoric, View of Language, Books News

There are more threats on politicians on both sides now, but not a lot of people are unhinged enough to actually try to carry out attacks. And once so...

Read Whole Story

Weekly Diaspora: Anti-Immigrant Hate Crimes Rise with Hateful Political Speech

The Media Consortium | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Shenandoah, American Independent, Colorlines, Sb 1070, Public News Service, I-Word, change.org, Arizona, Somos Republicans, Hate Crimes, Rhetoric, Alternet, Anti-Immigrant, Politics News
The Media Consortium

by Catherine A. Traywick, Media Consortium blogger The federal trial of three Pennsylvania police officers accused of covering up the murder of an und...

Read Post

Amanda Terkel

House Dean: Current Vitriolic Climate Is Similar To Before JFK Was Assassinated

HuffingtonPost.com | Amanda Terkel | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: House of Representatives, JFK Assassination, Rick Perlstein, Violent Rhetoric, Political Rhetoric, John Dingell, Rep. John Dingell, Barry Goldwater, Jfk, Rhetoric, Politics News

WASHINGTON -- While pundits debate whether the tone in Washington will change in the aftermath of the tragic shooting in Arizona, the dean of the U.S....

Read Whole Story

The President's Speech: How Obama's Body Language Defies His Message

Judith Parker Harris | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: The King's Speech, Nicole Santa Cruz, Ashley Powers, Christina Taylor Green, Cody Keenan, Speech Writers, Barack Obama, Tucson, Harvard University, Giffords, Rhetoric, Politics News
Judith Parker Harris

Barack Obama struggled in Arizona with his speech impediment, while using words to comfort and strengthen a nation torn by violence, anger and bi-partisanship. And yes, I said speech impediment.

Read Post

Friday Talking Points [151] -- Obama's Speech

Chris Weigant | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Christina Taylor Green, President Obama, Speech, Rampage, Dorwan Stoddard, Birchers, Obama, Media, Arizona, Friday Talking Points, Phyllis Schneck, Television, Internet, Midotw, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, John Birch Society, Fringe, Dorothy Morris, Tragedy, Blogosphere, Daniel Hernandez, Gabe Zimmerman, Shooting, Heroes, Msm, John Roll, Faces of Hope, Blame, Patricia Maisch, Tucson, Barack Obama, Mainstream Media, Christina Green, Outrageous, Mddotw, Chris Weigant, Gabrielle Giffords, Heroism, News, Rhetoric, Politics News
Chris Weigant

To honor the fallen this week, we're going to refrain from our usual heated political rhetoric here for a change. It's only fitting, really, after su...

Read Post

Free Speech, Dangerous Speech, and Scootergate (VIDEO)

Greg Lukianoff | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: University, Uga, Video, First Amendment, Rhetoric, College, Georgia, Free Speech, Gabrielle Giffords, Higher Education, Jonathan Rauch, Arizona Shootings, Jared Loughner, Political-Climate, Arizona, Scapegoating, College News
Greg Lukianoff

Unfortunately, commentators have occasionally confused their anger and condemnation of some of the more overheated rhetoric in our political culture with an argument against free speech itself.

Read Post

The Potency of the R-Word

Ami Fields-Meyer | Posted 11.17.2011

Read More: Ann Coulter, Ann Coulter Retard, R Word, Mental Disability, Retarded, Retard, Rhetoric, Words, Rush Limbaugh, Healthy Living News
Ami Fields-Meyer

Retarded. It's ubiquitous. I can't escape it. But I have never gotten used to hearing it. Some words serve a variety of purposes; but some are meant to be attached to one exclusive definition.

Read Post

Weekly Pulse: Giffords Shooting Reveals Flaws in U.S. Mental Health Services

The Media Consortium | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Adele Stan, State, Violence, Repeal, Rate, change.org, Arizona, Medical Loss Ratio, Dc, Lawsuit, California, Alternet, Insurance, Guttmacher Institute, Legislature, Autism, Disability, Health Care, Abortion, Mmr, Conflict of Interest, Blue Shield, Shooting, Brie Cadman, Chamber of Commerce, Rachel Gold, Care2, Choice, Kristina Chew, Vote, Suzi Khimm, Health Insurance, Andrew Wakefield, Gabrielle Giffords, Mental Illness, Elizabeth Nash, Rhetoric, Home News
The Media Consortium

By Lindsay Beyerstein, Media Consortium blogger Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) was shot in the head at a constituent outreach event in a supermarket...

Read Post

Who's Illegitimate? The Presidents. Who Says?

Harry Shearer | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Arizona Shooting, Gabrielle Giffords, GOP Rhetoric, Gabrielle Giffords Shooting, Tucson Shooting, Rhetoric, Political Rhetoric, Giffords Shooting, Politics News
Harry Shearer

If mental disturbance is at the root of the shootings in Tucson, that leaves another question: what's at the root of all the rancor about political rancor?

Read Post

Tucson -- And the Next Rampage

Rick Horowitz | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Health Care Debate, Rush Limbaugh, Cable Tv, Gun Control, Tucson, Congress, Arizona, Sarah Palin, Civility, Daily Kos, Bulls-Eyes, Right Wing Radio, Talk Radio, Gun Control Laws, Tucson Shooting, Fox News, Gabrielle Giffords, Glenn Beck, Jared Loughner, Rhetoric, Cross Hairs, Politics News
Rick Horowitz

Already there have been bricks thrown through windows, and pictures of nooses. Already the authorities have had to increase security for certain gove...

Read Post

Don't Blame the Tea Party (at Least Not for This... )

Erica Payne | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Tea Party, Tea Party Republicans, Shooting, Jared Lee Loughner, Agenda Project, Originalism, Constitutional Ammendments, Arizona, Huck Finn, Sarah Palin, Erica Payne, Constructivism, Constitution, Gabrielle Giffords, Glenn Beck, Congresswoman Giffords, Rhetoric, Politics News
Erica Payne

As politicians of both parties fall all over themselves denying blame for the shooting of Congresswomen Giffords and decrying the toxic political envi...

Read Post

"A Good Way To Get Rid Of Dems"

Dawn Teo | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Gabrielle Giffords Shot, Obama Rhetoric, Right-Wing Rhetoric, Gabrielle Giffords, Political Rhetoric, Republican Rhetoric, Gabrielle Giffords Shooting, Rhetoric, GOP Rhetoric, Politics News
Dawn Teo

PHOENIX, ARIZONA -- A friend of an old friend on Facebook this weekend characterized Saturday's shooting as, "a good way to get rid of Democrats." How...

Read Post

Head, Heart, Guts and Gonads: Getting Down and Dirty in the Rhetoric War

Robin Lakoff | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Argument, Morality, Conservatives, Persuasion, Rhetoric, Progressives, Politics News
Robin Lakoff

The left likes to argue to the head; conservatives know that the further down you go, the more persuasive you will be.

Read Post

Seven Steps to Civility This Election Season

Jim Wallis | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Neighbor, Debate, Jim Wallis, 1 Corinthians 13, Cia, Scripture, Economy, Target, Opinion, Main Street, Faithful Witness, Pray, Election Season, Prayer, Republicans and Democrats, Republican, 1 Timothy 2, Image of God, Common Good, Religious Leader, Civility, Ephesians, Church, Moral Compass, Public Discourse, Common Ground, Community, Democrat, Newspaper, Wedge Issue, Congress, Ground Solutions, Pastor, Religious Leaders, Political Leaders, Rediscovering Values, Democrats, Covenant, Fear Mongering, Candidate, John, Truth and Civility, Republicans, Rhetoric, Politics News
Jim Wallis

This week, a group of more than 130 former legislators, both Republicans and Democrats, released a letter urging for civility and encouraging candidates, once elected, to focus on cooperation to face our country's greatest challenges.

Read Post

The Oklahoma City Bombing Anniversary and Home-Grown Terrorism

Jim Wallis | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Political Spectrum, Civil, 9/11, Anniversary, Movement, America, Government, Middle East, Terror, Domestic Terrorism, Victim, Violence, Shame, Attack, Militia, Bomb, Politics, Terrorist, Role of Government, Interview, Timothy McVeigh, Democratic Discourse, Anger, Mother, Border, Documentary, Confession, Bombing, Terrorism, Casualties, Discourse, Law Enforcement, Rhetoric, Politics News
Jim Wallis

Are we as concerned about potential terrorists who are home-grown Americans with white skin as we are sometimes obsessed with darker-skinned suspects of Middle Eastern descent?

Read Post

How Not to Give an Oval Office Speech

Robin Lakoff | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Energy Crisis, Crisis, Obama Speech, Oval Office, Sacrifice, Rhetoric, President Obama, Politics News
Robin Lakoff

Obama totally missed his opportunity to ask for, or even demand, sacrifice; specifically, that all of us immediately go into rehab for our oil addiction.

Read Post