Message to be heard

Within the past week President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh strongly denied an allegation of sexual misconduct from his high school years. The New Yorker reported that a woman has accused him of trying to “force himself on her” at a party more than 30 years ago. Because of this accusation there has been a lot of controversy regarding the Supreme Court nominee and if he will be able to move forward in the elections. Specifically a lot of women don’t want a repeat of the Anita Hill and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas situation. The HuffPost writer Emily Peck is a senior reporter who covers business, economics and gender inequality at HuffPost. The article Peck Wrote “ If Brett Kavanaugh Is Confirmed, The Message to Women Will be Clear, you don matter” This article is regarding Gender inequality and the Brett Kavanaugh case is written specifically for the women’s section in the HuffPost. With a single purpose in mind to defend Women who are victims of sexual assault, also making a statement of continual inequality that women face, and the message being sent to Women in America if Brett Kavanaugh is elected. Peck uses effective rhetorical strategies, to emotionally captivate her audience, and making them aware of a previous assaults and why it was so hard for women to be heard. While the METOO movement is in full swing she still creates a timeline with credibility and facts that shows her audience how we are far away from gender equality. She poses the question for women and men everywhere asking if women have gained credibility. Peck uses imagery, comparison, logic and a timeline that evokes emotion in her article to her feministic audience. And those who support gender equality.

One of the most effective Rhetorical devices used in this article is the quotations, and examples of Women that not only provoke emotion but also give credibility to her argument. She uses quotations to evoke thought and concern that our society is trying to move in a better direction yet we still are far behind. Peck effectively uses ethos/ and logos hand in hand as she She says that Gloria Steinem told the HuffPost earlier in the year that this year is the year that “Women are being believed for the first time ever” she says how back then Steinem cautioned that it typically takes more than one woman of an accusation to stick. Currently in the situation with Kavanaugh it is a “he said she said case” Peck continues to quote Steinem and says that “it takes four or five women accusing the same guy before it’s believed.” This already is setting up a thought about treatment of women and sexual assault cases which is a highly sensitive subject for a lot of people, as she is giving her audience statistics. Then giving examples of high-profile cases of Harvey Weinstein, Les Moonves, Charlie rose, Matt Lauer and how it took more than a single women to to bring down a single man even when the accusation is credible. By giving these examples and quotes she is gaining credibility to her argument helping her readers more clearly understand and feel disheartened in the fact that yes women are being believed, but that they may or may not be found credible. These logical facts are highly persuasive and set a major tone for her article. It does create a sense of credibility to the things she has to say, and her audience can relate on a very personal level either being victims themselves, knowing others who are victims of assult or if they have been following these stories and the “MeToo” movement. The ethos is her argument creates a character about certain men and how they use there power to dominate others. She says “ in other words, yes women are being believed, but it’s not entirely clear that a woman will be found credible- Particularly when she’s going up against the pinnacle of American male power” She is creating a character of these men who are powerful men but who abuse there power and have gotten away with acts of assault until Multiple women were able to come together and were heard. These facts and quotes show how Women’s credibility in sexual assault cases is lacking and that woman are mistreated. Through these stories and quotes she is building up to the question- of what type of character is Kavanaugh? Is he another powerful male using he power to dominant and female? She does say that she doesn’t think ‘Kavanaugh should be criminally punished for the behavior long ago when he was a minor” But that the fallout should be that he doesn’t get to serve on the high court. Her other statements of women not being heard creates a sense of coalition between her woman audience that they are being persuaded to also agree that Ford should be given a full hearing. President Trump gives Kavanaugh credibility as he says that Kavanaugh is “ one of the finest people” but also using trumps quote about Kavanaugh is also an effective form of ethos because Trump already has a stigma that he does not support women and has said demeaning things about women. She even hints to the election when President Trump says “Grab em by the pussy” Which her readers know and understand how demeaning that is towards women. So this was a really effective use of ethos and pathos, showing the character of President Trump, and quoting a very ignorant quote.

As she is creating a credible scene through her quotes and stories she also is creating emotional imageries to her readers with words, stories and ideas. She connects to her audience of women who may not only have experienced similar situations but also to womanhood in general and that women deserve equality. She links the case of Kavanaugh and Ford to a similar case in 1991 the Anita Hill Hearings. Helping the audience remember the “travesty” of the hearings. In 1991 an all-male Senate panel questioned Hill. Coming to the conclusion that her accusations ultimately didn’t matter. She than says “Thomas has been sitting on the Supreme Court, signing on to rulings hostile to women’s rights, ever since.” She is showing how the mistreatment of women and creating emotion of frustration and inequity for her readers, convincing them of the difference and change that needs to be made and why Kavanaugh and Fords case should be given a full hearing. She states that Kavanaughs’s supporters were attacking Blasey Ford’s credibility just as Hill was attacked. This comment is a prime example of Pathos because she has already told us and hinted to the mistreatment of Anita Hill and because she is saying that now Ford is getting that same mistreatment the Pathos created is emotions of frustration, and again that feeling of imbalance and unfairness in our society against women. She creates emotions within her audience that help them feel more invested in the case and giving them more awareness of the message being sent if Kavanaugh serves in the high court. By her previous examples and statistics she is letting her reader know the pattern that is happening in our society, which is creating sympathy and pity from her readers, wanting social Justice.

She ends her article stating how we are back to the 1990’s-style moment. Using Kairos as a yet another effective rhetoric taking her reader back down her timeline of women’s inequality. She says “what happens next will be a test to see how far we’ve come- have women gained real credibility?” then posing the questions if the senate will revert back to the 1990 and will they treat Ford the way Hill was treated… or will they give Ford the respect that was not given to Hill? She uses Kairos so effectively even from the beginning of the article examples of a timeline of how far Women’s equality has come, but then brings us back saying imposing the thought if women’s really have come far… or as she says “or are women still, for all our efforts, just a little less equal? Which takes her reader again to the timeline of social injustice, which has gone on and continues to go on. Showing us that though we may take steps forward we still are a lot of steps behind.

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