Rhetoric is the art of persuasion. Aristotle said that in order to successfully persuade one must utilize the appeals to ethos, logos, and pathos. As you finish off this semester you will be presenting to your class a persuasive argument that requires your audience to take some action. This is a common place argument that you see being made regularly as you are recruited to join in on different causes. The key however, is to convince you by appealing to your logic and your emotions in just enough doses so that you are persuaded enough to care and believe that by you caring, a difference can be made.

As many of you are perfectly aware, homelessness, is a serious issue in the United States, but what most of you probably are not aware of is just how serious the problem really is. Many of you would agree that it is a problem that will always exist, so why even bother. I would like to share with you a short documentary that is divided into "topics" that all address the issue of homelessness on Skid Row in California. Analyze the rhetorical strategies used in the film as you have been taught by identifying the use of ethos, logos and pathos. Let me know what you think overall, about the issue, the information provided, were you surprised, what new information you learned, if it persuaded you of anything, etc.

Click on the link, scroll down and you'll see the first video ready to press play. Underneath it you'll see a list of the remaining 4 parts. Watch the whole thing it won't take you more than 35 minutes or so. ON SKID ROW.