Hot Topics of Skilled Nursing Facilities

- Low Staffing Levels

Nursing homes and long-term care centers have struggled as of late to maintain their staffing levels to qualify for federal and state funding. Because of the low wages for certified nurse assistants (CNA) and registered nurses (RN), it is difficult to slow down the high turn over rates of the industry. Record low unemployment rates have driven other workers to higher wage industries. Nursing home companies are working hard to find the balance between raising wages while maintaining a profit in an extremely low-profit industry. (See Source).

-Elderly Abuse

Low staffing has lead to lowering standards in the highering process which lead to an increase in abuse cases. One of the biggest struggles for administration in these facilities is creating detailed training programs and incentives to continually increase the quality of care. One way nursing home administrators prevent abuse is through detailed documentation of cases to enhance clear communication between the facility's staff and state surveyors. (See Source).

-Changes in Arbitration Clauses

Before November of 2016 patients who entered Skilled Nursing facilities were forced to sign an arbitration agreement upon arrival. Which means any dispute had to be settled with a mediator before going to court. This restricted the patient's ability to voice their concerns about the treatment they received in the facility. Now, arbitration is optional and can be signed after admission if an issue comes up. This gives the patient more legal freedom when communicating their concern and receiving justice. (See Source).

All of these issues are heavily influenced by federal and state funding, as facilities receive the majority of their reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid. Based on my exposure to the industry over the years I have seen serious inefficiencies in the processes that provide funding. Skilled Nursing care has improved dramatically since its beginnings, but there is still a lot of potential solutions to provide better care that will save both the federal government and taxpayers billions of dollars.

Hot Topics of Sociology

Hot Spots of Sociology:

• ·        Social Protests in Sports

Colin Kaepernick was a highly successful NFL star. He played an important role in helping the San Francisco 49ers reach the super bowl during the 2012 football season. While they did lose in the championship, he did establish himself as the future starting quarterback for the team. However, during the national anthem before the games. This was in protest against the unfair treatment of minorities, specifically by police. This highly controversial protest lost him his position in the NFL. NYtimes - The Awakening of Kaepernick

• ·        Youth Gangs as Psuedo-Governments: When Institutions Fail

When institutions fail the people they are meant to help, there is a void left behind. Gangs are often the organizations that fill this void. The gangs become appealing to poor youth because it appears like a way out of poverty, a chance to climb the socioeconomic ladder. These gangs fill in for many government institutions by providing order, protection, an economy, and other services, even if it is all done illegally. Jstor - When Youth Gangs as Psuedo-Governments

• ·        Increasingly segregated and unequal schools

Inequality of social class begins at a young age. Segregated schools cause some schools to receive better funding and others to fall behind. This difference can lead to huge inequalities in the education system. Students who attend the poorer schools will be much less likely to get a strong education that will lead to a college degree or even a high school diploma.

Increasingly segregated and unequal schools as courts reverse policy - Sagepub

Of these three, the first one strikes me as the most interesting. I think it is a highly controversial subject on the matter of social protest that uses a silent form of communication to cause a huge uproar across the country. However, I am fascinated by the reason's youth put their lives at risk by joining gangs as well. I think people generally do not understand this subject because they do not realize the poverty that forces people to look to gangs for help.

Hot Spots in Computer Programming

• Artificial Intelligence

In a number of areas, artificial intelligence is considered to have surpassed humans in proficiency (including but not limited to mathematics, language translation, or even chess). As AI's become smarter than humans in more areas, are programmers sure that they will still be able to fully comprehend and control the things the AI does? What if a dangerous and powerful machine understands a general command we give, but not the intention we have in giving it? (See "Benefits & Risks of Artificial Intelligence")

• Cybersecurity

Anything networked can be hacked, and while networking things such as traffic lights, fridges, or cars can make systems far more effective in many ways, we also open the door to hackers in very real and dangerous ways. In 2015, some hackers wirelessly took over the electronic systems in a Chrysler Jeep, gaining control of the dashboard functions, the steering, the transmission, and even the brakes. How can we keep so many objects in so many homes completely safe from attacks? (See "Manufacturers Remain Slow to Recognize Cybersecurity Risks")

• Internet Censorship

Censorship has been a hot topic for hundreds of years in many fields, but few (if any) innovations have enabled the free exchange of knowledge like the internet. It can be incredibly helpful to have worlds of information at our fingertips, but the internet also bypasses several economic, political, and social boundaries as a medium of communication and knowledge. And while governments have too much influence and too little understanding to truly fix any of these problems, programmers are left to try to manage a flood of data larger than the world has ever seen and hope it doesn't drown us. (See "Everything You Need to Know About Europe's New Copyright Directive")

Of these issues, censorship is arguably the most difficult problem to solve. Different countries have different standards and rules, but the internet has no rules and no international boundaries. How can we control something that lives in a world of its own? How can we apply time-tested solutions to problems that don't follow the rules--where anything can be duplicated and shared over any distance? We can already see the effect the internet's freedom has had on American politics, but what effect will it have in the future on international relations? 


Image Credits: Image via www.vpnsrus.com

The Influence of a Master Orator

Winston Churchill was undeniably a master of rhetoric. It was by so being, in part, that helped him unite his country in the face of strong opposition. When he gave his “Iron Curtain” speech, Churchill relied on rhetoric to inspire camaraderie with those of the United States. For instance, he made quick and memorable metaphorical phrases Americans could use to describe the situations in the world. They wanted, for instance, ‘the sinews of peace’, and knew it would be necessary to overcome ‘the iron curtain’ to achieve it. Churchill also relied heavily on ethos, having established a strong presence by his essential role in the Second World War, to ensure they would listen to him. However, instead of heeding him as a political entity, he asked them to understand his message came from him as a man or individual. 

The manner in which Churchill uses kairos is impeccable as well. The message is necessary according to the times because the Second World War has just ended and it’s important nations are well positioned for the following phase. He asks for the alliance of the United States as Communism becomes a growing threat, while never insulting Russia or insinuating that they are anything less than allies. Such positioning is characteristic of the Cold War. Churchill knew that there was no time to waste after the conclusion of the Second World War- it was time to prepare for the future. 

Churchill would not be have made such a lasting impact as an orator if it was merely his words that made such a difference. He used the medium of speaking in order to convey enthusiasm and have a basic relationship with those he was addressing. You can hear it when the audience applauds at specific things he says. You can hear it when he raises his voice or changes his tone. He is successfully building emotional memories for those who hear him. Wanting to be a form of orator myself, he’s a major inspiration- not just in how he speaks, but in all of it. In his use of rhetoric, the powerful messages he delivered, as well as his speaking ability.

https://variety.com/2017/film/reviews/churchill-review-brian-cox-1202447010/

From the Mouth of Experience

When I read about the events of the two world wars, I can't help but feel some pride in the United States and the role we played to end them. I feel a strong sense of patriotism to think that we were able to go in and end what no other country seemed able to do. Of course I also think that it could be just biased opinion and that the other countries involved surely didn't feel that way. But then listening to "Sinews of Peace," it felt nice to know that the other countries did see that and appreciate it. I wanted to cheer when Winston Churchill recognized our great efforts, and I felt enormous pride knowing that we were trusted with our power. I felt moved by not only his appreciation but also his call for peace. I felt the urgency to break down the "iron curtain" and free the world from the oppression of communism.

Now if I felt that way listening to it on my cellphone over seventy years later, sitting in an office, never having been personally affected by the devastation of war, imagine what those listening to him in person, recovering from destruction and death, must have felt. Churchill knew what his audience felt because he was in the middle of the carnage. He watched his country get blown to pieces; he watched the brave soldiers lay down their lives for their country;

Churchill inspecting Polish troops. 1943

he knew the consequences abused power. He hardly needed to establish authority in this speech, but he drew on his experience as a leader in the war to convince the people that their could have been another way. Telling the people that if he had been allowed to make the decisions, World War II could have been avoided was a perfect way to establish credibility to people who are picking up the pieces and are desperate to avoid war. They will do anything to prevent more destruction.

This kairotic moment allowed him to tap into the emotions of those listening and also the reality of the situation, satisfying their pathos and logos needs. He knew they didn't want war and that the memory of the war would be enough for them to want to establish peace, but he didn't rely on that. He brought in a logistical side as well. He related the situation to the world, discussing how the current issues would affect the governments of different countries and the UNO.

Churchill's brilliance shows undeniable in this speech. He makes a call for peace, and I can't imagine there was anyone listening who didn't answer.

image credit: public domain images via Wikimedia Commons

Calming the Storm, and Planning for the Next One

"An honor... perhaps almost unique"

Only months after the conclusion of World War II, Churchill made an appearance at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri to give a speech on the "Sinews of Peace". It was both a stirring call to action and sensitive, assuring counsel. However, the setting of this speech is part of its distinct character. While Churchill was not in his home of England, he was also not at a formal political conference. Rather, as President Truman divulged in his guest introduction, Churchill had been considering spots for vacation and was requested by the President to come to America and give a speech. Now, while this tale really may not display the full motives of either party, it's noteworthy that Churchill gave perhaps his most famous speech-- the "Iron Curtain" speech-- in a college gym in a small Midwest town. Relatively humble for the former prime minister of England and legendary "citizen of the world". Perhaps this, then, helped to carry his message into the hearts of blue-collared Americans and Brits.

Westminster College Gymnasium, where "Sinews of Peace" was delivered

"A definite and practical proposal for action"

As could be expected following an atrocious, devastating event, the world at large was asking "what now?" at the end of World War II. Specifically, the political affairs and government approaches of so many countries were up in the air. Fear and paranoia were tangible even in the joyous victory celebrations. How could we avoid yet another war? And who could judge whether the next battle would be even more cataclysmic than World War II? 

Winston Churchill took a firm stance on the issue by suggesting specific ways "to guard the homes of the common people from the horrors and miseries of another war." In his speech, he makes a deliberate call to action by asking nations worldwide to invest materials and human resources into a worldwide police force: UNO. He capitalizes on the heightened post-victory nationalism of America by emphasizing the importance and genius of the atomic bomb, the retention of national identities in UNO, and the dignity of American capitalism and democracy. 

 "If we persevere together as we did in the two world wars...

I cannot doubt that we shall achieve our common purpose in the end."

While appealing to logos in this action plan by using division and definition, he also employs these devices when speaking about "the other": communism. Churchill passionately warns against communism by giving a clear, business-like report on the current affairs of Europe and Asia. Perhaps this was to awaken geographically-removed and still-celebrating American citizens to the painful realities at hand. Churchill paints communism as a stark, black-and-white enemy and uses stirring syllogisms, anaphora and poetic language, and poignant imagery to persuade his audience. These, too, not only contributed to his emotional and logical appeals, but also displayed Churchill's abilities as a skilled rhetorician.

In total, Churchill's choice of setting, logical and clear structure, and emotionally-charged language, combined with his charisma and eloquence, wove a perfect web in which he promoted specific ways to combat communism and obtain world peace.





Image credit

https://www.businessinsider.com/winston-churchill-iron-curtain-college-speech-2017-5 
https://owlcation.com/humanities/The-Day-Churchill-Came-to-Town-The-Iron-Curtain-Speech-in-Fulton-Missouri

Cold War Day One

Winston Churchill

According to the Russians, the Cold War began on March 5, 1946. On that day, Winston Churchill came to Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri and gave the speech titled “The Sinews of Peace” that gave rise to the term the “iron curtain”, which is still well-known today.

The impact of this speech is largely due to the masterful use of rhetorical devices by Churchill, who was a world-renowned orator. I noticed particularly in his speech very purposeful arrangement of his ideas and a huge respect and advantage taken of Kairos, or context in which the speech was given.

The speech begins with a joke about his being British and glowing praise of the President and of the United States. From there he jumps quickly into addressing the tensions of the day and continues on to lay out his recommendations for navigating those treacherous waters.

This structure feels very logical but maintains natural flow. The order of the presentation of ideas follows the way a person would approach any encountered problem. The difference is that Churchill very readily provides the solution where we would otherwise have to dwell for quite some time on the issue.

Another aspect of arrangement I noticed was that right after Churchill introduces the brunt of his proposed solution, he very quickly quiets a potential concern or counterargument that listeners might be having. His solution is to make a cooperative world organization, but he knows that spreading knowledge of the atom bomb is a huge concern to the American people and assures the listeners that that would not be something that would be shared.

This ties in to Churchill’s use of Kairos. It is given after the Second World War. The world is still recovering and in terrible fear of a third, even more destructive thermonuclear war. This allows Churchill to pull on the raw emotions tied to the destruction and suffering from the wars to add to his plea for peace and cooperation.

This speech was monumental in looking at the approaches to the Cold War. Churchill’s oratory genius imprinted the words “iron curtain” into the American mind and urged us towards steps for peace.

Image Credit: Winston Churchill Wikipedia Commons

The Words left Unspoken

The United States has always followed an isolationist policy. With the memories of foreign oppression fresh in its mind, the United States did not send a delegate to any foreign convention until 1863, when in desperate need of help from outside powers. This trend, which began with the Monroe Doctrine was critical in the start of World War Two. The United States would not join the League of Nations, and would not concern itself with Europe after the horror of the first World War. Winston Churchill called for a new era of peace and cooperation in his speech, "The Sinews of Peace".  Winston uses an impeccable sense of decorum and invention to communicate the urgency and  necessity of his message of unity.

Winston Churchill Speaking

Churchill appealed to his American audience with a combination of  division and flattery. Churchill divides the world into the English speaking peoples and everyone else. He lifts the English speaking above the rest of world claiming the "principles of freedom" as the "inheritance" of the English speaking world. He goes on to flatter his american audience by stating that these ideals were best expressed in the Declaration of Independence. Churchill knows that his american audience does not want to be scolded for waiting so long to join the war, or reprimanded for leaving the league of nations powerless. Rather than doing either of these, he starts out joking, connecting the two countries through the name Westminster, and building his ethos through praising the president of the United States, who introduced him. Churchill widens the gap by taking these freedoms of the English and showing that only "glorious Greece" under the hands of the allies has free elections, while those behind the iron curtain are leaning towards totalitarianism.

Winston further shows his decorum by appealing to his audience with religion. American religious leanings were on the rise, and would continue to rise into the 50's.  Churchill compares a powerless United Nations to a cockpit in the tower of Babel, and then calls upon the old maxim to build upon the rock and not the sand. This religious language resonates with his american audience, and lends the ethos of the Bible, and even God to his speech. Religion, and English enlightenment ideals were the "Sinews of Peace" that could hold the world together.

These devices: division and religious maxims serve to drive home Churchill's point. If the United states isolates themselves, peace can never survive, the world will be as the tower of Babel, no cooperation, and no progression. Had Winston come out and outright lampooned the late effort of the United States, and criticized its isolationism, his audience would never have acted or believed his message. With his humor, flattery, division, and especially the harsh words that he did not speak, Churchill set up an alliance that would assure peace through the Cold War.

Picture: Winston Churchill speaking, wikicommons

A Malleable Audience

To see what an impactful orator was Winston Churchill, one need only look at the fact there is an award-winning film, The Darkest Hour, that centers around his ability as a speaker. Phrases from his iconic speeches remain in the minds of even the least historically attuned. One speech that stands out is the "Sinews of Peace" speech he gave at the start of the Cold War. For better or worse, it was powerful, and its message spread worldwide.

Winston Churchill delivering his "Sinews of Peace,"
aka "Iron Curtain," speech at Westminster College
in front of an attentive audience.

An essential part of Churchill's speech is kairos. The former prime minister delivered it at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, to as large an audience as would fit in the gymnasium, with President Harry Truman beside him. He knew he had an intelligent, attentive audience that included US officials with power to influence change.

Almost the first half of the speech is written to connect the orator to his audience. He starts off with some rather effective humor, and by linking himself to the president, he cements his authority as a speaker to an American congregation. In the first half of the speech, Churchill makes increasingly bold claims followed by statements recognizing that he and the audience are in agreement (also made apparent by the audience's applause). By the halfway point, there is an evident connection between Churchill and his listeners.

Once Churchill builds a rapport with his audience, he gradually uses that trust to ask them to consider an idea of his: unifying the United States and the British Commonwealth. He leans heavily on both logos and pathos for this. He calls the people to action against fears that most were all too familiar with ("the two great dangers which menace the home of the people, War and Tyranny"), and lists specific ways in which unifying would be logical and beneficial ("This would perhaps double the mobility of the American Navy and Air Force."). I can imagine those calls would be particularly powerful to citizens of a country that had just been through a heart-wrenching war and continued to live in fear of looming catastrophic bombs.

Churchill frequently uses repetition, congeries, and alliteration to drive home his points, and his delivery makes them even more stirring ("For them is all distorted, all is broken, all is even ground to pulp."). It's difficult not to connect with language that is crafted in such a way as Churchill sculpted his.

Image

Multiple Appeals for a Multitude of Ears

     The greatest orators, both in recent history and in ancient times, will use more than one kind of appeal within their speech in order to truly reach their whole audience. Winston Churchill in his address Sinews of Peace is no exception to this. 

     In the 19th and 20th paragraphs of his address, Sir Churchill mentions the ominous consequences that lay on the horizon if the shade left by the ending of the second world war is not dealt with properly. He uses phrases such as "A shadow has fallen" and "time may be short" within these paragraphs. These somewhat dark and foreboding words touch upon the emotions of fear, anxiety, and worry. Churchill uses his authority as access to these emotions, for if someone as great, as powerful, and as influential as he believes there should be fear and urgency regarding his subject matter. This is a stark example of the pathos appeal. 

     The appeal to ethos, or appeal to one's character is present in this speech right from the very beginning. Sir Churchill begins his address by discussing directly some of his impressive education credentials. He does so in a playful, yet candid manner that allows him to tread into self aggrandizement without drowning in the depths of bravado and boastfulness. This plays to one of his great strengths throughout the speech, his own authority. The respect that the audience currently has for Sir Churchill also greatly adds to his ability to appeal in such a way to himself that others might be criticized for. 

     By using these appeals in tandem, Winston Churchill weaves a powerful and moving speech regarding the importance of proactive peacefulness in the world theater. His word choices play to the emotion of fear that is currently still effervescent in the world, and he discusses to some degree his station as Prime Minister and various other accolades to hammer in to the audience that this topic is both serious and of great import.  

Picture Credit:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwi969qp_PPeAhWMZd8KHalaCHgQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=https%3A%2F%2Flincolnandchurchill.org%2Fchurchill%2Fchurchill-in-cartoons%2F&psig=AOvVaw0F52venkwj-dqilIVVD2Mn&ust=1543387364390661

All in Balance

Winston Churchill is indisputably one of the greatest orators of all time. His speeches rallied nations, his voice was a constant during Europe's most terrifying conflict. He became a trusted force for justice and freedom in the world, and was regarded as such long after his term as Prime Minister had concluded. It was in this attitude that he delivered his speech, "The Sinews of Peace" only 8 months after WWII had ended. What impressed me so much about this address was the balance between all three persuasive appeals. Churchill employed them effortlessly, creating an airtight argument for his view of the world condition at the time.

He begins with a brief appeal to pathos, marking the short time since the war had passed before engaging in a thorough and well organized logical analysis of the state of world affairs. He speaks of the necessity of the world organization in guarding against war and tyranny. He states that the world needs a global armed force. He describes the situation in Eastern Europe dispassionately, stating facts with little to no leaning into pathos. He saves that.

Delicately, he implies that the success of the UNO depends on the success and influence of the U.S.'s treaties outside that order, appealing to his relationship to the country as the leader of it's former ally. He calls upon the U.S., as the foremost world power, to lead the world in freedom and liberty. He disavows his interest and ambition in world affairs saying, "any private ambitions I may have cherished in my younger days have been satisfied beyond my wildest dreams". He thus presents himself as an old and cherished friend, arrived to lend some advice near and dear to his heart.

And so, with logos and ethos carefully balanced, Churchill delivers his most poignant blow- War is not inevitable. It can be prevented. It could have been prevented if they'd listened to him before the last war. Hopefully, they'll listen to him now, and take his advice.

It's a brilliant construction to a cogent point. Only with the solid support of his relationship to the nation to whom he was speaking and the factual backing of the situation in Europe could he make the appeal for them to listen to him, or risk the end of the world as we know it.

Persuasion Beyond Words

Image 1: Winston Churchill 

The Sinews of Peace ("Iron Curtain") Speech by Winston Churchill is one that I had always been curious about, but never taken the time to read or listen to. The metaphors and imagery behind the words of Churchill in the title of this speech alone are enough to draw the interest and evoke emotion from an audience, and through this kairos unify the intentions of the world to obtain peace.

At the time of this speech, the world was hurting. Absolute destruction and mass death had taken place by the time World War II had ended, "all [was] broken, and [was] ground to pulp", and peace was what all truly desired. With this context in mind, the metaphors used by Churchill in this speech work to convey an emotion associated with the desires of the audience. Naming this speech something like "the foundation of peace", though expressing the same idea, fails to reach the emotion of peace that the world desired to experience. The metaphor of the "Iron Curtain" was also a brilliant way to evoke emotion and activate the imagination of the audience. Comparing the divide across Europe to an Iron Curtain insinuates a difficult barrier to overcome (iron), but at the same time a task that can be done. It insinuates darkness on the other side, and call upon the light within each audience member to shine forth to illuminate and overcome the evil.

Churchill employs further rhetorical strategies to build upon these metaphors to motivate his audience to support his cause by building on the culture, pride, and reputation of the American people. For example, in an effort to unify his American audience with the British and break down what barriers may exist, Churchill draws upon the religious faith of his audience by alluding to passages from the bible. In stating that "in my father's house there are many mansions," Churchill finds a way to help to American people see that they and their British brothers may be separated by distance, but not in faith. It called to the good in all of us that makes us want to help those who share our faith. After establishing this commonality, Churchill builds up the pride of his American audience with a call to action by pleading to "not fall below he level of achievement" that had been set. By saying this, Churchill not only pads the ego of his audience by insinuating that their level of achievement was already high, but challenges them to maintain their elevated status.

In giving this discourse, Churchill knew his audience very well. It is clear that the words he spoke were moving and powerful, but the truly persuasive manner of his speech is found in the overall meaning of the statements he makes. By carefully designing his speech, he is able to make his audience see things as he sees them, and evoke an emotion of dedication to a just cause.

Image 1: https://www.google.com/search?q=churchill&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS767US767&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi2lsGp9_PeAhVyRN8KHZ_YAIEQ_AUIDigB&biw=1242&bih=569#imgrc=jqHne8K42AFyYM:

The Brilliance of the Iron Curtain

Winston Churchill was not the first to use the phrase “Iron Curtain,” but his use of this metaphor popularized it. And its popularity created the frame that Western culture would view the Cold War through even to the present.

Leaving after the "Sinews of Peace" Speech

An “iron curtain” was an actual iron curtain in 19^th century theatres. At the first sign of any kind of fire, a curtain made of iron would be dropped between the stage and the audience to give the patrons the chance to flee. An iron curtain separated people from the threat.

Throughout his speech “Sinews of Peace,” Churchill talks about the expanding threat of communist proselyting and thought. He talks about the growth of communist parties and ideology across a ruined and struggling Europe. But, he isn’t the one proposing dropping an iron curtain to protect the people. On the contrary, he is calling for openness and fraternity. Churchill is calling for cooperation and mutual progression based on the moral values of democracy. Democracy is the purging fire that will save the world from war, tyranny, poverty, and privation. A fire that Soviet Russia is dropping the curtain on.

He strikes this idea home by placing the responsibility of peace squarely on the shoulders of a people who believed they were capable of anything. His audience had just emerged victorious from a brutally violent war of good and evil, while the rest of the world lay in a power vacuum that was slowly being filled by a new kind of evil. He calls on them to act, not just because they can, but because no one else can.

This is incredibly empowering. And, despite readily available examples of hardship, Churchill builds it by emphasizing their potential. Of course the fire of democracy will overcome the iron curtain if Britain and the United States join together. Who could stand against an America with double its power and ability to respond to threats? Who would dare fight against the army of the United Nations? And how can totalitarian regimes survive in a world full of peace and democracy?

And the only obstacle he leaves to the victory of unity is participation. The plan will work because on smaller scales it has. Canada and the US enjoy a lasting, exemplary peace, so why can’t that exist elsewhere? Churchill leaves his audience knowing and feeling that they are the deciding factor.

Image credit to the Missouri State Archives

Plight of the Ordinary Family

Winston Churchill begins his speech by addressing all and then proceeds with using “I.” He uses “I’ to compliment and show respect. He then switches to “we” as a show of solidarity. His voice is powerful, yet not overpowering. He speaks slowly, giving the audience time to take in every word. He pauses when he should, and he gives time for the audience to clap.

                                          Image credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/45909111

There are several examples of Churchill using alliteration. When he says, “preach what we practice––let us practice what we preach,” he uses both repetition and alliteration. This rhetorical style gets the attention it desires. In that same paragraph, there is “poverty and privation” used. In the last paragraph of the speech, the alliteration is strong: “walk forward in sedate and sober strength seeking….”

Churchill uses a fair amount of metaphors, beginning with those used in his paragraph on the UNO. He says that the UNO is “already at work…that its work is fruitful…that it is a temple of peace…not merely a cockpit in a Tower of Babel.” And that “…we must be certain that our temple is built, not upon the shifting sands or quagmires, but upon a rock.” He continues with “…our path will be difficult and also long….” By quoting from the Bible, he is appealing to religious beliefs. He alludes to religion two other times when he says, “God has willed…” and “In my father’s house are many mansions.”

One of the most powerful paragraphs is a good example of appeal to pathos, with repetition and metaphors added in. In speaking of “the myriad of cottage or apartment homes where the wage-earner strives amid the accidents and difficulties of life…” he describes well their plight: “They must be shielded from two gaunt marauders, war and tyranny. We all know the frightful disturbance in which the ordinary family is plunged when the curse of war swoops down upon the breadwinner….” He shows empathy to the common man by bringing to attention “… the designs of wicked men…aggressive urge of mighty States…humble folk are confronted with difficulties with which they cannot cope.”

He ends with the powerful sentence: “For them is all distorted, all is broken, all is even ground to a pulp.” A visual description of the plight of the common man. 

A Man of Ethics

Listening to. and afterwards reading, Winston Churchill's speech Sinews of Peace, multiple things stood out to me. Throughout the speech, Churchill appears to be appealing to his audience's, the students and faculty of Westminster College in 1946, sense of ethics. Throughout the speech, Churchill talks about communism and people in some foreign countries not having rights that we are fortunate to have in the United States, highlights how these things are not right, and repeatedly emphasizes how important it was for them to help those people and defeat tyranny.

Another way that Churchill appealed to the audience's ethos is through his use of language. He frequently uses very grand adjectives to describe different things, such as when he uses the word sub-human to describe the idea of not helping other nations who are in need of assistance. He also uses powerful images and metaphors, such as when he references the Tower of Babel to show what the UNO was not doing.

To the People: On Ethos and it's place in Churchill's words

Quite Large, isn't it?

Ethos is, perhaps to some, a confusing word to use. It's counterparts in Logos and Pathos are rather simple to rationalize being the appeals to logic and emotion specifically. Ethos, however, when translated from the original Greek means "Character" or "Community", it can be interpreted as either an appeal to ethics or an appeal to the spirit of the group, the "guidelines" that it follows. When Winston Churchill, then, gave his "Sinews of Peace" speech at Westminster college, the language he used for the talk was of a rather inclusive bent. Rather than simply appealing to people's emotions or even their sense of reason, he instead tries to form a connection between the people of Britain with the people of United States. Where other politicians might have emphasized "the British Spirit" or "the hardiness of Britain's people", Churchill insists on combining together the disparate people of Britain and the United States (along with Canada, who most have forgotten participated in the war) as a collective united by the hardships endured within the war as well as brothers in arms, armaments and armed nuclear devices. He does his best to create an out-group in the Communist party by pointing out how good and moral it is that only they, the current collective, possess the technology required to make atomic bombs, while also pointing a finger at how "dreaded" and "totalitarian" a reverse situation might have been. By appealing to the audience's sense of morality, he is establishing yet another enemy that they must work together to defeat.

While I will certainly agree that the speech was executed powerfully, one need only listen to Churchill's voice to agree with that notion, I am quite uneasy at some of the language he uses. By setting up the USSR as the next enemy to be defeated right after the Nazis, Italians and Japanese, he is creating perhaps not a legal precendent but rather a ethical one that the Nation of Britain, as well as the United States, must step in whatever affairs they deem necessary. It reminds me of the poem "First they came..." by Martin Niemoller with how he leads the people from one enemy to the next, and having seen the effects of such a lure in today's modern politics, I can't help but feel that it may have begun a dangerous trend.

Image Credit: "United Nations Plaza" obtained via Wikimedia Commons

Unification Through Pathos

My great-grandfather's Pound

When I was a baby my great-grandfather left me with a silver Pound that had the face of Winston Churchill on the back. He gave it to me because he thought that, as a baby, I looked like Churchill. It may have been a nice way of saying I should aspire for Churchill's wit because my looks wouldn't get me very far. Churchill was always just the funny looking guy on the back of that coin until I the Sinews of Peace Speech. Or, more commonly referenced as the Iron Curtain Speech. 

Considering the Kairotic nature of the situation, Churchill wanted to express the need to spread democratic western values through the unification of western countries. The speech was carefully pieced together such that it would convince those who hold close to western values join in the grand unification of the world's force for good against evil. The United Nations. Churchill uses many rhetorical devices to prove his argument. I will discuss his appeal to Pathos through his oratory delivery and his literary devices.

Oratory

Churchill delivers his address as slowly and as carefully as he wrote it. The times where he mixed up his words he would redo until it was said exactly right. His careful delivery could be heard in the way that he emphasized the first word in each of his major phrases. "OUR supreme task and duty is to GUARD the homes of the common people..." (7) This was a common strategy in dramatic speech delivery of the time. The dramatic tone carried over to develop a serious mood for the listener, so as to give incentive for the listener to pay close attention. 

Literary

"Let us preach what we practice--Let us practice what we preach" (13) This is one of many figures of speech that were employed in an effort for Churchill to appeal to the pathos. In this case, the antithesis is used to offer inspiration to the listener. He also uses amplification to create a climax.

"The dark ages may return, the Stone Age may return on the gleaming wings of science, and what might now shower immeasurable material blessings upon mankind, may even bring about its total destruction." (18)   

In conclusion, while pathos was only one of the three persuasive appeals used by Churchill, it may have proven to be the most useful. His words were meant to resonate with people of different backgrounds who shared an emotional value that was thoroughly challenged throughout the previous three decades. A value common to westerners of all nationalities. Freedom.

        

Churchill: Shooing Away Doubts

I have never listened or read the “Sinews of Peace” speech from Winston Churchill and I was rather ignorant about the origins of the “Iron Curtain” metaphor. I love listening to audio tracks from before the boom of technology. 

The Importance of Taped Media

I work in broadcasting and over this past summer, I worked on a special project where I converted old tapes (legit film reels and such) into digital media. It was crazy hard and I was terrified I was going to destroy the sensitive material. But I gained a perspective on how broadcasting and media worked before the digital age where most systems are now automated. I have a greater appreciation for historical media such as the Churchill.

Painting of Winston Churchill via Wikimedia Commons

Rhetoric of Peace

As far as rhetoric for the speech, I want to lead this analysis with an important part of the audio that is not written. From what I assume are journalists or radio commenters documenting the event, saying things along the lines of “Churchill is wearing a red robe to signify academia, etc., etc.,” one of the most interesting comments occurred while the speakers transitioned, and it was noted that Churchill “shooed” away photographers. This comment encapsulates the importance of the “Sinews of Peace” speech as well as the tone that Churchill wanted to leave with the audience members. Simplistically, Churchill intended with the contents of his speech as well as this action that this was not about him or his role in public media but about the changes that the Allies can create together.

During the written components of the speech, whenever Churchill refers to himself this concept of focusing on others is still apparent, because Churchill literally says it himself: “There is nothing here but what you see,” and “This is no time for generality and I will venture to be precise.” By clarifying that there is no “fluff” in this talk, Churchill attempts to appeal to ethos by establishing authority that is simple and difficult for the audience to misunderstand.

Selflessness over Selfishness  

This was effective for the audience because it did draw attention to the overarching topic that Churchill called “the unestimated sum of human pain” in a “sad and breathless moment.”  Considering that this speech was delivered during the tail-end of war started for what could be argued as selfish reasons, the tone of the speech derailed that selfishness and united those who may be weary of world leaders or doubting the future unity and effectiveness of the Allies.