Rhetoric

The class I teach at BYU is called Writing and Rhetoric. Ah, rhetoric. I love talking about it and teaching it and watching the lightbulb turn on when my students really get it. It takes time, the first week they are a blank slate. If anything, the term has a negative connotation to them, tied to politics and dishonesty and all other sorts of nastiness. They are surprised when they learn the real meaning, that rhetoric is simply language that attempts to persaude. In other words, that rhetoric is simply everywhere.

One of the text books for my class is called Religion in America. It focuses on issues that are important/controversial to religious Americans, giving opposing viewpoints from several different authors. Last semester we got into some heated discussions about same-sex marriage and partial birth abortion and racism and all the heavy hitters that are so easy to avoid and so enlightening to discuss. Especially at BYU.

Last night our topic was whether the United States was founded on secular or religious principles. Debate nights are my favorite. I get to see who the smart ones are early on. The ones that can think about an issue with an open mind, regardless of the side they have been assigned, regardless of how they might really feel. I split the class in half last week and assigned them sides and they fought to the death. It's always interesting, the arguments they come up with. Some are brilliant, some fall flat, most are fairly predictable. But the interplay never fails to entertain me.

Much like any argument, I suppose. Two sides go at it, they each express an opinion, they agree and disagree and then perhaps if they are the friendly sort they agree to disagree. An age old practice, rhetoric in motion. And last night's debate got me thinking about it. About government mostly. About what a miracle it really is that our founding fathers got it. That this group of men, some liberal, some conservative, all revolutionary, could come together and decide what freedom meant. They had the bigger picture in mind when they set about founding this country and it worked. The declaration they penned is what allows us the luxury of rhetoric, in politics, in religion, in any arena. It allows us to argue and fight and compromise and persuade and believe whatever we want. It's a beautiful thing.

During all this deep thinking of mine, I couldn't help but go back to the many "arguments" I have heard of late over Obama's speech to the school children of the United States. The heavy handed rhetoric being used on both sides of the issue seemed a little much to me. It was obvious that some people were in a bit of an uproar over the whole thing. Some for it, some against it, all unafraid to voice their opinion, to become part of the conversation. I thought it was amusing. Even here in little ol' South Jordan, Utah people were up in arms. We all have our opinions, that's the beauty of it, it's American, right?

And then I read this on the wall of one of my facebook friends before her posting of Obama's speech. "Warning: May contain content inappropriate for the lunatic fringe!" Lunatic fringe? Really? So everyone that wasn't in favor of their children listening to Obama's speech was suddenly part of this "lunatic fringe?" I was bugged. Not because she was obviously for Obama's speech, but because of the implications behind her post. I was all for having Jeffrey listen to our President, but that is my decision as his parent. I also don't see a problem with the parents who didn't want their kids to listen, that is their decision. It's where the founding fathers enter into this whole business, securing our rights and freedoms to believe how and what we may. It was the name calling that got me. To come back and start classifying those with a different opinion in such an extreme way, seems a little backwards to me. There are plenty of examples in our history that illustrate the backlash that can come with that kind of prejudice. This must be where my students get that nasty opinion of rhetoric. Not the freedom of speech and belief that our founding fathers worked to secure, but the ignorance that puts it all at risk.