Having insufficient funds to purchase a car, I bought a longboard as my primary means of transportation. Over the past month however, I have run into a problem: I have been stopped on two separate occasions for riding my longboard. First, I was stopped by a Provo Police officer (yeah that's right, a ProPo...) because I was riding after dark with no headlight and no taillight. After being reprimanded, I thanked the officer and walked away briskly before he could ask for ID or think of something else to do. Realizing my apparent illegal activity, I decided it was safer to ride on private property--BYU that is.  This was going well until I was stopped by a BYU officer who informed me that "you longboarders have damaged church property--and we'll have no more of that" (or something to that effect). Frankly, I was offended. I like to think of myself as a good upstanding LDS youth. If the city's biggest problem is longboarding home from school after dark, then this seems a great college campus. Also, I can say with confidence that whatever longboarder "damaged" Church or Temple property was likely not an LDS youth. As much as I would like to have a car, I cannot afford it. And now apparently I am a delinquent for trying to get from place to place.....

Claim, Reason and Assumption

Claim:  The most superior and best choice of automobile is one manufactured by the Ford Motor Company.

Reason:  There are three simple areas where Ford excels and others fall short: affordability, reliability and reparability.

Assumptions:  Consumers want the best "bang for their buck", a car that they can depend on every day and lastly a car that is easy to maintain.

Logos, Ethos and Pathos

In my opinion editorial, I address the obvious superiority of the Ford Motor Company to all its competitors.  In arguing this, I attempt to appeal to the three components of rhetoric: logos, pathos and ethos.  To appeal to the reader’s pathos, I try to stir a feeling of American ingenuity and pride.  I try to show Henry Ford as a man just like any other, but with a dream.  Later, I also try to give the reader a sense of adventure when bringing up the idea of a real sports car that anyone can own.

To use ethos, I state that I myself am a certified mechanic and give the reader an idea that though I am similar to them, I decided to pursue the hobby of motoring and have become an expert.  I also state I have worked at the Ford Proving Grounds and have seen testing take place.  It is very important to realize this distinction because it makes the reader feel as if he too could be as much of an expert as me, but chose not to and therefore builds trust between the reader and I.  Also, the correct use of automotive jargon is important in my editorial; using acronyms such as ASE, names such as Chilton’s and places such as skid pads and the DDC (Dearborn Development Center) establish a familiarity with the automotive world.

Lastly, I use logos to my advantage by using specific numbers, years and facts.  Though I may not state specific ad campaigns, I cite the “Every Man’s Boss” campaign of the late 60s and then go on to describe the extensive testing that takes place before the finished product reaches the consumer.