In matters of environmental preservation, one has two options; extol the virtues of economic expansion, or shelter the wounded environment- an angel and devil perched upon shoulders situation of sorts. In building his argument, human rights activist and 39th president of the United States of America Jimmy Carter displays a commendable zeal for his cause whilst skillfully utilizing the element of persuasion to transcend the “devil”. No one is blind to the suffering caused by environmental abuse, but Carter draws a dagger of emotion, veiled by stylistic phrasing and subtle remarks, and plunges it into the heart of his opposers with this passage, ensuring no blind eye may be turned to the fate of his country.
Changing the opinion of an opposer
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A double-edged sword of sorts, the use of emotion in his statements could have both captivated his audience or caused them to dismiss his point entirely, not wanting to admit to the atrocities being brought to light. By bringing up the suffering inflicted on animals, indigenous peoples, the environment, and the legacy of the American pioneer, Carter taps into the one weakness even the strongest man cannot protect against, what makes us human- emotion.
However, these tools could not be drawn blatantly, in the event of them being perceived as a direct attack on his audience. Instead, his words needed to be woven covertly, letting the audience think their subconscious had stumbled upon a moral discovery rather than a skillfully calculated bombardment. With the use of personal stories, remarks about his own emotions, reflections of history, and patriotism, Carter subtly entrenches his own beliefs into the hearts of his audience.
It is through the points listed above that Carter builds his argument, going to war with his opposers, equipped with tools of emotion, covertism and eloquence, exterminating selfishness and igniting a fire of morality. Once the veil of these three elements dissolves, logic prevails. His argument, built upon nothing but logic and the emotions logic enkindles, proves just how persuasive pen on paper can