Rhetorical Analysis Of Hard Truths By James B. Comey

Argument nowadays has become fruitless-getting nowhere because people listen to argue and not to understand. However, in the speech “Hard Truths: Law Enforcements and Race” given by the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I), James B. Comey addresses that it is imperative to not only listen but understand the differences in perspectives when discussing racial profiling. Furthermore, he implores his audience to consider that the topic about law enforcement dealing with race is much more complicated than it seems. Comey’s implicit thesis does support that there is evidence of racial bias in law enforcement; moreover, his purpose is to establish sympathy for the two opposing sides: law enforcements and the people of color. Overall,

He asserts that “Something happens to people in law enforcement...after years of police work, officers often can’t help but be influenced by the cynicism they feel.” He rationalizes but does not deny, the law enforcement’s aggressive actions that the people of color may have seen or experienced. This method of pathos not only diversifies but also fortifies his thesis that there is evidence of racial profiling; however, he once again give reason for their skepticism to execute his primary purpose. Overall, dedicating three of his four “hard truths” to justify the actions of the law enforcement is crucial to his argument as a whole because his audience may have portrayed them differently

Comey cites Barack Obama as a superior and well-known figure to provide him with more credibility. He affirms that “The President is addressing the disproportionate challenges faced by young men or color. For instance, data shows that the percentage of youth not working or not enrolled in school is nearly twice as high for black as it is for white,” to include a logical foundation to his argument. Furthermore, defending that people of color are susceptible to racial bias as a final support is a strategic way to enforce his purpose because he supports it with statistical data and a valid authority. To add, he later announces that this is such a daunting topic because of the lack of evidence from the F.B.I’s data base. Comey says “The first step to understanding what is really going on in our communities and in our country is to gather more and better data…” to promote the feeling of oneness. This claim is essential to his main point because he informs that law enforcement and people of color must work together to tackle this controversial issue. Ultimately, this final reasons blurs out the unseen barrier that separated the two