Why Do We Raise The Minimum Wage?

524 Words3 Pages

Raising the minimum wage has been one of the biggest debates during the 21st century. One side of the spectrum argues that raising it will make it so they have a living wage, while the other argues that raising it will hurt the economy. Whichever the case is, people are clearly divided on this issue. Before Oregon passed the 15 dollar minimum wage law, people wrote arguments to try to either prevent or pass this law. The article, “How a $15 minimum wage would affect a real business: Guest opinion” by Lee Spector argues that raising the minimum wage would hurt small businesses like the one he earns. “People don’t go to college to earn a $9.10 minimum wage: Guest opinion” by Justin Norton-Kertson is an article that argues against Lee Spector’s article. Although both …show more content…

Both articles use rhetorical appeals to improve their arguments. For Ethos, both showed credibility by sharing their story and establishing an audience for it. Spector uses Ethos by talking about his previous work experience and how he rose up to become a business owner. Kertson uses ethos by explaining his story about being a minimum wage employee for many jobs. He also uses it when he points out Nick Hanauer- a successful entrepreneur- to show that even he believes that raising the minimum wage will boost the economy. Since most people are employees rather than employers, more people can connect with Kertson story. For logos, both show stats to prove their points. Spector uses mathematics to show how raising the minimum wage will negatively affect his business.