Kayli Bessler Anne Clark Composition II 2/12/24 Rhetorical Analysis.
We Americans Neglect Our Children: An Analysis The article “We Americans Neglect Our Children”, published on February 7th in the New York Times, discusses how America as a country is neglecting children, as well as the actions that can be taken to fix this problem. Nicholas Kristof, the author of this article, dives into this issue and sheds light on a topic that is rarely talked about: child poverty. He provides statistics, scenarios, and logical reasoning that allows the reader to fully grasp the point that he is trying to make. Kristof starts by painting a picture of how differently parents treat their children versus how the nation of America treats children. He states …show more content…
Kristof attributes the fall of America to the faltering education system and cleverly hints that improving education could also improve the country. The education system isn’t the only system Kristof feels is an issue in America. He goes on to discuss foster care and how damaging it is for children. This point is backed up by numerous statistics, and he uses these facts to propel his argument forward. He states: “Fewer than 5 percent of young people who’ve spent time in foster care graduate from a four-year college. Several studies suggest that up to 60 percent of trafficking survivors have been in the system.” Using these numbers, Kristof is applying logos within his argument to appeal to the audience’s rational thinking. In doing this, he can prove that there is obviously a problem with the foster care system, which makes his next statement even more powerful: “Yet when was the last time a politician was asked how to fix foster care?” This line brings a lot of questions to mind. Why hasn’t a politician been asked about such a big issue? Why is America avoiding this topic? How can it be fixed? These are all questions Kristof wants his readers to
We Americans Neglect Our Children: An Analysis The article “We Americans Neglect Our Children”, published on February 7th in the New York Times, discusses how America as a country is neglecting children, as well as the actions that can be taken to fix this problem. Nicholas Kristof, the author of this article, dives into this issue and sheds light on a topic that is rarely talked about: child poverty. He provides statistics, scenarios, and logical reasoning that allows the reader to fully grasp the point that he is trying to make. Kristof starts by painting a picture of how differently parents treat their children versus how the nation of America treats children. He states …show more content…
Kristof attributes the fall of America to the faltering education system and cleverly hints that improving education could also improve the country. The education system isn’t the only system Kristof feels is an issue in America. He goes on to discuss foster care and how damaging it is for children. This point is backed up by numerous statistics, and he uses these facts to propel his argument forward. He states: “Fewer than 5 percent of young people who’ve spent time in foster care graduate from a four-year college. Several studies suggest that up to 60 percent of trafficking survivors have been in the system.” Using these numbers, Kristof is applying logos within his argument to appeal to the audience’s rational thinking. In doing this, he can prove that there is obviously a problem with the foster care system, which makes his next statement even more powerful: “Yet when was the last time a politician was asked how to fix foster care?” This line brings a lot of questions to mind. Why hasn’t a politician been asked about such a big issue? Why is America avoiding this topic? How can it be fixed? These are all questions Kristof wants his readers to