Respond to Position Paper

The goal of this argumentative essay was to persuade us (your classmates) that your ideas are valid, or more valid than other ideas that have been presented before. In my opinion, Mendez’s essay is not only insightful, but also informative because his valid ideas. Reading through the essay, I noticed that Mendez applied different rhetoric strategies to support his arguments. It is apparent that Mendez has highlighted the explosive and totalitarian rule of the British Monarch to its American colonies.

Mendez’s appeal to ethos culminates from his convincing and valid ideas. From the onset, Mendez seems to be a person whose ideas are worth being listened to, because of the authority he exhibits throughout the essay. It is apparent that Mendez has a clear understanding of what he has presented in this essay. For example, Mendez provides us with the facts about the situation of the thirteen American colonies under British rule in the late 18^th century. His appeal to ethos is can also be seen in the manner in which he has referred to different issues throughout the essay. He has exhibited a strong command of language through the tone and the style of presenting his arguments. In my opinion, Mendez is a trustworthy writer who does not intend to do us harm, but to enlighten us about the subject.

Apart from presenting valid and convincing ideas, Mendez’s essay elicited some emotional feelings within me. Not only did this essay cause me to react emotionally, but also identify Mendez’s point of view. While reading this piece, my patriotism emotions were sparked. In my opinion, the thirteen American colonies were right to oppose the increasing exploitative and totalitarian practices of the British Monarch. It was not right for the British colonialists to deny our forefathers their right to be heard and give their opinions without being reprimanded.

My patriotism emotions culminate from the manner in which the British colonialists mistreated their colonies by denying them vital rights. Through Mendez argument felt that activists such as Jefferson and the other members of the Continental Congress were right in presenting their grievances to their colonial masters. A good patriot should always defend the sovereignty of his or her nation together with the citizens. It is very annoying to learn that the British colonialists and their King exploited hardworking Americans by imposing exploitative as well as unwarranted regulation such as passing detrimental laws. By asserting that any governing entity that ignores its people willfully and subjecting them to repeated acts of malevolence will eventually fail, Mendez also shows his patriotism.

This essay would be meaningless if Mendez had failed to use logos. All the arguments that Mendez presents in his essay make sense. Mendez’s appeal to logos can be seen in the consistency of his arguments, the clarity of his ideas, the logic of his reasons, and the effectiveness of his supportive evidence.  Mendez has applied inductive logic in this essay because he has given us several examples that are similar and thereafter drawn a general proposition at the end. For instance, Mendez introduces us to the exploitative and totalitarian practice of the British colonialist towards the thirteen American colonies. He goes further and gives as the specific examples of these practices. Citing Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence, Mendez shows the urgency for colonial sovereignty. By stating that the infringement of the rights of being heard and having independent opinions were the most gregarious grievances, Mendez shows us that he had a clear understanding of the subject.

It is evident that Mendez’s appeal to kairos is apt. For example, in the last paragraph he writes “any governing body that willfully ignores its people that ignores its collective voices and beliefs and subjects them to repeated malevolence and offence, is not one that invariably lasts.” This is the right for Mendez to say this because similar to the British colonialists, many governments are exploiting their citizens. It is high time that these governments should discover that their tenure cannot last.