Hey guys, I wanted to post a few quick quotes from tonight’s debate, and I figured this is as good a place as any to do it!
“I want to use a scalpel so that people who need help are getting help and those of us, like myself and Sen. McCain, who don’t need help, aren’t getting it.” -Obama
“I think the young people of America are especially interested in how they can serve, and that’s one of the reasons why I’m interested in doubling the Peace Corps, making sure that we are creating a volunteer corps all across this country that can be involved in their community, involved in military service, so that military families and our troops are not the only ones bearing the burden of renewing America.” – Obama
With these simple words he changes the view on military families and soldiers from that of strength and purpose to an almost victimized state; They are the ones carrying the burdens of America! He asks us to empathize, to inquire, “what can we do to stop these burdens from being placed on them?”. I found the use of words, like in this instance, very interesting during this debate. The power words have to redefine groups and the way we see them, it is some interesting stuff. Obama defines himself and McCain as not needing help, and in turn increases the attention payed to the middle class in regard to financial assistance. Something I wanted to throw out there, not looking for any specific responses, although more quotes and thoughts are always exciting.
For now, sleep! And in the morning we’ll see how the words spoken in tonight’s debate will have taken root, evolved, been twisted, spun, spread throughout the news, and eventually come out with newly attached ideas and thoughts. I guess I’ve already helped that cause out, haha.
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You make some really interesting points. However, I also believe that instead of just “victimizing” the soldiers and their families, he painted his words to almost put them on a pedestal. By mentioning them in his speech, it makes their titles seem honorific. Instead of making them seem downtrodden, it makes them victorious, and it calls young Americans to help these people in their toils.