In the spring of 2000, African American athletes such as Venus and Serena Williams and Tiger Woods refused to participate in any event scheduled in South Carolina. " I'm not going to support anything that's putting down my race," voiced Serena Williams ("Williams- 1). The target of her protest is the Confederate flag that has flown over the South Carolina State Capitol building since 1861. These boycotts of sporting events brought attention to the long-lasting argument of whether or not the Confederate flag is a racist symbol. Sanford Cloud, Jr., President and CEO for the National Conference for Community Justice, wrote an argument stating that the flag is a racist symbol. William Rolen, Director and Southern Defense Coordinator for the Council of Conservative Citizens, wrote an opposing argument stating that the confederate flag is a symbol of southern heritage. Each author attempts to make a compelling argument through the use of the rhetorical appeals of ethos, pathos, and logos. Cloud's ethical appeals and strong logos make his argument more persuasive than Rolen's argument which is filled with pathetic appeals.
The rhetorical appeal of ethos refers to the character of the writer. The use of ethical appeals is found repeatedly in the two opposing arguments.
In Cloud's argument, ethos is the predominant appeal and is used effectively. Not only does he use extrinsic ethos to strengthen his own credibility, he also uses intrinsic ethos to demonstrate compassion for the opposing argument. The ethical appeal isn't introduced until the second paragraph. After introducing his view that the Confederate flag is a racist symbol and supporting it, Cloud makes a concession that not all bearers of the flag are racist. This is a respectful mention of the opposing argument as well as a statement that builds his character as being open minded. Concessions such as this are effective appeals to the audience as they reference points made by another argument and attempt to prove their own argument despite the opposing point.