Felicia Martinez

9/25/2015
Intro to Writing
Rhetorical Analysis Revision
I chose the Kim Davis like Wallace, Not King article by Van Jones from cnn.com,
because it had a strong logos from the very beginning. I felt that it had a strong hook because it is
a relatively recent event that many have their own opinions about. Kim Davis is a Kentucky
clerk that refuses to grant marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples due to her religious
morals, even though the Supreme Court already ruled in their favor. The clerk has been all over
the news and internet with her story sparking both admirers and haters. I felt that the intended
audience for the article was more for the defenders of Kim Davis and her actions than the people
against her. The reason that I felt this was the intended audience was because the author explains
the flaws in defending her and her actions. Unlike her followers, he claims that she is not at all
like Marin Luther King Jr., but more so like former Alabama Governor George Wallace.
I believe that the author made very good points in his article by recognizing the different
viewpoints in the argument. I really liked the fact that he took the time to see the other side of the
argument to better his own. In the beginning of the article, Jones states, I, too, believe that each
individual has the moral duty to defy any law that he or she deems unjust. Of course, he or she
must do so nonviolently. Jones talks about how she was righteous for standing up for her morals
and beliefs, and even continues with stating that justice is in the hands of everyone, not just the
liberals. However, after recognizing the reasons for supporting her, he then also recognizes the
reasons for why she was unjust in her decisions. He makes it clear that he does not side with Kim

Davis, and even makes her out to be an ignorant bias because of her strict pathos with his very
own. He claims that she stands in a tradition of scripture based civil obedience, and should
claim it, stating that she is too misguided in her moral compass of beliefs to see the segregation
taking place.
I appreciate the fact that the argument was clear and had a steady flow of logos
throughout the article. I found this article easy to understand and side with because of the passion
that was put into it. I believe that his overall purpose of the article was about reaching a
conclusion of justice. He directs the readers back to Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and even
Gandhi; the very people Kim Davis is being compared to, and how it is dishonest to cloak her in
the same garments as them. For me, the overall argument of the article is to see Kim Davis as a
segregationist, and to make sure that she and her followers are viewed as such. The whole article
is to inform readers as to why she is wrong and that she should be punished. I really liked that by
disagreeing with the defenders of Kim Davis about the idols that she was being compared to, that
he applied a better example to suit the claim. Instead of comparing her to people that paved the
way for justice, he compared her to someone that was taking it away. For me, this made me gain
a better understanding of why the author was writing to the intended audience. The whole article
was very opinionated by the author which I found it to be more appealing with because it had
that human connection with logos.
Personally, I agree with Van Jones because everyone has the right to stand up for their
personal beliefs, but it is also their personal responsibility to accept the consequences that follow.
To me, that is the relevance of the article, morals shape the person that you are and affect
everything you do. In doing so, your morals affect the way you see justice. Everyones morals
are different and so are the way that they seek justice. I really liked that the author acknowledged

the value of morals, but also recognized that they do not substitute for justice. I also believe that
it is unjust to compare someone who is standing in the way of justice for all to someone who
fought for such justice. It was segregation that started the problem in the first place.

References:
Kim Davis like Wallace, Not King by Van Jones from cnn.com 09/08/2015
Civil Rights Advocate- cnn.com