Unconscionable contract Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Unconscionable contract - Essay Example In the case at bar, Amy, who was a college student, was led to believe by the salesman that the home theater system, Alpo Model XL2, costs $3,000, when in truth and in fact, the actual standard cost of the theater system is only $1,000. The price given by the salesman was two times higher than the prevailing standard cash market price of the item bought by the buyer. Hence, the â€Å"rent-to-own† contract signed by Amy is considered unconscionable. Under the law, Amy has the remedy to demand the return of the excess $2,000 since the contract price is unconscionable, excessive and unfair on her part. Here, the salesman acted in bad faith at the time of the signing of the â€Å"rent-to-own† contract. Therefore, in order to cure the damage caused to the buyer, Amy can go to court and have the contract declared as unconscionable and oppressive, since there was a violation on the part of the salesman to fulfill his obligation in good faith in accordance with their contract.

U. S. Leadership Essay Example for Free

U. S. Leadership Essay Minorities are concentrated in urban areas or CBD’s by a variety of forces. After World War II, many people (mostly African Americans) migrated from the South to the North. The housing demand was much greater than the housing supply. The FHA and other organizations, supported by the U. S. government, began offering low interest loans to white people in the newly developing suburbs. â€Å"While many organizations were providing low-cost financing for houses in the suburbs, such as the Home Owners Loan Corporation and the Federal Housing Administration and the Veteran’s Mortgage Guarantee Program, the FHA refused to guarantee suburban loans to poor people, nonwhites, Jews and other ‘inharmonious’ racial and ethnic groups because the value of homes in the neighborhood, according to the FHA, would drop in value (Chudacoff 270). Because of these low interest loans to aid whites in moving to the suburbs and the restrictive covenants that kept blacks and other minorities out of suburban areas, minorities were not able to move out of CBD’s. So whites fled to the suburbs (a phenomenon called white flight), but minorities were forced to stay. Many jobs went to the suburbs as well, which means that urban jobs became decentralized as well. Black neighborhoods were then further divided by freeways and other projects of urban renewal. The freeways became barriers between whites and other races, as Graham Greene called this â€Å"the racing and placing of America† (Greene 39). Jalbert also sums this up with â€Å"Suburbanization was a decidedly white experience enforced by blatant racism, unequal access to economic opportunity, and restrictive housing covenants† (Jalbert). This segregation affects schools in a variety of ways. Since schools are funded chiefly by state property taxes (except for the 8. 5% from the federal government), suburban schools have always fared better. Economic differences exist between CBD and suburban areas obviously. Because of white flight, enhanced by the FHA’s low interest loans for whites to buy in the suburbs, and restrictive covenants that left minorities out of the suburbs, economic inequity remains. Houses in the suburbs are assessed generously while houses in the CBD are redlined, or assessed for less money because the neighborhoods are mixed). Education is unequal. This is a large and seemingly insurmountable problem in American education. Harris (2002) sums up the entire problem quite eloquently in the following quote. It is perfectly obvious that the highest at-risk students have the poorest, most run-down physical environments, the greatest instability of teachers coming and going, the fewest fully qualified teachers, a shortage of textbooks and instructional materials, far less availability of technology in the classroom, overcrowded classrooms, poor working conditions for the teachers, and fewer resources to teach students to pass the tests that they have little chance of being properly prepared to take. To compare these schools with those serving the most affluent majority of students is akin to comparing a backward, emerging nation with a highly industrialized nation. It is no contest† (Harris. 37). The inequities in education are directly caused by the breakdown of the CBD’s. The U. S. government put money behind the loans the FHA program and others gave to whites. The government even financed the freeway system with 50/50’s so that suburban people could have roads for a faster commute. Minorities were relegated to the CBD’s. Even in recent years, projects of urban renewal have further harmed CBD’s, like Dodger Stadium in an area called Chavez Ravine in Los Angeles. Schools in this country are more segregated than they were before Brown vs. the Board of Education, and schools in CBD’s are mostly minorities. To further illustrate the reality of these inequities in education, a quote by Jonathan Kozol’s recently published article for The Nation is needed. â€Å"The contrasts between what is spent today to educate child in the poorest New York City neighborhoods, where teacher salaries are often even lower. than the city averages, and spending levels in the wealthiest suburban areas are daunting challenges to any hope New Yorkers might retain that even semblances of fairness still prevail. Teachers in the schools of District 7 in Mott Haven, for example, where some 99. 8 percent of children are black or Latino, now receive a median salary that is approximately half the median salary of teachers in the affluent communities of Great Neck and Manhasset. (The actual numbers, which are annually compiled by the state, are $42,000 for a teacher in Mott Haven, versus $82,000 for the teachers in these two Long Island suburbs.) Including all the other costs of operation of a public school, a third-grade class of twenty-five children in the schools of Great Neck now receives at least $200,000 more per year than does a class the same size in Mott Haven, while children in a comparable classroom in Manhasset now receive a quarter-million dollars more. † (Kozol 1) Kozol sums it up absolutely. These are the cold hard facts of urban economics in the schools of New York City. Schools in CBD’s are inequitable; they are segregated. They contain the students who need the most help with the teachers who are least prepared to help them. They need more money for remediation programs, but do not have the property taxes nor the influential parents to get the money. They never had an equal chance from the start, and if education is to play the role of the great equalizer, these problems need to be fixed. Works Cited Chudacoff, Howard. â€Å"The Politics of Growth in the Era of Suburbanization, 1945-1974, in Chudacoff and Smith, The Evolution of American Urban Society, pp. 263-296. Greene, Ronald Walter, Malthusian Worlds: U. S. Leadership and the Governing of the Population Crisis, 1939. Harris, Louis (2002). If You Want to Know About the Schools, Ask the Teachers: A Survey of the Status of Public Education in New York. Prepared for Recruiting Teachers, Inc. (July 2002). p. 37. Jalbert, Matthew, â€Å"Burbs, Blockbusting, and Blacks: Morphosis of the Postwar American City, â€Å"Radical Urban Theory, Accessed March 29, 2007, at www. radicalurbantheory. com/mjalbert/burbs/index8. html Kozol, Jonathan. (2002) Malign Neglect. Children in New York public schools are being shortchanged-again. The Nation. June 10, 2002. Retrieved March 26, 2007, from http://www. thirdworldtraveler. com/Third_World_US/Malign_Neglect_Kozol. html

Irish Banking in a Digital Age: NTUC Income

Irish Banking in a Digital Age: NTUC Income Index Introduction Case Study Information Systems used by NTUC Income before Migrating Business Processes used by NTUC Income before Migrating Problems Associated with the Old Systems New Digital System capabilities How did the new system resolve the problems How did the new digital system provide a basis for the orange strategy Could Orange have been available with the Old systems Three Important Lessons for Irish Retail Banking Conclusion Introduction Banking in a digital age is a huge subject and I have gone into some detail to analyse the case study and to answer the questions outlined. However I want to initially highlight the diagrams below, the first diagram shows the percentage of customers that consult the internet and is self-explanatory, however it does highlight how important the internet is to banks to create revenue and to ensure their viability on into the future. The second diagram however is somewhat of a parallel to this in that it shows that younger customers are inclined to bank with larger well known banks regardless. An interesting argument could be given for both sides. Case Study Information systems used by NTUC Income before migrating were: Old fashioned HP 3000 mainframe system Decades old Cobol programs Batch processing systems, Agents tried to submit the documents using notebooks Business Processes Used by NTUC Income before migrating to new digital systems were: Entirely paper based Customers met with broker/agent to complete proposal form Form is submitted by courier to Office service department Form is logged and sorted Form is then sent to underwriters. Accepted proposals then sent to computer Services Department be printed and distributed. All original documents then sent to storage unit for logging and filing In a lot of cases departments had to pass physical documents among each other Problems Associated with the Old Systems Very cumbersome and time consuming process After proposal form completed by customer it could take 2 to 3 days for the form to be couriered to underwriters Form then sent to computer services department to be printed and distributed. Sent to storage unit to be logged and stored which could take over two to three days Document retrieval slow and cumbersome taking up to two days to locate, then the form had to be shipped by courier. Refiling would take 2 days. Documents had to be physically passed to each other High volume of staff involved in clerical roles, from start to finish the policy will have been handled by up to 13 staff Entirely paper based system Existing computer system very unreliable with regular breakdowns Breakdowns meant loss of man hours re-inputting lost data Existing system had to be backed up daily however if system crashed during the day staff had to choose whether to save daily reconciliation or whether to do a full back up If daily back up not completed previous days data would be lost No Real time data, systems did not allow data inputter to see if customer is existing or new. Loss in revenue and sales due to lack of real time data. Existing system had 3 major hardware failures which mean loss of 6 days. Regular breakdowns No up to date information for departments or internal digital mailing system. 2.1 New digital system capabilities New Java based EBao Lifesystem All branches equipped with scanners and new monitors New PC RAM of 128MB New hardware and software for application servers Disk storage systems Data transmitted immediately All Documents scanned and stored on digital devices Data stored on two or more servers all connected by two or more connection lines. Faster cable Wireless capability Fiber-optic Backbone 2.2 How did the new system resolve the problems? Reduced timeframe for induction of policy Efficient scanning and processing systems. Real time data, enabling cross sales and cross referencing for existing customers Reduction in time to react to market trends and changes. Easier to design and launch new products to keep ahead of market trends Good backup systems, data saved on two or more servers ensuring no loss of data New disaster recovery site that no longer required restoration of the previous day’s data Improved customer service as new system gave a single view of each customer showing all real time data allowing cross selling and reduced turnaround times Up to 50 percent saving on time and costs 3.1 How did the new digital system provide a basis for the orange strategy? Orange was stuck in a paper based timewarp. This meant that all time and energy was put into manual applications which did not leave time for them to focus on a more customer friendly and customer focused organization. The new system meant that there was a huge reduction in the need for large volumes of clerical staff and these staff could be utilized to provide a better customer service and also provide a better profit for the business by utilizing the customer information to enable cross sales. It also enabled time for the marketing strategy to be overhauled as up to date data was now at hand. This data provided a customer profile facilitating the sale of more relevant products by providing some Golden Nuggets of information. As the systems could provide some analytical and operational CRM data. It also enabled the business to be able to react quickly to any new market trends as the new digital systems were able to take on and launch new products quickly and in fact enabled them to set up a brand new concept in the insurance business, the launch of the Orange motorcycles fleet. This fleet was very distinctive and easily spotted on the high street which in itself was a major marketing tool but they not only serviced their own customers who had accidents but also non customers which in turn meant that these people would go to Orange the next time they needed a quote for insurance and also created a Feel Good moment. It enabled them to launch Orange Eye which was a smartphone application. This provided an in car camera which helped combat motor insurance fraud which ensured that costs for the company would be kept down and in turn allowed for reduced insurance policies. 3.2 Could Orange have been available with the Old Systems? Orange would most definitely not have been possible with the old system. They were not able to provide an efficient, straightforward, transparent system or product due to the major constraints of the old systems. 4. Three important Lessons for Irish Retail Banking 1. Banks have to embrace the Digital Age to Increase profit. Banks have to embrace and utilize all systems available and even create new systems in order to increase revenue and in turn increase profit. According the statistics provided by The Second UPC Report on Irelands Digital future the projected value of the Irish internet economy in 2020 will be E21.1 BN, Projected on line Consumer Spending will be E12.7 BN as opposed to figures provided for 2014 when online consumer spending was E5.9 BN. Therefore this market has to be tapped to ensure the viability of the bank into the future. While initially consumers were reluctant to take on some of these new online systems such as online banking one would wonder what their reaction would be if it were to be taken away from them overnight. As can be seen from table below sourced from PWC the percentage of users of online services has increased tenfold and banks have to embrace this change and utilize it to their advantage. Gen Y = born 1980, Gen X = born 1965 – 1979, Baby boomers = 1946 – 1964, Matures born prior to 1946 2. Digital systems improve services. The new orange system allowed for funds and also staff to be freed up to create a much better customer experience. One way of doing this was to send out the Orange Fleet which proved a huge success. This model has been in some way reproduced with banks now beginning to think outside the box, by providing some time/space shifting services such as Mobile Mortgage Managers who will visit you out of bank hours and in turn the new systems that allow you to bank on line 24 hours a day online in the comfort of your own home. Bank of Ireland are currently trying to promote an internal scoring card system that they call NPS to ensure that we continue to provide an excellent customer service and allowing all opportunities to be utilized and all cross sales achieved to ensure a good profit and also a good service to the customer. As outlined in our lectures 50 percent of time and effort is invested in trying to get new customers in the first place and 50 percent to hold onto them. It costs six times more to get a new customer therefore a high retention of existing customers ensures an increased profit. Accenture created a Consumer research of over 13000 in 33 countries and they found that 61% if customers globally switched providers due to a bad experience and 85% switch providers because they feel that companies don’t make it easy to do business with. It is no secret that the general public’s perception of the Banks in light of the recent recession and bailout by the government has not been advantageous and therefore it is in our best interest to improve our systems and also do things a bit differently and this NPS scorecard is in some way helping this. Also the public would not have great trust in the Banks and again the â€Å"simple honest and different approach† adapted by Orange could be adapted in a more robust platform by the Banks. 3. Correct systems have to be in place in order for customers to adapt and embrace the change. Bank of Irelands digital systems were sometimes seen as cumbersome by both staff and by customers alike. There were some major issues with Banking on line for business customers as it was difficult to get set up and in a lot of cases it wasn’t compatible with certain computer systems. There is also the public’s perception of the risk concerned with digital technology and some customers do not trust the systems and still prefer to go in to the Bank and make their transactions or apply for their loans with a human. I showed a family member how to pay a bill on line. This was their first attempt at using this system and they were very impressed with how easy the process was, however as the payee was an Ulster Bank customer the transaction took a couple of days to go through. This caused my relation a huge worry (they are in their 60’s) as she would have preferred to have had physical evidence such as a receipt for the transaction and they could not relax until the funds were acknowledged as received. This however is not such a worry for younger generations as they have more trust in the digital systems. The security issues need to be addressed and maintained and also the banks need to keep ahead of the fraudsters. As long as this continues to happen I c an see a continued rise in the use of digital banking systems. Conclusion As outlined on the Bain Brief article â€Å"Many banks have been too quick to capitalize on digital technologies as a way to strip costs out of their operations. Steering their technology-enable customers to websites, mobile apps and ATMs, they are shuttering full-service branches and replacing them with automated kiosks. But while the savings from taking a self-service approach can be enticing, the longer term costs of abandoning customers to their own high-tech devices are unacceptably high.† The Digital Challenge to Retail banks Oct 17,2012 by Dirk Vater, Youngsuh Cho and Peter Sidebottom. This article was written in 2012 and since then Bank of Ireland has come to realize this and are trying to keep their physical branch footprint in place in as much as possible in order to have a face behind the bank. Other major banks in Ireland have been reducing their branch footprint in order to reduce costs. We will have to wait and see in the future what the best approach to this will have been and as always hindsight is sometimes a great thing. Referencing Accenture Study, Global Consumer Pulse Research (2014) Bain Banking Study (2012) FIS Primary Consumer Research (Aug 2011) Laudon, Laudon,(2014) Management Information Systems Second UPC Report on Irelands Digital Future (2014) Stapleton, (2015) Banking in a Digital Age Webinars Putnam, (2011) Attracting and Retaining Gen Y and Gen X Vater, Youngsuh and Sidebottom (2012) Bain Brief The Digital Challenge to Retail Banks Villers, (2015) PWC Banking will mean digital banking in 2015

Arab League Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Arab League.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Arab League is a regional organization that was founded on March 22, 1945. The league’s function is to promote political cooperation among it’s member states, and to deal with disputes or any breaches of peace in the region. The league’s official name is the League of Arab States. The founding members of the league are: Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, and Yemen. Membership in the League was later extended to Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Somalia, Southern Yemen, Sudan, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates. The headquarters of the League is located in Cairo, and it is run by a secretary general which is appointed by the league members.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The work of any international organization which attempts to promote peace, and political cooperation is usually confronted by several failures. However, in the case of the Arab League it has been evident that it is unable to sustain the peace within the region or aid in any political cooperation between the member states. The Gulf War could be said to be a test to the power of the Arab League and it’s presumed cooperation and handling problems strategies. The war started off by the invasion of Kuwait by it’s neighbor Iraq, both are member states in the A...

Neuropsychologist Essay -- Neurology Psychology Medicine Papers

Neuropsychologist A neuropsychologist is a professional in the field of psychology that focuses on the interrelationships between neurological processes and behavior. They work as a team with neurologists, neurosurgeons, and primary care physicians. Neuropsychologists extensively study the anatomy, pathology, and physiology of the nervous system (http://www.tbidoc.com/Appel2.html). Clinical neuropsychologists then apply this knowledge to the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and/or rehabilitation of patients across the lifespan with medical, neurodevelopmental, neurological and psychiatric conditions, as well as other cognitive and learning disorders (http://nanonline.org/content/text/paio/defneuropsych.shtm). A clinical neuropsychologist uses behavioral, cognitive, neurological, physiological, and psychological principles to test and evaluate the patient’s behavioral, neurocognitive, and emotional strengths and weaknesses (http://nanonline.org/content/text/paio/defneuropsych.shtm). The neuropsychologist also compares the patient’s relationship to normal and abnormal central nervous system functioning. Then the clinical neuropsychologist uses this information along with information provided from other healthcare and/or medical providers to identify and diagnose neurobehavioral disorders. After identifying and diagnosing the patient, the clinical neuropsychologist will plan and implement intervention strategies. Patient Himself or Herself Just ventral to the thalamus, near the base of the brain is where the hypothalamus is located. The hypothalamus is relatively small (peanut-sized) but extremely complex structure. It is intimately involved in the control of... .... Definition of a Neuropsychologist. Retrieved April 29, 2005, from http://nanonline.org/content/text/paio/defneuropsych.shtm. Carlson, Neil R. (1994). Physiology of Behavior 5th Edition. Massachusetts: Paramount Publishing. Gordon, Christopher J. (1993). Temperature Regulation in Laboratory Rodents. New York: Cambridge University Press. Kalat, James W. (2004). Biological Psychology 8th Edition. Canada: Thomson Learning, Inc., Wadsworth. Morgane, Peter J., & Panksepp, Jaak (1980). Handbook of the Hypothalamus Volume 2: Physiology of the Hypothalamus. New York: Marcel Dekker, Inc. Reber, Arthur S., & Reber, Emily (2001). The Penguin Dictionary of Psychology. New York: Penguin Putnam Inc. Wiederholt, Wigbert C. (2000). Neurology for Non-Neurologists 4th Edition. Pennsylvania: W.B. Sauders Company.

Gary Nash Essay -- essays research papers

In the essay written by Gary Nash, he argues that the reason for the American Revolution was not caused by the defense of constitutional rights and liberties, but that of â€Å"material conditions of life in America† were not very favorable and that social and economic factors should be considered as the driving factor that pushed many colonists to revolt. The popular ideology which can be defined as resonating â€Å"most strongly within the middle and lower strata of society and went far beyond constitutional rights to a discussion of the proper distribution of wealth and power in the social system† had a dynamic role in the decisions of many people to revolt. The masses ideas were not of constitutional rights, but the equal distribution of wealth in the colonies that many felt that the wealth was concentrated in a small percentage of the population in the colonies. The Whig ideology that was long established in English society had a main appeal towards the upper clas s citizens and â€Å"had little to say about changing social and economic conditions in America or the need for change in the future.† The popular ideologies consisted of new ways of changing the distribution of wealth. Nash in his essay continued to give good evidence to prove his point that the American Revolution was not caused by the defense of constitutional rights and liberties, but by improper distribution of wealth. During the pre-American Revolutionary times, the â€Å"top five percent of Boston’s taxpayers controlled 49 ...

Rhetorical Analysis of Obama Speech

Literatures and Foreign Languages Let Us Learn and Resource Together 23 November 2008 Rhetorical Analysis of â€Å"A More Perfect Union† Speech The speech titled â€Å"A More Perfect Union† was delivered by Senator Barack Obama on March 18, 2008 near the historical site of the signing of the U. S. Constitution in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The speech responds to the video clip of Barack Obama’s pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, making racially charged comments against America and Israel. The pundits and various news media outlets played the clip repeatedly on the television, radio, YouTube, and podcasts.First, the Senator’s speech attempts to address the nation on their concerns of his affiliation with Reverend Wright. Second, the speech addresses the sustaining and prevailing issues of race within America and how it paralyzes our nation. The speech is compelling because it possesses the necessary elements of effective and persuasive rhetoric; in summatio n, Obama’s rhetoric works. Rhetoric is the study of opposing arguments, misunderstanding, and miscommunication. Also, relevant to this analysis, rhetoric will be defined as the ability to speak and write effectively and to use language and oratory strategically.Despite the common employment of speech writers by most politicians, Senator Obama wrote the speech himself. By addressing the misunderstanding and miscommunication connected to and perpetrated by racism in America, the audience sees precisely how effective Obama’s speech is when examined through such lenses as the classical and 20th century rhetorical theories and concepts from Aristotle, Richard Weaver, Stephen Toulmin, Chaim Perelman, and Michel Foucault. Barack Obama’s speech echoes the rhetorical concepts of ethos, pathos, and logos that are explicitly discussed within Aristotle’s The Rhetoric.Ethos is how the speaker’s character and credibility aids his or her influence of the audience ; whereas pathos is a rhetorical device that alters the audience’s perceptions through storytelling and emotional appeals (181). Logos uses reason to construct an argument and to covey an idea (182). Finally, kairos attempts to conceptualize the need for the correct timing (201). Therefore, ethos, pathos, logos, and kairos are all evident within the speech and expressed in various ways, striking language and repetition, and through different receptors, emotions and logic.Ethos is accomplished on intellectual, social, spiritual, and biological levels. Senator Obama does this by giving factual information. He interjects historical references; he explains the extent of his family tree. Thus, the Senator gives creditability to his speech and validity to his message. The implication is that everyone should listen; he is the authority. He acknowledges that the press routinely looks â€Å"for the latest evidence of racial polarization, not just in terms of white and black, but blac k and brown as well† (Obama, par. 7).From this quote, the audience is being persuaded by the classical theoretical concepts of opposing arguments. The audience is fully aware of the division between the races, and the speech is very effective due to the fact that Barack Obama is willing to speak of what is often unspoken. When addressing his intellectual ethos, Obama mentions that he has â€Å"gone to some of the best schools in America† (Obama, par. 6). Secondly, he recites, â€Å"We the people, in order to form a more perfect union,† which is easily recognized as the first line in the U. S. Constitution (Obama, par. 2).Even those who do not possess complete knowledge of the famous line immediately understand that something of importance is being conveyed to them. Thirdly, he demonstrates his awareness of past occurrences and present concerns on the global scale. Senator Obama recalls the â€Å"legacy of slavery and Jim Crow† within our nation (Obama, par . 24). He acknowledges the present dangers of â€Å"conflicts in the Middle East† and explains the cause of such conflict (Obama, par. 10). The audience is given evidence that he understands the role of history as well as the present-day global concerns affecting our nation.Furthermore, Senator Obama uses ethos to gain credibility with his knowledge of social issues that pervade our society today. He states, â€Å"The most segregated hour of American life occurs on Sunday morning† (Obama, par. 12). He acknowledges that the resentments of the black and white communities â€Å"aren’t always expressed in polite company,† but these resentments are manifested within our society in destructive ways, like racism (Obama, par. 31). The audience feels that he is knowledgeable and credible on the immediate topics affecting our future and our daily lives.Ethos is also applied on a spiritual level by mentioning his present faith and making Biblical references. He stat es that â€Å"more than twenty years ago [he was] introduce[d] †¦to Christian faith [with] obligations to love one another, to care for the sick and lift up the poor† (Obama, par. 13). He noted how â€Å"black people merg[ed] with the stories of David and Goliath, Moses and Pharaoh, the Christians in the lion’s den, [and] Ezekiel’s field of dry bones† (Obama, par. 16). Senator Obama is altering the language.Christians did not exist in the Old Testament story of Ezekiel, but Senator Obama is effectively connecting with every major religion. Simultaneously, he is reaching out to the secular world as well. Being cognizant that everyone does not actively practice a religious faith, Obama chooses stories that everyone, Christians and non-Christians, could identify and recognize. Thus, these religious references connect with masses as well as members of the three major religions. Finally, Senator Obama gains ethos by explaining his own genetic makeup.He st ates that he is â€Å"the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas†¦ [He continues that he] is married to a Black American who carries within her the blood of slaves and slave owners†¦ [Then, he acknowledges that he has] brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, uncles and cousins of every race and every hue scattered across three continents† (Obama, par. 6). In essence, he reveals that he has the blood of Africa, the birthplace of humanity, and the blood of a woman of French descent within him. He has married a woman who has both slave and slave owner flowing within her.Moreover, he has fathered children who have the blood of humanity: African, European, slave, and the Caucasian slave owner within them. Thus, he is an authority on race. He states, â€Å"[his] story [is] seared into [his] genetic makeup the idea that this nation is more that the sum of its parts–that out of many, we are truly one† (Obama, par. 6). The audience revels at hi s remarkable story, and ethos is achieved through storytelling. In essence, Obama forges a biological connection with his audience. The connection is strengthened through Senator Obama’s use of pathos.It is achieved through the use of emotional appeals. He alters the thoughts and feelings of his audience through storytelling, imagery, and allusion. The topic of race, within itself, evokes strong emotions, even to this very moment, this very second. The senator begins by telling a story of his grandfather â€Å"who survived a Depression to serve in Patton’s army during World War II† (Obama, par. 6). The use of key terms such as Depression, Patton’s army, and World War II evoke the emotional responses of patriotism and self-sacrifice.Toward the end of his speech, Obama shares another story; he tells of a young, white, Southern campaigner–Ashley Baia–who inspires an old, black, Southern man to vote (Obama, par. 45-46). In essence, Baia encourag es pathos by telling her story. Barack Obama uses Baia’s story of inspiration to highlight the power in sharing his own story. The audience is able to connect through the emotional appeals that take place at the very core of humanity. It is easy to disrespect and dishonor something that is foreign and unknown, but it is hard to turn away from the essence of another man’s soul.As fellow humans, the audience recognizes the sheer humanity in the story. Pathos is also achieved through the use of allusion and imagery. The imagery that is provoked with terms such as slave or slavery is still poignant today. Most people are cognizant of the plight of slaves within this country. The audience would be aware of the racism that ensued and the devastation and isolation that slavery caused in American history. When Barack Obama describes the various ways that racism manifested within our society, pathos is achieved because of the powerful imagery of the allusions to race and racial conflicts within our community.The audience is trapped and becomes aware of the prejudices and experiences of race and racism within their own lives, thus causing emotions to surge and overflow. Pathos, being the weakest form of rhetoric, is utilized by Senator Obama sparingly. Instead, he overwhelmingly utilizes the most powerful form of rhetoric, logos. Logos is the ability to embody rational, logical, methodical thoughts and persuasions. As it relates to Obama’s speech, examples of logos are found throughout the text. For example, by displaying objectivity, the element of logos is achieved.Senator Barack Obama methodically explains the problems with race within America, and he gives logical, reasoned resolutions to the problems. He explains, â€Å"The anger [of Blacks and] the memories of humiliation and doubt and fear have not gone away, nor has the anger and bitterness of those years†¦ [Later he offers resolution and states that] the African-American community [mu st embrace] our past without becoming victims of our past† (Obama, par. 34). Many African-Americans will identify with Obama’s assessment of race within the African-American community, and they will be inspired to act in a positive manner.Simultaneously, he acknowledges â€Å"a similar anger within†¦the white community. They [feel] they’ve worked hard all their lives†¦They are anxious about their future, and they feel their dreams slipping away [and] resentment builds over time†¦ [Furthermore, he offers resolution and urges that] the white community [must acknowledge] that what ails the African-American community does not just exist in the minds of black people; that the legacy of discrimination [exists]† (Obama, par. 36).From these lines, the audience is persuaded to respond in a positive manner as well, and they are urged to approach the subject of racism both subjectively and objectively. Senator Obama recognizes the duality of both pligh ts and asks the American people not to blame each other but investigate and seek out the true reason of conflict within our nation. Thus, Obama is using inductive and deductive reasoning, which is indicative of logos. By utilizing Aristotle’s method and system, Obama’s appeals to logic are beyond reproach.Once his reasons are defined, he states that this is the time that we must take action and secure our future together, and Obama begins to preach on the importance of time. The issue of time and timing directly correlates with the classical rhetorical term kairos. Obama conveys time in a powerful fashion. In the beginning of his speech, he states, â€Å"Two hundred and twenty one years ago [our forefathers]†¦produced [a document that was] eventually signed, but ultimately unfinished.It was stained by the nation’s original sin of slavery [that] brought the convention to a stalemate until the founders chose to allow the slave trade to continue for at least 20 more years, and leave any final resolution to future generations† (Obama, par. 3). Later, he explains how people often manipulate race to win political elections and prevent unity. Barack Obama speaks of the continual war between segments of our community. Then he states, â€Å"But race is an issue that I believe this nation cannot afford to ignore right now† (Obama, par. 23).Furthermore, he acknowledges â€Å"the complexities of race† in America have never been resolved. He urges Americans â€Å"to come together and solve [the] challenges [in America]† (Obama, par. 33). He persuades the audience to racial relations within America a priority. In summary, kairos is aggressively addressed and highlighted. The audience realizes that the problem at hand may have been ignored by our forefathers, but these problems must be addressed now. Toward the end, kairos reaches its peak of effectiveness. Obama states that what has been effectively dividing the races in the past will not happen again:Not this time. This time we want to talk about crumbling schools†¦This time we want to reject the cynicism†¦This time we want to talk about [healthcare]†¦This time we want to talk about [jobs]†¦This time we want to talk about [race]†¦This time—This time we want to talk about the men and women of every color and creed who serve together, and fight together, and bleed together under the same proud flag (Obama, par. 40-41). From these lines, the audience feels the urgency of time; the listeners realize that â€Å"this time† America must act.Obama effectually uses the sophistic rhetorical theories and concepts to ignite and unite the audience; however, he also incorporates modern-day rhetorical theories and concepts as well. Specifically, Senator Obama utilizes the hierarchy of definition, analogy, cause and effect, and testimony of the 20th century rhetorician, Richard Weaver. In the introduction of Language Is Serm onic, the narrator summates Weaver as stating, â€Å"Rhetoric†¦is a positive act with consequences in the world†¦Every utterance is an attempt to make others see the world in a particular way and accept the values implicit in that point of view† (1348).Similarly, Obama desires to persuade the audience to see the world from a different perspective, a different lens. First, toward the beginning of the text, Obama defines the Black church. He states, â€Å"Black churches across the country embod[y] the community in its entirety—the doctor and the welfare mom, the model student and the former gang-banger†¦[S]ervices are full of raucous laughter and sometimes bawdy humor†¦ [Full] of kindness and cruelty, the fierce intelligence and the shocking ignorance, the struggles and successes, the love [as well as] the bitterness and biases† (Obama, par. 8). If one really looks closely at the definition, it is also a definition of America as well as the Bla ck church. By explaining the polarity within the Black church, he explains the polarity within America as a whole. In this way, Obama uses rhetoric in a positive way to impact his audience and highlights that â€Å"every utterance is an attempt to make others see the world in a particular way [through definition]. † Second, Weaver asserts, â€Å"Rhetoric [is] the most important of all ends, the persuading of human beings to adopt right attitudes and act in response to them† (1351).From these lines, one can examine Senator Obama’s use of twentieth century rhetorical theories and concepts. Obama uses â€Å"cause-and-effect† by illustrating the history of racism within the United States (1354). He states: We do not need to recite here the history of racial injustice in this country. But we do need to remind ourselves that so many of the disparities that existed between the African-American community and the larger American community today can be traced direc tly to inequalities passed from an earlier generation that suffered under the brutal legacy of slavery and Jim Crow (Obama, par. 4). In essence, Obama is stating that the racism today has a sordid past in our history; it can not be ignored, but it must be confronted, discussed, and acted upon. Obama is using this cause-and-effect to play on the emotions of his audience. Everyone is aware of the gruesome history, yet, as Weaver puts it, â€Å"Humanity includes emotionality or the capacity to feel and suffer, to know pleasure† (1352). From these lines, it is obvious that Senator Obama uses cause-and-effect to evoke an emotional response and sway the audience to his point of view.Furthermore, Barack Obama utilizes the elements outlined by Stephen Toulmin’s The Uses of Argument. He uses the schema of the six components in analyzing arguments: qualifier, claim, data, warrant, backing, and rebuttal. The qualifier is the â€Å"word or phrase [that] expresses the speaker†™s degree of force or certainty concerning the claim† (1418). Next, the claim is the â€Å"conclusion whose merit must be established† (1417). Then, the data is the â€Å"fact we appeal to as a foundation for the claim† (1417). The warrant is â€Å"the statement authorizing our movement from the data to the claim† (1419).