Topic Strings

Practice:

1.) This brings us to the rhetorical crisis of the protest describe by Griffin pg. 11 where he defines rhetorical crisis as “a time when one of the opposing groups of rhetoricians succeeds in irrevocably disturbing that balance between the groups which had existed in the mind of the audience,” (Griffin, pg. 11). This point falls after the 1978 World Cup where a number of football players also attended the demonstrations to show solidarity with the mothers. With the addition of the World Cup, the mothers also gained news coverage during an international health conference that was held in Argentina during that same year. With the growing attention the Mothers were receiving, the Argentinian government responded to the mothers by calling them The Madwomen or “las locas” in attempts to discredit the women and stray their foreign partners from asking about them in their press. The government also targeted the mothers, detaining members, and beating them while also distributing death threats to deter them from their protests. Spies were also posed as individuals who had lost their loved ones infiltrated the mothers’ group to inform police of their whereabouts and proceedings. The mothers continued their persistence in their protests and the military government escalated it’s repression to the point that mothers were forced to temporarily abandon the Plaza de Mayo.

2.)  Character 1: Griffin 

      Character 2: 1978 World Cup       Character 3: Mothers of Plaza de Mayo 

      Character 4: Argentinian Govt. (and Spy's)  

     

3.) Purpose: To describe the rhetorical crisis of the protest.

4.) The rhetorical crises of a protest, as explained by Griffin, is a "time when one of the opposing groups of rhetoricians succeeds in the irrevocably disturbing that balance between the groups which had existed in the audience," (Griffin, 11). In the protests of the Madres of Plaza de Mayo, the rhetorical crisis begins just after the 1978 World Cup where a number of football player attended the demonstrations of the mothers expressing great sympathy and gratitude. In addition to the extensive social attention this gesture created, the mothers also gained further media coverage during their performances at an international health conference in Argentina held that same year. The growing numbers protest supporters and media attention, the Argentinian government began to discredit the women, calling them Madwomen or "Las Locas" in attempts to discredit the women and distract foreign partners from questioning the material of their press. The government even took it a step further, targeting the mothers and detaining members with death threats and beatings. Government spy's were also disguised as victims of The Disappeared informing police of the protests whereabouts and proceedings. With increase in military government attacks, the mothers were forced to temporarily abandon their cause and submit to the governments rule.

5.) Mixed Topic String

Griffin

Griffin defines rhetorical crisis as "a time when one of the opposing groups of rhetoricians succeeds in irrevocably disturbing that balance between the groups which had existed in the mind of the audience," (Griffin, pg. 11). Which is related to the 1978 World Cup.

1978 World Cup: where a number of football players attended the demonstrations of the mothers to show solidarity with the mothers, generating world coverage and media attention. Which is related to the Mothers of Plaza De Mayo

Mothers of Plaza De Mayo, whom, in addition to the World Cup publicity, also gained news coverage during an international health conference in Argentina that took place that same year. Which is linked to the Argentinian Government

The Argentinian Government responded to the growing publicity of the Mother of Plaza de Mayo by calling them Madwomen or "Las Locas" in attempt to publicly discredit the women and stray their foreign partners. Spy's were also sent out by the government posing as victims to infiltrate the mothers group and inform police of the whereabouts and proceedings. 

6.) In the protests of the Madres of Plaza de Mayo, the rhetorical crisis begins just after the 1978 World Cup where a number of football player attended the demonstrations of the mothers expressing great sympathy and gratitude.