Sunday, April 03, 2005

The Art of Persuasion

Okay, we've spent some time being critical of Michael Moore, and I think most of us can agree that throwing salad dressing is straight out, but what do you think are good strategies for convincing those who do not agree with you? If I get a couple of responses, I'll chime in later with my thoughts.

1 Comments:

At 9:59 AM, pacosolo said...

That is a great question, I will try to answer it in the context of Buchanan's visit.

First, when the opposing groups learned of the visit, they could have attempted to invite an equally controversial apeaker to visit campus during the same time period. And I'm not talking about Granholm, who was here on the 31st. She is here all the time, and doesn't seem to spark the interest of many opposing groups because she is fairly moderate, especially at this time when she is looking to get reelected. The College Republicans have been successful in taking the intitiative to invite guests that raise the ire of "liberals." The best defense can sometimes be a good offense. I'm talking about Hillary Clinton, Ted Kennedy...anyone that would spark a good response. These speakers are not out-of-reach for the College Dems or other liberal groups; in fact, they were all available during the election season.

Also, a good way to persuade others to your own view is to protest peacefully, just as some were trying to do. This means that outrageous behaviors must also be discouraged so that your own protest is most effective. It may be hard to do, but sometimes a group has to work hard to be heard.

My last thought on this, for now, is the publication and distribution of effective literature to gain awareness on a topic. Groups need to be creative with as few words as possible to get people to start asking questions and become interested. Let me know what you guys think.

 

Post a Comment

<< Home