Kathryn McDermott blog #8

     I believe that Suheir Hammad spoke a beautiful poem that not only shook my heart, but many others as well. She spoke from personal experience, letting us in on her feelings and emotions. She said "Even as a woman, a Palestinian, never this broken" (Hammad 0:57). We can tell very clearly from the beginning that her poem is loaded with pathos, she speaks directly from her heart and explains what went on through her head as the planes crashed through the twin towers many years ago. As an American citizen I feel she is automatically credible. We all experienced that event and know from the news, our parents, pictures, and stories, all about the incident; through personal knowledge referenced in her video she exemplifies ethos. "We did not vilify white men when McVeigh bombed Oklahoma" (Hammad 2:30). She uses direct examples from history to move her point across and by doing so she utilizes logos. Although it is a very pathos based poem, there are clear examples throughout that demonstrate both ethos and logos.
     I think that Hammad most definitely makes a point through poetry. By using strong examples and personal experiences she really pushes the listener to understand her point of view on the war. She states "One more person assume no arabs or muslims were killed" (Hammad 2:16)  and "And when we talk about holy books and hooded men and death, why do we never mention the kkk?" (Hammad 2:55). These two quotes really portray that she is against the war and how America sides with the whites and goes against the colored even when white men are also at fault. She is a woman of color and in this video she explains the pain that she goes through because of that.