truth

A Greek Proverb once noted, “A truth spoken before its time is dangerous” (Lieberman 251). People in power positions in our society are constantly challenged in their practice of rhetoric to speak the truth while presenting their ideas in public forums. Unfortunately, some individuals whether intentionally or not, distort the truth during their preparation and presentation to deceive the intended audience, which is a very dangerous tactic if the audience has the capacity to recognize the real facts of the matter. James A. Herrick highlighted the functions and ethical practices of the art of rhetoric and noted, “The six functions I will highlight are: (1) Ideas are tested, (2) advocacy is assisted, (3) power is distributed, (4) facts are discovered, (5) knowledge is shaped, and (6) communities are built” (Herrick 16). It is the intention of this paper to conduct a theoretical analysis of the issues related to the rhetoric used by the embattled Los Angeles Chief of Police Bernard...