Analysis of Ethos

Before being involved in the Civil Rights and Peace Movements, the author of “The White Problem” Albert Bigelow was a United States Naval commander and captain. He served in the U.S. Navy throughout World War II. Only one month away from his pension Bigelow resigned from the U.S. Naval Reserve after becoming aware of the atomic bomb explosion in Hiroshima to later become prominent for protesting nuclear weapons. Bigelow had established his respectable character long before writing this article, automatically making his arguments worth considering and important to the audience he was aiming towards. Being a Freedom Rider himself Bigelow also had first hand experience with the violence and destruction the Freedom Riders and African Americans in general faced. Being able to share a perspective with the target group of the injustices and having previous credibility for serving the US during war gave validity to his claims and his call to action.