In his statement of veto of the "Cat Bill," Governor Stevenson manifests sarcastic diction to appeal to common sense and knowledge, and uses examples of personification and dramatization to craft his effective argument ridiculing the bill.
Shin, Eunice
Period 06
10/22/01
AP English
“Cat Bill” Essay
In his statement of veto of the “Cat Bill,” Governor Stevenson manifests sarcastic diction to appeal to common sense and knowledge, and uses examples of personification and dramatization to craft his effective argument ridiculing the bill.
Governor Stevenson organizes his veto using common knowledge so that anyone of any background can comprehend his reasoning. He implies the impracticality of the bill by juxtaposing the basic effects it would have on both owners and the cats themselves. He uses subtle mockery by portraying cats as innocent and attributing their roaming behavior as a part of their nature. He depicts the cats to be naturally unbounded and indicates the absurdity of an owner trying to domestic them to the degree of escorting them on a leash. He predicts what possible conflicts passing this bill create, and the specific effects the bill would have on different areas, such as farms, villages, and cities. Stevenson even alludes to the writers of the bill to simply dislike cats, sarcastically calling the entire roaming cats situation as a “worthy cause to which its proponents give such unselfish effort.” Through his arguments relevant and understandable to anyone, Governor Stevenson is able to reveal the absurdity of the proposal, and allows his point to be clearly stated.
