Signposts Page 100.htm

Rhetor was a teacher of persuasive speaking. Today, more than ever, profound rhetorical expressions are crafted to gain political advantage over the common people:

RHETOR'S RICKS.

Ancient, yet heaping still his words in stacks,
Within such dispositions as those of Thatcher,
Rhetor's progeny, loving specious 'facts',
Piled meaningless jargon high to hatch her.

Vapours rise from droppings they uncover.
Still his remains inspire such deadly uses,
Hatching deceit in every Rhetoric lover,
Sheltering in his ancient verbal abuses.

Truth is an easy tongue not a tricky persuasion,
But still his progeny alter-natives to the Lie,
Humiliate them on every ruinous occasion,
Expose them and their jargon soon will die.

Divert not from honesty in words,
Leave Rhetor's wordy ricks to feed the birds.

R. T.

3/1/84.

The destructive harvest of the man Rhetor through the persuasive use of words is well known and established. It is the means by which political manipulators gain control over the minds of men. We should be minded not to allow their meaningless jargon to persuade us away from the truth, and must use the Holy Scriptures to test their specious arguments. This poem is intended to caution you to be on your guard against the cunning self-interest built into political rhetoric calculated to deceive the unwary.

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