| Abstrakt: |
As a rhetorical analysis, this paper considers “voices of power” in the discourse of William H. (“Bill”) Parker, former police chief of Los Angeles from 1950 until 1966. Specifically, it tells the story of a conflict between powerful voices, with Chief Parker on one side of a debate over the rights of the accused and the United States Supreme Court on the other. Three case studies serve as the basis for illustrating the Chief’s rhetorical strategies. In 1954, Parker’s responded to the majority opinion of the U.S. Supreme Court in Irvine v. Californiain which he wrote a 1954 California Law Reviewpiece titled “Surveillance by Wiretap or Dictograph, Threat or Protection?” and defended his police department against the Court’s criticisms that they had violated Patrick Irvine’s constitutional rights by using wiretapping technology for obtaining evidence. In addition, Parker’s arguments in “The Cahan Decision Made Life Easier for the Criminal” address the California State Supreme Court’s overturning of Charles Cahan’s conviction for illegal gambling on the grounds that police had indeed violated his constitutional rights. In his 1965 speech, “Crime and the Great Society,” Parker articulates his vision for a law-abiding society by characterizing the role of law enforcement and giving his perspective on the rights of the accused. The conclusion of the paper asks readers to consider the effects of these voices on society, especially when a powerful voice demands an audience embrace a particular outlook or vision. |
