Links to rhetorical tools:

Here are links to the rhetorical tools used in this class:

Schemes & Tropes -- Perelman & Olbrechts-Tyteca -- Fallacies -- Burke -- Rhetorical Toolbox -- Conspiracy Rhetorics

Thursday, March 7, 2024

Patsy Cline Crash Site Investigation Fallacies & P-OT Charts

 Fallacies:

Appeal to emotion  

The story evokes emotions such as fear, unease, and sadness by describing the eerie atmosphere surrounding the crash site and the alleged encounters with the ghosts of the deceased. However, emotions are not reliable indicators of truth or evidence for supernatural occurrences. 

  1. Using descriptive words such as “strange”, “odd”, and “chilling evokes a sense of unease and fear.  

  1. The randomized mention of a womans dog whining and refusing to go near the crash site's boulder implies a supernatural presence, appealing to the reader's emotions of fear and curiosity. 

  1. The inclusion of details reporting Patsy Cline’s ghost at the Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium, including hearing her voice as if warming up for a performance, evoke an eerie sense of nostalgia and sadness. 

  1. The recounting of Patsy Cline's ominous remark about the possibility of dying in a plane crash appeals to the reader's emotions of foreboding and sympathy for the deceased. 

Post Hoc & Cum Hoc  

The investigators attribute the phrases uttered by the Phasma Box to the spirits of the deceased individuals without considering alternative explanations, such as random noise or the device's malfunction. 

 

 

 

It is always important to remember that correlation does not imply causation; specifically, when the investigators interpret phrases like "And he's running into" as evidence that directly corresponds to the actions of the pilot Randy Hughes during the crash. This implies a causal relationship between the phrases spoken by the Phasma Box and the events of the crash, without sufficient evidence to support such a connection. 

Appeal to authority  

The investigators' credentials and equipment setup are mentioned to lend credibility to their findings. However, the use of hand-held equipment and conducting EVP sessions does not necessarily validate the existence of ghosts or the accuracy of their interpretations. 

  1. The investigators' titles and roles are highlighted, such as "Mike Rosario: Equipment and Initial Investigation" and "Dale Kaczmarek." These titles imply expertise and authority in conducting paranormal investigations. 

  1. Specific equipment used during the investigation is listed, including the K-II Meter, digital recorders, camcorders, Phasma Box, and a cell phone for a Live Facebook session. This detailed equipment setup suggests a professional approach to the investigation, which may lend authority to the investigators' claims. 

  1. The inclusion of evidence collected during the investigation, such as audio recordings and videos, is presented as further validation of the investigators' expertise and the credibility of their findings. 

Anecdotal  

Personal experiences and testimonies, such as witnessing apparitions or hearing strange noises, are presented as evidence for the existence of ghosts. However, anecdotal evidence lacks scientific rigor and can be influenced by subjective perceptions and biases. 

  1. Dale Kaczmarek shares his awe at the beauty and quiet of the location, describing the memorial and crash site at the bottom of a steep hill. He mentions the hits on the K-II Meter, his feelings of goosebumps, and the Phasma Box session, where the device blurted out phrases related to the crash. 

  1. Mike Rosario describes using equipment such as the K-II Meter, digital voice recorder, camcorder, and smartphone for taking pictures and videos. He recounts his experiences of conducting K-II sweeps, taking pictures, and using trigger music to stir up communication. He also mentions asking questions and conducting a Phasma Box session. 

Appeal to ignorance  

The lack of a naturalistic explanation for the reported phenomena, such as strange feelings, eerie experiences, or unusual readings on equipment, is interpreted as evidence for the existence of ghosts or supernatural activity. 

When investigators encounter hits on the K-II Meter or hear phrases from the Phasma Box that they interpret as related to the crash, they may attribute these occurrences to the presence of spirits because they cannot provide a natural explanation for them. This reliance on the absence of evidence to support a natural explanation as evidence for a supernatural one is absolutely fitting.  


P-OT:

Repition 

(Say it again. And again. And again) 

The article reiterates the weather conditions during the crash multiple times, “low-visibility conditions”, “43 degrees farenheit with gusty winds and cloudy conditions”, and “adverse weather conditions.” Which later relates back when they share their audio findings of “it’s cold and it’s raining”, to further their credibility and realisticness of the find.  

Interpertation 

(Making the data relevant)  

Following suit with repition, the finding of the voice saying “it’s cold and it’s raining”, would have no relevance if we were not aware of the current weather conditions at the time of the crash, which makes their find deemed more credible and relevant rather than random.  

Succesion 

(Cause and effect argument) 

A fatal plane crash happened at this location involving famous country music stars, and therefore it is now haunted by their ghosts. For example, the ghost hunters played some of their all time greatest hits, resulting in reportedly hearing their voices on their audio recordings.  

Interperative Schemes  

(limit the context of interperation to gain clarity)  

They claim they were not able to accuire any visual evidence of the presence of their ghosts, but that they had a substancial amount of audio evidence to make those believe that the location really was haunted.  

Example 

(event reveals a rule or reality) 

The audio recording of “he’s running into..” is believed by the ghost hunters to be a female voice, likely Patsy Cline, talking about the pilot Hughes running into the trees. To then reveal that he has ran into multiple trees before on some of his previous flights.  

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