Ignoring Ethics with Style: Writing Sentences for "Non U.S. Persons"

Abstract

Ignoring Ethics with Style: Writing Sentences for 'Non U.S. Persons'" argues for the importance of understanding the ethical dimensions of sentence writing. To illustrate I cite the stylistic features of a recent public exchange about the legality of government surveillance between Director of Intelligence James Clapper and U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Mark Udall. I also discuss my own experience teaching writing to college students in order to reflect on need for a new generation of writers to recognize the relationship between clarity and ethics.