The power of persuasion is a daunting thing. Every day we are exposed to persuasive materials such as commercials, magazines and billboards. Furthermore, for centuries, political figures have shaped the minds of the public to see things through their eyes. However, it doesn't have to be a negative persuasion. Many political speeches are intended to promote patriotism and unity. Two very powerful political speakers, Pericles and Bernie Sanders, inhibit this quality. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayPericles and Sanders both promote the idea of ​​unity by seeking to unite their nations through the agreement of common ideas. Sanders, being a liberal politician, had an audience of very conservative college students whose views on rights parallel those of the Bible. From the beginning of his speech he addresses his "vision" with respect to every religion; “I am far from a perfect human being, but I am motivated by a vision that exists in all the great religions, in Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism and other religions.” (Sanders 2015) Making this statement puts Sanders on the same level as his audience. To stay on level with his listeners, Sanders included many different Bible verses to attract his viewers. A quoted verse directly confirmed his “vision” that he had stated earlier. “And that vision is stated so beautifully and clearly in Matthew 7:12, and it states, “So in everything, do unto others as you would have them do unto you, for that sums up warfare and the prophets.” (Sanders 2015) Pericles also promoted this idea of ​​unity in his speech, but for a different reason While Sanders is trying to win over a specific group of people, Pericles is trying to unite a nation with the idea that the war effort is the greatest. sacrifice that could ever be made. “Indeed, if I have dwelt at length on the character of our country, it has been to demonstrate that our stake in the struggle is not the same as theirs who have no such blessings to lose, and also that the praise of men in power of which I am speaking now could be established by definitive evidence.” (Thucydides, Ancient Rhetoric page 4) Throughout his speech he alludes several times to the sacrifices that citizens have made for the good of the world. country and how much it appreciates its value. He uses this idea of ​​not dying in vain to unite his country and ultimately instill complete patriotism in its citizens. Patriotism is an important topic when speaking to a country. Citizens want to know that a prominent political leader, like Sanders and Pericles, is committed to leading their country in a way that best represents their values. Sanders demonstrates this idea by alluding to the idea “that the United States of America, our great country, [is] a country that we all love.” (Sanders 2015) Much of patriotism also falls back on the idea of ​​unity, already stated above. Sanders combines the two by implying that our country would function better if we could all communicate our morals and find common ground. “But it is more difficult, but no less important, for us to try to communicate with those who do not agree with us on every issue. And it's important to see where, if possible, and I think it is possible, we can find common ground." (Sanders 2015) Finding common ground is very helpful, especially in times of elections. Election season is when we disagree most. There are debates, citizens are affiliated with different parties and we all vote for different candidates who we believe can lead our country better. Finding a middle ground, we will unite below.