Blog Post #1:
Title: Guns and Gun Control
Author: jacobsjn
Jacobsjn addresses how the gun control has yet again appeared as a major topic in recent news with mass shootings such as the Virginia Tech shooting, the massacre at the movie theater in Colorado, and now, the tragedy in Connecticut at Sandy Hook Elementary. He mainly uses ethical appeal and certain diction to persuade the reader to take his side in implementing better gun control. Words like "massacre, "coffin," and "horrific murder" reveal just how devastating these events were, and give the reader a better reason to take action to prevent events like the Sandy Hook shooting from ever happening again. These words also leave the reader empathetic to not only the author himself, but also all of the those who were affected by this tragedy.
Blog Post #2
Title: Murphy, Etsy Continue Post-Newtown Gun-Control Efforts In Washington
Author: Jon Lender
Lender takes a much different approach in his blog post compared to the previous author. He takes on the issue of gun control through the eyes of U.S. Senator Christopher Murphy and U.S. Representative Elizabeth Etsy using logical appeal. However, one thing that was similar between the two blog posts was that they both were for stronger gun control enforcement. He uses evidence taken from President Barack Obama, and the Professional Gun Violence Prevention Task Force in an effort to show support for the cause. The PGVPT claimed that they "intended to reduce gun violence while respecting the 2nd Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans" (Lender). Even though gun control will be implemented more strictly, the rights of Americans regarding this particular freedom will not be ignored. Through this logical appeal and others to follow, the author is able to establish credibility and effectively support his claims, in an attempt to get the reader to take his side.
Which appeals do you think are most effective in persuading the reader to take a specific side? Or are all appeals created equally?
Because of the prominence of pathos appeals used in the news when reporting about massive shootings recently, I think that the American public is tired of feeling devastated. Whether people are for or against gun control, I think we can all agree that something about our current public policy is not effective. In this case, logical appeals that may lead to a political compromise on gun use may be what America needs. If our country cannot manage to unify in times of crisis, then we have nothing.
ReplyDeleteI like how you used each article to show how different authors appeal the mass public on the gun control issue. I agree with Laura when she says that the american public is tired of "the prominence of pathos appeals used in the news recently." I really like how the second article you used appealed mainly to logic and how the freedom of the 2nd Amendment will not be ignored during this heavy debate over gun control. In my opinion, I think the first article is more direct in getting a biased message to its audience, and the audience will definitely connect with it. On the other hand, I believe the second article is more effective in presenting facts and how the process will be worked out. Overall, good analysis!
ReplyDelete