Persuasive Articles on Gun Control Essays - 607 Words

Persuasive Articles on Gun Control Persuading an audience can be done in several different fashions, one of which is Hugh Rank’s Model of Persuasion. Rank’s model states that two major strategies are used to achieve the particular goal of persuasion. These strategies are nicely set into two main schemas; the first method is to exaggerate an aspect of something, known as â€Å"intensify.† While the second is to discredit it, which is referred to as â€Å"downplay.† Al Franken, Jeffrey Snyder, Harlan Ellison, and George Will, have all written persuasive articles about gun control. In reading all of the various articles on gun control by authors, I found George F. Will’s The Last Word to be the most persuasive. Will wrote his†¦show more content†¦Franken was also able to downplay the usefulness of a firearm by including a series of sarcastic tips for tragedy in a home. For example, â€Å"1. Keep the gun loaded†¦ 2. Put the gun in an unlocked drawer... 3. Rest assured.†1 Where Franken’s article comes up short is the use of hypothetical numbers to exaggerate and intensify the deadliness of guns. His sarcasm adds diversity to his piece, but should be used sparingly. Franken’s conclusion causes his argument to lose its effectiveness, after building his case it just seems ridiculous and out of place. The least persuasive essay out of the four was Harlan Ellison’s An Edge in My Voice. Ellison presents his argument in a style that seems to me is more of a disgruntled rambling about both famous and infamous people that die from gun shot, than an article about gun control. Ellison spends the first few pages asking the reader if they cried when a certain person died; he begins with famous people such as Martin Luther King, Bobby Kennedy, and John Lennon, and then moves on to more obscure examples. Instead of trying to build an argument, Ellison seemed to be more caught up with anger and the notion of conspiracies. He does however try to use the â€Å"intensify† technique of Rank’s model, to persuade the reader of the horror of deaths caused by guns and their importance. Although Ellison did try to persuade his audience in a different manor, I felt it was ineffective at best,Show MoreRelatedPersuasive Articles About Gun Control Essay637 Words   |  3 PagesPersua sive articles about Gun Control Persuading an audience can be done in several different fashions, one of which is Hugh Ranks Model of Persuasion. Ranks model states that two major strategies are used to achieve the particular goal of persuasion. These strategies are nicely set into two main schemas; the first method is to exaggerate an aspect of something, known as intensify. While the second is to discredit it, which is referred to as downplay. Al Franken, Jeffrey Snyder, HarlanRead MoreThe Need for Stricter Gun Laws in Micheal Gawendas Book, Americas Lethal Affair with the Gun589 Words   |  3 PagesIn this expository article. â€Å"Americas lethal affair with the gun†, dated Februrary 6th, 2006, Micheal Gawenda contend s that America needs to be stricter on gun control laws. Gawenda, from The Age, writes the article with tones of dissension and assetiveness, but in a calm controlled way of approach. The intended audience of the article are the readers of The Age, as that is the source. Gawenda firmly believes that gun control laws in America are not strict enough, to persuade his readers, heRead MoreThe Matter Of Gun Control846 Words   |  4 PagesTrevor-Roper, 2000). The matter of gun control in America has long since been a rather controversial issue, with individuals on the left and right passionately voicing their opinions for their cause. Gail Collins and Michael A. Schwartz both address the matter of gun control in their respective New York Times and San Diego Union Tribune opinion articles, but they each do so in drastically dissimilar approaches. Gail Collins, author of The New York Times opinion article â€Å"Wanted: Straight Shooters†, takesRead MoreArticle Review : Change Your Gun Laws, America1130 Words   |  5 PagesWhen I spent two weeks in Spain with a host family, the first interaction my little Spanish brother had with me was with his hands in the universal sign for a gun, chanting â€Å"U.S.A.† as he fired his fake guns into the air. Gun rights, gun regulations, and the importance of the Second Amendment are all topics that are pertinent to the safety of the citizens of the United States. Fareed Zakaria, a renowned journalist and author for CNN and the Washington Post, lays out his concerns for the way AmericansRead MoreWhat We Don t Know About Guns1317 Words   |  6 PagesAcademic Summary: In the article, â€Å"What We Don’t Know About Guns,† by Ted Alcorn discusses the common denominator in most gun related accidents. Last year at least 278 children accidently fired a gun and injured or killed someone. We found that the main problem for this is irresponsible gun storage. According to surveys about 15% of gun owning households with children store their guns unlocked and loaded. It is tracked that about two-thirds of all the unintentional child shootings came from the thoseRead Moregun control research essay1222 Words   |  5 Pages ProCon.org recently featured an article that studied gun control. â€Å"Stricter state gun laws associated with fewer gun deaths, study finds.† The article discussed gun control laws in states with stricter laws tend to have lower rates of gun related homicides, and a suicide (ProCon para. 1) Gun control in the United States is becoming a wide spread issue and is becoming a problem everywhere. Although I am living in a city with uprising crime that has been skyrocketing over the years, I wasn’t awareRead MoreThe Issue Of Gun Control903 Words   |  4 PagesGun Control The controversy surrounding the need for more gun control in the United States is a hot topic. Do we need more gun control? What about the 2nd Amendment? What about crime, protection, the mentally ill? There is a great amount of gun violence in this country and every time something happens, the argument starts up again. Maybe it is time to do more. Adam Gopnik wrote about this subject in his essay â€Å"Shootings†. His view is that there needs to be better gun control laws. Gopnik startedRead MoreThe Gun Debate Over Our Second Amendment Rights1985 Words   |  8 Pagespertaining to the gun debate, others do not; the media plays a big role in influencing the undecided audience to one side or the other. When journalists discuss the gun debate, they use a wide variety of rhetorical devices to communicate their perspectives. The most common of these devices includes statistics, the subject of safety, persuasive language, and tone. Between the three articles examined, the first device that stuck out was facts and statistics. The first article, an anti-gun control piece byRead MoreGun Control Research Paper1274 Words   |  6 Pageswith constant tragedies striking the United States, such as massacres in public high schools and universities, mall shootings, and attempted assassinations on state representatives, it’s no wonder law makers are constantly debating the topic of gun control. The history of firearms has changed dramatically since the late 1700’s. A rifle is no longer defined as a single shot, muzzle loading musket. Should modernized, high caliber, automatic rifles and handguns be protectedRead MoreThe Debate Over Gun Laws1672 Words   |  7 Pagesthe legal right to own a weapon that could end your life? Gun control in America has been a long fought out debate. Republicans typically believe that it should be entirely legal for Americans to own guns because it is their right from the Constitution and they need it to defend themselves. Democrats typically believe that guns should not be legal because they are dangerous weapons and they can be abused by violent people. The debate over gun laws has continued to divide American because of the many