When crafting a persuasive essay, it is imperative that the audience feels convinced of the essay’s argument by the time they reach the conclusion. If this doesn’t happen, the readers waste their time reading about a subject they do not care about. Authors often utilize several different tactics to prevent this from happening, such as implementing relevant evidence, connecting claims with reasoning, and appealing to the audience. The author of “Bag Ban Bad for Freedom and Environment”, Adam B. Summers, does particularly well at harnessing these techniques. Specifically, Summers utilizes evidence and audience appeal to convince his audience that the government should not ban plastic shopping bags. The first persuasive technique that Summers
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Wright, who are both university law professors. Most people tend to see college professors as scholars who search for knowledge without an ulterior motive or bias, so by citing this analysis, Summers’ claim is immediately validated in the audience’s eyes. In fact, his use of this tactic is so effective that readers fail to notice that these professors do not specialize in health or disease research, which is a possible weakness in their analysis. The analysis itself presents the finding that “San Francisco’s plastic bag can in 2007 resulted in a subsequent spike in hospital emergency room visits due to [foodborne illnesses]” from bacteria in reusable shopping bags. Most humans value their health and do not want to get a potentially deadly disease, therefore presenting this evidence sways the audience into supporting the pro-plastic side. It instills such a sense of fear onto the readers that they ignore the fact that it is unlikely that …show more content…
When disproving the emotional pleas of environmentalists, he states that he “love[s] sea turtles as much as the next guy”. This amusing statement establishes him as a ‘good guy’ in the eyes of the readers, and with the support of the surrounding sentences, gives himself credibility. Earlier on in that paragraph, he mocks environmentalists by reducing their arguments to “emotional pleas to save the planet”. He then tells the readers that he is more credible than the environmentalists because he uses “reason and perspective” to support his arguments. Summers also appeals to the audience in the essay’s introduction. Specifically, he relates to American readers. When describing the regulations the government puts on protecting the environment, he states that the government is “not content to tell us how much our toilets can flush or what type of light bulb to use to brighten our homes” and is set on “deciding for us what kind of container we can use to carry our groceries”. This statement is brings out the independent nature that so many Americans possess, as many of them value their rights and freedom. Therefore when he states that the government is in everyone’s homes, telling them how to live their lives, he appeals to Americans’ desire to make their own decisions and have freedom over their own
Wright, who are both university law professors. Most people tend to see college professors as scholars who search for knowledge without an ulterior motive or bias, so by citing this analysis, Summers’ claim is immediately validated in the audience’s eyes. In fact, his use of this tactic is so effective that readers fail to notice that these professors do not specialize in health or disease research, which is a possible weakness in their analysis. The analysis itself presents the finding that “San Francisco’s plastic bag can in 2007 resulted in a subsequent spike in hospital emergency room visits due to [foodborne illnesses]” from bacteria in reusable shopping bags. Most humans value their health and do not want to get a potentially deadly disease, therefore presenting this evidence sways the audience into supporting the pro-plastic side. It instills such a sense of fear onto the readers that they ignore the fact that it is unlikely that …show more content…
When disproving the emotional pleas of environmentalists, he states that he “love[s] sea turtles as much as the next guy”. This amusing statement establishes him as a ‘good guy’ in the eyes of the readers, and with the support of the surrounding sentences, gives himself credibility. Earlier on in that paragraph, he mocks environmentalists by reducing their arguments to “emotional pleas to save the planet”. He then tells the readers that he is more credible than the environmentalists because he uses “reason and perspective” to support his arguments. Summers also appeals to the audience in the essay’s introduction. Specifically, he relates to American readers. When describing the regulations the government puts on protecting the environment, he states that the government is “not content to tell us how much our toilets can flush or what type of light bulb to use to brighten our homes” and is set on “deciding for us what kind of container we can use to carry our groceries”. This statement is brings out the independent nature that so many Americans possess, as many of them value their rights and freedom. Therefore when he states that the government is in everyone’s homes, telling them how to live their lives, he appeals to Americans’ desire to make their own decisions and have freedom over their own