My Reaction to Mrs. Wheeler’s effective reflective speech on “Commonsense Gun Responsibility Reform” inspired empathy, sympathy, and activism. Empathy rose up within me when Mrs. Wheeler describes the relationship her two sons enjoyed before the tragic demise of her youngest son Ben. The dream Ben had of becoming a Paleontologist due to his role model figure Nate, Ben’s big brother, made me understand how the death effected everyone. Mrs. Wheeler continues to elicit empathy when describing Ben’s energetic personality and his accomplishments in soccer and piano; all while on the verge of tears. Additionally, empathy then turned into sympathy which found a firm foundation in my soul when Mrs. Wheeler proceeds to reflect on the day that took Ben’s life where she describes herself as she, “waits for the boy who would never come home,” while Mr. Wheeler so desperately tries to sob in silence. A sense of engagement to become an activist in this issue then captures me when Mrs. Wheeler reflects on the memory of Ben when she says, “I feel Ben’s presence filling me with courage for what I have to do...” It is important to realize that what Mrs. Wheeler must do is to become an activist that stands up as the voice that speaks out in favor of “Commonsense Gun Responsibility Reform” and she effectively urges her viewers to do the same. The most profound aspect of Mrs. Wheeler’s speech is how she depicts herself as simply a citizen of the United States, a neighbor, a coworker, or even the viewer, while using subtle imagery to describe the past, present, and future effects of Ben’s murder. Mrs. Wheeler begins her speech my pointing out that she is “not the president” but only a citizen to portray her humanity and the resemblances she shares with her viewers during the address. To instill her parallels with many Americans, Mrs. Wheeler goes on to describe her family with her two son’s and what Ben’s life was like with his older brother Nate by using her deceased six-year-old son’s own words. Similarly, Mrs. Wheeler’s human characteristics are again emphasized when she uses her own words to describe her observation of Ben’s brilliant life. Likewise, Mrs. Wheeler’s description of Ben’s life illustrates a human aspect Ben shares with many other American children when she articulates that, “he couldn’t wait to get to school every morning.” Mrs. …show more content…
Wheeler then turns her attention to the present while using diction such as “our” and “we” to show that the Sandy Hook incident, which lead to her son’s demise, didn’t just affect her but affects a vast majority of Americans every year. Together with Mrs. Wheeler’s diction and her statement of, “In the four months since we lost our loved ones, thousands of other Americans have died at the end of a gun, thousands of other Americans are also drowning in our grief.” shows the connection between the affect that Ben’s murder has on the Wheeler’s and the toll of the murders of many Americans in communities across the country. Furthermore, the insightful reflection Mrs. Wheeler uses to demonstrate the affects of Ben’s death on the present further constructs the Wheeler’s as fellow Americans. This is done when Mrs. Wheeler goes on to describe her flashback, “Sometimes, I close my eyes and all I can remember is that awful day waiting at the Sandy Hook volunteer firehouse for the boy who would never come home…” The imagery of a mother waiting for her deceased son not only places the viewer in her shoes but also incites the occurrence of flashbacks in the viewers who have gone through similar accounts. Mrs. Wheeler’s similarities to the average American is then strengthened when she moves on to the