A Brief History
The widespread perceived right to carry a gun in the United States is supported by the Bill of Rights which was created in 1791. The Second Amendment deems the infringement on the right to own and carry arms as unconstitutional (Bill of Rights Institute). Since its establishment, however, it is a source of debate in relation to the application of gun laws in the United States.
Nearly one hundred years following the creation of the Bill of Rights, the National Rifle Association (NRA) was founded in order to protect the rights of gun owners while opposing restrictive gun laws (History of Gun Ownership Laws). In 1994, following multiple statutes which outlawed the possession and use of machine guns, taxed gun sales, and placed …show more content…
On October 1, 2015 a gunman targeted the campus of Umpqua Community College in Oregon killing ten and injuring seven (Ford). As a result of this and similar tragedies, the debate over gun control has resurfaced causing citizens and political figures to voice their opinions concerning legislative solutions.
Purpose of Study
This succinct study will focus on four online user comments in response to Charles M. Blow’s New York Times article “On Guns, Fear is winning” in order to find major paradigms within the discourse surrounding gun control in the United States. The comments used for analysis were chosen from those labeled as “NYT Picks” The comments range in opinions and ideas with regards to changing gun restrictions in light of recent mass shootings in the United States.
The considerations presented in this study are based on analysis which focuses on the ideological aspects of text in the online user comments. As suggested by sociologist Siegfried Kracauer, these writings are representative of current dominant ideological positions existing in American culture (Brennen, 2013). In order to evaluate these arguments, the analysis will focus on five areas of emphasis: content, structure, absence, style, and mode of address (Brennen …show more content…
These comments excerpted from individuals both in support of and against stricter gun laws demonstrate the use of rhetorical style. The writers rely on the reader’s ability to rationalize in order to interpret facts making it difficult for the arguments to be logically opposed .
While the comment in support of increased gun control expresses comparisons which are meant to evoke strong emotion, it lacks statistical figures in support of its claims. The absence of numbers lessens the persuasive effect sought by the author. Similarly, the comment which opposes gun control fails to include sources. While the calculations serve as the writer’s basis of argument, there is no evidence that eliminate the possibility of falsehood.
These comments bring to attention the prevalence of facts in the process of developing and applying additional gun control in the United States. The presentation of facts evidently influence the judgements of the need for changes in the regulation of gun ownership. A “winning” stance on the matter may be able to persuade the masses with powerful statistics and
The widespread perceived right to carry a gun in the United States is supported by the Bill of Rights which was created in 1791. The Second Amendment deems the infringement on the right to own and carry arms as unconstitutional (Bill of Rights Institute). Since its establishment, however, it is a source of debate in relation to the application of gun laws in the United States.
Nearly one hundred years following the creation of the Bill of Rights, the National Rifle Association (NRA) was founded in order to protect the rights of gun owners while opposing restrictive gun laws (History of Gun Ownership Laws). In 1994, following multiple statutes which outlawed the possession and use of machine guns, taxed gun sales, and placed …show more content…
On October 1, 2015 a gunman targeted the campus of Umpqua Community College in Oregon killing ten and injuring seven (Ford). As a result of this and similar tragedies, the debate over gun control has resurfaced causing citizens and political figures to voice their opinions concerning legislative solutions.
Purpose of Study
This succinct study will focus on four online user comments in response to Charles M. Blow’s New York Times article “On Guns, Fear is winning” in order to find major paradigms within the discourse surrounding gun control in the United States. The comments used for analysis were chosen from those labeled as “NYT Picks” The comments range in opinions and ideas with regards to changing gun restrictions in light of recent mass shootings in the United States.
The considerations presented in this study are based on analysis which focuses on the ideological aspects of text in the online user comments. As suggested by sociologist Siegfried Kracauer, these writings are representative of current dominant ideological positions existing in American culture (Brennen, 2013). In order to evaluate these arguments, the analysis will focus on five areas of emphasis: content, structure, absence, style, and mode of address (Brennen …show more content…
These comments excerpted from individuals both in support of and against stricter gun laws demonstrate the use of rhetorical style. The writers rely on the reader’s ability to rationalize in order to interpret facts making it difficult for the arguments to be logically opposed .
While the comment in support of increased gun control expresses comparisons which are meant to evoke strong emotion, it lacks statistical figures in support of its claims. The absence of numbers lessens the persuasive effect sought by the author. Similarly, the comment which opposes gun control fails to include sources. While the calculations serve as the writer’s basis of argument, there is no evidence that eliminate the possibility of falsehood.
These comments bring to attention the prevalence of facts in the process of developing and applying additional gun control in the United States. The presentation of facts evidently influence the judgements of the need for changes in the regulation of gun ownership. A “winning” stance on the matter may be able to persuade the masses with powerful statistics and