wrd 104 textual analysis

7/29/2019 WRD 104 Textual Analysis

1/6

Macias 1

Stephanie Macias

Kate Flom

WRD 104- Composition & Rhetoric II

28 January 2013

A Controversial Debate Never Forgotten

Dating back to 1764, older than America itself, the first recorded school shooting

took place when four Lenape warriors shot a teacher in front of his students in

Pennsylvania (csmonitor.com). The most recent school shooting, the Sandy Hook

Elementary School shooting in Connecticut, has not only reminded our nation of the

dangers of gun violence but also demonstrated something must be done in order to

prevent further tragedies. Gun violence does not only facilitate school shootings but other

public shootings as well. Gun violence has been among us and so continues to be a

controversial debate since guns were introduced. For that reason, society has turned

towards the leader of our nation to reduce gun violence within our states. In their

informative article, Obama to Put Everything Ive Got Into Gun Control, Peter Baker

and Michael D. Shear inform their audience of President Obamas promise to reduce gun

violence through enforcing legislation and mustering public support. The authors

effectively convey the immense effect gun violence has had on our nation recently and

how the President plans to better the situation despite opposition through appealing to

their readers intellect and establishing credibility.


2/6

Macias 2

As mentioned before, the devastating shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School

has not only reminded us of the dangers of gun violence but has resurfaced the belief that

something should be done to reduce gun violence. This can be seen when Baker and

Shearexplain, Surrounded by children who wrote him letters seeking curbs on guns, Mr.

Obama committed himself to a high-profile and politically volatile campaign (Par. 3).

The Connecticut tragedy had such an impact on our nation that the President was required

to step in. Another instance where Baker and Shear put emphasis on the effects gun

violence has had on our nation is when they describe the effects of the ceremony held in

honor of those who died at the shooting, reflected a decisions by the White House to

seize on public outrage to challenge the political power of the National Rifle association

and other forces that have successfully fought new gun laws for decades (Par. 5). Here,

Baker and Shear make it evident that the most recent public shooting has shaken our

society and pushed us towards wanting stricter gun control. By including specific

moments that highlight just how much the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting

affected our nation, the authors provide background information as to why the gun

control debate has resurfaced.


3/6

Macias 3

In order to demonstrate how the President plans to enforce and in turn reduce gun

violence, Baker and Shear include specifics of Obamas future agenda. Baker and Shear

start off by discussing President Obamas promise to enforce stricter gun control

immediately after the Sandy Hook tragedy. They go into detail about his plans, Mr.

Obama vowed to rally public opinion to press a reluctant Congress to ban military-style

assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, expand background checks, and toughen

gun-trafficking laws (Par. 2). By discussing how the President plans to go about

reducing gun control, Baker and Shear are appealing to their readers intellect. Baker and

Shear do not only claim the President will work to reduce gun violence but they provide

their readers with specific steps as to how he will go about doing this. The authors

continue to discuss ways in which supporters of stricter gun control will further

regulations. For example, Baker and Shear explain how the White House has plans of

raising support through speeches, lobbying interest groups, video testimonials, and

petitions (Par. 6). They alsopoint out President Obamas already proposed legislation and

his future plans of legal action (Par. (9-10). By including more specific approaches to


4/6

Macias 4

stricter gun control, the authors are further appealing to their readers reasoning that

President Obama and other supporters of gun control do in fact have many plans to

enforce gun control.

Not only do Baker and Shear provide their readers with the perspective of the

supporters of gun regulations but they also address the oppositions argument. By doing

so, they are appealing to their readers intellect in which the reader will reason that this

article provides a non-bias report of the controversial debate that is of gun control. This is

evident when they mention how the National Rifle Association called out President

Obama, for opposing more armed guards in schools while his daughters had Secret

Service protection. Adding to the N.R.A.s statement, Attacking firearms and ignoring

children is not a solution to the crisis we face as a nation, the N.R.A. said in a statement.

Only honest, law-abiding gun owners will be affected, and our children will remain

vulnerable to the inevitability of more tragedy (Par. 8). Readers have now been exposed

to some opposition out there and for that reason will consider this article as non-bias.

Another time where Baker and Shear address both sides of the argument is when they

include direct words from Republicans, such as Senator Marco Rubio, Representative

Tim Huelskamp, Representative Dan Benishek, stating their strong opposition to stricter

gun regulations (Par. 18-20). Including both sides of the argument appeals to the readers

reasoning that the article provided an impartial report of the debate on gun control.

Furthermore, Baker and Shear prove to have an effective report of the

debate on gun control since they establish credibility. Throughout the article, they quote

and reference President Obama and other prominent politicians. By having evidence to

back up what they are reporting, their readers have more reassurance in believing what


5/6

Macias 5

they are reading. For example, they mention Vice President Biden will work alongside

the President in writing proposals for gun regulations. This demonstrates that Baker and

Shear have done their fair share of research since they have multiple sources of

information. Another moment where they reference a politician is when they describe

Representative Robert W. Goodlattes opinion on background checks, But in terms of

background checks, in terms of keeping weapons out of the hands of criminals and

people who have serious mental health difficulties, we want to do that, and we would

take a close look at that (Par. 15).

Gun violence has always been a problem but up until recently, it has become a

major topic of discussion both in general and in our governing system. In their report,

Obama to Put Everything Ive Got Into Gun Control, Baker and Shear effectively

depict the dangers that gun violence has had on the United States recently and how

President Obama plans to better the situation through appealing to their readers

reasoning and establishing credibility. By successfully describing the debate on control

and how the Presidents future agenda on the matter despite opposition, Baker and Shear

are informing their readers with important information in hopes that they will stay

updated on news concerning this issue.


6/6

Macias 6

Works Cited

Baker, Peter. Shear, Michael D. Obama to Put Everything Ive Got Into Gun

Control. NYTimes.com.New York Times, 16 January 2013. Web. 21 January 2013.

wrd 104 textual analysis

Documents