Lapierre Analysis

            A few of Lapierres claims consist of protecting our children, enforcing armed security guards at all schools across America, and promoting the benefits of the NRA. Two strategies he uses to get these points across to his readers are transitional questions and pathos. Lapierres ability to emotionally attack his audience is very strong. He implies extensively that the reader’s children are at risk and that they need to do something about it. He does not use a lot of logos or ethos for his statements seem questionable and he has no evidence to back them up. He uses statistics that have no background and he never quotes or uses in authorities figures to persuade his audience. For example, Lapierre says, “A child growing up in America witnesses 16,000 murders and 200,000 acts of violence by the time he or she reaches the ripe old age of 18.” Where is he getting this information? Does this mean that they are physically there at the seen of the crime or through films and video games or the media? Lapierre leaves a lot of open-ended statements and does not have enough evidence to back them up for them to be accurate or believable. Another example is when he says, “The media call semi-automatic firearms ‘machine guns’ – They claim these civilian semi-automatic firearms are used by the military, and they tell us that the .223 round is one of the most powerful rifle calibers . . . when all of these claims are factually untrue. They don’t know what they are talking about.” Well how are we supposed to know that he knows what he is talking about? He doesn’t show statistics or evidence to prove that his statement is right either. He just blatantly says that he is right and that the media is wrong and that you should believe him.  Needless to say, Lapierre has a valid point, but fails to persuade his audience into believing him.