Battleground America by Jill Lepore

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Recommended: Argumentative reasons guns should be allowed

"Battleground America," written by Jill Lepore, provides a strong history of guns and the way they have changed in the eyes of the American through the years. She proves her point with strong evidence throughout her article, sprinkling it with opinion and argument that is strongly supported. She presents her argument to convince her audience that the open availability of guns allows citizens to undeservingly purchase them by displaying the credibility in her sources, using negative connotations in her speech, and the strength and objectivity only a strong logos appeal can provide.
In this study, Lepore addresses how the second amendment is been changed throughout history by major capitalist corporations such as the National Rifle Association. She discusses the capitalism of major gun companies, and the difference between the weapon and the person wielding it. The author suggests that the interpretation of the second amendment has been changed throughout history and is misconstrued by gun companies in the press. Lepore references her own educated experience of the seconds amendment and personal experience with guns to establish her credibility, or appeal to ethos. She proves through logic and reasoning as well as personal experience. Throughout the article, Lepore argues that the second amendment no longer serves to protect families and citizens from anarchy or crime and is now given to many, despite the fact that they may not deserve to carry these weapons.
Lepore is a history professor at Harvard and has written consistently for the New Yorker since 2005. The New Yorker's audience spans over hundreds of thousands of people throughout the country. However, its most common reader is an upper middle class man or woman in their 40'...

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...nto and mistreat them are. By doing this in her article, Lepore develops support from both people who like and people who dislike guns. In particular, when the author talks about Tom Dietzel, her firearm instructor, Lepore says, “Dietzel is a skilled and knowledgeable teacher, steady, patient, and calm.” (Lepore, 2012, para. 5). With this, she demonstrates that not all people who handle guns have violent intentions. This is critical in her paper since it shows that the author does not have a strong bias and is appealing to reason that grabs the attention of many audiences.

Works Cited

Lepore, J. (2012) “Battleground America.” New Yorker 88.10 (2012): 38-47.Retrieved from http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2012/04/23/120423fa_fact_lepore? currentPage=all.
Kottke, J. (n.d). The United States of Guns. Retrieved from http://kottke.org/12/12/the-united-states-of-guns

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