Unit 5 Post #2: Bowling for Columbine

On the morning of April 20, 1999, teenagers around the country woke up for school like it was any other day. For most of them, it was. Unfortunately, this was not the case for those at Columbine High School.  That day would go down in infamy as Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold (parts of the “Trenchcoat Mafia”) brought semi-automatic weapons to school and shot many of their classmates. This incident sparked a widespread debate about the issue of gun control. “Bowling for Colombine” is a film written and directed by Michael Moore that documents this issue when it was at its peak. The movie features testimonies from both extremes and all the in-between. From the head of the NRA to the victims of the shooting, a huge array of voices were taken into account with the making of this film.

“Bowling for Columbine” became one of the world’s most provocative documentaries, and set documentary box office records in multiple countries. To be such a successful and powerful film, Moore utilized various rhetorical devices to reach a huge audience about the topic of gun control. One of the most prominent of these was juxtaposition. When looking for answers to the gun problem, various responses have been given. However, when it comes down to it gun violence is most prevalent in America. Moore sheds light upon this by juxtaposing the number of gun deaths in other industrialized countries as compared with the number of gun deaths in America. Doing so creates an aura of urgency to discover the true source of such a significant difference so that legislation can be made to fix it.

Additionally, a resonating cartoon was utilized to depict the prevalence of guns in American history and culture. The cartoon basically summed up American development, from colonial times to today, through the eyes of the firearm. This showed the audience what a profound effect the gun has played on society in general. This is very important because it takes into account Moore’s opposition. There are many people who think that making guns illegal will stop gun violence, and that simply isn’t the case. Gun-enthusiasts look at the past to argue against this. While Moore wants to lessen gun violence, he emphasizes the understanding that a clear-cut, immediate answer just isn’t viable. “Bowling for Columbine” has received a huge response that has included praise and criticism as well as everything in between. The truth of the matter is, you’re going to have to watch it before you can draw any conclusions of your own.

                                                                                                  

Unit 5: Post #1

Many of the things we do in life begin with confusion. You ask yourself a multitude of questions like why am I doing this? How do I do this? What benefits will I receive through doing this? But eventually, there is that moment you just “get it.” Something clicks, and you’ve had all your questions answered. For me, my TOW assignments underwent this same process. My first couple of TOW’s were lacking in solid analysis and utilization of true arguments. For example, my TOW about the poverty rates in Brazil consists heavily of summation and introductory fluff. I spent too much time referencing the content of the article rather than analyzing the rhetorical devices used within it. As times goes on, this trend changes. This is evident through my TOW’s about the women’s’ rights and Apple.

I had a much better grasp on the TOW when I wrote my post about the Women’s Rights article in January. My rhetorical analysis was stronger than it had been months earlier. Additionally, the analysis supported my thesis “It is through the perspective of women and a commiserating persona towards society that makes the article a very opinionated yet convincing piece” effectively. It wasn’t until March, when I wrote the TOW about the Apple article, that I finally “got it.” Instead of one solid chunk of text, I wrote two separate paragraphs. The second consisted entirely of rhetorical analysis and a thesis statement that was proven through the analysis.  This was a much stronger argument than the ones in previous TOW’s. From this progression, I have mastered the ability to construct an argument about the rhetorical devices in nonfiction articles. However, there is certainly room for improvement. I can improve upon my ability to locate more diverse devices, as it appears that I have a tendency to repeat specific ones in my analysis.

For me, the TOW was a tool to better my rhetorical analysis skillset and expose my mind to a wide variety of content and genres. This was certainly achieved. I wrote about different books, articles, and visual texts over thirty times. I learned new information through the pieces, and I got better at analyzing them as the year went on. The TOW’s have allowed me to broaden my perspective and become knowledgeable about many different things.  While they may have been a pain on many Sunday nights, I am confident that I have greatly benefited from my TOW assignments throughout the year. 

"Senate Speed-Trap" cartoon by RJ Matson

The United States government was founded upon the ideals of democracy and representation. When policies are enacted, they are supposed to be for the good of the people, and everyone is supposed to be taken into consideration. There is a general track record of success in doing so. But, what if the government can't pass such policies in the first place? With the growing bipartisan tensions as well as sluggishness of enactments, this has become a growing concern. While this is evident in both houses of congress, it is specifically the case in the senate. RJ Matson, the creator of Roll Call, illustrates this important issue in his cartoon entitled "Senate Speed-Trap." Matson utilizes metaphor as well as a pun to demonstrate his argument, illustrating the issue on a very effective and intelligible level.

In the cartoon, the senate is featured as a vehicle and the police force, entitled "minority", is depicted as giving it a ticket. This analogy relates the troublesome governmental issue to the topic of traffic tickets, which is an issue most citizens have a stigma towards. Doing this increases Matson's effectiveness, for the issue now becomes something much more relatable to his audience of the "common man." Within this metaphor, there is also a pun. The cop giving the ticket says, "Yes sir, I'm afraid attempting to pass any legislation here is a "moving violation."" Moving violations are a common terminology for traffic tickets, and here it has a dual-meaning. It can also be used to show the sluggishness of senate's capabilities, so that they are prevented from being able to move in any direction. This is a clever and effective way of relating the glacial abilities of congress to the commonly hated "moving violation." By utilizing this metaphor and pun, Matson is ultimately effective in illustrating his argument concerning the restrictions that are placed on congress, appealing to the audience of Americans who have seen very little change in the past couple of years.