Some people argue that guns need to be outlawed in order to prevent life loss, while others have a contrary opinion as they perceive everyone has the right to own a gun.  In regards to the gun laws in the US, ‘The Guardian magazine’ published an article in the year 2018 titled “Listen to teenagers, not Trump” which argues that lack of gun laws has resulted to the mass shooting of innocent American students. The author further explains different incidences of school shooting such as shooting at Florida High school which has left the horror so profoundly felt.   The article builds its credibility on the issue of gun laws in the US through including personal facts from US policymakers, the general public and the statistical facts regarding the implication of existing gun laws in the US. The article seeks to explore further how the American’s have switched to the topic of gun laws due to the rapid rise in cases of mass shooting at public places.

From the article, it’s estimated that more than 150, 000 students have encountered incidence of shooting at their institutions since 1999. In this circumstance, the atrocities emerge to be perceived as inevitable-appalling due to how things seem to be in regards to gun regulations.  The article further explores how the uproar by the teenagers has caused intense debate among the policymakers as they seek to address the menace of gun laws.   In recent history, there has been little reason for Americans to be optimistic about gun control laws as the politicians have used the issue as the main agenda in their campaigns. However, the controversies that exist in regards to interpretation on rights of gun ownership has limited collective defense on the gun laws after several lobbying years.  According to the article, the primary step to address this issue is based on premise, “The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun,” which depicts that mass shooting can be prevented if a proper background check is conducted before issuance of guns.  According to statistics from the past 10 years, they indicate that guns have caused killing of more than 29,000 Americans and this figure indicates higher than bloodiest killings of the U.S  soldiers during the Vietnam war.  Therefore, the issue of gun laws can be perceived in political and historical scope as multiple sources illustrate the negative implication of gun laws.   The shootings have led to fallout which has been relentless and widespread due to protests, marches, and contagious state and congressional hearings with the aim of amending the proposed state and federal legislation on ‘new gun control laws.’

Throughout “The Guardian” article, the editor applied many case scenario to illustrate the current state of gun laws in the US as well as strengthening the credibility of the topic and appealing to ethos.  One of the sources includes “Do stronger gun laws stand a chance?” this source depicts the horror in America due to escalating violence attributed by unrestricted gun laws. The source explores how politicians seemed to amend tough measures in situations when the victim of a shooting is a highly ranked official. For example, the assassination of President John Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. resulted in Congress enacting the gun control law.  The source further illustrates how racial considerations have influenced the gun control laws where blacks have suffered at the expense of gun laws.   Personal examples of students and civilians who have been affected by the gun laws are used in creating expert opinion in support of the gun laws issue.  The article shows how teenagers have turned out to be first-hand victims of unrestricted gun ownership in the US.

Starting with ethos, the article relies on facts that are presented through the images that are integrated into the article to reflect the importance of the topic.  The anguish by the teenagers against President Trump approach on the gun laws depicts a deep contrast on how the lethal weapons have continued to be allowed while benign objects continues to be banned across US. in support of these facts,  the article places an explanation on why the guns should not be allowed at schools. Besides, the article creates an imaginary picture of students who have 18 years and above to possess a gun at schools.  This scenario depicts the controversies on the gun laws across the US based on the constitutional rights that focus on promoting equality. There exist more dangers when it comes to gun ownership among students. Firstly, the teenager lacks emotional stability, and this can cause the use of guns to intimidate others.   The article further features the guns in glass case implying the harmless nature of guns when they are used appropriately. Also, the article depicts that guns cannot always be affiliated to dangers and violence as they can be used to protect those close to us. For example, the teachers can use guns to protect the students in case of shooting at the school.

In regards to the logos, the image creates a statistic shot to readers as a teenager is shown addressing the general public about gun laws. The facts from this picture justify that illegal possession of a gun is illegal in the US and should be banned to protect the lives.  However, the teenager perception of gun control can be perceived as insignificant and irrational when it comes to national security matters.  The statistics indicate that “guns are the second-leading cause of death among the Americans under 20 years after motor vehicles accidents.  The effectiveness of incorporating this comparison is to show the efficacy of enacting gun law as it would help in protecting the lives of Americans.  However, the image of the article doesn’t rely on deaths fact in illustrating the implication of gun law to the audience.

In the context of pathos, the article shows how gun law affects and influence the target audience who comprises the teenagers. At the begging of the report, the statistical number of teenagers affected by gun shooting is given to symbolize how the purity, innocence, and good of the image are affected by guns that depict violence.  The contradicting reflection of a child addressing the public on the gun laws sparks anger, emotions confusion and shock to the intended audience who can be assumed to be lawmakers, parents, and teachers who are connected to the lives of teenagers at schools.

In conclusion, the article beings by persuading the readers on the negative implication of free guns in the US. The article describes how gun laws have failed to protect the lives of teenagers at schools. However, the topic loses power towards the end as the problem with gun law exists based on constitutional provisions that guarantee equal right to citizens. For this case, the issue of gun control law will remain to be most controversial in the US.

Work cited

The Guardian. “US Gun Control The Guardian View On US Gun Laws: Listen To Teenagers, Not Trump”. 2018, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/feb/22/the-guardian-view-on-us-gun-laws-listen-to-teenagers-not-trump. Accessed 11 Mar 2019.