Rationalizing Gutlessness on Guns

1. Rationalizing Gutlessness on Guns By: E.J. Dionne Jr.

2. Allusions • Stockholm syndrome- an emotional connection between a person and their captor that comes from stress and the need of cooperation for survival. • National Rifle Association– an association that acts strongly against the governmental restrictions imposed on the private ownership of guns. • Journal of Trauma-Injury Infection & Critical Care(Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery) – a journal which provides the means to asking and answering different medical questions and discussing the facts and tips about major health issues. • World Health Organization– a United Nations agency that deals with helping to inform of and prevent different communicable diseases on a global scale through the use of various technical projects and programs.

3. Vocabulary • Absolutist – those who support absolute power in government; totalitarian, authoritarian, tyrannical • Lulled – calmed, eased off; composed • Status Quo- the current given situation; circumstances, situation, present state of affairs • Resignation- relinquishment or submission of responsibility; abandonment, abdication, departure • Tailored– fitted or “assigned” to something; • Deployed – put out, administered; positioned • The Elephant in the Room – a major issue that is noticed but is ignored or unaddressed • Evasions – escaping, avoiding, or shirking something; cop-out, ditch. elusion

4. Vocabulary • Couched – to be explained with careful word choice • Statutes – enactments made by a legislature that are put into formal documents; legislative acts • Magazines – an ammunition clip designed for automatic rifles that can hold several cartridges • Futile – ineffective, useless, unimportant • Impassioned – filled with intense feeling or passion; impassioned, fiery, ardent • Flap – excitement or confusion usually resulting from stress • Curb – to control, suppress, restrain, or restrict

5. Persona • E.J. Dionne • Professor at Georgetown University • Liberal • “President Obama took an important step forward” • Well-educated • “Elephant in the room” • References a common idiom • “the figure rose to 86%” • Uses statistics to support his argument • Observes consequences from lax gun laws • Thinks we need more control over guns (Argument)

6. Audience • People over 18, Well-educated. • People who are educated about guns and their parts. • “to ban automatic weapons and oversize magazines” • Mainly Democrats & Independents. • “merchants of death” • “Yet so many progressive donors have given up on financing the cause of gun safety” • Conservatives • “Yes, we need better treatment for the mentally distressed.”

7. Purpose • To prevail • “there is a word for this: surrender” • guilt the liberals into fighting for stricter gun laws instead of giving up • “So many progressive donors have given up on financing the cause of gun safety” • Donors should continue sponsoring firmer gun regulation • To Assert • “ If regulation is futile, why do we bother to regulate safety in so many other ways?” • States his opinion that regulation is necessary.

8. Argument • Implicit: Guns should be carefully regulated especially for people with psychological problems. In addition, automatic weapons should be banned. • “Can anybody seriously claim that our comparatively lax gun laws had nothing to do with [this] blood-drenched data?” • “isn’t the more direct solution to ban automatic weapons and oversize magazines” • Liberals should do not give up without trying. • “such numbers should give heart to those who seek solutions to gun violence”

9. Diction • Formal/Conversational Register • No jargon or slang • The issue addressed is extremely serious so Dionne keeps a more formal register. • “A study last year in the Journal of Trauma Injury Infection & Critical Care analyzed” • However, Dionne uses personal pronouns to reach his audience to convince them to change gun laws“ • “we are told” x2 • Alarming/Violent words • “futile”, “blood-drenched”, “mass slaughter”, “despair” • Repeated words • “Regulations” in the 8th paragraph

10. Syntax • Polyptoton • If regulation is futile, why do we bother to regulate safety in so many other ways? • Rhetorical Question • “And why shouldn’t we make it harder for such a person to buy the instruments of slaughter online?” • “But if that were true, why did the assault-rifles ban work?” • Shorter sentence/Fragments: • “There is a word for this: surrender.” • “Bad people will get guns somehow.” • “We’re told that no laws will end all human tragedies. That’s true.”

11. Tone • Urgency (due to murders) • alarming/violent words • “Our country is the scene of more gun deaths than any other wealthy nation in the world. And it isn’t even close” • “gutless resignation” • “there is a word for this: surrender” • Questioning • “and we shouldn’t we make it harder for such a person to buy the instruments of slaughter online?” • Encouraging • “Such numbers should give heart”

12. Structure of Passage • Beginning: Addresses the liberals by insulting conservatives and uses statistics to prove his point. • Middle: • Addresses the conservatives • uses personal pronouns, so audience empathizes with his beliefs. • States why stricter laws are necessary • End: Gives hope and encourages liberal politicians to act now.

13. Discussion Questions • Do you think that the lobbyers pro-gun control have enough legitimate grounds to increase gun control? • Does the author provide more specific grounds on his own personal bias about gun control? If so, are these grounds possible? If not, what is his purpose in proposing no solution, only announcing complains? • Why do you believe the Liberal politicians are simply “bow[ing] before this catalogue of despair and shut[ing] up”? • Due to the numbers provided in this article, and using information you know about today, do you think it’s possible to increase gun control regulations? • Why does the author believe the lobbyers are “surrendering” opposed to “backing off the gas” in the fight to regulate gun control?

14. Works Cited • Dictionary.com. Lexico Publishing, 2012. Web. 06 Sept. 2012. <dictionary.reference.com>. • "The Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery." About the Journal :. Ed. Ernest E. Moore, MD.Lippincott William & Wilkins, 2012. Web. 06 Sept. 2012. <http://journals. lww.com/jtaruma/pages/aboutthejournal.aspx> • "Thesaurus.com | Find Synonyms and Antonyms of Words at Thesaurus.com." Thesaurus.com.Lexico Publishing, 2012. Web. 06 Sept. 2012. <http://thesaurus.com>