Dominic Pizarro

Professor Sartin
AFRS 100-04
22 October 2013
Gun Control Laws Administer Unfair Treatment to African Americans
The recent occurrences of gun violence have caused many Americans to question the
right of the people to keep and bear Arms, as stated in the Second Amendment of the United
States Constitution. In response to public opinion, government officials have proposed stricter
gun laws, aiming to reduce violence and keep guns away from individuals who would use guns
for criminal purposes. Largely affected by gun violence, the African American communitys
voice is rarely heard in the gun control debate an is often misrepresented. Roberto Santiago and
Walter Lowe in CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE: THE BLACK COMMUNITY CANNOT
IGNORE THE GUN CONTROL DEBATE and Adrienne Washington in Blacks and Gun
Control - Be Careful What You Ask For, both argue that the African American community needs
to express great support for gun control due to the firsthand experience of suffering caused by
gun violence. Through their effective and consistent use of logos, ethos, and pathos, Santiago
and Lowe present a stronger argument explaining the relationship between the African American
community and gun violence.
Santiago and Lowes article is largely supported by ethos and logos, stating in their first
paragraph that 10,000 black people are killed by guns each year, and for every black person
who dies of a gunshot wound, another seven to ten gunshot victims survive. By supplying the
audience with this statistic, Santiago and Lowe set the tone for the remainder of their argument
and also establish the problem early in their argument, capturing the audience almost
immediately. Santiago and Lowe continue to supply the audience with facts concerning the
devastation caused by guns in the African American community combined with emotionally
charged phrases and words such as debilitating effects of grief and mentally deranged. The
best use of pathos in the entirety of the article, is when Santiago and Lowe discuss the use of
assault weapons by individuals with mental illnesses:
Every time a nut decides to open up with an AK-47 in a crowded shopping mall or a
schoolyard filled with children, national horror at the idea of assault weapons being
available to private citizens pushes more of such legislation toward enactment.
Applying to the audiences emotions, Santiago and Lowe instill the harsh image of mass child
deaths in the mind of the audience, expertly using pathos to emphasize the severity of assault
weapons crimes and reiterating the need for greater gun control. Finally, Santiago and Lowe use
ethos to build the credibility of their individual sources, especially with NRA board of directors
member Richard R. Atkinson. Although Atkinsons views may not support Santiago and Lowes
main argument of needing greater gun control, Atkinsons position as a NRA board member
provides validity for the information Santiago and Lowe present regarding opponents of gun
control. Santiago and Lowes main points concerning the establishment of harsh legislation that
would restrict handgun ownership and the need for aggressive gun control in order to promote
neighborhood safety, are consistently supported by Santiago and Lowes effective use of logos
and ethos.