Activity 3 - Analysis of Letter by Tan Hao Ming (18)

Dear Congressman

I have been so impressed with your past voting record, and I am hoping that you will continue to make excellent decisions on behalf of your state.  As a concerned parent who lost a child to a gun accident, I am writing to urge you to support the gun control legislation that will be on the November ballot.

The sender or the writer of this letter (John Simmons) used ethos over here as he wrote this paragraph with appropriate level of vocabulary and grammar. His language was also appropriate to the audience (Congressman) as well as the subject. One example is that he used ‘I am hoping that you continue to make excellent decisions on behalf of your state’, and the Congressman will be able to understand what he is trying to convey to him. He also wrote about his reasons for writing the letter, and this paragraph was in the form of a sincere one (He was requesting the Congressman to support the gun control legislation for him). He also demonstrated and showed some respect for the Congressman.

John Simmons used pathos in this paragraph of the letter. He wrote about an emotional event (his child was being killed in a gun accident) and there was an emotional change. The emotional change was the part where he was talking about the good impression he had on the Congressman about his past voting record, but suddenly he changed the topic into his child being killed in a gun accident. This is the same as praising the Congressman  first (appeals to the Congressman’s emotions) and then changing the language to a sad event (the Congressman will change his emotion - to become feeling so sad to hear about the loss of the child). His language was emotionally loaded as throughout it will give the Congressman different kinds of feelings. 

The problem with guns is fairly straightforward: they make it easy to kill or injure a person. Did you know that, according to the F.B.I., approximately 60 percent of all murder victims in the United States in 1994 (about 16,000 people) were killed with firearms? According to estimates, firearm attacks injured another 70,000 victims, some of whom were left permanently disabled. In 1985 (the latest year for which this particular data is available), the cost of shootings--either by others, through self-inflicted wounds, or in accidents--was estimated to be more than $14 billion nationwide for medical care, long-term disability, and premature death. It is much higher now.

John Simmons used ethos, pathos and logos in the paragraph. He used ethos when he wrote out all the information which he had gathered about murder victims, about firearm attacks, medical care and long-term disability. He used the correct level of vocabulary and grammar over here too and he explained everything in a very clear way. He also used pathos, since he included some emotional examples in this paragraph and he showed vivid and concrete language. On example of this is ‘Did you know that’, in this, it produces strong feelings for the reader (the Congressman) while reading it.

Lastly, he used logos too when he showed reasons of why he thinks that the Congressman should support the gun control legislation for him. He also showed some statistics which he had for the murder victims in their country in 1994 which were killed with firearms. These statistics also included the number of injured victims in firearm attacks and also the cost of the shootings in 1985. He used all these statistics to support his own views on firearms and why he thinks these type of accidents should be prevented by requesting the Congressman to support the gun control legislation. As the Congressman reads the letter, he will realised that there were many people disabled, killed and injured in the past few decades and he knows he had to stop this.

One of the problems with making it easier for citizens to have handguns is that in robberies and assaults, victims are far more likely to die when the perpetrator is armed with a gun than when he or she has another weapon or is unarmed.  Opponents of gun control will say that this does not matter because most criminals buy their guns on the black market.  However, not only do a number of criminals purchase guns legally, but the majority of those that do purchase them on the black market are buying guns that were purchased legally and then stolen—ones that would therefore not be on the black market if our gun control laws were more strict to begin with. Did you know that residents of homes where a gun is present are 5 times more likely to experience a suicide than residents of homes without?  The fact remains that a gun makes it easier to commit suicide in a fit of rage, depression, or under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 

He used ethos, pathos and a bit of logos in this paragraph. He used ethos as he showed his knowledge about the problems which citizens with handguns will have and also how are these problems caused. For example, one of the problems is that it will be easier for those with handguns to handle or start a robbery or an assault, because the victims of such crimes are usually more likely to die when these citizens who are creating the trouble have handguns. Even though the victim may be armed with another weapon, they may still be killed. From this, he is trying to convey to the Congressman that the guns are more dangerous than the other weapons. 

He used pathos and logos as he mentioned that the residents of homes where a gun is present are 5 times more likely to experience suicide than those without, and he mentioned that these suicides may be caused by a fit of rage, depression and even under drugs and alcohol. After reading this, the Congressman will definitely want to stop making it easier for citizens to have handguns, as he will not want people to commit suicide or experience it. He also does not want more victims of assaults and robberies.

Self-defense is commonly cited as a reason to own a gun. This is the explanation given by 20 percent of all gun owners and 40 percent of all handgun owners contacted for a household survey conducted in 1999.  However research has shown that a gun kept in the home is 43 times more likely to kill a member of the household, or friend, than an intruder.  Furthermore, when a civilian tries to use a firearm to resist a violent assault, it actually increases the victim's (civilian’s) risk of injury and death.

He used ethos and logos in this paragraph. He used ethos as he mentioned that a gun kept in home (from research) is 43 times more likely to kill a member of the household, a friend, rather than an intruder. He also mentioned that when a civilian is using guns as self defense, when he is trying to resist a violent assault by an intruder, it may actually increase the risk of the civilian being injured and killed. In this, when the Congressman read the letter, he will feel that a lot of people will be killed if he does not support the gun control legislation. Therefore, he will definitely want to support it to prevent more people from being killed. Stricter Laws, Lesser Black Markets, Lesser Gun Owners, Lesser Intruders and then Lesser people being killed.

For logos, he used it in this paragraph when he talk about in 1999, 20% of the gun owners and 40% of handgun owners explained that they bought and own a gun for self defense. This shows that the other 80% of the gun owners and 60% of the handgun owners do not own it for self defense, they may own it to intrude households and commit crimes, or  just bought it for nothing. Mostly of them will still use it to intrude households and commit crimes, so when the Congressman knows about it, he will once again support the gun control legislation because he will gather that there are more gun owners who are committing crimes then those who are using guns for self defense. And, the previous  part of this paragraph also makes an effect on this, because when he read the previous part, he will find out that owning a gun for self defense can actually increase the risk of the victim dying or being injured when there is an assault.  

A study of 743 gunshot deaths by Dr. Arthur Kellermann and Dr. Donald Reay published in The New England Journal of Medicine found that 84% of these homicides occurred during fights in the home. Only 2 of the 743 gunshot deaths occurring in the home involved an intruder killed during an attempted entry.  The evidence revealed in the Kellermann study is consistent with data reported by the FBI.  In 1993, there were 24,526 people murdered, 13,980 with handguns, yet only 251 justifiable homicides by civilians using handguns.

In this paragraph, he used ethos and logos again. He used ethos when he showed that he had the knowledge to convince the Congressman to support the gun control legislation, and one part of his knowledge in this paragraph was that he showed that 2 of the 743 gunshot deaths occurring in homes involved an intruder being killed during an attempted entry. Another one was when he showed that the evidence was revealed in the Kellermann study which is consistent with the data reported by the FBI. This will show the Congressman that he had done a lot of research before and that he is requesting him to support the gun control legislation, because he express out all the data and statistics which he had, and this is a show of logos at the same time. Out of this data, he mainly showed that there were 743 gunshot deaths, and this will really give the Congressman the urge to stop all these deaths.

The reason that I have such an intense interest in this topic is that my son was killed by a gun (not my own) that belonged to a person who only wanted to protect his household, but it fell into the hands of a child by mistake.  Do you want to be responsible for supporting legislation that would make more such incidents occur?

In the sixth paragraph, which is the paragraph above, he mainly used pathos. He explained in more detail about his child’s death. He really show an urge to why he wants the Congressman to support the gun control legislation when he mentioned that his child was killed by mistake from a person who wanted to protect his household and also when he mentioned the question in the last part of the paragraph, which is, “Do you want to be responsible for supporting legislation that would make more such incidents occur?”. By doing this, it will make the Congressman feel more pity for the child and also for him, and therefore he will carry out the action to stop all these gun accidents. 

Knowing all this, do you really think we can continue to allow citizens to buy guns so easily?  If we continue making it so easy, our nation will continue to have gun-related domestic fatalities.  I believe in our rights as citizens of the United States, especially the right to LIFE, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. These rights are unquestionably threatened by making it easy for the common citizen to buy a gun. Please, please vote for stricter laws.

Once again, he here had a combination of the use of ethos, pathos and logos. When he asked some more questions for the Congressman to answer, he had already used a combination of all these. He showed pathos too when he mentioned that he believe in their rights as citizens of the United States, especially to LIFE, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This is so as by doing this, he is showing part of an urge for the Congressman to carry out stricter actions. He is also showing some concerns for the citizens which the Congressman also needs to. The last part also gives the Congressman an urge too.

Yours sincerely

John Simmons

Ending the Letter Off like this also shows a sincerity in John Simmons as he wrote the letter to the Congressman, and it is also known as respecting the Congressman.

Sorry for the late post, because there was some problems with my Internet / network.