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 community’s

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 Lowe’s 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 audience’s 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 Atkinson’s views may not support Santiago and Lowe’s

main argument of needing greater gun control, Atkinson’s position as a NRA board member

provides validity for the information Santiago and Lowe present regarding opponents of gun

control. Santiago and Lowe’s 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 Lowe’s effective use of logos

and ethos.