Legalizing Marijuana is an Issue - Essay Example

? Rhetorical Analysis Whether or not to legalize marijuana is an issue that generates a great deal of controversy. Many people have different views on the subject, views they hold very strongly. There is a significant market in trying to persuade the public of the rights or wrongs of legalization. These efforts to persuade are often marked by a number of rhetorical techniques. Writers and speakers often employ logos, pathos, and ethos to achieve their aims. They sometimes fall victim to a number of fallacies which may limit or even fatally undermine the arguments which they seek to make to the public. In the course of this paper I will examine the rhetoric employed by Nathan Comp in his article entitled “An End to the War on Weed?” This article suggests that recent changes indicate the status quo with regards to the criminalization of marijuana may soon be at an end. Logos is an important aspect of Comp's argument. He wants to present his argument as eminently reasonable and the alternative to it as foolish. He presents many facts about the status quo which suggest that it is not working. He argues that there is a “growing sense that America’s marijuana policy is more harmful than the plant itself . . .” However, his reasoning is a bit simplistic. If the status quo is defective, simply remove the laws creating it, he says, and everything will be solved. This argument is a bit childish. As suggested below, legalizing marijuana does not solve the crime problems relating to other drugs. He argues that voters no longer seem to care that presidents have admitted to using marijuana. That is an important fact, but all presidents have said it is a negative thing and none support its legalization. If voters were to elect a stoner as president that might be more definitive. The suggestion is frequently made that marijuana is safer than alcohol, but again little evidence is used to support this claim. Experts are quoted saying: “The problem is that people still have a perception of harm that’s been built up over many years . . . If marijuana were legalized tomorrow, in 10 years these perceptions would be very, very different.” This is pure supposition and not logic. The evidence is divided on this issue. Nevertheless, this effort to appeal to authority sounds convincing and is useful logos. A great example of Comp employing ethos to recommend his argument is when he speaks about the Obama administration's potential backtracking on a liberalized regime towards marijuana. Comp does not believe these actions mean much. He writes, “to paraphrase Victor Hugo, not even the strongest government in the world can stop an idea whose time has apparently come.” This is a useful quote as it appeals to idealism and faith. It suggests that the people are opposed to the government and that the people have right on their side. By quoting Hugo, Comp sounds more credible, more classical, and more authoritative. This is a good example of using rhetorical ethos to make a point. The paraphrase is slipped into the argument but helps set a persuasive tone. The ethos Comp wants to communicate through this paper is one in which those who support legalization are pragmatists and progressives, and those who oppose it are retrograde and careless. This is a moral issue for Comp. The two sides are divided between good and bad. Pathos is as much a part of Comp's argument as any other rhetorical technique. He tries to frighten the reader into believing in his view on legalizing marijuana. Describing the situation in Mexico, he writes that arguments for legalization “have taken on unusual gravity over the last year, as drug-fueled violence along the Mexican side of border has excited fears that the carnage and mayhem will spill over into American cities. Testifying before a House panel in March, a top Homeland Security official warned that the cartels now represent America’s largest organized-crime threat, having infiltrated at least 230 American cities.” He presumes that these facts support the argument for legalization, suggesting that they add gravity to his original claims. He makes no effort to explain the causal link. Are these crimes being committed because marijuana is illegal? Here he also falls prey to a number of fallacies. The first is causation vs. correlation. He does not show that one causes the other; there may simply be a correlation and nothing more. Second, he conflates “drugs” with marijuana. While Mexican gangs may deal marijuana, they also deal many other drugs. Legalizing marijuana would not limit the market for drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and ecstasy. This is an important fallacy as it limits the effectiveness of Comp's use of pathos and may potentially limit his entire argument. The audience for the Comp's message is the general public. He is trying to convince people that criminalizing marijuana is wrong and that there is a trend towards legalization. He wants to suggest that legalization is going to happen no matter what and that there is no way to stop it. He talks about it as an idea whose time has come. This is useful rhetoric. It suggests that any reasonable person would support legalization. Comp's audience is probably mixed between those who support him and those who do not. He is an effective writer, but much of his rhetoric seems sloppy when closely examined. Rhetoric can be a powerful force. It can engage the emotions and persuade the reader of almost anything if correctly applied. Nevertheless, it requires a great deal of skill to employ properly. Poorly constructed rhetoric can turn off a reader and lead them to the opposite conclusion of the writer. It is vital to develop rhetorical skills and understand the kinds of rhetoric employed. Comp's article on marijuana provides a number of important examples of rhetoric. In the end, he is not persuasive, but he has made a good effort. Unfortunately, he has too many fallacies to be believable. Work consulted Comp, Nathan. “An End to the War on Weed?” In These Times. April 12, 2009. http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/4370/an_end_to_the_war_on_weed/ Read More