Abby Saavedra

Mr. Soeth

English 3 AP

17 February 2011

REHUGO Analysis –Current Events

A. “Domestic Violence Is a Serious Problem” by Dianne Feinstein
“The Problem of Domestic Violence Is Exaggerated” by Stephen Baskerville

B. (See MLA citation for access to articles)

C. Arguments:

a. Feinstein argues that domestic violence is detrimental to the relationships of a family who experiences it or witnesses it in their own household. She explains that, as a serious and frequent problem in society, domestic violence can cause harmful emotional trauma and overall instability for those who are victimized, deeming it a societal issue that communities should work to end.

b. Baskerville argues that, when fused with politics, domestic violence simply uses emotional appeal and gender bias to target and isolate a very particular group of offenders. In addition, he claims that the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) only extends the issue of domestic violence instead of addressing it to solve it, as well as blurring the fine line between violence and typical couples’ disagreements.

D. Evidence:

a. 1. To introduce the eminence and frequency of domestic violence present in the world, Feinstein presents statistics about the high percentage of women who have experienced domestic violence, the amount of teenage girls who have reported abuse, and the high numbers of children who live with acts of domestic violence in their homes. The quantitative information proves that domestic violence should not be so easily overlooked because of the number of people its evils can potentially distress.
2. Feinstein presents two accounts of victims who have experienced domestic violence, one of which spoke up after she realized how grave her problem was and the other who let the issue drive her to divorce and homelessness. By the end of both of their stories, both women claimed that they would advise violence victims to find help early. She indirectly compares the two to show that the earlier a problem is reported, the faster an offender can be brought to justice; and that, no matter what situation a past victim had been in, many of them still encourage acting early to stop the issue.

b. 1. Baskerville relates the provisions of the VAWA to the actual environment that causes domestic violence to occur. He explains how the “safest environment for women and children is a two-parent home,” and the way that the VAWA and feminist organizations encourage marital breakup under a vague definition of domestic violence but aim for domestic peace provides hypocrisy.
2. Baskerville addresses the gender bias present with the arguments and provisions that the VAWA provides. He cites organizations like the NCJFCJ that specifically isolate fathers as the majority of offenders, despite the statistics and research that prove that men don’t constitute the majority of victimizers. With that, he reasons that such hasty societal generalizations don’t fully address the problems of domestic violence and child abuse since a bias on offenders provides lenience towards the opposite party of women.

E. Rhetorical strategies:

a. 1. Appeal via logic (Logos): By providing concrete statistics, figures, and political events involving domestic violence victims, Feinstein’s argument is presented in a more straightforward manner, allowing a reader to more clearly follow and understand her position.
2. Narration: Feinstein offers accounts of domestic violence victims to use their first-hand experiences as two realistic examples that readers can follow, with results that can be connected and compared to emphasize abuse’s negative outcomes. Such anecdotes are used to persuade the audience that domestic violence is a grave issue because of the physical and emotional negative effects it has on victims and their families.

b. 1. Rhetorical Questioning: Baskerville poses rhetorical questions like “What legislator can oppose protecting women?” and “Can fathers summoned before these judges expect equal justice?” to emphasize the biases, influenced by gender and morality, that affect the methods of redress. By bring such questions directly to the readers’ attentions, he more effectively stresses his argument and allows his audience to digest the reasons supporting his stance.

2. Exemplification: Baskerville addresses the acts of specific organizations like the NCJFCJ and NVAA, and the works of authors like psychologist Lenore Walker and Philip Cook to provide examples showing the bias in the arguments concerning domestic violence. Along with contributing to his ethos, Baskerville’s use of exemplification offers a broad and varying use of supporting evidence to create a more well-rounded and believable argument.

F. Although the societal issue of domestic violence is a grievance that needs proper redress, the argument is intertwined with an excess of emotional influence that creates an imbalance of perspectives between the supporters and anti-supporters of domestic violence outreach. Even though it presents a matter that’s essential to fix, the view proclaiming the seriousness of domestic violence doesn’t bring its argument to a full circle since it only generalizes a certain set of people as the offenders; when the fight against domestic violence generally only reaches out to women and not men, the claim loses credibility, thus presenting the need to address a broader and less biased spectrum of opinions.

MLA Citation for articles:

Baskerville, Stephen. "The Problem of Domestic Violence Is Exaggerated." American Conservative (29 Aug. 2005): 23-25. Rpt. in Violence. Ed. Louise Gerdes. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008. Opposing Viewpoints. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 17 Feb. 2011.

Feinstein, Dianne. "Domestic Violence Is a Serious Problem." Violence. Ed. Louise Gerdes. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008. Opposing Viewpoints. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 17 Feb. 2011