Fear of Violence
Morgan Campbell
ENG/215
March 2, 2015
Professor Paul Korzeniowski

Fear of Violence
Within todays rapid race of self-preservation, there is still overbearing fear within the society. The three essays, that I plan to lay out their critical argumentative analysis, each share a likelihood for fear of violence in daily lives. The author of “Do We Fear the Right Things” identifies differing types of fears people share. While the next author of “Parents Need Help” correlates the rampant rate of video gaming sales to parental and social nurturing guidance. Lastly, the author of “Bang, You’re Dead” argues the proxy self between fantasy violence and children. In reviewing all three essays, it is easier to identify how the authors construct their arguments using opinions and evidence to persuade the reader.
Critical Argumentative Essays
After the horrific terrorist attack on United States soil in September 11, 2001, author David Myers wrote the professional essay titled “Do We Fear the Right Things” in December 2001. Myers expressed that the fear of the attack surrendered Americans helpless in daily routines. “In the ensuing months, Americans flew 20 percent less. “No way are we flying…instead, we drove many of those miles, which surely caused more additional highway deaths than occurred on those four ill-fated flights,” (Myers, 2001). Throughout the remainder of his article, it explained a multitude of phobias with detailed numerical statistics and off topic correlations. Such as relating a million dollar Powerball winning to a, “infinitesimal odds of a lethal airline ticket,” (Myers, 2001). Personally, Myers renowned ability to factually site far greater threats than the likelihood of another aviation terrorist attack, really drew my attention to the article. I found his evidential writing style compelling, especially when he ended with an opinionated source, “If our fears cause us to live and spend in ways that fail to avert tomorrow’s biggest dangers, then we surely do have something to fear from fear itself,” (Myers, 2001).
In November 2002, author Sara Rimensnyder wrote the essay titled “Bang, You’re Dead.” Rimensnyder’s opinionated take on the dynamics of fantasy violence and children’s proxy roles, guided her essay to question, “violent images create violent kids,” (Rimensnyder, 2005). The essay was derived from an associated interview with comic and screen play writer, Gerard Jones. She associated a psychological sense of children’s minds to feel powerful when exposed to the violent or heroic images. “Since kids always have and always will feel somewhat powerless in this world, that proxy self is very energizing, helping them deal with reality when they close the comic book,” (Rimensnyder, 2002). I found her article very informational and opinionated; although, there was not much supporting statistical evidence to back her claim to the fear of proxy image in children.
Lastly, the titled “Parents Need Help” by Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, was written in January 2005. This essay explains the relationship between violent video gaming, violent behavior among children and whether it society or solely the parental responsibility. Within the article she sited many people’s opinions and previous governing laws to the subject matter. In the first paragraph she identified Jane Addams in saying, “…in Chicago responded to the dangers of the industrial age by creating laws and institutions that would protect children from the unwholesome lures of the city streets.” Her argument trails the beliefs of the previous Illinois Governor Rob Blagojevich, who is attempting to outlaw the sale of violent or sexually explicit gaming systems. Whitehead explains the Governor’s position of difficulties in raising children; however, stated, “Blagojevich points out, though, that the sophisticated technology of video games makes that very hard to do.” Whitehead’s entire essay argument constructed the foundation of the Governor’s position and corporate gaming companies maneuvers around the laws. “This is a multi-billion-dollar industry that spends all its time and money devising ever more ingenious ways to market to kids over the heads of their parents and to deliberately undermine the ability of parents to regulate what their children are seeing,” (Whitehead, 2005). Though the article expresses key points in the fear of childhood violence, there are only opinionated claims to the notion. I agree with most of the points made in her argument; however, would have liked more visual statistic to the correlation of delinquency of minors and the roles of responsibility.
Conclusion
In conclusion all three essays, “Do We Fear the Right Things,” “Bang, You’re Dead,” and “Parents Need Help” are all argumentative essays that point out there will always be a fear of violence. Each article separate, “Do We Fear the Right Things,” stuck out to me as a very evidence oriented informational guide displaying other great dangers than the paramount terrorist attack. While, “Bang, You’re Dead” and “Parents Need Help” both struggled on the lines of physiological opinions from ascribed public figures on the topic of childhood delinquency. Lastly, I found all three essays to be very informative, I was mostly persuaded by “Do We Fear the Right Things.” Because of its entirety to correlate outside dangers and relate them to the articles thesis, it forced me to expand my concepts of the essays topic.

References
Lamm, R., & Everett, J. (2007). Dynamic argument. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Retieved March 2, 2015, from https://newclassroom3.phoenix.edu/Classroom/#/contextid/OSIRIS:48396629/context/co/view/activityDetails/activity/df591a36-2c30-45bb-af2b-956d4024f57f/expanded/False Myer, D. (2001, December 1). Terrorist Fears. Retrieved March 2, 2015, from http://www.davidmyers.org/Brix?pageID=65 Principles of Organization. (2001, January 1). Retrieved March 2, 2015, from
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/composition/organization.htm