Bring Back Flogging By Jeff Jacoby: Columnist For The Boston Globe

Columnist for The Boston Globe, Jeff Jacoby, in is argumentative article,”Bring back flogging,” questions the American justice system and suggests to bring back flogging. Jacoby’s purpose is to persuade his opponents and inform the reader of the problems with imprisonment and the benefits of flogging. He adopts a respectful tone in order to convey the importance of changing our one-sided justice system. In the eyes of a skeptical reader, Jeff Jacoby is very effective in persuading his argument. The first thing to notice is his title, ”Bring back flogging” that clearly states what he is persuading his readers to feel. Some people might as well think his title is his thesis. Jacoby wants to reinstate the Puritan style of corporal punishment.

He successfully refutes this claim by questioning, “Why is it more brutal to flog a wrongdoer than to throw him in prison -- where the risk of being beaten, raped, or murdered is terrifyingly high?” If Jacoby didn't address his opponent’s point of view and refute it, then the reader will have an excuse to reject your argument. Also, by understanding the other point of view and argue against it, then you can illustrate how mature you are with your topic and that you're not just complaining about it. He ends his article short and sweet by implying the Puritan style of punishment might work for the modern world. Jacoby also states at the end, “Maybe we should readopt a few.” This leaves the reader thinking and considering his

He appeals to logos by defining a multitude of facts and statistics to sway his readers. Writers use evidence in argumentative essays to evoke a cognitive, rational response from the audience. When you use statistics and expert testimony, you are convincing them that your point of view is the right one. Jacoby develops his ethos by presenting himself as a professional. When reading his article, I could tell his language is clear and easy to understand. Some people might think he is an expert of criminology because of the way he wrote the article. For this reason, it was easier for me to take his opinion more seriously. He understands the need to express himself in a manner that is easy to read and understand. By writing in this way, he can easily persuade someone to his point of view. Jacoby’s description of prison life was a very persuasive emotional appeal. Here, he is eliciting both sadness and empathy from his readers. By using pathos, an author can evoke an emotional response from the audience to help them understand his point of view. It also points out that Jacoby himself is human