Rhetorical Analysis Of The Guardian By Gary Younge

Gary Younge, writing for The Guardian creates an article that explores the minds of terrorists, particularly the men that attacked Charlie Hebdo. It also provides insight into what truly causes these atrocities to occur and the consequences of polarized political analysis of these events. Younge repeats a thoughtful phrase multiple times in his article …“we will have to keep more than one idea in our head at the same time”… This obscure statement has a deep meaning that is helpful to keep in mind when analyzing these occurrences.

Younge is saying that in order to come up with an accurate answer to the question of what causes people to commit these acts of violence, we must think more diversely. His argument is strong, we cannot answer

Actually, he seems to shun and even despise these closed-minded groups. This is the key aspect of his argument, these political groups that throw around accusations at other groups, for example, Muslims, are the real problem. He states over and over that no singular group is responsible, neither can there be a singular reason for their actions.

People act on their own; Younge uses historic examples to support this. The Ku Klux Klan was a Christian organization, but we cannot blame all Christians for their actions, the same goes for Al-Qaeda, we cannot blame all Muslims for their actions. The men that murdered people at Charlie Hebdo in the name of Islam, in no way represent all of Islam. In fact, Younge argues that these men only represent themselves and only a small, notorious section of Islam would support their actions.

This article published on the anniversary of the opening of Guantanamo Bay definitely made a great impact in the debate on this issue. Younge makes strong arguments, while at the same time defending them. He goes after other points of view directly which most likely caused a stir within the ranks of those that have the opinions he called out as being irrational. Younge’ contribution was necessary, the outdated method of using scapegoats to avoid solving the actual problem is over, Younge makes it his point to put an end to this in

Too often do people make sweeping generalizations about groups judging the actions of a minority. It is easier to scapegoat than to solve, it is easier to blame others than to blame oneself. In large part, as Younge would agree, our society is at fault. This is because in reality the men who committed the Charlie Hebdo massacre were brought up into an abnormal society, the same society in which we raise our children.

Younge articulated the ideas that many believe, including myself. Psychologically, it is easier to blame others and dismiss the real issues that impact us, or even contribute to. Why do people commit crimes of this magnitude? How can we stop them and improve our society? These are the questions Younge is urging us to answer in a cooperative, constructive manner. It is much more beneficial to use energy working on a solution to this problem then to waste energy pushing ideas that are by themselves untrue.

As Younge explains, the men that carried out these atrocities we once children, raised in a Middle Eastern society, where murder and war is the norm. How would these men know any better, when they have been taught from a young age that western society is to blame for their hardship. Children in that region are taught this because odds are, they have lost a relative to a soldier from the