Summary Of Attack On Bill Cosby Is No Laughing Matter By Jesse Lee Peterson

Jesse Lee Peterson Fails to Make a Compelling Argument

Over the past few months there have been many disturbing allegations against one of America’s favorite comedians and father figures. Multiple women have come forth and revealed, supposedly, that Bill Cosby, a man these women were all close too, raped them. As this scandal continues to unfold, the general public feels obligated to choose a side, either Cosby’s, or the alleged victims. Because of the length of time it took for these women to confess to what happened to them, about 30 years, it’s understandable for people to be skeptical about whether or not any of these allegations are true. In Jesse Lee Peterson’s article, “Attack on Bill Cosby is No Laughing Matter”, Peterson attempts to

The first example being personal attack. Peterson does this when he refers to people with Left Wing point of views as “jackals”. He also uses this fallacy again when he attacks the victims for staying silent for so many years. What Peterson fails to realize is that these women are allowed to choose to come forward or expose what happened to them any time they choose. Peterson’s reaction to the women’s side of the story is met with much hostility and shows that he is not interested in reporting on anything these women have said. As a journalist, Peterson’s job is to report the facts, not give his unsolicited opinion on the situation. This is also dangerous because, not only is he shaming the victim’s personal choice to remain silent but he is also forcing his own beliefs on readers who are simply trying to become more familiar with the scandal. By reading about his personal opinions within the article, Peterson demonstrates a lack of empathy for anyone who has dealt with sexual abuse and as a result, readers may find that his argument is unable to sound

The Straw Man fallacy is used to attack a minor point of an argument. Peterson does this by completely overlooking the severity of the situation. Even if these accusations are exaggerated or false, rape crimes are never handled with the right amount of seriousness. Rape is a major issue that needs to be dealt as such, however, since it isn’t, many victims of sexual abuse feel as though they have to remain silent. Peterson even goes as far as saying that these women should just get over it, further perpetuation the idea that rape crimes do not require consequences. Peterson’s words show that he is more concerned for Cosby’s public image than the well-being of potential victims of