Krista Ramsey

The column that I chose dealt with the problem and decision many schools face around America--should teachers carry weapons in the case of an unfortunate event? This piece of writing deals with Krista's opinion on the occasion and also provides reasoning, and at the end, it also has an idea for the readers to take action on this topic. Read Full Column Here. 

The quote, "Despite the emotionally charged images painted by the plan's promoters – including children being shot and thrown off school rooftops by al-Qaida operatives – this is a topic to be approached with caution and dispassion. School shootings are tragic beyond imagining, and all of us should apply our best thinking and resources to prevent them. But sending weapons into schools – the vast majority of which have not been and will not be the scene of violence – is the most unwise of solutions," is filled with a variety of writing craft. The use of various hyphens lengthens the sentence without making it just long a boring. She also uses a variety of examples that lead to this topic being brought up in schools which include very explicit ideas. She states her claim in this "topic" sentence and just outlines what she will state later in her column.

Some patterns found in her writing include some of the following: she states her claim near the beginning like, “the vast majority of which have not been and will not be the scene of violence – is the most unwise of solutions,” and “Dr. Joseph Clark, a professor of neurology and rehabilitative medicine with UC Health, worries that it’s shrinking it.” Those quotes both outline what she will be talking about later in her column. Also, in those quotes, there is pieces of evidence. These include: Dr. Joseph Clark and the children being shot and thrown off buildings. She is very straightforward and I think that is because she can’t write novels on these topics, they have to be short and sweet.

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