Rhetorical Analysis Of Kids Are Kids-Until They Commit Crimes

Ethos are one of three rhetorical devices used in all forms of writing, that of which Marjie Lundstrom provides the strongest use of ethos in her article “Kids Are Kids- Until They Commit Crimes” in order to defend her argument of how all minors, even those who have committed atrocious crimes, shall be tried through the juvenile court system. One technique Lundstrom uses is the use of a logo stated by a credible source, “ The nation’s juvenile arrest rate for murder fell 68 percent from 1993 to 1999, hitting its lowest level since 1966, according to the Justice Department.” By providing this statement in her article, Lundstrom is able to defend her claim that minors should not be tried in court as adults. Minors’ crime rates are dropping which can conclude that they are becoming aware and learning right from wrong, making the audience feel sorry for the minors being tried as adults. “A week from now, a judge in Florida will decide how old Lionel Tate really is.” this quote depicts how someone who should be trustworthy, a judge, cannot determine the age of someone. You are the age you are because Tate was a minor

Thompson provides how he had his own research group for collecting data on teenage brain development. Although Thompson may have experience in this subject field we do not know if he is a completely credible source and if he is trustworthy. “Our colleagues at the National Institutes of Health have developed technology to map the patterns of the brain in individual children and teenagers.” Again, Thompson provides his colleagues as credible sources as a use of ethos in his article. However, they can be students in learning and have no true credibility