Condoms the New Diploma
Matt Nikkel English 3 April 5, 2010 Critical Analysis The essay by Rush Limbaugh entitled “Condoms: The New Diploma” is about the authors claim of how condom distribution promotes sex by teens and bypasses abstinence. This essay is created to depict the idea of free condom distribution throughout a school, in hopes to promote safe sex. Limbaugh provides hard evidence to his essay and strengthens his side by providing life relating examples and statistics such as air travel, Magic Johnson, and teacher’s views on sex education. The fluidity of the Limbaugh’s essay and his ability to use his strengths of vivid imagery creates a strong toned argument, making a very effective essay. Rush Limbaugh claims that condom distribution promotes sex by teens and bypasses abstinence. He provides a rhetorical example intended to demonstrate that school distributed condoms will sanction sex and gives a definition of gender sex rules. Limbaugh then claims that sex has negative consequences, and brings the specific example of Magic Johnson claiming abstinence is the only safe sex. Limbaugh then claims that some people oppose teaching abstinence, while using New York, and Jacksonville Florida school teachers as specific examples: thus the information being giving to students are inaccurate and basis off of trickery. Limbaugh claims that his opposition is involved in a cultural war and characterizes them as wildly irresponsible. His most compelling source is a statistic about condom failure and provides an analogy between condom failure and air travel with kids. Limbaugh finally claims that condom distribution has failed and that the opposition is moving closer toward ridiculous alternatives to abstinence. Rush Limbaugh’s argument is a stern and traditional approach on values and personal beliefs. The essay is designed to have a radical approach to the reader and gives off a strong tone of sternness; making the reader feel like Limbaugh is the authority and the