language analysis
Language Analysis
Protect our youth from the marijuana tsunami
Jordan Marsh
In Diane Carlson’s opinion piece “Protect our youth from the marijuana tsunami”, the issue of Colorado legalizing marijuana is raised as catastrophic and that it is giving a false perception of its effect to youth and their development. In a passionate tone Carlson targets parents, grandparents and additionally the government of the wrong movement into legalizing marijuana, and in doing so challenges the audience into questioning if the vision of the law was successful.
Carlson zealously promotes that the legalization of marijuana was a damaging result for Colorado considering the comparison of operating unlicensed pot shops to “Colombian drug cartels” and “arsenal of assault weapons”. Carlson employs this technique in order to insinuate that these pot shops are of equal mercilessness, allowing the reader to feel fear. Carlson strives to manoeuver citizen’s satisfaction in the government by repeating the word “promised” in order to spark disappointment in the lack of effectiveness in the legalization of marijuana. In an effort to appeal to parental figures, Carlson targets the fact that kids are “bombarded”, ironically similar to a “tsunami” with false messages of marijuana. This is further aimed at parents when it is affirmed that marijuana is “far stronger than anything from the 1970s”, therefore inviting parents to highlight the major effects “todays” marijuana can have on youth. This argument is supported through the visual, which captures how accessible marijuana is and the dull colors imply its negative connotations.
In an additional development of her argument, Carlson signifies that marijuana usage rates in Colorado have “gone up dramatically” and further illuminates the delinquent situation that is being overseen as a positive legalization for society. In an exertion to shock parents in Denver, Carlson provides statistics that expose “Sixty-one percent of
Protect our youth from the marijuana tsunami
Jordan Marsh
In Diane Carlson’s opinion piece “Protect our youth from the marijuana tsunami”, the issue of Colorado legalizing marijuana is raised as catastrophic and that it is giving a false perception of its effect to youth and their development. In a passionate tone Carlson targets parents, grandparents and additionally the government of the wrong movement into legalizing marijuana, and in doing so challenges the audience into questioning if the vision of the law was successful.
Carlson zealously promotes that the legalization of marijuana was a damaging result for Colorado considering the comparison of operating unlicensed pot shops to “Colombian drug cartels” and “arsenal of assault weapons”. Carlson employs this technique in order to insinuate that these pot shops are of equal mercilessness, allowing the reader to feel fear. Carlson strives to manoeuver citizen’s satisfaction in the government by repeating the word “promised” in order to spark disappointment in the lack of effectiveness in the legalization of marijuana. In an effort to appeal to parental figures, Carlson targets the fact that kids are “bombarded”, ironically similar to a “tsunami” with false messages of marijuana. This is further aimed at parents when it is affirmed that marijuana is “far stronger than anything from the 1970s”, therefore inviting parents to highlight the major effects “todays” marijuana can have on youth. This argument is supported through the visual, which captures how accessible marijuana is and the dull colors imply its negative connotations.
In an additional development of her argument, Carlson signifies that marijuana usage rates in Colorado have “gone up dramatically” and further illuminates the delinquent situation that is being overseen as a positive legalization for society. In an exertion to shock parents in Denver, Carlson provides statistics that expose “Sixty-one percent of