Screamapillers and Safety Pins

Undoubtedly every American has at one time or another butted heads against stupid laws foolishly placed upon on us by the government. From required emissions tests to enforced juvenile curfews, it seems the government is constantly at work to get in the way of its citizens. Even Homer Simpson is not immune: in season thirteen of The Simpsons, Homer constructs a koi pond for his wife Marge as an anniversary present. Despite his good intentions and unusual success, this act becomes the beginning of a downward spiral that leads to him eventually coming face to face with the death penalty. One might question how the installment of an innocent outdoor pleasantry might lead to such a fate, but, unbeknownst to Homer, an endangered species, the screamapiler, had taken up residence in his newly build pond. When Homer failed to care his newly found neighbor he was convicted of negligence and punished by the government. This may seem the stuff solely of animated sitcoms, but in fact for many Americans it is as real as their love of television. In his article, The endangered Species Act Must Be Reformed, Ike C. Snugg tries to persuade the American people and government to reconsider their stance towards the endangered species act by defaming the US government and cleverly choosing his words in order to keep the reader focused on the topic at hand

In opening his article, Snugg compares the current system of environmental regulations to the actions medieval monarchies. “Kings, queens, feudal lords, and dictators used to decide who, if anyone, could use which resources, for what purpose, at what price and to what extent.” (174). He keeps the analogy fresh in the mind of the reader by using the phrase ‘Kings game’ another two times in the same paragraph. The reasoning behind this comparison is clear; most Americans value their freedom. As an example, I have heard that the reasoning behind keeping the fine for not wearing ones seatbelt at a measly fifteen dollars in Idaho is because Idahoans, like most Americans, reserve the right to act however they want, even if it is the right to be stupid. Snugg knows this, and he knows that there is nothing that will get an American angrier than being forcibly controlled. The language that he chooses brings to the reader images of self serving monarchies and secret police designed to take away the carefully guarded freedoms of the populace. This is just the opening paragraph, but it sets the accusatory tone that he uses throughout the reminder of his treatment of the endangered species act. Closely following the analogy that Snugg uses of types of government that are characterized by how they over step their bounds, the bulk of Snugg’s article is the relating of several real life human victims of the endangered species act. One particularly enraging tale is when he speaks of Taiwanese immigrant Tang Ming-Lin who was found to be illegally working land inhabited by the endangered kangaroo rat. In his description, Snugg uses the phrase,“20 government agents (6 of whom were armed) raided his farms and confiscated his tractor.” The way that Snugg relates the story is very descriptive, and after reading the line one can almost see poor Tang slaving away in the hot sun trying to make a living for his starving immigrant family. The mean old government breaks down his door and raids his farms taking away his livelihood: all to protect a little rat. It is this type of imagery and stories that will boil the blood of almost any American. For this reason snug includes them in this article, to attach personal significance and relevance to the average American, who was raised of stories of British atrocities in the Revolutionary war and other such stories.

Issuses paper possible topic: I will write about how Nuclear energy should be reintroduced as a viable, safe alternative fuel.