Rhetorical Analysis Of Why Police Body Cameras Would Work By Mark O’mara Essay Sample

The article Why Police Body Cameras Would Work by Mark O’Mara ideally posits that equipping the police with body cameras is essential for enhancing the effectiveness of law enforcement. The author uses the literal piece to accentuate on the need to support President Obama’s pledge to “procure body cameras and training for up to 50,000 police officers” (O’Mara). The author’s argument is motivated by recent events in the US where a Policeman was found innocent after committing murder through a chokehold that was filmed by a member of the public. It is such scenarios that found this article with Mark O’Mara establishing body cameras as one of the main ways of mitigating such scenarios in the American law enforcement. Through keen analysis of the text, the audience is established to be the general American populace that is concerned about the increased police brutality and injustice in the process of law enforcement.
O’Mara conveys his intended subject using strong rhetorical strategies. Chief among the strategies employed is ethos that the author builds on in the initial stages of the article to create an ethical appeal to his audience. The ethos are used to offer a preview of what the article entails in a broader sense. He starts off his piece by citing reports on Obama’s $263 million pledge in the procurement of police body cameras. He also highlights a recent case in the grand jury that “declined to charge the New York Police Department officer whose chokehold contributed to the death of Eric Garner- an incident captured in full on video” (O’Mara). The two assertions happen to be facts that enable him structure his argument connecting the government’s intervention in a case where the public has lost trust in the police in their handling of suspects in America. O’Mara continues to ethically appeal the audience by using a rhetorical question “so, body cameras must not make any difference, right?” to introduce his position in the whole debate.
O’Mara devotes much of the article’s body to logically appeal to his readers. He manages to do this through deductive examination of counter arguments made against the use of body cameras by Police officers. He explains that people tend to behave better if they know they are watched. The same case, he argues, applies to the Police, who will have much better conduct in their engagements with suspects. He further cites that even the Garner case would not have generated much public outcry if it were not for the video taken by a third party (O’Mara). O’Mara notably posits that if the video of Garner’s arrest had been from a police body camera, the officer, Pantaleo, would not have used a chokehold. If he had a body camera, Garner’s life would have been saved.
Additionally, O’Mara uses statistics and secondary evidence to back his argument regarding the body cameras. He cites the 2012 Police Foundation study that established “cops with body cameras were involved in fewer use of force incidents than cops without.” Moreover, the author uses the case example of Daytona Beach Florida Police for using body cameras. O’Mara confesses that some of the cameras used by the police in Daytona Beach have of been great help in tackling of cases. To significantly accentuate the impact of the Daytona use of body cameras he directly quotes the Police Chief Michael Chitwood regarding the issue. Chitwood confesses that cameras have helped the police officers defuse tension when encountered by the public. The confession offers plausible logical appeal that makes the article credible and mentally stimulating.
O’Mara employs pathos a number of times in the article with the intent of appealing to the audience’s emotions. He particularly rouses the imagination of the audience when he queries whether Pantaleo’s acts would have been different in the chokehold incidence if a body camera had been in use. The statement ushers in the audience’s minds about possible scenario which would have played out if indeed the body camera was in use. The probable survival of the victim is a though many of the audience may conjure due to O’Mara’s use of pathos. In the use of second person in the initial stages of the article, the author also manages to elicit feelings of anger and frustration from his audience. The question “what’s the use?” followed by the statement “an officer walked, even though, there is a video of the killing” manages to capture the said emotions. O’Mara manages to highlight this frustration in order to offer support on the need to uphold justice on all fronts –the police and the public. It is these statements that also allow him to defuse the frustration of the audience through plausible recommendations in the rest of the article.
In the second last paragraph, the author uses a persuasive tone that evokes feelings of compassion towards the other good-natured police officers whose image been tainted by Pantaleo and his ilk. The author reminds the public of the pivotal roles the police play in the society. The selflessness as they put their lives at risk to protect the public from criminals. The plea for tolerance shows O’Mara’s emotive side that easily makes the public understand the predicament many law enforcers find themselves in as they embark on their duties
In conclusion, through the effective use of rhetorical strategies and mindful structure of the article, O’Mara manages to show the importance of the police body cameras. He uses his opening statements to ethically appeal to the audience. By citing Obama’s intentions and Garner’s case, the author fares in putting out his position regarding the whole debate. He also applies the ethos through his credentials as a legal analyst at CNN and criminal defense lawyer. As for the logical appeal, the author uses deductive examination of counter-arguments regarding the Police body cameras. He also draws evidence from secondary sources such as the 2012 Police Foundation Study to establish logos in the literal piece. Through queries and passionate tone in the last bits of the article, the author rouses imagination, anger and compassion. He allows the audience the possibility of Garner’s life being saved if the body cameras were in use in the chokehold incidence. Through the use of the “what is the use assertion,” the article illustrates the audience’s frustration with the law enforcement officers such as Pantaleo. Moreover, his passionate plea regarding the significance of Police Officers draws feelings of compassion towards the selfless public servants that put their lives on the line to protect the public.

Works Cited

O'Mara, Mark. "Why Police Body Cameras Would Work (Opinion) .com." CNN. N.p., 8 Dec. 2014. Web. 9 Mar. 2015. <http://edition.cnn.com/2014/12/05/opinion/omara-police-camera-protection/index.html?hpt=op_bn5\n>.