“Leftist Activist Chelsea Handler Races to Politicize Tragedy”
This was the caption to an article posted on Breitbart’s Facebook page earlier today with over 3K likes and 332 shares. The article, titled “Chelsea Handler: NRA-Funded Republicans Have ‘Blood On Hands’ after Florida School Shooting” has some of the most comments and shares on any Breitbart article today after the shooting.
A short and succinct caption to an online article can really go a long way. It’s accusatory, it’s identifying a specific person from a specific political group and has a strong action. There are keywords that stand out in it such as “leftist, activist, races, politicize, tragedy”. “Races” being an action word determines a quick judgement. Following that is “politicize tragedy”, so to suggest that she has jumped to a conclusion about an event that didn’t need to be politicized in the first place. I can assume the positions from the readers, and analyze these key words that have gotten this article so much attention based on reading the comments.
One comment in particular, stood out to me. A woman by the name of Kimberly commented:
“You know who has blood on their hands?? LIBERALS. These shootings are a result of a breakdown in our society, specifically the break down of the family. Mom is single, wrapped up in her boyfriend, instead of her child. Dad was never in the picture, there is no discipline or financial security. Kids feel lost, unloved, unimportant….all because liberals decided women don’t need men. They don’t need them to provide financially (thanks to welfare) they don’t need them to raise a child, because they’ve bought the lie that fathers don’t count. They don’t need God, he doesn’t exist to them. They don’t need morals because they feel entitled to do whatever makes them happy, instead of doing what is RIGHT. To figure out why children keep shooting other children, look at yourself. What are you teaching your child through your words and actions?? Kids shoot and kill other kids, simply because no one raised them better.”
This is a popular opinion within Breitbart subscribers, that this issue is not just because of a gun law. It’s an issue of the environment that’s allowing these shootings to happen. Their argument is to have more access to guns, so teachers can be armed to defend against an attack. By taking away their right to have a gun, they’re just sitting ducks waiting for another shooter to walk in. The article says
The NRA’s position since Sandy Hook Elementary has been clear–we need to protect our children as we protect our banks, our jewelry, and our pro sporting events. Namely, via good guys with guns. Yet Democrats and their gun control surrogates have fought to keep teachers unarmed and to preserve gun-free zones, which are only gun-free until a criminal shows up with a firearm.
The article uses other’s tweets to reference opinions. It quotes tweets from Ellen DeGeneres, Joss Whedon, Patricia Arquette, Mark Ruffalo and more Hollywood names. All tweets reference prayers, and the need for gun control laws. It introduces these tweets as “reaction from Hollywood”, after stating the opinions that gun control weakens the position of the law-abiding. It sets them up with an already established opinion of the political right that makes up Breitbart’s readership, opposing them with opinions of the left that are at the end of the article. It’s a way of separating the ideas of thought, and power of suggestion that what comes before will alter the perception of whatever comes after.
Another comment read:
“Take away every gun and some lunatic will find a more efficient way of commission. Bombs are still easy to make long after guns are gone. Gun free zones are target rich and offer no resistance to attack. Armed employees are the only answer.”
It’s clear that the popular opinion amongst Breitbart readers are that guns are not the issue. The issue is the environment that’s causing someone to do this. Better support is needed, better institutions, and more guns that are there to be used as self-defense.
While I definitely don’t agree with this opinion, it’s really eye-opening to see how other people think.
