Sunday, May 12, 2013

TOW 30: Doctor Found Guilty of First-Degree Murder in Philadelphia Abortion Case

With abortion as one of the most controversial topics right now, this article was a major letdown for the pro-choice party. Dr. Kermit Grosnell was determined guilty of first degree murder in his abortion clinic in a rough area of Philadelphia. He is accused of performing countless abortions after the legal 24-week stage, cutting the spinal cords of newsborns, hiring no professionals, including a teenage student, to perform operations, and reusing supplies to cut down on costs. His clinic had not been inspected in many years, and it was described as a "house of horrors."

This article is from CNN, and written by Sarah Hoye and Sunny Hostin.

This article is significant in context. It has given much credence to anti-abortionists, while slandering the cause of the pro-choice group. This article sheds light on the harsh and illegal practices of abortion, and shows that Grosnell is not the only doctor practicing such murders.

The purpose of this article was to tell a shocking story of a doctor performing illegal abortions, way after the limit on when abortions can be done. The article further reinforced how controversial the topic of abortion is.

The audience of the article is the general public. As most Americans take a general stance on the issue of abortion, this article affects both opposing sides. It lays out the harsh reality behind abortion, and also reminds the audience that Grosnell is not the only one doing such illegal things.

A rhetorical device used in this article is description. In order to get across the horrendous things that Dr. Grosnell was doing in his office, his charges were explicitly outlines. His accusations of reusing supplies, severing the spinal cords of newborn babies, and hiring un-registered, inexperienced workers to perform serious abortion operations were very clearly and descriptively outlined.

The author's purpose was achieved. The article clearly explained the case and went into detail, allowing the audience to gain a complete understanding of the case.


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