Rhetorical Analysis

Sarah Whitworth

Kaleigh Spooner

Writing 150

October 13, 2014

Questions, Parallels, and Coincidence in “American Justice and Divine Mercy: Thoughts on Osama Bin Laden’s Death”

On September 11, 2001, the American world stopped turning. A war against those who had attacked us was declared and we swore to bring the one behind these attacks down. Over three years ago, Seal Team 6 fulfilled that promise and the world celebrated. I remember that day well; most Americans do. However, Patrick Clark questions the justice of his education. Through artfully using rhetorical questions, drawing unlikely parallels, and bringing coincidences to light, Clark creates a successful, thought provoking argument in regards to Bin Laden’s death.

Clark begins his article with rhetorical questions and weaves them throughout the remainder of his piece. These questions range from the appropriateness of celebrating the death to how the “utter absence of any public expression . . . of forgiveness for crimes. . .bother us as Christians?” Clark uses his audience’s Christian beliefs to enable deeper thought, requiring us question our own morality. Clark’s inquiries artfully weave ethos and logos together.

Next, the use of unlikely parallels evokes the reader’s morality. Clark parallels Bin Laden’s death with Christ’s, as many called both “an act of divine mercy.” He ties rhetorical questions into his parallels by questioning whether or not we can “associate the bullet-hole in bin Laden’s head with the hole in Jesus’ side . . . ?” By drawing a parallel between two extremes, Clark achieves his purpose of convincing the audience that bin Laden’s death was not an act of mercy or justice in the Christian sense of the word. Moreover, he argues whether or not our celebration with “waving our flags and honking our horns. . .” should be compatible with “the Jubilate Deo of Psalm 100?” Psalms 100 is a celebratory psalm, praising God and calling for worship. By comparing the celebrations, Clark invokes a harsh reality; Americans celebrated a death in a similar way of celebrating God.  

In addition to drawing simple parallels between Christ and Osama, Clark aslo draws parallels between American’s and Pope John Paul II. While one was obtaining justice through the death of a terrorist, the late Pope gained justice though he “. . . knew what it felt like to take an assassin’s bullet.”

Finally, Clark strengthens his argument with unlikely coincidences. The death of bin laden was “carried out on Divine Mercy Sunday . . . the same Divine Mercy Sunday set aside for the beatification of the late Pope John Paul II . . .?” This coincidence is strengthened by tying in the Pope’s quote on solidarity: “. . . One’s neighbor must be loved, even if an enemy, with the same love with which the Lord loves him. . .” This coincidence does not go unnoticed, as it is woven through the paper and tied in with his use of rhetorical questions, inquiring about the “. . .expression of forgiveness. . .” and “commended [the enemy]. . . to the Navy SEALS” on a day set aside as “a universal commemoration of divine mercy.” By drawing these coincidences, Clark effectively convinces the audience that this act did not coincide with the Christian ideology of mercy and justice.

Through communicating coincidences, exaggerated parallels, and using rhetorical questions to weave everything together, Clark effectively convinces the audience the act of Osama bin Laden’s death was not in line with Christ’s doctrine of mercy nor his sacrifice to satisfy the needs of justice. Patrick Clark makes the audience believe that it may be tempting to “celebrate his death” yet cannot, as the “execution of Christ” stops such a celebration dead in its tracks.