Bring Back Flogging Summary

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Summary of an Argument
Jeff Jacoby, in his column titled “Bring Back Flogging”, published in The Boston Globe (1997), argues that because our current system of imprisonment is inefficient and counterproductive, corporal punishment should be reintroduced. Jacoby builds an impressive argument and does an effective job of pointing out flaws in the current imprisonment system. However his argument on pushing corporal punishment or more specifically flogging is an irrational argument and supports no proof that the suggested method would actually be an effective solution.
Jacoby’s argument is based on trying to convince a better alternative to the current ineffective penal system. Jacoby spends some time trying to convince the reader that flogging …show more content…
In an effort to convince readers Jacoby tries blur the lines between flogging and the penal system by comparing it too other inhumane things that are socially acceptable in the current punishment system. In Jacoby’s argument he tries to convince the reader that the imprisonment system being inhumane and says, “Now we practice a more enlightened, more humane way of disciplining wrongdoers: We lock them up in cages.” Jacoby makes the prison seem less favorable by comparing criminals to animals. Another point in his article Jacoby brings up unfairness to lesser non-violent criminals being thrown into prison with more violent criminals sympathizing with the ones who will get raped and murdered when the guards turn a blind eye. “Why is it more brutal to flog a wrongdoer than to throw him in prison—where the risk of being beaten, raped, or murdered is terrifyingly high?” Jacoby’s argument here is unfair to the reader; he gives two extremely dire choices. On the one hand he tries to convince the reader that flogging isn’t as bad being raped and murdered but it’s still an undesirable option, he hopes by using these two things and comparing them that his alternative to the imprisonment system might be looked at as the better option. However the imprisonment system is the socially accepted option and he’s trying to convince people that beating criminals is a good
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