Elsa Glover
Dr. L. Shirokova
ENGL 1101: Composition 1
10 September 2015 In his commentary titled “Terrorists usher in the end of satire,” which appears in the Savannah Morning News, Leonard Pitts gives his take on the attack of Charlie Hebdo; a satirical paper based in France. The paper is known to not spare anything or anyone as a subject. The gunmen were known to be Muslim extremists who were offended by the material the magazine often prints. The attack led to a debate of whether their cartoons are considered free speech or hate speech and whether either is a right at all. Throught the article, he gives a heated response to the issue. This article was in a local newspaper for the public, but Leonard Pitts is a national commentator. His…show more content… He pulls the reader towards his argument by giving fictitious examples of "The End of Satire" on the planet and how public figures and talk shows plan to no longer use any form of free speech. The people and shows he mentions are known for their witty and humorous take on the news and current events. What would the world be like without satire? Jon Stewart and Bill Maher would have to step down from their respective positions. He suggests that after the U.S "fought with corruption and hypocrisy," what really seems to ignite war is humor. He supports this by also mentioning that Korean leader Kim Jong made threats to Sony after a comedy movie where two journalists are sent to assassinate…show more content… The fact he chose to cover such a controversial subject attracts reader’s attention and gains their respect. He gave persuasive arguments, but in my opinion, I don't agree with his assertion that speech should be completely free, and doesn't matter what the nature of it is. Just as the acts of terrorists go too far, I believe some speech does go too far to the point where it's in bad taste. The United States is certainly not a perfect nation and we do not always make good decisions, but we do not condone attacks on innocent people, and there is no cause that would justify those
