"The Morality and Politics of Justice"
Artist Statement
Keagan Felker
My Op-Ed was about gun rights, gun bans, and the second amendment all the way around. My perspective of justice pertaining to my project is basically argued that anyone should be able to own a firearm. This is as long as the individual goes through and passes all conducted tests and interviews. These tests and interviews have been put in place as post-Sandy Hook precautions. They include the individual going through a background check, a criminal record review, a mental health check, and an interview with a police officer determining whether you actually need the gun. I also believe that on the political side of the issue, some politicians including Senator Feinstein, do not have a solid understanding of a gun or how it functions. I feel that a large part of our society sees guns as the killers, as I see the person whose finger is on the trigger as the true killer.
My visual piece is meant to express that not every person with a gun has the intent to kill or cause destruction. The quote I put on my piece by Wayne LaPierre actually advocates what I’m trying to get across quite well. He states, “the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun”. This is shown in my art piece because a police officer doesn’t always have to be the main center of justice-I believe that any individual with a gun, that knows how to properly and responsibly handle it, can be the “good guy” LaPierre is talking about. This is why the mirrors in my art piece are “reflecting” the everyday person that can stop or put a damper on the source of crime. From a lawyer to a construction worker to a student. Anyone can make an effort to save society if they have the bravery, the courage and the passion to do so. The individual with the ski mask in the foreground of the piece is meant to represent the crime in society-that is why the individual is smaller, more worried looking, and has their hands up. In my opinion, there is always going to be a good force to oppose the bad-whether it is one individual against another, one against a group, or any other situation. I believe that as long as at least one in a crowd is willing to step up to the authority and make an effort to overtake the evil, there is hope that evil will never prevail. That is also why there are five everyday people overtaking the one bad individual.
My piece is rhetorical because it includes ethos, by representing the ethical gun owners and everyday people as the ones overpowering the criminal. This also shows ethos because it is showing that there is always an ethical, good human being to stand up and protect the community. My piece also includes logos, almost for the same reason-it shows the logic behind gun ownership. This meaning that one who owns a gun will hopefully be the one to use it responsibly and ethically so that nobody becomes hurt or endangered. The tone of my art piece is meant to express that the good is larger than the worried looking, surrendering evil.
I am very pleased with the way my piece came out. It presented my perspective on gun ownership and ethics exactly the way I intended it to. I worked very diligently for the past week and I think it really shows in my whole project.
Artist Statement
Keagan Felker
My Op-Ed was about gun rights, gun bans, and the second amendment all the way around. My perspective of justice pertaining to my project is basically argued that anyone should be able to own a firearm. This is as long as the individual goes through and passes all conducted tests and interviews. These tests and interviews have been put in place as post-Sandy Hook precautions. They include the individual going through a background check, a criminal record review, a mental health check, and an interview with a police officer determining whether you actually need the gun. I also believe that on the political side of the issue, some politicians including Senator Feinstein, do not have a solid understanding of a gun or how it functions. I feel that a large part of our society sees guns as the killers, as I see the person whose finger is on the trigger as the true killer.
My visual piece is meant to express that not every person with a gun has the intent to kill or cause destruction. The quote I put on my piece by Wayne LaPierre actually advocates what I’m trying to get across quite well. He states, “the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun”. This is shown in my art piece because a police officer doesn’t always have to be the main center of justice-I believe that any individual with a gun, that knows how to properly and responsibly handle it, can be the “good guy” LaPierre is talking about. This is why the mirrors in my art piece are “reflecting” the everyday person that can stop or put a damper on the source of crime. From a lawyer to a construction worker to a student. Anyone can make an effort to save society if they have the bravery, the courage and the passion to do so. The individual with the ski mask in the foreground of the piece is meant to represent the crime in society-that is why the individual is smaller, more worried looking, and has their hands up. In my opinion, there is always going to be a good force to oppose the bad-whether it is one individual against another, one against a group, or any other situation. I believe that as long as at least one in a crowd is willing to step up to the authority and make an effort to overtake the evil, there is hope that evil will never prevail. That is also why there are five everyday people overtaking the one bad individual.
My piece is rhetorical because it includes ethos, by representing the ethical gun owners and everyday people as the ones overpowering the criminal. This also shows ethos because it is showing that there is always an ethical, good human being to stand up and protect the community. My piece also includes logos, almost for the same reason-it shows the logic behind gun ownership. This meaning that one who owns a gun will hopefully be the one to use it responsibly and ethically so that nobody becomes hurt or endangered. The tone of my art piece is meant to express that the good is larger than the worried looking, surrendering evil.
I am very pleased with the way my piece came out. It presented my perspective on gun ownership and ethics exactly the way I intended it to. I worked very diligently for the past week and I think it really shows in my whole project.