Supremacy Crimes

The use of persuasive language in a controversial essay such as “supremacy crimes” is of extreme importance for the writer to assert her claim. Hence, Steinem utilizes the technique of repetitiveness to reinforce her arguments, clearly delivering her message to the designated audience. Steinem reveals her perspective on the “supremacy crimes” controversy, once through plain words in her claim, and then through many examples and justifications. She gives examples of murderers who fit the criteria of her argument on how supremacy crimes are mostly committed by white male heterosexuals addicted to male superiority; such as Edmund Kemper who began by slaughtering animals and later moved on to killing his grandparents or David Berkowitz, the Son of Sam, who murdered some women to make him feel in control of all women. However Steinem limits the scope and intensity of her claim through giving examples of serial killers not fitting her prior male criterion such as Colin Ferguson, Waneta Hoyt, and Aileen Carol Wuornos. This act of concession in her argument aids her in building up a substantial amount of credibility. Steinem repeats her claim through redirecting the reader’s attention and focus to her desired point in her argument through the statement “The reasons are buried deep in the culture, so invisible that only by reversing our assumptions can we reveal them.” This statement forces the reader once again to regain focus and question the claim being argued, its existence, and most importantly its origin . Through giving examples of homosexuals such as Wayne Williams who would kill men and young boys he had sex with to hide his homosexuality which is a counter example to her claim, Steinem aims to inform her readers that she has considered all aspects of her topic and has great confidence in her held position. Repetition is also noticeable when she claims that the drug of superiority