(Noelle)

Scapegoating Body Paragraph: Group 4

            The characteristic of demagoguery that we will be focusing on is the process of scapegoating. Scapegoating is when the ingroup deflects the guilt and places all the blame on an unrelated outside group. Patricia Robert- Miller defines scapegoating by explaining, “the scapegoat bares the blame, while the scapegoaters feel a sense of righteousness and increased unity.” Miller believes this a problem because scapegoats are wrongfully stereotyped, or seen as the blame, while other culprits are, “let off the hook.” LaPierre mentions that the media has a secret that involves the different effects and use of videogames. He goes into detail by saying that the media is using the entertainment industry as a scapegoat, and that they see “life as a joke, and murder as a way of life.” One way that LaPierre directly scapegoats is when he claims, “…Politicians have no business-and no authority- denying us the right, the ability, or the moral imperative to protect ourselves and our loved ones from harm.” In this quote, the author is almost putting all the blame of any murders that have occurred on politicians. Also, it is a very vague argument and lacks the information on who has actually done this. If LaPierre is regarding gun regulations, then he is almost making a false accusation. The politicians and government is nearly controlling guns distribution, not taking them away. After such a harmful event, LaPierre is attempting to deflect the blame from the NRA, and direct it towards any other possible causes. The audience wants to find someone to blame, and after reading the text, it encourages people to view the NRA differently.