Analysis of "Condoms: The New Diploma.
In Rush Limbaugh's essay, "Condoms: The New Diploma", he shows the absurdity of the distribution of condoms in high school. He goes on to say that abstinence should be the only sex education because condoms do not provide full protection against sexually transmitted diseases. Limbaugh's essay is a one sided opinion that maintains a constant thesis and is sarcastically persuasive, but contains several logical fallacies and little support for data. Limbaugh essay could appeal to the average conservative, but would probably alienate liberals because of its strong one sided opinion, and educated readers who are able to look past his sarcastic humor and find his generalizations illogical and foolish. .
Upon analyzing Limbaugh's essay I was able to identify the rhetorical elements. This is a biased essay as it was intended to be. Limbaugh shows this by discussing the absurdity of the distribution of condoms in high school throughout the entire essay. He only lists the advantages of abstinence leaving out any for school provided condoms as he believes there are none. He uses rhetorical questions, hypothetical situations, and facts for grounds to support his argument. However, when listing the opposing side's arguments he ridicules them by providing dismissive and sometimes sarcastic rebuttals. For example, Limbaugh states that "advocates of condom distribution say that kids are going to have sex, that try as we might we can't stop them." Then goes on to add if sex is going to be "something you can't stop kids from doing" so is smoking cigarettes, doing drugs, and shooting guns. The essay stays on track with the idea promised in the title, avoiding any ideas that would pull the essay away from the main topic. The thesis statement which is clearly stated in the first paragraph says that condom distribution in public schools is ridiculous and the logic behind it shows people what is wrong with public education today.
