Comparative_Language_Analysis

P Plate drivers have the highest amount of deaths on Australian roads which has become a high and controversial issue within the media, affecting families and friends. In David Penberthy's opinion piece, "Time to stop mollycoddling prats with P-plates", Penberthy uses a confrontational and a serious tone to argue that P-Platers fail to learn the consequences and mistakes of inappropriate driving which is due to parents mollycoddling their children. Similarly, The Age's editorial, "A way to brake the hoon drivers" suggests in a disturbed and disappointed tone that too many young lives are being lost due to hoon's controlling our roads and the minimal law in Victoria which doesn't stop the hoon's on our roads. Similarly, Inkcinct's cartoon, "The current method of crushing hoon cars" suggests in a sarcastic yet confrontational tone that the government isn't doing any action of confiscating Hoon's cars, instead they're killing themselves. Penberthy emphasizes the role of parents to play a crucial part in this situation as "parents have more power then anyone to keep their kids safe, or safer." Penberthy's attack on parents effect the reader by forcefully asserting the reader to agree that parents are not doing enough to prevent the premature deaths of their own children. Penberthy blames parents for allowing their children out with a "vehicle for showing off." By questioning the parents on allowing their kids out with their cars "entirely decorated with the entire accessory section from super cheap auto", Penberthy forces the reader to question whether or not they are doing the right thing. Penberthy redirects the reader's mind by stating, "Maybe the question shouldn't be do you want a car, but do you need a car." By suggesting that the parents should question their children on whether they need a car or not, positions the reader to believe that if more parents questioned their kids there wouldn't be such a high death toll of teenage kids on our roads. Panberthy further expresses and stereotypes the young P Platers actions of "going out late, getting drunk, impressing chicks, doing stupid stuff with your friends" which does not only effect themselves but also other citizens. The use of imagery positions the reader to feel appalled and disgraced at the young generation which is also an appeal to family values. This questions today's modern society of the outraged and disgraceful teenagers where readers feel embarrassed of how this generation is turning out. Panberthy argues that the P-Plater drivers have no idea of the consequences of their actions as they "fail to learn from the death of their friend." This effects the reader as the young generation isn't learning from other's mistakes, which makes the reader feeling scared and sickened to know the fact that there are young and careless drivers out on our roads, not worrying about their safety as well as others. Similarly, The Age's editorial "A way to brake the hoon drivers" continues the argument that too many young lives are being lost due to hoon's controlling our roads and the minimal law in Victoria which doesn't stop the hoon's. The comparison is made between the Victorian laws and other states laws in relation to hoon legislation. The use of statistics shows the reader that "hoon cars to be confiscated have applied in NSW since 1996" and "particularly in Queensland, where the confiscation rate is about 700 cars a year", yet the government in Victoria "deserve credit for rushing to adopt populist policy". This calls to the reader's attention that the lack of control the government has over hoon drivers, and now with no anti- hooning laws, hoons had free rein to "risk people's lives". This positions the reader to feel angry and disturbed towards the Victorian Government as they have not being using their power to eliminate the problem. An appeal to logic is made through the justification of discouraging dangerous driving; "Perhaps the key issue is that draconian law can be justified only if it does indeed discourage dangerous driving and reduce the road toll". Many lives are being lost through hoon drivers, and the lack of legislation creates the further threat to many which effects the reader to feel disappointed at the Government and to be saddened with the high number of deaths caused by these lunatic hoon drivers . The Age further argues the recklessness presented by the drivers and how these "young drivers and their passengers are over represented among the dead and injured on the roads." This positions the reader to not only blame the hoons for the horrific accidents, but also the passengers as they play a key role in this situation. The use of metaphoric language, "A car in the wrong hands is as deadly as a gun", positions the reader to understand the true danger and high risk of death hoon driving poses. So many lives can be lost in such reckless attitudes and rebellion "to all the campaigns, fines and license penalties". This "never ending challenge" of hoon driving "leaves residents muttering, 'They're going to kill someone' "; the inclusive quotation appeals to the fear factor of readers, and brings to attention how so many australians "week after week" are killed due to hoon drivers and their irresponsible actions. Such reckless driving leads to such devastating results. Similarly, Inkcinct's cartoon, "The current method of crushing hoon cars" continues Panberthy and The Age's argument that young hoon's are still dominating our roads causing deaths in depicting a car crashing into a tree. The demented, crashed car and the tree dominates this picture which persuades readers into believing that it is the wreckless and/or careless driving that are causing the high amount of road accidents and deaths, therefore it is the driver's fault as they were a "hoon" on our roads. This is proven by the large tree in this cartoon which is clearly off the road and out of the way of danger from any oncoming vehicles. For an accident to occur, the driver or "hoon" would need to try pretty hard to hit that tree. This positions the reader into believing that most p-plate accidents who are mainly targeted and described as "hoons" are not an accident, and we shouldn't feel sympathy for another death. Hence, the effect that is leaves on the reader is to demand new rules and actions to prevent any disturbed accidents that may risk another life in the balance. The reader is positioned to feel angry about this situation because people are dying everyday from silly mistakes and no serious consequences such as the police confiscating hoon cars, is being done. Panberthy's spotlight on the increasing p-plate deaths is accompanied by seriousness at the inappropriate driving from young p-platers which proves that a large number don't worry about their consequences and instead cause an accident. The p-platers don't learn from personal experience nor friend's, Panberthy attacks the parents as they become too protected of their children and don't teach them the value of having consequences. The Age's editorial emphasises a similar point by adding that Hoon cars are not being taken care of due to the Victorian laws, which allows many p-plater hoons continuously leaving many lives at risk and highlighting that deaths are caused by the lack of control the government has over these disturbed hoons. Inkcinct's cartoon extends these arguments by proving that the only way of crushing hoon cars, is by letting them die due to an accident. Hoons are killing themselves due to their wreckless driving and the government is refusing to take any action on this issue, yet they complain on the high amount of deaths caused by car accidents.