Alcohol Fuelled Violence

The ongoing growth of alcohol fuelled violence and causalities has sparked interest in the media recently, particularly after the death of ‘one punch’ victim Daniel Christie. Over many years there have been deaths as a result of alcohol fuelled violence but due to the increasingly rapid pace of fatalities it has dominated today’s media. Found to be more common in boys the Australia wide epidemic, including the brutal and often fatal “king hit”, has now been branded as ‘cowardly’ as it is more suiting for this ruthless act of force. Although there have been attempts to prevent this behaviour, such as the Newcastle mandatory lock out that saw a 37% decrease in violence, this has not proven to be enough for clubs and bars all over Australia to embrace the same method. Since the devastating death of Daniel Christie in 2013, more and more articles have come forth in regards to this issue. The article “Sentencing a side issue that won’t end street violence,” written by Pat Easton, presents an argument that is no different to others who seek to end this violence. The second article titled “Don’t blame the booze, it’s a zero tolerance on violence that’s needed,” written by Mike Keane, is similar in contention to the first article though offers an alternative possible solution of addressing individual responsibility. Finally, in the confrontational letter to the editor, Ian Stevenson brings forward yet another possible solution, at the fault of the parents.

In the 2014 opinion piece “Sentencing a side issue that won’t end street violence,” written by Pat Easton, uses a controlled and informative, yet concerned tone, to present a strong argument that is aimed at the general public, in the hope that they will see the reality that the focus should be fewer victims, less crime and safer communities, not just more punishment.

Opening with a strong headline, Easton clearly highlights his main contention, followed by a dark, isolated image with a dominating silhouette to