Defining One's Audience

In my proposal to the public good paper, I identify my audience as city mayors and councilmen who are not aware of the core problem concerning jail overcrowding. In this call to action, I am indirectly confronting these people, and proposing a plan that would help decrease the amount of jail overcrowding that has taken place. The city mayors and councilmen have been approaching the issue wrongly. These people are ignorant as to why inmates go in and out of jail. City mayors and councilmen are angered because of the overwhelming rates. As a result, they look down on the citizens and people who are going back and forth to jail rather than looking down on institutions and faulty programs. I identify them as being rich and snobby, lacking the ability to empathize with jail inmates and distinguish their needs. They live in a rich, well kept, positive environment where these issues are absent to them. They should get out more and broaden their perspectives on these various issues dealing with delinquents. Instead of rebuilding and making jails larger, they should implement rehabilitation and reform programs for the inmates, which will get to the core of the issue.
I think it is important that I identify and know who my audience is. Not only does it define the language in which I should use, but it also gives me an idea of what issues I should present and what concepts I should be trying to convey. By knowing who your possible audience is, you then set the tone of your paper, which is vital and aids in your proposal’s persuasiveness and organization.