rights of man ap essay

How to Write the AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Essay (With Example)

November 27, 2023

Feeling intimidated by the AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Essay? We’re here to help demystify. Whether you’re cramming for the AP Lang exam right now or planning to take the test down the road, we’ve got crucial rubric information, helpful tips, and an essay example to prepare you for the big day. This post will cover 1) What is the AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Essay? 2) AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Rubric 3) AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis: Sample Prompt 4) AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example 5)AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example: Why It Works

What is the AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Essay?

The AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Essay is one of three essays included in the written portion of the AP English Exam. The full AP English Exam is 3 hours and 15 minutes long, with the first 60 minutes dedicated to multiple-choice questions. Once you complete the multiple-choice section, you move on to three equally weighted essays that ask you to synthesize, analyze, and interpret texts and develop well-reasoned arguments. The three essays include:

Synthesis essay: You’ll review various pieces of evidence and then write an essay that synthesizes (aka combines and interprets) the evidence and presents a clear argument. Read our write up on How to Write the AP Lang Synthesis Essay here.

Argumentative essay: You’ll take a stance on a specific topic and argue your case.

Rhetorical essay: You’ll read a provided passage, then analyze the author’s rhetorical choices and develop an argument that explains why the author made those rhetorical choices.

AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Rubric

The AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Essay is graded on just 3 rubric categories: Thesis, Evidence and Commentary, and Sophistication . At a glance, the rubric categories may seem vague, but AP exam graders are actually looking for very particular things in each category. We’ll break it down with dos and don’ts for each rubric category:

Thesis (0-1 point)

There’s nothing nebulous when it comes to grading AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Essay thesis. You either have one or you don’t. Including a thesis gets you one point closer to a high score and leaving it out means you miss out on one crucial point. So, what makes a thesis that counts?

• Make sure your thesis argues something about the author’s rhetorical choices. Making an argument means taking a risk and offering your own interpretation of the provided text. This is an argument that someone else might disagree with.
• A good test to see if you have a thesis that makes an argument. In your head, add the phrase “I think that…” to the beginning of your thesis. If what follows doesn’t logically flow after that phrase (aka if what follows isn’t something you and only you think), it’s likely you’re not making an argument.
• Avoid a thesis that merely restates the prompt.
• Avoid a thesis that summarizes the text but does not make an argument.

Evidence and Commentary (0-4 points)

This rubric category is graded on a scale of 0-4 where 4 is the highest grade. Per the AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis rubric, to get a 4, you’ll want to:

• Include lots of specific evidence from the text. There is no set golden number of quotes to include, but you’ll want to make sure you’re incorporating more than a couple pieces of evidence that support your argument about the author’s rhetorical choices.
• Make sure you include more than one type of evidence, too. Let’s say you’re working on your essay and have gathered examples of alliteration to include as supporting evidence. That’s just one type of rhetorical choice, and it’s hard to make a credible argument if you’re only looking at one type of evidence. To fix that issue, reread the text again looking for patterns in word choice and syntax, meaningful figurative language and imagery, literary devices, and other rhetorical choices, looking for additional types of evidence to support your argument.
• After you include evidence, offer your own interpretation and explain how this evidence proves the point you make in your thesis.
• Don’t summarize or speak generally about the author and the text. Everything you write must be backed up with evidence.
• Don’t let quotes speak for themselves. After every piece of evidence you include, make sure to explain your interpretation. Also, connect the evidence to your overarching argument.

Sophistication (0-1 point)

In this case, sophistication isn’t about how many fancy vocabulary words or how many semicolons you use. According to College Board , one point can be awarded to AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis essays that “demonstrate sophistication of thought and/or a complex understanding of the rhetorical situation” in any of these three ways:

• Explaining the significance or relevance of the writer’s rhetorical choices.
• Explaining the purpose or function of the passage’s complexities or tensions.
• Employing a style that is consistently vivid and persuasive.

Note that you don’t have to achieve all three to earn your sophistication point. A good way to think of this rubric category is to consider it a bonus point that you can earn for going above and beyond in depth of analysis or by writing an especially persuasive, clear, and well-structured essay. In order to earn this point, you’ll need to first do a good job with your thesis, evidence, and commentary.

• Focus on nailing an argumentative thesis and multiple types of evidence. Getting these fundamentals of your essay right will set you up for achieving depth of analysis.
• Explain how each piece of evidence connects to your thesis.
• Spend a minute outlining your essay before you begin to ensure your essay flows in a clear and cohesive way.
• Steer clear of generalizations about the author or text.
• Don’t include arguments you can’t prove with evidence from the text.
• Avoid complex sentences and fancy vocabulary words unless you use them often. Long, clunky sentences with imprecisely used words are hard to follow.

AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis: Sample Prompt

The sample prompt below is published online by College Board and is a real example from the 2021 AP Exam. The prompt provides background context, essay instructions, and the text you need to analyze. For sake of space, we’ve included the text as an image you can click to read. After the prompt, we provide a sample high scoring essay and then explain why this AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis essay example works.

Suggested time—40 minutes.

(This question counts as one-third of the total essay section score.)

On February 27, 2013, while in office, former president Barack Obama delivered the following address dedicating the Rosa Parks statue in the National Statuary Hall of the United States Capitol building. Rosa Parks was an African American civil rights activist who was arrested in 1955 for refusing to give up her seat on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Read the passage carefully. Write an essay that analyzes the rhetorical choices Obama makes to convey his message.

In your response you should do the following:

• Respond to the prompt with a thesis that analyzes the writer’s rhetorical choices.
• Select and use evidence to support your line of reasoning.
• Explain how the evidence supports your line of reasoning.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the rhetorical situation.
• Use appropriate grammar and punctuation in communicating your argument.

AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example

In his speech delivered in 2013 at the dedication of Rosa Park’s statue, President Barack Obama acknowledges everything that Parks’ activism made possible in the United States. Telling the story of Parks’ life and achievements, Obama highlights the fact that Parks was a regular person whose actions accomplished enormous change during the civil rights era. Through the use of diction that portrays Parks as quiet and demure, long lists that emphasize the extent of her impacts, and Biblical references, Obama suggests that all of us are capable of achieving greater good, just as Parks did.

Although it might be a surprising way to start to his dedication, Obama begins his speech by telling us who Parks was not: “Rosa Parks held no elected office. She possessed no fortune” he explains in lines 1-2. Later, when he tells the story of the bus driver who threatened to have Parks arrested when she refused to get off the bus, he explains that Parks “simply replied, ‘You may do that’” (lines 22-23). Right away, he establishes that Parks was a regular person who did not hold a seat of power. Her protest on the bus was not part of a larger plan, it was a simple response. By emphasizing that Parks was not powerful, wealthy, or loud spoken, he implies that Parks’ style of activism is an everyday practice that all of us can aspire to.

AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example (Continued)

Even though Obama portrays Parks as a demure person whose protest came “simply” and naturally, he shows the importance of her activism through long lists of ripple effects. When Parks challenged her arrest, Obama explains, Martin Luther King, Jr. stood with her and “so did thousands of Montgomery, Alabama commuters” (lines 27-28). They began a boycott that included “teachers and laborers, clergy and domestics, through rain and cold and sweltering heat, day after day, week after week, month after month, walking miles if they had to…” (lines 28-31). In this section of the speech, Obama’s sentences grow longer and he uses lists to show that Parks’ small action impacted and inspired many others to fight for change. Further, listing out how many days, weeks, and months the boycott lasted shows how Parks’ single act of protest sparked a much longer push for change.

To further illustrate Parks’ impact, Obama incorporates Biblical references that emphasize the importance of “that single moment on the bus” (lines 57-58). In lines 33-35, Obama explains that Parks and the other protestors are “driven by a solemn determination to affirm their God-given dignity” and he also compares their victory to the fall the “ancient walls of Jericho” (line 43). By of including these Biblical references, Obama suggests that Parks’ action on the bus did more than correct personal or political wrongs; it also corrected moral and spiritual wrongs. Although Parks had no political power or fortune, she was able to restore a moral balance in our world.

Toward the end of the speech, Obama states that change happens “not mainly through the exploits of the famous and the powerful, but through the countless acts of often anonymous courage and kindness” (lines 78-81). Through carefully chosen diction that portrays her as a quiet, regular person and through lists and Biblical references that highlight the huge impacts of her action, Obama illustrates exactly this point. He wants us to see that, just like Parks, the small and meek can change the world for the better.

AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example: Why It Works

We would give the AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis essay above a score of 6 out of 6 because it fully satisfies the essay’s 3 rubric categories: Thesis, Evidence and Commentary, and Sophistication . Let’s break down what this student did:

The thesis of this essay appears in the last line of the first paragraph:

“ Through the use of diction that portrays Parks as quiet and demure, long lists that emphasize the extent of her impacts, and Biblical references, Obama suggests that all of us are capable of achieving greater good, just as Parks did .”

This student’s thesis works because they make a clear argument about Obama’s rhetorical choices. They 1) list the rhetorical choices that will be analyzed in the rest of the essay (the italicized text above) and 2) include an argument someone else might disagree with (the bolded text above).

Evidence and Commentary:

This student includes substantial evidence and commentary. Things they do right, per the AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis rubric:

• They include lots of specific evidence from the text in the form of quotes.
• They incorporate 3 different types of evidence (diction, long lists, Biblical references).
• After including evidence, they offer an interpretation of what the evidence means and explain how the evidence contributes to their overarching argument (aka their thesis).

Sophistication

This essay achieves sophistication according to the AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis essay rubric in a few key ways:

• This student provides an introduction that flows naturally into the topic their essay will discuss. Before they get to their thesis, they tell us that Obama portrays Parks as a “regular person” setting up their main argument: Obama wants all regular people to aspire to do good in the world just as Rosa Parks did.
• They organize evidence and commentary in a clear and cohesive way. Each body paragraph focuses on just one type of evidence.
• They explain how their evidence is significant. In the final sentence of each body paragraph, they draw a connection back to the overarching argument presented in the thesis.
• All their evidence supports the argument presented in their thesis. There is no extraneous evidence or misleading detail.
• They consider nuances in the text. Rather than taking the text at face value, they consider what Obama’s rhetorical choices imply and offer their own unique interpretation of those implications.
• In their final paragraph, they come full circle, reiterate their thesis, and explain what Obama’s rhetorical choices communicate to readers.
• Their sentences are clear and easy to read. There are no grammar errors or misused words.

AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Essay—More Resources

Looking for more tips to help your master your AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Essay? Brush up on 20 Rhetorical Devices High School Students Should Know and read our Tips for Improving Reading Comprehension . If you’re ready to start studying for another part of the AP English Exam, find more expert tips in our How to Write the AP Lang Synthesis blog post.

Considering what other AP classes to take? Read up on the Hardest AP Classes .

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Christina Wood

Christina Wood holds a BA in Literature & Writing from UC San Diego, an MFA in Creative Writing from Washington University in St. Louis, and is currently a Doctoral Candidate in English at the University of Georgia, where she teaches creative writing and first-year composition courses. Christina has published fiction and nonfiction in numerous publications, including The Paris Review , McSweeney’s , Granta , Virginia Quarterly Review , The Sewanee Review , Mississippi Review , and Puerto del Sol , among others. Her story “The Astronaut” won the 2018 Shirley Jackson Award for short fiction and received a “Distinguished Stories” mention in the 2019 Best American Short Stories anthology.

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Home Essay Samples Philosophy Thomas Paine

Thomas Paine's "Rights of Man": An Argumentative Analysis

Table of contents, democracy and representative government, natural rights and social equality, social contract and revolution, legacy and relevance.

• Paine, T. (1791). Rights of Man. J. S. Jordan.
• Ashcraft, R. (1989). Revolutionary Politics and Locke's Two Treatises of Government. Princeton University Press.
• Dunn, J. (Ed.). (1984). The Political Thought of John Locke: An Historical Account of the Argument of the "Two Treatises of Government". Cambridge University Press.
• Kramnick, I. (Ed.). (1989). Thomas Paine: Common Sense and Other Political Writings. Penguin.
• Hitchens, C. (2007). Thomas Paine's Rights of Man: A Biography. Atlantic Books.

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Thomas Paine ‘Rights of Man’ Ap English Language 2011 Essay Example

• Pages: 2 (472 words)
• Published: June 4, 2017
• Type: Analysis

In 'Rights of Man', pamphleteer Thomas Paine makes it clear that according to him, "by the simple operation of constructing government on the principles of society and the rights of man, every difficulty retires". While this may have been true in 1971, it is not so today. While America has a diverse population, whether there is a "cordial unison" among all its citizens is a matter of much debate. For, while they may be given the same constitutional rights, many immigrants and Americans are far from being treated as equals.

In America, as in every other nation, as in every diverse society, there is discrimination by its citizens against its diverse citizenship. Whereas some nations discriminate based on caste or religion, most of the discrimination prevailing in America today is racial between the 'blacks' and the 'whites'. While one may give the example of the fi

rst Black President, Barack Obama to counter my point, simply his election is not enough to say that all american citizens and treated equally. Racial discrimination against Asian-Americans, Latin-Americans and Arab-Americans (Islamophobia) is also prevalent.

This brings us to the unlawful persecution of members of the Islamic communtiy post 9/11. Various cases have been reported where people have lost their jobs, or children have sufferred incessant bullying because of the religion they follow. Even today, one can see that not all Americans are wholeheartedly accepting of Muslims. Furthermore, due to the average citizens ignorance, many Sikhs and Punjabis in the United States have also been unjustly accused of being involved in terrorist activities beacuse of their similar physical appearance and habits of maining long beards.

Now that we are on the topic o

religion, it would do us good to remember how many religious leaders and churches have spoken out against homosexuality, claiming it to be a disease. One would have hoped that in the 21st century, when all other aspects of our social lives have advanced to a tremendous degree of individual choice and freedom, we would be much more accepting of homosexuals. After countless appeals, seminars and support from well known personalities, not to mention perseverance on the part of citizens such as Aaron Finke and Harvey Milk, it is good to know that an increasing number of tates have legalised homosexuality and same-sex marriages. However, if we travel towards the south, many states such as Texas still hold the belief that homosexuality is an unnatural disease and a sin and homosexuals are often made to feel unwelcome or even ostracized by close-built rural communities. I fervently believe that, as illustrated above, while all American citizens may constitutionally have the same rights, the poor attitudes and ignorance of many of their citizens prevents others from attaining their rights without fear of persecution and hence prevents them from being, in Thomas Paine's words, "brought into cordial unison".

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An NPR editor who wrote a critical essay on the company has resigned after being suspended

David Bauder

Associated Press

NEW YORK – A National Public Radio editor who wrote an essay criticizing his employer for promoting liberal views resigned on Wednesday, attacking NPR's new CEO on the way out.

Uri Berliner, a senior editor on NPR's business desk, posted his resignation letter on X, formerly Twitter, a day after it was revealed that he had been suspended for five days for violating company rules about outside work done without permission.

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“I cannot work in a newsroom where I am disparaged by a new CEO whose divisive views confirm the very problems” written about in his essay, Berliner said in his resignation letter.

Katherine Maher, a former tech executive appointed in January as NPR’s chief executive, has been criticized by conservative activists for social media messages that disparaged former President Donald Trump. The messages predated her hiring at NPR.

NPR’s public relations chief said the organization does not comment on individual personnel matters.

The suspension and subsequent resignation highlight the delicate balance that many U.S. news organizations and their editorial employees face. On one hand, as journalists striving to produce unbiased news, they're not supposed to comment on contentious public issues; on the other, many journalists consider it their duty to critique their own organizations' approaches to journalism when needed.

In his essay , written for the online Free Press site, Berliner said NPR is dominated by liberals and no longer has an open-minded spirit. He traced the change to coverage of Trump's presidency.

“There's an unspoken consensus about the stories we should pursue and how they should be framed,” he wrote. “It's frictionless — one story after another about instances of supposed racism, transphobia, signs of the climate apocalypse, Israel doing something bad and the dire threat of Republican policies. It's almost like an assembly line.”

He said he'd brought up his concerns internally and no changes had been made, making him “a visible wrong-thinker at a place I love.”

In the essay's wake, NPR top editorial executive, Edith Chapin, said leadership strongly disagreed with Berliner's assessment of the outlet's journalism and the way it went about its work.

It's not clear what Berliner was referring to when he talked about disparagement by Maher. In a lengthy memo to staff members last week, she wrote: “Asking a question about whether we're living up to our mission should always be fair game: after all, journalism is nothing if not hard questions. Questioning whether our people are serving their mission with integrity, based on little more than the recognition of their identity, is profoundly disrespectful, hurtful and demeaning.”

Conservative activist Christopher Rufo revealed some of Maher's past tweets after the essay was published. In one tweet, dated January 2018, Maher wrote that “Donald Trump is a racist.” A post just before the 2020 election pictured her in a Biden campaign hat.

In response, an NPR spokeswoman said Maher, years before she joined the radio network, was exercising her right to express herself. She is not involved in editorial decisions at NPR, the network said.

The issue is an example of what can happen when business executives, instead of journalists, are appointed to roles overseeing news organizations: they find themselves scrutinized for signs of bias in ways they hadn’t been before. Recently, NBC Universal News Group Chairman Cesar Conde has been criticized for service on paid corporate boards.

Maher is the former head of the Wikimedia Foundation. NPR's own story about the 40-year-old executive's appointment in January noted that she “has never worked directly in journalism or at a news organization.”

In his resignation letter, Berliner said that he did not support any efforts to strip NPR of public funding. “I respect the integrity of my colleagues and wish for NPR to thrive and do important journalism,” he wrote.

David Bauder writes about media for The Associated Press. Follow him at http://twitter.com/dbauder

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Police confirm Missouri officer fired fatal shot that killed man who allegedly shot another man

The Associated Press

April 17, 2024, 12:38 PM

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FERGUSON, Mo. (AP) — A Ferguson, Missouri, police officer fired the fatal shot that killed at man at a gas station in the St. Louis suburb, police said Wednesday.

The shooting happened just before 1:30 a.m. Tuesday at a convenience store. Police said 26-year-old Detarius Haynes and 18-year-old Joshua Campbell were in a vehicle that pulled up to a gas pump. St. Louis County police said in a news release that Campbell shot Haynes, who collapsed and died near the gas pump. It wasn’t immediately clear what prompted that shooting.

A Ferguson officer who was walking out of the store shot Campbell. He ran onto West Florissant Road, where he collapsed and died, St. Louis County police said.

The 37-year-old officer was unhurt.

Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

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‘Satanic rituals’ at Taylor Swift shows? That’s false. And experts say the attack isn’t new.

Experts say musicians have been accused of performing satanic rituals for decades

Social media users have their pitchforks and proof, as Taylor Swift lyrics famously say, and they’re hunting for Satan worshippers. The current target? Swift herself.

“Taylor Swift is doing satanic rituals during her shows,” said a man in an  April 12 Facebook reel .

“This is now coming just blatantly,” he said, as footage played of Swift wearing a green cloak surrounded by dancers holding golden orbs. “You’ve got Taylor Swift doing all kinds of witchcraft rituals and satanic stuff on stage.”

Then he showed a clip from Swift’s “Karma” music video, saying: “It shows Taylor Swift in what appears to be hell wearing what appears to be a devil mask.”

Taylor Swift holds a red mask with horns in front of her face the “Karma” music video. (Screenshot/YouTube)

“Nice devil mask there, Taylor Swift,” he said. “Why the devil mask? Why this kind of imagery?”

In another Facebook  video , a man claimed one of Swift’s hand gestures during her Eras Tour show was the singer “throwing up the devil horns.”

These posts were flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our  partnership with Meta , which owns Facebook and Instagram.)

Swift’s catalog of lyrics includes mentions of witches, devils and angels. She sings, “Women like hunting witches, too,” in “Mad Woman” from her 2020 album “Folklore.” In the 2019 song “Cruel Summer,” she sings, “Devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes.” We found no mentions of Satan, Lucifer or satanic rituals.

Although some critics have  claimed  her Eras Tour performance of the song “Willow” promotes witchcraft, we found no evidence that Swift’s performances intentionally feature satanic rituals. The “Willow” dance appears to be a stage adaptation of a similar scene from her  music video .

There is  no clear evidence  Satan worship has ever  been practiced  in an organized and widespread way, so it isn’t clear what “Satanic rituals” the post claimed Swift was performing.

Lucien Greaves, co-founder of The Satanic Temple, a religious organization that the IRS recognizes as a tax-exempt church, said that he sees public concern raised about celebrities and alleged satanism almost every month. He called claims like these “incredibly asinine conspiracy theories.”

What would a “satanic ritual” even look like? It’s not clear. The Satanic Temple’s frequently asked questions  page says  the group does not worship Satan or believe Satan — or anything “supernatural” — exists. There is no sacred scripture nor any required rituals. It is a religion because it  provides  “a sense of identity, culture, community, and shared values,” the website says.

Some members may perform rituals they find “personally meaningful” and that are tailored to their individual needs, the  FAQ page  said. Such rituals may include “unbaptisms,” in which people renounce superstitions imposed on them without consent, and destruction rituals, in which people destroy an object they own that symbolizes a source of pain.

We found no evidence that Swift has engaged in any of those activities. She has publicly described herself as a Christian.

In the 2020 documentary “Miss Americana,” she expressed frustration with the policy positions of then-Senate candidate Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn. (Swift endorsed Blackburn’s  democratic opponent  in 2018; Blackburn was elected in November 2018.)

“Those aren’t ‘Tennessee Christian values,’” Swift said. “I live in Tennessee. I am Christian. That’s not what we stand for.”

Still, like a line from Swift’s “Reputation” album — “they’re burning all the witches, even if you aren’t one” — the lack of evidence hasn’t stopped social media claims linking Swift to satanism or devil worship.

Swift previously appeared to poke fun at the witchcraft attacks. In November, she shared  a video  captured during a performance, when she was singing about an airplane and a plane happened to fly overhead at the open-air stadium, with the caption, “Never beating the sorcery allegations.”

Never beating the sorcery allegations ✨🛬✨ pic.twitter.com/d0mlvF4gZW — Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) November 13, 2023

We contacted Swift’s spokesperson and received no reply.

A history of musicians facing satanism accusations

Experts told PolitiFact that musicians have long been accused of performing satanic rituals.

“When someone goes looking for signs of satanic ritual, they will find those signs everywhere, from the packaging on products they buy to stop signs,” said Susan Campbell, a distinguished lecturer in the University of New Haven’s Department of Communication, Film and Media Studies.

Joseph Uscinski, a University of Miami political science professor who studies conspiracy theories, agreed that “people see what they want to see.”

“There is a long history of satanic panics in the United States,” Uscinski said. In the 1980s, “all of my favorite bands were accused of taking part in satanic rituals: Led Zeppelin, Ozzy Osbourne, Motley Crue, Iron Maiden.”

Campbell said fans of the rock band Kiss might recall warnings that the band’s name stood for “Knights In Satan’s Service” and related rumors that listeners were “guilty of worshiping Satan.”

“Love the band, hate the band, there is no evidence that members or fans of Kiss worship the devil,” Campbell said.

Campbell said she thinks that Swift’s  2020 endorsement  of President Joe Biden and her  success in encouraging  her fans to register to vote “opened the door for people” to falsely attack her.

“The better approach when faced with such nonsense is a fairly simple two-step process,” Campbell said. “1. Consider the source of these rumors and 2. Do a little digging for yourself.”

A Facebook post says, “Taylor Swift is doing satanic rituals during her shows.”

Swift’s songs mention neither Satan nor Satanic rituals. Swift has publicly described herself as a Christian.

The leader of The Satanic Temple dismissed the allegations about Swift as conspiracy theories, and there is no clear evidence Satan worship has ever been practiced in an organized and widespread way.

At PolitiFact, the burden of proof is on the speaker. Absent proof, we rate this claim False.

This fact check was originally published by PolitiFact , which is part of the Poynter Institute. See the sources for this fact check here .

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Family of Minnesota man shot to death by state trooper in traffic stop files civil rights lawsuit

By STEVE KARNOWSKI Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The family of a Minnesota man who was killed by a state trooper during a traffic stop has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit, alleging that the fatal shooting was unjustified and unlawful. The lawsuit names Troopers Ryan Londregan, who shot Ricky Cobb II, and Brett Seide, who made the initial stop. Londregan, a white officer, was already facing murder charges for killing Cobb, a Black man. It has become a politically charged case in the city where the murder of George Floyd sparked global protests. Londregan’s lawyer, Chris Madel, says they will fight the civil lawsuit with the same vigor that they have fought the criminal charges.

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