Final answer:
The sentence in question primarily uses pathos by invoking feelings of fear to emotionally engage the audience and create a sense of urgency.
Step-by-step explanation:
The sentence "Unchecked, unrestrained violence and government-sanctioned terror had the power to turn a simple stroll to the store for some Skittles or an innocent morning jog down a lonesome country road into a nightmare" is primarily using pathos as a rhetorical strategy. Pathos appeals to the audience's emotions, and in this sentence, it invokes the feelings of fear and the potential loss of safety in everyday activities.
These emotions are meant to engage the audience on an emotional level, creating a sense of urgency and empathy towards the issue presented. While ethos and logos are also important rhetorical appeals, ethos involves establishing the speaker's credibility, and logos relies on logic and reasoning. This particular sentence does not aim to establish credibility or present logical arguments but rather seeks to evoke an emotional response.