Practical Argument: A Text and Anthology

PART

1 Understanding Argument

1 The Four Pillars of Argument
AT ISSUE Is a College Education Worth the Money?
The Elements of Argument
- Thesis Statement
- Evidence
- Refutation
- Concluding Statement
- CHECKLIST: DOES YOUR ARGUMENT STAND UP?
- NIA TUCKSON, Why Foreign-Language Study Should Be Required [STUDENT ESSAY]
  - A student writer uses the four pillars of argument as she makes the case for a foreign-language requirement in college.
- ANDREW HERMAN, Raise the Drinking Age to Twenty-Five
  - A college student claims that his peers cannot drink responsibly.
READING AND WRITING ABOUT THE ISSUE Is a College Education Worth the Money?
- DAVID LEONHARDT, Is College Worth It? Clearly, New Data Say
  - A logos -based argument uses income statistics to support the claim that everyone should go to college.
- MARTY NEMKO, We Send Too Many Students to College
  - A career counselor claims that college is a good choice only for some people.
- JENNIE LE, What Does It Mean to Be a College Grad?
  - A first-generation American writes that her college degree symbolizes the opportunities the United States offers.
- DALE STEPHENS, College Is a Waste of Time
  - The recipient of a fellowship for entrepreneurs explains why he is forgoing college.
- BRIDGET TERRY LONG, College Is Worth It—some of the Time
  - An economist specializing in education proposes criteria for determining the value of a college education.
- MARY C. DALY AND LEILA BENGALI, Is It Still Worth Going to College?
  - Two employees at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco look at earnings premiums as they consider whether college is worth the cost.
- TONY BRUMMEL, Practical Experience Trumps Fancy Degrees
  - The founder and owner of a successful independent record label explains why he is happy he decided not to go to college.

PART

2 Reading and Responding to Arguments

- 2 Thinking and Reading Critically
- AT ISSUE Do Violent Media Images Trigger Violent Behavior?
- Thinking Critically
  - Using Critical-Thinking Skills [BOX]
- Reading Critically
  - Guidelines for Reading Critically [BOX]
- Becoming an Active Reader
  - Previewing
  - Close Reading
  - Comprehension Clues [BOX]
  - GERARD JONES, Violent Media Is Good for Kids
    - An argument in favor of “creative violence” offers students an opportunity to practice thinking critically and reading actively.
  - Highlighting
  - Suggestions for Highlighting [BOX]
  - JOHN LEO, When Life Imitates Video
    - A student writer highlights a columnist’s argument on the consequences of violent video games.
  - Annotating
  - CHECKLIST: QUESTIONS FOR ANNOTATING
  - JOHN LEO, When Life Imitates Video
    - A student writer adds annotations to Leo’s essay (highlighted above).
  - JESSICA ROBBINS, Don’t Withhold Violent Games
    - An argument for allowing violent games provides an example for highlighting, annotation, and critical analysis.
  - AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION, Violence in Mass Media
    - The American Psychological Association revises a 1985 resolution on television violence to address more recent forms of media and media violence.
- Writing a Critical Response
  - CHECKLIST: QUESTIONS FOR CRITICAL READING
  - KATHERINE CHOI, Response to “When Life Imitates Video” [STUDENT RESPONSE]
    - A student responds to John Leo, examining his argument and explaining its shortcomings.
  - TEMPLATE FOR WRITING A CRITICAL RESPONSE
- 3 Decoding Visual Arguments
- AT ISSUE Do Violent Media Images Trigger Violent Behavior?
- Thinking Critically about Visual Arguments
  - Visuals versus Visual Arguments [BOX]
- Using Active Reading Strategies with Visual Arguments
  - Comprehension Clues [BOX]
  - Appeals: Logos, Pathos, and Ethos [BOX]
  - TODD DAVIDSON, Media Violence [VISUAL]
    - An image serves as a commentary on children and violence.
  - MAX FISHER, Gun-Related Murders and Video Game Consumption [GRAPHS]
    - Two graphs provide insight into the correlation between gun-related murders and video games.
  - BOB ENGELHART, Violent Video Games [CARTOON]
    - A comic makes a visual argument about representations of violence.
  - PARENTHOOD LIBRARY, Distribution of Language, Sex, and Violence Codes in PG-Rated Movies [CHART]
    - A pie chart indicates that nearly half of all movies rated PG earn that rating because of violence.
  - Boy Playing Violent Video Game [PHOTOGRAPH]
    - An image prompts questions about children and violence.
  - Ways to Die in Children’s Cartoons [CHART]
    - This chart uses data from a British medical journal study to break down how characters most often die in animated films.
  - LAUREN DAZZARA, Why Gaming Is a Positive Element in Life [INFOGRAPHIC]
    - A visually enhanced presentation of gaming statistics makes an appealing case for the positive impacts of video games.
- Highlighting and Annotating Visuals
  - ROCKSTAR NORTH, Grand Theft Auto IV [ADVERTISEMENT]
    - A student writer annotates an image from a popular video game.
  - NATE LONDA, silence the Violence [IMAGE]
    - An artist’s visual representation of the threat of violence in the media.
- Responding Critically to Visual Arguments
  - CHECKLIST: QUESTIONS FOR RESPONDING TO VISUAL ARGUMENTS
  - JASON SAVONA, Response to Grand Theft Auto IV [STUDENT RESPONSE]
    - A student writer analyzes an image from a popular video game.
  - TEMPLATE FOR RESPONDING TO VISUAL ARGUMENTS
- 4 Writing a Rhetorical Analysis
- AT ISSUE Is It Ethical to Buy Counterfeit Designer Merchandise?
- What Is a Rhetorical Analysis?
  - Overview: “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr. [BOX]
- Considering the Rhetorical Situation
  - Analyzing the Rhetorical Situation [BOX]
  - The Writer
  - Analyzing the Writer [BOX]
  - The Writer’s Purpose
  - Analyzing the Writer’s Purpose [BOX]
  - The Writer’s Audience
  - Analyzing the Writer’s Audience [BOX]
  - The Question
  - Analyzing the Question [BOX]
  - The Context
  - Analyzing the Context [BOX]
- Considering the Means of Persuasion: Logos, Pathos, Ethos
  - The Appeal to Reason (Logos)
  - The Appeal to the Emotions (Pathos)
  - The Appeal to Authority (Ethos)
- Considering the Writer’s Rhetorical Strategies
  - Thesis
  - Organization
  - Evidence
  - Stylistic Techniques
- Assessing the Argument
  - CHECKLIST: PREPARING TO WRITE A RHETORICAL ANALYSIS
- Sample Rhetorical Analysis
  - DANA THOMAS, Terror’s Purse Strings
    - A writer argues that the counterfeit handbag industry has ties to terrorism.
  - DENIZ BILGUTAY, A Powerful Call to Action [STUDENT ESSAY]
    - A student writer analyzes the rhetorical strategies Dana Thomas uses in “Terror’s Purse Strings.”
  - RAJEEV RAVISANKAR, Sweatshop Oppression
    - An essay by a student journalist, arguing that the blame for sweatshops should be placed on corporations, offers an opportunity for students to write a rhetorical analysis.
  - TEMPLATE FOR WRITING A RHETORICAL ANALYSIS
  - NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF, Where Sweatshops Are a Dream
    - A columnist for the New York Times explains why sweatshops are not always bad.
- 5 Understanding Logic and Recognizing Logical Fallacies
- AT ISSUSE How Free Should Free Speech Be?
- What Is Deductive Reasoning?
- Constructing Sound Syllogisms
  - Syllogism with an Illogical Middle Term
  - Syllogism with a Key Term Whose Meaning Shifts
  - Syllogism with Negative Premise
- Recognizing Enthymemes
  - Bumper-Sticker Thinking [BOX]
- Writing Deductive Arguments
  - CRYSTAL SANCHEZ, College Should Be for Everyone [STUDENT ESSAY]
    - A student argues that every U.S. citizen should have an opportunity to attend college.
- What Is Inductive Reasoning?
  - Reaching Inductive Conclusions [BOX]
- Making Inferences
- Constructing Strong Inductive Arguments
  - Generalization Too Broad
  - Insufficient Evidence
  - Irrelevant Evidence
  - Exceptions to the Rule
- Writing Inductive Arguments
  - WILLIAM SALETAN, Please Do Not Feed the Humans
    - In an inductive argument, a Slate writer takes the position that obesity is a global problem.
- Recognizing Logical Fallacies
  - Begging the Question
  - Circular Reasoning
  - Weak Analogy
  - Ad Hominem Fallacy (Personal Attack)
  - Creating a Straw Man
  - Hasty or Sweeping Generalization (Jumping to a Conclusion)
  - Either/Or Fallacy (False Dilemma)
  - Equivocation
  - Red Herring
  - Slippery Slope
  - You Also (Tu Quoque)
  - Appeal to Doubtful Authority
  - Misuse of Statistics
  - Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc (After This, Therefore Because of This)
  - Non Sequitur (It Does Not Follow)
  - Bandwagon Fallacy
  - PATRICK J. BUCHANAN, Immigration Time-Out
    - A political commentary makes a case for a halt to immigration, offering students an opportunity to evaluate the logic of his arguments.
- READING AND WRITING ABOUT THE ISSUE How Free Should Free Speech Be?
  - THANE ROSENBAUM, Should Neo-Nazis Be Allowed Free speech?
    - An essay on the lasting effects of emotional harm questions whether there should be limits placed on free speech.
  - SOL STERN, The Unfree Speech Movement
    - An “early-1960s radical” reflects on the origins of the Free Speech Movement and the negative impact he feels it has had on true open- mindedness.
  - AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS, On Freedom of Expression and Campus Speech Codes
    - A policy statement advises institutions of learning to avoid instituting speech codes.
  - WENDY KAMINER, Progressive Ideas Have Killed Free Speech on Campus
    - A college professor argues that discomfort should not be confused with oppression.
  - JUDITH SHULEVITZ, In College and Hiding from Scary Ideas
    - An op-ed questions the concept of college as a “safe space.”
  - ERIC POSNER, Universities Are Right to Crack Down on Speech and Behavior
    - A law professor defends the rights of universities to institute speech codes.
  - TEMPLATE FOR WRITING A DEDUCTIVE ARGUMENT
  - TEMPLATE FOR WRITING AN INDUCTIVE ARGUMENT
- 6 Rogerian Argument, Toulmin Logic, and Oral Arguments
- AT ISSUE Is Online Education Better Than Classroom Education?
- Understanding Rogerian Argument
- Structuring Rogerian Arguments
- Writing Rogerian Arguments
  - ZOYA KAHN, Why Cell Phones Do Not Belong in the Classroom [STUDENT ESSAY]
    - A student argues that cell phones should be turned off during class.
- Understanding Toulmin Logic
- Constructing Toulmin Arguments
- Writing Toulmin Arguments
  - JEN DAVIS, Competitive Cheerleaders Are Athletes [STUDENT ESSAY]
    - A student makes the case that “competitive cheerleaders are athletes in every sense of the word.”
- Understanding Oral Arguments
- Planning an Oral Argument
  - CHECKLIST: DESIGNING AND DISPLAYING VISUALS
- Delivering Oral Arguments
- Dealing with Nervousness [BOX]
- Composing an Oral Argument
  - CHANTEE STEELE, An Argument in Support of the “Gap Year” [STUDENT SPEECH]
    - A model oral argument, this student speech makes a case for taking a year off between high school and college.
- READING AND WRITING ABOUT THE ISSUE Is Online Education Better Than Classroom Education?
  - COLLEGEDEGREESEARCH.NET, The Evolution of Online Schooling [INFOGRAPHIC]
    - A timeline illustrates the origins and growth of online learning since the 1930s.
  - CHRIS BUSTAMANTE, The Risks and Rewards of Online Learning
    - A writer for the Community Colleges Times looks at online instruction at Rio Salado College, which currently serves more than 41,000 online students.
  - DAVID SMITH, Reliance on Online Materials Hinders Learning Potential for Students
    - This opinion essay from the student newspaper of the University of Nebraska refutes the idea that online instruction improves on the traditional model.
  - ELENA KADVANY, Online Education Needs Connection
    - Another student newspaper writer calls for a blend of traditional and online education.
  - JOHN CRISP, Short Distance Learning
    - A college professor argues for the importance of face-to-face instruction.
  - SCOTT L. NEWSTOK, A Plea for Close Learning
    - A college professor makes the case for keeping human interaction as the foundation of learning.
  - RAY MCNULTY, Old Flames and New Beacons
    - An executive in the education industry and former education commissioner for Vermont points to distance learning as an avenue for future student success.
  - PETE RORABAUGH, Trading Classroom Authority for Online Community
    - A professor of English at Kennesaw State University presents the trade-offs involved in online learning.
  - TEMPLATE FOR WRITING A ROGERIAN ARGUMENT
  - TEMPLATE FOR WRITING A TOULMIN ARGUMENT

PART

3 Writing an Argumentative Essay

PART

4 Using Sources to Support Your Argument

- 8 Finding and Evaluating Sources
- AT ISSUE Is Technology a Serious Threat to Our Privacy?
- Finding Sources
  - Finding Information in the Library
  - Finding Information on the Internet
- Evaluating Sources
  - NICHOLAS THOMPSON, Bigger Brother: The Exponential Law of Privacy Loss
    - A writer for the New Yorker explains that the amount of personal information companies have about each of us is rapidly increasing.
  - USA TODAY EDITORIAL BOARD, Time to Enact “Do Not Track”
    - An editorial urges lawmakers to help protect privacy online.
  - REBECCA MACKINNON, Privacy and Facebook
    - This excerpt from MacKinnon’s book Consent of the Networked examines the impact of unannounced changes in the Facebook privacy settings for Iranian users.
  - Evaluating Websites
  - Using a Site’s URL to Assess Its Objectivity [BOX]
  - Avoiding Confirmation Bias [BOX]
  - THE CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION, Home Page [WEBSITE]
    - This website for a journal for college and university professors and administrators includes a variety of articles and features.
  - GLAMOUR MAGAZINE, Home Page [WEBSITE]
    - This website for a general-interest magazine offers sports and entertainment news.
  - THE CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION, About the Chronicle [WEBSITE]
    - The Chronicle explains its purpose and audience.
  - GLAMOUR MAGAZINE, About Glamour [WEBSITE]
    - Glamour describes its reader as “the woman who sets the direction of her own life” and helps her achieve her dreams.
  - JONATHAN MAHLER, Who Spewed That Abuse? Anonymous Yik Yak App Isn’t Telling
    - A segment on technology for the New York Times explores a new app whose privacy settings often lead to anonymous verbal abuse.
  - JENNIFER GOLBECK, All Eyes on You
    - The director of the Human-Computer Interaction Lab at the University of Maryland explores the ways that technology is tracking modern users.
  - CRAIG DESSON, My Creepy Instagram Map Knows Where I Live
    - An article on the ease with which social media sites reveal your location.
  - SHARON JAYSON, Is Online Dating Safe?
    - An article asks readers to consider online dating in terms of safety and privacy.
  - SAM LAIRD, Should Athletes Have Social Media Privacy? One Bill Says Yes
    - A sports reporter addresses the legal question of privacy for college athletes.
- 9 Summarizing, Paraphrasing, Quoting, and Synthesizing Sources
- AT ISSUE Is Technology a Serious Threat to Our Privacy?
- Summarizing Sources
  - When to Summarize [BOX]
  - Summarizing Sources [BOX]
- Paraphrasing Sources
  - When to Paraphrase [BOX]
  - Paraphrasing sources [BOX]
- Quoting Sources
  - When to Quote [BOX]
  - Quoting Sources [BOX]
  - SHELLEY FRALIC, Don’t Fall for the Myths about Online Privacy
    - Fralic points out the naiveté of believing there is privacy to be found online.
- Working Source Material into Your Argument
- Synthesizing Sources
- 10 Documenting Sources: MLA
  - Why Document Sources? [BOX]
- Using Parenthetical References
- Preparing the Works-Cited List
  - Periodicals
  - Books
  - Audiovisual Sources
  - Internet Sources
  - Legal Case
  - Government Document
  - MLA Paper Guidelines [BOX]
  - ERIN BLAINE, Should Data Posted on Social-Networking Sites Be “Fair Game” for Employers? [MODEL MLA PAPER]
    - A student paper illustrates Modern Language Association (MLA) documentation style.
- 11 Using Sources Responsibly
- AT ISSUE Where Should We Draw the Line with Plagiarism?
- Understanding Plagiarism
- Revising to Eliminate Plagiarism
- READING AND WRITING ABOUT THE ISSUE I Where Should We Draw the Line with Plagiarism?
  - JACK SHAFER, Sidebar: Comparing the Copy
    - A journalist shows how different newspapers use the same source material—some more ethically than others.
  - LAWRENCE M. HINMAN, How to Fight College Cheating
    - A philosophy professor poses three suggestions for combating cheating and plagiarism
  - TRIP GABRIEL, Plagiarism Lines Blur for Students in Digital Age
    - Digital technology makes it more difficult to know when to give credit for sources of information, explains this writer in an article from the New York Times.
  - ELIZABETH MINKEL, Too Hard Not to Cheat in the Internet Age?
    - A response to Trip Gabriel’s article rejects the idea that technology necessarily complicates the problem of plagiarism.
  - RICHARD A. POSNER, The Truth about Plagiarism
    - A noted legal scholar examines how popular culture reinvents itself and clarifies what it means to commit academic plagiarism.
  - DYLAN BYERS, Plagiarism and BuzzFeed’s Achilles’ Heel
    - A blog post points out the nuances of plagiarism on the Internet.
  - K. BALIBALOS AND J. GOPALAKRISHNAN, OK or Not?
    - A poll series examines the issue of plagiarism from student and instructor perspectives.
  - DAN ARIELY, Essay Mills: A Coarse Lesson in Cheating
    - A professor tries his hand at using an “essay mill.”
  - Term Papers for Sale Advertisement [WEB PAGE]
  - TEMPLATE FOR WRITING AN ARGUMENT ABOUT PLAGIARISM
  - WRITING ASSIGNMENTS: USING SOURCES RESPONSIBLY

PART

5 READING AND WRITING ABOUT THE ISSUE

- 12 Definition Arguments
- AT ISSUE Is Wikipedia a Legitimate Research Source?
- What Is a Definition Argument?
- Developing Definitions
  - Dictionary Definitions (Formal Definitions)
  - Extended Definitions
  - Operational Definitions
- Structuring a Definition Argument
  - ADAM KENNEDY, Why I Am a Nontraditional Student [STUDENT ESSAY]
    - A student writer examines the limitations of one definition of “nontraditional student.”
  - GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: AVOIDING IS WHERE AND IS WHEN
  - EJ GARR, Athlete vs. Role Model
    - A sports-radio host offers an argument for why athletes are, and are not, role models.
  - Firefighters at Ground Zero [PHOTOGRAPH]; The Tuskegee Airmen [PHOTOGRAPH]
    - Two images provide visual definitions of courage.
- READING AND WRITING ABOUT THE ISSUE Is Wikipedia a Legitimate Research Source?
  - TIMOTHY MESSER-KRUSE, The “Undue Weight” of Truth on Wikipedia
    - When he tries to correct factual errors, a professor notes something odd about Wikipedia ’s policy for posting information on its site.
  - MICHAEL MARTINEZ, Why Citations Do Not Make Wikipedia and Similar Sites Credible
    - An article breaks down the potential pitfalls of citing the work of others.
  - KEVIN MORRIS, After a Half-Decade, Massive Wikipedia Hoax Finally Exposed
    - An editor at TheDailyDot.com points out a long-standing hoax as proof of the fallibility of Wikipedia.
  - ALISON HUDSON, Stop Wikipedia Shaming
    - A college English instructor defends the usefulness of Wikipedia in an academic setting.
  - ANDREAS KOLBE, Debunking the “Accurate as Britannica” Myth?
    - A rebuttal breaks down the flaws in a reliability study of Wikipedia and Britannica.
  - RANDALL STROSS, Anonymous Source Is Not the Same as Open Source
    - A historian discusses the problem anonymous sources present for those trying to assess their credibility.
  - WIKIPEDIA, Wikipedia: About; INTERNET ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PHILOSOPHY, About the IEP
    - Two online encyclopedias explain their purposes.
  - NEIL WATERS, Wikiphobia: The Latest in Open Source
    - A professor recounts the international media attention he and his college received after his department banned the use of Wikipedia as a source.
  - TEMPLATE FOR WRITING A DEFINITION ARGUMENT
  - WRITING ASSIGNMENTS: DEFINITION ARGUMENTS
- 13 Cause-and-Effect Arguments
- AT ISSUE Should Vaccination Be Required for All Children?
- What Is a Cause-and-Effect Argument?
  - In One Year, Guns Murdered [ADVERTISEMENT]
  - Surgeon General’s Warning [PHOTOGRAPH]
  - Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving [ADVERTISEMENT]
  - Bumper Stickers [PHOTOGRAPH]
- Understanding Cause-and-Effect Relationships
  - Main and Contributory Causes
  - Immediate and Remote Causes
  - Causal Chains
  - Key Words for Cause-and-Effect Arguments [BOX]
  - Post Hoc Reasoning
  - NORA EPHRON, The Chicken Soup Chronicles
    - A popular essayist offers a humorous take on post hoc reasoning.
- Structuring a Cause-and-Effect Argument
  - KRISTINA MIALKI, Texting: A Boon, Not a Threat, to Language [STUDENT ESSAY]
    - A student argues that texting is a creative and effective use of the English language.
  - GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: AVOIDING “THE REASON IS BECAUSE”
  - PEGGY ORENSTEIN, Should the World of Toys Be Gender-Free?
    - A writer looks into the relationship between gender and toys.
- READING AND WRITING ABOUT THE ISSUE Should Vaccination Be Required for All Children?
  - CLYDE HABERMAN, A Discredited Vaccine Study’s Continuing Impact on Public Health
    - An article uses the post hoc fallacy to illuminate the conversation about vaccines and autism.
  - JANET D. STEMWEDEL, saying No to Vaccines
    - A professor of philosophy makes an ethical argument in favor of vaccination.
  - MAHESH VIDULA, Individual Rights vs. Public Health: The Vaccination Debate
    - This article presents the positions and motivations of both sides of the vaccination debate.
  - BEN CARSON, Vaccinations Are for the Good of the Nation
    - A doctor in favor of small government makes the case for mandatory vaccination.
  - RUSSELL SAUNDERS, Pediatrician: Vaccinate Your Kids—or Get Out of My Office
    - A pediatrician explains why he will not accept patients whose parents refuse to vaccinate them.
  - JEFFREY SINGER, Vaccination and Free Will
    - After exploring the debate from a variety of angles, Singer concludes that mass immunization does more harm than good.
  - JENNY MCCARTHY, The Gray Area on Vaccines
    - Actress and social activist Jenny McCarthy clarifies her stance on vaccination.
  - Facts about the Measles [GRAPHIC]
    - Three images offer a visual representation of herd immunity.
  - TEMPLATE FOR WRITING A CAUSE-AND-EFFECT ARGUMENT
  - WRITING ASSIGNMENTS: CAUSE-AND-EFFECT ARGUMENTS
- 14 Evaluation Arguments
- AT ISSUE Do the Benefits of Fracking Outweigh the Environmental Risks?
- What Is an Evaluation Argument?
  - Making Evaluations [BOX]
  - Identifying Bias [BOX]
  - Criteria for Evaluation
- Structuring an Evaluation Argument
  - KEVIN MURPHY, Evaluation of a Website: RateMyProfessors.com [STUDENT ESSAY]
    - A student evaluates the usefulness of a popular site.
  - GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES
  - VERNON R. WIEHE, Nothing Pretty in Child Pageants
    - A former professor asks questions about the phenomenon of child beauty pageants—and suggests some disturbing answers.
- READING AND WRITING ABOUT THE ISSUE Do the Benefits of Fracking Outweigh the Environmental Risks?
  - ELIZABETH KOLBERT, Burning Love
    - A writer examines the “crush” America has on shale gas.
  - SEAN LENNON, Destroying Precious Land for Gas
    - The son of musician John Lennon uses an appeal to pathos to appeal for preserving land against fracking.
  - THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN, Get It Right on Gas
    - A Pulitzer Prize-winning author proposes some guidelines for how the United States should approach methane gas.
  - SCOTT MCNALLY, Water Contamination — Fracking Is Not the Problem
    - Researcher Scott McNally shines a light on the true concerns around water contamination.
  - SHALE GAS PRODUCTION SUBCOMMITTEE, From Shale Gas Production Subcommittee 90-Day Report
    - Two graphs make a visual case for hydraulic fracturing.
  - USA TODAY EDITORIAL BOARD, Fracking, with Care, Brings Big Benefits
    - This editorial makes the case that, with a little caution, fracking is the solution to a number of problems.
  - TEMPLATE FOR WRITING AN EVALUATION ARGUMENT
  - WRITING ASSIGNMENTS: EVALUATION ARGUMENTS
- 15 Proposal Arguments
- AT ISSUE Should the Government Do More to Relieve the Student-Loan Burden?
- What Is a Proposal Argument?
  - Let Vegetarianism Grow on You [advertisement] 553 A whimsical visual makes a serious argument against eating animals.
  - Problem-Solving Strategies [BOX]
- Stating the Problem
- Proposing a Solution
- Demonstrating That Your Solution Will Work
- Establishing Feasibility
  - Sunshineweek.org, Let the Sunshine In [advertisement] 556 An advertisement suggests a need for greater transparency in government.
Discussing Benefits
Refuting Opposing Arguments
- Nyc.gov, It’s Your City. It’s Your Earth. [advertisement] 558 An ad proposes a simple, easy solution to help save the planet.
- SUSAN ENGEL, Teach Your Teachers Well
  - A psychology professor proposes changes in the way we educate future teachers.
Structuring a Proposal Argument
- MELISSA BURRELL, Colleges Need Honor Codes [STUDENT ESSAY]
  - A student writer proposes the establishment of honor codes.
- GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: WILL VERSUS WOULD
- ADAM COHEN, Self-Driving Cars Will Change the Rules of the Road
  - An instructor at Yale Law School brings up the question of liability for self-driving cars, giving students an opportunity to examine a proposal argument in a current context.
READING AND WRITING ABOUT THE ISSUE Should the Government Do More to Relieve the Student-Loan Burden?
- Student Debt Crisis Solution [VISUAL]
  - A visual uses Roman mythology to comment on today’s studentdebt crisis.
- RICHARD VEDDER, Forgive Student Loans?
  - The director of the Center for College Affordability and Productivity lists reasons why the current college loan program is flawed.
- KEVIN CAREY, The U.S. Should Adopt Income-Based Loans Now
  - An education policy director outlines the benefits of tying studentloan repayment to a borrower’s income.
- ASTRA TAYLOR, A Strike against Student Debt
  - An op-ed calls for the cancellation of student debt on a national level.
- LEE SIEGEL, Why I Defaulted on My Student Loans
  - An author and cultural critic describes the sense of freedom he found in defaulting on his student loans.
- SAM ADOLPHSEN, Don’t Blame the Government
  - An op-ed suggests that students who take out loans should not look to the government to repay them.
- TEMPLATE FOR WRITING A PROPOSAL ARGUMENT
- WRITING ASSIGNMENTS: PROPOSAL ARGUMENTS
16 Ethical Arguments
AT ISSUE How Far Should Schools Go to Keep Students Safe?
What Is an Ethical Argument?
Stating an Ethical Principal
Ethics versus Law
Understanding Ethical Dilemmas
- Treadlightly.org, Ride Hard, Tread Lightly [advertisement] 597 A visual argument makes the case for protecting our national parks.
- PETA, Adopt, Don’t Buy [advertisement] 597 An actor makes an ethical case for pet adoption.
- LINDA PASTAN, Ethics [POEM]
Structuring an Ethical Argument
- CHRIS MUNOZ, Are Colleges Doing Enough for Nontraditional students? [STUDENT ESSAY]
  - A student argues that universities have an ethical responsibility to value education over athletics.
- GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: SUBORDINATION AND COORDINATION
- DANIEL SULEIMAN, More Than “Moral Complicity” at Auschwitz
  - A lawyer comments on the distinction between moral and criminal guilt.
READING AND WRITING ABOUT THE ISSUE HOW Far Should Schools Go to Keep Students Safe?
- BRETT A. SOKOLOW, How Not to Respond to Virginia Tech — II
  - The president of the National Center for Higher Education Risk Management counters suggestions for tightening campus security.
- JESUS M. VILLAHERMOSA JR., Guns Don’t Belong in the Hands of Administrators, Professors, or Students
  - A deputy sheriff and SWAT team respondent argues against arming administrators, professors, or students.
- TIMOTHY WHEELER, There’s a Reason They Choose Schools
  - The director of Doctors for Responsible Gun Ownership advocates arming students.
- GREG HAMPIKIAN, When May I Shoot a Student?
  - A professor at Boise State University writes a satirical open letter to his state legislature.
- TODD C. FRANKEL, Can We Invent Our Way Out of School Violence?
  - A reporter wonders if a wave of school safety inventions can protect students when the worst happens.
- ALAN SCHWARZ, A Bid for Guns on Campuses to Deter Rape
  - An article scrutinizes the rise in efforts to legalize firearms on college campuses.
- ISOTHERMAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE, Warning Signs: How You Can Help Prevent Campus Violence
  - A campus publication lists warning signs for identifying potentially violent students.
- AMY DION, Gone but Not Forgotten
  - An image commemorates those killed in school shootings.
- TEMPLATE FOR WRITING AN ETHICAL ARGUMENT
- WRITING ASSIGNMENTS: ETHICAL ARGUMENTS
- Part 5 Review: Combining Argumentative Strategies
  - ANTHONY PRIETO, Get the Lead out of Hunting
    - A hunter promotes the use of nontoxic bullets.
  - KEVIN CAREY, Fulfill George Washington’s Last Wish—a National University
    - This article, adapted from a book on the future of the U.S. educational system, incorporates multiple argumentative strategies.

PART

6 Debates, Casebooks, and Classic Arguments

- 17 Are Helicopter Parents Ruining Their Children’s Lives?
  - DON AUCOIN, For Some, Helicopter Parenting Delivers Benefits
    - The parents described in this article find that deep involvement in their children’s lives is to everyone’s benefit.
  - MADELINE LEVINE, Raising Successful Children
    - Clinician and author Madeline Levine encourages parents to “find the courage” not to overparent their children.
- 18 Should Controversial Sports Mascots Be Replaced?
  - JACK SHAKELY, Indian Mascots—You’re Out
    - A Muscogee/Creek writer argues that dignity and respect are not “subject to majority rule.”
  - ELLIE REYNOLDs, Native Americans Have Become a Political Pawn
    - A member of the Oglala Sioux tribe regrets the loss of important conversations that are being silenced by political correctness.
- 19 Under What Circumstances Do Bystanders Have an Ethical Obligation to Intervene?
  - LENORE SKENAZY, How Kitty Genovese Destroyed Childhood
    - Blogger Lenore Skenazy laments the loss of freedoms she remembers from her own childhood.
  - JOE NOCERA, It’s Hard to Be a Hero
    - This op-ed compares two frightening moments with tragically different outcomes.
- 20 Should Bottled Water Be Banned on College Campuses?
  - THE CRIMSON STAFF, Vote Yes on the Bottled Water Ban
    - The Harvard student newspaper calls for banning bottled water on campus.
  - CHARLES FISHMAN, Bottled Water Is Silly—But So Is Banning It
    - An investigative journalist reveals the flaws in both bottled water and those who condemn it.
- 21 Should Every American Go to College?
  - ERIC HOOVER, College’s Value Goes Deeper Than the Degree
    - Hoover discusses the intangible benefits of a college education.
  - LIZ WESTON, When a Two-Year College Degree Pays Off
    - This article proposes that two-year colleges are a surer path to financial stability.
  - CHARLES MURRAY, What’s Wrong with Vocational School?
    - In Murray’s view, too many people go to college. He writes that fouryear colleges should be reserved for a smaller group of elite students.
  - PHARINET, Is College for Everyone?
    - For blogger Pharinet, the answer to the question in the essay’s title is no. She believes that many students attend four-year programs to get a job, to please their parents, or to conform to societal expectations.
- 22 Should We Eat Meat?
  - JONATHAN SAFRAN FOER, Let Them Eat Dog
    - A “modest proposal” questions why we are reluctant to feed on man’s best friend.
  - NICOLETTE HAHN NIMAN, The Carnivore’s Dilemma
    - A livestock rancher argues that while industrially produced meat and dairy products create substantial greenhouse gases and other pollutants, traditional ranching methods have positive environmental effects.
  - DANIEL PAYNE, Why You Should Eat “Humane” Meat
    - Payne argues in favor of eting meat—but only when it has been raised humanely.
  - SUNAURA TAYLOR, Humane Meat? No Such Thing
    - Activist Sunaura Taylor draws a parallel between how we treat animals and how we treat people with disabilities.
- 23 Is America Safer Now Than Before 9/11?
  - OMAR ASHMAWY, Ten Years after 9/11, We’re Still in the Dark
    - A former war-crimes prosecutor argues that our ignorance of Islam and of Muslim culture is dangerous.
  - PAUL BRANDUS, Remembering 9/11: How Safe Are We Today?
    - A member of the White House press corps catalogs the low number of terrorist fatalities since 9/11.
  - JONATHAN RAUCH, Be Not Afraid
    - Rauch suggests that Americans are refusing to acknowledge the unprecedented safety we enjoy.
  - CHRISTOPHER ELLIOT, The TSA Has Never Kept You Safe: Here’s Why
    - A consumer advocate argues that the TSA serves its purpose perfectly—if you understand its true purpose.
- 24 Does It Pay to Study the Humanities?
  - CHRISTINA H. PAXSON, The Economic Case for Saving the Humanities
    - The president of Brown University identifies important applications for a degree in the humanities.
  - ANTHONY P CARNEVALE AND MICHELLE MELTON, Major Differences: Why Undergraduate Majors Matter
    - This article compares the statistics on various majors and how they measure up in the workplace.
  - KIM BROOKS, Is It Time to Kill the Liberal Arts Degree?
    - The recipient of a liberal arts degree reflects on the unpleasant surprises awaiting future graduates.
  - THOMAS FRANK, Course Corrections
    - A college professor critiques the way humanities advocates defend their disciplines.
- 25 CLASSIC ARGUMENTS
  - PLATO, The Allegory of the Cave
    - A founder of Western philosophy writes that we are imprisoned in a world of shadows, images, and falsehoods, yet through a difficult process of enlightenment, we can ascend into the “intellectual world” and see “all things beautiful and right.”
  - ANDREW MARVELL, To His Coy Mistress
    - Using the techniques of formal argument, this poem’s speaker makes an ingenious attempt at seduction.
  - JONATHAN SWIFT, A Modest Proposal
    - Swift proposes an unusual solution to the plight of the poor in Ireland.
  - THOMAS JEFFERSON, The Declaration of Independence
    - An explanation of and justification for why the thirteen American colonies were independent and no longer part of the British Empire, the Declaration is also a statement about natural rights, the foundations of legitimate governments, and the right of people to revolt against unjust authority.
  - ABRAHAM LINCOLN, The Gettysburg Address
    - Lincoln’s short, powerful speech is the most famous public address in American history.
  - ELIZABETH CADY STANTON, Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions
    - Using the style, form, and even some of the language of the Declaration of Independence, Stanton declares that women must throw off the tyranny of male abuses and usurpations and seize their full rights and privileges as American citizens.
  - GEORGE ORWELL, Politics and the English Language
    - A noted novelist and essayist argues that imprecision in language is not only a sign of sloth but also dangerous.
  - RACHEL CARSON, The Obligation to Endure
    - An excerpt from the book that helped start the environmental movement prompts still timely awareness of the damaging effects of pesticides and other chemicals.
  - BETTY FRIEDAN, The Importance of Work
    - Work, says Friedan, provides not just a paycheck but also self-realization, and women are entitled to “a full share of honored and useful work.”
  - JAMES BALDWIN, If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is It?
    - Baldwin explores how public and private identity is shaped through language and how language reveals one’s self.
- appendix A Writing Literary Arguments
- What Is a Literary Argument?
- Stating an Argumentative Thesis
- Choosing Evidence
- Writing a Literary Argument
  - MEGAN MCGOVERN, Confessions of a Misunderstood Poem: An Analysis of “The Road Not Taken” [STUDENT ESSAY]
    - A student’s literary argument examines a famous poem by Robert Frost.
  - LOREN MARTINEZ, Not Just a “Girl” [STUDENT ESSAY]
    - Unlike most critics, this student writer argues that the female character in Ernest Hemingway’s short story “Hills Like White Elephants” is complex and sympathetically drawn.
- appendix B Documenting Sources: APA
- Using Parenthetical References
- Preparing a Reference List
- Examples of APA Citations
- Student Essay
  - APA Paper Guidelines [BOX]
  - DENIZ A. BILGUTAY, The High Cost of Cheap Counterfeit Goods [MODEL APA PAPER]
    - A student paper illustrates American Psychological Association (APA) documentation style.
- Glossary G-1
- Acknowledgments C-1
- Subject Index I-1
- Index of Titles and Authors I-9

CONTENTS