The authors of the essays below appeal
to our sense of reason and our ethics in ways that seem logical
and straightforward; though the topics themselves are emotionally
charged, the rhetoric is not. Both essays build an argument
using representative examples that support their generalizations
and act as proof to support their claims. However, readers
may find weak spots in the argument and remain unconvinced.
As you analyze and critique these arguments, think about
the effectiveness of their reasoning and consider how you
might use similar writing strategies in your own work.
In this article for www.slate.com, Dahlia
Lithwick argues
that Attorney General John Ashcroft overstepped his bounds
and landed in dangerous territory when he issued a new directive
that essentially reinterprets previous Second Amendment statutes.
4http://slate.msn.com/?id=2071571
1. What form of reasoning does Lithwick use to frame her
argument? Does she employ examples or premises? (Offer
examples from the text to support your view.) Is gun control
Lithwick’s main argument, or is there another issue
at stake here?
2. Identify places in the article where Lithwick goes
out of her way to win the reader’s trust or to get
the reader to identify with the issue as she sees it. What
is the purpose of these passages? Do you find that they
help convince you of her point of view?
In “Reversing White Flight,” a short essay originally published in The Atlantic Monthly, Jonathan Rauch offers a new twist to the school-voucher debate. According to Rauch, the real benefit
of vouchers would be its effect upon neighborhoods.
4http://www.jonathanrauch.com/jrauch_articles/
reversing_white_flight_school_vouchers/index.html
3. Does Rauch employ inductive or deductive reasoning
to structure his argument? When does he introduce the evidence
to support his claim? Do you think this article would be
more or less effective if the evidence were presented earlier?
Try rewriting this piece using an alternative form of reasoning
and consider the way this rewritten version might be more
or less appealing to an audience.
4. What are some of the other issues at stake in using
vouchers for school choice? Do some Internet research and
construct your own argument for or against school vouchers.
How might you use Rauch’s article as evidence in
your own argument?
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