As an editorial writer, it is good practice to identify the arguments against your own argument during your planning process. In your editorial, you may need to acknowledge these counterarguments, even if you are bringing them up only to refute them.
Example: Sure. Disposable plastic water bottles are recyclable and responsible citizens would never throw them into the trash, but the fact of the matter is that water bottles are ending up in landfills, and worse, in the oceans. And beyond that, even recycling takes energy and adds to the need for natural resources that simply would not be used if we all switched to tap water.
Using your own sample argument, anticipate the counterargument and refute it by commenting below.
Example: Sure. Disposable plastic water bottles are recyclable and responsible citizens would never throw them into the trash, but the fact of the matter is that water bottles are ending up in landfills, and worse, in the oceans. And beyond that, even recycling takes energy and adds to the need for natural resources that simply would not be used if we all switched to tap water.
Using your own sample argument, anticipate the counterargument and refute it by commenting below.
Of course. Washing your hands every hour can get annoying and tiring, but if people are not taking more precautions to be more hygienic, the swine flu will become deadly. Also, washing our hands often can protect people from many other viruses.
ReplyDeleteMost avid texters text off the road, and only a few of them actually do it while driving. Even those who text while driving usually just do it when there is a red-light or when there aren't any cars on the road.
ReplyDeleteYes the disease is starting to spread slowly and the symptoms don't seem that harmful. But the matter of fact is that when it does infect someone, it is deadly when not treated. And beyond that, the flu is able to spread person to person and has already reaching to other places in the world.
ReplyDeleteOf course, in California, we are lucky to have no-smoking laws enforced almost anywhere we go. However, the truth is that in the entire U.S., only 23 states have laws that ban smoking in public places; and of those, most are badly written, easy to avoid violating, and poorly enforced.
ReplyDeleteHaving a uniform law across the nation would seem to be not only a violation of states' rights, but also an infringement on smokers themselves. On the other hand, a uniform law would ensure that the government is doing its job in protecting its citizens, and in implementing a law that is strong and effective.
Obviously, not all people can afford health care and think they don't need it. But that's not true. If people want to stay healthy and live long lives, it is essential that health care is a part of the daily household. And if money's a problem, we should petition for the government to help. After all, these are lives we're talking about.
ReplyDeleteSure, some drugs are medically prescribed and people actually need them to survive, but if people overuse them, the results are harmful and sometimes even fatal. In fact, aspirin causes about 2000 deaths a year in America.
ReplyDeleteYes, some of our students may take college, grades, SATs, and academics in general to a whole new level. But despite this, other students still don't have a right to comment on their lifestyles. We cannot define Monta Vista just because these students are a majority of the student body.
ReplyDeleteTechnology has come a long way to make our lives more convenient. Yes, the car saves tons of time and can take us far away. But the computer has already given us a lot of freedom to surf the web, chat, etc. So why not just use that? People just become lazy knowing that they can access these things everywhere.
ReplyDeleteOf course, taking preliminary cautions, like washing your hands before you eat, is understandable and advised. But at the point where we let fear of swine flu dominate our lives enough to alter it, then it has gone too far.
ReplyDeleteClearly, using the computer is an efficient way to create neat work, but the time spent procrastinating on the internet could be used to neatly handwrite an essay. Due to the laziness of teachers, they've almost given up trying to get students to improve their penmanship. What would happen when the printer doesn't work? How would a student turn in their hard work now?
ReplyDeleteObviously, the swine flu is nothing to laugh about. A flu, that spreads from *pigs* to humans? It seems dirty, it seems disgusting, it seems deadly. Admittedly, it is all three. However, any other disease, such as pneumonia, is also dirty, disgusting, and deadly. And if suddenly there are more instances of pneumonia springing up around, the schools will not shut down. It is a government law now, that schools shut down if there is even one case of swine flu on campus. And is this really necessary?
ReplyDeleteSure, plastic bags are convenient, easy to use, and cheap, but many of these plastic bags do not end up in landfills. And beyond that, it is very difficult to fully recycle a plastic bag. Two hundred fifty bags are needed to make one kilometers of plastic - no one would want to spend the time and the money to recycle these bags.
ReplyDeleteYes, a special schedule would be giving extra luxury to those not taking AP tests and they would be missing out on classes they would otherwise have to attend, but this fact does not outweigh the benefits. Classrooms can't function at full productivity with half the students missing.
ReplyDeleteYes, gum and sunflower seeds are a privilege for students on school campus for their own personal use. But when it reaches the point where it is harmful to other students and school property, something must be done to stop it.
ReplyDeleteTrue, some may say that allowing students to come into the library before school starts may lead to students piling in just for a shelter. However, what if a student needs to print out a paper for first period, and needed the school's printer to do so? Students who make rude, unnecessarily loud disruptions can be kicked out of the library at the librarian's desecration, but that doesn't mean that the entire school should be kept out. The school should give students in need the opportunity to use school facilities.
ReplyDeleteOf course, most of the time teachers appear to have the rationality and impartiality to brush aside their emotions after receiving gifts from students. However, this simply manifests stronger determination for students to sway opinions with more appealing presents. If students realize the need to "get on the good side" of their teachers in order for possible benefits in return, they will not be discouraged simply after one or two tries. Eventually, the standard quality of gifts will rise as a whole, creating a vicious cycle.
ReplyDeleteShaalini, period 5 said...
ReplyDeleteObviously withdrawing troops from Iraq and transferring them to Afghanistan is easier said than done. It would be extremely difficult to suddenly escape from the problem, which is only getting deeper. But if we effectively train and prepare the Iraqi forces, we should leave it up to them to rebuild their nation.
Of course, some might argue that social media tools and other online interactive venues are detrimental to students' work behavior and overall education. However, with proper instruction and classroom usage, students will learn to utilize media for their educational and professional benefit.
ReplyDeleteIf health care and health insurance are very high then people may even stop trusting the doctors. This may result in a worse economic crisis. With no proper health care, the society will be a diaster. Death will flow into house and engulf innocent people. But that may be you. We should lower health care and health insurance.
ReplyDeleteLeaders may believe everyone is on the same level, but they might not always know how their "citizens" are feeling about them. We should always keep the line of communication open between the government and the people. Sometimes a small misunderstanding can raise issues that may have been avoided. True leaders have the ability not only to understand the people and their troubles, but to solve them.
ReplyDeleteThe obvious answer seems to be that students should just leave earlier from their homes. Or they should walk or bike to school to avoid the traffic. And of course, some students don't even have traffic in their area, and other students are just not willing to find alternate routes.
ReplyDeleteProviding health coverage that covers the entire population may be expensive, but it's less expensive in the long run. In Switzerland, for example, each resident is required to buy private health insurance, while the government pays for the lower income residents. The Swiss end up spending about two-thirds as much as Americans, while covering the entire population. If Switzerland is able to achieve universal health care, so is the United States.
ReplyDeleteYes, traditions and customs are important to families in order to preserve their culture, but some are nevertheless quickly becoming outdated in America. Examples include prohibiting teenagers from dating different races, or forcing arranged marriages on your children. Such practices only fuel rebellions and anger
ReplyDeleteYes, outright boasting is far worse than faked modesty. But we're not saying that one should boast. We're saying that instead of faking modesty, in order to sound like a nice person while still asserting that same feel of superiority, that feel of making others feel incompetent, we should keep our silence. Because hypocrisy is infinitely worse.
ReplyDeleteSure, there's a lot of pressure for girls to have to wear just the right clothes, make-up, and be a size 0, but that's not the only important thing. Being externally perfect is definitely not as important as being internally perfect. It is more important to be kind, caring and responsible.
ReplyDeleteIt's true that telemarketing is a direct from of soliciting, and far more convenient for the salesperson. In fact, they don't even have to be soliciting something! Polls and surveys are taken over the phone by telemarketers. However, this doesn't make the practice any less annoying, especially during mealtimes.
ReplyDeleteSure you can say that having unexpected schedules can help you in college and in your future career, but unexpected schedules, like the name states, aren't something you can prepare for. It is not a skill that can be gained through practice, but rather through realization of the techniques you must use to help overcome the situations.
ReplyDeleteSure, some selection processes here at MV are based on biases and preferences, but the rare ability to bear this injustice comes to few. They have expectations, but not unlikely expectations.
ReplyDeleteYes, muscle is heavier than fat and if you stop or don't eat as much you could lose weight faster. Although this will cause he health problems later down the line, like; creating bad habits, an addiction to not eating, or gaining all and more of the weight back.
ReplyDeleteOf course, hybrids do cost more than conventional gas-guzzlers up front, but in the long-term, they actually cost less. Hybrids like the Toyota Prius can achieve up to 48 miles per gallon in the city, compared to only 20-30 miles per gallon in conventional vehicles. With gas prices bound to rise in the future, the extra gas efficiency will definitely save a good sum of money.
ReplyDeleteBuying hybrids has also been promoted by President Obama in his recent stimulus package. People can receive up to $15,000 in tax credits simply by buying a car!
Obviously the criminal can win the Hello Kitty's heart if it throws it some goldfish, but goldfish contains sufficient amounts of calories that can energize the Hello Kitty. Once the Hello Kitty is powered up, it will become more aware of its surroundings and definately notice the criminal and attack it with its sharp claws and teeth.
ReplyDeleteThe biology department's argument for years now have been that every student must learn the parts of the body, and the very best way to learn is by first hand-ly seeing the anatomy of the body. While that studying strategy may be helpful, students that have problems viewing the pig must not be forced to do so, only because it will destroy their morals and in a way invade their personal thoughts. And isn't high school really about finding yourself and what you believe in? So if one student already built his beliefs although they may not resemble the biology department's requirements, we should cherish them and not destroy them.
ReplyDeleteObviously, not many deaths has occurred yet, and a smart would know not to come near one who is sick, but the reality is that if more and more people get sick, then it would be a tragic occurrence, like the Black Plague. Adding to that, taking care of your health is sometimes hard and takes effort but a little effort will go a long way.
ReplyDeleteSure, we wont die next month or next year because of global warming. Sure, the world wont end in 2012 because of global warming. We are being selfish and just thinking of ourselves. We are nt thinking of the next generations, who will have a huge struggle to survive.
ReplyDeleteSure. Eating unhealthy because you did not have time to eat and sleeping late because you had a big lit project are okay, but if this starts to become a routine, an even greater number of Americans will get Diabetes.
ReplyDeleteMany of us leave the house thinking that our one waffle or toaster pastry will be enough to satisfy our morning needs, or if we are too busy to even grab that, we think that we'll pick something before class. But these little quick breakfast or snack items are filled with sugar or fat and offer little nutritional value.
ReplyDeleteSome, such as teachers and school staff members, may argue that sports are the least applicable to academics in school, thus it should be the first place to trim from during a budget cut. But teachers sometimes do not understand that sports are one of the most major portions of one's high school experiences. Homecoming football games or rivalry basketball games just make the stressful life of a high schooler a little less tense, a little more bearable. The schools should find other places to trim budgets from, instead of depleting an entire branch of the school. They probably are able to find places in ASB accounts, AP classes, or extra and unnecessary staff members to conserve money. Athletes and coaches shouldn't be the only one who has to suffer.
ReplyDeleteOf course, often group tests are intended to see if the group had been working properly for the entire course of the project, but sometimes some students simply refuse to work at all. Often in the case of these slackers, nothing can be done to convince them to behave otherwise, and a poor grade can be inevitable.
ReplyDeleteMaybe school starting so early doesn't affect the teachers, or staff, seeing that they are full grown adults. But the school should fit the student's needs. School was made for students to learn, and if a child is asleep on their desk they aren't learning the theory of evolution, or the pythagorean theorem.
ReplyDeleteSure, taking AP bio in 10th grade and Calculus in 11th grade is a good thing. Colleges will appreciate it. But the stress is overwhelming for the students around them. So the person with the 4.0 sees a person with a 4.2 and tries to do better. That is to much stress for a 15 year old. Eventually someone will crack. They will get to smart they won't be able to do the simple things in life.
ReplyDeleteYes, the number of people that fall into the age 18-21 demographic is low, but that is no excuse for them to believe that their vote doesn't matter. In order for our government to work, everyone needs to participate in the process, even the youth. Just because they may be young and experienced, their vote still matters.
ReplyDeleteObviously, some parents are going to say that they do not "have the time to waste" or "the money to spend" on things as "ridiculous" as parenting classes, but this will not be an issue because the classes will be offered either free or with a small affordable cost at flexible times during the week.
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