Issues & Arguments PDF
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ISSUES & ARGUMENTS ISSUES &ARGUMENTS ELSY EDWARI)S M Copyright © Elsy Edwards 1989 All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without permission First published 1989 by THE MACMILLAN COMPANY OF AUSTRALIA PTY LTD 107 Moray Street, South Melbourne 3205 6 Clarke Street, Crows Nest 2065 Associated companies and representatives throughout the world National Library of Australia cataloguing in publication data Edwards, Elsy. Issues and arguments. ISBN 978-0-333-50303-4 ISBN 978-1-349-11090-2 DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-11090-2 1. Logic. 2. Reasoning. 3. English language - Composition and exercises. I. Title. 153.4'3 Typeset in Univers and Plantin by Savage Type Pty Ltd, Brisbane CONTENTS Preface vii How to Use This Book viii Lifestyle 1 1 Easy Credit 2 2 Smoking 7 3 Dieting 13 4 Spectator Sports 19 5 Gambling 23 Safe and Well 25 6 Child Protection 26 7 Young Homeless 33 8 AIDS 39 9 Industrial Aftermath 46 Violence 51 10 What Causes Violence? 52 11 Terrorists 58 12 Prisons 63 13 Drug Control 71 14 Black Deaths 78 Access to Learning 83 15 Curriculum Reform 84 16 Newspapers 89 17 Payment of Tertiary Fees 94 18 Homework 100 19 De-institutionalisation 103 Imposing Limits 115 20 Underage Drinking 116 21 Gun Laws 122 22 Pornography 129 23 Civil Liberties 135 24 Road Toll 144 25 Graffiti 148 v Rights and Responsibilities 153 26 Aborigines 154 27 Adoption 165 28 Equal Opportunity 170 29 Child Care 180 30 Animal Rights 184 Bioethics 191 31 Death with Dignity 192 32 Experimentation 196 33 Organ Donors 201 34 Surrogacy 206 A Fragile Planet 209 35 Logging 210 36 The Arms Race 219 37 The Ozone Layer 223 38 Energy Resources 231 39 World Population 236 40 Pollution 240 41 Mining 244 The Future 247 42 Migration 248 43 Defence 255 44 Ageing Population 261 45 Computers 268 46 Quo Vadis? 273 Acknowledgements 285 Index to Points of Logic 287 vi PREFACE Issues, by definition, are ongoing. So too safeguards are important. To assume that are the arguments that arise from them. Par politicians do not need to be seen as ticular aspects of an issue may emerge, sub answerable for the decisions they make is to side and re-emerge, often to take a changed take a minimal view of one's democratic direction. Debating an issue does not rights. To adopt a 'leave-it-to-the-experts' necessarily resolve it. What is important is attitude disregards the value of an aware that we take issue with whatever matters and concerned public at grassroots level. arise that concern our lives in a democratic The newspaper articles contained in this society. Matters that have relevance to the book have been selected for their ongoing quality of our lifestyle, to the future of Aus relevance and discussion potential. They tralians, and to the clarification of our may risk appearing out of date very quickly values, remain alive and ongoing. in a fast-changing world. However, if you To be adult in a democracy should presup use them as a basis for discussion and pose an awareness of current concerns and update them with more recent articles you the decisions being made and implemented. discover, they will show the development Our Freedom of Information Act, which process at work. The dateline of each article makes relevant information available to ordi provides a useful reference point for current nary voters, exists for this purpose. Such changes, both of emphases and attitudes. vii HOW TO USE THIS BOOK The issues raised in this book suggest many section of your folder. When you take up the possible directions for writing, discussion issue a second time, you will be able to and further investigation. Use one or more monitor your own progress in terms of both of these issues to complete the work your understanding of the issue and your requirements set by your school for skill in making your viewpoint clear to inclusion in your others. It is useful, also, to keep the early developmental drafts of each 'finished' • workbook piece of writing, as these will illustrate the • writing folio, or editing process you have undergone. • communication project. Similarly, if you work with others on a Keep a folder for your work on Issues and group project, keep signed copies of their Arguments. Divide it into sections, using the work with your own. Make sure you include part and chapter headings of this book as a any planning notes for joint projects, stating guide. You may find new issues that you clearly the questions you intend to pursue wish to include, perhaps because of their and the part to be played by each group special relevance to your own age and member. interests. There is also the possibility of If you are required to give a talk on some integrating several issues into a wider aspect of your investigation of an issue, study. This can be further extended by make sure you acknowledge the sources of choosing texts which are relevant, films any material you use. You might keep dupli which treat the same issues, and selections cated copies of these in your folder. At of poetry or stories (both your own and times a tape recording might be more those of other authors). accessible. Note the details of this also. For each issue, indicate possible avenues The work you do on Issues and Argu you might like to explore further, and add to ments can become the basis for: these as your interest in a particular issue • a text response to articles of information grows. The discussion and research material and persuasion at the start of each chapter will give you • an oral presentation some ideas. Jot down the names of people • a summary or synthesis of views on a par or organisations which have some experi ticular issue ence or expertise, ideas for short stories • a sustained argument presenting your suggested by the issue, films that deal with own viewpoint (drawing on a range of some aspect of the matter, and so on. Skim resources), or through daily newspapers for articles to • an investigative report which leads to an update your material, and file these system exposition to others in the form of a debate, atically in your folder. lecture or panel of views. Whenever you write a response to a par ticular issue, keep this in the appropriate viii LIFESTYLE 1 EASY CREDIT 2 SMOKING 3 DIETING 4 SPECTATOR SPORTS 5 GAMBLING LIFESTYLE CHAPTER 1 EASY CREDIT The love of money is the root of all evil. The Bible 4VIEWS SPEAK UP Of the statements below, which would you agree with? Also discuss the questions raised in the central panel. c A ISSUES The big stores make it easy Why don't schools teach to get credit cards. Some of kids about managing 1 them don't even care how Whose fault is it if money? It would be more many others you've already you overspend? use than half the stuff we got. Then you might as well 2 Do people spend do. spend to the limit. That's more with credit cards what the cards are all about. or schemes like buying on easy payment? 3 At what age should teenagers be held responsible for their own debts? 4 Is it essential to make a personal budget and then s.tic,k to it? B D My dad says you're I'm not going to get a credit supposed to read the small • card. If I haven't got the print giving the details of cash I can't afford to buy. interest rates and that sort of thing. The trouble is, even if you read it you can't make any sense of it. It's full of legal words that nobody understands except the lawyers. 2
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