PHIL210 CRITICAL THINKING DISCUSSION 5

RESPONSE TO CO-STUDENT

Determine whether or not the argument uses any deceptive statistics. Give your opinion on whether or not the argument has persuaded you. Explain why or why not.

I agree with your post partially with the estimations of time and the high sentencing but I do not believe that any destructive drug as cocaine and heroin should ever be legalized because it does damages that cannot be mitigated. Fate does not need to be tempted and have any young people or any person on these substances because the possibility of rehabilitating them is very bleak.
Your post is contradictory in that it refers to those who become addicted can use tax revenue for drug treatment and job training programs. With these hard core drugs the addicted have lots of physicality problems - inner damage to veins, organs and functioning normally, plus severe psychological problems that inhibit and prevent working and starting over.

Determine the primary ways in which statistics or authority are used in your current position in developing persuasive arguments, and provide examples of such use.

I agree that sometimes certain statistics can be used to secure an argument but those who are analytical should be able to read between the lines and make a good call anyway. Statistics is always raw data and does not close an argument but is used for support with the choice being 50/50 always.

Always assume a position of neutrality when making analytical decisions and look at all research in an impartial state.

Thank you.

Felicia

RESPONSE TO CO-STUDENT

Determine whether or not the argument uses any deceptive statistics. Give your opinion on whether or not the argument has persuaded you. Explain why or why not.

In response to your discussion the merit is not the quoted estimation but the perception that non-violent offenders are doing more time compared to those who have a dangerous nature and crimes that deal with death and murder.

Further it is more of a support to make analysis before making a decision but I feel the argument is weak and needs to be narrowed down to concentrate on making the argument sound and indefeatable. Also, the year is not a prevalent issue what is at hand is the scenario but if the argument would be or could be strengthened then a study can be done to use current statistics for further support.

Determine the primary ways in which statistics or authority are used in your current position in developing persuasive arguments, and provide examples of such use.

I agree with your post regarding statistics that they can either break or make an important decision. Further these statistics help when investing, expanding or selling stocks and inviting more members on the team.

Thank you.

Felicia

"Identifying Misleading Information in an Argument"

Consider the following argument: There are many arguments for the elimination or modification of current U. S. drug laws, but one of the most persuasive involves what negative effects drug laws are having on society in comparison with the effects of the drugs themselves. In the past ten years, most forms of drug use have dropped significantly, especially among teens. Despite this, non-violent drug offenders accounted for 21.1 percent of the federal prison population. First time drug offenders serve, on average, a sentence three months longer than kidnappers, nine months longer than burglars, and thirty-three months longer than sex abusers. In 1992, the average cost of keeping an inmate in either state or federal prison was about $20,000 per prisoner per year. The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with 455 prisoners per 100,000 population. It is maintaining these prisoners at great expense in an environment where they are unlikely to develop a socially constructive attitude. Perhaps it is time that we reconsider our attitudes toward those who choose to use drugs; failure to do so may cost society even more than it already has.

Determine whether or not the argument uses any deceptive statistics. Give your opinion on whether or not the argument has persuaded you. Explain why or why not.

In the case of statistics, the use is simple and effective with easy understanding and clarity. Also, the ramifications of the amount of prisoners per 100,000 of the populace is a large amount when looking at it in scale is visible. Further if there is no societal reconstruction in these prisons then it causes a pause with a want of a renewal effort to effect reconditioning to rehabilitate to merge back in to society. With the understanding of prisons as correcting points in each prisoner’s life the goal is to try to prevent recidivism and a reentry into prison. Therefore, based on the above realization the picture of drugs and its consequences are evident but the argument itself does not have enough detail to support the elimination or altering of drug laws.

The drug rate of entry into this country is significantly high and even though the cost to house and secure them it is still not a strong enough argument because high volatile states of danger and death are associated with drugs. Further the changing of attitudes to a level of tolerance is clearly not a “thought out” process but it more or less strengthens the fortitude to deny drugs and their seductive state of enticement and beguiling mesmerization.

Societal costs are already apparent when the affect of drugs reflect its ravaging and raping effect in blight, dying of businesses, horrendous states of decay and hopelessness in people in cities, urban and rural locations. Lastly, drugs are status with the “clicks” because it is a fast paced life with materialistic glamour that shows a no-win situation for all and after critiquing the argument it is too weak but informative but cannot be used to make a decision that is huge and has many complexities and difficulties.

Determine the primary ways in which statistics or authority are used in your current position in developing persuasive arguments, and provide examples of such use.

The primary way statistics are used that affect my current position in developing persuasive arguments are that it gives a supportive to an argument but it does not wholly win the argument. When developing the aspects of advantage it must be clearly delineated and overwhelm the disadvantages and cause a pause to reflect is it a true worthy cause to support or a possible frivolous venture that cannot stand criticism or critical evaluation and therefore survival.

For Example,

If the cause is to adjust laws to deal with drugs then the argument would have to reflect a more definite expression and a way how to adjust to be more harder on drugs. In the way of how to adjust the argument is to be inclusive of what would help to narrow the argument’s delineative lines and make it possible because the argument is too broad and its purpose is not effective. Pinpointing on a segment can be more effective for example:

Readjusting the laws if a first time offender is non-violent would help the financial strain that is placed on each State and be a corrective when comparing years served by violent offenders.

The argument is good but has to also be steered toward who is the most dangerous the non-violent offender or those whose predatorial nature has violence embroiled within each mean dangerous act against each victim.

Consequently, the argument can be adjusted to work if it is pro non-violent prisoners and criteria established can be used to limit the amount of time given them.

Thank you.

Felicia