Post your reflections on how you addressed Objections and Alternative Views in your researched argumentative essay, following the Assignment Guidelines below.
Assignment Guidelines:
Reflect on the following in a well-developed paragraph:
As you composed your first draft of the essay, did you imagine your audience as sympathetic, hostile, or somewhere in between?
What was the central claim of your essay and what opposing points of view did you present?
How did you attempt to accommodate or refute opposing arguments, and what challenges did you encounter in the process?
What are opposing arguments?
An opposing argument is, literally, the argument that is the opposite of your thesis statement. If you are arguing against city pit bull bans, the opposing argument would be for banning the dog breed.
Why do we need to address opposing arguments in our essays?
Also called a counterargument, addressing your opposition is an integral part of an argumentative essay. It actually strengthens your argument to address the opposition. It makes your argument more credible because you looked at both sides. And, if you can show why they are incorrect, your argument is even better.
How do we address the opposing claim?
You start by stating the opposing view, even citing evidence for it. Then, you counter it, take it down! Give evidence as to why their claim is incorrect.
Example:
There are many communities that see pit bull bans as sensible legislation to keep people safe. According to Dogsbite.org, pit bulls were involved in 72% of all dog attacks in one year’s time (2020). But, animal expert Bronwen Dickey disagrees. She disputes that statistic, claiming in “80 percent of those cases there were four or more significant factors related to the care and control of the dog. These were dogs that had not been socialized; were large and sexually intact; and had no relationship to the person who was killed. In other words, perfect storm of factor upon factor” (2020). This data actually supports the claim that is less about the dog and more about the owner.
Please share your opposing argument and your refutation!