Discussion 1: Identifying Arguments

 

Instructions

Initial Post 

How many arguments can you find in the cartoon strips below? Write out the arguments that you interpret from the cartoon strips, and organize them into standard form, indicating both the stated and unstated premises and conclusions.

Here is an example of the argument from the first image: 

• Premise: Defund the police? How is he supposed to carry all that?
• Premise: The police must fight gang violence, drug dealers, homelessness, prostitution, domestic violence, theft, and every unexpected crisis while maintaining school security and keeping the peace in communities.
• Unstated Premise: The police take on too many responsibilities.
• Unstated Conclusion: Therefore, the police cannot be defunded.

 

Reply to Two Peers 

Read, review, and reflect on your peers’ work and learn something from the examples they provided. Reply to two of them by acknowledging a “highlight” of their work or something that was particularly helpful, by asking questions if something is unclear to you, and/or by sharing helpful and clarifying commentary.  

STUDENTA

First Image 

Premise: Defund the police? How is he supposed to carry all that?

Premise: The police must fight gang violence, drug dealers, homelessness, prostitution, domestic violence, theft, and every unexpected crisis while maintaining school security and keeping the peace in communities.

Unstated Premise: The police take on too many responsibilities.

Unstated Conclusion: Therefore, the police cannot be defunded.

Second Image

Premise: The police try to keep the peace

Premise: The police must stand by as others get away with crime 

Unstated Premise: The police must keep the peace in order to not be defunded 

Unstated Conclusion: Defunding the police means people getting away with more crimes while they try to keep the peace 

Third Image

Premise: Defund the police? That’s crazy.

Premise: The police can’t ignore all crimes such as robbery, white-collar theft, rapists, murder etc.

Premise: Spending money on helping those in poverty is more important than spending it on police 

Premise: Addressing bigger issues within the police force will solve bigger issues 

Premise: How many more need to die for people to realize police might be the problem

Unstated Premise: Cops are already being defunded and demoralized 

Unstated Conclusion: Defunding the police will help solve bigger issues in the long run and hopefully prevent more uncalled for deaths, etc 

STUDENTB

Picture 1

Premise: Defund the police? How is he supposed to carry all that!?!

Unstated Premise: How is he supposed to carry all that without funding?

Conclusion: The police are expected to do so much.

Unstated Conclusion: They need their funding to do their jobs.

Picture 2

Premise: Defund the police.

Unstated Premise: He’s not supposed to be carrying all that.

Conclusion: Allowing funds to be redistributed to other programs.

Unstated Conclusion: Defunding the police, allows for the police to do their job of keeping the peace without having to worry about things that aren’t their job such as providing mental health services.

Unstated Conclusion: His job is to keep the peace, redistributing the money allows for other people to worry about everything else he was carrying.

Picture 3

Premise: Defund the Police

Unstated Premise: The Police aren’t doing their jobs

Conclusion: Addressing root causes will do more for peace and justice  

Unstated Conclusion: There is a solution for many problems that does not require the police to solve them.