For each of the following passages indicate whether it constitutes an argument. For each argument specify what the conclusion is.
1. Rene hates Julia, and she always upsets him, so he should avoid her.
2. Rene hates Julia, and his feelings against her cause him tremendous pain.
3. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with lib- erty and justice for all.
4. Why do you think you have the right to park your car anywhere you please?
5. Drop your gun! You're under arrest.
6. If you smoke that cigarette in here, I will leave the room.
7. The Titanic sank, and no one came to save it.
8. Jesus loves me, for the Bible tells me so.
9. Spiderman is a better superhero than Superman because kryptonite can't hurt him, and he doesn't have a Lois Lane around to mess things up.
10. "Whether our argument concerns public affairs or some other subject we must know some, if not all, of the facts about the subject on which we are to speak and argue. Otherwise, we can have no materials out of which to construct arguments." [Aristotle, Rhetoric]
11. If guns are outlawed, then only outlaws will have guns. Don't outlaw guns.
12. If someone says something that offends me, I should have the right to stop that kind of speech. After all, words can assault people just as weapons can.
13. "Citizens who so value their ‘independence' that they will not enroll in a political party are really forfeiting independence, because they abandon a share in decision-making at the primary level: the choice of the candi- date." [Bruce L. Felknor, Dirty Politics]
14. If someone says something that offends me, I cannot and should not try to stop them from speaking. After all, in America, speech- even offen- sive speech- is protected.
15. "Piercing car alarms have disturbed my walks, café meals or my sleep at least once during every day I have lived in the city; roughly 3,650 car alarms. Once, only once, was the wail a response to theft. . . . Silent car alarms connect immediately to a security company, while the noisy ones are a problem, not a solution. They should be banned, finally." [Letter to the editor, New York Times]
16. "If history is a gauge, the U.S. government cannot be trusted when it comes to sending our children to war. It seems that many years after
For each of the following passages indicate whether it constitutes an argument.
For each argument specify both the conclusion and the premises.
1. Faster-than-light travel is not possible. It would violate a law of nature.
2. You have neglected your duty on several occasions, and you have been absent from work too many times. Therefore, you are not fit to serve in your current capacity.
3. Racial profiling is not an issue for white people, but it is an issue for African Americans.
4. The flu epidemic on the East Coast is real. Government health officials say so. And I personally have read at least a dozen news stories that characterize the situation as a "flu epidemic."
5. Communism is bunk. Only naïve, impressionable pinheads believe that stuff.
6. "Current-day Christians use violence to spread their right-to-life mes- sage. These Christians, often referred to as the religious right, are well known for violent demonstrations against Planned Parenthood and other abortion clinics. Doctors and other personnel are threatened with death, clinics have been bombed, there have even been cases of doctors being murdered." [Letter to the editor, Arizona Daily Wildcat]
7. "I am writing about the cost of concert tickets. I am outraged at how much ticket prices are increasing every year. A few years ago, one could attend a popular concert for a decent price. Now some musicians are asking as much as $200 to $300." [Letter to the editor, Buffalo News]
8. "Homeland security is a cruel charade for unborn children. Some 4,000 per day are killed in their mother's womb by abortion. This American holocaust was legalized by the Supreme Court in an exercise of raw judi- cial power." [Letter to the editor, Buffalo News]
9. Witches are real. They are mentioned in the Bible. There are many people today who claim to be witches. And historical records reveal that there were witches in Salem.
10. Stretched upon the dark silk night, bracelets of city lights glisten brightly.
11. Vaughn's car is old. It is beat up. It is unsafe to drive. Therefore, Vaughn's car is ready for the junkyard.