The following appeared in the editorial section of a local newspaper.
This past winter, 200 students from Waymarsh State College traveled to the state capitol building to protest against proposed cuts in funding for various state college programs. The other 12,000 Waymarsh students evidently werent so concerned about their education: they either stayed on campus or left for winter break. Since the group who did not protest is far more numerous, it is more representative of the states college students than are the protesters. Therefore the state legislature need not heed the appeals of the protesting students.
Discuss how well reasoned... etc.
The argument states that only 200 students from Waymarsh State college travelled to the state Capitol to protest the proposed plan to cut funds for various state college programs while the rest of the 12,000 students either stayed back on campus or left for winter break. The argument further concludes that since majority of the students did not protest , the state legislature need not heed to the appeals of the protesting student. The argument is poorly reasoned and is based on questionable assumptions and premises. It lacks statistical data without which the argument in unconvincing.
First, the author assumes that only the only the 200 odd students, protesting the cuts , are the only ones who are concerned about the education. It may be that the student body in Waymarsh State College has selected these students to represent the body consisting of all the students and voice their opinion against the cuts.
Second, the author fails to state if all the college programs or only a selected few programs in Waymarsh high school would be affected as a part of these cuts. It could be that students from the programs directly affected from the cuts are the ones protesting in front of the State Capitol. Such a situation would justify the decision of the remaining students not to take part in the protest.
The argument could be strengthened if the author could provide evidence that the student protesting outside the state capitol do not share the views of the 12000 student that stayed back or went for winter break.
As it stands , the argument is not well reasoned and would not stand without the support of evidence.
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This past winter, 200 students from Waymarsh State College traveled to the state capitol building to protest against proposed cuts in funding for various state college programs. The other 12,000 Waymarsh students evidently werent so concerned about their education: they either stayed on campus or left for winter break. Since the group who did not protest is far more numerous, it is more representative of the states college students than are the protesters. Therefore the state legislature need not heed the appeals of the protesting students.
Discuss how well reasoned... etc.
The argument states that only 200 students from Waymarsh State college travelled to the state Capitol to protest the proposed plan to cut funds for various state college programs while the rest of the 12,000 students either stayed back on campus or left for winter break. The argument further concludes that since majority of the students did not protest , the state legislature need not heed to the appeals of the protesting student. The argument is poorly reasoned and is based on questionable assumptions and premises. It lacks statistical data without which the argument in unconvincing.
First, the author assumes that only the only the 200 odd students, protesting the cuts , are the only ones who are concerned about the education. It may be that the student body in Waymarsh State College has selected these students to represent the body consisting of all the students and voice their opinion against the cuts.
Second, the author fails to state if all the college programs or only a selected few programs in Waymarsh high school would be affected as a part of these cuts. It could be that students from the programs directly affected from the cuts are the ones protesting in front of the State Capitol. Such a situation would justify the decision of the remaining students not to take part in the protest.
The argument could be strengthened if the author could provide evidence that the student protesting outside the state capitol do not share the views of the 12000 student that stayed back or went for winter break.
As it stands , the argument is not well reasoned and would not stand without the support of evidence.