Your final essay for this class will be an argumentative research essay. The very first step in this process is to find a debatable topic to research.

What is a debatable topic/statement?

If a topic is “debatable,” it has at least two sides and not everyone agrees on which side is correct.

A debatable statement is a statement with which others may or may not agree. Other terms for “debatable statement” include “argument,” “assertion,” “proposition,” “claim,” or “premise.”

EX: Solar energy is the best way of meeting the United States’ energy needs. (This is debatable because not everyone agrees that solar energy is the BEST way.)

EX: Parents who abuse their children should lose custody of their children. (This is debatable because not everyone agrees on the punishment for child abuse.)

A non-debatable statement is a statement with which no person would normally agree or disagree.

EX: Natural gas and oil are the main sources of energy in the United States. (This is otherwise known as a “fact.”)

EX: Parents should not abuse their children. (Who would disagree with this statement?)

Mark the following statements as D (“debatable”) or ND (“non-debatable”).

The Confederate flag is a symbol of pride and patriotism. ____
Smoking cigarettes is bad for one’s health.
Bigfoot exists.
The United Nations was formed in 1945. _
A college education is necessary to find success in life.
The Electoral College should be abolished. __
Parents are responsible for the actions of their teenage children. _
Lying is always wrong.
The high rate of breast cancer is caused by hormone replacement therapy.
Coffee and many soft drinks contain caffeine.

Now write a debatable and a non-debatable statement about each of the following topics:

Recreational marijuana
D ________________________

ND _

__

Reality television
D

ND _

__

Beauty pageants
D

ND _

___

Gun control
D

ND _

___

White Nationalism
D

ND _

______________________________________

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