Locate an article on a controversial subject where the author makes an argument you do not agree with - Essay Example

Add to wishlist

Cite this document

Summary

Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing

GRAB THE BEST PAPER94% of users find it useful

Locate an article on a controversial subject where the author makes an argument you do not agree with

Read Text Preview

Subject: Other
Type: Essay
Level: High School
Pages: 1 (250 words)
Downloads: 2
Author: greeneaston

Extract of sample "Locate an article on a controversial subject where the author makes an argument you do not agree with"

The Impact of Legalized Abortion on Crime Abortion has been and remains one of the controversial issues in the human society. Some of the arguments surrounding this issue include the impacts of its legalization on abortion rates and, death rates among girls and women. But one article I found so controversial and which I do not agree with is one written by John Donohue and Steven Levitt published in 2001 in the Quarterly Journal of Economics. The article was about the impact of legalized abortion on crimes.

Using reliable data as their support, Donohue and Levitt argued that the legalization of abortion reduces crime rates. The data they used to defend their position was that of crime rates in the US in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Truly, the crime rates for 1970s and 1980s were high compared to 1990s. The two authors claim that the reduced crime rates in 1990s was due to the legalization of abortion in the US in 1973. To them, legalization of abortion led to reduction of unwanted babies. They based their claims on the ground that males of ages 18-24 are most likely to commit crimes.

By 1990s, babies born from 1973 were 17 years and above. A reduction of crime rates in 1990s therefore meant that most of those who commit crimes are people originating from unwanted/unplanned pregnancies. I dispute the above claims. First, the rate of murder of 14-17 year in 1993 was 3.6 times that of 14-17 year olds in 1984. The first lot was born during the high-abortion period of 1975-1979 while the second lot was born during the pre-legalization period of 1966-1970. This means legalization of abortion had little impact on crime rates among those born post-legalization period.

Secondly, if legalization reduces crime rates, a decline in crime should therefore have started from the youth. Contrasting to the above fact, reduction in crime was first recorded among the older people, those born pre-legalization period. Thirdly, it is also a fact that legal abortions from 1973 were just replacing illegal abortions of the pre-legalization period. Reduce crime rates can be linked to other logical facts like improved crime detection prevention and control methods. It can also be linked to improved intervention measures like education and employment, and rehabilitation of offenders which have reduced re-offense rates.

Abortion itself is a crime. It is murder just like any other murder. So it is ironical to say an addition of crime A has led to a general reduction in crime. References Donohue, J. and Levitt, S. (2001). “The Impact of Legalized Abortion on. Crime Quarterly Journal of Economics (2) pp 379-416.

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Locate an article on a controversial subject where the author makes an argument you do not agree with

Article response paper

Article Response Paper author Institution Article Response Paper A brief outline of the main points discussed in the article The article aims at defining what is meant by literacy autobiography and how it relates to reflectivity, especially with regard to accounts of first-person.... The article outlines that the classroom can be regarded as a place where trans-cultural dialogue takes place.... hellip; The authors of the article also explore the uses of Literacy autobiography, as well as its application in writing and language....

3 Pages (750 words) Article

Are There Counterexamples to the Closure Principle by Jonathon Vogel

by Jonathon Vogel” the author makes the case that counterexamples to closure aren't able to hold up under analysis and therefore are not capable of overcoming the issues of skepticism.... By presenting a relatively concrete case full of strong imagery, the author makes it possible for the layman reader to follow his thoughts and then gain a relatively clear understanding of what he's saying.... In analyzing these examples, the author illustrates how the principles discovered do not undercut skepticism even though they prove that counterexamples to the closure principle do not exist....

2 Pages (500 words) Article

Were Are You Going, Where Have You Been

We have the ability to make choices in our lives and to change something that we do not like or agree with.... We may be tempted by fate, and there may be times when we do not think there is a way around it, but it can always be cheated.... If we do not like a specific situation, we have everything that we need to get out of the situation or to change it to our liking.... Connie's character in Where Are you Going, Where Have you Been?...

1 Pages (250 words) Article

Internet Addiction

rdquo;One of the strengths of the article is that the author makes use of convincing evidence obtained from credible sources.... nbsp;… As the discussion highlights, the author argues that internet users can be important but compulsive internet use for activities such as playing game, socialization, and virtual reality has already shown serious negative effects.... This can be deduced from the author's argument that “The current incarnation of the Internet--portable, social, accelerated, and all-pervasive--may be making us not just dumber or lonelier but more depressed and anxious, prone to obsessive-compulsive and attention-deficit disorders, even outright psychotic....

4 Pages (1000 words) Article

Controversies on School Uniform

hellip; the author claims that with the absence of pressures that come along with age and experiences, children can turn out to be more obsessed with their mode of clothing.... ??Parents ask: “ Are you Trying to Educate or …Humilate?... But this issue has continued to raise controversies where some students and their parents claim that it is a form of infringement pertaining to the first amended rights.... In most schools, the decision to introduce uniforms rose due to the emerging concern based on gang colors where young girls started wearing clothes that were considered extremely sexy for the seven or eight graders....

2 Pages (500 words) Article

You As a Technology Leader

As a current global emerging issue, the application of technology in schools and its related outcome have played a significant role… Therefore, technology impacts do not only develop data-driven models for school programs and activities in education, but also build an accountability evaluation tool (Mutisya & Thus, the application of technology in shaping and influencing teaching and learning outcome explores the opportunities and strengths that advocate for accountability and improved performance....

4 Pages (1000 words) Article

Who Are the Animals in Animal Experiments

nbsp;In the editorial piece, the author makes claim about animal abuse and experimentation which is first opened with accounts of personal experience at a neuroscience conference.... he writer claims that the experiments done on animals are not effective and they do not increase the possibility of obtaining treatments.... nbsp;Animals used for testing are a widely discussed topic among activists and holds a controversial value.... proves that this editorial article on animal testing is successful in conveying the ideology it is meant to because it contains all of the Toulmin elements....

5 Pages (1250 words) Article

Usage of Unauthorized Software in Taiwan by Jane Lu Hsu and Ya-Lan Su

The authors, however, do not immensely engage in giving statistical evidence concerning the perceived impacts of software piracy but rather quotes the International Intellectual Property Alliance that in Taiwan, the piracy level of business software was estimated to be 42%, and business software piracy caused US$ 77.... the author of the current article "Usage of Unauthorized Software in Taiwan by Jane Lu Hsu and Ya-Lan Su" utilizes statistical analysis to present its findings and the article is intentioned for specialists dealing with software piracy issues....

6 Pages (1500 words) Article