Grammar Post 6

Writing an "Argumentative" research paper. My research paper is argumentative, so I researched what that meant on the internet. I found a great resource at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/658/02.

Argumentative research paper:

The argumentative research paper consists of an introduction in which the writer clearly introduces the topic and informs his audience exactly which stance he intends to take; this stance is often identified as the thesis statement. An important goal of the argumentative research paper is persuasion, which means the topic chosen should be debatable or controversial. For example, it would be difficult for a student to successfully argue in favor of the following stance.

Cigarette smoking poses medical dangers and may lead to cancer for both the smoker and those who experience secondhand smoke.

Perhaps 25 years ago this topic would have been debatable; however, today, it is assumed that smoking cigarettes is, indeed, harmful to one's health. A better thesis would be the following.

Although it has been proven that cigarette smoking may lead to sundry health problems in the smoker, the social acceptance of smoking in public places demonstrates that many still do not consider secondhand smoke as dangerous to one's health as firsthand smoke.

In this sentence, the writer is not challenging the current accepted stance that both firsthand and secondhand cigarette smoke is dangerous; rather, she is positing that the social acceptance of the latter over the former is indicative of a cultural double-standard of sorts. The student would support this thesis throughout her paper by means of both primary and secondary sources, with the intent to persuade her audience that her particular interpretation of the situation is viable.

America the Beautiful

It's about time. It is so refreshing to read an essay that is filled with what is good about America instead of constantly hearing berating comments about it. Dinesh D'Souza, author of "America the Beautiful, What We're Fighting For," writes an essay about what makes America great, and why America will win the war against terrorism and fundamentalist Islam.
D'Souza suggests that America need not apologize for the actions it takes around the world to bring about goodness. This piece was written prior to the election of our current President, but seems to be speaking directly to him. Obama has made it a major priority of his first few months in office to race around the world and tell everyone that America is sorry for what she has done. When what she has done has made the world a better place, has brought freedom to millions, has been the template of freedom, and self-oriented lives. D'Souza writes of the virtue that can only be attained when a choice is given. He suggests, that if virtue is forced, it is not virtue at all.
D'Souza brings a very strong pro-America opinion into this piece. He does not apologize for America being the best nation to ever live on the face of the earth. Is this arrogant? Maybe. But, the world needs America, and the world needs America to believe in who she is and what she stands for. D'Souza gives his readers hope that America is still the country she was born to be, and the world is not justified when it spews hatred towards us, and left-winged liberals are not justified in doing the same from the inside. It's too bad we can't get our President to understand this.