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TOPIC: ARGUMENT31 - The following appeared in the editorial section of a newsmagazine. "Some states are creating new laws that restrict the use of of handheld cell phones by drivers of automobiles. Such legislation, however, is sheer folly. Although some people with cell phones undoubtedly cause problems on the road, including serious accidents, the majority do not. Besides, problems are also caused by drivers who are distracted by any number of other activities, from listening to the radio to disciplining children. Since there is no need to pass legislation restricting these and other such activities, it follows that there is no need to restrict people's freedom to use a device that they find convenient-or helpful in emergencies." WORDS: 569 In this argument, the author recommends that it is sheer folly to create new laws that restrict the use of handheld cell phones by drivers of automobiles. To justify this recommendation, the author provides some information about the accidents when people use cell phones on the road and start other activities. Moreover, the author offers the claim that there is no restrict in emergencies. While this argument has some merits, it suffers from several critical problems. One problem with this argument is the relationship of driving and using cell phones. The author claims that the majority with cell phones do not cause problems, but there is no evidence offered to sustain this claim. It is entirely possible that those who do not cause problems are the passengers with cell phones but not the drivers, while the drivers who use cell phones on the road all cause accidents. Lacking detailed information about the facts, it would be sheer folly to conclude that using cell phones by drivers on the road do not cause many accidents. Moreover, no evidence offered to support the claims that there is no need to create laws to restrict other activities so that the new laws restricting the action of using cell phone by drivers are not necessary. The author indicates that other activities such as listening to the radio and disciplining the children are also causing accidents, but fails to indicate the frequency of accidents between using cell phone and other activities. It is entirely possible that the accidents' frequency caused by other activities are lower than those by using cell phone. Also, when the frequencies caused by other activities are the same as or higher than by using cell phone, there may be laws created by government. Without considering and ruling out these possibilities, the author's claims could not be taken seriously. In addition, the author's claim raises two serious problems in itself and it is highly doubtful that the facts drawn from emergencies are applicable to those activities when driving. Firstly, there is no evidence offered to support the assumption that no laws are created to restrict the freedom of people using a device when they are in emergencies. It is entirely possible that there is laws that prevent people from using cell telephones if the gas leaks. Secondly, even if there is no laws to restrict people using a device when being emergencies, it is highly doubtful that the facts drawn from the emergencies are applicable to other activities and differences between these situation far outweigh the similarities, thus making the analogy highly suspect. For example, people may drive for vacation or dropping by friends and they need not using the cell phone for urgent help. Lacking a complete analysis of the situation, it would be sheer folly to conclude that because of no restriction in emergencies so there is no need to create laws for restricting the use of cell phone when driving. In sum, the author fails to validate the claims that the laws is sheer folly. To make it logically acceptable, the author should demonstrate that the accident frequency caused by using cell phone both when driving and other activities. In addition, the author would have to provide more concrete evidence, especially the information concerning about the opinions of people about what situation the laws should be created, to rule out the abovementioned possibility that would undermine the author's claim. | 
发表于 2007-8-3 18:59:35
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