When writing an argument, developing a claim can be tricky. Some claims really don’t need to be presented. How about ‘I believe that convicted shoplifters should face the death penalty’? No–that’s stupid and barbaric; we live in the United States of America.A better claim would be something like this: ‘Public schools receive the vast majority of their funding from local property taxes. Hence, the elderly, who tend to own homes, pay a large percentage of this funding. However, their children are probably past school age. Exempt the elderly from having their taxes used for something that directly benefits others, not them.’ A skilled writer could argue either side of this argument. Sure, the claim makes sense, but someone arguing from the other side could point out that all residents benefit when young people get a quality K-12 education. NO PLAGIARISMArguments should never focus on obvious, cut-and-dried issues. There should always be room on the other side for a counterargument. In your response, discuss what is wrong with the following claim:’If marijuana is legalized, most high school students will be heroin addicts by their senior year.’
