Example One
Argumentative Brief (Adapted from Crusius and Channell, The Aims of Argument).
Claim: Everyone, gay and straight, will benefit from extending the basic human right of marriage to all couples, regardless of sexual preference.
- Reason: It would reinforce family values such as monogamy and the two-parent family.
- Evidence: Marriage stabilizes relationships. (Sources: Rauch 23; Dean 114)
- Evidence: Children of gays and lesbians should not be denied having two parents. (Sources: Dean 114; Sullivan; Salholz)
- Evidence: If gays can have and adopt children, they should be able to marry (Source: Salholz)
- Reason: It would provide a means of keeping people from burdening society.Evidence: Spouses take care of each other. (Source: Rauch)
- Reason: Denying gays and lesbians the rights to marry is discriminatory.
- Evidence: Marriage includes rights to legal benefits. (Source: Dean 112)
- Evidence: Domestic partnerships fail to provide these rights. (Sources:Dean 112; Salholz)
- Evidence: Barring these marriages violates many democratic principles. (Sources: "Declaration"; Dean 113; Salholz)
- Reason: The love homosexuals have for each other is not different from love between heterosexuals.
- Evidence: Many gays and lesbians are in monogamous relationships. (Source: Ayers 5)
- Evidence: They have the same need to make a public, legal commitment. (Source: Sullivan)