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WRITING WORKSHOP

Why Write an Argument?

Few skills are more valuable than the ability to make an effective argument. The ability to present your reasoned point of view clearly and to convince others that your ideas are correct will be useful in every area of your life, both today and in the future. Do you need to convince a teacher that you deserve a different grade? Make a good argument. Do you need to persuade your parents to let you stay out later this weekend? Is there a political policy that you believe unfairly targets certain individuals based on race, gender, or sexual orientation? Do you need to convince a potential employer you’re the best fit for a job? Make a good argument.

Earlier in this chapter, you may have read some of the speeches in the Voices of Rebellion Conversation and saw the impact an effective argument can have on the world. Martin Luther King Jr. made the case for nonviolent economic boycotts to improve conditions for workers in Memphis; Malala Yousafzai presented her argument for universal education in the face of religious extremism before an international audience; and Thomas Paine penned words that some historians credit with convincing the colonists to support the American Revolution. Real arguments matter in the real world.