1. For Cashin, what’s wrong with affirmative action? What does she propose instead?

2. As noted in the introductory material at the top of the reading, Cashin’s position and the claims she makes sooner or later offend nearly everyone. Think of the various aspects of Cashin’s arguments that various groups — liberals, conservatives, African Americans, white Americans, graduates of elite schools, etc. — will probably not find pleasing about her position.

3. What sort of ethos does Cashin create? How does she demonstrate her educational background? Her membership in the African American community and her loyalty to it? (Here, be sure to consider the language she uses as well as the cultural allusions she employs.) The values to which she is committed? (See Chapter 3 for information about arguments based on character.)

4. In what ways is Cashin’s book an American book? Putting aside the historical and social contexts, what “American” values does Cashin seek to appeal to in her readers, regardless of their own personal background or political affiliation? (See Chapter 2 on arguments based on pathos, or appeals to the audience’s emotions and values.)

5. Pay careful attention to how Cashin structures her argument and how she acknowledges the perspectives held by others. How specifically is her argument structured? Try to summarize her argument, putting it in the form of a Toulmin argument. (See Chapter 7 for a discussion of Toulmin argumentation.)

6. Write an evaluative argument in which you seek to evaluate Cashin’s proposal that place, rather than race or ethnicity, should be the primary concern of those committed to fairness in American society. Obviously, you’ll need to restate her position fairly (something question 5 should help you do) and to give the criteria you use in evaluating her position. (Chapter 10 on evaluative arguments will help you here.)