ENGL147N Discussion 1 Rebuttals and Refutations

Some physicians may argue that physician assisted suicide takes away from the goal of returning the patient to “wholeness” and takes away from the values the doctor is supposed to uphold by doing all they can to heal the patient. According to Anderson, “Doctors take an oath saying they will give no deadly medicine to anyone and their responsibility is to heal and not to help people die”. The oath is a promise to act for the benefit of patients and not for the harm. The doctor and patient’s relationship are based off of trust and if the patient knows the doctor could suggest death instead of doing all they can to help the patient. Currently too few physicians are trained in palliative care therefore may take the easy way out with physician assisted suicide (Anderson, 2002). Being a Doctor is a powerful role and making assisted suicide legal in all places may put a strain on what being a doctor stands for.

• How were you able to remain objective while presenting the opponent’s point of view?
I remained objective my being specific, not using any opinions and didn’t use first person.
• What challenges did you face obtaining evidence to back up the assertion?
The challenges I faced when finding evidence was a lot of the “evidence” used in this article was religious based which may be different for different religions or is hard to prove to someone who may not believe in God.
• Which conciliatory approach did you apply and why?
The approach I used was only using facts instead of any opinions and expressing the authors view without being too argumentative. I went into detail what it meant being a doctor now and how legalizing assisted suicide would change that.
• How was it effective?
It was effective by showing what assisted suicide could do to the way we see doctors in healthcare.

Reference

Anderson, R. (2002, October 10). Counterpoint: Holistic Healers and Physician- Assisted Suicide. https://eds-a-ebscohostcom.chamberlainuniversity.idm.oclc.org/eds/detail/detail?vid=1&sid=f10ad3e9-ccc34b2f76cc0c726897%40sdsessmgr02&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#AN=6163656&db=ccm

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Dr. Boorady, a child and adolescent psychiatrist claims that some side effects children may experience when taking stimulant drugs are trouble falling asleep, lack of appetite, headaches, stomachaches, decreased appetite, tics, irritability, moodiness, or changes in behavior (Boorady, 2019). For this reason, parents are hesitant to give their children stimulant drugs. Many fear the drugs pose a health risk due to potentially serious side effects. According to Foster, “the effects of Ritalin are often compared to the effects of other stimulants, like cocaine” (Foster, 2019). Ritalin is a stimulant drug prescribed for children with ADHD. Cocaine is also a stimulant drug. Foster goes on to say that Ritalin may be more potent than cocaine. (Foster, 2019) Most research though points out that Ritalin is safe for children. In fact, they state that the dosages used in children are too low to create a high effect as in cocaine use. Dr. Boorady explains that most of the side effects experienced can be managed with decreasing or increasing dosages, giving the medications at different times, or trying other medications. (Boorady, 2019) Monitoring the side effects and how your child is doing on the medication closely is imperative to a positive outcome. Side effects are not life-threatening and can be managed with the help of the prescriber.

How were you able to remain objective while presenting the opponent’s point of view?

I remained objective by stating a direct quote from the opponent’s point of view.

What challenges did you face obtaining evidence to back up the assertion?

I was not able to find evidence that backed up the idea that Ritalin is more potent than cocaine because the sources that back that up are outdated. Also, most research shows that the dosages of Ritalin used in children are low and don’t compare to the use of cocaine.

Which conciliatory approach did you apply and why?

The conciliatory approach I applied was I rebutted the claim that the effects of Ritalin are the same as those in cocaine use. I used another source written by a clinical doctor so as to not instill any emotion or personal feelings regarding the opponent’s point of view.

How was it effective?

I think it was effective in showing how side effects experienced by children are not as severe as those in cocaine use.

Reference

Boorady, R. (2019, April 16). The side effects of ADHD medications. https://childmind.org/article/side-effects-of-adhd-medication/Links to an external site.

Foster, M. (2019, September 30). Counterpoint: Just Say “No” to Behavior Drugs for Kids. https://web-a-ebscohost-com.chamberlainuniversity.idm.oclc.org/pov/command/detail?vid=2&sid=44a461a2-309a-4ef1-a2a0-f21742eac36a%40sessionmgr4006

In the text, the participants are aware of the misleading manipulation techniques. It could be seen from the rebuttal that they are immune to this effect. In fact, the participant does a good job to offer another point of view on the topic.

After reading the text, it could be concluded that the reference used is exaggerating. The participants then have the chance to offer rebuttal points. Moreover, there are few comparisons presented in the data. Once the comparison in numbers or effects are presented, the fear-inducing tactic significantly weakens. I would consider the counter-argument statement after reading the rebuttal side.

First, the way participants react to the statement by providing a comparison of Ritalin and Cocaine use. Second, it is also good to add an expert’s opinion to convince the reader.

I commonly found these fear tactics in the health campaign and social media. Sometimes, they pour their attention to the fear factors and pushing aside the real message of the ads. In most cases, these other mediums are effective. A number of them are not. The effective ones are using real-life cases which becomes the talk of the town. The less effective fear tactic products are set in an unrealistic base, so they get ignored. The message delivered makes people think twice to change their current behavior.

“Currently too few physicians are trained in palliative care therefore may take the easy way out with physician assisted suicide (Anderson, 2002). ” I’m not sure if this is your own sentence or the point of view of the author Anderson but I am curious, Do they really believe that? While it is true that not enough physicians are trained in palliative care , I dont think it logically follows that they may take the easy way out with assisted suicide. Most of the doctors that I have worked with, either embraced palliative care and made the appropriate referrals or they go extreme measures, ie. ordering the placement of an ng tube in a 98yr old.

The text shows that the participants are aware of the manipulation, but are not fully immune to the effects. The participants are not providing enough evidence for the readers to reconsider the counterargument statement.There are two limitations to this fear-inducing tactic. First, most of the journals on this topic are related to religion, thus it is difficult to provide general answers. Second, the tactics used are new condition, with not enough support on either side. It will be difficult for the participants to provide a strong rebuttal point. Since there are only a few experts’ opinions that could be used as references, I would be relying on personal opinion a lot. So far, I don’t see any points that could be applied to my own topics. The rebuttal is not strong enough even though it is related to the topic. The discussion of doctor and physician-assisted suicide is new and sensitive topic. Therefore, it is not commonly found in ads, articles, or social media. The only available sources are personal experiences. In terms of spreading the issues to the public, yes, they are effective. After hearing about the case of physician-assisted suicide, people will be more likely to asks deeper questions about the patients’ condition when they are hospitalized.

This topic is one that I can understand both sides and sometimes see myself switch from side to side occasionally. I feel that if a person has a low quality of life and staying alive would cause them more suffering then physician-assisted suicide would be understandable. However, miracles do happen and people do get better so what if that person that is always in terrible pain and has a very serious disease happen to get better. If they would have picked physician assisted suicide they may have never gotten the chance. I do believe it should be an option however, there should be tested both physical and emotional in order to make the best decision for the patient.

The legalization of marijuana is dangerous and can lead to the use of more dangerous drugs. Addicts of heroin and cocaine will tell you that they initially started using marijuana at an early age then began experimenting with more lethal drugs. DuPont states, that early introduction to drugs stimulate the brain into seeking more significant responses from drugs that are used. (DuPont, 2016) “Marijuana use is positively correlated with alcohol use and cigarette use, as well as illegal drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine”.(DuPont, 2016, para. 2)

Further evidence in this article presents evidence that marijuana does not lead to heroin or cocaine use. Many users of marijuana never used or progressed to use heroin or cocaine.

I would say this is a reliable source being published in the New York Times. The author is also the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Using quotes from the article allowed me to remain objective in the review of this information. The opposition argument is easily disputed. The author used counter-argument to present his point.

References

DuPont, R. (2016, April 26). Marijuana has proven to be a gateway drug. nytimes.com. Retrieved June 8, 2020, from https://nytimes/roomfordebate/2016/04/26/is-marijuana-a-gateway-drug/marijuana-has-proven-to-be-a-gateway-drugLinks to an external site.

I believe it is very rare for marijuana to lead to something more extreme like heroine. This is something used to cure many things for medical purposes, if it was that lethal I’m sure it wouldn’t be used in the medical field as often as it is. Everyone I know who has tried it has never tried anything else. I think marijuana is not a big deal as it is made out to be. Many people I know just want to relax and that helps them. I think the author using a counter argument was a good idea, because that also helps his argument. Using direct quotes is also a good way to stay objective, because it’s the authors information and not yours.

This week my topic is Gun Down: How to defeat the NRA and build a safer future with fewer guns. The United States has more mass shootings, gun-suicide, and nonfatal gun violence than any other industrialized country. According to the CDC, between 1998 -2018, approximately 3,84865 people died by suicide firearm, and 2,41675 people killed by homicide firearm. Now, Mass-shooting have become prevalent in our society. All efforts to impose strict gun laws either by government or gun safety advocates are ineffective. Background checks do not stop anyone from obtaining guns. Ninety-six people die from firearm injuries every day in the U.S., and twelve thousand people per year. (As cited by Volosky, 2018). The main reason behind this is easy access to weapons in the U.S. Many countries in the world either banned privately owned or make strict rules to own a firearm. United stated has more guns than people (120 weapons per 100 people). A study conducted by small arms reported a total of 390 million privately owned weapons in the United States in 2018. (as cited by Ingraham). If our country banned privately owned guns or put a limit for an individual with only a certain number of a weapon, we can stop the deaths of thousands of innocent people. USA need to make more gun control regulation to reduce gun violence.

How were you able to remain objective while presenting the opponent’s point of view?

I stay objective by focusing on the statistics presented in my source.

What challenges did you face obtaining evidence to back up the assertion?

The most current information I found from the CDC was from 2018. Also, a small arms study was conducted in 2017. For my topic, I found that most of the articles present either a con or pro approach. They are not as objective about the topic.

Which conciliatory approach did you apply and why?

The information I obtained from the book the Gun Down was written by Igor Vulosky who is a director of Gun Downs America and vice president of the center of American progress. He mentions in his book that he is working collaboratively with gun lobbies, the NRA, and gun safety advocates to reduce to guns in the U.S. The source for small arms study is from The Washington Post. I did not use my personal opinions and I rebutted my claim that the U.S. has more gun violence than other countries.

How was it effective?

Yes. It was effective because I use statistics from the CDC about how many deaths happened during 1998-2018 due to guns in the USA.

References:

About CDC. https://webappa.cdc.gov/cgi-bin/broker.exe

Volsky, I. (2018). Guns Down: How to Defeat the NRA and Build a Safer Future with Fewer Guns. https://eds-a-ebscohost-com.chamberlainuniversity.idm.oclc.org/eds/detail/detail?vid=12&sid=7af8c36b-55ec-4f5e-b0be-ee6f8b91f735%40sdc-v-sessmgr03&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#AN=2088689&db=edsebk

Ingraham, C. (2018, June 19). More guns than people in the United States. The Washington Post.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2018/06/19/there-are-more-guns-than-people-in-the-united-states-according-to-a-new-study-of-global-firearm-ownership/

ADHD medications can have many unwanted side effects, and not all have been tested for their effects in younger children (Bailey & Carson-Dewitt, 2019). According to psychiatrist Dr. Roy Boorady (2020), and Dr. Roseann Capanna Hodge (2019), these side effects can include sleep disturbances, delayed growth, decreases in appetite, nausea, headache, stomachache, tics, personality changes, and psychotic behaviors. A phenomenon known as rebound irritability, which occurs when medications begin to wear off, is also a possible side effect (Boorady, 2020). Medications used to treat ADHD are stimulant medication, which can cause a patient’s heart rate and blood pressure to increase. This can be especially dangerous in those with cardiac issues (Boorady, 2020). It is extremely likely that a child will develop side effects from their medications. 100 percent of those participating in a study done in 2014 reported at least one side effect (Hodge, 2019). The potential benefits of using medications to treat ADHD do not outweigh the risks, and the long-term consequences are not yet known (Bailey & Carson-Dewitt, 2019).

I applied the Toulmin model to present order to present the opponent’s point of view, focusing on credible sources and stating fact-based evidence to remain objective. This creates a more effective argument and allowed me to keep an open mind on a position that I do not necessarily agree with. The challenge I faced when searching for evidence to back up to opposition, was finding sources that were not outdated. Many of the sources I found were written over 10 years ago, with research that was a few years older than the date of publication.

Bailey, E. & Carson-Dewitt, R. (2019). Behavior Drugs and Children. https://web-a-ebscohost-com.chamberlainuniversity.idm.oclc.org/pov/detail/ detail?vid=1&sid=656d6432-affd-4d6e-91f6-0502d18bd28e%40sessionmgr4006& bdata=JnNpdGU9cG92LWxpdmU%3d#AN=23364394&db=pwhLinks to an external site.

Boorady, R. (2020). Side Effects of ADHD Medication: What to look for, and how to handle them. Retrieved from: https://childmind.org/article/side-effects-of-adhd-medication/Links to an external site.

Hodge, R.C. (2019). 5 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Medicate Your Child With ADHD. Retrieved from: https://drroseann.com/5-reasons-to-not-medicate-adhd-in-children/Links to an external site.

ENGL147N Discussion 1 Rebuttals and Refutations