Question

BE PREPARED FOR A LONG DISCUSSION BELOW
First idea was scrapped. *
Writing a persuasive essay about abortion (pro-life stance), any tips?
*I'm also considering writing about fast food and the growing obesity issue, if all else fails
@e.mccormick @hba @ParthKohli @wio @ganeshie8 @douglaswinslowcooper @inkyvoyd

Answer 1

Collect your opinions on the subject.

Answer 2

Well, I was planning to acknowledge the opposition, but I'm not sure where to go with that...

Answer 3

All I know is that since an embryo is considered life at a really early stage (excuse the baby word), that people shouldn't end a life before it's even actually started.
But that's the side I'm trying to persuade people to...

Answer 4

I am pro-abortion as well. You can find some arguments on Wikipedia.

Answer 5

I don't think I can reference Wikipedia. My class is AP...
I'm trying to persuade people for pro-life, though.

Answer 6

do not reference Wikipedia; reference what Wikipedia references.

Answer 7

Oh. Okay

Answer 8

Yes, good luck!

Answer 9

I found this on Google - http://womensissues.about.com/od/reproductiverights/a/AbortionArgumen.htm

Answer 10

Is about.com a reliable source?

Answer 11

No.

Answer 12

See its sources.

Answer 13

I just used EasyBib and it is apparently considered credible.

Answer 14

All right. You are almost good to go.

Answer 15

Okay. Thank you for your help. :)

If I may ask, do you know how I should go about writing an essay concerning fast food and the growing issue of obesity (stated above - I might not be able to finish the abortion essay if I get stuck)?

Answer 16

Oh, and the abortion essay has a smidge of transcendentalism since I started it off with a quote by Thoreau.

Answer 17

start any essay with an idea or a fact. build upon the same fact/idea.

Answer 18

Well, shoot.
I just Googled abortion rates and apparently they are declinining....

Answer 19

Haha!

Answer 20

Well, fast food/obesity it is then.

Answer 21

So for the first line of the essay, state a fact and try not to sensationalize it.

Answer 22

Sensationalize? o_o

Answer 23

I was planning to state a statistic on obesity.

Answer 24

Yes, that is what you should do.

Answer 25

But not something like cracked.com or any magazine.

Answer 26

Read Paul Graham's essays. They are good examples of writing.

Answer 27

Okay, I'll go do that.
Should I put something about the abortion debate in if I'm making a point about how we are destroying our own lives with fast food, so we shouldn't make decisions about other humans' lives?

Answer 28

Paul Graham?

Answer 29

Wait, why the merging of the two essays?

Answer 30

well, yeah - but that is an opinion.

Answer 31

-shrug-
It seemed a good idea.

Found a quote - "Life is 10 percent what you make it, and 90 percent how you take it."
Irving Berlin

Answer 32

you were on the right path.

Answer 33

Oh.
Wait, I got it backwards...
Then I should use that in an abortion essay referencing my fast-food essay?

Answer 34

how strict is an essay supposed to be for you?

Answer 35

It's an OP.

Answer 36

Free write of sorts, I guess.

Answer 37

well, that is good. try to be normal throughout your essay, and let one thing flow after the other.

Answer 38

so which one are you working on first?

Answer 39

Okay.
So I made a layout -
1. fast food is making obesity rates sky-high
2. fast food and its other detrimental-to-health (sorry I made up a word, I'm short on time) qualities
3. ?

Answer 40

I'm thinking something about pollution for 3. but I don't know yet. I have to research that.

Answer 41

first, talk about general health and wellness. then get into the serious diseases. then back to general health and wellness.

Answer 42

-reads some Paul Graham essays-
Okay, definitely using at least one of these.

Answer 43

start light and end light. the middle is where you would want to insert pollution. anyway, how do you mean "pollution"?

Answer 44

Wait, what? o_o
Wouldn't that be redundant?

As for the "pollution" issue I am talking about the smoke and everything that comes from making fast food ... (uhh, I don't know how exactly to describe this. It's like a factory, I guess...?)

Answer 45

Oh, I see. I would leave the structure to you.

Answer 46

Okay....So....
1. Obesity
2. Detrimental Health Qualities
3. .... pollution?

Answer 47

I need to Google that last one.

Answer 48

-reads Paul Graham essay-
Oh! I could write about stage fright since I have it!
.... Nah.

While I was typing in the omnibox (apparently Opera browser has a Chrome-type address bar), the phrase "low poverty wages" came up attached to "fast food"...
Is this relevant to my essay - or can I make it relevant?

Answer 49

The low wages are related to fast-food, but not to obesity.

Answer 50

Okay.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2206387/Scientists-say-air-pollution-produced-single-hamburger-truck.html
Ouch.

Answer 51

http://www.triplepundit.com/2011/06/fast-food-big-source-trash-pollution/

This article is better.

Answer 52

Oh, thanks. I'll check it out.

Answer 53

Whoa. Wait.
Are you SERIOUS? There's a giant floating pile of FAST FOOD TRASH in the OCEAN?

Answer 54

yes, you can introduce this with something like the following:

"Fast food also indirectly affects our environment..."

Answer 55

well, I am a witness.

Answer 56

"...which in turn, will inevitably be detrimental to our own health."
Witness?

Answer 57

I have personally seen fast-food trash floating in the ocean.

Answer 58

Ew.
Sorry, that was an immature reaction.

Answer 59

haha, it is the only reaction I have seen.

Answer 60

use stronger phrases like 'the society', 'populace', etc.

Answer 61

Well, to be more eloquent - "that is incredibly revolting".
I write formally by habit - it's a trained thing :p

Answer 62

haha!

Answer 63

"My life is my message." -Mahatma Gandhi
Good quote to use? I got it off Brainyquote.com

Answer 64

How is Bapu's quote relevant to our essay?

Answer 65

O_O
I did not expect that.

Answer 66

Hmm?

Answer 67

Sorry, I was stupid and failed to recognize the ethnicity of your name ^^'

Answer 68

Is that a bad thing?

Answer 69

But I agree with the title.
(Are you offended?)

Answer 70

haha, why would I be offended?

Answer 71

Well, if our lives are spent on materialism and food and all that junk, then it sends out a negative message.

Answer 72

As to your question - I have friends who get uppity and "high-and-mighty" whenever they get offended.
There is also this one girl in my choir class who is basically the real-life version of novels' "drama queen" + nosy as heck person.

Answer 73

lol. you didn't say anything against anyone. anyway, try to not use too many quotations. and make sure that the ones you do... are to the point!

Answer 74

Oh, I only use a generous amount of quotations when summarising.

Answer 75

I guess I'll start typing out the essay.
Should I send you a copy of the first two paragraphs in case I somehow manage to go in the wrong direction unawares?

Answer 76

all right. Gandhi's quote is much better in the pro-life essay.

Answer 77

Oh.
I'll go find another quote. :p

Answer 78

"Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced"
Soren Kierkegaard

Answer 79

all of these related to life can be used in the pro-life essay. you could find a quote pertaining to health.

Answer 80

Oh, good point.

Answer 81

What about smart decisions?

Answer 82

Not really, no.

Answer 83

Okay, no smart decisions quotes.

"A wise man should consider that health is the greatest of human blessings, and learn how by his own thought to derive benefit from his illnesses"
Hippocrates

Answer 84

perfect.

Answer 85

The last part doesn't fit, though.

Answer 86

I mean, Hippocrates is also the best person you could quote.

Answer 87

I just like Greek philosophers.
I mean - they came up with a lot of the modern ideas we have today.

Answer 88

the second clause means that a man is himself responsible for his illnesses

Answer 89

Yeah, that "one" came up mistakenly.

Answer 90

Or you could omit the second clause.

Answer 91

There are only so many more quotes by Hippocrates -- most of them better.

Answer 92

I just read an article on fast food...
Apparently, you can also get addicted to fast food the same way you get addicted to marijuana or tobacco...

Answer 93

@ParthKohli ?
My apologies - you just disappeared o_o

Answer 94

I am here.

Answer 95

Oh, hello.

Answer 96

All right. How is the progress?

Answer 97

I think I just spent 10 min reading through your conversation...