Proposing an Argument
Unit 15, Proposal Arguments, contains important information because they are the type of arguments that are used the most and like the chapter suggests, they require action. Proposal arguments, for me, contain bait-and-hook like information because they are used to get you to take a side and then take action in defending your stance. Whether the argument is about something minor like raising utility taxes in your community or a more broad subject such as health care reform, the point is for you to decide what your position is and then do something to support your claim, maybe attend town meetings and let your voice be heard or writing to your Senator about an issue. In developing your proposal argument, Ramage, Bean and Johnson suggest that you first win your audience over by emphasizing that a there is an issue at hand and then use your evidence to support your claim by presenting statistics or by showing your audience in some way, the problem at hand. Some proposal arguments use media advertising to focus on a certain audience while others use their actions to speak their words. While so many types of arguments are important, one cannot overemphasize the need for proposal arguments. I would much rather write a proposal argument because it is a challenge and sometimes a very difficult challenge. The most important part of the challenge is winning over your audience. I always want people to agree with me in my arguments and if I can actually persuade someone to listen to me and my claims and then influence them then I consider my writing an accomplishment. Persuading is more of a skill that some writers have and some do not. You can learn to persuade if you do not have the natural ability but being able to persuade is not something you are born with. On the other hand, listening to other writer’s proposal arguments can be somewhat frustrating because I want everyone to agree with me and my ways of thinking. If the writer presents evidence that I either chose not to adhere to or just did not know, then I am forced to think about my own stance. By thinking about my own stance, I may be motivated to change my mind on a proposal. That can be a good thing though and the older I get the more I realize that it is okay to be influenced by other beliefs and sometimes my way of thinking is not always the right way. I agree with Ramage, Bean and Johnson when they emphasize, “effective proposal writing constitutes one of the most powerful ways you can identify and help solve problems” (311). The more you argue, the better chance you have of someone listening to you and the more people that listen, the more people will do something.
Works Cited
Ramage, John D., John C. Bean, and June Johnson. Writing Arguments: a Rhetoric with Readings. New York: Pearson Longman, 2010. Print.
Response to Erin’s Proposal Arguments
ReplyDeleteErin, I too was intrigued by proposal arguments but only after I forced myself to look deeper into the topic. It’s not something I could understand from only a couple of reads. Your analogy of “bait-and-hook” like information is a spot-on example of what a proposal argument is supposed to do. For me, the initial exploration of proposal concepts was interesting, but when I tried to apply them to my own argument, it sucked.
Like you, I also like my writing to be persuasive and convincing. The art of persuasion could never be more important (in writing) than when arguing for an issue such as health care or taxes. Your observations explanation of Chapter 15 shows that you have a true understanding of proposal argument concepts. Great job on such a challenging topic!