Argumentative Essay Project: Pro/Con Arguments

Ling 21 Online

Argumentative Essay Project Part I: Topic Worksheet

1) What is your issue question?

Should government set up more CCTVs in public places to decrease crime rate?

2) As you understand the controversy now, what are the two sides to the controversy that you will be exploring? (Note that your understanding may and should change as you research the issue).

Argument Side A: Government should set up more CCTVs in public places to decrease crime rate, because they can shock criminals, record crime scenes, and improve the efficiency of case solving.

Argument Side B: Government should not set up more CCTVs in public places, because they will involve personal privacy issue. Every behavior and personal dressings will be recorded by government.

3) Can you offer two rational arguments on this issue? That is, are these arguments based on shared assumptions between you and your audience (basically, your classmates and your instructor). What are those assumptions?

Side A: We should allow government to set up CCTVs in public places. We all want to live in a safer environment, and these CCTVs, like electrical polices, guard our lives. Even if we meet the threats, the CCTVs are able to record the scene as the evidence and report to the police so that we can get rescue in time.

Side B: We should not allow government to set up CCTVs in public places. We all have our own privacies, and we never want our privacies expose to the public. If the government set up CCTVs in public places, our life will be monitored by the government. We are definitely not willing to be monitored. Therefore, we should not allow them to set up CCTVs.

4) Have you already found articles on the issue? If so, please list the titles and the URLs here (if you are arguing an issue that you did not post about on the Week 7 and 8 discussion board, you will not be able to complete this section).

The effect of CCTV on public safety: Research roundup

https://journalistsresource.org/studies/government/criminal-justice/surveillance-cameras-and-crime/