7. Combined with this drive to provide public funding for religious and other private schools has been an unprecedented tsunami of assaults on the public schools serving 90 percent of our K-12 students. These assaults involve wholesale slashing of public school budgets, layoffs of teachers and other school personnel, increases of class sizes, elimination of instructional and other programs, intense propaganda campaigns against teachers and teacher unions, and attacks on the very idea of religiously-neutral, democratic public education. Together, this two-front war on religious freedom and public education constitutes nothing short of a major national crisis.

Edd Doerr, “The Great School Voucher Fraud,” Americans for Religious Liberty, July 2012, http://www.

arlinc.org/articles.html (accessed July 29, 2012). Diagram the above arguments using both the Toulmin Model and the Co-Orientational Model of argument. Then, based on what you know, criticize each argument.

What makes it strong? What makes it weak? For example:

Capital punishment for murderers is widely supported by the general population. A Harris Poll in 1975 reported 59 percent of the public was in favor of capital punishment, and that proportion reportedly was increasing. Another poll in 1978 asked the question, “Are you in favor of the death penalty for persons convicted of murder?” The results showed 66 percent of the populace in favor of the death penalty.

Criticism These polls are very outdated. Perhaps public opinion has shifted since the 1970s. Besides, just because the public supports something does not mean that it should be favored.