Kristof and Rifkin Rebuttals

Kristof Rebuttals

In, “Do We Have the Courage,” Kristof uses rebuttals to strengthen his persuasion and it actually helped him a lot.  For example, Kristof tells a story about how he had been given a gun as a present when he was at the age of 12, but in the end he turns the story around and brings it back to the idea of cars being regulated and how guns should be too.  This example represents the idea of strategic concession because he recognizes the opposing view by saying how guns are fun to shoot, but then ties it right back in to why are guns not regulated like cars are. Also, Kristof says, “Likewise, don’t bother with the argument that if more people carried guns, they would deter shooters or interrupt them. Mass shooters typically kill themselves or are promptly caught, so it’s hard to see what deterrence would be added by having more people pack heat.”  This example represents the idea of refutation because it directly challenges the point of view of the opposing side. It also points out the weakness in the thought of having more people carry guns. Kristof uses rebuttals in his favor throughout this short text about gun regulation.

Rifkin Rebuttals

In, “A Change of Heart About Animals,” Rifkin uses rebuttals to strengthen his argument that other species are similar to us humans.  For example, in paragraph 10, Rifkin states that some philosophers believe that other animals are not capable of self-awareness because they “lack a sense of individualism.”  He then goes on to say that this is not true. This is an example of the demonstration of irrelevance because he points out that there are new studies that show that this idea the philosophers have is not true at all.  Another example is when Rifkin says that, “scientists have long believed that mourning for the dead represents the real divide.” He then goes on to say that animals actually do seem to experience grief. This shows that the type of rebuttal being used in this situation is refutation.  It seems to be refutation because of when he points out the weakness of this belief by stating a fact about elephants standing next to their dead kin for days, occasionally touching their bodies with their trunks. This directly challenges the opposing view, which therefore shows it is a rebuttal.  Rifkin’s short story uses rebuttals to his advantages by pointing out where he is correct in many scenarios over the belief of the opposing view, persuading the audience to agree with his argument that humans and other species are actually very similar.