Philosophy, Ethics, Religion, and Death (oh my!)

In your packets tonight (the ones you received in class today), read the introduction to the section starting on page 483 and continue reading the first two articles through page 489. The first is H.L. Mencken's The Penalty of Death and Coretta Scott King's The Death Penalty is a Step Back.

• Consider the comprehension and rhetoric questions for each of the essays as a barometer of your understanding of the essays (King's questions are on page 490). 
• Using Toulmin again (here's another take on Toulmin), look at the claim(s), data, warrant(s), backing, qualification(s), and refutation(s) for each argument. Which argument is the most compelling? Why do you think so?

Please blog your responses. We'll discuss this briefly after going over the timed writes on Friday.