Rebuttal – LunaDuna

Posted on November 17, 2021 by Lunaduna

There Can Always Be Benefits

(Work In Progress. Having Trouble generating ideas)

            Animal experimentation will continue to be a constant debate in the world. There will always be two sides, one for and one against. Health professionals believe that animal experimentation can help save the lives of many people, but the cost is the animal’s life. As of today, animal experimentation is legal, whether people believe that it is good or bad. More than 26 million animals “participate” in experiments, that save the lives of humans.

Animal rights are held too high in regard. People who scream that animal testing is wrong, do not understand the numerous benefits that come from experimentation. The entire truth is that the world has advanced in the past decades due to experimentation on animals. In day-to-day life objects all around us have been influenced in some way by animals. A countless number of things we take for granted every day would not exist if scientists did not experiment on animals. People should look at animals not as defenseless creatures, but as a development for the good of society.

Past many decades, animal testing has improved the practice of medicine, such as expanding the known knowledge of diseases and even creating cures. Major vaccines like polio, hepatitis B and C were developed and passed through animal testing. According to the Biomedical Research Association in California, most medical breakthroughs that have occurred in the last hundred years occurred from animal experimentation. Insulin was discovered from treatment in a dog’s pancreas. Two German researchers, Oskar Minkowski and Joseph von Mering found that when the pancreas was removed from dogs, the animals began to develop symptoms of diabetes, which most of the dogs dies soon after. The researchers newly understood where the site of “pancreas substances,” insulin was produced in the body.

Vaccines. A device that can lower the chances of contracting certain diseases. Vaccines have not always been there, and if there were not, a lot of people would die. To develop a vaccine, it takes extensive research to be done until the final product is ready. Immunizations against diphtheria, mumps, rubella, hepatitis, and polio have saved countless lives and the survival rates for these major diseases has hit an all-time high.

The benefits from animal experimentation will continue. Blood transfusions, antibiotics, organ transplants, joint replacement, chemotherapy, and dialysis have all been fabricated from animal experimentation.

References

Cornett, E. M., Jones, M. R., & Kaye, A. D. (2019, May 11). Ethics of animal experimentation – springer. Ethics of Animal Experimentation. Retrieved November 17, 2021, from https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-99124-5_25.

Foundation for Biomedical Research. (2020, May 27). Medical advances. Animal Testing and Research. Retrieved November 18, 2021, from https://fbresearch.org/medical-advances/.

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Rebuttal Rewrite-zzbrd2822

Posted on November 17, 2021 by zzbrd2822

The Unfitting Piece of Happiness

Even though it has been proven through research that the pursuit of happiness is at best unrewarding and at worst disastrous, it remains for most of us a core value. We’ve been conditioned to believe that we should strive for happiness and that it’s worth fighting a war to defend our right to do so by documents as fundamental as the Declaration of Independence. It is understandable that there is a widespread belief that whether you find happiness or not will determine the value or measure of success of their life. It is easy to be immersed in how the value of happiness is deemed very high in today’s society and are surrounded by the increasing demand for guidance with the main focus of increasing happiness. Studies have shown that people who extremely value happiness are less likely to attain long-term happiness, which is explained by lower levels of psychological well-being and life satisfaction. However, identifying the purpose of life will result in more life fulfillment and satisfaction.

In an article, “Why You Need to Pursue Happiness,” the author, Ronald Siegel, Psy.D, claims that happiness positively impacts your health. He explains that besides the impact on longevity, there is evidence linking positive emotions to a lower risk of certain diseases and states that studies have found that people who are generally hopeful or curious appear to have a lower risk of developing hypertension and diabetes. However, this study does not address the claim at hand. Siegel uses “hopeful” and “curious” as indicators of positive emotions resulting from happiness, when in fact they are not. These terms reference temporary emotions that can appear and disappear in a moment. They are not necessarily related to happiness as someone can be hopeful in dark or challenging times or become curious as new information is presented. These in no way have a clear indication of happiness or positive emotions. These emotions can also be considered as part of someone’s personality, or traits that are commonly expressed by certain individuals. This would also not have any clear indication of happiness, as personality traits are developed as people grow and are not as easily changed.

Although Siegal claims that happiness has positive impacts on your health, it actually results in negative side effects. If people experience a high intensity of happiness, there are no psychological or health gains and people may experience costs. When feeling overly happy, we tend to feel less inhibited and more likely to explore new possibilities and take risks. People in this heightened ‘happiness overdrive’ mode engage in riskier behaviors and tend to disregard threats. For example, when experiencing high degrees of positive emotions, some individuals are more inclined to engage in riskier behaviors, such as alcohol consumption, binge eating, and drug use. This would lead to more health problems, such as increasing the risk of hypertension and diabetes.

Searching for happiness not only results in negative impacts on physical health, but also on mental health. Individual happiness creates a selfish drive that shows how people are not satisfied and will continue searching for happiness. This entails negatively affecting your mental and physical health. It has been shown that striving for personal gains can damage connections with others. For example, people who have high self-esteem often fail to attend to others’ needs and are unaware of how their actions can affect others. In addition, a narrow determination of achieving goals can cause people to disregard others’ feelings. Setting a small focus for achieving your happiness goal can be regarded as a selfish drive that neglects the emotions of those who surround you. This causes the pursuit of happiness to damage people’s relationships with others, resulting in loneliness. By ruining your relationships and connections with the people surrounding you, your search for happiness has left you with no one you can emotionally or physically connect to. This negatively affects your mental and physical health, as you are likely to turn to unhealthy behaviors. Studies were conducted and they examined correlations between valuing happiness and reports of loneliness in a large community sample. Another study was conducted as well to test the effects of experimental manipulation of valuing happiness on loneliness, through self-reports and a hormonal indicator, progesterone, of social connection. These results showed that valuing happiness is linked to greater indications of loneliness. This can lead to those pursuing happiness being at risk for poor mental health associated with more depressive symptoms.

The author also claims that happiness fades, so you should continue to seek it out. He states, “The last, crucial 40 percent of our potential happiness is under our control. We have to work to maintain it — and the research says it’s worth the effort,” In this statement, Siegal claims that the happiness is potential, which indicates that it is not guaranteed. There is no assurance that seeking out that happiness will yield successful results. This would undermine the statement that it would be worth the effort. He also states that you must work to maintain happiness, which indicates you would have to have it, to begin with.  There is too much value being placed in increasing or maintaining happiness levels, that the value of happiness itself is being faded. It is common for people to value wanting to be happy above many other goals with the expectation that happiness not only feels good but is beneficial for you. However, the more value that people invest in finding happiness, the less happy they are in actuality. People have a tendency to chase or long for a false sense of happiness, that is influenced by what others deem as proper success. They themselves are not searching for their own happiness. On the other hand, the search for the purpose of one’s life is a true reflection of the person. The purpose of life is important for psychological and physical well-being as it is both a goal for and a means to a fulfilling life. Purpose is important in that when present, it is a prevailing theme of a person’s identity, and it provides a basis for behavior patterns in everyday life.

As people search for happiness, people become greedy and more likely to exhibit less self-control. This phenomenon is seen in the common desires for wealth, power, influence, or love. Materialistic values play a huge role in our society’s definition of happiness and success. The need for materialistic items is linked under the common desire for wealth as anything that has a monetary value is valued most by people. Consumer culture is super prevalent in today’s time and there has been a decrease in life satisfaction. In psychologist Tim Kasser’s book, “The High Price of Materialism”, Kasser describes how people who organize their lives around extrinsic goals such as acquiring materialistic items, report greater unhappiness in relationships, poorer moods, and more psychological problems. Those who obtain so many materialistic items feel a superficial high where they feel they have added so much value to their life. This unforgiving cycle of greed relating to materialistic items is an effect of the unrelenting search for happiness.

References

DeAngelis, T. (2004). Consumerism–Consumerism and its discontents. https://www.apa.org. https://www.apa.org/monitor/jun04/discontents

Gruber, J. J. (n.d.). Four ways happiness can hurt you. Greater Good. Retrieved November 4, 2021, from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/four_ways_happiness_can_hurt_you.

Gruber, J., Mauss, I. B., & Tamir, M. (2011). A Dark Side of Happiness? How, When, and Why Happiness Is Not Always Good. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 6(3), 222–233. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691611406927

‌Kashdan, T.B. & McKnight, P.E. (2009). Origins of Purpose in Life: Refining our Understanding of a Life Well Lived. Psihologijske teme, 18 (2), 303-313. Retrieved from https://hrcak.srce.hr/48215

Mauss, I. B., Savino, N. S., Anderson, C. L., Weisbuch, M., Tamir, M., & Laudenslager, M. L. (2011, September 12). The Pursuit of Happiness Can Be Lonely. Emotion. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0025299 

Siegel, R. (2015, May 16). Why you need to pursue happiness. Next Avenue. Retrieved December 11, 2021, from https://www.nextavenue.org/why-you-need-pursue-happiness/.

Zerwas FK, Ford BQ. The paradox of pursuing happiness. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences. 2021;39:106-112. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352154621000541. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cobeha.2021.03.006.

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Rebuttal-zzbrd2822

Posted on November 17, 2021 by zzbrd2822

The Unfitting Piece of Happiness

Even though it has been proven through research that the pursuit of happiness leaves negative side effects, people are still resistant to it. It is understandable that many people have been conditioned to believe they should strive and search for happiness in their life, so that they may be successful. People believe that whether you find happiness or not will determine the value or measure of success of their life. People are immersed in how the value of happiness is deemed very high in today’s society and are surrounded by the increasing demand for guidance through motivational speakers, life coaches, and self-help books all with the main focus of increasing happiness. Studies have shown that people who extremely value happiness are less likely to attain long-term happiness, which is explained by lower levels of psychological well-being and life satisfaction. However, identifying the purpose of life will result in more life fulfillment and satisfaction.

In the Review of General Psychology, an article, “Pursuing happiness: The architecture of sustainable change,” states that enhancing peoples’ happiness levels may be a worthy scientific goal. This would indicate that increasing the happiness levels of people would be of value to science. In order to increase happiness, you would have to go in search of what causes happiness. There is too much value being placed in increasing happiness levels, that the value of happiness itself is being faded. It is common for people to value wanting to be happy above many other goals with the expectation that happiness not only feels good but is beneficial for you. However, the more value that people invest in finding happiness, the less happy they are in actuality. People have a tendency to chase or long for a false sense of happiness, that is influenced by what others deem as proper success. They themselves are not searching for their own happiness. On the other hand, the search for the purpose of one’s life is a true reflection of the person. The purpose of life is important for psychological and physical well-being as it is both a goal for and a means to a fulfilling life. The purpose is important in that when present, it is a prevailing theme of a person’s identity, and it provides a basis for behavior patterns in everyday life.

The article in the journal of the Review of General Psychology also states that subjective happiness may be integral to mental and physical health. In reality, individual happiness creates a selfish drive that shows how people are not satisfied and will continue searching for happiness. This entails negatively affecting your mental and physical health. It has been shown that striving for personal gains can damage connections with others. For example, people who have high self-esteem often fail to attend to others’ needs and are unaware of how their actions can affect others. In addition, a narrow determination of achieving goals can cause people to disregard others’ feelings. Setting a small focus for achieving your happiness goal can be regarded as a selfish drive that neglects the emotions of those who surround you. This causes the pursuit of happiness to damage people’s relationships with others, resulting in loneliness. By ruining your relationships and connections with the people surrounding you, your search for happiness has left you with no one you can emotionally or physically connect to. This negatively affects your mental and physical health, as you are likely to turn to unhealthy behaviors. Studies were conducted and they examined correlations between valuing happiness and reports of loneliness in a large community sample. Another study was conducted as well to test the effects of experimental manipulation of valuing happiness on loneliness, through self-reports and a hormonal indicator, progesterone, of social connection. These results showed that valuing happiness is linked to greater indications of loneliness. This can lead to those pursuing happiness being at risk for poor mental health associated with more depressive symptoms.

The article in the journal of the Review of General Psychology also states that happy people are more likely to evidence greater self-control and seld regulatory and coping abilities. As people search for happiness, people become greedy and more likely to exhibit less self-control. This will negatively affect their self-regulatory and coping abilities. As previously stated, people have a tendency to chase or long for a false sense of happiness, that is influenced by what others deem as proper success. This phenomenon is seen in the common desires for wealth, power, influence, or love. Materialistic values play a huge role in our society’s definition of happiness and success. The need for materialistic items is linked to the common desire for wealth as anything that has a monetary value is valued most by people. The author of Consumerism and its discontents, Tori DeAngelis, explains that in today’s world we own so many materialistic items and endless other commodities that weren’t around in the past, but are we any happier? Consumer culture is super prevalent in today’s time and there has been a decrease in life satisfaction. In psychologist Tim Kasser’s book, “The High Price of Materialism”, Kasser describes how people who organize their lives around extrinsic goals such as acquiring materialistic items, report greater unhappiness in relationships, poorer moods, and more psychological problems. He differentiates extrinsic goals, which focus on possessions, image, and status, from intrinsic ones, which aim at outcomes like personal growth and community connection. Those who obtain so many materialistic items feel a superficial high where they feel they have added so much value to their life. This unforgiving cycle of greed relating to materialistic items is an effect of the unrelenting search for happiness. This practice shows no signs of self-control. If people experience a high intensity of happiness, there are no psychological or health gains and people may experience costs. When feeling overly happy, we tend to feel less inhibited and more likely to explore new possibilities and take risks. People in this heightened ‘happiness overdrive’ mode engage in riskier behaviors and tend to disregard threats. For example, when experiencing high degrees of positive emotions, some individuals are more inclined to engage in riskier behaviors, such as alcohol consumption, binge eating, and drug use. These behaviors are not examples of positive self-regulatory and coping abilities. Although they feel powerful and that nothing matters anymore, their life has little to no meaning as a superficial life of selfish dedication to instant gratification is unfulfilling in the bigger picture.

DeAngelis, T. (2004). Consumerism–Consumerism and its discontents. https://www.apa.org. https://www.apa.org/monitor/jun04/discontents

Gruber, J. J. (n.d.). Four ways happiness can hurt you. Greater Good. Retrieved November 4, 2021, from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/four_ways_happiness_can_hurt_you.

Gruber, J., Mauss, I. B., & Tamir, M. (2011). A Dark Side of Happiness? How, When, and Why Happiness Is Not Always Good. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 6(3), 222–233. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691611406927

‌Kashdan, T.B. & McKnight, P.E. (2009). Origins of Purpose in Life: Refining our Understanding of a Life Well Lived. Psihologijske teme, 18 (2), 303-313. Retrieved from https://hrcak.srce.hr/48215

Lyubomirsky, S., Sheldon, K. M., & Schkade, D. (2005). Pursuing Happiness: The Architecture of Sustainable Change. Review of General Psychology, 9(2), 111–131. https://doi.org/10.1037/1089-2680.9.2.111

Mauss, I. B., Savino, N. S., Anderson, C. L., Weisbuch, M., Tamir, M., & Laudenslager, M. L. (2011, September 12). The Pursuit of Happiness Can Be Lonely. Emotion. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0025299  

Zerwas FK, Ford BQ. The paradox of pursuing happiness. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences. 2021;39:106-112. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352154621000541. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cobeha.2021.03.006.

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*Rebuttal Rewrite – Kilotoon

Posted on November 17, 2021 by kilotoon

More Effective than Anticipated

It is not uncommon for the average individual to fall victim to the rumors and blatant incorrect connotations tied to certain activities. Some sports are notorious for their aggression, some for their athleticism, and some for their benefits and lack thereof. It is very important for people to do their own research when they hear the rumors tied to certain sports, because many of them are not true. Powerlifting is one of the sports that is not looked at as highly as it should be, and that is due to many people misunderstanding the sport and what it brings to its athletes.

One big misconception tied to the sport of powerlifting is how it is a very dangerous sport to participate in, especially as a child. People believe that just because the sport is tied to an athlete pushing their bodies to lift heavy weights that it has to be detrimental to their overall health. This concept is plainly incorrect and ignorant, as it shows the ones who believe that have not done their thorough research into the sport. The European Journal of Physics is one area of knowledge that made the safety of powerlifting crystal clear, as it debunked this very rumor. Powerlifting might be a sport of lifting as much weight as possible at the least bodyweight, but it is still statistically safer than some of the most popular sports in the world, such as football and soccer. It’s also not just a little bit safer – it’s 4 times as safe to participate in than them. It’s also unknown to many that powerlifting is statistically as safe as dancing, which is known to be one of the least dangerous sports.

The competition itself is also not what causes injuries to powerlifters, meaning that the activity of lifting heavy weights isn’t necessarily dangerous to the lifters. Specifically in young lifters, which are the age group that are known to be looked down upon for lifting so early in their lives, most injuries present themselves when a lift with a heavy load is executed or attempted with poor technique. Technique is essential when prioritizing safety in any sport, such as executing a tackle in football or soccer.

Effective strength training programs, which are the basis of powerlifting, have a very long list of benefits associated with active participation, increased strength within the trained lift and the athlete as a whole, have one of the lowest rate of sports-related injuries, increases the bone strength index of the athletes, and just an overall enhanced self-esteem and fitness-level.

Another misconception associated with the sport of powerlifting is how other team sports, such as football, rugby, and soccer, are associated with more benefits for the athletes. Before even approaching the comparison of benefits among these varying sports, it’s important to note the vast difference in injury rates among them. When comparing benefits between different activities, it is wise to understand that most benefits are rendered ineffective when completely injured and unable to even participate and continue receiving said benefits. It is without a doubt that, among the three sports above, powerlifting gives the most bang for its buck when it comes down to benefits associated with it and risk of injury with consistent participation.

There was a study conducted of one hundred and eighty five rugby players, in which injuries were recorded throughout the season. In a single season, ninety eight of the one hundred and eighty five players were recorded to have had an injury. Out of the ninety eight players, one hundred and fifty one injuries were recorded. It was concluded that a complete eradication of deliberate dangerous play would drastically reduce the injuries in rugby. When considering the benefits of such a popular sport, understand that it is not uncommon for over half of the players of the season to receive injuries, and some of them receive multiple. As stated above, football and soccer have literally four times the injury rate as powerlifting. One of the main reasons that this is the case is due to the high nature of aggression of these sports. Sports such as rugby, soccer, and football have very high contact between players and most of the injuries experienced are due to the actions of other players around them, such as a tackle or collision.

Before beginning to demonstrate the endless benefits associated with constant participation of powerlifting, it is important to reiterate that it is not only a fourth as dangerous as football and soccer, but equally as safe as dancing. Powerlifting has a multitude of benefits, including improved motor skills and body composition. Improved body composition in a more defined way means that the subject being studied has a decreased percentage of body fat percentage, which is in turn an increased amount of fat free mass. Muscle gain is also one of the components of an improved body composition, as it helps decrease body fat percentage. Lastly, there is evidence of enhanced bone health in powerlifting athletes, especially when the lifter begins at a young age.

To reiterate, it is far from uncommon for the average person to become influenced by others’ rumors and beliefs about certain activities. It would be beneficial to the greater knowledge of everybody for people to do their own research before contributing to the ongoing rumors and incorrect beliefs, as it would put an end to many of them. Powerlifting is not exactly looked up upon as the sport to pursue, regardless of the benefits it gives to its participants. It is not praised because of the common misconception of the sport in general – how it is believed to be extremely dangerous to lift heavy weights, especially as a child. It should now be clear that not only is powerlifting safer than almost every well known and popular sport available to participate in today, but it is also more beneficial than those sports. Powerlifting should be praised as one of the best activities for every man, woman, and child to learn, participate, and compete in.

References

Davies, J. E., & Gibson, T. (1978, December 23). Injuries in rugby union football. The BMJ. Retrieved December 15, 2021, from https://www.bmj.com/content/2/6154/1759

Myers, A. M., Beam, N. W., & Fakhoury, J. D. (2017, July). Resistance training for children and adolescents. Translational pediatrics. Retrieved December 15, 2021, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5532191/

The physics of powerlifting – iopscience.iop.org. (n.d.). Retrieved December 15, 2021, from https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1361-6404/aaa90e/meta

Srce. (n.d.). Portal hrvatskih znanstvenih I stručnih časopisa. Hrčak portal hrvatskih znanstvenih i stručnih časopisa – Hrčak. Retrieved December 15, 2021, from https://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?id_clanak_jezik=150931&show=clanak

Posted in Rebuttal Rewrite Archives | 5 Comments

*Rebuttal Rewrite- friendoftacos

Posted on November 17, 2021 by friendoftacos

How Arguments Against Abortion are Flawed

The argument about abortion is very complicated.  Abortion is hotly debated on both sides of the debate. It is difficult to discuss abortion with most people since it is a delicate issue. Abortion is a topic on which the majority of people already have an opinion. If you are pro-life or pro-choice, you are making a major political declaration. There doesn’t appear to be much common ground between the opposing views on abortion. Having a human being developing inside one’s body is a life-changing experience for a woman. Pregnancy is a life-altering experience. When a woman decides to terminate her pregnancy, she is making a difficult choice. It’s not something to take lightly when you find out you’re pregnant against your will. The reasons why a woman chooses to avoid becoming pregnant are numerous and valid. Pro-lifers believe that women who choose to terminate their pregnancies have no valid grounds for doing so. One legitimate reason a woman can decide to terminate her pregnancy is because she does not want to carry the child any longer.


When a woman has an unwanted pregnancy, she must choose whether she is going to carry the baby to full term or choose to end the pregnancy. People who advocate for a woman to keep the baby and give birth to the child offer another possibility for the baby’s life which is giving the child up for adoption. If a woman cannot afford to raise a child, the option of putting the child up for adoption is something that could be done so that way the woman is not forced to raise a child that she cannot pay for.

A pro-life argument for not letting a woman have control of her unintended pregnancy is that life begins at conception. The controversy stems from whether the genetically unique cells should be considered human beings. This debate is an emotional and passionate discussion. Neither side of the abortion argument thinks they are incorrect and feel as the opposing side’s morals are wrong and flawed.


Rape violates a person and is a horrible thing to happen to someone. Rape is traumatic and can cause long-term negative effects on someone. “About 18 million women have experienced vaginal rape in their lifetime.” (Pregnancy Resulting from Rape)When a woman becomes pregnant because of having non-consensual sex with someone it can be jarring. A woman can view their fetus as a result of the rape and not her baby. Some women have a hard time differentiating the experience of being raped from the baby itself. When a woman becomes pregnant from a rape, she may have long-term effects from the rape such as depression, unstable relationships, and self-destructive behavior. The pro-life argument fails to consider the type of mental state a woman may be in after becoming pregnant with a child from nonconsensual sex. If you force a woman to raise the child that resulted from rape she may not be in the right mental state. A woman can have a hard time forming attachments to the child and viewing the child separate from the experience of being raped. A woman who is engaging in self-destructive behaviors is not a mentally strong person who is ready to raise a child. If a child cannot be loved by their mother because their mom has a hard time forming attachments to the child is not the life that a child deserves. Forcing a woman to raise a child she did not want is something that should be allowed especially when a woman was forced to have sex in the first place. An abortion may be the only option available to the woman that would benefit her mental health, her body, and her overall life.


An argument of the pro-life side of the abortion debate believes that because a fetus can have surgery inside the womb means that the fetus is entitled to the mother continuing the pregnancy and giving birth to the fetus. “Heart surgeries on babies in the womb are being performed as early as 21 weeks gestation.” Being able to perform surgeries on a baby in the womb is a great medical advancement. Surgery performed on the babies who need to have surgery can be very valuable to the mother of the fetus and the fetus. What this argument fails to consider is that the fetus inside the womb cannot have surgery before a certain point in the fetus’ development. A baby is not fully developed before a certain time before they can even consider surgery as an option for the fetus. Just because a fetus can receive a surgical procedure does not make the woman carrying the baby entitled to have the baby.


A fundamental part of human life is having your own body and having full autonomy over your own body. The pro-life argument ignores that everyone deserves to have independence, and everyone deserves to have control over their body. People should be able to make their own decisions. Forcing someone to do something with their own body is violating and is infringing on a person’s rights. A pro-life argument against abortions may talk about the emotions that a woman can feel towards abortion in the future. A pro-life person may say to a woman who wants to get an abortion that she may regret and have uncertainty about it in the future. Emotions are something that constantly changing throughout people’s lives. Emotions are fluid and personal to people. Guessing the emotions that a person may feel in the future is not something that people should create laws over other people’s bodies on. The belief that abortion is uniquely emotionally harmful to the woman who is pregnant, which might be an argument presented by a pro-life person, is not founded on anything. This argument is only speculating that the pregnant woman would feel a certain way in the future.

References

Dr. William R. Lile. “A Patient Is a Person, No Matter How Small.” Family Talk, 31 Mar. 2021, https://www.drjamesdobson.org/blogs/dr-william-r-lile-do-facog/patient-person-no-matter-how-small.

Flanagan, Caitlin. “The Dishonesty of the Abortion Debate.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 12 Nov. 2019, https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/12/the-things-we-cant-face/600769/.

“Pregnancy Resulting from Rape.” https://www.jognn.org/article/S0884-2175(15)33527-9/fulltext.

Talbot, Margaret, and Eliza Griswold. “The Study That Debunks Most Anti-Abortion Arguments.” The New Yorker, 7 July 2020, https://www.newyorker.com/books/under-review/the-study-that-debunks-most-anti-abortion-arguments.

“Understanding Pregnancy Resulting from Rape in the United States |Violence Prevention|injury Center|CDC.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 June 2020, https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/sexualviolence/understanding-RRP-inUS.html.

“When Human Life Begins.” American College of Pediatricians, https://acpeds.org/position-statements/when-human-life-begins.

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Rebuttal- friendoftacos

Posted on November 17, 2021 by friendoftacos

How Arguments Against Abortion are Flawed

The argument about abortion is very complicated. The argument for and against abortion is something that is discussed greatly. Abortion is a hard and sensitive topic to discuss with a majority of people. Most people have a stance on abortion and have already decided whether they think it is right or wrong. The choice of either being pro-life or pro-choice is a big statement of opinion. There does not seem to be much ground that each side of the abortion argument can agree on. When a woman becomes pregnant, she now has a human life growing inside her body. Pregnancy is something that is extremely life-changing. When a woman wants to get rid of the pregnancy for a variety of reasons, she is making a hard decision. An unwanted pregnancy is not something that should be taken lightly. A woman gets rid of pregnancy for many reasons that are justified. There is a belief from the pro-life side of the abortion debate that women do not have any justifiable reasons for terminating a pregnancy. There are many valid reasons a woman would choose to end her pregnancy and she should be allowed to pick how she wants to continue with her pregnancy.


When a woman has an unwanted pregnancy, she must choose whether she is going to carry the baby to full term or choose to end the pregnancy. People who advocate for a woman to keep the baby and give birth to the child offer another possibility for the baby’s life which is giving the child up for adoption. If a woman cannot afford to raise a child, the option of putting the child up for adoption is something that could be done so that way the woman is not forced to raise a child that she cannot pay for.

A pro-life argument for not letting a woman have control of her unintended pregnancy is that life begins at conception. The controversy stems from whether the genetically unique cells should be considered human beings. This debate is an emotional and passionate discussion. Neither side of the abortion argument thinks they are incorrect and feel as the opposing side’s morals are wrong and flawed.


Rape violates a person and is a horrible thing to happen to someone. Rape is traumatic and can cause long-term negative effects on someone. “About 18 million women have experienced vaginal rape in their lifetime.” (Pregnancy Resulting from Rape)When a woman becomes pregnant because of having non-consensual sex with someone it can be jarring. A woman can view their fetus as a result of the rape and not her baby. Some women have a hard time differentiating the experience of being raped from the baby itself. When a woman becomes pregnant from a rape, she may have long-term effects from the rape such as depression, unstable relationships, and self-destructive behavior. The pro-life argument fails to consider the type of mental state a woman may be in after becoming pregnant with a child from nonconsensual sex. If you force a woman to raise the child that resulted from rape she may not be in the right mental state. A woman can have a hard time forming attachments to the child and viewing the child separate from the experience of being raped. A woman who is engaging in self-destructive behaviors is not a mentally strong person who is ready to raise a child. If a child cannot be loved by their mother because their mom has a hard time forming attachments to the child is not the life that a child deserves. Forcing a woman to raise a child she did not want is something that should be allowed especially when a woman was forced to have sex in the first place. An abortion may be the only option available to the woman that would benefit her mental health, her body, and her overall life.


An argument of the pro-life side of the abortion debate believes that because a fetus can have surgery inside the womb means that the fetus is entitled to the mother continuing the pregnancy and giving birth to the fetus. “Heart surgeries on babies in the womb are being performed as early as 21 weeks gestation.” Being able to perform surgeries on a baby in the womb is a great medical advancement. Surgery performed on the babies who need to have surgery can be very valuable to the mother of the fetus and the fetus. What this argument fails to consider is that the fetus inside the womb cannot have surgery before a certain point in the fetus’ development. A baby is not fully developed before a certain time before they can even consider surgery as an option for the fetus. Just because a fetus can receive a surgical procedure does not make the woman carrying the baby entitled to have the baby.


A fundamental part of human life is having your own body and having full autonomy over your own body. The pro-life argument ignores that everyone deserves to have independence, and everyone deserves to have control over their body. People should be able to make their own decisions. Forcing someone to do something with their own body is violating and is infringing on a person’s rights. A pro-life argument against abortions may talk about the emotions that a woman can feel towards abortion in the future. A pro-life person may say to a woman who wants to get an abortion that she may regret and have uncertainty about it in the future. Emotions are something that constantly changing throughout people’s lives. Emotions are fluid and personal to people. Guessing the emotions that a person may feel in the future is not something that people should create laws over other people’s bodies on. The belief that abortion is uniquely emotionally harmful to the woman who is pregnant, which might be an argument presented by a pro-life person, is not founded on anything. This argument is only speculating that the pregnant woman would feel a certain way in the future.

References

Dr. William R. Lile. “A Patient Is a Person, No Matter How Small.” Family Talk, 31 Mar. 2021, https://www.drjamesdobson.org/blogs/dr-william-r-lile-do-facog/patient-person-no-matter-how-small.

Flanagan, Caitlin. “The Dishonesty of the Abortion Debate.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 12 Nov. 2019, https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/12/the-things-we-cant-face/600769/.

“Pregnancy Resulting from Rape.” https://www.jognn.org/article/S0884-2175(15)33527-9/fulltext.

Talbot, Margaret, and Eliza Griswold. “The Study That Debunks Most Anti-Abortion Arguments.” The New Yorker, 7 July 2020, https://www.newyorker.com/books/under-review/the-study-that-debunks-most-anti-abortion-arguments.

“Understanding Pregnancy Resulting from Rape in the United States |Violence Prevention|injury Center|CDC.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 June 2020, https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/sexualviolence/understanding-RRP-inUS.html.

“When Human Life Begins.” American College of Pediatricians, https://acpeds.org/position-statements/when-human-life-begins.

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Rebuttal Argument – Kilotoon

Posted on November 17, 2021 by kilotoon

More Effective than Anticipated

It is not uncommon for the average individual to fall victim to the rumors and blatant incorrect connotations tied to certain activities. Some sports are notorious for their aggression, some for their athleticism, and some for their benefits and lack thereof. It is very important for people to do their own research when they hear the rumors tied to certain sports, because many of them are not true. Powerlifting is one of the sports that is not looked at as highly as it should be, and that is due to many people misunderstanding the sport and what it brings to its athletes.

One big misconception tied to the sport of powerlifting is how it is a very dangerous sport to participate in, especially as a child. People believe that just because the sport is tied to an athlete pushing their bodies to lift heavy weights that it has to be detrimental to their overall health. This concept is plainly incorrect and ignorant, as it shows the ones who believe that have not done their thorough research into the sport. The European Journal of Physics is one area of knowledge that made the safety of powerlifting crystal clear, as it debunked this very rumor. Powerlifting might be a sport of lifting as much weight as possible at the least bodyweight, but it is still statistically safer than some of the most popular sports in the world, such as football and soccer. It’s also not just a little bit safer – it’s 4 times as safe to participate in than them. It’s also unknown to many that powerlifting is statistically as safe as dancing, which is known to be one of the least dangerous sports.

The competition itself is also not what causes injuries to powerlifters, meaning that the activity of lifting heavy weights isn’t necessarily dangerous to the lifters. Specifically in young lifters, which are the age group that are known to be looked down upon for lifting so early in their lives, most injuries present themselves when a lift with a heavy load is executed or attempted with poor technique. Technique is essential when prioritizing safety in any sport, such as executing a tackle in football or soccer.

Effective strength training programs, which are the basis of powerlifting, have a very long list of benefits associated with active participation, increased strength within the trained lift and the athlete as a whole, have one of the lowest rate of sports-related injuries, increases the bone strength index of the athletes, and just an overall enhanced self-esteem and fitness-level.

Another misconception associated with the sport of powerlifting is how other team sports, such as football, rugby, and soccer, are associated with more benefits for the athletes. Before even approaching the comparison of benefits among these varying sports, it’s important to note the vast difference in injury rates among them. When comparing benefits between different activities, it is wise to understand that most benefits are rendered ineffective when completely injured and unable to even participate and continue receiving said benefits. It is without a doubt that, among the three sports above, powerlifting gives the most bang for its buck when it comes down to benefits associated with it and risk of injury with consistent participation.

There was a study conducted of one hundred and eighty five rugby players, in which injuries were recorded throughout the season. In a single season, ninety eight of the one hundred and eighty five players were recorded to have had an injury. Out of the ninety eight players, one hundred and fifty one injuries were recorded. It was concluded that a complete eradication of deliberate dangerous play would drastically reduce the injuries in rugby. When considering the benefits of such a popular sport, understand that it is not uncommon for over half of the players of the season to receive injuries, and some of them receive multiple. As stated above, football and soccer have literally four times the injury rate as powerlifting. One of the main reasons that this is the case is due to the high nature of aggression of these sports. Sports such as rugby, soccer, and football have very high contact between players and most of the injuries experienced are due to the actions of other players around them, such as a tackle or collision.

Before beginning to demonstrate the endless benefits associated with constant participation of powerlifting, it is important to reiterate that it is not only a fourth as dangerous as football and soccer, but equally as safe as dancing. Powerlifting has a multitude of benefits, including improved motor skills and body composition. Improved body composition in a more defined way means that the subject being studied has a decreased percentage of body fat percentage, which is in turn an increased amount of fat free mass. Muscle gain is also one of the components of an improved body composition, as it helps decrease body fat percentage. Lastly, there is evidence of enhanced bone health in powerlifting athletes, especially when the lifter begins at a young age.

To reiterate, it is far from uncommon for the average person to become influenced by others’ rumors and beliefs about certain activities. It would be beneficial to the greater knowledge of everybody for people to do their own research before contributing to the ongoing rumors and incorrect beliefs, as it would put an end to many of them. Powerlifting is not exactly looked up upon as the sport to pursue, regardless of the benefits it gives to its participants. It is not praised because of the common misconception of the sport in general – how it is believed to be extremely dangerous to lift heavy weights, especially as a child. It should now be clear that not only is powerlifting safer than almost every well known and popular sport available to participate in today, but it is also more beneficial than those sports. Powerlifting should be praised as one of the best activities for every man, woman, and child to learn, participate, and compete in.

References

Davies, J. E., & Gibson, T. (1978, December 23). Injuries in rugby union football. The BMJ. Retrieved December 15, 2021, from https://www.bmj.com/content/2/6154/1759

Myers, A. M., Beam, N. W., & Fakhoury, J. D. (2017, July). Resistance training for children and adolescents. Translational pediatrics. Retrieved December 15, 2021, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5532191/

The physics of powerlifting – iopscience.iop.org. (n.d.). Retrieved December 15, 2021, from https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1361-6404/aaa90e/meta

Srce. (n.d.). Portal hrvatskih znanstvenih I stručnih časopisa. Hrčak portal hrvatskih znanstvenih i stručnih časopisa – Hrčak. Retrieved December 15, 2021, from https://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?id_clanak_jezik=150931&show=clanak

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Causal Rewrite- friendoftacos

Posted on November 17, 2021 by friendoftacos


How Unintended Pregnancy Happens

Becoming pregnant and raising a child is a huge responsibility. When this responsibility is put onto someone it is called an unintended pregnancy. Unintended pregnancies are a result of many different factors. Lack of contraceptive use, access to contraceptives, lack of sexual education, and inability to have control over a woman’s own body are all factors that can cause an unintended pregnancy.

            The most common cause for women having unwanted pregnancies is lack of knowledge about contraceptive use. The lack of knowledge of contraceptive use results from how much schooling a woman receives. The information a woman receives about contraceptives may also be incorrect. A woman may incorrectly believe that an IUD can cause abortions every month or that the pill can cause infertility. The false information about contraceptives can contribute to women not using contraceptives. Lack of knowledge about contraceptive use is prevalent when women use contraceptives incorrectly. Women may be unaware of how to use a contraceptive properly which results in these women inadvertently exposing themselves to pregnancy. The accuracy of information about contraceptives is affected by education level. Women in less developed countries may not be able to receive an adequate education. “The basic knowledge of reproductive physiology among adolescents in some less developed countries may be so poor that they are unaware that girls are able to become pregnant the first time they have sexual intercourse.” Incorrect information about contraceptives can result from lack of education, incorrect information, and incorrect use of contraceptives.

Lack of access to contraceptives is another cause of unintended pregnancy. The unmet need of women who do not want to get pregnant at the time and the inadequacy of contraceptives available to these women can be a cause of unwanted pregnancy. When obtaining contraceptives, the lack of resources needed to receive them can be an obstacle for women who do not want to be pregnant. A partner or family may also be opposed to the idea of a woman taking contraceptives and this will create an added pressure for a woman to result to keep her pregnancy. Another factor in lack of access to contraceptives is a cultural pressure to high fertility and cultural stigmas against contraceptives. In some countries, the only accessible option for contraceptives is abortion. Improving the access of contraceptives to women would lower the rat of abortions. Abortions are a result of the lack of ability to receive contraceptives to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

Another cause of unwanted pregnancy is from the failure of contraceptive methods. When a woman uses a contraceptive, it does not guarantee that a women will not become pregnant. A woman can still have an unwanted pregnancy while using contraceptives because contraceptives are not a faultless method. Contraceptive methods can fail because the are used incorrectly. When a woman uses a contraceptive pill and forgets to take it or delay the use of the pill because they are not frequently engaging in sexual intercourse. The failure use of the pill can greatly increase if the pill is stopped even for just a few days. The infrequent use of the contraceptive birth control pill can result in a pregnancy.

When a woman has a lack of control of her own body in sexual relationships it can result in unintended and unwanted pregnancy. Women often times can not have control over when they have sexual intercourse. Women can be put into a situation where they unexpectedly have sexual intercourse and do not have the time or ability to protect themselves. Sex against a women’s will is a common occurrence and can result in women becoming pregnant against their own wishes. Coercion is a common way a woman be pressured into having sexual relations for something. Someone may want sexual intercourse from a woman in exchange for something that a woman may want or need. “In a study carried out in one of the most developed regions of Brazil, 30% of the women interviewed reported having had sex physically imposed on them or having been coerced into sex, and an additional 32% reported having had sex against their will because they felt obliged to comply with their partner’s desire.” The study shows that there are many ways a woman can be pressured into having sex without the ability to receive protection against an unwanted pregnancy. When a woman has a lack of control over her body or is being forced into have sexual intercourse to result in someone’s satisfaction, these situations can create a problem for a woman who does not want to become pregnant. Pressuring a woman into a situation where she does not have control over her own body can result in her becoming pregnant against her own will.

References

“Access to Contraception.” ACOG, https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/committee-opinion/articles/2015/01/access-to-contraception.

“Clinicalkey.” ClinicalKey, https://www.clinicalkey.com/#!/content/playContent/1-s2.0-S1521693410000180?scrollTo=%23hl0000072.

Haddad, Lisa B, and Nawal M Nour. “Unsafe Abortion: Unnecessary Maternal Mortality.” Reviews in Obstetrics & Gynecology, MedReviews, LLC, 2009, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2709326/.

“Insurance Coverage of Contraceptives.” Guttmacher Institute, 10 Nov. 2021, https://www.guttmacher.org/state-policy/explore/insurance-coverage-contraceptives#.

Lawrence B. Finer Lori F. Frohwirth, et al. “Reasons U.S. Women Have Abortions: Quantitative and Qualitative Perspectives.” Guttmacher Institute, 3 Feb. 2020, https://www.guttmacher.org/journals/psrh/2005/reasons-us-women-have-abortions-quantitative-and-qualitative-perspectives.

“Preventing Unsafe Abortion.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, 28 Nov. 2014, https://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/unsafe_abortion/hrpwork/en/.

“Preventing Unsafe Abortion.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/preventing-unsafe-abortion.

Seeberger Director, Colin, et al. “The Right Way to Reduce Abortion.” Center for American Progress, 4 Feb. 2021, https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-right-way-to-reduce-abortion/.

“Unintended Pregnancy.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 28 June 2021, https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/contraception/unintendedpregnancy/index.htm.

Posted in Causal Rewrite | 4 Comments

Causal Argument – friendoftacos

Posted on November 17, 2021 by friendoftacos

How Unintended Pregnancy Happens

Becoming pregnant and raising a child is a huge responsibility. When this responsibility is put onto someone it is called an unintended pregnancy. Unintended pregnancies are a result of many different factors. Lack of contraceptive use, access to contraceptives, lack of sexual education, and inability to have control over a woman’s own body are all factors that can cause an unintended pregnancy.

            The most common cause for women having unwanted pregnancies is lack of knowledge about contraceptive use. The lack of knowledge of contraceptive use results from how much schooling a woman receives. The information a woman receives about contraceptives may also be incorrect. A woman may incorrectly believe that an IUD can cause abortions every month or that the pill can cause infertility. The false information about contraceptives can contribute to women not using contraceptives. Lack of knowledge about contraceptive use is prevalent when women use contraceptives incorrectly. Women may be unaware of how to use a contraceptive properly which results in these women inadvertently exposing themselves to pregnancy. The accuracy of information about contraceptives is affected by education level. Women in less developed countries may not be able to receive an adequate education. “The basic knowledge of reproductive physiology among adolescents in some less developed countries may be so poor that they are unaware that girls are able to become pregnant the first time they have sexual intercourse.” Incorrect information about contraceptives can result from lack of education, incorrect information, and incorrect use of contraceptives.

Lack of access to contraceptives is another cause of unintended pregnancy. The unmet need of women who do not want to get pregnant at the time and the inadequacy of contraceptives available to these women can be a cause of unwanted pregnancy. When obtaining contraceptives, the lack of resources needed to receive them can be an obstacle for women who do not want to be pregnant. A partner or family may also be opposed to the idea of a woman taking contraceptives and this will create an added pressure for a woman to result to keep her pregnancy. Another factor in lack of access to contraceptives is a cultural pressure to high fertility and cultural stigmas against contraceptives. In some countries, the only accessible option for contraceptives is abortion. Improving the access of contraceptives to women would lower the rat of abortions. Abortions are a result of the lack of ability to receive contraceptives to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

Another cause of unwanted pregnancy is from the failure of contraceptive methods. When a woman uses a contraceptive, it does not guarantee that a women will not become pregnant. A woman can still have an unwanted pregnancy while using contraceptives because contraceptives are not a faultless method. Contraceptive methods can fail because the are used incorrectly. When a woman uses a contraceptive pill and forgets to take it or delay the use of the pill because they are not frequently engaging in sexual intercourse. The failure use of the pill can greatly increase if the pill is stopped even for just a few days. The infrequent use of the contraceptive birth control pill can result in a pregnancy.

When a woman has a lack of control of her own body in sexual relationships it can result in unintended and unwanted pregnancy. Women often times can not have control over when they have sexual intercourse. Women can be put into a situation where they unexpectedly have sexual intercourse and do not have the time or ability to protect themselves. Sex against a women’s will is a common occurrence and can result in women becoming pregnant against their own wishes. Coercion is a common way a woman be pressured into having sexual relations for something. Someone may want sexual intercourse from a woman in exchange for something that a woman may want or need. “In a study carried out in one of the most developed regions of Brazil, 30% of the women interviewed reported having had sex physically imposed on them or having been coerced into sex, and an additional 32% reported having had sex against their will because they felt obliged to comply with their partner’s desire.” The study shows that there are many ways a woman can be pressured into having sex without the ability to receive protection against an unwanted pregnancy. When a woman has a lack of control over her body or is being forced into have sexual intercourse to result in someone’s satisfaction, these situations can create a problem for a woman who does not want to become pregnant. Pressuring a woman into a situation where she does not have control over her own body can result in her becoming pregnant against her own will.

References

“Access to Contraception.” ACOG, https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/committee-opinion/articles/2015/01/access-to-contraception.

“Clinicalkey.” ClinicalKey, https://www.clinicalkey.com/#!/content/playContent/1-s2.0-S1521693410000180?scrollTo=%23hl0000072.

Haddad, Lisa B, and Nawal M Nour. “Unsafe Abortion: Unnecessary Maternal Mortality.” Reviews in Obstetrics & Gynecology, MedReviews, LLC, 2009, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2709326/.

“Insurance Coverage of Contraceptives.” Guttmacher Institute, 10 Nov. 2021, https://www.guttmacher.org/state-policy/explore/insurance-coverage-contraceptives#.

Lawrence B. Finer Lori F. Frohwirth, et al. “Reasons U.S. Women Have Abortions: Quantitative and Qualitative Perspectives.” Guttmacher Institute, 3 Feb. 2020, https://www.guttmacher.org/journals/psrh/2005/reasons-us-women-have-abortions-quantitative-and-qualitative-perspectives.

“Preventing Unsafe Abortion.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, 28 Nov. 2014, https://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/unsafe_abortion/hrpwork/en/.

“Preventing Unsafe Abortion.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/preventing-unsafe-abortion.

Seeberger Director, Colin, et al. “The Right Way to Reduce Abortion.” Center for American Progress, 4 Feb. 2021, https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-right-way-to-reduce-abortion/.

“Unintended Pregnancy.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 28 June 2021, https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/contraception/unintendedpregnancy/index.htm.

Yazdkhasti, Mansureh, et al. “Unintended Pregnancy and Its Adverse Social and Economic Consequences on Health System: A Narrative Review Article.” Iranian Journal of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Jan. 2015, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4449999/.

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Rebuttal Rewrite—King of Camp

Posted on November 17, 2021 by kingofcamp

Ambiguity is Absolute

            Female virginity is anything but a singular definition. Men in power have and continue to confine female virginity to a woman who has never had penetrative vaginal sexual intercourse. Because men hold the uppermost power in Western societies, women have been conditioned to believe that female virginity is an exclusive definition. The current, and singular, definition of female virginity dismisses a woman’s ability to make a choice. No single definition of female virginity will suffice unless women have the absolute right to define female virginity on personal terms.

            Female virginity has no physical value hence a woman is unable to lose female virginity— unless that idea is closest to the woman’s definition of female virginity. Laura M. Carpenter is an author and associate professor of sociology at Vanderbilt University who claims, “…interpreting virginity loss as a step in a process holds the most promise for enhancing the ability of all people, regardless of gender or sexual identity, to experience virginity loss in ways that are empowering, health-enhancing, and consonant with their desires” (Carpenter 362). Carpenter’s definition argues since virginity loss is a process and not a singular action, the idea is applicable to virtually anyone— any woman. Contradictorily, Carpenter fails to acknowledge that virginity is anything besides loss. Carpenter’s definition has quite the opposite effect, nowhere near health-enhancing and empowering; Carpenter’s definition confines a woman’s freedom of choice. Viewing virginity as something a woman loses is anything but progressive— Carpenter’s thesis is regressive in its manner. A proposal inclusive to all women, regardless of sexuality, experience, and personal identity would be to disregard viewing female virginity as a loss but rather viewing female virginity in itself a process determined by the woman. Female virginity is ambiguous and abstract, like the universe, female virginity is always expanding, surpassing all perceived barriers.   

Men hold superior power in society. Used as a weapon, limiting defining lines of female virginity protects men’s authority over women. In order to secure societal control and power, men objectify women as a whole in order to keep the status of women inferior to men— a practice that has been relevant for centuries in the West. Authors of “OBJECTIFICATION THEORY: Toward Understanding Women’s Lived Experiences and Mental Health Risks,” Barbara L. Fredrickson and Tomi-Ann Roberts claim, “…men tend to be portrayed in print media and artwork with an emphasis on the head and face, and with greater facial detail, women tend to be portrayed with an emphasis on the body” (Fredrickson & Roberts 176). Women are seen in mass media as sexual objects for personal use and/or pleasure— often being portrayed as promiscuous. Such depictions in mass media damage the reputation women have in society, alienating women. As biased depictions reach more people, the more women will continue to face discrimination. Fredrickson and Roberts continues, asserting, “…the sexual objectification of the female body has clearly permeated our cultural milieu…” (Fredrickson & Roberts 177). The damage has been done. Because women are portrayed in media as sexual objects up for use, female virginity is narrowed to penile-vaginal intercourse. Slyly, this idea of female virginity takes the forefront of definitions in Western society because it allows men to stay on top. In order to alleviate discrimination against future women, men must not be portrayed as the end-all-be-all.   

 Men with power define female virginity as avoiding penile-vaginal intercourse which in turn excludes women who express nonheterosexuality. In Western societies, heterosexuality is taught to be the forefront of sexualities. Linda Eyre, a contributor for the Canadian Journal of Education, argues, “…curricula continue to reflect heterosexist assumptions…” (Eyre 273). Eyre continues to argue that lesbian, bisexual, homosexual, gay, and transgender teachers and students alike are forced to stay silent about nonheterosexuality, claiming, “…many lesbian and gay students and teachers continue to hide their sexuality, often with disastrous personal consequences” (Eyre 274). This barrier creates distance between diverse peoples in larger society— a crisis that effects all peoples. As the classroom teaches individuals to stay silent about diverse sexualities, heterosexuality continues to dominate groups who are deemed minorities by the same men who objectify women and define female virginity. Penile-vaginal intercourse as the leading definition of female virginity is heterosexist— assuming every woman is heterosexual. This assumption is restricting and outdated for not every woman is heterosexual nor defines female virginity as avoiding penile-vaginal intercourse. Like viewing female virginity as a type of loss, also viewing female virginity as something only achievable by heterosexual couples is regressive. This singular definition fails completely. An abstract, female virginity is anything but a one line sentence but in order to exclude women of diverse backgrounds and to promote heterosexuality, men with power limit female virginity to one sentence.  

            Female virginity is limitless and free flowing— a decision every woman has the right to make. A weak one line sentence, the current definition of female virginity fails to meet a progressive outlook where all women have a freedom of choice. Ambiguity as the leading definition of female virginity is best because ambiguity allows for personal interpretation and lack of judgment in society. Complex, female virginity is multilayered with a lack of a singular answer. By defining female virginity as ambiguous, women are provided with a road point and or the decision to dismiss any definitions or ideas, if chosen— a choice, which women were without before this proposed definition. To ignore man’s persistence on objectifying women, in turn objectifying female virginity, women must ignore man’s persistence— difficult but achievable. Female virginity has no merit value as men like to debate. There is no debate. Women are anything and everything, not objects for a man’s personal use and or control. Misogynistic approaches towards defining female virginity are of the past an in order to stay in the past, women must hold ground in order to repel a conservative, singular definition of female virginity. Ambiguity will always be absolute. Meeting the progressive outlook women have the right to, in ambiguity there is freedom and a choice— a choice in which every woman is entitled to.

References

CARPENTER, LAURA M. “Gender and the Meaning and Experience of Virginity Loss in the Contemporary United States.” Gender & Society, vol. 16, no. 3, 2002, pp. 345–365., https://doi.org/10.1177/0891243202016003005.  

Eyre, Linda. “Compulsory Heterosexuality in a University Classroom.” ProQuest, ProQuest, 1993, https://www.proquest.com/docview/215374474?OpenUrlRefId=info:xri/sid:primo&accountid=13605.

Wight, Daniel, et al. “The Quality of Young People’s Heterosexual Relationships: A Longitudinal Analysis of Characteristics Shaping Subjective Experience.” Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, vol. 40, no. 4, 2008, pp. 226–237., https://doi.org/10.1363/4022608.  

Posted in Rebuttal Rewrite | 7 Comments