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Summary
Summary
This anthology gathers in one volume clashing arguments covering eight of today's hottest social controversies. Chapters include: Is the Death Penalty a Just and Effective Punishment? What Ethics Should Govern Abortion? Should Affirmative Action Be Utilized to Remedy Discrimination? What Should Govern Public Health Policies on Smoking? Is Alcohol Beneficial for Human Health? Should Limits Be Placed on Genetic Engineering? Should Euthanasia Be Allowed? Can Gun Control Laws Prevent Violence?
Reviews (2)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up-This volume presents debates on current pressing social issues such as gun control, abortion, affirmative action, alcohol, the death penalty, euthanasia, genetic engineering, and public health. Each section presents a chapter overview and six brief readings about the topic under discussion (three in support of and three in opposition to). Each essay is prefaced by a set of questions that guides students to examine critically the various issues. Written by journalists, professors, researchers, medical ethicists, a rape victim, a Catholic nun, and others, these articles are clear and concise. Though most of the pieces were originally published within the last three years, a few date back to the early `90s. A list of organizations to contact, an extensive bibliography, and a detailed index make the information easily accessible. An excellent resource for debate and speech classes.-Lorie Bruns, Grapevine High School, TX (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Gr. 9^-12. Rather than tackle a single controversial topic, this hefty volume from the Opposing Viewpoints series offers six diverse, well-written essays on each of eight separate social issues. The sections on abortion and smoking traverse familiar territory, but other subjects are more thoroughly or dramatically covered. With graphic examples, the death penalty essays relate some gruesome executions and the moral questions that result. Arguments on assisted suicide and affirmative action (for both racial minorities and women) are heated. The chapter on gun control concentrates almost exclusively on determining whether the U.S. laws and firearms policies account for the nation's high murder rate. Rounding out the coverage are essays on the effects of alcohol on health, and ethical questions about genetic engineering. In all cases, the essays provide much for readers to absorb, and plenty of data for speeches and reports. Contact lists, a bibliography, and an extensive index should prove helpful in research. --Roger Leslie
Table of Contents
| Why Consider Opposing Viewpoints? | p. 11 |
| Introduction | p. 15 |
| Chapter 1 Can Gun Control Laws Prevent Violence? | |
| Chapter Preface | p. 18 |
| 1 The Prevalence of Guns Contributes to Violent Crime | p. 20 |
| 2. The Prevalence of Guns Does Not Contribute to Violent Crime | p. 24 |
| 3. Allowing People to Carry Concealed Handguns Reduces Violent Crime | p. 32 |
| 4. Allowing People to Carry Concealed Handguns Will Increase Violent Crime | p. 39 |
| 5. Guns Should Be Banned from Schools | p. 44 |
| 6. Adults Should Be Permitted to Carry Guns in Schools | p. 47 |
| Chapter 2 Is Abortion Justifiable? | |
| Chapter Preface | p. 52 |
| 1. Abortion Is Murder | p. 54 |
| 2. Abortion Is Not Murder | p. 58 |
| 3. Rape Justifies Abortion | p. 62 |
| 4. Rape Does Not Justify Abortion | p. 66 |
| 5. Having an Abortion Can Be Harmful to a Woman's Health | p. 70 |
| 6. The Harms of Having an Abortion Have Been Exaggerated | p. 76 |
| Chapter 3 Is Affirmative Action Necessary? | |
| Chapter Preface | p. 85 |
| 1. Affirmative Action Counters Discrimination | p. 87 |
| 2. Affirmative Action Is an Ineffective Remedy for Discrimination | p. 93 |
| 3. Racial Preferences in Higher Education Are Necessary | p. 99 |
| 4. Racial Preferences in Higher Education Must Be Abolished | p. 110 |
| 5. Women Need Affirmative Action Programs to Fight Discrimination | p. 121 |
| 6. Women Do Not Need Affirmative Action Programs | p. 128 |
| Chapter 4 Is Alcohol Beneficial for Human Health? | |
| Chapter Preface | p. 136 |
| 1. Moderate Alcohol Consumption Reduces the Risk of Heart Disease | p. 138 |
| 2. Alcohol Should Not Be Touted as a Heart Disease Preventative | p. 142 |
| 3. The Health Benefits of Moderate Drinking Should Be Promoted | p. 146 |
| 4. The Health Benefits of Moderate Drinking Should Not Be Promoted | p. 151 |
| 5. Pregnant Women Should Abstain from Alcohol to Prevent Birth Defects | p. 154 |
| 6. The Harms of Moderate Drinking During Pregnancy Have Been Overstated | p. 159 |
| Chapter 5 Is the Death Penalty a Just and Effective Punishment? | |
| Chapter Preface | p. 165 |
| 1. The Death Penalty Is Moral | p. 167 |
| 2. The Death Penalty Is Immoral | p. 175 |
| 3. The Death Penalty Deters Capital Crimes | p. 185 |
| 4. The Death Penalty Does Not Deter Capital Crimes | p. 190 |
| 5. The Death Penalty Discriminates Against African Americans | p. 195 |
| 6. The Death Penalty Does Not Discriminate Against African Americans | p. 200 |
| Chapter 6 Should Assisted Suicide Be Legal? | |
| Chapter Preface | p. 205 |
| 1. Physician-Assisted Suicide Should Be Legalized | p. 207 |
| 2. Physician-Assisted Suicide Should Not Be Legalized | p. 213 |
| 3. Assisted Suicide Can Be a Compassionate Response to the Dying | p. 223 |
| 4. Assisted Suicide Is an Immoral Response to the Dying | p. 228 |
| 5. Legalizing Assisted Suicide May Become Necessary to Cut Health Care Costs | p. 232 |
| 6. Cutting Health Care Costs Cannot Justify Legalizing Assisted Suicide | p. 239 |
| Chapter 7 Should Limits Be Placed on Genetic Engineering? | |
| Chapter Preface | p. 245 |
| 1. Genetic Engineering of Humans Should Be Permitted | p. 247 |
| 2. Genetic Engineering of Humans Should Not Be Permitted | p. 251 |
| 3. Human Cloning Should Be Banned | p. 255 |
| 4. Human Cloning Should Not Be Banned | p. 260 |
| 5. Restrictions Should Be Placed on the Genetic Engineering of Food | p. 268 |
| 6. Restrictions Should Not Be Placed on the Genetic Engineering of Food | p. 276 |
| Chapter 8 What Should Govern Public Health Policies on Smoking? | |
| Chapter Preface | p. 285 |
| 1. Public Health Policy Should Emphasize Corporate Responsibility | p. 288 |
| 2. Public Health Policy Should Emphasize Individual Responsibility | p. 300 |
| 3. The Threat of Secondhand Smoke Justifies Smoking Restrictions | p. 307 |
| 4. The Threat of Secondhand Smoke Has Been Overstated | p. 313 |
| 5. Smoking Should Be Treated as Nicotine Addiction | p. 319 |
| 6. Smoking Is Not a Simple Matter of Nicotine Addiction | p. 324 |
| Organizations to Contact | p. 330 |
| Bibliography | p. 338 |
| Index | p. 348 |