JSA Debate Techniques Tips and Tricks

Main Arguments – Have them! We research in the library to find main arguments Main arguments are built off of facts or statistics, but are opinions Examples: Handguns have no purpose other than to kill people We need guns for the protection of our property

Subsequent Speeches – Useless? Absolutely not! Most of the clash of the debate will occur in subsequent speeches How so? Proponents give an argument Opponents counter argument in subsequent speech Proponents counter Also, opponents can ask questions to make proponents look weaker

Effective Questions Opponent says, “Knives and other weapons are still available to kill even if guns are banned.” Proponent has a statistic that previously researched that may help: FBI Uniform Crime Report of 2008 says 68% of all murders occur with handguns Opponent is open to questions, time to jump in “According to the FBI Uniform Crime Report of 2008, 68% of all murders occur with handguns. Wouldn’t we drastically be cutting down the amount of murders by banning handguns?”

Necessity of Prediction Knives and other weapons are used to kill also FBI Crime Report of 2008 Murders would shift to another weapon How convient would that new weapon be as opposed to a handgun? Some hangun deaths occur over self-protection, more handgun deaths will occur Do you have any statistics to back that up? PREDICT, PREDICT, PREDICT One useful way of predicting is to make a flowchart. This allows us to anticipate future arguments and find more facts or statistics

Allies Back up your friends! Ask them questions that you have already privately discussed Back up your friend by giving a subsequent speech that provides more evidence for their argument

Watch out for… Loaded questions Logical fallacies Questions that are not just one question, but many Logical fallacies Complex questions (Did the pollution you cause increase or decrease your profits?) Bifurcation (There are two types of people in this world: the rich and the suckers. Do you want to get rich, or are you happy to remain a sucker?) Straw man of logic (Liberalize = Unrestricted access)

The End