Essay V: Research Paper: Write a research paper on a current controversy.

For your final essay of the semester, you will write a research paper on a current controversy. You must take a position on this issue and write a Rogerian argument. Remember that a Rogerian argument is one that meets the following criteria: • Shows a sympathetic understanding of the opposing argument • Sees those who take the other side as persons of goodwill • Is nonconfrontational • Seeks to achieve some degree of assent rather than to convince entirely (Barnet, Bedau, and O’Hara, 374-375). Your imagined audience will be people who hold the opposite view, but instead of trying to convince them that your position is the “right” one, you must ask for their assent on one particular issue. For example, if you want to argue against banning soft drinks in school lunchrooms, your audience would be people who were in favor of the ban, and you might seek their assent on the importance of empowering students to make good decisions about their health. You will use a minimum of four (maximum of five) sources to support your points. Two of these must support the position you are arguing against and two must support your own position.