{"id":19654,"date":"2018-03-08T10:10:01","date_gmt":"2018-03-08T15:10:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/?p=19654"},"modified":"2018-03-08T10:12:39","modified_gmt":"2018-03-08T15:12:39","slug":"6-logical-fallacies-to-look-out-for-in-the-gun-debate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.megalextoria.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/2018\/03\/08\/6-logical-fallacies-to-look-out-for-in-the-gun-debate\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Logical Fallacies to Look out for in the Gun Debate"},"content":{"rendered":"

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In 2017, the data website\u00a0FiveThirtyEight\u00a0declared<\/a>\u00a0that the U.S. had become more polarized on the issue of guns that at any time in the nation\u2019s history.<\/p>\n

Because of the emotional nature of the debate, both gun control advocates and Second Amendment proponents increasingly resorted to violent rhetoric (\u201cburn her<\/a>!\u201d), conspiracy\u00a0theories<\/a>, and especially irrational thinking.<\/p>\n

Here are six of the most common logical fallacies you\u2019ll find in the current debate on guns in America.<\/p>\n

1. Non Sequitur<\/h2>\n

Non sequitur<\/em>\u00a0translates as \u201cit does not follow.\u201d They are more common in casual conversation than formal debate.<\/p>\n

Example:\u00a0I can\u2019t believe you didn\u2019t like <\/em>The Last Jedi. You loved <\/em>The Empire Strikes Back and Mark Hamill is in\u00a0<\/em>The Last Jedi.<\/em><\/p>\n

It does not follow that all fans of the original Star Wars<\/em> trilogy will like\u00a0The Last Jedi<\/em>\u00a0just because Luke is in the movie.<\/p>\n

In the gun debate, argument sometimes devolves into non sequiturs. Example:\u00a0I don\u2019t support the murder of innocents; therefore I don\u2019t vote Republican, since Republicans often support the Second Amendment.<\/em><\/p>\n

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2. False Dilemma\/False Dichotomy<\/h2>\n

News media are notorious for presenting public options as a binary choice: do nothing or pass federal gun control legislation.<\/p>\n

\u201cDonald Trump does nothing; Paul Ryan does nothing; Mitch McConnell does nothing,\u201d Joe Scarborough recently\u00a0said<\/a>. (He threw in an ad hominem for good measure: \u201cDonald Trump has proven to be a coward. He\u2019s proven to be a small man.\u201d) Scarborough was echoed by Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) who told the president to “get off his a**<\/a>” and work with federal lawmakers to pass gun control legislation.<\/p>\n

In reality, there are\u00a0many actions<\/a>\u00a0individuals, communities, parents, and local governments can take to help prevent school shootings. But media reports and pundits on television usually don\u2019t present these alternatives.<\/p>\n