Compose an argumentative essay (500-word minimum) based on one of the topics below. You may use one of the modes of writing that you have learned in Composition 1 to write your essay, but remember that you will make an argument. Therefore, your essay must have a claim and support for the claim. In addition, your introduction should have a strong hook.
Choose one topic.
Topics:
Is the USA (or Alabama or Montgomery River Region) a racist country (or state or region)?
Has Dr. Martin Luther King’s “dream” that people would be judged by their character been realized?
Did President Obama’s presidency move race relations forward or backward?
Is falsely accusing someone of racism an act of aggression, libel, or slander?
Is there a problem with racism at your school or university?
Can a minority community (African-American, Native American, Hispanic, etc.) be racist?
Is the Confederate flag a hate symbol?
Are assertions of “white privilege” a form of hatred, racism, bigotry, etc.?
Has the charge of “racist” been overused or abused? Has the “race card” been over-played?
Has the church, as a whole, “wised up” to racial prejudice?
Are US citizens mistreating the “aliens” among us?
Are minorities still at a disadvantage in business, in college, etc.?
Are we obsessed or overly concerned with race issues in business, in education, etc.?
Is encouraging a young child to be “gender-neutral” or “gender-fluid” a form of child abuse?
Should schools allow students to wear clothing with political points of view (e.g., MAGA hat)?
What do students at your school or university have to do in order to “fit in” or “belong”?
Is our culture forcing children to grow up too soon?
Are tattoos an appropriate form of self-expression?
What advice should parents give teens about tattoos, piercings, large piercings, or other
potentially disfiguring forms of self-expression?
Is vaping/juling a harmless, cool, or adult thing to do or a dangerous, foolish thing to do for a
person of any age?
Are people on the East and West coasts bigoted toward southerners or others in “fly over country”?
Is America still “the land of the free and the home of the brave”?
Has America become a dystopian society?
Millennials are sometimes ridiculed as “snowflakes.” Is that label fair or unwarranted?
What characteristics should a “real” or “true” Christian possess?
Is identity politics bringing people together or driving them apart?
Other topics to consider: wearing immodest clothing, engaging in risky/illegal behavior, compromising
values, etc. to belong, to draw attention to oneself, to impress someone else, to attract or keep a
boyfriend or girlfriend, to change others’ opinions, to create a new identity or reputation, etc.
Formatting Requirements:
Your essay should conform to the format of the example below.
Include an introductory paragraph, body paragraphs (minimum of 3 supporting paragraphs), and concluding paragraph. There is no limit to the number of paragraphs in an essay, but it should adhere to the minimum requirements.
Each paragraph should contain an introductory sentence, supporting sentences, and a concluding sentence.
In the four-line heading, identify the assignment as Formal Essay 6 next to the name of the writer.
Use your own creative title.
Center the title directly over the first paragraph.
Do not use dialogue, monologue, or quotations in any essay assignment unless instructed.
