Exam 6: Relevance Red Herringfallacies

Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or,where they seem not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text,by giving a brief explanation of why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue. Who cares if the president was guilty of sexual harassment? He got some progress made in terms of jobs,health care,and welfare reform.Those are the important issues!

Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or,where they seem not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text,by giving a brief explanation of why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue. "Sure,driving after you've been drinking can get you into trouble with the law,but if you're careful and stay in control I don't think there's anything wrong with it.What makes something like that wrong is endangering others;so as long as you haven't drunk enough to impair your control,you aren't doing anything wrong."

Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or,where they seem not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text,by giving a brief explanation of why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue. The article "Race and the Death Penalty" is just another liberal diatribe aimed at convincing people that there is racial bias in capital punishment.The whole point of the so-called statistics it mentions is to get people to be against the death penalty.

Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or,where they seem not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text,by giving a brief explanation of why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue. he:I believe everybody should be permitted to cheat. she:That's absolutely ridiculous. he:Why do you say that? she:Well,assume that everyone were permitted to cheat.To say they are permitted to cheat means that it's all right for them to cheat,right? And if it's all right for them to cheat,then there's nothing wrong with cheating.But then,if there's nothing wrong with what they're doing,they wouldn't be cheating.So your suggestion is absurd.

Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or,where they seem not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text,by giving a brief explanation of why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue. "People in Hegins,Pennsylvania,hold an annual pigeon shoot in order to control the pigeon population and to raise money for the town.This year,the pigeon shoot was disrupted by animal rights activists who tried to release the pigeons from their cages.I can't help but think these animal rights activists are the same people who believe in controlling the human population through the use of abortion.Yet,they recoil at a similar means of controlling pigeons.What rank hypocrisy." -Rush Limbaugh

Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or,where they seem not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text,by giving a brief explanation of why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue. Those four officers who killed the innocent man in New York by mistake should be found not guilty of any crime.None of them had ever been in any kind of trouble before,and,tragically,this kind of thing is just going to happen when we have aggressive police work.

Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or,where they seem not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text,by giving a brief explanation of why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue. Every event has a cause other than itself,since if it didn't,it would have to have caused itself,which is impossible.

Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or,where they seem not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text,by giving a brief explanation of why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue. "To the people who brought you 'The Great American Smokeout,' we make The Great American Challenge.We challenge the American Cancer Society to clean up the air in its 'smoke free' offices.We are willing to bet there isn't much cigarette smoking at American Cancer Society offices.But,according to a recent study from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH),cigarette smoke also wasn't the problem in 98 percent of 203 buildings reported to have indoor air problems....Indoor air inspections resulting from worker complaints typically find viruses,fungal spores,bacteria,gases,closed fresh air ducts,and ventilation systems in need of maintenance." -Full-page ad in USA Today,sponsored by the Tobacco Institute

Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or,where they seem not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text,by giving a brief explanation of why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue. I know there are people who think that Sarah is too impetuous and flighty.But these qualities only make her exciting to me and make me love her all the more.

Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or,where they seem not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text,by giving a brief explanation of why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue. It isn't so important how they're made or how long they last or how much they cost.These are the best jeans because they're incredibly popular right now.Sometimes I think you just don't understand style.

Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or,where they seem not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text,by giving a brief explanation of why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue. Did Amundsen beat Scott to the South Pole? Hardly,sir! 'Twould be disastrous indeed for the Empire if we allowed ourselves to believe Norwegians with dogs could ever best red-blooded English Males!

Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or,where they seem not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text,by giving a brief explanation of why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue. Frankly,I don't think you would be satisfied with anything less than our Model 24,which allows for more expansion than any other personal computer in its class.The way you catch on to things-something I can tell just from the questions you've asked here in the store-you're not going to be happy with a machine whose limits you'll soon reach.

Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or,where they seem not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text,by giving a brief explanation of why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue. Are you really going to believe her about librarians' salaries not being excessive? I'll have you know she herself is a librarian,or don't you think that matters?

Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or,where they seem not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text,by giving a brief explanation of why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue. In a letter to the editor of a newspaper,a certified nutritionist criticized an editorial that had appeared earlier in the paper advocating a ban on raw milk.He wrote,"You call for an 'outright ban on commercial sales' of raw milk.Yet,by your own figures,you relate about 123 California cases of Salmonella dublin [food poisoning],which represents a miniscule danger compared to the lives lost by smoking cigarettes." -Sacramento Bee

Identify any fallacies in the following passage. "Geoff thinks currency not backed by gold or silver is inherently worthless.But that can't be right.He's just saying that because he invested everything he owns in gold and silver."

Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or,where they seem not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text,by giving a brief explanation of why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue. "Opponents to Proposition 102 say that contact tracing will lead to 'witch hunts.' We say it's time to stop peddling such fear and panic." -Rebuttal to argument against Proposition 102,1988 California Ballot Pamphlet

Identify any fallacies in the following passage. "There can't be anything worthwhile in this new operating system.Microsoft comes out with a new OS every two years,it seems like."

Identify any fallacies in the following passage. "C'mon,only conspiracy-theory nuts believe stuff like that."

Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or,where they seem not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text,by giving a brief explanation of why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue. No,I don't believe we ought to reinstate the death penalty in this state.Doing it isn't going to prevent all crime,and you know it.

Identify any fallacies in the following passage either by naming them or,where they seem not to conform to any of the patterns described in the text,by giving a brief explanation of why the fallacious reasoning is irrelevant to the point at issue. I know it was not very nice to overcharge them like that for the room,but all's fair in love,war,and business,my dear.Besides,if the situation were reversed and we were desperate for lodging,they would have bled us for all we're worth.