Legalizing marijuana will mean increased availability, leading to increased drug use by teenagers, more addiction, more drug-related crime, more deaths of young people, the destruction of our public school system, and eventually the collapse of our society.

-Republican platform on the issue of legalizing marijuana.

The "slippery slope" of non-automatic consequences is clear here: increased availability, use, crime, and death, leading to destruction of the schools and society. And with each step down the slope, the consequences are more dire, but the causal connection is more tenuous. The point is that we should decide the question of legalizing drugs on its own merits, and not on the fear of a remote (and unlikely) result such as the collapse of society.

"If you love your family, you'll buy this new stealth security system."

-Security salesman's statement while giving a free demonstration at my home on 2/20/01.

The claim only has two options: either the consumer buy the security system, or the consumer does not love his/her family. But, of course, there are many others: the cons

What consequences might one seek to avoid by preventing the greenhouse effect - i.e., the rising of the oceans, change in weather patterns, etc.? If predictions concerning these consequences are reliable - how do they compare with the problem of increased automobile fatalities? This red herring is there only to distract from the argument about ways to prevent the greenhouse effect.

-- Sam Kazman, General Counsel, Competitive Enterprise Institute (Washington).

The authority in question is not named. This is a type of appeal to authority because when an authority is not named it is impossible to confirm that the authority is an expert, has made the claim, or even exists.

"If this is so, then why use radiation or chemotherapy, or the normal therapy to fight cancer if this is going to kill your cancer cells?" inquires the reporter.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Jack Kennedy, Appeal Authority, Slope Legalizing, Fear Dennie, False Dilemma, Assertion Staving, Red Herring, Ad Hominem, School Jersey, Institute Washington, jack kennedy, greenhouse effect, love his/her, his/her family, buy system, consumer love, love his/her family, consumer love his/her, smoking die, system consumer, system consumer love, -dateline nbc, family buy system, quayle jack, his/her family buy,
Approximate Word count = 1337
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)