Topic
Should the law enforcement officers enforce Zero-Tolerance Laws
Instructions
State the issue in your own words:
State the yes/pro position (need 10 and cite page number and explain what the argument is):
1) Emile Durkheim: Helps establish moral boundaries because you will have some people who
break the law and it separates the good from the bad (p. 5) There is an “us/them” mentality when
it comes to crime. Even in a society of saints, there will be some people that won’t pray enough.
2)
3)
4)
5)
….10)
State the no/con position (need 10 and cite page number and explain what the argument is):
1) Senator Moynihan: Violent crime in America is a problem and just because it’s in the news
doesn’t mean it’s normal (p. 9-10). People see violence as normal and that shouldn’t be the case.
The St. Valentine’s Day massacre was a big thing in the past; now people seem to not notice
violent crimes.
2)
3)
4)
5)
…10)
Discuss the issue utilizing 5 critical thinking skills (list, explain, apply):
Durkheim’s arguments are questioned with fact vs opinion critical thinking. According to the Taking Sides summary, “A fact is a statement that can be proven. In contrast, an opinion is a statement that expresses how a person feels about an issue or what someone thinks is true.” His essay was largely opinionated and lacked proven facts and citation. Many of these arguments were made in the 1890s and lacked citations altogether.
Answer preview
1) Kelling & Bratton: Enforcement of Zero Tolerance Laws allows the officers to arrest high end criminals that hide in the society as they partake in minor crimes (p.288). Criminals exist in the society, as there are individuals who ignore between right and wrong, as such imposing such a policy ensures that such individuals stay at bay.
2) Kelling & Bratton: Zero-Tolerance Laws help in reducing crime rates because when the city is ridden of the minor crime then the crime rates goes down (p.288). This helps in the development of the society, as people can rely on the government to keep them safe, by putting away offenders that can become habitual over time.
Word count: 1526