A Letter to the Editor

In A Letter to the Editor, the writer makes it clear to the reader that he believes the cheating which was observed in Monroe College is justifiable. The writer claims that society’s view on cheating is flawed and that in many instances, not only is cheating acceptable, but it’s also necessary for success. He goes on to assert that the act of cheating is a lifeline for many people and that it’s a way of sharing information, helping each other in need, similar to “if you were going into an unknown wilderness, you would take along the things you knew were needed for survival” (A Letter to the Editor). Nevertheless, the writer’s claim cannot be granted credible, not because of the morality behind cheating, but because the flaws in the authors’ logic validating cheating. In the writer’s letter, his argument is filled with logical fallacies, no credibility, and facts which are hard to prove. In her argument the writer makes use of a great deal of logical fallacies which ultimately invalidate her claims. The first argument which the writer makes is that since many people at Monroe College are Puritans and many students cheat, it makes cheating ok. Yet, what the writer doesn’t understand is the genetic fallacy that was employed. Firstly, just because people are Puritans it can’t be concluded that they always do the right thing. Secondly, even if the first claim that Puritans always end up doing the right thing is correct, there is no proof that the students at Monroe College are Puritans. In fact there is an argumentum ad hominum fallacy involved with the claim that since “many loyal Monroe students indulge in this [cheating] is evidence that it can’t be wrong” (A Letter to the Editor). The case made makes little sense, just because many students are involved in cheating, it does not mean that cheating is fine. Numerous Monroe students can also be partaking in illegal drugs, yet it does not mean that drugs are justifiable. The letter goes on to make multiple false