Whatever happened to the art of debate? It only makes headlines during presidential elections. Senators John McCain and Barack Obama will soon square off in their own battle of words.
Ask 10 people a question and you’ll get 10 different answers. They might be based on opinion, personal experience or actual fact. The art of debate allows people to fairly and equally argue their points.
If you watched the recent presidential and vice-presidential debates, you saw a moderator or members of the audience direct a question to one candidate and listen as both men were given a set amount of time to answer it. The audience could then decide which candidate best answered that particular question.
Unlike many typical arguments where people may yell and scream over each other or hurl insults, a debate is designed to be a civilized argument based on facts. A moderator acts as a referee, making sure that the debaters don’t talk over each other and that each gets an equal chance to answer the question. In a real debate, there is no room for emotions, egos, opinions or bad manners. Questions are answered with as many cold, hard facts as possible. The person or team who does best wins.
Many schools have debating teams that compete with other schools. One of the oldest is the University of Michigan’s Intercollegiate Debating Team. It began in 1890.
Some debating competitions are like sporting events, with teams having to compete in many rounds before vying for a world championship. And, yes, there is such a thing.
The first televised presidential debate happened in Chicago on Sept. 26, 1960. The debaters were Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy. Television gave voters a chance to see the candidates, as well as hear their answers to important questions. It showed a sweaty Nixon and a youthful, relaxed John Kennedy. It is believed that seeing the candidates instead of just listening to them on the radio had a big influence on the way people voted.
Because presidential debates are always televised, performance counts almost as much as what a debater has to say. The candidates are judged on what they wear and how they gesture when they or their opponent is speaking. Things like shrugging shoulders, looking off into space or sighing can make a debater look bad, regardless of the answer he gives.
The art of debate is rarely mentioned anymore, except when a big election is at stake. Sadder still is that most people aren’t interested in researching to find their own answers, relying solely on what is seen on TV or in the papers. While some statements are absolute fact, such as, “We all need air to breathe,” other statements could use a bit of investigation. It’s a great way for all of us to learn. On the road to looking for one answer, you’ll probably find many others. It is our responsibility as voters to make well-informed choices.
For more information on the first televised debate, visit http://www.museum.TV/debateweb.
Today’s lesson fulfills the following New York standards: English Language Arts E1c, E3b, E3c, E3d; Social Studies.
Correction: Theodore Roosevelt became president after the assassination of William McKinley, not James Garfield as stated on yesterday’s page.
New York Post Activities
GET your teacher’s permission to hold a debate in your classroom.
As a class, make a list of subjects that you’d like to debate, choose one and then write five questions about it.
Break into teams. Team members should investigate the answers to each question.
Select a moderator to ask the questions. Use a stopwatch to keep track of answer time.
Remember, debate is all about using facts, not anger or opinion. Have your teacher keep score and choose the winner.
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