The following appeared as a letter to the editor from a Central Plaza store owner."Over the past two years, the number of shoppers in Central Plaza has been steadily decreasing while the popularity of skateboarding has increased dramatically. Many Central

The writer of the argument recommends the prohibition of skateboarding in Central Plaza, and claims that if so, business in Central Plaza will return to its previously high levels. To support this claim the author cites anecdotal evidence regarding the increase in the popularity of skateboarding in Central Plaza with concomitant steady decrease in the number of shoppers there. The author also cites a dramatic increase in the amount of litter and vandalism throughout the plaza. Close scrutiny of these evidences reveals that they lend little credible support for the author’s recommendation.

Firstly, the author’s recommendation is based on a crucial assumption that the increase in the popularity of skateboarding is by itself responsible for the decline in business in Central Plaza. However, the question is that are there any other plausible factors affecting the business in Central Plaza? We need to know whether any other factors involving the business in Central Plaza were present in the last two years or not. Perhaps the decrease in business is due to global economic recession. Or Perhaps the quality of products or services offered by Central Plaza store owners has declined in the last two years. Without ruling out these and other possible scenarios, the writer of the argument cannot defend the recommendation.

To further support the recommendation, the editorial’s author assumes that the increase in the number of skateboard players in Central Plaza is responsible for the increase in litter and vandalism in Central Plaza. Nonetheless, the author does not offer any evidence that this is the case. We need to know whether the increase is directly related to the skateboard players or not. For instance, maybe in the last two years, the police performance in Central Plaza decreased significantly, or the customers and store owners were less careful in taking care of the Central Plaza’s properties. Until the author account for the foregoing possible explanations, I cannot accept the recommended course of action.

Even assuming that the increase in the popularity of skateboarding is responsible for increase in the litter and vandalism, there is still another problem with the argument in that, the author assumes that the increase in the litter and vandalism caused the decrease in business in Central Plaza. Nevertheless, the author fails to offer any substantiating evidence that this is the case. We need to know that this increase in the litter and vandalism by itself led to decrease in business in Central Plaza. Accordingly, the author cannot draw any firm conclusion about the effect of litter and vandalism on business in Central Plaza, let alone to recommend the prohibition of skateboarding in Central Plaza.

In sum, the argument is flawed and therefore unconvincing. To persuade me, the author must answer to some vital questions regarding the effect of skateboarding not only on business in Central Plaza, but also on litter and vandalism. We would also need to know whether the increase in litter and vandalism was responsible for the sharp decline in business in Central Plaza in the last two years.