End Animal Cruelty Argument Essay

Words: 671
Pages: 3

Sarah McLachlan has become increasingly famous due to her efforts in raising money for the BC SPCA. Her contributions towards the End Animal Cruelty Campaign have also increased her popularity. I agree that this is a cause worth fighting for, however McLachlan uses fallacious arguments in order to gain the support of viewers. Most of the commercial is attributed to the sad faces of the animals, while low-spirited music plays in the background (Hollatronix, 2008). Later, McLachlan tells you a little more about the campaign, then gives instructions on how to donate and support the cause. Little to no assurance of how the contributor’s money will be used is given during the commercial; simply that it will “go towards the lives of the animals”. This may be because those who donate don’t necessarily care how their money is used, as long as they feel good about themselves, having donated. …show more content…
Let’s start with the most obvious: Appeal to Emotion. Appeals to emotion are fallacious because the validity of the premises that establish the argument cannot be verified. There is no logic or reasoning used to support their claims other than it being “moral” and “the right thing to do” which some argue to be relative. This fallacy is what the campaign relies on for most of its donations. It is human nature to want to help something that you feel bad for; especially cute, furry animals. By bringing the living conditions of these animals to light, the campaign is trying to tap into your emotions and make you feel the pain that the animals feel. The practice of this fallacy can be observed in this excerpt from one of the commercials: “This is your chance to say I won’t sit by while an animal suffers” (Hollatronix, 2008). They present you with the option of donating in a way that insists they are giving you a great opportunity to make a