Question

Tom's specific purpose is to convince his audience that texting while driving should not be made illegal. "I'm a really good driver, and I text a lot. I'm a member of my baseball team, on student council, and I go to church regularly." These statements are an example of what kind of fallacy?

a.
Either-or

b.
Ad hominem

c.
Slippery slope

d.
Red herring

e.
Hasty generalization

Answer 1

Tom's statements about his personal accomplishments and good character, used to argue that he should be allowed to text while driving, are examples of a red herring fallacy that distracts from the issue at hand.

Step-by-step explanation:

Tom's specific purpose is to convince his audience that texting while driving should not be made illegal. In his argument, he states that because he is a good driver, a member of his baseball team, participates in student council, and attends church regularly, he should be allowed to text while driving.

These statements are examples of a red herring fallacy. A red herring is a fallacy that occurs when an irrelevant topic is presented to divert attention from the original issue.

The details of Tom's involvement in various activities do not address the issue of texting while driving, and instead, they attempt to distract from the argument by focusing on his personal character and unrelated accomplishments.