Arguing With Evidence

Learning from the Most Famous Failed Argument in American History

The Most Successful Convincer EverThe Pied Piper of Hamlin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOHd-lufJRs

Why was the Piper so successful?

• He knew his audience• He made a specific, clear claim• He used evidence to support his claim• He stayed on track• He used a combination of appeals• He reinforced his position

Definition of a Piper

• a charismatic person who attracts followers• offers strong enticement• a leader http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHFxncb1gRYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qS-7EPDR-PY

Structuring the Written Argument through PIPER

Prepare the ReaderIntroduce the ClaimProvide the EvidenceExplain & Connect the EvidenceReinforce the Claim

If you do not act like a Pied Piper when you argue, your reader will not follow you anywhere.

Don’t Believe Me?

Listen to this story….

Please Note

Although the following story has been told in various formats, the version I am using here is taken, in part, from Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen’s 1993 Bestseller Chicken Soup for the Soul.

The Story Begins in 1957

One Fall day, a young boy, who didn’t have much money, stood outside an NFL stadium gate waiting to meet his hero—Jim Brown.At the time, Jim Brown was the best running back to ever play pro football. The boy was not accustomed to greatness.

Having grown up in the ghetto, the boy never got enough to eat and malnutrition had taken its toll. A disease called rickets forced him to wear steel splints to support his skinny, bowed-out legs. Seeing Brown was the pinnacle of his life. He politely

asked him for his autograph.

As Brown signed, the boy explained, "Mr. Brown, I have your picture on my wall, I know you hold all the records. You're my idol."

Brown smiled and began to leave, but the young boy wasn't finished. He proclaimed, "Mr. Brown, one day I'm going to

break every recordyou hold"

Brown asked: "What is your name, son?"

The boy replied:

"Orenthal James. My friends call me O.J.“

O.J. Simpson went on to break all but three of the rushing records held by Jim Brown before injuries

shortened his football career.

OJ Simpson was Amazing

AFL’s 1st overall pick in the 1969 Common Draft

1st professional football player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season

Only player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a fourteen-game season

Holds the record for the single season yards-per-game avg.

Elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.

After Football, he starred in commercials and print ads

And in Movies

He was a Celebrity and

he was loved

They called him the Juice

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W1hnR3kLwo

For years, running through the airport was called “doing the OJ”

And Then, Everything Changed

On June 13, 1994

OJ’s ex-wife, Nicole, and her friend, Ron Goldman, were found bludgeoned to death at her Brentwood condo.

OJ was the prime suspect.

The Evidence• DNA Evidence through hair and blood• Other physical evidence—fibers, gloves,

shoeprints, and knife• Eyewitness Accounts• Crime Scene & Type of Murder• History of Domestic Violence• Nicole’s pre-death comments about fearing OJ• Lack of Alibi & Cuts on Finger• OJ’s own bizarre behavior

On June 17th, the day OJ was supposed to turn himself into authorities…

He went on a little ridehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxqP1_MFPnc

The Trial of The Century

By the time, OJ was tried for murder, the prosecution thought they had an easy case

• They had direct physical evidence• They had circumstantial evidence• They had history of violence• They had alleged confessions from OJ

But OJ had the Dream Team

And the Prosecution Made Major Mistakes

The Verdict

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/oj/view/1_hi.html

Despite the Overwhelming Evidence

The Jury found OJ “Not Guilty”

Why?

The prosecution failed to prove their argument.

Five Major Errors

They didn’t act like the PIPER• Prepare• Introduce• Provide• Explain• Reinforce

Awareness of Audience

They Changed the Venue

They did not PREPARE

Much of the evidence was tried in front of an audience that the prosecution did not even try to understand.

Opening Statements

(Video Chapter 2)

Why? Why would he do it? Why would he do it? Not O.J. Simpson. Not the O.J. Simpson we think we know, not the O.J. Simpson we think we've seen over the years. We've seen him play football for USC, we watched him play against UCLA, play in the Rose Bowl, we watched him win the Heisman Trophy. He may be the best running back in the history of the NFL.

We watched him leap turnstiles and chairs and run to the airplane in Hertz commercials. . . . We watched him with a 50-inch Afro in "Naked Gun 33 1/3." We've seen him time and time again. We came to think that we know him.

They did not INTRODUCE their case with the Audience

in Mind

They did not PROVIDE all the evidence

• Bronco chase & suicide note• OJ’s relationship with black community• Punishments for Evidence Tampering

They also didn’t

Object to the staging of OJ’s House

And then when they did PROVIDE Important Evidence…

It wasn’t from Credible Sources

They also didn’t EXPLAIN it by connecting it to theirthesis about OJ’s guilt

Evidence by itself means nothing

They didn’t explain DNA in laymen’s terms

They didn’t explain how the Domestic Violence connected to

Murder

And, they missed a chance to give Fuhrman credibility

And then…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2YbY9eYmdM

They did not REINFORCE anythingBut the Defense did…

They Repeated, Reminded, & Reinforced

If you want to convince your audience, you must:

Know Them & Act like a PIPER• Prepare• Introduce• Provide• Explain• Reinforce