Write a compelling argument pushing the worst advice you’ve ever been given.

“Just stick your gum under your desk. It beats carrying it around in a wad of paper.” Because I agree with the words of a middle school friend and believe that no social stigma should be placed around the disposal of chewing gum, I must affirm the advice that used chewing gum ought to be stuck under a desk.

Before moving on, I must define the key terms in the resolution:

           Chewing gum, commonly referred to as “gum” is a sweetened and flavored insoluble plastic material used for chewing. Ought is a term used to express duty or moral obligation. Stick means to fix something on. A desk is a piece of furniture with a flat or sloped surface and typically with drawers, at which one can read, write, or do other work.

            Based on the values and ideas found within the advice, morality emerges as a value premise because based on our definition of “ought,” we are trying to uphold a moral standard.  The appropriate value criterion for the round is the preservation of individual comfort because an individual can only be required to further his or her own well-being.

            My first contention states that holding gum wrapped in “a wad of paper” diminishes the comfort of the individual. Firmly grasping an object for extended periods of time can result in moderate to severe cramps of the forearm and hand. Given that the vast majority of the population unconsciously caries objects in their dominant hand, cramps can be debilitating to a student. Because we are morally obligated to further education, which, in turn, furthers the life-long comfort of the individual student, we can not require students to go to any lengths to dispose of chewed gum.

My second contention states that no significant harm can come from dried gum. According to Reddit user wikipedialinks, who has some credible education background, when asked if any health risks can be associated with dried gum, he states, “Assuming [the gum] came from a healthy person, once it was dry it wouldn't pose substantially more risk than the table.” Rather than concern ourselves about the harmless activity of sticking gum under a desk, we should ask ourselves about the environment we send our children into to learn. Rather than worry about dried gum, we should worry about the unhealthy students and possibly unsafe desks surrounding our students.

My third contention states that chewed gum should be easily available in times of emergency. As seen in many cartoons, in our short lives, we will probably be faced with a situation in which a dam is punctured and it is up to us to save the world from flooding. In this situation, an obvious and readily available tool would be chewed gum. When moistened, gum creates the perfect, flexible solution to plugging dams. The availability of chewed gum is a moral choice between life and death. We must fulfill our obligations to preserving individual comfort by stopping any harm from coming to us, as individuals.

In closing, by examining that holding onto gum creates unnecessary discomfort for the individual, no harm can come from dried gum, and gum can help in times of emergency, we see that preserving individual comfort surfaces as the main way to uphold the value premise of morality. Therefore, I must affirm the advice that used chewing gum ought to be stuck under a desk. I now stand ready for cross-examination.