Critical Question: What are the descriptive assumptions? For each of the passages, locate important assumptions made by the author. Remember first to determine the conclusion and the reasons.
Passage 1 Those who try to fight the use of animals in medical experiments often harm their own cause. Their tactics create more enemies than friends. Pouring blood on a researcher's car or breaking into laboratories to "liberate" animals is too extreme to attract respect for their cause. To be believable as a spokesperson for kindness and humanity, one must represent reason and humility. Argument, not physical coercion, will accomplish a deserved objective. A seminar is more productive in helping such animals than are all the shouting and violence used by animal rights activists.
Passage 2 Should it be legal for newspaper and television reporters to refuse to reveal their confidential sources? Indeed it should. The reporter-informant relationship is, after all, similar to those of priest and penitent, lawyer and client, physician and patient---all of which have a degree of privacy under the law. Moreover, if that relationship were not protected, the sources of information needed by the public would dry up.