Problem 1: Why is it relevant that all of the authors of these two pieces are Kennedys? How does that affect the impact of their respective arguments?
Problem 2: Before you read the two pieces, was your mind made up about whether or not children should be vaccinated? Did either piece change your mind? Explain.
Problem 3: Are there any claims that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. makes that are weakened by the support he offers for his claims? If so, which ones? For example, did you have to have seventy-two vaccinations while you were growing up?
Problem 4: How would you describe the strategies that Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Joseph P. Kennedy II, and Maeve Kennedy McKean use in trying to build a case for their position?
Problem 5: Who do you feel makes the more convincing argument for their position, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. or his relatives? Why?
Problem 6: How does this debate intersect with the conversation about the vaccine for COVID-19, the disease that caused a global pandemic in 2019-2020? Do the arguments still apply? What new values, assumptions, or facts change the debate?