Question

last week, during the town hall meeting, mayor johnson proposed a new recycling program, claiming it will help the environment. however, i think mayor johnson just doesnt want to deal with the real issues, like the potholes on main street - everyone says theyre the worst theyve driven on, and if we dont fix them now, its only a matter of time before our town becomes impassable. plus, no one i know recycles; its just not what people do here. we should focus on more important matters, not on some recycling program that wont work because its suggested by a mayor who cant even keep our streets clean.

which of the following suggestions would best help the author avoid the highlighted red - herring fallacy and improve their argument?

introduce more unrelated issues to broaden the debate.

emphasize the condition of main street to stress its importance.

use emotional appeals to draw attention to other community issues.

keep the discussion focused on the proposed recycling program.

Explanation:

The herring fallacy involves diverting attention. To avoid it, the focus should stay on the proposed recycling program. Introducing unrelated issues broadens the debate and is a fallacy. Emotional appeals to other community issues also divert from the main - recycling program. Emphasizing Main Street's condition is off - topic. Keeping the discussion focused on the recycling program helps avoid the herring fallacy.

Answer:

Keep the discussion focused on the proposed recycling program.