Should gum be allowed in school.

Before I begin on my case though I would like to define the terms that we will be using in this debate so that confusion could be kept to a minimum. I know that most of these definitions are common sense but I don't want any semantical tricks in this debate, by me or by my opponent. DefinitionsAllowed: to give permission to or for; permit[1]School: an institution where instruction is given, especially to persons under college age[2]Gum: a sweetened and flavored insoluble plastic material used for chewing[3]Burden of proofThe burden will be on the instigator of this debate, since he did not mention that this debate would be any different from the usual "instigator has burden" format mostly found on this site. The responsibility of Con will thus be to bring a cogent argument(s) for why chewing gum should not be allowed in school. My burden will be to refute any and all of my opponent's arguments. ArgumentsA1: I don't think gum chewing should be allowed in schools because a lot of people smack and make lots of noise. To refute this argument, I will refer my opponent to other things that may cause noise but have not been have never been brought up to be banned from school. PaperCrumpling up paper can be very loud[4](Skip over to the 55 second mark if you don't want to here her ramble on meaninglessly). But if paper can be used for loud purposes, why is it still allowed in school? The simply answer is that crumpling up a piece of paper is using it in a manner that it was not intended for. The same goes with chewing gum. The proper way to chew is with your mouth closed, thus not disturbing anyone around you. BooksBooks can be very loud in many different ways. Throwing it on the ground, hitting someone with it, slamming it on the desk. . I could go on and on. But again, the reason books are not banned from classrooms is because if one uses them properly, they do not produce much noise. A way to offset this problem would be for teachers to ask children who chew gum too loudly to stop, and in the event that they do not, punish them accordingly. A2: The disposal of gum isnt good either. To refute this argument, I will refer my opponent to my last point. Disposing of gum br throwing it on the floor or sticking it under a desk is not the correct way of disposing it and so it is not the fact that it is a piece of gum that is causing it to end up on the floor. It is kids choosing to dispose of it improperly. A cause of this could be that children are afraid of getting caught chewing gum and thus they choose to hide it under a desk or spit it out when no one is looking. Just walking up and spitting it out into the trash can is a sure way to let a teacher know you've been chewing gum. So this problem may have been brought on specifically by the rule put in place to stop it. A3: Chewing gum can also cause a lot of dental problemsChewing gum in not too large doses and brushing one's teeth regulary can offset most of the dental problems caused by chewing gum. Again, this problem is brought on by children not chewing gum properly(chewing too much). Even so, a child can simply chew a lot of gum outside of school and develop dental problems while still abiding by the school rules. Banning gum from school will not erradicate the problem. It will simply allow it to develop somewhere else. ConclusionI have refuted all three of my opponent's arguments. His argument that chewing gum can be loud can simply be deterred by punishments to children who chew gum loudly and refuse to stop. As to his second argument, the problem could have been brought on directly because of the rule that was put in place to stop it. And as for his third argument, it is no business of the school if a child develops dental problems, and even if it was, banning gum would not erradicate the problem but allow it to appear somewhere else(at home, anywhere outside of school). In conclusion, my opponent has not upheld his burden of proof and so I urge a Pro vote. [1] . http://dictionary.reference.com...;[2] . http://dictionary.reference.com...;[3] . http://www.merriam-webster.com...[4] . http://www.youtube.com...