I'm in the debating club at school and our latest topic is that there in the title... and I'm supposed to be arguing AGAINST it. That is, the pen ISN'T mightier than the sword. Taja tells me that you people over here are supposed to be all really smart and stuff, so I was wondering if you could please help me come up with a few points, examples, etc.? Right now I have absolutely nothing, and the debate is going to held tomorrow morning, so anything anyone says now would be a HUGE help. Thank you!! ^^

I've never seen anyone have their head lopped off by a pen, physicaly.

Use the literal tone of the phrase to debate the interpreted understanding.

Oh, and equip yourself with a nice big sword to keep your points poinient. Who's gonna argue with you about something so stupid when yer waving a katana around. Certianly not some debate club geeks.

Taja steered you wrong. None of us are smart.

Whats a pen?

exactly....

Yep.

http://www.nuklearpower.com/daily.php?date=030605

See now why the sword is mightier than your opponent arguing against you!

And....

http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=230

I make all points through comic references. *nods*

Ignore my previous helpful comment; it was strangly out of character for me.

Replace With:

I stuck a pen in my stinky.

Or you could take the saying to broad terms.

Example, two countries on the brink of war. The leader of one is determined he will own what ever it is their fighting over and no matter how many columns or speeches are written, and treaties drafted, IE the pen, will not sway him from his goal.

Fast forward to the first actual clash of the armies. The Stubborn Leader sees his men totally annihilated after facing superiorly equipped forces, IE the sword, and does an abrupt about face, asking for peace and compromise instead.

In an instance like that, you could use all the pens in the world until their ink was gone and still not win. The sword is the only thing sharp enough to bring about resolution.

That sorta comparison should appease your teacher... or, you could take it to an emotional level if you think that would hit more home with the class.

Example, a cutter. Namely a person who cuts themselves. Writing in a journal, blog, doing poetry, or writing songs, IE the pen, just does not help in this instance. For the cutter, the emotional turmoil is too strong and no word can ease whatever pain or ache those emotions cause. There is just no way to string together anything as simple as words to say what they need said. None of it equals the absolute satisfaction of releasing the poison and pain through the slice of a blade, IE the sword. The physical pain is the only thing that trumps the emotional pain. In that instance, the person feels the pen is powerless against their adversary, themselves.

Basically that statement, The pen is mightier than the sword, is only really true when the person saying it is an intellectual who can command words. Someone without the power of mind to grip people with their writing is not going to get very far with a pen. Give any two men swords and briefly, as long as you subtract skill, their both equal. Arm them with pens and, since you can't remove their brains and expect any reaction, the smarter of the two will have the definite advantage.

I might be able to come up with more later when Archie get's home. I've got him thinking on a quote that's the opposite of it now...

And remember, actions speak louder than words.