A common essay given to English classes is to take a stand on an issue, either pro or con, and defend that stand with support from articles and books by scholarly or expert individuals. If you are looking for materials that will help you in this type of paper, here are some sources to look at.
Opposing Viewpoints: http://www.ndscs.edu/library/magazine.jsp
Choose the Gale Group and click on the link to Opposing Viewpoints.
ProCon.org: http://www.procon.org
Also, we have books from the Opposing Viewpoints series in the library, another set on Clashing Views, and others. Check in the ODIN catalog for details.