So, I'm sitting here trying to figure out what I want to write about for the second short essay. I quickly re-read "Why the Pledge of Allegience Should be Revised", "Protecting Freedom of Expression on Campus", and "Conspiracy Theories 101".
Still not sure of what I want to write about; nothing is clicking or setting in.
"Why the Pledge of Allegience Should be Revised" argued that the phrase "under God" should not be included in The Pledge, and that it should not be a requirement of young school children and new citizens to recite because of the "religious" reference. "Protecting Freedom of Expression on Campus" argued that ignoring those who speak freely in an offensive manner is the best method, rather than trying to regulate speech; just because you don't like another's speech, does not mean that you can limit it, according to the First Amendment. And finally, "Conspiracy Theories 101" defined academic freedom as the freedom to study anything. It is the job of the professor to responsibly use academic freedom in the form of analysis and not the proselytizing of their opinions.
Maybe I'm getting somewhere now...
Thinking back to the class discussions on these essays, I remember the issue of indoctrination coming up when discussing the recitation of The Pledge of Allegience in public elementary schools. I remember the thoughts of others who believed that it was not right that kids were "peer pressured" into saying The Pledge when its assumed that most kids have no idea what it's saying. Then others were of the opinion that it's commemorating the history of our country and introducing kids to the rights they have as citizens of the United States; as well, it is a respectful form of patriotism. Now I'm thinking about the idea of academic freedom and the responsibility of analysis that comes with it as discussed in "Conspiracy Theories 101". Can reciting The Pledge in elementary schools be seen as more indoctrinating than teaching? It makes me think of the difference between objectivity and subjectivity as we discussed in class. There always seems to be an eminent grey area between the two.
So, I think I may have a thesis: The recitation of The Pledge of Allegience in public elementary schools sparks many opinions which center around the issue of objectivity versus subjectivity.
How does that sound?
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I was in the same boat, trying to figure out what to write for my essay. The problem is that we have read a few essays now and there are so many ideas, it's hard to settle down and choose one. In the end I did make a decision but it took a long time to come to that conclusion. Now that we have read so many different ideas, it's hard to actually be able to sit back and make a firm decision about what you’re true feelings are on any given subject.
ReplyDeleteyour thesis sounds like an interesting essay could spur from it. At least you have a thesis lol..im still thinking about which essay to write about.I think that the issue of subjectivity verses objectivity is very interesting. Personally, I don't think its possible for a person to truly be objective. We all have our biases, and I don't think its possible to push our biases away and be totally objective. In the end, we are all subjective.
ReplyDeleteIt took me a while longer to figure out what I want to write for the second short essay, than the first one. I am not sure why, but I was just stuck. I reread the essay, try to make some notes and still blanked. Part of the reason is that I dont have a strong opinion, or even think about those matters until we read those essay and have discussions.
ReplyDeleteI love how your writting take us thru your thought process.
Okay, not only does it sound intelligent with the lead up into it with your thought processses, but it also just looks smart. As in, your diction is very refreshing so even if your thesis was bad (which it isn't: it's great!) it would still appeal. That says a lot about your writing style.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea my opinion meant so much to you :_)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, your blog is well written and I'm sure you received an awesome grade. Yeah, this class, in regards to critical thinking, requires a profound understanding of what it means to be subjective and objective. It also requires us to use these forms of judgment accordingly. This is where the hard part begins. When should we be subjective (relating a situation with past experiences) or objective ( viewing a situation from without oneself)? Is it possible for a human being to be objective at all? Is it enough for us to try?