Many spend so much time squabbling and scratching for the highest grades that they can get—searching for extra credit and scrounging for every last point—that they don’t actually learn a darn thing. They can regurgitate obscure facts muttered by their teacher that they jotted down hurriedly in their notebook, but they lack the fundamental understanding and context that fact requires to be useful. After all context doesn’t help you get the question right on the test, does it? And all they need is that extra bump to bring their GPA up that one hundredth of a point.
Television News and a Mythical Neutrality
The television media in the United States has been struck by an interesting affliction virtually since its inception—the affliction of journalistic neutrality. I don’t necessarily mean that the television media—CBS, NBC, ABC and 24 hours news networks like Cable News Network (CNN) and Fox News Channel (FNC)—actually have journalistic neutrality, but for some reason they all insist on touting that they are “Fair and Balanced”, as FNC would put it.
Race in America: Of Dogs and Men
Is a German Shepherd any less of a dog than a Golden Retriever? Certainly not, they are obviously modified forms of the same species which are entirely capable of interbreeding, equally fitting as pets, and equally worthy of human attention. It is fascinating that we have recognized this fact nearly as long as there have been domesticated dogs, and yet we have been unable until recent years to apply this same logic to our own species.Yes, there are obvious differences in people of African descent, of Asian descent, of Arab descent, European descent, and so on—the most obvious of which is skin color—and yet, despite the underlying humanity in us all, much of the conflict in the world has revolved around these perceived racial lines for such a long, long time. It is sad, truly sad, that anybody has ever been defined by such trivialities.
War is Bad—WELL DUH!
I’ve heard a lot of rumbling lately about our possible (and likely) war with Iraq, and being a college student I’ve been hearing a lot of talk about how war is bad.
DUH.
I don’t LIKE war any more than anybody else, but I do recognize that in some circumstances it is a necessary thing. The current conflict with Iraq is a prime example, however rather than harp on that right away I’ll initially establish my point as most intelligent people do—with history.
Another Year Gone By
2002 was a trying year for myself, our country, and our world. After so many years of relative peace, stability, and success we entered the year on a discord—still reeling from the September 11, 2001, attacks and beginning to feel the strains of the economic downturn. Likewise, I entered the year with a number of discords to myself—unhappy in my work at Plexus and haunted by the romantic frustrations of my past despite having been with Melissa over a month.
Scott Bradford is a writer and technologist who has been putting his opinions online since 1995. He believes in three inviolable human rights: life, liberty, and property. He is a Catholic Christian who worships the trinitarian God described in the Nicene Creed. Scott is a husband, nerd, pet lover, and AMC/Jeep enthusiast with a B.S. degree in public administration from George Mason University.