Offensive Speech and Political Correctness

Below is an article written in response to a recent event in the sports world: Bob Griese, a seemingly squeaky-clean sports announcer, said something that could be taken as offensive. Truly, Griese is a highly-esteemed indivdual with no marks on his public record.

Nevertheless, he was suspended from work because of a certain remark he made about a Latin athlete.

Was this suspension fair, unfair, understandable, reprehensible, etc.? What do you think about both his suspension and the words that he chose?

Taco hell: A bad week for former Miami Dolphin Bob Griese - Miami Dolphins - MiamiHerald.com

Fall 2009 Discovery Topics

Here is your chance to post your discovery topic and get some feedback as a result. First, why does this topic interest you? Does your topic concern the nation as a whole, or is it more of a local issue? Briefly explain why you're exploring this issue or what you hope to gain an understanding of. Lastly, what might be your first discovery or research question?

Please write informally (i.e., in first-person) and know that this response may even be used as your initial paragraph for the discovery essay. (I'm actually encouraging this.)

A Contrary Perspective

Recently a colleague of mine told me that he is boycotting the Whole Foods Market chain because of the following editorial, which was written by John Mackey, the founder and CEO of Whole Foods: John Mackey: The Whole Foods Alternative to ObamaCare - WSJ.com

I found my colleague's reaction interesting, especially after I read or "perused" Mackey's article published in the Wall Street Journal.

I understand that my colleague has freewill, and he can certainly frequent any store or establishment he chooses. I am not arguing here that boycotting Whole Foods is wrong. (Personally, I find Whole Foods' prices to be too high.)

Nonetheless, do you think my colleague's reaction to the above article is fair? What are your thoughts on Mackey's editorial?

John Mackey later responded to the public outcry against his ideas on healthcare reform. Here is his blog response: The CEO’s Blog » Blog Archive » Health Care Reform – Full Article

Has your position on John Mackey's healthcare proposal changed any after reading his blog response?

Orwell's "Politics and the English Language"

Here is your chance to rant or rave (or express indifference) over what you've just analyzed. Is Orwell's essay effective/persuasive? What points will you focus on in your Textual Analysis essay to support your conclusion?

Discovery Topics

What is your initial topic of discovery, and why are you interested in this topic? What might be your first exploratory question?

If you've not settled yet upon one topic to discover, perhaps you're considering two or three topics. What are they?

What Would You Do?

This is an interesting case: Aged-out foster child faces possible homelessness - Miami-Dade - MiamiHerald.com

What would you decide to solve this issue? Is the cost of caring for this young man too great? Is the cost even important in an issue such as this?

Your Perspective

What is your reaction to Orwell's essay? Please be specific of course, and read as well the responses of others.

What faults, if any, does Orwell's essay contain?

What are the especially positive aspects of his essay?

In the past, have you made some of the same mistakes Orwell points out? If so, which?

(Blog responses here are informal, so write freely.)

Language and You

I have a friend who recently moved to Chile.  He now speaks Spanish extremely well.  (I've always admired his vocabulary and ability to communicate.)   Certainly learning a new language is a struggle, but I think it's well worth the effort.  

At any rate, my friend believes that language (i.e., the ability to communicate with each other using words) is divine or given to us by God.  He contends, though, that speech and language are two different things: "language" is the actual thinking process, for we think in words and to a great degree experience our reality in word concepts.  Thus, for him learning another language is about 15% "translation" and the other 80% or so is learning how to think in the other tongue; the "speech" aspect is merely the verbal expression of this process.

What I'd like to see from everyone is a response about language (true language distinguishes us from the animals, so I'm not referring to monkeys or parrots being taught to imitate language) and how important it is our being.  Does language and speech, as it is defined above, determine who we are as individuals?  Where do we learn best to communicate and think?   Is it through reading literature, instruction in writing and rhetoric classes, our everyday dialogue with friends, etc.?  Perhaps we have an open window early on in our life to learn and acquire language skills, and if we don't access this "window," or if we don't exercise our skills while this window is open, we will not develop as well as we could/should.

I'd like your random thoughts.   I'm not picky to be sure.  Just respond before Sunday evening.  

Sex Offenders

I honestly am not sure what to think of this article: Florida sex offender policy puts inhumane nightmare under bridge - Fred Grimm - MiamiHerald.com

I am sure, though, that most of you are like me on this issue: as long as these folks are out of sight and out of my way, I am content.  Nonetheless, there are a host of concerns and problems that arise from this "remedy."  

I'd like to see everyone's response.  If you're indifferent, I'd like to know why.  If you're sympathetic, I'd like to know why.  

*Addendum: these sexual offenders are prohibited from living within certain communities.  Several communities over the past decade have passed laws prohibiting sex offenders from living within the boundaries of their town.  I'm not sure which communities have done so, but these men (and women) are released from prison with few possible places to reside.  Thus, the option to live under this particular bridge (which allows them to remain under the supervision of their probation officer) is the most viable solution.  

Strictly Personal

Feedback is a necessary part of any writing and rhetoric course, both for the students and the instructor.  Therefore, I'd like to hear your concerns and comments.  For those of you who have taken previous writing courses at FIU, I'd like to see your perspective.  How have the ENC courses met your expectations or fueled your progress as a writer?  Or, conversely, how have the ENC courses not met your expectations?  Perhaps any negative feeling you may have is more a teacher-related issue than  course-related issue.  If so, please give me some feedback: how have your previous teachers hurt (or helped) you? 

An ancient proverb reads, "A flattering mouth worketh ruin."  I'm not looking for flattery certainly.  To be sure, I'm looking to see or hear what everyone has to say about her/his writing experience at FIU.

If ENC 1102 is your first writing and rhetoric course, then I'd like to hear what has helped or hurt your development as a college-level writer.  How has reading literature played a part?  How has your high school teacher played a part (or not played a part)?  Do you think that you were previously a blank canvas, so to speak, or did you come into ENC 1102 with a set of skills that needed to be honed or improved upon?

Has ENC 1102 or 1101 surprised you in any way?  Bored you to tears?  Angered you?

Please write freely.  No one is being judged certainly.  I'm hoping to learn from these responses.

What to Do?

This article is about a recent tragedy, a high-school shooting: Accused Dillard High shooter seeks transfer to mental institution - Breaking News - MiamiHerald.com

If you can recall the events from a few weeks ago, the "accused shooter" professed her love for the victim before and even after the shooting.   There are sanity issues to be sure, and this is part of the dilemma as the court faces the problem of what to do.  What needs to be stated straightforwardly (I think) is that the alleged shooter does still have rights as an American citizen.   Whether she is guilty or not, these rights still exist.   Specifically, though, what should the court do?   Should the court honor her wishes by transferring the teenager to a mental health facility or should she remain in county jail (where she is receiving psychological treatment to some degree)?   What are your comments and concerns?

Rants, Opinions, and Perspectives

I recently came across this rather interesting article in the Miami Herald: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/story/901828.html

Obviously (I think it's obvious at least), a convicted murder roaming the streets is not such a good thing, especially when the felon in question has escaped his just punishment. Assuming the two men mentioned in this article are guilty of the crime, your reaction is what?

Who is to blame for this? Is the justice system the actual problem? A defendant is guaranteed the right to a fair trial of course, so should this right change somehow? If the goal is to keep our society safe from both violent criminals and corrupt government officers (whether it be a police office, a district judge, a prosecuting attorney, a local mayor, etc.), can anything be done to ensure incidinces such as these do not occur again?

Orwell's "Politics and the English Language"

What is your reaction to Orwell's essay?

Had you read Orwell's writing before (e.g., Animal Farm or 1984)? If so, how does your knowledge of him and his writing inform your reading of this essay?

What faults do you find with this essay?