Talking Points #3

Dennis Carlson, " Gayness, Multicultural Education, and Community"

Premise

• politically correctness
• gayness
• school systems
• sex education
• facts
• misconceptions
• secret lives
• openess
• hate
• misunderstanding

Author's Argument

Carlson argues that the public school systems in America should put forth a larger effort to educate children about different sexual orientations rather then ignoring the issue all together.

Evidence

1. "Public schools in particular have often promoted such "normalizing" conceptualizations of community that are based on defining a cultural center..."(page 233) Carlson is saying that school systems simply want to promote an image of normalcy on all children. He is saying but what if the child isn't normal? as in he is gay or lesbian. Then the child feels singled out and odd because he does not fit their "normal" community.
2. "At the level of state educational policy, it is noteworthy that no state currently recognizes gays and lesbians as a legitimate minority or cultural group to be considered in textbook adoption or to be included in multicultural education."( page 236) Carlson points out that school systems are ignoring the issues of homosexuality all together and therefore the kids are not becoming educated and exposed to the lives other people live. If a company can't put it in a text book then the teachers are not expected to teach it.
3. "For the time being, at least, this means that the public schools are caught in a dilemma over gayness, unable to please anyone, and unable to act without inviting attack from one side or the other." (page 249) Carlson is aware that many people have not been taught about homosexual lifestyles and that they sure do not want their kids taught about it either. But what he is saying is that both sides need to budge a little bit in order to make understanding each other and learning about each other an option. Simply ignoring it is just letting the problem become larger.

Comments

I found this article especially hard for me to read. I couldn't really understand what he was saying while I was reading it but after I finished the article it clicked as to what point he was trying to make. I believe in gay marraige and I believe in what Carlson is saying about how children need to be taught about homosexual lifestyles and differences. By just ignoring the problem it is making it worse and more and more children are feeling like outcasts. Though I do not think the words lesbian and gay should be introduced to a first grader, it should be encorporated into the sexual education departments curriculem.

Talking Points #2

Richard Rodriguez, Tongue Tied

Premise: The main themes or concepts in this article are language, difference, barriers, schooling, bilingual students, comfort zones, awkwardness,americaness, silence caused by language barriers, ignorance.

Author's Argument:Rodriguez argues that because there is demand for bilingual children to speak English it takes away some of their sense of self and their family roots.

Evidence

1. Rodriguez himself was singled out and humiliated by his teachers in grade school because he did not speak clear and fluent English, and in turn he felt out of place and humiliated.
2. His family began speaking English at home instead of Spanish which made it awkward for his family because it seperated them. The kids could speak better English then the parents and it caused a gap between them.
3. Rodriguez could not distinguish peoples accents after he learned Englsih, he could only understand how broken and bad his fathers English was, causing him to look at his father differently.

Comments

I really enjoyed reading this article and it was not too hard to read. I believe that everyone in America should speak English but that should not affect their home life. I understand that it does take some of your idenity and unique qualities away if you are forced to make English your primary language but if I were to travel to Spain I would be encouraged to learn Spanish. I think that children should be forced to learn english at an early age and their parents should support them at home with the English but you can't force anyone to do anything.

Talking Points #1

I chose to do my talking points post on the article "Amazing Grace" by Jonathan Kozol and "100 People who are screwing up America" by Bernard Goldberg.

Premise on Article #1

• racism exists still
• people do not want to help the poor people, just move them away from civilization
• poor people can work as hard as they want but sometimes they can not get out of poverty
• Rich people overpower poor and make them poorer and live in horrible conditions
• living conditons
• AIDS
• dying and sick

Premise on Article #2

• People in America are beginning to hate it , whether they be black,white, rich, or poor.
• authority still exists and people need to be skeptical of it
• Some people do not know how to deal with authority

Author's Arugment #1

Kozol argues that the rich and powerful in New York City rather just move the poor around and keep them away from society instead of dealing with the problem of poverty and sickness and properly educating them.

Author's Argument #2

Goldberg argues that people living in America are not being taught proper values of the country and do not see the true America because they are only taught certain information.

Evidence#1

1. Kozol is exposed to the extreme poverty in the South Bronx when Ms. Washington refuses to go to the hospital because they are so understaffed that they make her wait in the emergency room for two days.
2. Kozol recognizes sickness and AIDS as being a huge problem in the Bronx when he learns that there are 27 people in Ms. Washington's building alone that are infected with AIDS.
3. Kozol is exposed to the feeling of the rich and the city just moving all of the unwanted to the Bronx when there is trash all over the place because people don't care to throw it away in the dump and there is a waste incinerator close to the buildings because no one else wanted it near their town.

Evidence #2

1. Goldberg sees that children in school systems are being taught by teachers that trash American and its values as part of their course.

2. He realizes that kids are only taught what the people in the history books decide to write, not the real truth of what happens sometimes.

3. He makes a point to question authority because they not always be right, and students should question their teachers if they do not agree or understand a matter.

Comments

I was completely in shock when reading the piece by Kozol. I did not know people were forced to live like that in the Bronx, it was not only disgusting but sad. And as sad as it is, there is nothing anyone can do to help them because there is just so many of them. It was easy and interesting to read but it was very personal when reading it. I just don't understand how the people living in those conditions make it through every day life. The Goldberg article was very realistic. The teachers in America are only teach what the text books tell them whether that is right or not. The text book and the teachers may not always be accurate and correct and kids should not be afraid to ask them questions.

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