Farewell...

Another semester coming to a close…I know that I for one am looking forward to finals being done.  I will be escaping to Big Bear Lake for a week as soon as finals are done to have some “down time” and play with my grandson.  Thoughts of watching Christmas movies, baking and decorating Christmas cookies, and playing in the snow will get me through the next week!

This semester has been an extremely tough one for me in regards to the amount of work.  I had two classes that required a lot of writing and two more that are just harder subjects for me so additional study time was required.  This English course was, of course, one of the ones that required a lot of writing.  With working full-time, I usually take online courses so that I have the flexibility of doing most of my work on the weekends.  With due dates throughout the week for various assignments, it was a challenge to always meet the due dates but somehow I managed.  There were some close calls on getting projects done on time especially the first draft of the research paper.    

At first I thought the amount of writing was ridiculous but it pushed me in ways that I needed to be pushed I now see.  The writing comes much faster and easier for me now after being required to write so much.  I learned a lot about MLA format and developing an effective paper.  My critical thinking skills were definitely sharpened as well.  I learned a lot from not only Jennifer’s and SmartThinking’s comments but also from those comments of my Qom group. I learned about different types of writing that I had never had the opportunity to take a stab at before.    

The reading assignments were also very interesting.  The books we read are ones that I had never read before and probably never would have.  I feel so enlightened about B.S. now!  Seriously, these selections did sharpen my critical thinking skills. The last book, Reading Lolita in Tehran, was very intriguing to me and I chose women’s rights in Iran for my research paper topic.  I understand a lot more about the hardships these women have faced and feel even more compassion toward them then I did before.

I would like to thank each member of the Qom group for taking the time to give me your honest feedback on my writing. I enjoyed the discussions that we all had on the Discussion Board.  It’s always interesting to look at things from someone else’s perspective and I learned a lot from each one of you.  I especially enjoyed reading the blogs.  Each of your personalities really came through when reading them.  This class has been the most interactive so far of any other online classes I have taken and I have enjoyed it.

Jennifer was a delight to have as an instructor.  She was tough but fun at the same time.  I’m sure she motivated each one of us to dig a little deeper.  I truly appreciated her availability and feedback.  I learned a lot from this course but I have to say that I’m glad it’s done…I’m tired and need a break! 

Merry Christmas to all and enjoy some time with family and friends over the holidays but don’t forget to get rested up for next semester!  

What I learned while writing my research paper....

I will start out with what I learned in “book” knowledge while writing my research paper.  I chose the topic of women’s rights in Iran.  Through my research, I learned a ton about the struggles women have had in Iran.  Most surprisingly, I learned about how things were really progressing quite well for women from the 40’s to the 70’s.  Women received the right to vote and to be appointed to Parliament in 1963.  Educational opportunities were good which also meant better jobs for women.  They were also given more rights in family courts regarding divorce and child custody and the legal age of marriage for women at one point had increased to eighteen.  Learning about this made me realize more how difficult things were for the women to accept in Reading Lolita in Tehran.  I didn’t realize that the women had as many rights as they did prior to the Revolution of 1979. 

After the Ayatollah Khomeini came into power, women lost most of the rights that they had fought so long and hard for.  I can’t even imagine the discouragement and frustration they must have felt.  Some of the rights that the Ayatollah immediately took away from women were to remove female judges claiming that they did not have the capacity to interpret Islamic law, he changed the legal age of marriage for women back to 9 years old, women could no longer initiate a divorce, women were prohibited from serving in the army, government-employed women were required to wear the veil to work, and women were banned from participating in sports. 

Things got somewhat better for women from 1997 to 2005 while Mohammad Khatami was the President but have degraded again since Mahmoud Ahmadinejad became president.  Some of the conditions that women currently live with are that they are not free to choose what they want to study, because of the young age of legal marriage many girls drop out of school to care for their husband and family, women are not allowed to inherit more than a quarter of her husband’s estate, only fathers can pass along citizenship to their children, a woman’s testimony is only worth half that of a man’s, women are not allowed to interact with men who are not family members making it difficult to work outside the home, etc. Even when it comes to stoning, men are buried up to their waist but women are buried up to their shoulders making it next to impossible to unbury themselves if they survive the stoning.  The inequality between men and women is unfathomable to me.

I also learned an incredible amount about writing during the preparation of my research paper as well as during the writing of our other papers.  As I have stated before, I had never heard of MLA format before taking this class so I had everything to learn about it!  I have learned something new about MLA in each one of our papers.  For this paper I learned about block quotes and more about the works cited format. I certainly had my fears about how to use quotes and paraphrasing so as not to plagiarize.  After reading comments from SmartThinking and meeting with Jennifer, I feel more comfortable with that aspect.  I had way too many quotes in my paper and as Jennifer put it “you need to put more Teri in your paper”.   I still have some editing to do before my final submission but I’m getting there.  Overall, this class has helped me to become more comfortable with writing.

Research Paper Venting

My greatest frustration about writing this research paper is mainly finding the time to sit down and really work on it.  I find myself quickly approaching the due date and still have so much to do.  I am not a procrastinator but I just try to fit too much on my plate so I find myself doing things at the last minute which I don’t like to do.

For instance, after working 12-14 hour days all week I have to go to Ventura today (Friday) to take care of my elderly aunt which I run over to do on the weekends to get her groceries, clean her house, and any other errands she may need done.  My plan is then to dedicate all day Saturday and Sunday to working on my research paper and another big project that is due in another class.  I find there are just not enough hours in the day.  I’m sure I am trying to take too many classes on top of all of my other responsibilities but I just want to complete school as soon as I can so I can somewhat get my life back!

I selected the second option for my research paper which Jennifer said was the harder option but it was a matter of time constraints for me.  I just didn’t have time to finish another novel and write about it so I figured reading articles or excerpts from other research books would be the best utilization of time for me.  I have selected Women’s Rights in Iran. I still have a hard time imagining what it must be like to be a woman in a country such as Iran.  The research I have read so far has been very interesting but disturbing at the same time.  I do need to make a firm decision on my thesis today so I can press forward over the next two days in completing my paper with that theme.    

I have also struggled with the MLA format this semester.  I had never even heard of it before taking this class so trying to get it right has been a challenge.  I did print the information about citing sources in MLA format but I think it is still some of the basic rules that I am missing.  I have used the Purdue summary we were given the link for at the beginning of the semester but I was told on the last essay that it is still not correct.  I may need to just go buy the handbook today to make sure my final Essay 3 and the research paper are done correctly.

For me finding decent blocks of time to really focus on this project has been the biggest challenge.  I have already told my family that I just need to be left to myself for the rest of the weekend so I can focus on writing. This class has required a lot of writing but I must admit that it has made things flow easier just by being forced to write so much so often.  Hopefully this will be the case for the rest of the weekend and it will flow abundantly!  

Evaluating My Online Communication Style

My communication style varies according to the situation.  When corresponding with a family member or close friend on instant messenger, email, or texting, I communicate in a more casual style.  Many times when I instant message or text, I use all lowercase or textspeak.  I can be briefer in my communication style because the other party generally has an idea of what I am talking about already.

Most of my correspondence is in a professional setting.  I work in customer service so I must be very thorough and professional in my communication.  I have to assume that my customers do not understand all of the terminology, systems, etc. that we deal with so I must be very thorough in my explanations to avoid any confusion and resulting communication to clear up those questions.  I have to have a “you attitude” approach with the customers and especially since we are dealing with the customers’ personal finances, we must be show empathy to their concerns.  I also need to be very careful in what I communicate and must proofread everything I send.  When corresponding with my boss or others in positions of authority I must also pay close attention to how my communication is coming across.  Our opinion of others can easily be drawn by reading their correspondence.

As a supervisor, I must also be very careful of how I say things and what information I send.  Communication must be very clear so there is no question about what is expected.  I also need to remember to praise in public which is usually online for others to recognize an individual(s) accomplishments and punish in private.  No one wants to be called out in front of others even in an online setting.

In online courses at school, we also have the opportunity to communicate online.  How I correspond with the instructor has a lot to do with the instructor’s style.  In this course, Jennifer is professional but creates more of a relaxed atmosphere.  In one of my other courses for instance, the instructor is very formal and has very strict rules about how we are to communicate with her online or she will not respond.  Again, who I’m corresponding with and what they are expecting of me determines my communication style.

Tools such as instant messenger are now being used in the workplace but how I instant message with a friend is different than how I instant message with my boss.  Everything still needs to be presented professionally when using instant message as a business tool.  Emails too need to be kept professional because you never know who they might be forwarded to so I try to stay mindful of what is put into writing and how it is presented.  In summary, I know that I have different online communication styles depending on who I am corresponding with.  It varies from very casual with family and friends, to semi-formal with close co-workers, and finally formal with superiors or customers.   I think most people learn to adapt their online communication styles to fit the situation.

31 Years Later – Has Much Really Changed in Iran?

It had been 31 years since the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran.  As I read news articles about what is going on in Iran today, I have to ask myself if much has really changed since the early days of the Revolution that Azar Nafisi wrote about in Reading Lolita in Tehran. 

I just read an article about how Iran is in a longrunning standoff with the international community over its nuclear program.  Iranian leaders insist that their nuclear program is peaceful but they have defied repeated demands to stop enriching nuclear fuel.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was elected President in 2005 and he restarted the nuclear research.  Late September 2009, Iran said that its Revolutionary Guards test-fired missiles with sufficient range to strike Israel.  In February 2010, Mr. Ahmadinejad ordered his atomic scientists to begin enriching their stockpile of uranium.  Days later, on the anniversary of the overthrow of the Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlzvi, he announced that Iran was a nuclear state despite his earlier denials.

The 2009 Presidential Campaign was a controversial one.  Mir Hussein Moussavi ran against Ahmadinejad and it sounds as if strong accusations were exchanged.  The polls came in at 65% vs. 35% in Ahmadinejad’s favor.  Moussavi denounced the results and many rallies were held.  The militia aggressively broke up the rallies, using guns, clubs, tear gas and water cannons.  Details on the number of deaths are sketchy because Ahmadinejad cracked down on journalists and moved to block as much cell-phone, text-messaging and internet traffic as possible. A mass trial for dissidents was held.

Some of the older generation of leaders in Iran who served under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini are questioning Mr. Ahmadinejad’s competence and even accused his ministers of corruption.  They believe that his faction is distorting the principles of the Islamic Revolution and is instead following a messianic cult that rejects the intermediary role of the clergy.

Mr. Ahmadinejad has become known for his defiance over Iran’s nuclear program and his hostility towards Israel.  He shocked the world when he called the Holocaust a myth and repeated an old slogan from the early days of the 1979 Revolution, saying “Israel must be wiped off the map.”

Even though it sounds as if the current leadership might not be following the principles of the Islamic Revolution quite the way the older generation would like, it doesn’t sound as if it’s an improvement either.  The people of Iran are still oppressed in my opinion. As I was reading the article it reminded me of many of the accounts given in Reading Lolita in Tehran

I have written in my blogs before about my Iranian co-worker who has shared experiences with me.  She left Iran at the start of the Revolution but has gone back to visit family periodically.  It is not the country she grew up in and it saddens her.  She doesn’t think that she will ever be able to go back and live in her native country unless things change drastically.

Has much changed in Iran since Azar Nafisi wrote about her experiences?  I don’t think so.

How has my writing improved?

First, let me say that I do not think I have ever written as much as I have in English 103!  As stated before, it has been many years since I have been in school so this class has definitely pushed me into getting up to speed with current writing styles and requirements.  For instance, when I first logged on and saw all these references to MLA style I had no clue what Jennifer was talking about.  I had never heard of MLA before so I knew there was going to be a huge learning curve.

The practice of writing so much has been beneficial in many ways.  It has helped me with reaching down to come up with ideas to write about and expand on to meet minimum word or page requirements.  It has caused me to learn new things about style, organization, structure, grammar, etc.

The feedback from peers in the Peer Draft Reviews has been very helpful too.  Sometimes our writing makes sense to us because we know what idea we were trying to convey so we may not be looking at it from an audience perspective that might not know about the topic.  Therefore, the feedback from the PDR’s and from SmartThinking has been very helpful to me before submitting the assignment.  Providing PDR’s to classmates has also improved my proofreading skills.  The group concept also gives you more of a classroom experience providing a medium for interaction.

The Reading Discussion board has prompted critical thinking skills and has provided a forum to interact with online classmates.  I do think responding to one critical thinking question and posing one question each week would be sufficient though.  There are times between the discussion boards, essays, Exploring Language assignments, etc. that I feel that I have to be more concerned with producing quantity instead of quality.

The blogs have also stimulated creativity and critical thinking skills and I have enjoyed reading other blogs and responding to them.  I had never created a blog before so this was new territory for me.  Again, I feel that responding to one other blog each week would be sufficient so that we can concentrate more on the quality of our response instead of hurrying to get two done.    

The reading assignments have been very insightful and thought provoking.  Writing about our reading assignments has helped me with retention.  Many times I read something and have a hard time remembering what it was about because I don’t stay focused.  Knowing that I will be writing about it helps to keep my mind from wandering.  It encourages you to really try and understand the authors’ motives and viewpoint to be able to write about it.

I also like the multiple drafts that we have done for essays.  I think I have learned a lot more about how to improve my writing using this approach.  We are given ideas from peers or SmartThinking on how to improve our writing and given another chance before submitting the final.

This class has been a lot of work and very time consuming, but I do like to think that my writing skills have improved as a result of taking English 103. 

Taboo Language - Is it Acceptable on Television?

Is taboo language acceptable on television?  I say absolutely not!  John McWhorter says in his essay Letting Words Fly, that allowing this language is just being human and real.  I disagree.  I shouldn’t have to be exposed to foul language when I turn on the television and more importantly, children should not be exposed to taboo language.

I realize that children will hear bad words somewhere, but I believe the more they are exposed to them the more they believe it is acceptable and will pick up the bad habit.  That is how it becomes the norm when more and more people are participating in something.  We don’t use that kind of language in our home and I try to limit that kind of language around me in the workplace.  I tried to monitor the types of shows my kids watched growing up, the music they listened to, etc.  I felt that was my job as a parent to teach them how to act respectably.  If taboo words are allowed on television then it makes parents jobs that much harder when they are trying to teach their children right from wrong.  Kids also pick up on these words very quickly because they are usually said emphatically so it draws their attention.

We had a small panel that was interviewing a prospective employee recently and that individual cussed during the interview!  I immediately had to wonder how this person would conduct himself in the workplace and with customers.  Whether people agree with it or not, using taboo language gives most people a negative impression of you. 

The “F” word is one of the worst in my opinion.  I just cringe when I hear that one and I ask myself “doesn’t this person have a big enough vocabulary to come up with some other word to describe how they are feeling?”  I work with a few people who like to use this one and I find it completely unprofessional and degrading.

So back to the original question of should taboo language be allowed on television?  I say no.  I don’t think people who cuss would feel offended if they don’t hear cussing on television but there are a lot of people who are offended by cussing so I think it’s better for everyone to not allow it.  If you choose to use that language or don’t mind being around it then that’s your choice but everyone else should not be forced to be exposed to it when they turn the television on.

"just don't get it"

As Lakoff points out in his essay Hate Speech, some people who are ignorant about hate speech may think it is “just kidding” or “childish horseplay” when it is really a “proclamation of inferiority” as the author states.  If a person has been subjected to particular comments throughout their life and even their relatives before them, when they hear these comments it is very personal for them.  If you don’t have a history of having to deal with this type of speech then you “just don’t get it” when it comes to how destructive it can be over time. 

When someone hears something often enough, they know that there is a true belief behind those words and it’s not “just kidding”.  When you think back to when you were a child, you can start to understand how powerful words can be.  If you had parents that praised you or constantly put you down, it affected your self-esteem.  Children can be so cruel to other kids when they make fun of others for being too fat, too skinny, wearing glasses, wearing braces, having acne, and the list goes on and on.  Those comments can crush a child and make them want to crawl under a rock and hide.  The example of the “Sticks and Stones” saying is used and as much as we try to teach our kids not to let the cruel words of others affect them, this is next to impossible.  So just imagine if cruel, unfair comments are made about you or made about your family or race or gender, etc. for years then you don’t take it lightly. 

As long as the hate speech persists, it is hard to really break away from certain stigmas.  Others may adopt the same viewpoint when they hear it so the vicious cycle continues.    

Thumbs up for Reading Lolita in Tehran

I have to admit that when I first started reading Reading Lolita in Tehran, I didn’t think I was going to enjoy it very much.  I haven’t quite finished the book and I wouldn’t use enjoy as the adjective to describe this reading experience.  I have found the book to be a thought provoking one though. 

Books or articles about life in some other countries cause me to stop and think about all of the freedom and liberties I take for granted.  To be able to read what I want to read, listen to music I want to listen to, watching the shows I want to watch, or dressing how I want to dress are some of the daily things we all do that we don’t even stop to think about.  The opportunity to be able to participate in our Discussion Boards and post Blogs isn’t something you can do in some countries.

One of the stories that stuck with me from RLiT was when Nafisi’s daughter recounts the story of a classmate who was taken away to the principal’s office because her nails were too long and they cut them so short she was bleeding.  Who treats a child like that???

I work with a lady from Tehran and we were discussing this book today.  She shared some of her stories with me.  She left the country about the time the Ayatollah was coming into power so she didn’t have to endure much of the revolution but many in her family did and still live there.  She said her brother got in trouble a lot with the authorities for taking a stand.  One day a lady was thought to be wearing make-up so a bag of rats were poured on her head and started biting her.  Her brother and others came to her rescue but I can’t even imagine this kind of treatment.  My co-worker took her American daughter back to Iran to visit when she was 6-years old.  She told me that a man came up and started yelling at her daughter because she was not covered which isn’t even a requirement until the girls are 12 according to my co-worker.  My co-worker told the man to leave her daughter alone and he pushed her so she pushed him back.  It was getting very heated and fortunately she had enough family and friends around that they were able to get away before anyone got hurt.  She made a vow then and there never to take her daughter back to Iran again.  That is unfortunate that her daughter won’t be able to experience her mother’s native land and visit family that is still there because of cultural differences.

As we were finishing our conversation this morning, she looked at me and said “We all need to be glad we are here in the United States.”  This was a huge reminder to me that I need to stop and take the time to give thanks for all of the blessings we have in this great country of ours.

Nonverbal Cues

This blog is going to require some self-reflection about the nonverbal cues I project and some admission of things I’m sure I won’t be too proud of!  First of all, I feel stressed and anxious most of the time about never being able to get everything done so I know that I project that to others.  When I’m in the middle of working on a project and someone comes into my office, I’m guilty of continuing to type or fidgeting which sends the message that I’m not too interested in what they have to say and I want to get back to work. The problem with this is that if it’s one of my employees coming to me with a problem, I’m supposed to be available for them.  I’m working on stopping what I’m doing, turning away from my computer and focusing on the individual.  We all want to feel that we are being listened to and what we have to say is important.  I continue to struggle with this issue if the person is too long winded!

When I asked my husband about what kind of nonverbal cues I project, he told me it’s when I get quiet when something is bothering me.  If I’m upset or mad, I hold it in until I’m ready to talk about.  If he asks me what’s wrong and I say “nothing” and continue to be quiet, then he knows something is wrong for sure.  He also said he can just tell when I want to be left alone but I’m sure a lot of that just comes from being able to read the other person after so many years of marriage.

My kids always told me it was the “look” that gave them a nonverbal cue!  Apparently when I was disappointed in them, it was written all over my face and I didn’t have to say a word.  I’m not very good about hiding how I feel about something in my facial expressions.

I usually walk very briskly.  This is another cue I’m giving others that I’m too busy to stop and talk.  Subconsciously I’m probably thinking that if I send all the messages about how busy I really am then maybe my boss will quit piling more work on me without me having to say anything.

I’m not all bad though!  I can be a very affectionate person and I “do” a lot of things for my family to express my love for them.  I find myself always wanting to fix or take care of things which is an expression of my motherly instincts.  I am a friendly person most of the time and try to make the effort to smile at others.  It is important to me that other people like me so I believe I give the nonverbal cues of friendliness (just as long as they don’t talk too long)!

I am a fairly casual dresser in the workplace and I think that is a nonverbal cue that I am a down to earth person.  I also like to wear my sweats and t-shirts on the weekend because I enjoy being comfortable.

Overall, I think my nonverbal cues are that of a friendly person but with some boundaries up so that others don’t take up too much of my time.   

Communication between Generations

The relative that I have the most communication with is my aunt.  She is 82 years old and lives about two hours away from me.  She is still living on her own but is requiring my assistance more and more as time goes on.  Understandably, it is her desire to stay in her little home for the rest of her days if possible.

Our communication roles have changed over the years.  When she was younger, her role was more of a mentor to me.  She would give me advice regarding my career, family, and education.  She would also share stories about her parents, grandparents, and other relatives that I never had the opportunity to meet.  I learned a lot about our family ancestry that I never would have known if she hadn’t taken the time to share with me.    

As she has gotten older, she has become more dependent on me to take care of her.  Routine tasks such as paying bills and housecleaning have become too overwhelming and difficult for her mentally and physically so I take care of those things for her. Instead of the analytical type conversations that we used to have, she now wants me to make decisions for her.  Normal conversing back and forth is becoming less frequent.  She usually does all the talking for an extended period of time before she gets around to the point she was trying to make and sometimes she is just too tired to talk at all. 

She gets confused and frustrated a lot easier these days.  She is still fairly patient with me when having a conversation, but I see her becoming very short-fused with others.  When I take her out shopping and she decides to yell at a clerk or at a neighbor for something they did that she didn’t like, it is very uncomfortable for me.    In many ways, it almost as if I have taken on the role of a parent or mentor explaining why that behavior is unacceptable.

I do understand that this type of behavior is not uncommon as people get older, but sometimes she tells me that she doesn’t have to put up with anything from anyone as if getting older gives her a right to speak to people however she chooses.  The fact that she can pick and choose who she acts this way towards also tells me that it is not something that is beyond her ability to control.

She often tells people when I take her out to eat or shopping that I am her “little angel” that has allowed her to stay in her home by helping her out.  Therefore, I often feel that if I weren’t the one helping her stay in her home then I might be subject to the same treatment she gives hers siblings on the phone, clerks, and the neighbors!

I love my aunt very much and obviously would do anything for her.  Observing her with others has made me stop and think though that I hope I can control myself a little better and not say hurtful things to others when I get to her age.  Showing courtesy and respect to others is important at any age.  

Foreign Language - Should it be required?

There are many benefits from learning a foreign language so I believe it should be a requirement for college or university admission or graduation.  Because of the global environment that we live in, there are many practical applications for learning a foreign language as well as personal developmental aspects.

Being bilingual can open many doors for an individual.  For instance, employment potential is increased when the applicant is fluent in a second language.  My son works as a personal trainer and is fluent in Spanish so he is given all the Spanish speaking male customers in addition to some of the English speaking customers.  This gives him a sales advantage over the trainer who only knows English.  Military members can also receive an additional foreign language pay entitlement when they are fluent in another language.  There are many jobs in the workforce that might require knowledge of another language so employment opportunities are increased with this skill.

Another possibility that may become available to the bilingual student are study abroad programs.  Since selection can be very competitive, having already studied the language of the country can improve the selection odds.  Studying international literature, music, and film becomes a valuable education tool but the student must first be able to have a basic understanding of the language.

As mentioned previously, we live in a global environment so to be able to communicate with others is extremely important.  Business and pleasure can take us to foreign countries and it is more productive and pleasurable if we know the language.  When I think about mission trips we went on to Mexico when our children were growing up, I wish I had been fluent in Spanish.  I had to depend on a translator when I wanted to speak to a child or to the family we were building a home for.  There is some personal interaction lost in the communication when you have to speak through a translator.  It is also a helpless feeling to not even being able to order at a restaurant!

Furthermore, learning a foreign language can actually stimulate intellectual growth and sharpen our cognitive skills.  Starting foreign language classes in elementary school would be a benefit to the children of our nation.  Not only would it stimulate their mental development, but it would also educate them to be aware of different cultures and possibly understand their own native tongue and customs better.  Although it is known as a “dead language”, my children studied some Latin and it increased their vocabularies and comprehension of the English language.  The reason for this is because the origins of many of our words come from Latin.  Many say that studying Latin increases SAT scores.

Finally, if our children our being taught foreign languages, world geography, world history, etc. they will be better equipped to be the future global leaders of tomorrow.  I still need to fulfill my foreign language study in college and I plan on taking Spanish.  Not only will this fulfill the college requirement, but I also hope to learn enough to communicate with my future grandchildren.  I am sure they will be bilingual since both my son and his wife are and they stress the value of knowing a second language. 

Charged Language

Authors Newman P. Birk and Genevieve B. Birk describe charged language as “When slanting of facts, or words, or emphasis, or any combination of the three significantly influences feelings toward, or judgments about, a subject, the language used is charged language…”  They go on to say “Without charged language, life would be but half life.”

It is my opinion that what they mean by the latter statement is that if we just had facts about a subject we would not be experiencing life to the fullest.  Facts are extremely important, but it is the passion that we feel about a subject that really brings it to life.

We are all subject to the charged language of others and whether we realize it or not, it influences our thoughts and opinions about a subject.  The best example of this is what we hear and see through the media. We usually don’t have the opportunity to go out and learn first-hand about current events so we rely on the media to educate us on what is going on in the world.  How that particular reporter presents a topic and the slant or charged language they use will more than likely sway us to have a similar opinion.  Since that is usually the only information we have on the topic, we have no reason to question it.  One example of this is how the media represented the attitude of the Iraqi people toward the U.S. troops.  It was depicted frequently as a negative attitude and that the Iraqi people wanted our troops out of their country.  This picture sent the message to our citizens that we were unwelcome and we should get out.  I work with many military members who have deployed to Iraq and I have heard personal stories told in a different light. I have heard about the families who cheered when our troops reclaimed their homes and their schools for them.  The children who have welcomed them as heroes in their hometowns and how even a small sense of security has been restored for these families is a different story than we usually see on the nightly news.  These stories compared to what the media has reported has certainly given me a revelation of how politically slanted the media can be.

Every one of us uses charged language too.  As I think about my own family and how each one of our charged languages influences one another, I gain a deeper understanding of this concept.  If one of my children or grandchildren talks about how someone is mean to them and how it has made them feel, I also feel negatively toward the “bully”.  The truth may be that my family member may be exaggerating about the behavior or maybe they even did something to provoke it, but because of the emotion that they relayed the information with I can’t help but feel influenced by it.  On the other hand, if they present someone or something in a positive way I am probably going to have the same opinion until something happens to convince me otherwise.

If we listen carefully to the conversations around us, we will hear charged language everywhere.  It can be a very good thing and it can also be a very dangerous thing such as racially charged language.  It is what gives character and life to facts according to the way they are presented.    

He Had a Dream

On March 28, 1963, over 250,000 people marched to the steps of Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. to hear Martin Luther King, Jr. deliver his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. The venue that he selected was significant because President Lincoln was the one to issue the Emancipation Proclamation which declared “all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free”. Lincoln has been the leader most associated with the end of slavery in the United States.




The key point in King’s speech was that one hundred years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, “the Negro is still not free.” He illustrated this by stating that Negroes were crippled by segregation and chains of discrimination, they lived lives of poverty, and were exiled in their own land. Even though slavery had been abolished, they were not truly free because of these injustices they were forced to endure.



To elaborate on these injustices, he used the examples of police brutality and lodging facilities being unwilling to accommodate the weary Negro traveler. He further expanded by stating the mobility of a Negro was limited to ghettos and not everyone having the right to vote.



King used the analogy of coming to Washington, D.C. to “cash a check”. The Negroes had been promised freedom by our government and the government had not honored that promise. He went on to say that the Constitution and Declaration of Independence had promised all men, black and white, “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Therefore, he indicated the Negro people had been written “a bad check, a check which has come back marked insufficient funds.”



The language of his speech did inspire change for the Negroes. He encouraged them to “demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice” and that there are “great vaults of opportunity” in our nation. He warned that this was just the beginning and the Negro people would not be content with the status quo. Quite honorably, he encouraged his people to not become bitter or “guilty of wrongful deeds” in their struggle for freedom. He realized this fight was to be fought with whites alongside the blacks so he urged his people not to distrust white people.



Many people felt a righteous indignation against racial discrimination after this day. Others felt inspiration and determination in achieving equality and freedom. This march and this speech were crucial points in United States civil rights history. It was less than a year later that President Lyndon Johnson signed into law the 1964 Civil Rights Act which banned discrimination in public facilities and prohibited employment discrimination. In 1965, the Voting Rights Act was enacted to ensure that Negroes had the right to vote and the Fair Housing Act was passed in 1968 to remove discrimination in buying and renting of housing.



Martin Luther King, Jr. did inspire a chain of events that improved the quality of life for the Negro people in the United States. I’m sure his words of inspiration would have had a significant impact no matter where they were spoken, but I believe his choice of venue to deliver his “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial made a resounding statement of the principles of our great nation and furthered his cause of equality and freedom.

Literacy

It is hard for me to really fathom what it would be like to be illiterate. I spent a lot of time when I was growing up reading books so my childhood would have been very different without them. I think promoting literacy at an early age increases comprehension and vocabulary skills.




There are many things that we can learn without reading or writing such as the things we learned as a toddler. We learned how to walk, talk, show manners, share our toys, and the list goes on and on. As we grew older, we learned how to play sports, fly a kite, and ride a bike to name a few from having another person tell us how to do it or by demonstrating it for us. I think about all of the questions my grandson asks about the sun, how our eyes work, what a volcano is, etc. and he absorbs all of that information without knowing how to read yet.



As I think about some of the things that would not be possible or limited by the inability to read or write, it is mind boggling to me. First of all, I would not be able to pick up a good novel and read it for relaxation or pleasure. I would not be able to read the newspaper or news posted on the internet to keep up with current events. Since reading recipes would not be possible, I would have to memorize the steps for anything I wanted to cook. Although I would be able to place a phone call to friends and family, I would not be able to shoot off the quick email or text message to stay in touch with loved ones.



From a career prospective, I know I would not have the position that I do if I were unable to read or write. I spend the majority of my day reading and writing emails, researching regulations, preparing briefings, etc. so literacy is imperative. I would not be able to read my employees self-assessments or write their annual appraisals and awards packages.



I realize there are many illiterate people in the world who perform well and have been very successful. Numerous job skills can be taught through verbal means or demonstration. A lot of blue collar jobs definitely require literacy while others do not. Some have great “people” skills and can do quite well as a salesperson.



I have to wonder how much of an embarrassment it is to those who were never taught to read or write though. Take the successful salesperson, for example, who has kept their illiteracy a secret. If they are selling a new product that they are not well informed about and the customer has questions, it must be quite frustrating to have the answers at your fingertips in the form of sales literature, a manual, etc. and not be able to read it. If the sales manager asks for a written sales report from the salesperson, it must also feel very uncomfortable to make excuses for the inability to produce it. Generally speaking, promotion potential would be limited without literacy skills.



While a person can function well in life without being able to read or write, I do feel that many doors remained locked for them. The intellectual growth that can be acquired from reading, researching, and studying is restricted as well as many other opportunities.

Critical Thinking

What critical thinking means to me is the process of looking at the facts or evidence and making a decision, forming an opinion, or developing a course of action based on what you believe to be true. It also involves determining the results or outcomes for different decisions as well as considering other things that may be affected by choosing one decision versus another. Root cause analysis is an important factor in critical thinking because a common mistake is to make a decision based on a symptom instead of the root cause. Brainstorming, listening to others and having an open mind, and asking questions are valuable tools for successful critical thinking.




When applying critical thinking to literature, the definition is much the same for me. It involves brainstorming and having an open mind to establish possibilities of what the author may have meant by symbolisms, motives, etc. In historical literature, critical thinking will prompt the reader to make a determination why those being written about made the choices or decisions that they did. To make an attempt to “get inside” the author’s head will surely enhance the reading experience and comprehension. It teaches us to think “outside the box” and consider a world beyond our experiences and knowledge.



Most of what I currently read has to do with government goals and metrics in the financial arena. Since my section is held accountable for meeting these goals, critical thinking is vital to our success. An analysis of why we are or are not meeting the metrics must be performed and submitted. They call this Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century, or AFSO21. It involves an 8-Step Problem Solving Model designed to achieve process improvement. The eight steps are (1) Clarify and Validate the Problem, (2) Break Down the Problem and Identify Performance Gaps (Observe), (3) Set Improvement Target, (4)Determine Root Cause (Orient), (5) Develop Countermeasures (Decide), (6) See Countermeasures Through, (7) Confirm Results and Process, and (8) Standardize Successful Processes (Act). To complete one of these models requires critical thinking.



Since I spend most of my time in the workplace and have been programmed to think critically there, I do find these habits carrying over to other areas of my life. Some of these areas include discussions with my children about their choices or future, making a major purchase, personal finances, education, career changes, and planning for retirement. When watching or reading the media, I ask myself what message are they trying to convey and how might that message be skewed, incomplete, or limited by other sources. After a personal experience with the media, I became more fully aware that you need to research stories further to get the whole and accurate picture before forming an opinion.



I do anticipate this class to increase my critical thinking and analysis skills through discussions on designated readings and assignments. I hope to develop more of an open mind and not make decisions that are based just on my personal experiences or knowledge.