Beyond Feelings - Vincent Ruggiero [17]
A court case pitting the U.S. government against the American Indian Movement was conducted quietly in South Dakota in late 1982. the government sought to end the Indian group's twenty-month occupation of public land in the Black Hills National Forest. The Indians claimed the area is a holy land to them – their birthplace, the graveyard of their ancestors, and the center of their universe – and therefore should be turned into a permanent, religion-based Indian community.13 The government maintained the Indians have no legal claim to the land. What factors do you think should be considered in a case like this, and what solution would best serve the interests of justice? In answering, be sure to distinguish carefully between what you know and what you assume, guess, or speculate. If your knowledge is very limited, you may wish to do some research.
The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) failed to gain the legislative support necessary to be passed into law. Its opponents believe that wisdom prevailed. Its sponsors, however, attribute its defeat to apathy and ignorance. What is your position? Do you believe the ERA is a worthy addition to the U.S. Constitution? In answering, be sure to distinguish carefully between what you know and what you assume, guess, or speculate. If your knowledge is very limited, you may wish to do some research.
In recent years there has been much discussion of the insanity plea as a legal defense. Many believe it should be abolished, but many others regard it as an essential part of any reasonable criminal justice system. What is your position? In answering, be sure to distinguish carefully between what you know and what you assume, guess, or speculate. If your knowledge is very limited, you may wish to do some research.
Group discussion exercise: Decide whether you know the answer to each of the following questions. Discuss your decisions with two or three classmates. Be sure to distinguish knowing from guessing or assuming.
Most criminals come from lower economic backgrounds.
Black propel are victims of crimes more often than white people.
The U.S. Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to own a handgun.
Violence in the media is responsible for real-life violence.
1 Herbert Kupferberg, "Why Scientists Prowl the Sea Floor." Parade, July 29, 1073, pp.12ff.
2 Louis Lasagna, ""Special Subjects in Human Experimentation," Daedalus, Spring 1969, p.459.
3 "Beer Test," Parade, May 13, 1973, p.4.
4 "Venus Is Pockmarked," Binghamton press, Auguest 5, 1973, p.2A.
5 Karl-Erick Fichtelius and Sverre Sjolander, Smarter Than Man? Intelligence in Whales, Dolphins and Humans, translated by Thomas Teal (New York: Random House, 1972), p.147.
6 New York: Hawthorne Books, 1973, p.4.
7 Thomas Fleming, "Who Really Discovered America?" Reader's Digest, March 1973, pp. 145ff.
8 "Scientists Say Chinese 'Discovered' America," The (Oneota) Star, October 31, 1981 p.2.
9 "Shibboleth Bites Dust," Intellectual Digest, July, 1973, p.68.
10 "Empty Nests," Intellectual Digest, July, 1973, p.68.
11 "Psychic Senility," Intellectual Digest, May, 1973, p.68.
12 Time, August 20, 1973, p.67.
13 David Egner, "Sioux Fight to Keep Black Hills Holy Land," Binghamton Press, December 7, 1982, p.5A.
P1-C04-6
CHAPTER FIVE
HOW GOOD ARE YOUR OPINIONS?
Opinion is a word that is often used carelessly today. It is used to refer to matters of taste, belief, and judgment. This casual use would probably cause little confusion if people didn't attach too much importance to opinion. Unfortunately, most do attach great importance to it. "I have as much right to my opinion as you to yours" and "Everyone's entitled to his or her opinion" are common expressions. In fact, anyone who would challenge another's opinion is likely to be branded intolerant.
Is that label accurate? Is it intolerant to challenge another's opinion? It depends on what