Beyond Feelings - Vincent Ruggiero.original_ [63]
A federal court has ruled that Christmas (like Hanukkah, Easter, and Passover) may be observed in the public schools as a cultural even but not as a religious holiday. Educational lawyers interpret that as meaning that songs like Silent Night may be sung in a class learning about religious customs or in a music appreciation class but not as a religious celebration.3 Do you support the idea of banning all religious celebrations from the schools in this manner?
When Elizabeth Taylor learned that a TV movie based on her life was in preparation, she went to court to block its production, claiming that the so-called docudrama was "simply a fancy new name for old-fashioned invasion of privacy, defamation, and violation of an actor's right." Some people would say her request should be denied because it represents censorship. What do you think? (Would you think differently if the docudrama concerned the life of a deceased celebrity, life Elvis Presley?)4
Shirley MacLaine, the well-known actress, is now a bestselling author. In her books she claims to have lived a number of former lives. For example, she says she once lived as a male teacher who committed suicide on the lost continent of Atlantis.5 Do you find such claims believable?
Group discussion exercise: Select one of the cases you analyzed in application 2 and discuss it with two or three of your classmates. Try to reach a consensus on the issue. Be prepared to present your idea(s) to the class.
1 New York Times, November 28, 1982, p.31; December 12, 1982, Sec. 4, p.6.
2 "Questioning Campus Discipline," Time, May 31, 1982, p.68.
3 "Holiday Songs Haunt Schoolmen," Binghamton Press, December 16, 1982, p.3A.
4 "Elizabeth Taylor vs. Tailored Truth," Time, November 8, 1982, p.71.
5 Interview with Shirley Maclain, USA Today, June 16, 1983, p.11A.
P3-C16-4
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
BEING OBSERVANT
French chemist Louis Pasteur once said, "Chance favors the prepared mind." True enough. He might have added that it also favors the observant eye. Many obvious things wait to be seen, and yet we never notice them. What color eyes does your father have? What is your mother's favorite color? What is the pattern of the wallpaper in your dining room? How many of the houses on your street have white roof?
Being observant is not merely an interesting quality that livens our days. Clear and sound thinking often depends on subtleties that are revealed only by close observation. If there are gaps in our seeing and hearing, then there is less chance that the perceptions we base your judgments on will be complete and accurate. In addition, the keener our observation, the less likely it is that we will be slaves to stereotypes, over simplifications, and unwarranted assumption.
OBSERVING PEOPLE
What people say and the way they say it (and sometimes what they omit saying) can be valuable clues to their unspoken views and attitudes. Noticing these things can help us decide which areas are sensitive to people, which their understanding seems weak in, and what approaches would be most fruitful in communicating with them.
These are certain signals people give when they are listening to indicate approval or disapproval of what is being said. An occasional nodding of the head, an encouraging smile, even a low "uh-huh" of assent all signal "I'm in agreement with you." On the other hand, a slight shaking of the head, a raising of an eyebrow, a pursing of the lips as the eyes roll upward, a frown, all suggest