Wrongful Convictions

On Tuesday, February 14, we will have the opportunity to hear form Terrill Swift, a member of the "Englewood Four", a group of men who were wrongfully convicted of the rape and murder of a Chicago woman in 1994 after confessing to it as juveniles.  Please go to the Center on Wrongful Convictions website in order to learn about this and other cases of wrongful conviction prior to our speaker on Tuesday.  Feel free to blog your initial responses for this week (you will definitely be blogging your reactions to the speaker on Tuesday).

"White Like Me"

The description of Tim Wise's book, White Like Me on Amazon states, "Racial privilege shapes the lives of white Americans in every facet of life, from employment and education to housing and criminal justice. Using stories from his own life, Tim Wise shows that racism not only burdens people of color, but also benefits those who are "white like him" — whether or not they’re actively racist. Using stories instead of stale statistics, Wise weaves a compelling narrative that assesses the magnitude of racial privilege and is at once readable and scholarly, analytical yet accessible."
Based on the chapter you read, do you agree with these assertions? Does racism and privelege benefit whites?  Did you think the chapter was convincing even though it used anecdotal rather than statistical evidence?  How does your own personal experience match up or relate to what Wise describes?
Use DETAILS and SPECIFICS from your reading to support your response.

If I were a poor black kid...

Check out this article titled "If I Were a Poor Black Kid" then respond.  What do you think of the ideas expressed?  Do you agree?  Disagree?  Why?
Then check out one (or more) of the responses to the article linked here or here.  What  do you think now?  Do you agree with the responses or not?  Why?

Hidden Bias

Do you have any hidden biases? Even though we work to have a society based on the concepts of justice and fairness, are there parts of our unconscious that prevent that from happening? Today you will take a test to perhaps provide an insight to these answers.
1) Go to <a href="http://www.tolerance.org/hidden_bias/index.html%22%3Ehttp://www.tolerance.org/hidden_bias/index.html%3C/a>
2) Read intro.
3) Click on Project Implicit’s website.
4) Click on Demonstration
5) Click on “Go to the Demonstration Tests”
6) Read the Preliminary Information and the Important disclaimer.
7) Click on the “general information about the IAT”
8) Read Measuring Implicit Associations
9) Read the “I am aware…” sentence and click on “I wish to proceed” (if you choose to)
10) Click on Take the Race IAT and read and follow all of the instructions to take the test.  You do not need to answer all of the survey questions.
11) Read the results of your test. Consider: did the results show that you have some hidden bias? Were you surprised by the results? What do you think might be some of the reasons behind your test results? What questions do you have about the results?
12) Click on the “frequently asked questions” and skim the questions and answers.
13) Click on the tab at the top of the page labeled “Understanding IAT Results” and read information.
14) Return to <a href="http://www.tolerance.org/hidden_bias/index.html%22%3Ehttp://www.tolerance.org/hidden_bias/index.html%3C/a>. Read the entire page. How does this information enhance or change your understanding of your result? What conclusions can you make about stereotypes? Prejudice? Biases? How might hidden biases influence you (or not)?
15) Do a blog post about this information and your results.  What do you think?

What's Going On?

For the next two weeks, I am turning over the direction of Issues class to YOU!  What we talk about, what we read or look at, will be entirely up to you.  Each of you will need to come to class prepared to lead a short (10-15 minute) discussion on a topic of your choosing.  Any topic (as long as it is Issues related) is fair game.  You may bring a short article to have the class read or use a short film clip to prime the class for your discussion.  After that, it will be your responsiblity to lead the class through a discussion of the topics and ideas that stem from the issue.  You should think about this as an opportunity to share ideas about topics that we don't know much or haven't heard much about to this point.
Places to go to find articles or clips to use include newspapers (nytimes.com-check out the times topics section) magazines (time/newsweek), magazines with specific points of view (the Nation, the Atlantic), Frontline.org (which has documentaries online similar to those we use in class) or 60 minutes.
Everyone should be prepared to present an issue beginning on Wednesday, 1/4.

Invisible Children and School Chest

If you're interested in learning more, go here. Feel free to browse around the website, read about the history of the organization and the war in Uganda, the current status, the Invisible Children blog, and the latest campaigns. Pay particular attention to the protection plan and the LRA Crisis Tracker. If you haven't seen Invisible Children's latest documentary, Tony, you can view it here.
After you've explored a bit, blog about what you learn.  If you need questions to get started: What specifics and details are standing out to you?  Why?   What are your impressions of this organization?  Is their protection plan and crisis tracker an effective way to combat the issues faced by civilians in Uganda and the DRC? What do you think of this being the focus of School Chest?

If you want to help out, here is the link to the DHS Invisible Children donation page.

Abortion

Since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973 the debates over abortion have not ceased but instead have gotten more contentious with changes in focus and strategies by both sides. Both sides use legal, scientific, as well as emotional arguments with which to make their points and as a result, for many, the issue becomes muddled and confused. Today, your task will be to try to make sense of those arguments. Please blog your responses to the following:

1. The leading organizations on each side of the debate are NARAL-Prochoice America and National Right to Life. Click on the links and explore each of their websites. Look at their explanations of abortion laws, of different methods of abortion, and of current events in the abortion debate. Then, do a comprehensive analysis of each site/organization. Which is a better website and why?  Whose arguments were better and why? Which side seems to be winning the debate and why? How does either influence your opinion on the issue?
2. What do you, as a 17 or 18 year old high school student, think of these positions? Should a parent have the right to know if their daughter is having an abortion? Should they have the right to consent to it? Why or why not?
3. Should there be a requirement that the father is notified of a woman's decision to have an abortion? Should he have a right to consent to it or not? Why or why not?
4. Examine Illinois Abortion Laws (Note, these are compiled by NARAL,thus they are spun in a way that supports their position.  Be sure to look at these critically and note the bias in which they are described).  What are your thoughts on Illinois' positions on the abortion. Are there Illinois laws that you agree or disagree with? Is there anything in Illinois law that you would change?