Sex, Politics, Religion

Now that I've got your attention... Do you know what these three topics have in common? In America we say that these are three topics to avoid at a party unless you want to have an argument. Thus, in a cause-and-effect essay, my thesis would be: The three main causes of arguments in America are sex, politics, and religion.

Today, for the first time, we ventured a lot into politics in both classes, and a little into religion in 5b. Sharing and expressing our opinions is healthy; after all, freedom of speech is a cornerstone of this nation--something which I'm sure that many of you can especially appreciate. Contrast this idea to China where Vicky said that people are forbidden to write about religion or government. Those topics, she said, are simply not up for discussion. In America, any and every topic is open for discussion.

However, the critical issue in a discussion--especially when the topic is controversial, such as politics--is respect. We are all entitled to our opinions and we do not have to agree with each other. Of course, we can try to convince each other of the justness of our positions (in speech and in writing) but we cannot force our opinions upon anyone. I am glad that our discussion today, while sometimes controversial, was nevertheless respectful.

In many ways, our classroom is a miniature United Nations. We all come to the classroom with our different backgrounds and experiences. More than English, one of the most valuable lessons we learn at the LCC--myself included--is to listen and learn about different people and different points of view. Our classroom is an unusual and unique venue for the exchange of ideas and I am thankful to be a part of it.

I welcome your comments.