According to scholar Robert Ennis, “Critical thinking is useful only in those situations where human beings need to solve problems, make decisions, or decide in a reasonable and reflective way what to believe or what to do. That is, just about everywhere and all the time.”
A “well cultivated critical thinker," writes Ennis,
raises vital questions and problems, formulating them clearly and precisely;
gathers and assesses relevant information, using abstract ideas to interpret it effectively;
comes to well-reasoned conclusions and solutions, testing them against relevant criteria and standards;
thinks open-mindedly within alternative systems of thought, recognizing and assessing, as need be, their assumptions,
and practical consequences; and communicates effectively with others in figuring out solutions to complex problems.
As a critical thinker, please read the late Senator Jesse Helms' obituary write-up from The Economist magazine and evaluate how Helms is presented. Is the obituary fair, based on what you know or can find out about the late senator. Would you have focused the article differently? How so? Please discuss.
http://www.economist.com/obituary/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11701805
18 comments:
Is the obituary fair, based on what you know or can find out about the late senator. Would you have focused the article differently? How so? Please discuss.
From what was written about Mr. Helms you could see he had the "old southern way" mentality. He accomplished alot of things being the way things were. And ashamedly to say his beliefs are still here. Mr. Helms was described as he was. He wasn't a person who tried to go against his own morals. This blog isn't big enough for a politic and religion discussion. We leave just knowing that things are getting better for us and our kids. We have people from all nationalities fighting for the thing now. And yes, things are so much better.
The obituary on Jesse Helms in my opinion was fair being that it gave the reader a very distinct picture of how Senator Helms lived his life. The obituary started off explaining the more positive characteristics of Senator Helms and then further into the obituary it started discussing some of the negative characteristics and opinions such as his racist remarks against blacks and homosexuals. I personally would not have written the obituary any different because it did cover many of Senator Helms accomplishments and also gave a pretty descriptive a straight forward presentation of his life. I felt that Senator Helms was a kind and loving man, but I did not agree with a lot of his political concepts and beliefs.
I did not personally know alot about Jesse Helms. From reading the obituary, he seemed like a great man at the beginning paragraph but like the devil throughout the rest. Through my readings I discovered that he did alot to help the people he thought deserved help (which wasn't much since he seemed like such a racist). Helms worked with Clinton's secretary of state, Madeleine Albright, and U2 singer Bono to fight AIDS in Africa, which is very commendable, but did it mean anything to him or was that just his way of trying to prove to everyone that he isn't AS racist as people thought he was? I agree that was how he lived his life and his beliefs, but I don't understand why people always want to dwell on the negative. From the research I've done, he was a hateful man. I think that him growing up during segregation, taught him his racist views and hatred towards homosexuality. I found something on CNN that stated this about him:
Helms opposed civil rights and a holiday honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. He was one of a small number of senators who opposed extending the Voting Rights Act in 1982, eventually giving up a filibuster when then-Majority Leader Sen. Howard Baker, a Tennessee Republican, said the Senate would not take up any other business until it acted on the extension.
This was also stated:
Helms ran a television commercial that showed a pair of white hands crumpling a pink slip as the announcer said: "You needed that job, and you were the best qualified, but they had to give it to a minority, because of a racial quota. Is that really fair?
Now I agree that everyone has their own views on things that were mentioned, but why must everyone have to hear them?
I'm not big on politics, but have no time to even want to learn about a man that apparently hated so much.
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/07/04/obit.helms/
Alright, before I even get started, im already on the same page as Twon, there is not enough room for all I could say on this blog. I don't fully agree that the obituary was fair...but then again...all is fair in Love and War. And to me, this looks a lot like war. So, with that being said, some people are set in their ways, and wont change for no one, not even themselves...Its a shame, but thats how it goes sometimes. There is always 2 sides to every story, I will not fault him without hearing both sides. Anyways...Happy Reading!
His biography was fair, however, his beliefs are cruel. But said, in many of the blogs, he was raised that way. And because he was well known. People will side with him. But, racism and communism, see to be the blind side of evil in his obituary. He writes and talks of gay people, who he says "brings things on with revolting behavior." Doesnt he ever think before he says anything? Because Straight people can carry aids too, with their "revolting behavior" as well. He is in many eyes the fecklaess nudnik of society.Just because he was well known, doesnt mean that we own him something, for his words. His racist outburst or his very short keen sense of humor. He left the dark side here when he passed, and unfortunately, it will live on and on forever.
Jesse Helms was a man that stuck to his upbringing and refused to see the world any other way, which can oftentimes be expected of someone his age. He was abrupt, discourteous, and uncompromising, but he also did a lot of good in his time on this earth. I will agree that it's a shame a man like that was so involved in our media and government and allowed to cloud the minds of everyone he came in contact with, but at least he owned his prejudice. It was not unheard of taking into account the time period.
Overall, I think the obituary is fair and even further, I believe it is probably how he would have wanted it. He wasn’t ashamed of saying what he thought, which is admirable in some sense.
Mr. Helms seemed like a great guy at first but half way through, I didn't really care for this person. His beliefs may have been wrong and conflicting to others but they were stil his own. The obituary did a great job at describing who he was but it gives off mixed feelings. Should I be mourning his death or disturbed that he had such negative beliefs?
Regardless of the man he was, R.I.P. Mr. Helm
At first the obituary of Jesse Helms made me feel like he was a good hearted person. As the article goes on, it later gave me negative vibes about the senator. I still believe this country still holds on to his beliefs and i don't think it will change anytime soon. Sometimes we can not control a situation based on someone's belief. We either take it in and make a change or forget about it. I believe Jesse Helms can be a good family man, but his beliefs in politics wouldn't make this country a better place. Therefore, this obituary is not fair.
Man...to me Jesse Helms was a honest man, i wouldnt say he was nice, or some one id want to know personally. I believe that the obituary was fairly written, the author covering both his positive attributes and mostly out of date and negative morals, but he was true to himself and true to others and you knew where you stood with him. From what i read in the article and elsewhere he used the tools available to oppose what he didnt want but wasnt much for backstabbery and im cool with that, i just wouldent want to be around him...
The obituary is fair. He was who he was never deviating. When you die people are going to discuss your accomplishments, failures, your qualities and shortcomings. I thought the obituary was written in a very neutral tone.
the article is a bit one sided, it almost sounds as if the writer is glade that the senator is no longer with us is it because he never won an augrument with the senator or is it because the writer aggenda of his own. showing the world what a bad person Mr. Helms was. i know that everyone has their vises. prehaps Mr. Helms was the way he was because he was rise to be the way and think the way he did. wrong by today standards, he wasn't rised to be a liberal, but one would hope that after representing the people of north carolina in the senate and traveling around the world as a representive of the American people, he would have changed in some way more positive towards people, and put the ideals that helped shape his youth behind him, not because they are not popular, but because they wrong.
This obituary is fair being that his good and bad intentions were listed. It was a smart move having the negative last because I wouldn't have read it if it started out saying he was a racist. Honestly I'm not really trying to learn about this dude. I sure didn't know you can be a gentle hearted racist. Everyone has to be remembered for something though.
I think iy was kind of fair they just focused more on the negative than the positive though. If i waas writing about him i would have done the same thing but balanced it out to tell the truth about the man. Instead of putting more the the thoughts on the negative.
I believe that the obituary said it like it was. This man was basically bought up this way and really did not know what really was right and did not want to change the way he was. He was set in his ways, like most people back in those days. He tried to remain to his true self and thought that it was ok, but it was not. It is true that he accomplished a lot and adopted a sick child but in the real end he was who he was, which is a racist. It is said that even today we still have racist in the world, after so many people have died for everyone to have equality. And for all that is said twon was correct this blog is not enough to say what is really on my mind. In the end it is not for us to judge that is for a higher power than us.
Wow! All I can say is what an obituary. The first paragraph started off so nice and telling of the sweet gestures that Senator Jesse Helms’ did and then POW you are hit with the truth. I would not call this obituary fair, but properly honest. I think this obituary proves why “our families” get to write about us after we pass away. They get to candy coat the truth or leave all details out altogether. I did not know much anything about this Senator and had to research a little on my own. It looks to me that the obituary is truthful but I think that when someone dies we should just stick with the basics like where the funeral is being held.
This article hits home. Jesse Helms was a racist, an elitist, and also a southern gentleman. Unfortunately the racist, elitist conversative attitude drowned the southern gentleman. I am sure in his day he was able to charm as any southern gentleman would but who wouldn't see right through him. This obituary is very fair and I found it funny that it started off with the good only to slam him in the end. I have no tolerance for racism of any kind and find Jesse Helms views offensive. He represents what is wrong with society today.
Jesse Helms obituary is fair they tell a story of how he lived his life; he was not a nice man in my opinion. The obituary starts off has he is such a nice person but, bam go right into them harshness of how he lived his life. He did some good in his life but, the bad out weights the good.
An obituary can sometimes entail a biography of the person that passed. This is exactly what the late Senator Jesse Helms' obituary did. Based on the readings I found of Senator Helms, he wouldn't have wanted it any other way. He was a man of strong beliefs. He fought for what he thought was right, and didn't hide behind anything, he ensured to speak his mind.
Senator Helms would not have wanted an obituary of lies only telling the so called positive things he did. I'm sure in his mind his accomplishments were all positive and worthwhile. That's how he would have wanted it told and that's why I believe there is no wrong in the obituary of the late Senator Jesse Helms.
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