Question 3: Argument Speed Dating
Read carefully the passage below. Then write an essay that examines the extent to which the claim that a “neutral” stand on race perpetuates racial imbalance holds true today. Use appropriate evidence to support your argument.
“I am saying that sometimes colorblindness is racism. I know that sounds counterintuitive, but let me go on.
Think of society as comprised of lots of different groups of people, identified by their race, gender, etc. Neutrality in our society is supposed to be the great equalizer because we believe that, if we don’t have any one group, things will work themselves out and become more equal. But the thing is: neutrality has this effect only if there is no previous social or historical context. But that’s now how the real world is. There is, in fact, a social and historical context for every situation. So if I were being “neutral” and viewing everyone as being the same, ignoring personal contexts, I wouldn’t be promoting equality because I would be ignoring the differences that exist and allowing the inequalities to continue to exist, given that I wouldn’t do anything to help change them. Identifying problems and actively promoting solutions are necessary to effect useful change; being neutral is consenting to the status quo.”
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Read and think carefully about the following quotation. Then write an essay in which you defend, challenge, or qualify Voltaire’s claim. Make sure to use appropriate evidence from literary, historical, or personal sources to develop your argument.
It is dangerous to be right in matters about which the established authorities are wrong.
--Voltaire
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In his essay “The Wilderness Idea,” Wallace Stegner states the following:
Without any remaining wilderness we are committed wholly, without chance for even momentary reflection and rest, to a headlong drive into our technological termite-life, the Brave New Word of a completely man-controlled environment.
Write a well-constructed essay that defends, challenges, or qualifies Stegner’s statement using your own knowledge, experience, observation, or reading.
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In a recent USA Today op-ed piece, titled “poor Suffer from Lack of Internet Access,” Julianne Malveauz stated, “While the Internet has hardly caused the gap between the [lower and higher rungs on the economic ladder], it is one of the many things that have made the gap greater.”
--Julianne Malveaux, (USA Today, June 22, 2001
In a well-organized essay, defend, challenge, or qualify Ms. Malveaux’s assertion.
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In his famous “Vast Wasteland” address to the National Association of Broadcasters in May of 1961, Newton Winow, the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, spoke about the power of television to influence the taste, knowledge, and opinions of its viewers around the world. Carefully read the following, paying close attention to how timely it is today, especially in light of the worldwide Internet.
Minow ended his speech warning that “The power of instantaneous sight and sound is without precedent in mankind’s history. This is an awesome power. It has limitless capabilities for good—and for evil. And it carries with it awesome responsibilities—responsibilities which you and [the government] cannot escape…”
Using your own knowledge and your own experiences or reading, write a carefully constructed essay that defends, challenges, or qualifies Minow’s ideas.
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In Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekkyl & Mr. Hyde, the main character says that he has been “made to learn that the doom and burden of our life is bound forever on a man’s shoulders, and when the attempt is made to cast it off, it but returns upon us more unfamiliar and more awful pressure.”
Write a carefully reasoned essay in which you explode the validity of the assertion that humans are ultimately unable to liberate themselves from their fates. Use examples from your readings, experiences, or observations to develop your response.
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In an essay called “The Conservative,” Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, “It will never make any difference to a hero what the laws are. His greatness will shine and accomplish itself unto the end, whether they second him or not.” Using examples from your reading, experiences, or observations, defend or challenge Emerson’s claim.
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“Love can be the most dreadful disguise that hate assumes.”
--William March
Write a well-reasoned essay in which you explode the validity of the assertion using examples from your readings, experiences, or observations to develop your response.
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In William Fulkner’s novel Sanctuary, a character observes “Perhaps it is upon the instant that we realize, admit, that there is a logical pattern to evil, that we die…”
Write a carefully reasoned essay in which you explode the validity of the assertion, using examples from your reading, experiences, or observations to develop your position.
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“And we’ll see if one tree won’t grow as crooked as another, with the same wind to twist it!”
The following statement, uttered by Heathcliff, the vengeful protagonist of Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, suggests that similar circumstances, influences, or conditions will compel individuals to similar ends. Take a moment to reflect on this statement. Then, write a carefully reasoned essay in which you explore the validity of the assertion, using examples from your reading, experiences, or observations to develop your position.
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American essayist and social critic H. L. Mencken (1880-1956) wrote, “The average man does not want to be free. He simply wants to be safe.” In a well-written essay, examine the extent to which Mencken’s observation applies to contemporary society, supporting your position with appropriate evidence.
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