"The Other" in contemporary politics

Nicholas Kristof wrote an interesting piece (accessed here ) in last week's New York Times. This is particularly pertinent to  study of we v. they that we started this week and fits in with our discussion of what happens when an individual or group is forced to live outside a nation's universe of obligation. 

Check out the article and give me some feedback--why are we still focusing on *the other* in the 2008 campaign? how does the media's attention on this issue force Americans to focus on ethnic and religious differences instead of similarities?

D&E Blocks: Assignment is below

Antisemitism: The Power of Myth

Please read the article posted here. Answer the following question in the "comments" section. You may comment anonymously, but please remember to write your screen name in your journal, so I can give you credit. 

The connection question: 

What does Corrigan mean when he tells students, faculty and staff, "None are protected unless all are protected"? How is he defining the university's "universe of obligation"? What is he suggesting about the impact of hate speech on the University as a whole? On society as a whole?What is the role f a leader in creating a community where everyone feels safe? Have we had similar situations in Lexington?

What does it mean to forgive? The lessons of The Sunflower

 Today's summer reading discussion went extremely well. Please answer some of the following questions in the comments section if you would like to add to the discussion.  This questions have been selected from your classmates. 

"Perhaps it was a mistake not to have told her the truth. Perhaps her tears might help to wash away some of the misery in the world (94)".  If you were in Simon's position when he went to see Karl's mother, would you have done the same thing (kept silent)?

If the SS man had not been dying would he have been so truly repentant? Would he have felt the same way if he had survived the war and was reflecting on his acts?

Some of the commentators in The Sunflower believe that those who were following orders were just as guilty as those who gave them; others, like Dith Pran, draw a moral line between followers and leaders. Would you hold them equally responsible?

What do you *give* when you grant forgiveness? What does forgiveness look like? Is there a connection to justice?

Remember to check in with me so that I can give you credit for posting!

Welcome Back!

Welcome back to school! I hope you all had wonderful experiences this summer and are rested and ready for the school year. We are embarking together on a journey, as we begin this "Holocaust and Other Genocides" course. It will be a difficult and overwhelming journey. But it will also be an exciting and mind-opening journey. 

My excitement for teaching this course stems from my devotion that we will uncover as the semester unfolds. I sincerely believe that the learning and growing you will do during this course is among the most important that you will experience as young adults. The objective of this course is broader, vaguer than many traditional courses. The goal of this course is to make us all more human, as we examine acts of humanity. 

As we deal with difficult and emotional issues, I ask that you approach this work seriously, thoughtfully, and above all, respectfully. We are all on this journey together. We must respect each other in order to develop a community in which we can all grow.