Public Discourse Blog (Sheila McQuade)

I found the required books for this course really, really interesting, especially the Space of Public Opinion and Nobody.   The progression of the media’s reporting and commenting about current news has changed so much with the advent of the internet.   It seemed like everyone tuned into the nightly network news when I was a kid, but not I don’t really hear anyone talking about last night’s broadcasts.   I can say that I don’t even know the names of the 3 major networks evening broadcasters.   We’ve switched from trusting a knowledgeable news journalist or two to trusting sound bites provided by basically anyone with a Twitter account. But honestly, what will stick with me the most about the class is Hill’s book, Nobody. Hill makes it so apparent that our country has done a lousy job of caring for and providing opportunities for the most vulnerable.   It’s an overwhelming reality that has absolutely no easy solution. I only hope that our leaders and future leaders dedicate themsel

Over the course of my research on World Relief, what stands out to me the most is the fortitude of the refugee high school students. Regardless of what country and what type of conflict these kids have left behind, each must bear the burden of emotional scars while simultaneously navigating a completely foreign new life—foreign in every sense of the word—and they each make it work. It’s hard to put myself in their shoes. Most of the kids come here speaking little to no English, but they learn so quickly. They work hard, study hard, help support their families, and they help each other so much. Kim Orchard, the guidance counselor for the WR students at West Aurora, facilitates adjustment group meetings for the students to discuss, seek advice, or vent about issues they face.   Imagine an English-speaking counselor, a French-speaking African, an Arabic-speaking Iraqi who translates for a Bhutanese in Spanish so the Pakistani can understand…you get the picture. Given the level of trau

Except for the last chapter, Hill does indeed paint a bleak picture regarding the future for so many of our citizens. I must admit that after reading the book, my first reactions were of disgust and despair. How are the people who suffer from these State-sponsored hurdles supposed to break free of them in order to experience a safe and more rewarding life? The first two areas I’d like to see addressed are education, our police forces, and the prison system. I suggested in one of my op-eds that larger, diverse high schools should organize into a variety of learning academies to better prepare students for college and career, but the benefits of such a setting go beyond career potential.   So many students lack a stable, loving home environment.   In my years teaching I have found that a lack of family support is possibly the biggest cause of student failure. The academy model directly addresses the problem because the students matriculate together and oftentimes have the same tea

Wow. I’ve been wracking my brain to come up with some examples, but I keep coming up short. Luckily, I know a nineteen year old feminist who watches a lot of TV.   In particular, she brought up Orange is the New Black and Game of Thrones as examples of shows that portray strong women and shed light on gender inequity. By virtue of the all-female cast on OITNB, issues of gender inequity are inevitably raised.   The inclusion of women of color and varying sexuality does much to promote feminist viewpoints.   My daughter sees the treatment of the prisoners by the guards as a metaphor for how the women are treated in real life, also exposing oppression in society.   I found her inclusion of Game of Thrones to be interesting.   While I haven’t seen the show (I know…I need to watch it!), I have read about the controversies concerning the rapes and otherwise poor treatment of the female characters.   Do such plot points in some way elevate the oppression of women? Perhaps. But at the s

Here's in an interesting story I heard on NPR this morning about how social media makes people less social.   http://www.npr.org/2017/05/02/526514168/why-social-media-isnt-always-very-social

It’s easy to argue that the various outlets of social media are powerful tools for activism, but their capacity to create radical change is questionable. Social media provides opportunities for individuals and groups to raise awareness to issues quickly and efficiently.   Indeed, social media posts reach huge segments of the world’s population often in real time with subsequent shares making those numbers quickly grow exponentially. The Women’s March held in January is just one example of social media’s enormous, impressive reach. Without social media, the marches held across the world most likely wouldn’t have been so well-attended, but has life somehow changed for women because of the march? There certainly was a renewed sense of unification concerning women’s rights for a time, but the public’s focus quickly shifted to science as April’s Earth Day approached, and a new round of marches popped up.   Therein lies one of the pitfalls of social media as a means to radical change.