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 themselves
to creating solutions and that the rest of us will do our part to embrace and share
the American values we’ve all grown up to believe in.
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...
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