Civitas Conference on Active, Responsible, and Sustained Citizenship
Underlying Theme --
Being an Active Citizen: Now and
Tomorrow
You have to ask yourself what interest we had 40 years ago for going to war in Vietnam. You'd think that in this country with so many smart people, that we can't possibly do the same dumb thing again. I have this theory in life that there is no learning. There is no learning curve. Everything is tabula rasa[3]. Everybody has to discover things for themselves.
If it does mean something, does that mean the world is
getting better in the short run and will continue to get better in the long
run?
Is there anything unique about today’s youth generation
that would make it more capable of promoting societal progress than previous
generations?
Do you agree with Seymour Hersh’s theory that “in life
there is no learning. There is
no learning curve. Everything
is tabula rasa.”
Keep in mind that he is referring to “one generation to the next.”
In other words, does one generation learn from the mistakes of
previous generations?
Okay, enough of how you
think about this.
What do you feel as a
member of your generation about what Seymour Hersh has said?
What, if anything, can be done so that your generation
brings about more progress to the world than previous generations?
Why do you think that when teenagers in previous
generations have asserted their commitment to societal change that they have
reduced their commitment as they become adults?
Is there anything that can be done to (a) improve the
concern and commitment of your generation to social change, and (b) improve
the chances that as you and/or your contemporaries move into a life of
making money and supporting a family that you and others will still have the
same fervor in wanting to bring about change?
What do you think about the following statement?
"And while it is true that the generosity of some of the new rich is extraordinary, it is also true that charity is not economic justice. It is the absence of economic justice that makes charity necessary." --
Specific Ideas or
Questions
Looking for a little bit (or more) of controversy
Should public school boards be required to have student
representation? If so, what
percent of the members? Should
the student members be voting members?
Are students tougher in disciplining one another than
adults are in disciplining students, e.g. do student courts hand out tougher
sentences than school administrators or teachers?
Should all citizens between the ages of 16 and 24 be
required to engage in some form of national service?
If so, for how long?
What kind of work would they do?
Would they get paid, and if so, how much?
Do you think that the military draft should be
reinstated in the United States?
Do you think that before the United States enters any
war (other than emergencies where immediate response is required), that
there ought to be a plebiscite (vote) on whether to go to war amongst all
citizens aged 18-26. If this
group of citizens (the ones most likely to fight the war) did not approve of
the military action on the part of the United States, should the government
be prohibited from entering into such a war?
When teacher performance is evaluated, should students
be part of the process?
Should high school curriculum include at least one
course per grade level that is designed by, and possibly even taught by,
students?
Should students of all ages be entitled to a “student
bill of rights” that would guarantee protection in such areas as amount of
homework, testing methods, fair representation in grievances with teachers
and other personnel in schools.
Should these rights go beyond school and guarantee each student a minimum
amount of free time each week?
Should students be given “release time” from schools to
engage in civic activities?
Would students be more likely to become engaged in the
political process if the voting age was reduced to 16?
If the age was reduced to 16, would they stay engaged as they got
older?
In some countries (Australia for one), citizens are
required to vote. Would you
favor such a policy in the United States?
If a voter did not like any of the candidates, should there be an
option in every race for a voter to select “None of the above?”
Social Security provides guaranteed income for senior
citizens (at least those who were in the work force when they were younger).
Do you think that the government ought to provide guaranteed income
for children, regardless of their parents’ income?
If so, what protections should be built in so that the money is
actually used wisely for the children?
What, if anything, could government do to make you have
a more positive regard for it?
Looking at Seymour Hersh’s contention, “I
have this theory in life that there is no learning. There is no learning
curve. Everything is tabula rasa[4].
Everybody has to discover things for themselves,” do you think that
learning takes place at earlier ages and then as people get older they stop
learning and repeat the mistakes of preceding generations?
If that is so, what can be done so that there is an upward slope to
the learning curve?
Suggestions for more questions …..
[1] “Self-evident, goes without
saying, obvious, manifest, clear” – according to “Uncle Bill” (Gates) in
the Microsoft WORD thesaurus.
[2]
“cliché, tired expression”
[3] “a clean slate; starting over”
[4] “a clean slate; starting over”
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