For your reading pleasure, I have posted an example of an excellent news response. This is not to say that it is a perfect response, and it is not to say that all excellent responses must look like this one. The thing that is most striking about this response is its depth. Many of you are reporting on a single article. This response covers a week's worth of news.
If you need a few more hints, you can review these suggestions, posted earlier this month.
The sample response begins below:
Did you know that plans are currently in progress for a $100 million, 13-story mosque to be built near ground zero, the site of the 9/11 terrorist attack? Are you aware that Proposition 8 has recently been appealed, prolonging the conclusion of this measure which regards the legality of same-sex marriage in the state of California? If you are at all attentive to the world around us, then you probably already knew of the significance of these two events. Both of these issues are extremely divided matters, and most of us have our own deep convictions regarding subjects such as these. But who are we to come to such conclusions when so often we don’t even know the bigger picture? Did you know that, despite the controversy over the mosque, the property on which it will potentially be built is already owned by a Muslim organization? If that is the case, who are we to say whether they can or cannot construct a building used to honor their beliefs on their property - no matter how much their faith may differ from our own. The same matter of equality obviously applies to the Proposition 8 appeal; but not everyone is aware that this controversial proposition may soon end up at the mercy of the Supreme Court, with its ruling affecting our nation as a whole, not just the state of California. After a long discussion with my aunt and uncle about the events of today and where our society is headed, I have come to realize one thing: It is so easy for us to jump to conclusions concerning today’s current events, but so often we don’t even have enough information to see the bigger picture at hand. There is so much going on in this nation behind closed doors, and there are so many more details pertaining to the events that we are aware of which could easily change how we feel about a lot of different issues.
Last Friday as I was catching up on the latest news, I stumbled across a photo essay by TIME magazine partnered with CNN.com entitled “Women of Afghanistan: Living Under the Taliban Threat.” The essay consists of 13 pictures and captains and gives just a peek into the lives of the women in Afghanistan and the effect of Sharia law upon their culture. It portrays their stories of hardship and persecution as well as success and accomplishment, having overcome the many obstacles which have stood in their way. As a female myself, I think it’s important for me to realize how fortunate I am to have all the opportunities and freedoms that I do. It is so easy to become oblivious to how good we really have it here in America. I can’t believe what some of these girls have suffered through, and I think this essay is a wonderful example of the power of photography; it even prompted me to do a little research of my own on the history of the Taliban. Like they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,2007161,00.html
Another story that caught my eye is one that I have been following for a quite a while. Almost every day this week I read a new article concerning the Gulf oil spill. Monday was filled with news of BP’s “static kill” and “injectivity” tests which were scheduled for the next day, and on Tuesday I read an article on page B1, 2 in the Oregonian which told of the many endangered species in the Gulf. The following day I read a CNN article, http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/08/04/gulf.oil.spill/index.html , containing a statement from Obama which read, “…the long battle to stop the leak and contain the oil is finally coming to an end…” It seems too good to be true to me, but like I said earlier, we can never jump to conclusions until we know all of the facts. I was, however, shocked today after reading an article found at http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/08/06/feds-keen-bps-possible-drilling-plans-blown-gulf-reservoir/ which stated that with the oil spill cleaning up, there is still talk of BP possibly drilling in the same location in the future. In my opinion, it is far too soon to even consider drilling at the site of the spill. After talking the matter over with my aunt and uncle, however, I began to see the possibility of drilling in the Gulf again in a different light. My aunt said that because we don’t know what exactly caused the explosion in the first place and because the problem was most likely with the equipment and not the location itself, then there is just as much chance of risk drilling somewhere else as there is in the Gulf. After considering these details, I can see why drilling in the Gulf again someday might not be as horrible as I had originally thought.
News of our new Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan has been quite the buzz this week. Obama’s new nominee is now officially a part of our nation’s judicial system, according to CNN.com, the Daily Oklahoman, and several other news sources I have consulted. There has been much controversy over Kagan’s lack of experience, as she has never been a judge before and many of her views on important topics are unknown. After talking to my uncle, who is very knowledgeable and informed of newsworthy topics, I learned that when Kagan was teaching in college she believed in and supported the integration of Sharia law into our nation. I personally find this odd, not just because she’s Jewish, but also because of the implications that Sharia law has on women. The fact that she will be residing over courts dealing with other controversial issues in our country makes me a little apprehensive as to her beliefs and how she will rule.
In addition to news regarding Proposition 8, the Mosque at Ground Zero, the Gulf spill, and our new Supreme Court Justice, I have come across several other newsworthy articles this week. The fight regarding the Arizona Immigration law continues, and the search is still on for young Kyron Horman, with local authorities receiving five to 10 tips every hour. On CNN.com I read of how the government is facing problems with WikiLeaks, which possesses information that is putting the security of our nation in danger. There has recently even been news that the remains of John the Baptist have allegedly been found in Bulgaria. The list goes on and on, with so many stories and features it is impossible to keep up. But if I have learned one thing this week apart from the articles and stories themselves, it is indeed that we never have all the details, and therefore can’t always jump to the conclusions that we so often do.
Here are some links to a few more of the articles I read this week: http://www.foxnews.com/slideshow/us/2010/08/03/ground-zero-mosque/#slide=1
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/08/04/california.same.sex.ruling/index.html
http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/08/05/the-buzz-on-proposition-8-ruling/?hpt=C2
And here is the web address to one of my favorite news cites, the CNN Belief Blog. I find it extremely interesting because of its vast array of topics and subjects, and because of how much my faith means to me personally. http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment