Today we watched an hour of the film, The Central Park 5, dir. Ken Burns (TRT 119 min.). Reflect on the film. Think about what you know about critical thinking. What fallacious arguments were presented? What do we know about motivation or intent? Think about the parties involved?
What arguments were used to criminalize the youth? Do any present cases come to mind? Historically this case is said to be similar to that of the Scottsboro Boys, nine teenage boys accused of the gang rape (in 1931) of two white girls in Alabama. The boys, like these kids 58 years later (1989) also didn't all know each other. All also professed innocence yet were convicted and later exonerated.
What would be Tim Wise and/or James Baldwin's take on the case? Baldwin is a native New Yorker who left the country because he could not abide its racism.
Homework: Writing Assignment 12 Questioning Generalizations (187). Choices 5 and 9. Use the story of the Central Park 5. Respond in 250 words.
Thursday, May 15, 2013, we will look at Writing Assignment 11 Analyzing an Extended Argument on Thursday (143-144)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.