Questions We Can Help to Answer
Instructions:
choose whether you agree with or disagree with, but you must have something reasoned to say. Simply posting “I agree” or “I disagree” will not earn you any points.
Before writing your reply: Read students’ essays carefully. Consider: • Whether the facts are presented clearly, accurately, and fairly • Whether all of the needed facts are presented • Whether logic and reason is used to present the argument • Lastly (and as a lessor part thereof) you may write about whether you agree or disagree with his or her stated opinion and conclusions .
How to write your reply: a) These are not to be merely opinion posts, nor are you “grading” what you fellow students wrote. b) Argue (in a friendly, professional manner) that important factual points were left out, and/or that the material could be more clear, accurate or fair. You must explain what was left out or what should have been stated differently, how and why. c) Show that you have carefully read the post to which you are replying, with statements such as “I like it that you said …., but I think you should have also mentioned .” d) If you disagree with his or her opinion and conclusions, bring more information in order to bolster your own side of the discussion. e) Talk about substance, not grammar. I will grade grammar mistakes, that is not your place. Your assignment is to engage in reasoned discussion about the topic. Ø There is no word minimum count or maximum word limit for replies, but please make sure that you give reasoned statements, follow all of these instructions, and also do not go on at too much excessive length. You should be able to complete each of the two replies in about one or two paragraphs. Follow all instructions, but be brief. Ø Each of your replies should: • Be polite. • Be reasoned.
THIS IS THE ASSIGNMENT ESSAY INSTRUCTIONS:
After completing Lesson 13, choose one contemporary policy issue that is salient and likely to at least sometimes influence for which political party people tend to vote. For example, people who want more healthcare coverage for the American population tend to vote Democratic, while those who oppose such expansion often vote Republican. The same can be said about LGBT rights. People who want to see these rights expanded are more likely to vote for a Democrat, while people who see the expansion of these rights as a detriment to society are more likely to vote for a Republican. Once you have chosen your topic, look for fake news about this topic. There is a lot of fake news out there, so it should not be too difficult to find, but if you can’t find any, change your topic and try again. For example, if you choose “Obamacare,” voter identification laws, global warming, or the transgender “bathroom bills,” you will find a lot of “fake news” and misinformation (also sometimes called “alternative facts”). Fake news unfortunately often influences how people feel about any given policy. Do a little looking around online in reference to your chosen topic and see what you can find that you can identify as fake news (propaganda and lies disguised as news and/or facts). Be careful not to confuse actual facts with fake news or vice versa. Write informative facts first; keep opinion statements to a minimum. Be sure to back up all opinion statements with supporting factual evidence and logic. Cite sources as needed.
THIS IS THE STUDENT WRITTEN ESSAY TO REPLY/REVIEW:
When it comes to discussing transgender rights, one of the more specific issues discussed is access to public restrooms. Most transgender men feel more comfortable using the women’s restroom, while most transgender women feel more comfortable using the men’s restroom. According to Kasandra Brawbaw’s article in, Everything You Need to Know About ‘Bathroom Bills’, the bill is an attempt to enforce public bathroom laws by biological means (if they were a boy or girl at birth). A transgender man would be required to use the women’s restroom, and a transgender woman would have to use the men’s restroom, therefore making it a crime if those who identify as transgender break the law (Brawbaw). Those who are in favor of the bathroom bill hold a similar belief that by incorporating biological differences, this law would ensure the safety of everyone and simplifies gender assignment in public restrooms. Many of those who are against the bathroom bill argue that it goes against the equality and acceptance that the LGBT community have been fighting for.
In an interview with CNN’s 3 Myths That Shape the Transgender Bathroom Debate, Maine Human Rights Commission Executive Director Amy Sneirson expressed it the best, saying, "I know there is a lot of anxiety associated with this issue, but it seems to be based on fear rather than facts. Given this, it is really disheartening to see so many states (and now our federal government) choose to treat people who are transgender with what looks like hatred” (Grinberg and Stewart). In relation to this statement, it is simple to find fake news that discuss apparent crimes committed by transgender people due to anti-discriminatory laws; at the same time, there is an appalling amount of legitimate news about those taking advantage of anti-discriminatory bathroom laws and committing crimes of sexual harassment and invasion of privacy.
Like many social media websites such as Facebook, it is convenient, accessible, and gullible to absorb news that is shared by friends and family without checking the legitimacy of the story and its sources. As I browsed the topic of transgender bathroom laws, I remembered recently scrolling on Facebook to read an article, along with a short rant, that a former coworker of mine posted. Jane (name has been changed to conceal identity) posted on her Facebook how outraged she was about a transgender bathroom incident and that allowing transgenders to use whatever bathroom they want opens the doorway to more sexual harassment and invasion of privacy crimes.
The article, titled Transgender Charged with Raping 10-Year-Old Girl in Bathroom, was posted by the Daily Wire, known for reporting news with a conservative approach that appeals to Republicans and those alike. Upon reading Jane’s rant, I clicked on the article to see how it was written when describing the incident. Amanda Prestigiacomo of The Daily Wire reported, “Miguel Martinez, a biological male who identifies as a woman and goes by the name Michelle, allegedly ‘invited’ the 10-year-old into a bathroom on March 23, where he proceeded to grope her breasts and genitals and penetrate her” (Amanda Prestigiacomo). I did a Snopes fact check on this article and sadly, half of the story was true. While Martinez did rape a 10-year-old girl, it did not happen in a public bathroom setting. The girl was the daughter of Martinez’s friend and the incident occurred in a bathroom at Martinez’s friend’s home. According to Snopes’s fact check Kim Lacapria, “The post doesn’t cite any specific bills — likely because when people refer to ‘bathroom bills,’ they generally mean bills proposed (usually by Republicans) that prevent transgender people from using the restroom that corresponds to their gender. These laws have been considered by the legislature in 14 states in 2017, including Wyoming” (Lacapria).
To summarize this social media incident, the article title was obviously misleading and the story was distorted in a way that would make readers outraged; Jane was under the impression that the incident itself had to do with transgender bathroom laws, when it was not the case at all. It has become far too common for us to be easily persuaded without identifying the facts and the truth first. While stories such as Michelle Martinez’s appear to be rare, reports of sexual harassment in public bathrooms are often tied to the topic of transgender people wanting access to public bathrooms; this is an issue because it hurts those in the transgender and LGBT community. The best way to prevent fake news such as this from embedding audiences is to fact check, read upon sources, avoid sharing the news link on social media, and educate those with the truth.
http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/07/health/transgender-bathroom-law-facts-myths/index.html
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