Apollo High School

Unfortunately for you, my gigantic horde of fans, I cannot write any stories that have been deemed unacceptable. This is a real shame, because I had a well planned story that would discuss the marraiges in San Francisco, but now my idea has been shot to peices. I am sincerely apologetic for all of you who cannot read that story, so I shall try to write something else.

Well, I guess I could write about something else that has always been on the highest caliber of heated debates. That of course is abortion, and whether one is pro-life or pro-choice. I for one, being the dedicated feminist that I am, thoroughly supports a woman's right to choose. Yet again, I am probably over-stepping the line, because this subject is also considered much too taboo for our school.

So, as I have already said, they both are probably (San Francisco definitely) deemed much too flammatory for our newspaper. Which I can understand, to an extent. Both of these subjects have strong supporters on each side, and at times people will get passionate when they have their say. This is good, and it is healthy to have these arguments! These arguments are what lead to the exchange of (hopefully new) ideas, and can lead to an introduction of change in society. Both great, that is how democracy works.

However, instead of classes having constructive debates and dicussions over issues in our society, we somehow manage to wedge into a heated argument that seperates the students farther than they had been in the first place.
This is a problem, and here is why: debate and discussion [can] lead to change. This is how education is spread, through discussions on every topic that people do not necessarily agree with in the first place. Not only is education spread in this manner, but improvements on society as a whole strengthen as well. So if we are not allowed to have open discussions on subjects, no matter how taboo, it is rather difficult for change to occur.

Now that we understand the problem, we should focus on changing it! Instead of shutting our minds out to ideas that may conflict our own, we should learn to deal with them in a constructive manner (i.e. debate). If we can instill this kind of atmosphere in a classroom, what we learn will greatly improve.

Furthermore, this kind of debate will be beneficial to all of people in our society. As said earlier, debate leads to ideas, which leads to change. But this doesn't mean just the introduction of new ideas, but can lead to the reviewal of laws and sometimes their reversion. Don't believe me? Well, take a look at Brown vs. Board of Education, not only did it make a new law, but it in turn reveiwed an old law (Plessy v. Ferguson) and changed it.

In closing,lets try to be able to debate like intelligent scholars. Not only does it makes us look good, it gives so much more to write about.