Spring Break
Column: Put an open mind over subjectivity
Sam Slaven/Columnist
Issue date: 4/9/09 Section: Opinions
I'm constantly inundated by members of religious zealots of one particular faith. I will leave the particular denomination anonymous. I will give you the hint that most of these zealots usually get their news from one particular cable news channel and from one particular talk-radio host.
These unnamed religious aficionados always have two things to say to me when they hear I am attending college.
The first is, "Don't let them liberal college professors try to tell you what to think!"
The second is, "Don't let all them liberal college professors try to make you believe in evolution because it's just a made up theory!"
I always thank these people for their advice and attempt to keep the conversation amicable and inquire as to their own college experience that led them to giving me this advice.
The reply is always, "Oh, I never went."
How can someone without any college experience know that any or all college professors are liberals and tell students what to think?
How can someone without any college experience know these same liberal professors are trying to make students believe in evolution?
I think the answer is because of ignorance and one's inability to think for one's own self.
This is something that is amplified when one refuses to watch more than one source for news or listen to another point of view on AM radio.
How can one possibly gain an objective view of a situation when your information comes from a subjective source? I suppose doing this could be considered taking the easy way out because some people would prefer not to think, but how does doing that advance your own knowledge of the world?
If you are one of these people who gain your knowledge of world events from a subjective source, please try to keep an open mind.
Maybe listening to another viewpoint will strengthen your own view. Maybe your viewpoint will change, but there is no reason to fear change.
Keeping an open mind does not make you less patriotic and it does not make you a socialist.
Keeping an open mind is liberating because it puts you in control of your own mind and allows you to make your own decisions. Now some readers will read this and understand my point.
Others will read it and say that I'm ripping on anyone who watches Fox News or listens to Rush Limbaugh - which is completely not the case.
If you've come to that conclusion, you might think that I'm a raging liberal, the product of the "liberal" college professors.
Come to whatever conclusion you wish, just know that I love the United States, and that I change the channel frequently.
Sam Slaven is a senior geography major. He can be reached at 581-7942 or at DENopinions@gmail.com.
These unnamed religious aficionados always have two things to say to me when they hear I am attending college.
The first is, "Don't let them liberal college professors try to tell you what to think!"
The second is, "Don't let all them liberal college professors try to make you believe in evolution because it's just a made up theory!"
I always thank these people for their advice and attempt to keep the conversation amicable and inquire as to their own college experience that led them to giving me this advice.
The reply is always, "Oh, I never went."
How can someone without any college experience know that any or all college professors are liberals and tell students what to think?
How can someone without any college experience know these same liberal professors are trying to make students believe in evolution?
I think the answer is because of ignorance and one's inability to think for one's own self.
This is something that is amplified when one refuses to watch more than one source for news or listen to another point of view on AM radio.
How can one possibly gain an objective view of a situation when your information comes from a subjective source? I suppose doing this could be considered taking the easy way out because some people would prefer not to think, but how does doing that advance your own knowledge of the world?
If you are one of these people who gain your knowledge of world events from a subjective source, please try to keep an open mind.
Maybe listening to another viewpoint will strengthen your own view. Maybe your viewpoint will change, but there is no reason to fear change.
Keeping an open mind does not make you less patriotic and it does not make you a socialist.
Keeping an open mind is liberating because it puts you in control of your own mind and allows you to make your own decisions. Now some readers will read this and understand my point.
Others will read it and say that I'm ripping on anyone who watches Fox News or listens to Rush Limbaugh - which is completely not the case.
If you've come to that conclusion, you might think that I'm a raging liberal, the product of the "liberal" college professors.
Come to whatever conclusion you wish, just know that I love the United States, and that I change the channel frequently.
Sam Slaven is a senior geography major. He can be reached at 581-7942 or at DENopinions@gmail.com.
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Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Keith Stanley
posted 4/09/09 @ 11:55 AM CST
Amen, brother! Very well said. Keep up the good work!
J
posted 4/10/09 @ 1:18 AM CST
I think instead of changing the channel so frequently, you should hit the power button a little more often.
"This is something that is amplified when one refuses to watch more than one source for news or listen to another point of view on AM radio. (Continued…)
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