In Praise of the "F" Word

In approaching the issue of teachers passing student that are unable to truly meet the criteria of there class has to be address in order to maintain the consistency of a qualified educated society.  Mary Sherry's essay "In Praise of the F Word" discusses this problem giving an example that "their validity will be questioned only when their employers discover that these graduates are semiliterate." Often students frustrates the teacher with their behavior and tend to pass them using the example of the "he sits in the back of the room, talking to his friends.  She attempt to open the minds of administrators to address the issue.

"Should This Student Have Been Expelled?"

Nat Hentoff , a committed liberal author of “Should this Student Have Been Expelled”(1991), argues that freedom of speech should be valued no matter how offensive it is interpreted by others. He supports his claim by acknowledging a decision that the president of Brown University had to make in deciding whether or not to expel a student, Dough Hann, for using the word nigger. In using this example, Hentoff attempts to influence his audience to focus on the importance of freedom of speech in order to persuade them to think more objectively when considering its limitations when challenged for personal offensiveness.  In his argument, Hentoff wants to sway the general public to challenge their personal feelings and their Constitutional rights to have freedom to present their thoughts publicly.

The complex subject of abusing the freedom of speech has become timeless because of its effects on the individual receiving its bias. Unfortunately, the way someone feels is often reflected by the environmental stimulants that they face every day: usually an inherited belief with very little experience with the opposing side dispositions. I feel ambiguous about the freedom of speech because although every opinion has a right to be heard, it should be done so in a way that doesn’t offend anyone else.  We should all consider that if we are approached with a misunderstanding that it should be done as tactful as possible to extend a courtesy to have everyone’s opinion respected. Often, we are forced with differentiating whether or not a remark being made is just an art of expression or a shout out in pain to harass another party.  No doubt, we must all consider the effects of social behavior because it not only reflects who we are, but we all are burden by the responsibility of establishing what is right in our society.

Dough Hann abused his freedom of speech when he blurted “fuck you, niggers”, although it was not actually aimed at no one. When a fellow student asked Hann to stop being so loud and offensive Hann yelled “what are you a faggot?”  He then notices a flag at the school and said “What are you, a Jew?”  and shouted, "fucking Jew”.  Because of his racist comments some of his fellow students decided to approach Hann, which resulted in a verbal confrontation.  Hann then turned to one of the student, black female, and said ”My parents own your people”.  He look at another student who he thought was Jewish and said “Happy Hanukkah”. He tried to fight some of the students, but his friends restrained him.  According to Hentoff, John Crouch, the chapter secretary of American civil Liberties Union, told him “nobody seriously expected fighting, regardless of anyone’s words”.(Hentoff  201) It appears that this is a norm for Hann who was at the time pursuing a degree in organizational behavior and management and business economics.  Prior to this incident, two years ago, he had a confrontation with another fellow student at a bar where he used a racial remark by calling the student a” nigger”.  He was then ordered by the Disciplinary Council at the university to attend a race relations workshop and to get counseling for his alcohol abuse. The word "nigger" is frequently used in a friendly notation when friends are conversing with one another. Using the word nigger in this context is not offensive, however, when it is taken out of context and is use as a racial statement then abuse of freedom of speech comes into play. We have to be careful of the choices words we use; although there was no physical harm or threat made the awful choice of words that he blurted out are equally the same as being physical or being threatening. Dough Hann was expelled from Brown University by the Undergraduate Disciplinary Council they ruled that he has to leave the university forever.  I agree with the school board decision given the fact that two years ago, at the age of nineteen, he had been given the opportunity to redeem himself.

Works Cited

“Should This Student Have Been Expelled?” by Nat Hentoff from Village Voice. 1991. Reprinted by permission of Nat Hentoff, columnist, Village Vioce.



"Behind The Formaldehyde Curtain"

As horrific as it may seem, someone has to carry the needle for the formaldehyde used to preserve the human tissue after death for it has become a tradition to view the body before burial. In a very informative and descriptive essay Jessica Milford's "Behind the Formaldehyde Curtain" explains the surgical operations performed, giving a full account of the undertaker's embalming procedure. Her tone was aggressive and bias to the gruesome details given if effort to attack the funeral industry.  She clearly wanted point out to all of those who choose to view their love one’s body of their possibilities of being ‘blissfully ignorant of what it is all about, what is done, how it is done’.  Milford’s explanation started from the preparation of the room to the ‘dyed and performed solution of formaldehyde, glycerin, borax, phenol, alcohol’ to name a few.  Of course she didn’t stop there; she also pointed out the stitching of the lips and nostril to ‘for a more pleasant expression’ and closed cemented eyes. 
I can’t imagine it being a pretty sight to do anything with a dead body.  I understand Milford’s voice in the matter. However, I’m gratefully to the funeral homes and care takers because viewing a body before their effort can be devastating.  I would like to be cremated myself and Milford only reinforced my choice.