Mind Puppets Should Think for Themselves

Throughout history, the words of “the wise” have always regulated the thoughts of uneducated people who are not informed about a certain situation or topic. 

Each argument has multiple sides to it, but those in favor of one side over another do not give evidence that goes against them — that is not what people do when trying to win. The restriction of facts in sources like the news, and even in classrooms, implies lies. Students, as well as the rest of the world, must learn to question what they have been taught for the benefit of those around them.

Every day I hear people talking about things that are beyond them; their opinions cloud the facts, making them fuzzy. One of the main issue topics that frustrates me is President Barack Obama — I cannot believe how many people do not like this guy. The way kids talk about the president makes it appear as if he does everything wrong, but what do they know about his plans without reading them?

A lot of students take an interest in politics, but it's a weird interest, in my opinion. They're more concerned with the stories — what the media says about him — than what is actually going on. They regurgitate opinions they hear on the news from people who are paid to give those opinions. But really, they're just trying to strike up a conversation so they can appear informed and intellectual.

Students say that Obama is ruining the nation with socialism, but they don't know what socialism really is. And they bash his plans for health care without reading one word of them. These two examples show that people rarely think for themselves.

Another instance of guarded knowledge took place in my English class. We watched the movie “Capitalism: A Love Story,” because we were learning about capitalism and it’s effects on people. The teacher got a complaint from a parent because, "Films like that should not be shown."

“Films like that” means films by Michael Moore. According to the parent, Moore shows no facts in his movies. In reality, he does show facts. He simply interprets and slants them the way he wants to, just like every other news source.

That parent, like any other person who thinks like them, should realize that the people shown the material have the ability to come up with their own thoughts on the matter and do with the knowledge as they please. By reading multiple books that show different angles of capitalism, my English class has explored the aspects of all major types of economic systems and the ways other countries are run, giving students the ability to develop their own opinion about which system works best.

It seems as if everybody is blindly piggybacking off of others’ opinions because the source of the opinions are ones of authority. People are becoming too lazy to form their own opinions. But to create the best future, especially in democratic places like America, self-thinking should be taught and instilled in everyone.

Schools should be a place of learning, not a place to consume bent facts. Classes should teach from all angles, and discuss the components and reasoning of events based on how they actually happened. Then the students can interpret the lessons for themselves.

Teachers should be open to any serious questioning students have, and students should be more interactive when asking questions. The answer to this academic problem can be summed up in the words of a Korean rapper named Tablo, who states, “Genius is not the answer to all questions. It is the question to all answers.”
 

About the author: Spencer Taylor is a junior at Empire High School.