After reading a couple of selections from my books that were about my days as a classroom teacher in the Joplin R-8 School District this morning at the Writers Faire, my thoughts drifted back to the day at the beginning of each year when I shocked my students by telling them there were certain bad words that I would not allow them to use in their papers.
"And just so you will know what words you are not allowed to use," I always said, "I will write them on the board."
The students looked at me in disbelief.
Every couple of years, someone would say, "You're not going to do that."
I would stare at the student long enough to make him or her uncomfortable, then start writing on the board.
"These are the words I will not allow to be used in my classroom."
The words- "I think," "I believe" "In my opinion,"I know,"
Some students believed I was not being serious. How in the world could they express their opinions if they did not use those words?
I used the same example every year, using the name of one of the students in each class.
"I think Susie is a good student." After a pause, I said, "Susie is a good student.
"Which one is stronger?"
Nearly all of the students agreed the second one was stronger. "When you remove the words 'I think," you are still expressing an opinion, but you are making it sound like a fact."
I never could leave well enough aone. "Besides why should I care what you think."
Some were shocked by those words, though most of the students realized I was not being serious. I would continue my explanation. Again I would use the name of one of my students. "Joe thinks the Eagles are the best team." Why, I would ask the students, should I care what Joe thinks. "Leave off the words 'Joe thinks' and you leave the impression there is no doubt the Eagles are the best team."
A few stubborn students each year would doggedly stick to their belief, that they should be able to use "I think" and the other variations. They always paid for those beliefs.
That annual lesson was one of many memories that came to me after my presentation at the library. Perhaps that was why it popped back into my mind this evening after I angered some of the people on my personal Facebook page and the Inside Joplin Facebook page.
A couple of weeks ago, I told my readers I was considering banning memes in the comments on my posts.
You would have thought I decapitated a smurf.
Over the next couple of weeks, the memes continued so a couple of days ago, I banned them. I was tired of the Trump memes. I was just as tired of the anti-Trump memes. I did not care if they were intended to be funny (most of those weren't), cute, weird, it did not matter, I was tired of people thinking they were being creative and coarsening the conversation with memes that nearly always seemed designed to anger people who do not see things the way the commenter sees them.
The uproar continues on my Facebook page. I was violating their First Amendment rights (I would have to be the government in order to do that.) I was a crybaby. (Apparently, that is because the Trump memes got me upset.) I was an old man who did not realize that young people communicate with memes.
One woman wrote that I should not have told people I was going to do that. I was just trying to get a reaction.
No, sorry. That is not the case.
Memes are the equivalent of "I think," "I believe" and "in my opinion." They are crutches used to bolster arguments that are always better without them.
***
Thanks to the people at the Joplin Public Library and the Post Art Library for their hospitality during the Writers Faire today. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
Thanks also to those of you who stopped by to say hi. It is great to be able to see old friends and make new ones.
***
Thanks to those who subscribed to the Turner Report/Inside Joplin this week and those who have made contributions small or large. Next week will mark the five-year anniversary of the launch of the Inside Joplin and Inside Joplin Obituaries blogs. Contributions from readers, in the form of subscriptions, financial donations large or small, spreading the word about the blogs by word of mouth and sharing the posts over social media (and of course, the many news tips readers have provided) have helped this compact news operation to continue to grow. Those wishing to subscribe or make a contribution of any size may do so at the PayPal buttons below or by sending your donation to Randy Turner, 2306 E. 8th, Apt. G, Joplin, MO 64801.
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1 comment:
>>>A couple of weeks ago, I told my readers I was considering banning memes in the comments on my posts.
You would have thought I decapitated a smurf.<<<
I missed this here.
I don't do facebook so I missed that portion of the discussion too.
Can you post a link to this so I can see what types of comments you don't want submitted?
Thank you.
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