Debate That Changed the World

English 12 Section

09/22/2012

Reading Response 1

"Debate That Changed The World"

A small change in multicultural and philosophical relativism in the new generation is the only thing that is needed to change the world. According to the Michiko Kakutani a book critic for the New York Times argues that Millennials also known as generation Y are no longer interested in the debate that characterize the same experience of the past generation. Instead of the head front confrontation and ideology of "winner takes all", the Millenial generation tries to avoid any direct opposition or disagreement thus changing the future of the world.

Debate...became synonymous with some of the most nonintellectual forms of bullying, rather then as an opportunity for deliberative democracy, assured Jeff Nunokawa an English professor at Princeton University. Students currently live in the word that is very diverse and this diversity is what keeping people the same. Comparing Millennials to the Generation X, current students are more eager in hearing other opinions but are not interested in engaging or challenging them. I believe the world is changing for the better this way as multiculturalism is taking affect and the new generation is capable of seeing the experiences and ideology of others by listening and placing themselves "in their shoes".

On the other hand, imagine the world, where one fails to test one's opinion or belief that is against all logic of others. Imagine the world, where people close off on the possibilities of growth and alteration. As Professor Anderson argues, debate is the most vital element in the process of testing others and engaging in the world. Without learning how to argue and defending their views, student that are the future of this world would not be able to behave in the productive way and thus remove the democracy practice that is fundamentally important in todays society.

The future has developed and the mindset is already planted among us. The reinforcement of outside activities such as television, t-shirts, radio, and Internet has developed accommodation for others, in niche cultures and like-minded people. These building blocks give opportunity to people to filter out the information and replace it with their own perhaps even odd beliefs.

All in all, I believe that the world is changing for the better. The era that we are living in, is facing a challenge of like-minded individuals from Generation Y. People who are not looking to stand out from the crowd by proving and propaganda their own beliefs claiming that it is the only right choice. Instead we are capable of understanding one another and agreeing to disagree, while at the same time taking the best from multiple cultures and experiences to deliver the best solutions.