2305 Federal Government

Critical Thinking

The State educational authority has declared that each community college
Government class will assess each student in several key educational
objectives.  This assignment is for Critical Thinking.

The student will need to read President John F. Kennedy's 1963 Berlin speech.

In class, there are two questions to answer--

1.  Why is President Kennedy giving the speech?

2.  In what way is the message relevant today?



Here is the text of President John Kennedy’s speech, made in Berlin on 26 June 1963:

 

I am proud to come to this city as the guest of your distinguished Mayor, who has symbolised throughout the world the fighting spirit of West Berlin.

And I am proud to visit the Federal Republic with your distinguished chancellor who for so many years has committed Germany to democracy and freedom and progress, and to come here in the company of my fellow American, General Clay, who has been in this city during its great moments of crisis and will come again if ever needed.

 

Two thousand years ago the proudest boast was "civis Romanus sum". Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest boast is "Ich bin ein Berliner".

I appreciate my interpreter translating my German!

There are many people in the world who really don't understand, or say they don't, what is the great issue between the free world and the Communist world. Let them come to Berlin.

There are some who say that Communism is the wave of the future. Let them come to Berlin.

And there are some who say in Europe and elsewhere we can work with the Communists. Let them come to Berlin.

And there are even a few who say that it is true that Communism is an evil system, but it permits us to make economic progress. Lass' sie nach Berlin kommen. Let them come to Berlin.

 

Freedom has many difficulties and democracy is not perfect, but we have never had to put a wall up to keep our people in, to prevent them from leaving us.

I want to say, on behalf of my countrymen, who live many miles away on the other side of the Atlantic, who are far distant from you, that they take the greatest pride that they have been able to share with you, even from a distance, the story of the last 18 years.

I know of no town, no city, that has been besieged for 18 years that still lives with the vitality and the force, and the hope and the determination of the city of West Berlin.

While the wall is the most obvious and vivid demonstration of the failures of the Communist system, for all the world to see, we take no satisfaction in it, for it is, as your mayor has said, an offence not only against history but an offense against humanity, separating families, dividing husbands and wives and brothers and sisters, and dividing a people who wish to be joined together.

 

What is true of this city is true of Germany - real, lasting peace in Europe can never be assured as long as one German out of four is denied the elementary right of free men, and that is to make a free choice.

In 18 years of peace and good faith, this generation of Germans has earned the right to be free, including the right to unite their families and their nation in lasting peace, with good will to all people.

You live in a defended island of freedom, but your life is part of the main.

So let me ask you as I close, to lift your eyes beyond the dangers of today, to the hopes of tomorrow, beyond the freedom merely of this city of Berlin, or your country of Germany, to the advance of freedom everywhere, beyond the wall to the day of peace with justice, beyond yourselves and ourselves to all mankind.

Freedom is indivisible, and when one man is enslaved, all are not free.

When all are free, then we can look forward to that day when this city will be joined as one and this country and this great continent of Europe in a peaceful and hopeful globe.

When that day finally comes, as it will, the people of West Berlin can take sober satisfaction in the fact that they were in the front lines for almost two decades.

All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin, and, therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words "Ich bin ein Berliner".

COMMUNICATION

THOSE OF YOU TAKING 2305 ARE EXPECTED TO READ AN ARTICLE OR ARTICLES AND WRITE AT LEAST ONE ESSAY.

HOW LONG AND THE VALUE OF YOUR WORK WILL BE DETERMINED BY YOUR INSTRUCTOR.

Click on link below:

THE CAGING OF AMERICA  Why do we lock up so many people?  by 


The Caging of America Link

a. summarize the main ideas

b. share your agreements or disagreement with what the author says. 

 

I. Introduction 

The introduction should introduce the reader to your paper. First, tell us the name of the author and the title of the work. Second, describe briefly the article’s thesis (or main argument). The thesis is usually stated clearly in the introduction and conclusion of most articles; this is simply the main point(s) that the author is trying to get across in the text. Wrap up your introduction with a brief synopsis of your analysis of this specific work. Be sure to offer a reasoned response; purely emotional reactions, such as "this article was great" or "this article was boring," are not acceptable.

II. Main body 

The purpose of this section is to give the reader a more detailed understanding of the article under review, and can be roughly
divided into two sections:

1. First, you must briefly summarize the contents of the work ("This article tells the story of ..."). In other words, you should inform your reader of the topic of the work. Also, you should detail the thesis of the work you mentioned in the introduction. What is the author's argument, and how is this argument supported and organized?

2. Second, you must critically analyze the work you have just summarized. This is your opportunity to tell us what you thought of this work (and is really the heart of your paper). Is the argument convincing, and why or why not? Was the work organized well, and amply supported with evidence? What are some ways in which you could improve upon this work? Does this piece of work make a valuable contribution to your understanding of the American Legal system? 

III. Conclusion 
This section should summarize the main points of your paper. In other words, this is the point at which you should neatly reassert the main points of your critical analysis. The conclusion should help provide the reader with a sense of closure; you have just summed up in a paragraph what you want the reader to remember.

GRADING RUBRIC

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has declared Personal Responsibility a core learning objective and mandated that all colleges assess students on this objective. The SWTJC Governmen Department has assigned all government students an exercise to promote Personal Responsibility.

To earn credit, you will need to submit your answers to the following instruction. 
 
With short answer responses, answer the following questions about your performance in this course.  Type question and then your response. Be honest and detailed.
 

  1. Describe a specific topic you have explored in this course and include little-known information you have discovered to support you interest in the subject topic.
  2. Describe the ways that you have taken initiative this semester to complete course work and pursue opportunities to expand you knowledge, skills and abilities in this field. (Consider attendance, class participation, meeting deadlines, etc.)
  3. Describe connections you have made between your prior knowledge and what you have learned in this course.  How has this course helped you to understand the ideas in new or different ways?
  4. How has your learning inside and outside of the classroom changed your perspective about experiences you have in school and life in general?  In what ways do these changes show your own growth over time?

Each question must be a minimum of 200 word response. 

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has declared Social Responsibility a core learning objective and mandated that all colleges assess students on this objective. The SWTJC Govt. Dept. has assigned all government students an exercise to promote Social Responsibility. To earn credit, you will need to type or print answers to the following instruction.

  1. GO TO WEB SITE CHANGE.ORG
  2. LOCATE A PETITION(s) YOU FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT AND THAT YOU FEEL SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE.
  3. RESEARCH ABOUT THE TOPIC OF CHOICE OR USE INFORMATION THAT YOU HAVE ATAINED VIA THIS GOVERNMENT COURSE. OR FROM YOUR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.
  4. SIGN THE PETITON
  5. THEN ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS. 

In a short- essay, answer the following questions

  • How have your own attitudes and beliefs been influenced by participating in this service learning project? What did you learn about diversity from your research as well as from those you worked in the past on similar projects? Give specific examples.
  • How have you connected knowledge (facts, research, etc.) from your college coursework to this service learning project? Has your participation changed in any way the way you feel about certain issues. ? Give specific examples.
  • Describe what you learned about yourself in relation to a growing sense of civic identity and commitment. Give specific examples.
  • Do you think that somehow individuals of society benefited or will benefit from your effort?