<p>In one of my rhetoric courses, we're dealing with sensitive issues and debates amongst society, and we're studying how people approach them rhetorically. For our first assignment, we're supposed to do a thinking/free-writing exercise where we pick a couple issues relevant/important to our various communities and then reflect upon where we think we stand. </p>
<p>The first thing that came to my mind were the controversies over religious organizations not wanting to pay for their employees' contraceptives and what's known as the new "rape insurance."</p>
<p>However, in my free write, I noticed that I was coming across as very torn and wish-washy, and I think this is because I'm subconsciously worried that my professor is a flaming liberal and might look down on me for being a Catholic and somewhat defending my religion and its beliefs. Our issues are supposed to be relevant to our communities and current hot-topics, which these definitely are, but I have a bad feeling about it. </p>
<p>Am I wrong for feeling hesitation at writing about this? We're going to be returning to these issues throughout the semester, and I just don't know if I feel comfortable with having my religious views and potential hearsays out there, especially since it seems that a Catholic's POV is the minority in my immediate community. I don't want to let the mass opinion and fear stand in the way of my work, but I'm still worried. </p>
<p>I'm also thinking about just going with the whole social media debate and how it's changing and potentially worsening millennials' lives, which also fascinates me. </p>
<p>Would it be better to opt for a "safer" topic? Am I worrying over nothing?</p>
<p>While a less hot topic may be best, I see something worse that is going on with you: you don’t stand by your beliefs. So what if your teacher is a flaming hot liberal. Don’t feel that you need to hide your beliefs to be “accepted”. Your view may be in the minority but that is not to say that it should not be heard!</p>
<p>I think you should go by the topic that has more substance and something you will definitely enjoy writing about. If you stand your ground and believe in something, just go for it. I am sure the professor has his or her own beliefs as does everyone else, but I’m also sure s/he wouldn’t be teaching that class if s/he didn’t want to hear different opinions and thoughts.</p>
<p>It’s a college campus, everyone has an opinion about something. Who cares if your professor is a liberal? If you fully address the assignment and stand by your beliefs, then there should be no problem.</p>
<p>If you’re not comfortable with it, write about a different topic. There are literally thousands of issues to choose from- why choose one that makes you uncomfortable?</p>
<p>One of the best lessons I ever learned was in a legal writing class. The first assignment was to take, and defend, a stance on a controversial topic; the second assignment was then to take the opposite point of view, and writing a paper defending that. It was a wonderful exercise in critical thinking and writing. Maybe your professor has something similar in mind.</p>
<p>Now that I’ve thought about it and re-read everything, I think I can do it. I shouldn’t base everything on what someone will think. Like we’re learning in this class, it’s about the process, not the product.</p>
<p>If you’re not comfortable with the topic and you have the choice to choose a different one, then don’t write about it. You don’t need to make this more difficult for yourself, and choosing a different topic wouldn’t be a strike against your character or wouldn’t make you care any less about this topic. I’m sure you can find many opportunities to discuss this issue at length, so just remember, that this is just an assignment for a class. This doesn’t have to be something you feel passionate about one way or another, and you’re not less of a person for picking another topic. It doesn’t sound like the assignment or the class is really about the topic, but it’s more about how to construct a strong and valid argument. What side you choose shouldn’t matter to your professor or your classmates, because it’s not the topic that’s important. It’s the argument.</p>
<p>Don’t let yourself get too bogged down on the topic. Write about something you feel comfortable writing about. Pick a position that you feel comfortable defending.</p>
<p>The first assignment is a good one to try this on - if your prof’s response makes it apparent that your political differences will influence your grade, then you have a decision point:</p>
<p>(a) hone your argumentation skills so that you earn high grades in the face of prof opposition to your POV</p>
<p>(b) alter your topic so you can get a good grade without having to engage on an emotionally-fraught issue</p>
<p>I’m sad that so many of my colleagues bring their politics into the classroom so obviously.</p>
<p>Stradmom, that’s a really good idea, but unfortunately these are assignments that are lumped together and turned in at various stages of the semester. I think the first 4 are due the first week of February, so I won’t know how he feels about them until then.</p>
<p>So, I guess the worst thing would be that I just change it up after that and then try even harder while staying directly on the guidelines.</p>
<p>In assignments like this, personal opinions shouldn’t really reflect in your grade. It should be graded on the quality of your argument, and not the professors opinion on whether it is the correct stance or not. In my Intro to Communications class a couple semesters ago, I gave a speech on the potential dangers associated with the reliance on homeopathic medication. The professor told me afterwards that he disagreed with a great deal of what I argued and that he actually supported homeopathy. But he also told me that I did a fantastic job of arguing my stance with credible sources and effective points, and he gave me a 96% on the speech.</p>
<p>With assignments that involve your own opinions, you have to pick topics that you are passionate about, and that you’re comfortable arguing. If it’s something that you’re having trouble arguing, it might be best to consider a different topic. There are more topics out there than could ever be counted.</p>
Not standing by your beliefs and not announcing your beliefs are two different things. Not being comfortable announcing your beliefs is nothing to be ashamed of.</p>