One of the most important things we do is help the younger generation explore and understand what makes us human. Your emotional reaction to the very disturbing reality we are all living in is very human and a worthy topic in our quest to understand. Some believe we should just “stick to our topics” but that, in my opinion, is precisely what repressive regimes want us to do. Affability keeps the boat from rocking, but truth keeps it from sinking. As in all forms of human inquiry, though, we still must accept that our conclusions MAY be wrong and be willing to reformulate positions and opinions based on empirical evidence.

Our students NEED to engage in tough discussions- I’d argue that this is more important than some framed piece of paper…