Read the following works: · “The Rise and Fall of Confederate Statues” by Joseph Hong · “Trauma Warnings Move from Internet to Ivory Tower” by Lisa Leff Answer any two (2) of the following questions, and identify which questions you are responding to in your answers: 1. In“The Rise and Fall of Confederate Statues,” colleges and universities across the country are trying to decide what to do about statues, buildings, and other items that memorialize figures from the Confederacy during the Civil War or people who may for other reasons be controversial. Do you think the removal of such items serves as a kind of reparation of past atrocities or bigoted ideologies, or are such gestures useless in helping to make up for past wrongs? Explain your answer using references from the article. 2. In reference to “The Rise and Fall of Confederate Statues,” some argue that removing statues and changing building names is an attempt to change our collective history as a nation by trying to erase memories of the past or to sweep the evidence under the rug, so to speak. Furthermore, they say that doing so is a denial of what happened in our past and what made our country what it is today, even though parts of that past are painful. What is your take on this argument? 3. In “Trauma Warnings,” some students have survived very traumatic events, such as sexual assault or wartime experiences. Do you think such students should be excused from coursework that may cause them to relive the trauma they went through? Use evidence from the article to help support your position. 4. Keeping “Trauma Warnings” in mind, what steps might you take if you were a professor and had to make a decision about adding a “trigger alert” or some kind of “warning label” to your syllabus?
