If you don't have anything intelligent to say, don't say anything at all

Recently, I have had more time to do things like read the paper. Yes, I read our local paper. Yes, I know it is awful. I get it for free online because I'm a teacher. That's my only excuse.

Reading the paper today, I read YET ANOTHER poorly written "Viewpoint." I am all for hearing the opinions of everyday people (so much so, that as an everyday person, I write this blog and think it matters). I desire to hear from the various sides on current events, local, national, or global. I love it when I believe I have my brain wrapped around an issue only to have it unraveled by the keen insight or unique perspective of another regular citizen. ONLY THIS NEVER HAPPENS IN OUR PAPER. OK, maybe "never" is too strong... but rarely.

I'm not even all that concerned about the grammar-- I frequently break grammatical rules (sometimes for style, sometimes because I'm too lazy to go back and fix it, sometimes because I'm in a rush, and sometimes because I don't even realize I'm doing it). It's the lack of logic and critical thinking that really bugs me. Just because you say something is does not make it so. You can't make up statistics or use what you THINK might be the case for the basis of an argument. Most of all, if you have no information on the issue, you should consider getting some before writing a letter to be published for all of the city to see.

So the next time I have a student ask me, "Why do we have to write an essay/write a journal entry/read an essay/read a book/read a short story/read poetry/share a response/give a speech anyway? It's not like I'll ever use it in real life..." I will grab a copy of our pathetic local paper, rip out the letters to the editor, force that student to read them aloud, and then declare:

Because one day, whether you can conceive of it or not, you WILL care about something strongly enough to want to express those feelings. It might not be to the paper, but it might be to a company, your employer, a friend, a parent, a lover, a spouse, a celebrity, the government-- it doesn't matter. It might not even be in writing-- perhaps you will prefer to speak your mind. But the fact remains, you WILL find yourself in the position of wanting to express your passion for a subject. AND IF YOU CAN'T FRAME AN ARGUMENT, CONSTRUCT A SIMPLE SENTENCE, OR REASON YOUR WAY OUT OF A WET PAPER BAG, NO ONE WILL TAKE YOU SERIOUSLY! You may feel more deeply about this topic than about anything else in your entire life, you may even have a really good point, but none of that will matter. Your thoughts and ideas, if not well expressed, will be filed in the recycling bin and forgotten (before or after they are thoroughly mocked). You might as well not have said anything at all. And that's the saddest* thing I can think of.**


* Yes. There are probably other things sadder, but I was not thinking of them at that moment.

**I realize that sentence started with "And" and ended in a preposition. "That's the saddest thing of which I can think" just didn't have the same ring.