Dear Internet,
I need to vent. I met with a freshman student at the University Writing Center (my place of employment) this morning and our consultation was a very frustrating one.
The student brought in a paper for me to “check for grammar.” Her paper began by stating the problem of increased food prices, and that one of the major causes of this was poor people. By feeding poor people all over the world, she argued, these people are living instead of dying, and therefore increasing the world’s population, which is subsequently increasing food prices. “We” should not help the poor because they are going to get diseases and die anyway. She listed Haiti as an example because they have too many poor people. Her paper ended by stating that we should only help the poor during natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes.
So, putting my own personal opinion and ethics and grammar aside, I first tried to explain why her conclusion was illogical … because, according to her argument, instances of floods and earthquakes are when we should especially NOT help the poor, since this is when people are more likely to get diseases and die. Therefore, floods and earthquakes are good because they kill more people and decrease the population and make food prices drop. She agreed, and then asked what would be a better exception to giving poor people food. I spent a good deal of time trying to explain why that really isn’t the point … but she didn’t get it.
I then tried to broach the issue of “audience” and how her argument would probably offend many people, but she didn’t seem to care. I even tried to “personalize” the problem: “If one of your sisters or brothers lived in Haiti, no one should help them?” She said that she would help them.
I eventually convinced her to re-frame her argument as a question of “What is the best way to help/feed poor people?” rather than “Should we help poor people? No.”
God help us all.
(from alaina)
Wow. That’s just … wow. Scary.
