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Confronting Controversy

Wire-tapping, war, and the aftermath of 9/11 are hot issues in the classroom.

By Cindy Long

Alongside posters of Gandhi and John Lennon, covers of Time magazine, and a life-size cutout of the Three Stooges dressed in caps and gowns, social studies teacher Michael Palermo’s ground rules for classroom behavior are prominently tacked on the classroom wall. The first rule: Respect People and Opinions.

Palermo teaches at Yorktown High School in Arlington, Virginia—a suburb of Washington, D.C., and a short drive from the Pentagon, where five years ago one of the hijacked jets crashed during the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Yorktown students were deeply affected by 9/11—many of their parents work at the Pentagon—and even five years later, discussions about the attacks and the aftermath occur frequently in Palermo’s social studies classes. Debating controversial topics is a favorite pastime in the Washington area, and Palermo’s classroom is no exception. A particularly heated discussion flared in his Leadership and Diversity class last May, a week after the National Security Agency’s massive phone records database was revealed.

“Our country was founded on the ideals of liberty and personal freedom!”

“If people have nothing to hide, then what are they afraid of? If an attack can be stopped by tracking just one person’s phone calls, it’s worth it!”

 “Instead of recording calls, why not focus on transportation—what about security on our trains and subways?”

Unlike many Washington politicians and pundits squabbling over the same topic a short drive away, Palermo’s students were learning a critical lesson of debate: that there is no right or wrong answer, only reasoned arguments and personal perspectives, all of which deserve consideration. “I think it’s vital to address sensitive and controversial topics in the classroom, especially when it’s an issue that hits so close to home,” Palermo says.

When asked about the impact the French Revolution has had on history, Chou En-lai, the Chinese premier from 1949 to 1976, supposedly replied, “It’s too soon to tell.” Five years later, it is likely too soon to tell what the lasting impact of 9/11 will be (see “9/11, By the Book,” page 34). But educators are leveraging the ongoing debate for a lesson in civics. Around the country, the discussion may take on different tones and tenor, but teachers everywhere are showing students how to discuss controversial issues rationally and respectfully—a responsibility of an informed citizenry.

Confronting Controversy
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