Real-Life Examples of a Potential Lack of Critical Thinking
Below are examples that, depending on your beliefs and interests, might work as real-life examples of a lack of critical thinking. Browse through them and decide which ones you might want to use for our research paper on critical thinking. If you do not want to use these articles, that is fine; you are welcome to provide your own examples that fit more with your beliefs or interests. My only requirement is that the source is factual as opposed to opinionated (so, try to use actual news articles, not editorials, blogs or commentary).
- In Africa, when illness, misfortune or hardship strikes, families are accusing their children of being witches: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/18/african-children-denounce_n_324943.html
- Sometimes, the security measures that we have taken since 9/11 are a bit overboard, and illogical, disrupting lives and causing harm: http://www.npr.org/2011/09/07/140234451/under-suspicion-at-the-mall-of-america
- Luis Diaz was accused of rape by multiple women and put in jail. However, he was innocent. How did this happen? Read the article here: http://www.innocenceproject.org/Content/Luis_Diaz.php
- In India, a woman is burned to death for being a witch: http://in.reuters.com/article/2008/05/30/idINIndia-33828820080530
- In the 1950’s, Americans feared there were communist spies in the country who were going to unleash nuclear warfare on the country. There was a witch-hunt of sorts of people accusing each other of being communists. It was called The Red Scare (and was actually the reason Arthur Miller wrote “The Crucible”). Read a summary of the events here: http://www.essortment.com/red-scare-mccarthyism-21546.html
- In 2006, a dancer accused 3 Duke Lacrosse players of raping her at a party. The media jumped on the story, and her attorney, Mike Nifong made it a huge public issue, claiming the boys were cruel, racist criminals. The players were eventually found to be innocent--there was no evidence, DNA or otherwise, to support the woman’s claims. Read a detailed summary here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_lacrosse_case
- In the 1980’s, a number of adults were imprisoned for supposedly molesting children at a daycare center in California. It turns out the accused were innocent; they children had testified falsely after being given suggestions in interrogation rooms. Read about the incidents here: http://pedophileophobia.com/kern_county_child_abuse_cases.htm
- The government recently eased gun restrictions to allow weapons to be sold to criminals in Mexico, claiming that tracking the weapons would help them track down drug lords. They called the move the “Fast and Furious” campaign, and it didn’t go so well. The weapons ended up being used for great harm, even in killing American border guards. Read about the campaign in these two articles: http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/local_news/investigations/weapons-linked-to-controversial-atf-strategy-found-in-valley-crimes and http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/local_news/investigations/43-weapons-in-phoenix-traffic-stop-linked-to-atf-strategy
- A man, while protesting motorcyle helmet laws, died from head injuries after he fell off of his motorcycle: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2011-07-04-motorcycle-helmet-protest-death_n.htm?csp=34news
- A hungry pregnant woman in a grocery store grabbed a sandwich to eat, planning on paying for it on her way out, but forgot. She was put in jail and her 2-year-old was put into state custody for the night, sparking national outrage for her harsh treatment: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45103847/ns/us_news-weird_news/t/pregnant-mom-says-sandwich-arrest-was-horrifying/
- The TSA (Transportation Security Administration) made an old woman in a wheelchair undergo invasive searching, including the removal of her adult diaper, at an airport: http://www.newsherald.com/articles/mother-94767-search-adult.html
- A middle school made a boy take an American flag off of his bicycle because they received complaints: http://www.fox40.com/news/headlines/ktxl-americanflagbike11122010,0,3045879.htmlstory
- A school in the Chicago area is banning sweet snacks from lunches that kids bring from school: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-04-11/news/ct-met-school-lunch-restrictions-041 120110410_1_lunch-food-provider-public-school
- After a girl kissed a boy in physical education class at a Florida elementary school, the cops were called: http://www.thesmokinggun.com/buster/cops-called-for-school-kiss-657831
- A group of guys stole a lion carcass after some escaped zoo animals were shot and killed in Ohio; they were subsequently arrested: http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/lion-carcass-theft-charges-432891
- A woman stole a hearse (a vehicle used to transport coffins) with a corpse in the back of it: http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/female-hearsejacker-234567
- A fake doctor was using a mixture of cement and tire rubber for plastic surgery enhancements: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_BOTCHED_BUTTOCKS_SURGERY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-11-20-14-59-19
- A group of atheists are demanding a memorial cross be removed from a military base: http://www.military.com/news/article/2011/pendleton-memorial-cross-under-fire.html
- A couple archeologists, with no evidence to back their claims, are trying to assert that there used to be giant, dinosaur-eating squid: http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2011/10/the-giant-prehistoric-squid-that-ate-common-sense.ars
- In Detroit, because of a lawsuit, the city built 13 wheelchair ramps on sidewalks that were never used, in bad repair, or in some cases, to no sidewalks at all: news.http://detcom/article/20111028/OPINION03/110280374/Obeying-rules--Detroit-builds-wheelchair-ramps-to-nowhere
- A teenager in California applied for a job at a store and then shoplifted from that very store: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/11/santa-clarita-teenager-shoplifts.html
- On Black Friday, a woman pepper-sprayed a crowd to increase her odds of getting good deals at Wal-Mart: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=157&sid=18221638&title=woman-pepper-sprays-other-black-friday-shoppers-
- An 85-year-old woman is strip-searched and injured by TSA agents at an airport: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/lenore-zimmerman-85-hurt-strip-search-tsa-agents-jfk-airport-article-1.986198
- A man is arrested whose car was filled with pot smoke--while his 2-year-old son was in the back seat: http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2011/12/01/father-accused-of-hotboxing-son-in-car/
- A woman killed a friend over a debit card and then hid her body under Christmas presents under the Christmas tree: http://charlotte.cbslocal.com/2011/12/05/woman-accused-of-leaving-dead-friends-body-under-christmas-presents/
- A robber mugs an Ultimate Fighter and ends up getting beaten up badly and shooting himself in the leg: http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/12/05/robbing-ultimate-fighting-expert-proves-to-be-bad-decision/
- A 7-year-old boy who kicked a bully in the groin is accused of sexual harassment and disciplined accordingly at his school: http://boston.cbslocal.com/2011/12/05/7-year-old-accused-of-sexual-harassment-transferred-to-new-school/
