in class writing: 10/17/07

I can't really think of anything specific which would illustrate Royster's point. Ihave never been involved in such a discourse which crosses communal boundaries. Instead, I can say that my only subjective violations in the academic setting have occured when my morality has been challenged. So I guess in some small way, this eludes to what Royster is getting at. I have never left America and therefore, am not myself a minority here. My ethnic roots can be traced back to Ireland and Germany, but what is to say about that? Not much. I know that many of my relatives may have probably experienced what Royster refers to, but this still does not put me into a posture in which I can empathetically understand. Although I thought her article was at times counter-productive,I understand what her point is. No, I have never experienced the kind of violation she refers to, suffice to say that I do someday wish to experience it.

To answer your questions, I think her experiences reveal the obvious for me. That people can always be subdivided into different vocal communities, by which discourse outside of the communities may go misunderstood. Conversely, the community itself will be subjected to academic shelling. That difference however, I believe, should not be discarded as wasteful. Despite the subjective harm that may come from such a violation, I think it is what makes society great. I believe that this is how we learn to understand each other, and in doing so, human nature. This is what is to be gained. It is only lost if we neglect the things we experience or the stories were hear- this is what we all have to contribute to the "academic discourse community".