Too long; Didn't Read - Watch this video about Fahrenheit 451

By Jack Collins

Created by AcademicEarth.org

Ray Bradbury wrote his dystopian classic Fahrenheit 451 at the height of McCarthyism and Cold War paranoia. In the novel, Guy Montag is employed as a fireman who burns books. The whole of American society has descended into a zombie-like stupor of instant gratification, and books are seen as challenging and disruptive relics, which must be destroyed at any cost.

Today, with the increasing proliferation of surveillance equipment in American cities, the spread of digital books and the decline of attention spans the world over, Fahrenheit 451 remains a startlingly relevant work of fiction today. Watch this video and be instantly gratified (irony alert) with your knowledge of Bradbury’s most famous novel.

(You should also read this article by Joe Chiarenzelli about the same book.) 

FEMEN: A Woman’s Savior

19 year old Tunisian woman: Amina Tyler

By Ruhi al-Ahmed

View the original article here

Upon reading Bitchtopia’s perfidious article ‘FEMEN: Flower-Crowned Islamophobia, I must admit that I, as a woman who was raised in the misogynistic Islamic culture here in the US, have become completely outraged. It’s disheartening and even humorous, to read articles from a Western liberated feminist on things she has never personally experienced. To be as blunt as possible, it’s insulting to any woman’s dignity regardless of their genetic makeup, religion, culture or political affiliation. Eva Trampka, the writer of ‘FEMEN: Flower-Crowned Islamophobia’ states, “Can white feminists help women of color who may be oppressed? Of course… FEMEN’s efforts to bring attention to Tyler’s plight are well-intentioned but their methods are ignorant.” Little does Trampka know or understand that her article being labeled as a work of feminism is barely “saving” us women. If anything, it is misleading and undermining the complexities of Middle Eastern and Islamic views and treatment of women – which is not the equivalent of how a woman here in the West is portrayed. Trampka introduces her piece with the following caption, “What do you get when you mix white women, flower crowns, racism and colonial imperialism?... FEMEN!” However, she constantly refers to the white feminist agenda to rescue women of color. That sort of mentality in itself is a simple form of imperialist thought. Amina Tyler is a woman of Tunisian descent and knows what she is fighting for. She’s already being silenced and punished by the Tunisian government. We don’t need White Western feminists to promote this Islamic policy that goes against a woman’s independent judgement.

An Incorrigible Rant

 by

 Joe Chiarenzelli

Prepare, my friends (for rhetorical purposes), for a rant. If you have no interest in one I direct you to the “X” in the upper right corner of your screen and if you are using some sort of mobile device I don’t know how to tell you to close the window, but do that. We are about to embark on a trip through my head and hopefully society’s doldrums, the mundane and banal realities of modern American life. Exit if you must.

If the Bible is wrong about the flood...

By Sean Ewart

This never, ever happened.

I know the Genesis flood narrative has been hacked over so many times another article debunking the myth might be overkill. On the other hand, tens of millions of Americans still believe in the literal truth of the Bible and some people are still scouring the mountains of Turkey looking for the remains of Noah’s ark, so it’s worth taking another swing. 

Rape Talk at the University of Albany's Women's Studies Department

 By Sean Ewart

We were instructed to write, on a small piece of paper ripped out of a notebook, whether or not we had been sexually assaulted or knew someone who had and then pass the paper to one of the instructors, who shuffled them and handed them out again so nobody knew whose paper they had.

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

The Gadfly Press Debate Series

Part Three: Closing Statements. 

You're wrong about why Christian kids are leaving the faith

An open letter to American Protestants,

You’re losing your youth. One in three Americans under 30 have no religious affiliation and the number is on the increase. Protestants are now a minority in the country, representing 48% of the population – down from 53% in 2007. And it’s not like your kids are leaving the church only to rejoin again after having their fun in college; the trend is slow but clear: America is becoming less Protestant, less Christian, and less religious. What are you doing wrong?

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ - The Gadfly Press Debate Series

Part Two: Rebuttals 

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ - The Gadfly Press Debate Series

Part One: Opening Statements

Introducing The Gadfly Press Debate Series!

This is more civilized that we care to be.

We’re going to be rolling out a Debate Series on The Gadfly Press that focuses on concise arguments, engaging topics and an easy-to-follow formula. 

The Gadfly Press wants to be an aggregate of thought-provoking voices and we want to encourage constructive argument – and we’re putting our money where our mouth is.

The Debate Series will feature 500-word introductions, and the chance for each writer to respond with two 300-word rebuttals. Essentially it’ll look like this:

Writer 1: Dinosaurs existed (500 words).       - Writer 2: I don’t think dinosaurs existed (500 words).

Writer 2: You’re wrong (300 words).             - Writer 1: No, you’re wrong (300 words).

Writer 1: Here’s why I’m right (300 words).  - Writer 2: Here’s why I’m right (300 words). 

And then, of course, writers and readers are invited to engage in the comments section until their fingers are worn to the bone. 

Over the years we’ve found debates to be the best way to distill the main point of anyone’s worldview – consider this cage-fighting for writers. We want to see what you think and why. 

Debates, we hope, will cover a multitude of topics. Whatever you’re interested in, so are we. If you know of anyone you’d like to see debate, or if you want to join in, let us know.