So. I have to write a research paper on a controversial subject to practice "argumentation" in my Advanced Lit class. Bleh. Pick a topic. Pick a side. Turn it in by spring break. Thanks, teacher. I always have this problem. So many people have already made decisions about what they think. Uh hello, it takes me half an hour to decide what I'm eating for breakfast--nonetheless what my opinions on politics are. On some level, that's an advantage. I'm not a daddy-quoting robot, or a rebellious walking label. Yay for breaking the cliché right? Sure. It still kinda sucks, 'cause I can justify two sides to many many things.

Kids my age are passionate about things. Andrew's writing his paper on political warfare, Justo's doing it on sexism in the school district. Some psycho in the back row thinks standardized tests are retarded--she's writing her paper on that! I can argue either side on pretty much every topic shouted out in class. And the worst part--if I did, I still wouldn't have an opinion on it.

My bio class held a debate on stem cell research. I argued against it, but every piece of information I used in that debate I could have rebutted and didn't fully agree with. Still won. I would've had the same problem had I argued for it. Either way, I didn't have an opinion--I just had information.

I took speech my freshman year, needed the credit. We had to choose a topic we were "passionate about" and persuade the class to think our way. Yay. I saw presentations on children in Africa, underage drinking, abortion. Ok. I can argue both sides of all of those. So I don't have an opinion. Is that bad? When my teacher told us we had to pick the first thing I said was "I call legalized pot!" Everyone laughed, yah, but I didn't actually do it. I don't care if pot's legal. It'd just be another way to tax you anyways. I ended up doing self-mutilation, and that it's wrong. Everyone really liked mine. I used my super pathos skills with my vivid imagery writing, threw in some statistics, and bam--A+. But come on...had I argued FOR self-mutilation they woulda shipped me off to the funny farm (not that I would).

So anyways. My point. I'm not ignorant. I'm indecisive. And I'm not gonna be the one to decide whether that's ok or not. ;)

Time to figure out a topic for my paper...

The thesis is due tomorrow.

*eye roll*