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In what way have reading and reflecting on these questions
influenced your original conclusion regarding whether Adnan Syed should
have been found “guilty” or “not guilty”? Do you believe that the standard of
proof beyond a reasonable doubt was met in Syed’s case? Do you think that he
was guilty of murdering Lee? Explain your reasoning process in answering both
questions.

1. What role, if any, do you think prejudice plays in the
criminal justice system? What tools can critical thinking offer to help
lessen the effect of prejudice?
2. Explain whether you believe that the research strategies
lawyers use to select the “right” juries for their cases undermine the
fairness of the justice system. Should jurors be questioned about their
prejudices, as Grenier believes?

1. Describe in specific detail an important problem you
solved recently
2. Explain how you went about solving the problem. What were
the steps, strategies, and approaches you used to understand the problem and
make an informed decision?

Have you noticed in your own life that it’s easier to move
quickly around the Web than to spend concentrated time reading a book or
lengthy article? Write an extended essay or letter? Concentrate on an issue or
problem for an extended period of time? Describe your experiences with both
surfing the Web and reading books and lengthy articles in this regard.

The author notes that “The Web has been a godsend to me as a
writer. Research that once required days in the stacks or periodical rooms of
libraries can now be done in minutes.” Do the powerful advantages of using the
Internet necessarily mean that we have to sacrifice our ability to read deeply
and think reflectively?

Imagine that you are the president of your college and that
you want students to use the full power of the Internet in their education, but
you also wish them to develop their abilities to think deeply, concentrate, and
contemplate. Using the problem-solving method in this chapter, analyze this
problem and develop some practical solutions for dealing with this challenge

Dan Baum, in his article “The Price of Gun Control,”
contends that in our efforts to curb violence in America we are making a
mistake by focusing on guns. He states: “It’s true that America’s rate of
violent crime remains higher than in most European countries. But to focus on
guns is to dodge a painful truth. America is more violent than other countries
because Americans are more violent than other people. . . . by obsessing over
inanimate pieces of metal, we avoid looking at what brings us more often than
others to commit violent acts.” Do you agree that “Americans are more violent
than other people”? Should we be focusing on gun control in our efforts to curb
violence? Why or why not?

Wayne LaPierre, the CEO of the NRA, believes that the way to
prevent massacres in schools is not by “demonizing lawful gun owners,” but by
placing armed officers in every school, contending that “The only thing that
stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.” He also argues that much
of the blame rests on the producers of vicious, violent video games and slasher
films. How would you critically evaluate his claims and the reasoning upon
which they are based?