This one-shot is dedicated to Cassidy Herrera, my loyal and funny author buddy, mizunderstood24, my funny and very amusing author buddy, DREAMCOLE, my also very loyal and Mr.-Idea-Guy pal, and Sage of the Dragons, my church and Canadian buddy. You guys are awesome!
"What I mean is that it's wrong to impose morality on people. Truth should be left up to the individual. Right and wrong should be left up to the individual," Mr. Carlson informed. Cassidy shot her arm up in the air. Mr. Carlson sighed.
"Yes, Miss Wolfgang? Do you have a question?"
"Yes. You're saying it's wrong to impose morality on people?"
"Yes. I hope I've made that clear."
"Then how can you say it's wrong to impose morality on others? You can't say something is wrong if it's to say something is wrong." The class looked at one another and snickered. Mr. Carlson cleared his throat, silencing the giggling students.
"I said right and wrong should be left up to the individual and I stand on that."
"Well, I don't think you believe what you're saying."
"Well, of course I do, and so should you."
"Uh, excuse me?" Cassidy stated, raising her hand again. Mr. Carlson sighed again and said, "Yes, Miss Wolfgang?"
She smiled sweetly and stated, "Mr. Carlson, you keep using the word should. Truth, and right and wrong, should be left up to the individual; I should believe what you're saying. I should. Doesn't that mean you're imposing your morals on me, your sense of what I should and should not do?"
"I'm telling you what's right. That's my job, my duty!" snapped Mr. Carlson.
"So what if I said I didn't see it your way? Am I wrong?"
"In that case, of course you are."
"Then you don't believe right and wrong should be left up to the individual."
"Oh, yes I do! I believe all viewpoints are equally valid."
"With all due respect, sir, no, you don't."
"Miss Wolfgang. How can you say I believe something other than what I say I believe?"
"If you really believed that all viewpoints are equally valid, you wouldn't be arguing with me."
"I'm not arguing with you!"
"Yes, you are."
"No, I'm not!"
"Yes, you are."
"No, I'm—"
The class blasted into a roar of laughter. Mr. Carlson's face turned bright red. He glared at Cassidy for a few moments then snapped, "Class, silence! Now, class, remember that Miss Wolfgang is a Bible fanatic. It's your right to believe in whatever you want. But we have to be careful: Anytime a person argues from strong, personal convictions, you have to question the way he or she sees things."
"Then we should question you," Halinor stated from behind Cassidy.
"But I'm not speaking from personal convictions."
"Then Cassidy's right. You don't really believe what you're saying."
"That's my whole point. You don't believe what you're telling us," Cassidy pointed out.
"So why should we listen to you?" Halinor questioned.
"Oh, but you're wrong, I do believe it!" Mr. Carlson spat.
"Then you're speaking from convictions," Halinor pointed out.
"No, I'm not!" Mr. Carlson barked.
"And you're telling us we're wrong! I thought that was up to us to decide," Halinor replied.
"I'm not—" The class yet again roared with laughter. Mr. Carlson lifted his hands up to silence the class.
"Listen. I'm simply saying that it's wrong to think one's person's viewpoint is morally superior to any other person's viewpoint."
"See? You're saying something is wrong," Cassidy said.
"Of course I am. Absolutely!"
"So now you believe in absolutes.
"I do not! There are no absolutes."
"That in itself is an absolute statement," Halinor chuckled.
"Everyone should be able to believe whatever they want!" Mr. Carlson reasoned.
"Then why are you arguing with us?" Cassidy questioned.
"I am not!" Mr. Carlson shouted.
"But you do think your viewpoint is superior to ours?"
"What I am trying to say is no one's moral opinion is valid because we all speak from how we've been indoctrinated."
"Well, I guess that would apply to you as well, which means what you've just said isn't valid either."
Mr. Carlson threw his hands up into the air in frustration. "Oh, here we go again, another right-wing fundamentalist making bold assertions of fact!"
"Pardon me, but didn't you just make a bold assertion of fact?" Halinor asked.
"You can't tell anybody they're wrong is what I've been trying to say for the last ten minutes."
"Then am I wrong in doing so?" Cassidy replied.
"You have no right to say truth is external! We all create our own reality!"
"Then I'm your fault," she snickered.
"Look, the bottom line is there is no right; there is no wrong," Mr. Carlson tried to explain.
"Then is that statement right or wrong?" Cassidy questioned.
"Ohh no! You're not going to get me to fall into another debate. I'm not falling for that again!"
"So I guess you won't be grading our papers either." Just then the whole class broke into whoops and cheers.
Mr. Carlson narrowed his eyes and said in a low voice. "Well, I do know one thing is absolute. You and Miss Durano are spending the afternoon in detention!"
"I thought I could believe whatever I wanted," Halinor smirked.
"Oh no, Halinor. He means he can believe whatever he wants. We just need to follow him like a bunch of lemming," Cassidy joked back.
Halinor and the rest of the class burst out laughing. Mr. Carlson's face flushed.
Total score adding up, Halinor said mentally.
Cassidy and Halinor: 10. Carlson: 0, Cassidy mentally laughed.
They smiled. Mission accomplished.
