Derek - Final Post

Introduction:

My name is Derek. I recently moved back to Kentucky in July. I’ve taken a few English classes before but they did not transfer when I transferred to EKU. As of now EKU has yet to specify if I am a junior or senior due to my late admission. This is my first semester here and although things are a bit different, I was never caught off guard or overwhelmed by the workload of this class. I have always enjoyed history and enjoyed several of the readings. In my time throughout college I have learned there are two types of classes. First are your classes that remind you of high school that only focus on the grade of the exam. You can walk out at the end of semester able to do a 100% brain dump without thinking twice; and there are the rare few classes that force you to think. This was one of those classes. Too often we allow ourselves to be a part of the herd and to be influenced by the first opinion we hear on TV or from friends or family. Great individuals do not come from the common, as we have seen just from the readings in this class. This blog is breakdown of my role and views as an individual in today’s society.

Government:

My sticker from the last election day

We would like to believe that a government could be run under the full knowledge and acceptance of its people or without the need for military presence or war. But this is a common fallacy. I do not feel that running a government should be about appeasing every person within it. I believe we elect our leaders to bring us the greatest common good to everyone in our society. This requires things that have to be done under that table to ensure the safety and guarantee of our continuing way of life. Freedom is not free. As much as we wish we could all live in a peaceful world the truth is that there are thousands of people that wish to destroy us and our way of life, simply because of who we are. Our leaders and our government cannot be soft. If we are truly going to maintain our way of life we must be in the mindset that we are not in our own protective bubble and our way of life can change at any moment. Machiavelli mentioned always being prepared for war, “A prince, therefore, must not have any other object nor any other thought, nor must he take anything as his profession but war.” (39)

This does not have to include war with other countries but internal wars as well. We the American people are currently struggling and surging for change. We hear about Occupy Wall Street movements, and the rise of taxes to benefit those in power and other similar incidents in the news today. Our constitution begins “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity…” It is our duty as American’s to continue doing just so. The very first step is ensuring that our leaders are properly elected. I believe that it is everyone’s responsibility and should be a primary role of being a citizen of the United States to vote. Gandhi stated; “the truth is that power resides in the people and it is entrusted for the time being to those whom they may choose as their representatives” (141). If you do not vote then your voice is not heard and you become little more than an animal living geographically on this continent. It goes completely against what our founding fathers fought for and what this country stands for. I personally support our government 100%. I fought in the Iraq War. I don’t always agree with what is happening but I feel that if things ever crossed the line too far, I will fight to maintain our way of life physically or politically on this soil as I was willing to do overseas. It is our government, our responsibility. If something is wrong, the blame is on us.

Wealth and poverty:

We shouldn't ignore this

The fight between the wealthy and the poor is nothing new. Some of the earliest civilizations that I have ever learned about in history have had issues with this topic. I never had much growing up and have had to scrape to get buy. I was not able to buy my all books this semester until the week after midterms. Not that I have a lot of bills or that I am in debt, it was just the life I was born into. My family and I get by buy helping each other. I don’t blame anyone. I don’t think your amount of wealth is something you should be ashamed of, or value. It doesn’t measure the man or woman that you are. I don’t mind that there are rich people. I think there should be some separation. Those who honestly worked for their earnings usually deserve what they have and I won’t look harshly at them for that. I do feel that there should be more camaraderie among us though. There should be no reason to despise each other for what we have or do not have. If I see a homeless person without shoes I’ll give him some grocery money to go buy some shoes, and I have. Real riches do not come in the form of money or things. Automatically assuming that all homeless are drunks and all wealthy are stubborn and cutthroat is just foolish. Assumptions are not problems, and we too often get caught up with assumptions of matters regarding wealth and poverty instead of looking at the actual causes and problems related to it. Just because you don’t have a lot of money doesn’t mean that all hope is lost. I have a job lined up with the FBI as soon as I graduate. I have had to work hard, and it will pay off in the end. That is life. Don’t waste all your time you could using to better your situation by pointing fingers. “An affluent society that is also both compassionate and rational would, no doubt, secure to all who needed it in the minimum income essential for decency and comfort.” ~Galbraith (412)

Justice:

Justice scales influenced by the judge

This is a very hard topic for me to discuss personally. We covered many different approaches to this topic during this class covering national and international situations. I do not particularly believe in absolutes, as in a ‘this is right’ or ‘this is wrong.’ I feel it all based on the scenario and the variables involved. In regards to justice, I feel that it is little more than a word used to justify our actions for we believe is right. We covered Middle Eastern stoning events. It is easy for us to see that from one side and scream cruelty, but the ones executing this punishment believe with all their hearts that it their deaths were just. Every situation has two sides and it is incredibly easy to become dogmatic. Martin Luther King Jr. rallied against the laws of segregation for a cause. He was imprisoned numerous times, and eventually killed. Many see him as man of God, a man with ideals, and was a strong leader. King was also a criminal in the eyes of the law at the time (213). He was a nuisance, and caused numerous financial losses to businesses due to his and his follower’s public demonstrations. Henry David Thoreau refused to pay taxes to fund the Mexican War (173). He is considered the father of peaceful civil disobedience. Hitler was a freedom fighter that was shot, imprisoned and presumed dead trying to fight for the rights of the German people before attaining his power (220). Osama bin Laden used to be an ally of the United States. There is always going to be opposition to what you believe is right and just. Everything can be broken and bent and contorted. When you do make your decision to act, or to remain silent, just remember you have to live with those actions.

Ethics/Morality:

Our individual ethics and morals are something that we are taught. Often at a very young age from our parents and our surroundings, and they develop overtime when introduced to situations, beliefs, and people. We also tend to shape and change them to fit with who we are and how we see ourselves. A lot of times I have heard, “as long as you do the right thing…” I feel that if we live by our own ‘code’ it will generate self sustaining happiness. Aristotle said, “The life of those active in virtue is intrinsically pleasant. For besides the fact that pleasure is something belonging to the soul, each man takes pleasure in what he is said to love…” (696), and later adds, “For the same reason there are many who wonder whether happiness is attainted by learning, or by habituation or some other kind of training, or whether it comes by some divine dispensation, or even by chance.” (703)

One person divided in two on ethics and morals

There is such a thing as false happiness. I don’t think you can find happiness by constantly chasing the approval of others for example. I feel that constantly drinking alcohol every weekend is also a product of false happiness. In a way you are running in circle. Live till the weekend and forget it all, just to do again next week, and again after that, and after that, and so on. The Dalai Lama says “I believe that every human being has an innate desire for happiness and does not want to suffer.” (5) That statement can’t be any truer. I fear that some people chase after happiness without ever really looking at what makes them really happy in the first place. Unfortunately.

Individual:

The freedom to be an individual is a rare thing. If you have the opportunity to express yourself freely you should not hesitate to do so. Great men and woman in history never came from the social norm. Every author we have read in this class proves that. Nobody should be satisfied with being a product of their environment. Your environment should be a product of you. Emerson wrote, “In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts: they come back to us with certain alienated majesty.” (260) Striving to be your own person is something you should always do your best to do. It is easy to fall back and become a bystander to events or actions. Even if you do form an opinion or idea it takes great strength to execute it.

Everything I have ever achieved in my life is because I decided to not listen to what others around me were telling me. Every step of the way has been ridiculed and returned with little support. But I refuse to listen to the masses. I used to be a terrorist investigator in Iraq when I was told I wouldn’t amount to anything after high school. I support myself right now college without others aid. I’ll soon use my skills in the FBI to take down criminals here in the United States. There is not a soul, group of people or organization that is going to stop me from achieving this goal and being the person I want to be.

The rarest of individualism

We all need to maintain this attitude on life. Don’t ever limit yourself from your full potential. Do not every plan to execute your Plan B. If you do, you are already planning on to fail. This look on life not only takes you places, but has to the potential to change a nation. “I am not interested in freeing India merely from the English yoke. I am bent upon freeing India from any yoke whatsoever.” (142) ~ Gandhi.

Conclusion:

Finally, I feel that overall the class wasn’t bad. Reading the author’s works did bring in a lot of various perspectives on topics that, in their own time, are still relevant to today. I do wish that there was more discussion instead of simple note taking after an assignment had been read. With the controversies and bold opinions of these authors I feel that it would only be beneficial to have an open discussion about the piece and not simply leave it at what the author was discussing.

Sources:

Aristotle. “Aim of Man”. Ed. Lee Jacobus. A World of Ideas
                New York: Bedford St. Martins, 2000. (691-712)

Emerson, Ralph Waldo. “Self-Reliance”. Ed Lee Jacobus. A World of Ideas
                New York: Bedford St. Martins, 2000. (255-269)


Galbraith, John Kenneth. “The Position of Poverty.” Ed. Lee Jacobus. A World of Ideas
                New York: Bedford St. Martins, 2000. (405-417)

King Jr., Martin Luther. “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” Ed. Lee Jacobus. A World of Ideas
                New York: Bedford St. Martins, 2000. (211-231)

Lama, Dalai. Ed. Nicholas Vreeland. An Open Heart

Machiavelli, Niccolo. “The Qualities of the Prince”. Ed. Lee Jacobus. A World of Ideas
                New York: Bedford St. Martins, 2000. (37-54)