N-word question #2

I agree that it is a good thing to look at a problem from all sides. The best way to stop the usage of the word is to give people an understanding of the hatred behind the word and the hurt it had caused. In the book Nigger, there were many examples of the hurt that it caused. Some blacks lost court cases and were sentenced to death by juries that called them "niggers." In Boston Public, many of the kids did not fully understand both sides of the "nigger" issue, but discussing it helped them to see both the black and white points of view and to realize how powerful words can be. At abolishthenword.com, pictures of lynchings and other acts of violence portray the hate behind the word "nigger." I agree that it shouldn't be used towards people, but I do think it should be used in an educational setting so that people can understand its meaning, power, and place in history.

Should Congress bail out the Big Three automakers?

I agree with Mark J. Perry who says that the Big Three do not deserve a bailout. "A taxpayer bailout would only reward irresponsible behavior," he said. The United Auto Workers (UAW) gained high worker compensations in the 1970's, and now the companies can't afford to pay the pensions and health care of their workers. Poor planning and management have caused their major problems, and it is unfair that these businesses should be rehabilitated with taxpayers' money while other businesses face bankruptcy. Although I do think that unions have a very important role in protecting workers' rights, the UAW may have overstepped its boundaries and caused a lot of problems. The Big Three shouldn't be bailed out because that gives powerful companies the approval to be irresponsible because they know they can just be bailed out if they get in too deep.

N-word questions

1. "Nigger" is a hard word to define. It is a term used for a black person that has very negative and racist connotations. The word's semantics have changed over time. It started out just to mean a black person, but overtime it was used so negatively and with so much hatred that it has been transformed into one of the worst racial slurs in the English language. The word has also, in recent years, been used by blacks in a satirical or even positive way. To me, "nigger" is a racist term that I don't use, and I don't really have much experience with it at all. My mom, who grew up in Texas in the 60's and 70's grew up in a racist environment, and people would frequently refer to "niggers." People in the black community are a lot more sensitive to the word than white people are because they are on the receiving end of it. The meaning of "nigger" varies a lot depending on the context in which it has been used. Age, race, community, class, setting, and intent all factor into the different shades of meaning the word can take on.

2.I do not agree with Marla Hendricks from the show Boston Public. Since Danny Hanson was using the word "nigger" in an educational setting to try to understand it and not in a racist way, it doesn't matter that he was white. If he was black, others probably wouldn't have objected to it as much as they did. I think that the commercial TV show was an alright place to discuss the issue. The show hoped to get people thinking about the meaning of the word and other racial issues, and I believe it accomplished this.

The Republic

Plato wants to educate the guardians of his ideal republic so that they are both high-spirited and gentle. He proposes to do this by training both their souls and bodies. His curriculum consists of music, which includes literature, and gymnastics (physical training and sports). It is possible to blend these traits because I know many people who are good at music and sports. People can have two different qualities within themselves even if the qualities are completely different.
The elders are to rule the younger. The leaders are selected after being tested throughout their lives. They are put through many tests in order to see if they will make good leaders or not. If they prove themselves by remaining loyal to the State, always fulfilling their duties, and overcoming challenges, then they are chosen as leaders. The "myth of metals" reinforces this because it says that God made some people gold, some silver, and some brass. The gold are the guardians, the silver are the auxiliaries, and the brass are the husbandmen and artisans. The metal that makes up a person does not depend on what kind of metal a person's parents were. This means that each individual has his own talents and must prove himself if he wishes to become a leader.

Is Pakistan an Asset in the War on Terror?

I agree with Teresita C. Schaffer that Pakistan is an asset in the war on terror. Having Pakistan's cooperation in rooting out terrorism will be a huge help. It will benefit both the United States and Pakistan. The major problem is that their are conflicting groups within Pakistan, so contradicting policies are made. The country has many problems, but any support that they can give to the United States is better than none at all. Any help rooting out terrorists is valuable. If the United States works to make their relationship stronger with Pakistan and Pakistan becomes more stable, then the relationship between Pakistan and the United States will be even more important in the future.

Crito

1. The setting of Apology is in a courtroom full of many people, including the prosecution. The setting of Crito is in Socrates's jail cell. Only Socrates and Crito are there. In the first setting, Socrates had to defend himself against many enemies, but in the second one he explained to a friend his reasons for not escaping.
2. It would have been a harder decision for Socrates if he were young because he would not have as much experience and wisdom to make his choice. He also may have felt that he would be more valuable alive than dead because he would have more time to explain and defend his principles to others after he escaped.
3. Socrates was attached to Athens because it was his home, and he had grown up and been educated there. He felt, however, that nothing was more important than his principles, even Athens. Socrates is a martyr for both the Laws of Athens and the cause of philosophy. He wanted to help the Athenians to live better, more moral lives, and he also wanted to stick to his philosophy to the end.
4. Socrates believes that by escaping and breaking the laws, he would be confirming that the jury's verdict was correct and just.
5. Socrates's argument that it is wrong to harm others even they do you harm does make sense. It just like the Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Two wrongs don't make a right.

"Apology" questions

The charges against Socrates are that he "is an evildoer... who searches into things under the earth and in the heaven, and he makes the worse appear the better cause; and he teaches the aforesaid doctrines to others" (p.7). They are accusing him of being an atheist and teaching this to others and corrupting the youth.

Socrates's main arguments are that others are envious of him, and that they are angry at him for pointing out how unwise they really are. He also argues that he cannot be an atheist because he believes in spiritual entities and demigods. He says that he is only obeying God's command and standing up for what is right. He claims to be the gadfly of the Athenian people and awaken them to virtue.

Socrates believes that what he has done is right. He does not want to discredit himself by begging for forgiveness, promising to change, or using his wife and children to get pity. He wants to be brave and die as a martyr, which he feels is the only honorable thing to do in this situation.

Socrates did live and die by his own philosophy. There was no way he could have stuck to his philosophy and not been put to death once the trial began. Sometimes self-appointed martyrs are sticking to their beliefs, but not always.

There is virtue in being a martyr because it means that the person gave the ultimate sacrifice for his or her beliefs.

Socrates thinks that he is no wiser than others as far as knowledge goes, but he knows that he lacks knowledge and that his wisdom is not even close to God's, so that makes him a little wiser than most people.

Living by one's ethical principals is worth dying for. Socrates had a philosophy and the strength to stand by his beliefs even in the face of death. Depending on the situation and what was at stake, my ethical principals might also be worth dying for.

Electoral College

The Electoral College has both its pros and its cons. The pros of the Electoral College, as stated by Michael Hough, are that it ensures that less-populated states are not overwhelmed by big states and that the winning presidential candidate has a broad range of support from many regions of the country. It does this by forcing candidates to get at least 270 electoral votes, which means they must get votes from large and small states from all over the country, not just from several populous states in one region of the country. The Electoral College is also a part of the Constitution. The cons of the Electoral College, as explained by Mathew Spearman, are that a person's vote does not necessarily count towards the person he or she voted for, the majority does not always rule under the system, and the swing states are more important to the candidates than the other states. Currently, when voters vote in a presidential election, they are not voting for the president. Instead, they are voting for a group of electors that will vote for their candidate. If a person's candidate does not win in his or her state, then the vote, essentially, didn't actually count towards the actual election of the president. In 2000, George W. Bush won the most electoral votes but not the most popular votes, so a majority of Americans actually voted against him. Another argument against the Electoral College is that it protects swing states. States that usually vote Republican or Democrat are more likely to be written off by candidates while the swing states become the main focus of the campaigns. This does not give states that aren't swing states as much voice in the election.
I can see both sides of the argument about the Electoral College. On one hand, it does protect small states and force candidates to have support from many different regions of the country, but on the other hand, it does not allow people to directly vote for the president, the majority might not always rule, and swing states are protected while others are ignored. I am not sure which side I am on, but right now I am leaning towards getting rid of the Electoral College. Whatever the senators decide, they should carefully think about each side of the argument.

Law and Justice

According to the article, "Law and Justice," laws create order and stability, but that is not all that we want in life. There is also a strong desire for justice. Obedience to every law may bring temporary stability, but it won't necessarily bring justice. For example, Hitler's followers obeyed his laws and orders, but these laws were very unjust and evil. They were eventually in a situation of complete chaos.
The article poses the question, "Where is our greater obligation: to law or to justice?" The author feels that in some cases, civil disobedience is a better choice than following an unjust law. I agree with the author because many rights in our country were gained through civil disobedience. For example, women won the right to vote through civil disobedience. Another example, of civil disobedience is the Civil Rights Movement. In both cases, the protesters willingly accepted their punishments and were peaceful about the whole thing. In order to have a peaceful and fair society, we need both law and justice, and sometimes that involves breaking the law.

Inherit the Wind

"He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind, and the fool shall be servant to the wise in heart." -Proverbs 11:29
Inherit the Wind is the title of this play because it is part of a quote from the Bible that is quoted twice in the book, and it describes a major theme of the play. The quote basically means that if a person brings trouble to his family, then he will gain nothing and be a fool. It means the person will be left with nothing but "hot air." The title is a good one because it ties in with the religious issues in the play, and it describes some of the major characters in the play. The first time the verse is quoted, it is said by Brady to Reverend Brown. Reverend Brown represents a religious fanatic who doesn't really follow the teachings of forgiveness from the Bible. He even condemns his own daughter. When Brady quotes the verse, he is basically calling Brown a fool. The second time, the verse is quoted by Drummond after the trial is over and Brady has unexpectedly died. Drummond thinks that the reporter, Hornbeck, is a fool for stirring up trouble in the country. Inherit the Wind is a good title because it sums up a major theme of the play: that bringing trouble on one's own family or people will accomplish nothing and only make the person into a fool.

Political Survey Results

The results of the surveys I took were pretty consistent. All of the surveys except for one indicated that I was a democrat or agreed with Barack Obama. The other survey said I was a centrist. The surveys also pretty consistently showed that when it comes to economics, I lean more to the Republican side, but on all other issues I lean more to the Democratic side. My results didn't really surprise me because I already knew I was more conservative when it come to money and more liberal when it comes to social issues. I'm kind of in the middle of the political spectrum. I don't really know if the survey were biased or not, but some of them were really technical and confusing.

Intelligent Design

Intelligent Design and Darwinism should both be taught in schools. Teachers do not have to advocate one or the other, but kids should be exposed to both theories. While parts of Darwinism are strongly supported by data, other areas are not, such as how did life first begin. These answers could possibly be filled in by Intelligent Design. Teachers can inform students about Intelligent Design without advocating a religion or revealing who they think the "Designer" is. Teachers would only be making the information available so that students could draw their own conclusions. Whether or not an individual personally agrees with the theory, it should at least be brought up so that students are aware of it.

Should Promoting Democracy Abroad Be a Top U.S. Priority?

Yes, promoting democracy abroad should be a top U.S. priority. Democracies have not only been historically less likely to fight wars with other democracies, but they also tend to have faster economic growth than non-democracies. According to Joseph Siegle in "Developing Democracy: Democratizers' Surprisingly Bright Development Record," low income democracies have better living standards than autocracies. He says that the democracies that do the best are the ones that have checks and balances on the executive and other branches of government. Countries that have democracy also tend to have stronger systems of accountability than autocratic states. Becoming a democracy can be very difficult for third-world nations, but if done successfully, it is a benefit to the country and the world. Promoting democracy promotes peace and economic growth in the world.

Torture

Is it justifiable to put suspected terrorists under great physical duress?

Charles Krauthammer believes that the lives saved by the information extracted from terrorists justifies the use of torture to obtain that information. On the other side, Andrew Sullivan argues against the necessity and effectiveness of torture. I agree with Sullivan that it is not justifiable to put suspected terrorists under great physical duress. In Sullivan's article "The Abolition of Torture," he speaks out against politicians like George W. Bush who endorsed torture because of a "military necessity." According to Sullivan, torture is "cruel, human, and degrading," not something that the U.S. should be a part of if it claims to want peace and justice in the world. Torture is not only morally wrong, but also goes against the basic principles of freedom that the United States was founded on. It takes away people's self liberty. Another argument against torture is that it yields highly unreliable information. People being tortured are willing to say anything just to make the torture stop, even lies.
We need to stick to our principles and stop the torture. If we don't, how will American prisoners of war be treated in the future. We are being hypocrites and going against the fundamental principles America was founded on.

Dead Teen Walking

The article "Dead Teen Walking" and the novel White Fang both give evidence that environment and society have a huge impact on our actions. In "Dead Teen Walking," a study was described which found that most minors on death row had a very rough childhood and were in minority groups. "But in addition to the racial imbalance of the death row population that Hawkins cites, experts say juvenile offenders on death row are often the victims of recent, horrible child abuse." White Fang is beaten and abused, and he is turned into a killer. "They were his environment, these men, and they were molding the clay of him into a more ferocious thing than had been intended by Nature."
Another similarity between "Dead Teen Walking" and White Fang is the fallible and sometimes unjust judicial system in America. In "Dead Teen Walking," Shareef Cousin claims that he is innocent and in fact, has some witnesses that support his story. He says that he has been unfairly condemned. In White Fang, an escaped convict who had been convicted by Judge Scott, attempts to murder him. This convict was unfairly convicted, revealing the imperfect nature of the judicial system. This convict is now bent on revenge because he has been pushed too far.
I strongly disagree with teens being put on death row. First of all, judges and juries can make mistakes, and once a person is dead, they can never be given their life back. Secondly, most of the teens sentenced to death are minorities. This suggests that their is strong prejudice towards blacks and Latinos, and it is unfair that they are not given as many "second chances" as white teens are given. Lastly, many of the teens that have committed horrible crimes, were brutally abused as children and have suffered many physical and psychological damages. Since they are so young, there is hope that, with help, they could overcome their problems and lead productive lives. Everyone deserves that chance. White Fang definitely supported my view of capital punishment being wrong. It showed how society can shape criminals and that the judicial system isn't perfect. Nobody should have the right to take away another person's life, even a hardened criminal's.

What Makes Us Moral

The article "What Makes Us Moral" by Jeffrey Kruger, described many different studies and theories about human morality. It was a very interesting article. It said that humans have a natural instinct of morality from the time they are born. We have to be taught how to apply it by others though. The article also compared human behavior to the actions of animals. The ways animals act, and the ways people act are often very similar. For example, both empathize, and both shun as a form of punishment against unacceptable behavior. The article also described experiments involving moral issues and the human brain. Certain areas of the brain become stimulated when faced with tough moral questions. One of the main reasons, according to the article, that humans stray from morality is that they have a tribal instinct where they will help others within their group, but they do not empathize with others. The article was very informative and gave many different theories for what makes us moral.

Where I Was on September 11th

September 11, 2001 started out like any other typical day. I woke, got ready, went to school. I remember my 5th grade teacher coming into the room and telling us that two planes had crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City. My best friend and I looked at each other with wide eyes, but at the time we thought it was some kind of strange accident. I had never even heard of the World Trade Center before. During lunch, everybody was talking about the news. I heard from some other kids that a plane had also crashed into the Pentagon in Washington D.C. There were rumors of war and terrorists, but it was all really confusing. When my mom picked me up after school, she asked me if I had heard the terrible news. For the rest of the day we had our eyes glued to the TV, watching the horrible scenes play over and over again. I remember being afraid a plane would hit close to home or would kill my cousin who lived in Washington D.C. It was the first time I had really paid attention to the news and national and world events, and it has impacted the rest of my life ever since.