Essential Questions: 1. How does energy production impact place? 2. How does your sense of place, environmental ethic and understanding of our energy needs influence your perception and decisions regarding energy production
Sense of Place Essay:
Reverence to the River
Abstract: A feeling of complete contentedness floods my body as the waves of the river roll under me. The sun beats down on my bare back and the wind sweeps up the river carrying the smell of heat and simplicity. It softly follows the curves of the land and brings me along with it. When I was younger, yes, I loved the river with all my heart, but not like this. I never had the luxury to decide whether or not I wanted to love the river. I didn’t choose to be thrown into the play-pen, strapped to the front of my family’s raft at only eight months old. And now I find myself here, in the present, with a love for the river like nothing I have ever experienced, a love where every cell of my being craves the river’s serenity, but also its chaos.
Essay: My love of chaos did not start in the playpen, strapped to the front of Georgie, our 15 ½ foot, gray raft as my family bopped down the San Juan. I did not discover it as our boat drifted along winding curves splattered with insistent shrubs and kingdoms of ants on a canvas of heat and survival. I discovered my love for chaos in the king of all canyons: The Grand Canyon. A landscape lined with enduring canyon walls tower above like unyielding skyscrapers. The river moves with a sense of purpose that never wavers or reconsiders but instead surges, full steam ahead, retaining the same goal- downstream. My love for the river is not the kind of love where you crave its each and every feature. In all honesty, I am terrified of the river. My soul petrifies with fear when my imagination explores the river’s potential. The river is an unbounded power, taunting humans with the challenge to survive. There is a moment of complete lawlessness when the boat is in the midst of chaos; time simply melts into the waters and I am caught in the infinity of a few raw seconds. My soul craves this rush. The Canyon has injected its magic into my bloodstream and at the first drop, I was hooked. I have watched it do some fairly remarkable things to the individual. It can cradle a broken soul and return it- shiny and new or flow into your heart as smoothly and quickly as love or loss. It can scoop you up in a tight embrace until you decide to go or extinguish strangers’ differences and replace them with an unbreakable bond. Some might call it magic. ***** It’s coming. I know it is coming. My anticipation swells. The roar echoes, eager to transform the present. A lion waits to close its jaw around us. Utter fear shoots through my veins and travels to my brain where images of carnage and treachery appear. Water droplets spit sporadically from the mouth of the beast. A tongue waits patiently, ready to lure us in. It licks the sides of our boat and mocks the little courage I have. I swear I can hear its taunting voice echoing on the sheer canyon walls. The moment of calm before the storm fills me up with a flicker of hope. Chaos follows and I surrender to the waters.
My first experience on the river began when I was still babbling incomprehensible words and chewing on whatever object was in my hands. Our boat bounced down the San Juan River, child play pen in front and brave parents in back. This continued through pre-school, then elementary, then middle school and suddenly I find myself here, in the present, doing the exact same thing. So if it isn’t obvious, I never really had the choice to love the river or not. I never had the choice to be bounced around in the 3x5 playpen for seven days.
I have felt my relationship with the river grow along with my body. Seventeen years of maturation has nurtured and transformed it into what it is today. A feeling of complete contentedness floods my body as the waves roll under me and the sun beats down on my bare back. The wind sweeps up the river carrying the smell of heat and simplicity. It softly follows the curves of the land and brings me along with it. When I was younger, yes, I loved the river with all my heart, but not like this, not like every cell of your being craves its serenity and also its chaos.
Sadly though, my soul yearns to experience the free river. Nature’s battle with humanity continues to churn and change. The dam that precludes the water of the Grand Canyon from its destined path fills my heart with disgrace. Disgrace for the humans who were bold enough to challenge nature. Disgrace for those who stood by and watched the destruction of the beauty and freedom of a free-flowing river. But also personal disgrace because I have found myself in a place some would call limbo. I hate the dam for the fact that it has stolen the purity of one of the most magical places on earth. That said, the dam does not, in any way, lessen my love for the river. So, here I have a force of nature that I find to be the most influential, familiar, and wonderful place, that is being robbed of its full potential due the human need for power which I utilize. But right now, at this point in my life, I can deal with that. I do not need to pour my heart and soul into one side of the issue. I do not need to polarize my views to make change. One day, I hope to experience the brilliance of the undammed river, but for now, I will make do with the stories and my imagination of the free river’s magic.
***** I can feel the power surge through my bones in a way I have never felt before. The power does not come from within. It comes from the oscillating, frothy mass of water beneath me. The river flows faster and more deliberately than any river I have ever encountered. The river is a powerful place.
Every turn and twist initiates a new beast for the boatman to slay. As the tip of the boat hits the crest of the wave, I suddenly realize how utterly powerless I am. The boatman is nowhere near defeating these waters; he is entering chaos willingly with the knowledge that he is powerless as well. This does not mean he stops fighting. He simply surrenders control and trusts in himself to sneak past the chomping jaws of the beast.
The river has flowed into the hearts of many but it has taken mine, holding it captive by the pulsing want for water, for waves, and for chaos. We, as humans, are ants scurrying around on a sidewalk of children. We are as powerless to the river as we are to the changing of the seasons or the rising of the sun. The river simply outranks us- in massivity, in age. We are a dot on the timeline of a river, a mere droplet consuming a split second of its lifetime. I respect the river for everything that it is. I respect it for everything that I am not. And so I will surrender to wise beast, accept its power, and enjoy the rush of chaos.
Take Action Project
Vision Statement: A place where every student has the opportunity to have a nutritional meal at school regardless of financial standing.
Mission Statement: We seek to create a system of programs which will ensure that every student in a position in which the can not afford a healthy lunch, will have one provided to them so that they may contribute all they can to their education, our community, and the culture of Animas High School.
I believe no one should be hungry at school. Hayden, Lawson, and I decided to create a fund for students who qualify for free or subsidized lunch. We used the all-school fundraiser to start this fund and then started a snack cart to keep the fund running. All profits from the snack cart go to the free and subsidized lunch fund. In addition to that, we are working to bring healthier lunches that create less waste to Animas.
Although our Take Action Project did not connect directly to environmental ethic, we took into account how much waste Animas produces everyday. Throughout this whole unit I have been substantially more aware of the impact I have on the earth. I think Animas definitely needs to take that into account as well. We are now working to reduce to waste that Animas produces as well as look to more local lunch options.
This project has made me much more aware of people around me. I was so unaware of the people at this school that are struggling financially. I now find myself more sensitive to other’s feelings and situations. Moving forward I would like to Animas become a place of equality for all scenarios and also reduce its foot print on the earth.
Documentation
Left: Hayden, Lawson, and I showing the Bird Feeder, which is a snack cart where all the profits go to the free and reduced lunch fund.
Right: a list of possible snack and prices for the Bird Feeder
Left: The food survey we made to ask Osprey what they would like to see for lunch and snack options in the following year.
Right: An email that shows the communication of the FOOD Committee members.
Below is the link to an article that was published in the Durango Herald. The article talks about Animas High School's fundraiser and the FOOD committee's actions:
Through the Take Action Project, Hayden, Lawson, and I impacted every student and teacher at Animas High School. Along with that we dramatically impacted about 30 Animas students who qualified for the free or subsidized lunch program.
Project Reflection:
This project had two major components, but was ultimately made up of many smaller assignments that guided our thinking to develop our own environmental ethic. Through many readings, guest speakers, seminars, and self inquiry we expanded our thinking and then completed both a Sense of Place Essay and a Take Action Project. The essay had to use elements of nature writing and also reveal the our environmental ethic to define our sense of place. The Take Action Project was designed for students to take action in the community and express our response to energy production and our own environmental ethic. This project could take form as an invention, event, or any other impactful action.
My process to figure out my sense of place was much simpler than uncovering my environmental ethic. I have always known my place is in nature. With just a small amount of thought about where I find I am happiest, I was able to define the river as my sense of place. For my environmental ethic, I entered the project believing I was some sort of an environmentalist. As we read other author’s environmental ethics I realized that I am not as much of an environmentalist as I initially thought. Looking back though, I am so thankful that I went through this process. I realized I had never directly and intentionally thought about my environmental ethic. I definitely gained a deeper understanding of my physiological feelings and am aware of so many new perspectives or stances that can be taken on an issue.
I am really proud of my Take Action Project. I feel really strongly about the cause and the impact it is having on the school is substantial. I strongly believe in equality and I am so glad I chose to put my energy into this cause. No one should be hungry at school. To me, this is a very straight forward idea. When I realized Animas High School did not have a free and subsidized lunch program, I was disgruntled. I am so glad I was able to do something about it and I hope that my program will remain at Animas for years to come.
In the beginning of the unit I did not see much of a connection between energy and place. By exploring the different kinds of relationships to place and community attachment I was able to understand the different ways people connect to place. I have never seen the different kinds of connections compared and put into categories. When they were laid out in this way I was able to see how energy impacts place much more easily. This expanded how I now think about place. There are many factors that impact place and energy can be a significant factor.
Native American Studies Project
Our assignment was to annotate a historical document or picture and make a legitimate claim about America's indigenous tribes. We had to take into account multiple perspectives and analyze the interaction between creative expression and human experience.
The relationship between the Ute and the US government slowly deteriorated as the government used deceptive measure to obtain Ute land. These measures were not as successful or speedy as the government had hoped because of the broad-minded and wise Chief Ouray and other Ute chiefs.
The Peace Medallion The Ute man on the right of the photograph is wearing a “peace medallion”(Kimball). In 1863, John J. Nicolay, secretary to President Abraham Lincoln, presented seven Ute leaders with a peace medal. He gave these medals to those of whom were most cooperative during the signing of the 1863 treaty that forced the Ute to give up all the the their land east of the continental divide (Chepita). Although Chief Ouray of the Utes is not present in the picture, Ouray was one of the recipients of a medal and was present for the singing of the 1863 treaty. Throughout his life he was known as a man of peace or "The White Man’s Friend” because he worked very hard to keep peace with the settlers and government. He was known among the Ute as one of the greatest leaders because of his rich characteristics of patience and diplomacy. His feelings were reflected in the actions of his tribe for multiple decades and can be seen in the dozen treaties that kept peace with the government (Reeve).
Contrast of Culture The difference in clothing is prominent. The two cultures side by side amplifies how differently each dressed. Although the Ute were fairly willing to cooperate with the government, they were not as willing to adapt their culture. Clothing was very symbolic and significant to the Utes and all other Native American Tribes. It was a symbol of their culture and their connection to nature. The use of animal hides and other earthly components were always present in Native American dress, but each tribe could be identified by their distinctive differences (Native Languages). Specifically, the Ute women became known for their beautiful quill work, which decorated their buckskin dresses, leggings, moccasins, and cradleboards (History of the Southern Ute). In meetings with the government, the Ute chiefs always wore very traditional clothing as a reminder that they were willing to negotiate but were also loyal to their tribe. They understood the tension between the government wanting to assimilate the tribes. The chief’s choice of clothing shows their understanding and knowledge of was a way to push against the government’s wishes.
Relationship Through Time For decades, the Utes viewed the whites as their ally. They watched the whites drive some of their old enemies out of the Colorado plains and enjoyed traveling up to Denver to trade hide and goods with the settlers. As time went on though, the whites became more and more numerous in Ute land. They began digging in their mountains and invading land. The government continually called the chiefs to meetings to negotiate property(Brown). Ouray and his wife made several visits to the nation's capital to meet with people of power including the president. (Reeve) Although the chiefs did everything they could to negotiate treaties to save land, the Ute watched as their terrain was slowly shrunk due to the government’s leverage with rations. At the time of the treaty of 1868, the chiefs were forced to be very cautious with their negotiations.
The Treaty of 1868 In 1863, the governor of Colorado Territory, John Evans, traveled to Conejos to meet with Ute chiefs. After a negotiation, the whites left owning all Colorado land east of the Continental Divide. The Utes retained the land west of the Continental Divide plus $10,000 of goods and $10,000 of provisions to be distributed annually for ten years.The Utes also recalled mineral rights and agreed not to molest any whites that may come to dig on their land. Five years later in 1868, the whites decided they had let the Utes keep too much land. Although it may not have been true, a white committee convinced The Indian Bureau that Utes were a nuisance and that they were wandering beyond their land and stealing cattle and goods from the whites. The committee’s public aim was to confine the Utes to a reservation; what they really wanted was the land that the Utes owned. The Indian Bureau sided with the white committee and invited the nine Ute chiefs to D.C. for a meeting. To add to the deception, the bureau showered the chiefs with many luxuries in the days preceding the meeting. The day of the conference, the whites announced that one chief must represent all other chiefs. Chief Ouray was chosen as the representative. Although the bureau presented their treaty with fancy maps and sophisticated words Ouray did not fall victim to the illusory, measures. The chief won the battle for 16 million acres of western slope forests, which was less than the Utes currently had, but considerably more than the politicians initially proposed (Brown).
Land Data In the beginning of the 19th century, the western Utes occupied about 23.5 million acres of land in Colorado and Utah. This is around 45 percent of the present state of Utah. However, though a series of treaties before and around the 1870’s, the Utes were confined to less than 10 percent of that area. Today, the Utes own 4.5 million acres throughout the Ouray and Unitah reservations. (Reeve) Over time, the Ute have suffered a major land loss. Much of this was due to treaties with the government that proposed land traded for rations, which the tribe was in dire need of. The government had an unfair advantage in the situation because of their amount of resources. The tribes were trading to survive while to government was trading for power and money. The difference in motive created a skewed system that left the Utes with little land. That said, the whites believed they we were leaving the Ute tribe with land that had no value. As it turns out, the land the Ute retained has made them the current wealthiest tribe in the United States.
Reflection
How do the historical experiences and ideologies of America’s indigenous tribes impact their contemporary identity? The identity of the America’s indigenous tribes is greatly sculpted by stereotypes. Their war scattered history has created a violent identity from the white man’s perspective. In addition, the contrast between Native American and white culture has historically made Native Americans looked down upon. The sophistication of white culture makes the Native American way seem animal-like.
How can an examination of multiple sources and perspectives lead to a more enlightened understanding of history and contemporary social, cultural and political realities? By looking at history from multiple perspectives, I was able to gain a much deeper understanding of the content. Although one source gives good insight for one specific perspective, there are countless of ways that the content can be interpreted. Looking at multiple perspectives also allows the reader to make a much more informed opinion about the content.
Where do history and creative expression intersect to reveal the human experience? Through this unit I learned that history cannot be told without bias. The merging of history and creative expression is a result of bias.
Works Cited Brady, Matthew. Ute Treaty-making Delegation Group Portrait Photo. 1868. Tom O. and H. Lucille Kimball Indian Collection, Center of Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College. Collection P 051: Dustin Kimball Photograph Collection, at FLC Center of SW Studies (full Page View). Web. 27 Feb. 2015. <http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/finding_aids/images/P051/P051013Page.htm>. Brown, Dee. ""The Ute's Must Go"" Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West. New York: H. Holt, 2007. 367-68. Print. "Chipeta: Ute Peacemaker." Chipeta Ute Peacemaker. N.p., 17 Feb. 2014. Web. 27 Feb. 2015. <https://chipeta.wordpress.com/tag/lincoln-peace-medal/>. "History of the Southern Ute." Southern Ute Indian Tribe. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2015. <https://www.southernute-nsn.gov/history/>. "Native American Indian Clothing and Regalia." Native American Clothing: Dance Regalia, Buckskin Dresses, and Other Traditional Indian Clothes. N.p., 2014. Web. 23 Feb. 2015. <http://www.native-languages.org/clothing.htm>. Reeve, W. Paul. "Chief Ouray." Utah History to Go. N.p., Jan. 1995. Web. 27 Feb. 2015. <http://historytogo.utah.gov/people/chiefouray.html>.
The Massacre at Wounded Knee - Historical Inquiry
Our assignment was to create an original textbook passage that explains the Massacre at Wounded Knee fairly and accurately by analyzing a number of primary sources. Afterwards we watched a narrative version of the massacre (Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee) and wrote a film analysis. We ended with a reflection of the whole process:
Textbook Passage
The Massacre at Wounded Knee took place on December 29, 1890 at Wounded Knee Creek on the Lakota Reservation of South Dakota. Tensions had been increasing between the Native Americans and the government since 1887 when the the government passed laws that reduced Indian lands. The Ghost Dance, a spiritual movement that Indians believed would bring anew and get rid of those who didn’t believe in their god, was the Lakota’s reaction to the newly passed policies. The government worried about the Ghost Dance’s influence, and decided to take action. On December 15, 1890 police tried to arrest Chief Sitting Bull, who was accused of being a Ghost Dancer, and ended up killing him in the process. This event added to the already elevated tension between the two parties. The climax of this tension played out two weeks later on December 29, 1890. The day before, Big Foot and his tribe set out to seek warmth and food at the Pine Ridge Reservation. A group of soldiers intercepted the tribe on route. The Indians surrendered and went with the soldiers to Wounded Knee Creek. That night, the tribe camped at Wounded Knee Creek with soldiers surrounding them. The soldier’s intention was to disarm the indians and arrest their chief, Big Foot. On the morning of the 29th, the soldiers went to disarm the Indians. During the process, one Indian would not give up his gun. In the scuffle, a shot went off. This resulted in the 7th Cavalry’s fire from all sides. Those of the Lakota who still had weapons, fired back, while the unarmed men, women, and children fled for their lives. Some soldiers pursued the fleeing Indians and killed many of them. It is estimated 300 people died in this battle, more than 200 of them being Indian. Many more were wounded and some died days later. This conflict was originally named the Battle at Wounded Knee, but now is often referred to as the Massacre at Wounded Knee. Because the Indians were completely surrounded by troops, some suspect the Big Foots never would have intentionally started the fight. Others say the troops were taking revenge for the Indian win at Little Bighorn. Whatever the motive or cause, the battle ended the Ghost Dance movement and was the last major face off between the Americans and the Plains Indians.
Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee Film Analysis
Beginning with speech, human communication has evolved many times. We use pictures, writing, and now film. Being a relatively new form of communication, film has many capabilities that other forms of communication lack. Film has the capability to overflow history with strong emotion that writing or pictures cannot. Film is yet another interpretation of history so even though it may not be completely accurate, the viewer acquires a new perspective and therefore a deeper understanding. Although the film Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee, contains inaccuracies, the majority of the film is factually correct. For example, the story of what leads up to the battle is consistent with many primary sources. First laws were passed that constricted the lands of the Indians. Next, the government was not supplying the reservations with enough food and death due to famine was becoming increasingly more common. The ghost dance was a spiritual movement executed by the Indians that added to tension and lastly, Sitting Bull was killed. These facts lining up with multiple sources, give the viewer a deeper understanding by portraying the same thing from different perspectives. Even though there were a few inaccuracies in the movie, the basis of what happened is accurate. When viewers get caught up in the details there are definitely some discrepancies between sources, for example how and when Sitting Bull died, but ultimately does not take away from the viewer’s overall understanding. Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee invoked much more emotion in me than the primary sources were able to. I think because humans rely on sight so heavily, film can easily create emotion in the viewer by making the viewer feel like they are actually there. For me, the actual battle was much more intense in the movie. Seeing the fear and pain involved made it much more real. By just reading about it, I was able to be empathetic towards the writers, but it was much more impactful to be able to see it. Reading the sentence, “The women as they were fleeing with their babies were killed together, shot right through,” brings up a strong sadness, but watching it happen is almost unbearable. In addition, the movie decided to follow the character, Charles, through the entire movie. Watching him evolve over a lifetime gave me a deep understanding of the emotions throughout the timeline of events. The sources provide a snapshot of one’s life, which gives way to little time to create an emotional connection with the author. Film’s opportunity to be emotional was definitely taken advantage of and used masterfully in Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee Every story of history is yet another perspective of the events. Even primary sources are one person’s biases and perspective of the situation. When these facts are compiled into something like a movie, the product becomes just another interpretation. Subsequently, the receiver of the information interprets the piece yet again and creates their own view on the subject. Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee, claims the Indians shot first and started the Battle of Wounded Knee. Many of the primary sources I read did not declare which side shot first. It is interesting that the movie decided to take the perspective it did. Even though it does not line up with the primary sources perfectly, it does not make the film a bad portrayal of history, it is just another interpretation. Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee is not completely accurate, but are any sources 100% true? Every account of events is determined by the individual who is recalling or compiling them. Bias is inevitable, even when the author tries to balance the facts. Film is another depiction of history that has the power to create a world of emotion. This is something that is difficult to come by. Film should not be disregarded because of a few inaccuracies. It is impossible to depict history perfectly. It is the viewers job to compile many sources and decide for themselves what really happened.
Historical Inquiry of Wounded Knee Reflection
This assignment was a new concept for me. Although I’m sad to admit it, I have not thought very deeply about all the angles history can be written from or how the information in a textbook is complied. It is amazing to see how much each account of the same event can differ. If I hadn’t known all the sources were referring to Wounded Knee, I could have easily mistaken some of the writings for another event. I found the different perspectives enlightening and frustrating at the same time. It was interesting to hear about Wounded Knee from so many angles and it really opened my eyes to everything that happened. One source cannot do the battle justice. I also found this process discouraging because it made me realize there is not a “right” account of history. I have no idea how people write entire textbooks and the rest of the world believes the information is “right”. That expectation is simply unrealistic. The Indian side of the story seems to resignate more with me. I think the fact that so many Indians were killed and that the soldiers came to their land, makes me more biased toward the Indian accounts. I really tried to balance out my bias but I may have overdone it. I think my passage may sounds a little biased toward the soldiers. In addition to this I tried to keep my emotion out of the passage, but it was fairly difficult. I think I did a pretty good job, but I can definitely see some emotion peeking through. This project taught me that textbooks are not “right”, they are simply another interpretation of sources. There is no “right” with the study of history. Humans are biased, so history is biased. It is not that complicated, yet there is no way to fix it. I am sad that I have learned history from textbooks my entire life. I feel like what I have learned is such a narrow account. There is so much more to learn about each and every event and I don’t think textbooks are the answer to delving deeper into a subject. I feel like the battle to write an unbiased piece is pointless. This brings me down a little. I wish it were possible to reada completely unbiased facts, straight from the scene, but its not. Now that I realize this, I also realize that by reading a number of primary sources I can come up with my own interpretation of the facts and that seems good enough for me.
Deconstructing Our America: An Evening of Rhetorical Discourse
Project Overview: 1. Create an oral presentation about an issue in America that rhetorically invokes impact and response. 2. Take an ideological stance on an issue that impacts youth and present it in a persuasive manner to a diverse audience. Throughout this process, we researched many aspects of America and participated in multiple seminars about controversial topics. After this research, we chose an issue that was important to us. Using rhetorical devices, we created a piece of discourse to present.
Reflection: I decided to deconstruct America in a very general way. Instead of focusing on a specific problem in our society I found an underlying theme that was relevant in many of America’s problems: fear. Many people do not realize this essence of fear in our society, so I wanted to bring it to light along with propose a solution. Through my research I discovered a plethora of ideas about “the culture of fear” in America, even so, I was surprised by the lack of emotion in these articles and opinions. I realized it is hard to convey much emotion in simple, structured sentences. Fear is a very emotional thing, so I decided I wanted to present it with as much emotion possible. My solution was to compose a poem. This allowed me to add metaphor and imagery, while also letting me expand on the presentation of it. Rhetorically, my goal was for my piece to work as a realization. I wanted to test the idea of a “culture of fear” and for my audience to become aware of how big this problem really is. After they became open to the idea, I wanted them to feel actual fear. My aim was to invoke the fear being fearful and and for the audience to crave a way to eliminate their fear. This then allowed my audience to be much more open to my solution. I want people to actually take action after hearing my poem so introducing my solution gave them the chance to advocate to for the fearless lifestyle. Initially, I was very intrigued by this “culture of fear”, but didn't know all that much about it. Researching opened by eyes to it even more and convinced me of its believability. I now truly believe in the concept and think it is something worth sharing. It was very interesting to see how significant fear is in our society. In many of my peers projects I detected how fear was an impact. It was awesome to be able to create those links and add to my stance on our American society. I expected narrowing in on a topic was going to be difficult because of how much freedom we had. What I found was I was very thankful for the freedom because I was able to choose a topic that was very unique. Because fear is a very flexible topic, there were many ways I could have taken it. I initially had a difficult time figuring out the direction I wanted to go. After I made the decision of doing a poem, the rest of the project flowed relatively well. There really wasn’t anything I would do differently. This project opened my eyes to a ton of new opinions and allowed me to shape my own views on our society. Rhetoric shapes the ideology of America. Americans have been conditioned to believe what they hear even if it is deceptive or simply false. Our ideology is shaped by politics, economy, and welfare which creates millions of different viewpoints and opinions. It is interesting how many stances people can take on one issue. This creates a maze of conflicting and competing opinions that America’s controversies run on. As for myself, this project really let me form my own ideology about America. By combining knowledge from my project with that of my peers, I feel like I have a vast amount of knowledge about much of what America encompasses.
A Capitalist Democracy- a system created by combining two ideals. A capitalist free market economy is mixed with the control of a democratic political system that is supported by the majority. What could go wrong?
In theory, democratic capitalism is the perfect solution. Our economy runs on a capitalist basis where industry is controlled by private parties. This allows for a competitive aspect that lets Americans move up or down in social groups and work for their success. When our political system remains democratic, Americans are able to control the economic system with majority rules. Ideally, this keeps the majority happy and allows for the land of opportunity to continue its legacy. This ideal, although not flawlessly executed, is made possible by the flexibility of democracy. The possibility to sculpt a system to the wants of the masses lets capitalism thrive- in theory. I love this idea because it encompasses almost all of the American ideals. Realistically though, this is not how it has played out. Capitalism and democracy have had a hard time coexisting. The fact is, the core of capitalism is financial profit and competition. The want for success is so strong in America that corporations trample the needs of our society as a whole, allowing them to accumulate much more money than the individual. In the movie, “Inequality for All”, Robert Reich says, "With money comes the capacity to control politics." This power imbalance diminishes the individual’s voice while adding to corporation’s voices. This is not what a democracy should look like. We should have equal opportunity to succeed and capitalism hinders this: “The wealthy will always have disproportionate political power as long as capitalism exists.” (Sherman). The capitalist aspects of our system are overshadowing democracy to the point of suffocation. Democracy cannot function how we want it to with capitalism in the picture. So if our system of a capitalist democracy isn't working, how do we create a system that does work? What does “works” actually mean though? America is such a diverse country that there are thousands of different ideologies and biases. In my opinion, a system that works is one that is just. This leads us to another problem though: How can we create a just system when every single person has a different definition of just? Yes, we can try to satisfy as many people as possible but in the end there is no way to leave everyone content. This problem lies in one of America’s common ideologies- the need for self satisfaction versus the ability to be satisfied for a group as a whole. Democratic capitalism requires a worldly perspective, want for success, and the “belief of all individuals that they can better their condition,” (Novak). If we were able to look at the bigger picture and expand our perspectives, a just economy would be much closer in reach, but unfortunately Americans tend to find comfort in self fulfillment. We are living in capitalist democracy. We are staying afloat but the democratic aspects are being suppressed by capitalism. How do we fix this broken system? There is no possible way to satisfy everyone but because we are human, it is in our nature to try.We will try and try to come up with the ideal system and one day it may become reality but right now, our capitalist democracy is a broken system that cannot be fixed. The idea of it is perfection, while the execution is far from it.
Bibliography Inequality For All. Dir. Jacob Kornbluth. Perf. Robert Reich. 2013. Documentary. Novak, Michael. The Spirit of Democratic Capitalism. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 1982. Print. Sherman, Howard J. "Democracy and Capitalism." ::: International Endowment for Democracy. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2014.
Seminar Reflection: Civil Disobedience Synthesis- Let’s Give The Demo A Go In the fight for the American ideal, American’s have battled to uphold a system scattered with laws that to some, are immoral and unjust. The wonderful thing about the ideal of democracy is the power to change what the majority disagrees with. In theory, this is a very appealing and remarkable system, but it doesn’t always work out as flawlessly as one would hope. Why is it, that in our democratic society, when the masses have a cause for change, we must resort to violence to make the government even take notice? The sheer possibility of being able to make change in our society is a gift. Americans take for granted how truly rare and special this capability is. Democracy is the answer to sculpting a law system which conforms to the masses, but can also stretch with society’s needs as time passes. The majority has the power to decide what is and isn’t just. This can become a problem when the masses’ stance is actually immoral because of lack of information. A baseline must be set to guide the public: “Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust,”(King 3,1). Although this foundation helps a good amount of the time, in the present world of biased media and stretched truths, the opinion of the public is frequently misinformed. In addition, as a result to our surplus of news sources, people receive differing information causing a variance in what people are fighting for. For example, during the Occupy Wall Street movement, people were taking a stand because of the wealth gap between the top 1% and the other 99% of the country. Although the overall goal was to try to minimize this gap or at least bring attention to it, people had very different spins on why and how to accomplish this. Yes, we have the power to change laws but these flaws in our system are making it much more difficult. In an idealistic democracy, the government is the people. In today’s society, that is not the case. The government is seen as a mighty power that controls the people; they are supposed to do what the people say, not be the control. A government must govern a certain amount or else they would have no purpose, but there comes a point when a government must back off and listen to the opinions of the people: “It [the government] must have the sanction and the consent of the governed. It can have no pure right over my person and property but what I concede to it,” (Thoreau 3,1). The fact Thoreau even has to make this statement illustrates a glitch in our system. We should not have to concede to the government when we are the government itself. American’s have now split America into two groups: the government and the people. As far as democratic ideals go, this is ludicrous. We are supposed to be one, who stands together and makes changes based off the predominance. If the majority demands, they should receive. During the movement for black rights, the oppressed demanded until they succeed. Yes, they did accomplish their goal, but why did it take decades and why are they still not 100% equal? We can make change, but unfortunately, it takes a painful amount of time and the outcome may not be exactly what was being fought for. “We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed” (King 1,3), but why is this the case? If we the people control society, why is anyone being oppressed? The problem is a power imbalance. Once the power shifts, one side becomes completely in control, and in our case, the government has taken this role. The government has forgotten the people have A power too. It is the government’s job to act according to the people’s wants. We are the power, not the government- or at least that’s how democracy was made to perform. Can we even call our society a democracy when the people’s opinions and desires are suppressed? (Ellie G.) The answer lies in the fundamental ideals of democracy. With so many empirical traits, some would consider America to be an empire. “The progress from an absolute to a limited monarchy, from a limited monarchy to a democracy, is progress toward a true respect for the individual,” (Thoreau); our government must recognize power in the individual to truly understand the power of the majority. Likewise, they must also recognize the power of the majority to see that it starts with the passionate individual. This cycle creates our democratic dilemma. The day the people do not have to come together and yell at the top of their lungs to make change, will be the day the government has finally learned to acknowledge the individual. It will be the day we take an enormous step forward towards being a true democracy.
Crash Reflection- Fear in the Eye of the Beholder
Racism: prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior.
History is a cycle. It tends to repeat itself over, and over, and over. When we, as humans, cannot recognize these patterns, we call it chaos. When events seems random, we simply cannot decipher a pattern, and when we don’t understand, we call it nonsense. Finding connections and patterns is hard to a certain extent. Definite events have been beaten into our memories due to their continuous revolutions in history- racial inequality being one of the most prominent. Racism occurs every day all over the world and is not progressing for the better. It keeps repeating itself, yet no one has put an end to it. Will it ever end if we continue down a road of internal struggle and fear? Racial inequality continues because racism is now built into our society. Children learn racial stereotypes at a ridiculously young age. Whites are taught to be superior and that other races are potentially dangerous. Whites learn to make friends in the confines of their own race and to immediately think things about other races based on their skin color. That isn’t to say everyone is racist, but Americans have preconceived stereotypes and ideas because of how society works. Ideas are pushed into brains of young kids before they can even decide for themselves what to think. In Crash, Officer Hanson is not a racist. He believes in treating everyone fairly despite color of skin or social class. He ends up shooting a black man. This is not because he hates black people. Officer Hanson killed an innocent man because of the predetermined views society had thrown on him. He was scared of this man because that is what society has taught him to think. These societal ideas overpowered his own beliefs and end up ruining a good man who wasn’t a racist but instead believe in racial equality. I myself I am also guilty of this. I am not racist but yes, I do feel more uncomfortable when a black man, rather than a white man, passes me on the street. We are taught to hate those who are different than oursleves. We are taught to fear those differences. The classic stereotype is whites are scared of blacks. Whites are scared to being “jumped” or shoplifted from or sexually violated. The interesting thing about this fear is that is goes the other way too. African American people are scared by the power of the law enforcement. On The Daily Show, a black man stated he was scared every day because he didn’t know what to fear next (referring to law enforcement). How are racial tensions ever supposed to diminish when both races are scared of the other? When the occasional white or black act to fit the stereotype of their race, they continue the cycle of fear.Whites are scared of blacks being violent so they act violently to counterbalance it. This scares blacks because the people who are supposed to be protecting them are actually violating them; a cycle is created that has repeated too many times. The only way racial inequality will ever end is if every race takes a step back and tries to understand other races. We are living in a cycle of fear based on stereotypes and preconceived ideas from past generations. We are fighting over skin color for god sake. A trait that is developed by what climate your race evolved in. Is that really something that needs to be fought over for centuries? The answer is to erase the past and start a new story because there is no way this problem is going to end with the amount of history it has behind it.