The Morality and Politics of Justice
To watch my project, click here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXrM2_Au_-0&feature=youtu.be
Artist Statement
The perspective of justice in my project is that kids with disabilities are not provided equal opportunities when it comes to inclusion efforts in a public school setting. The picture of the two boys, is a metaphor for the greater inclusion of all students nationwide. By using the relationship of the two boys it shows that we are all humans and have a right to an education no matter what your ability may be. My video uses the rhetorical device of pathos because it evokes emotion. It makes the viewer not only see the vulnerability and innocence of kids with disabilities, but it also uses elements to highlight the joy and happiness these kids bring to the lives of so many, especially in school. The videos used are home videos and firsthand experiences that I have witnessed, such as the graduation of my disabled brother. This video has a solemn tone due to the music used and messages of the still black and white pictures. The videos toward the end have a happier tone to show that this effort has been one of not just struggles, but of joy and laughter. Through my personal experiences, I understand that a road to inclusion is a difficult one, but the pleasure that comes from being around disabled kids is worth all the hardships. Hopefully it will make people inspired to stand up and do something to support full inclusion efforts. I included some red words in the video to emphasize the point of each quote and to make a clear argument that conjures understanding. I am proud of the way my video turned out because it makes my viewers think, and is aesthetically pleasing. It clearly embodies my perspective of justice through emotionally evoking music, images and videos. I believe it clearly demonstrates pathos, and I worked diligently to provide a unique and well done project. I like the approach I took, but if I had more time I would have liked to create video effects to make it more refined.
The perspective of justice in my project is that kids with disabilities are not provided equal opportunities when it comes to inclusion efforts in a public school setting. The picture of the two boys, is a metaphor for the greater inclusion of all students nationwide. By using the relationship of the two boys it shows that we are all humans and have a right to an education no matter what your ability may be. My video uses the rhetorical device of pathos because it evokes emotion. It makes the viewer not only see the vulnerability and innocence of kids with disabilities, but it also uses elements to highlight the joy and happiness these kids bring to the lives of so many, especially in school. The videos used are home videos and firsthand experiences that I have witnessed, such as the graduation of my disabled brother. This video has a solemn tone due to the music used and messages of the still black and white pictures. The videos toward the end have a happier tone to show that this effort has been one of not just struggles, but of joy and laughter. Through my personal experiences, I understand that a road to inclusion is a difficult one, but the pleasure that comes from being around disabled kids is worth all the hardships. Hopefully it will make people inspired to stand up and do something to support full inclusion efforts. I included some red words in the video to emphasize the point of each quote and to make a clear argument that conjures understanding. I am proud of the way my video turned out because it makes my viewers think, and is aesthetically pleasing. It clearly embodies my perspective of justice through emotionally evoking music, images and videos. I believe it clearly demonstrates pathos, and I worked diligently to provide a unique and well done project. I like the approach I took, but if I had more time I would have liked to create video effects to make it more refined.
An Equal Education for All Op-Ed Article
As a parent, you wouldn’t expect every day to be a fight when putting your kid with a disability into school. You would expect school administrations to be accommodating, and inclusion to be of a top priority. For my family, this has not been the case.
My brother, Cole, struggles with autistic tendencies and is nonverbal, but despite his handicap, my family believes that it is crucial to incorporate typical students and disabled children in educational activities. We have fought the school administration for their lack of effort when it comes to inclusion. They have denied these kids their rights common inclusion practices such as the right to eat lunch with the rest of the school, to walk with their class for graduation, and to attend particular classes because an educator isn’t comfortable with teaching to a lower level. In many cases, school administrations are repudiating these kids their basic rights and they don’t have a strong enough voice to fight back. The disabled students are controlled by the school system, and rather than the school forming around each individual’s needs, administrators make each individual form around the school’s needs. In addition, school administrations and families of kids with disabilities do not always see eye to eye on a philosophical level of inclusion efforts. There needs to be a point where there is equal opportunity for disabled students, with teacher-directed or peer-directed assistance in schools nationwide.
Prioritizing equality between students and those with severe disabilities in public schools is necessary to increase tolerance and integration. Parents of children without disabilities argued in the article, A Story of High School Inclusion: an Ethnographic Case Study, that the inclusion of children with severe disabilities has given their traditional students increased self-worth as a result of helping someone else, an increase in personal development and an increased tolerance for differences in people. All students will and have made social and academic gains in an inclusive setting. However, the school board took a utilitarian approach when arguing the fact that disabled students shouldn’t be fully included. The president of the Florida Education Association United expresses his concerns with inclusion when stating, “Inclusion leaves classroom teachers without resources, training, and other supports necessary to teach students with disabilities in their classrooms. The disabled children are not getting appropriate, specialized attention and care, and the regular students’ education is disrupted constantly.” (SEDL, 1). As expressed, school administrations have reservations about inclusion due to a sense of fear that teachers will not be able to handle a different level of ability and students will not receive the same attention. Fear should not be a reason to negate a child’s natural rights.
The school administration’s idea is countered by the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution which states, “No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” (US Constitution). No student should be deprived of opportunities due to their abilities and they deserve the chance to try. John Rawls brings about this idea that he refers to as a “Veil of Ignorance” that states that there should be rules made so that we do not know where we will fall in the social hierarchy in terms of race, class, sex, and disability. He believes that principles of justice should be universal, and so the only way to ensure that people will select fair principles of justice is to be certain that they do not know how the principles they select might affect them as individuals. Rawls claims that “Justice is fairness,” (Rawls, 3), and in the case of treating all students as equals, this is a very relevant argument. It is unfair, unlawful and unjust to take away disabled children’s right to education.
U.S citizens must not allow those who cannot speak for themselves to be underprivileged and oppressed by school administrations. Equal opportunities for students of all abilities will not only benefit the child with a disability, but enhance the lives of students and teachers. As one, we can make classrooms diverse throughout the United States and promote equalizing rights for all. It’s time for the people to challenge preconceived misconceptions of the capability of disabled kids, and give them the opportunities they deserve.
As a parent, you wouldn’t expect every day to be a fight when putting your kid with a disability into school. You would expect school administrations to be accommodating, and inclusion to be of a top priority. For my family, this has not been the case.
My brother, Cole, struggles with autistic tendencies and is nonverbal, but despite his handicap, my family believes that it is crucial to incorporate typical students and disabled children in educational activities. We have fought the school administration for their lack of effort when it comes to inclusion. They have denied these kids their rights common inclusion practices such as the right to eat lunch with the rest of the school, to walk with their class for graduation, and to attend particular classes because an educator isn’t comfortable with teaching to a lower level. In many cases, school administrations are repudiating these kids their basic rights and they don’t have a strong enough voice to fight back. The disabled students are controlled by the school system, and rather than the school forming around each individual’s needs, administrators make each individual form around the school’s needs. In addition, school administrations and families of kids with disabilities do not always see eye to eye on a philosophical level of inclusion efforts. There needs to be a point where there is equal opportunity for disabled students, with teacher-directed or peer-directed assistance in schools nationwide.
Prioritizing equality between students and those with severe disabilities in public schools is necessary to increase tolerance and integration. Parents of children without disabilities argued in the article, A Story of High School Inclusion: an Ethnographic Case Study, that the inclusion of children with severe disabilities has given their traditional students increased self-worth as a result of helping someone else, an increase in personal development and an increased tolerance for differences in people. All students will and have made social and academic gains in an inclusive setting. However, the school board took a utilitarian approach when arguing the fact that disabled students shouldn’t be fully included. The president of the Florida Education Association United expresses his concerns with inclusion when stating, “Inclusion leaves classroom teachers without resources, training, and other supports necessary to teach students with disabilities in their classrooms. The disabled children are not getting appropriate, specialized attention and care, and the regular students’ education is disrupted constantly.” (SEDL, 1). As expressed, school administrations have reservations about inclusion due to a sense of fear that teachers will not be able to handle a different level of ability and students will not receive the same attention. Fear should not be a reason to negate a child’s natural rights.
The school administration’s idea is countered by the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution which states, “No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” (US Constitution). No student should be deprived of opportunities due to their abilities and they deserve the chance to try. John Rawls brings about this idea that he refers to as a “Veil of Ignorance” that states that there should be rules made so that we do not know where we will fall in the social hierarchy in terms of race, class, sex, and disability. He believes that principles of justice should be universal, and so the only way to ensure that people will select fair principles of justice is to be certain that they do not know how the principles they select might affect them as individuals. Rawls claims that “Justice is fairness,” (Rawls, 3), and in the case of treating all students as equals, this is a very relevant argument. It is unfair, unlawful and unjust to take away disabled children’s right to education.
U.S citizens must not allow those who cannot speak for themselves to be underprivileged and oppressed by school administrations. Equal opportunities for students of all abilities will not only benefit the child with a disability, but enhance the lives of students and teachers. As one, we can make classrooms diverse throughout the United States and promote equalizing rights for all. It’s time for the people to challenge preconceived misconceptions of the capability of disabled kids, and give them the opportunities they deserve.
Project Reflection
The assignment of this project was to choose a modern political issue that involved debate between security, liberty or equality. Our class then researched opposing viewpoints on this issue and analyzed them to determine what their justifications are for their proposed solutions. After gaining this information we were able to take a morally just side on the issue and wrote an Op-Ed article. In this article, we defined justice through security, liberty or equality with a strong case for why our proposed resolution was just. To determine whether it was just or not, it needed to contain evidence from political philosophers, alignment with certain moral theories, or a connection to the Constitution in order to back up our claim. There was then the portion of this project that was visual. It could have been a poster or other art form that contained visual rhetoric that challenged our viewer’s perspective on justice regarding our political issue. Leading up to this project we focused on different types of morality and the different stages of moral development. From this information we conducted an interview with ordinary people. They were asked specific questions that would help us determine their reasoning when given a moral dilemma. This helped us to dig into the morality behind relevant political issues, and if the solutions to these issues are being solved in a just manner. It was our point to put forth a just and moral solution to a political issue of our choice. My project focused on the inclusion of kids with disabilities in public schools, and providing them with equal opportunities.
Throughout this project I used the Habit of Heart and Mind, perspective. I used it the most when creating and presenting my thoughts on justice in reference to providing equality for kids with disabilities in school. This project required having a point of view and respecting the opinions of others. I was able to take a stand on what I believed in, but was willing to listen to other ideas than my own. I firmly believed in full inclusion of kids with disabilities with teacher-directed or student-directed assistance, however, I had to look into opposing views that focused on a utilitarian point of view. Through my research I found that many teachers felt that having kids with disabilities would take away from the traditional student’s learning, and felt uncomfortable teaching at a different level. Although I could see the perspectives of this argument, I felt that it was unjust to take away a basic right to education. It was difficult for me to find a strong opposing argument, but this research did make me step back and look at all perspectives on this issue such as the thoughts of parents of kids without disabilities. This was an eye-opening project that required a deep understanding.
Of the categories on the rubric, I felt that my strongest area was rhetorical impact because the video I created appealed to the emotions. During the exhibition my viewers were impacted by the work I created and many were in tears by the end. I wanted to include images and words that evoked sorrow with joyous elements, which altogether made for a touching project. Because I was so passionate about the issue I argued and was able to provide personal insight, people could feel my emotion and relate to the struggle my family has gone through. This made for a visually appealing project as well as a relatable issue. I felt that the weakest part of my project was integration because in both the article and video, the quotes of philosophers and other necessary elements seemed to be thrown in. Some of the required elements benefitted the argument of my article however, others weren’t as greatly incorporated. To improve this issue I could have done further research in articles to pull out elements that specifically contributed to the ideas in my article. In each category of the rubric I believe I deserve an A because I not only completed each element required, but I put forth much effort in everything I did. In the end I came out with a beautiful project that deserves at the least a 94%. I felt that during the community dialogue I argued my point well, I provided strong pathos in my visual piece, and ended with a well- crafted article.
If I had another week to work on this project and article, I would have gone into further research to look at all aspects of inclusion. It would have been beneficial to look at cost effectiveness and the toll it takes from a money perspective on the schools. I was asked this question during exhibition and wasn’t able to respond because it hadn’t even crossed my mind. Along with further research, if I was given more time, I would have added more elements to my video. I felt it was good quality, but there is always room for improvement. I would have used multiple pictures that had a similar message instead of having just one transition with quotes. Overall, I feel that my project was aesthetically pleasing and had a morally just solution to a modern issue.
The assignment of this project was to choose a modern political issue that involved debate between security, liberty or equality. Our class then researched opposing viewpoints on this issue and analyzed them to determine what their justifications are for their proposed solutions. After gaining this information we were able to take a morally just side on the issue and wrote an Op-Ed article. In this article, we defined justice through security, liberty or equality with a strong case for why our proposed resolution was just. To determine whether it was just or not, it needed to contain evidence from political philosophers, alignment with certain moral theories, or a connection to the Constitution in order to back up our claim. There was then the portion of this project that was visual. It could have been a poster or other art form that contained visual rhetoric that challenged our viewer’s perspective on justice regarding our political issue. Leading up to this project we focused on different types of morality and the different stages of moral development. From this information we conducted an interview with ordinary people. They were asked specific questions that would help us determine their reasoning when given a moral dilemma. This helped us to dig into the morality behind relevant political issues, and if the solutions to these issues are being solved in a just manner. It was our point to put forth a just and moral solution to a political issue of our choice. My project focused on the inclusion of kids with disabilities in public schools, and providing them with equal opportunities.
Throughout this project I used the Habit of Heart and Mind, perspective. I used it the most when creating and presenting my thoughts on justice in reference to providing equality for kids with disabilities in school. This project required having a point of view and respecting the opinions of others. I was able to take a stand on what I believed in, but was willing to listen to other ideas than my own. I firmly believed in full inclusion of kids with disabilities with teacher-directed or student-directed assistance, however, I had to look into opposing views that focused on a utilitarian point of view. Through my research I found that many teachers felt that having kids with disabilities would take away from the traditional student’s learning, and felt uncomfortable teaching at a different level. Although I could see the perspectives of this argument, I felt that it was unjust to take away a basic right to education. It was difficult for me to find a strong opposing argument, but this research did make me step back and look at all perspectives on this issue such as the thoughts of parents of kids without disabilities. This was an eye-opening project that required a deep understanding.
Of the categories on the rubric, I felt that my strongest area was rhetorical impact because the video I created appealed to the emotions. During the exhibition my viewers were impacted by the work I created and many were in tears by the end. I wanted to include images and words that evoked sorrow with joyous elements, which altogether made for a touching project. Because I was so passionate about the issue I argued and was able to provide personal insight, people could feel my emotion and relate to the struggle my family has gone through. This made for a visually appealing project as well as a relatable issue. I felt that the weakest part of my project was integration because in both the article and video, the quotes of philosophers and other necessary elements seemed to be thrown in. Some of the required elements benefitted the argument of my article however, others weren’t as greatly incorporated. To improve this issue I could have done further research in articles to pull out elements that specifically contributed to the ideas in my article. In each category of the rubric I believe I deserve an A because I not only completed each element required, but I put forth much effort in everything I did. In the end I came out with a beautiful project that deserves at the least a 94%. I felt that during the community dialogue I argued my point well, I provided strong pathos in my visual piece, and ended with a well- crafted article.
If I had another week to work on this project and article, I would have gone into further research to look at all aspects of inclusion. It would have been beneficial to look at cost effectiveness and the toll it takes from a money perspective on the schools. I was asked this question during exhibition and wasn’t able to respond because it hadn’t even crossed my mind. Along with further research, if I was given more time, I would have added more elements to my video. I felt it was good quality, but there is always room for improvement. I would have used multiple pictures that had a similar message instead of having just one transition with quotes. Overall, I feel that my project was aesthetically pleasing and had a morally just solution to a modern issue.
Moral Theory and Development
Gregory B. Sadler once said, “Humans do not simply, innocently, and honestly disagree with each other about the good, the just, the right, the principles and applications of moral distinction and valuation, for they are already caught, like it or not, in a complex dynamic of each other’s desires, recognition, power, and comparisons which not only relativizes moral distinctions and valuations, but makes them a constant and dangerous source of disagreement.” Morality revolves around principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong, or good and bad behavior. Throughout time, philosophers have come to different conclusions as to categorizing ones intentions as good, just or right. For my study to understand someone’s reaction to moral dilemmas, I started with two main principles: moral theories, and moral stages. I then applied these to an interview with a 70 year old man who works as a judge in Colorado. For sake of confidentiality, I will refer to him as Dan throughout the analysis of his interview. Dan was first asked general questions, such as, “Why do you do a good job at work?” These were used as a basis in developing a sense of his moral theories and moral stages. From that I asked him questions about Heinz’s Dilemma, one that a moral philosopher named Kohlberg created to categorize man into 5 stages of moral development. Lastly, the subject was given a transplant case dilemma in which a doctor had a choice to save five wounded people and let one die, or save one severely injured and let the five wounded die. This moral dilemma also helped in the process of categorizing Dan as a Deontologist, Rights Ethicist, or Utilitarian. After interviewing and closely analyzing of the subject’s responses, I concluded that Dan’s morality revolves around Deontology, and can be categorized in a postconventional stage of moral development.
Although Dan showed some Rights Ethicist points of view, he also exhibited a strong devotion toward Deontology. Deontology is the moral philosophy that people are obligated to a universal duty and treats humans as ends, not means. It revolves around the thought that people must act solely on good will and not based on results – “For an act to have moral worth it must be done through a sense of duty.” (Deontology 4). Because Dan is a judge, his job allows him to maintain and support the ideas of a Rights Ethicist. It is his job to defend these rights, and they have become a part of his everyday life and personal moral reasoning. There were no direct quotes that back up this claim, although his way of thinking revolves around defending natural rights. Because of this, we can say that Rights Ethics fall very closely under Deontology; therefore, Dan can be categorized as both but is partial to Deontology. His Deontologist point of view is most evident when asked how he would define justice. He stated, “To me it means being fair. Equal justice under the law is a concept that enables one to treat others in a fair and impartial manner,” (Interview 9/17/12). Moral impartiality is very closely linked to Deontological moral thinking. Impartiality is a principle of justice holding that decisions should be based on objective criteria rather than on the basis of bias, prejudice, or preferring the benefit of one person over another for improper reasons. Rule based Deontology is centered on upholding moral duties revolving around the idea that everything and everyone is treated as ends not means. Impartiality relates to this because it states that morality is objective, and not simply a matter of personal opinion or expression of interest and desire. And, that from the standpoint of morality, each person matters just as much as, and no more than, any other person. Throughout the interview Dan continued to exemplify this way of moral thinking through impartiality and Deontological views. For example, when in response to the transplant dilemma he said, “One would have to review the Hippocratic Oath sworn to by most doctors. There is a modern and classic oath sworn by doctors in the US. Based on the facts presented I believe this it is not morally mandatory to look after 5 and let one die…. If you can save five why not save them. One could sleep better if he only lost one life knowing that he couldn’t save them all. Doctors face these types of issues all the time in the ER. They can only do so much. It is a sad situation, but there still are five people living instead of one.” By referencing the Hippocratic Oath he is taking into account as to what doctor’s duties are, and that although they cant do everything, they should still uphold a duty and devotion to the patients to save as many lives as possible. Dan was able to differentiate moral obligations and legal duties which align with Deontologist ways of thinking. While understanding Dan’s moral theory is important, he can be further categorized in his moral development through Kohlberg’s six stages of moral development theory.
Kohlberg’s six moral stages are grouped into three major levels: preconventional, conventional, and postconventional. Preconventional stage can be described as rules and social expectations that are something external to the self. A conventional person can be described as someone who the self is identified with or has internalized the rules and expectations of others, especially those of authority. Postconventional stage can be described as someone who believes that a good society is best conceived as a social contract into which people freely enter to work toward the benefit of all. They recognize that different social groups within a society will have different values, but they believe that all rational people would agree on two points: basic rights and democratic procedures. While interviewing my subject, Dan proved that although his job requires him to respect the law and his duty to support these laws, he believes in a higher sense of morality. He shows this thinking when he reacted to Heinz’s Dilemma, “Yes it is important to do everything in his power to save his wife. He owes her that much. Life is tough and sometimes you can’t always do what you want.” In this response Dan is showing that there is a priority for principles chosen by oneself which aligns with Stage 5, and throughout the interview, Dan continued to illustrated postconventional thinking. In the article, Moral Stages and Moralization, the Cognitive-Developmental Approach, it states, “Level five is a post conventional person, who has differentiated his self from the rules and expectations of others and defines his values in terms of self-chosen principles,” (p 204). After being given Kohlberg’s, Heinz’s Dilemma, Dan strongly showed postconventional thinking when asked the question should Heinz steal the drug and responded, “Yes. It may be wrong but a life is at stake. He may be punished, sent to jail, or placed on probation if found guilty.” This statement showed that Dan has a higher sense of morality because he sees the value of life over the law. Stage 5 thinkers demonstrate the ability to accept punishment, and also place value on what is right and wrong in a moral dilemma, in this case it was stealing the drug to save a life. Dan made points throughout his argument that proved his placement as postconventional to be true. Through analysis of Dan’s responses to moral dilemma and basic questions, it can be concluded that he is in the late stages of his moral reasoning and supports deontologist ways of thinking.
In developing an understanding of how people cope with moral dilemmas, it is beneficial to receive direct information from ordinary adults. Interviewing my subject helped me to gain a sense of awareness that as one gets more accustomed and knowledgeable about the social ways of life, they have the ability to make moral decisions based on the situation and reverence for duty. Being a judge has allowed Dan to closely analyze all aspects of justice, and has given him the opportunity to work with difficult situations dealing with and determining what is right or wrong. Overall, because Dan was correlated with Deontology and is in Stage 5 of moral development, it can be concluded that he is a very morally well rounded person. He has the capability to see that law does not always come first, differentiating his moral worth from his job of defending and respecting laws. He also shows a great veneration for duty and natural rights in both Deontology and Rights Ethicist ways, which proves he sees people as means, not ends. The combination of respect for laws and duties, as well as using self-chosen principles to see that what is duty is not always right, makes for one of the most morally developed people that can exist. It gives me great confidence to know that because Dan is at this higher stage of moral reasoning, he has the ability to act fairly and justly in court.
Gregory B. Sadler once said, “Humans do not simply, innocently, and honestly disagree with each other about the good, the just, the right, the principles and applications of moral distinction and valuation, for they are already caught, like it or not, in a complex dynamic of each other’s desires, recognition, power, and comparisons which not only relativizes moral distinctions and valuations, but makes them a constant and dangerous source of disagreement.” Morality revolves around principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong, or good and bad behavior. Throughout time, philosophers have come to different conclusions as to categorizing ones intentions as good, just or right. For my study to understand someone’s reaction to moral dilemmas, I started with two main principles: moral theories, and moral stages. I then applied these to an interview with a 70 year old man who works as a judge in Colorado. For sake of confidentiality, I will refer to him as Dan throughout the analysis of his interview. Dan was first asked general questions, such as, “Why do you do a good job at work?” These were used as a basis in developing a sense of his moral theories and moral stages. From that I asked him questions about Heinz’s Dilemma, one that a moral philosopher named Kohlberg created to categorize man into 5 stages of moral development. Lastly, the subject was given a transplant case dilemma in which a doctor had a choice to save five wounded people and let one die, or save one severely injured and let the five wounded die. This moral dilemma also helped in the process of categorizing Dan as a Deontologist, Rights Ethicist, or Utilitarian. After interviewing and closely analyzing of the subject’s responses, I concluded that Dan’s morality revolves around Deontology, and can be categorized in a postconventional stage of moral development.
Although Dan showed some Rights Ethicist points of view, he also exhibited a strong devotion toward Deontology. Deontology is the moral philosophy that people are obligated to a universal duty and treats humans as ends, not means. It revolves around the thought that people must act solely on good will and not based on results – “For an act to have moral worth it must be done through a sense of duty.” (Deontology 4). Because Dan is a judge, his job allows him to maintain and support the ideas of a Rights Ethicist. It is his job to defend these rights, and they have become a part of his everyday life and personal moral reasoning. There were no direct quotes that back up this claim, although his way of thinking revolves around defending natural rights. Because of this, we can say that Rights Ethics fall very closely under Deontology; therefore, Dan can be categorized as both but is partial to Deontology. His Deontologist point of view is most evident when asked how he would define justice. He stated, “To me it means being fair. Equal justice under the law is a concept that enables one to treat others in a fair and impartial manner,” (Interview 9/17/12). Moral impartiality is very closely linked to Deontological moral thinking. Impartiality is a principle of justice holding that decisions should be based on objective criteria rather than on the basis of bias, prejudice, or preferring the benefit of one person over another for improper reasons. Rule based Deontology is centered on upholding moral duties revolving around the idea that everything and everyone is treated as ends not means. Impartiality relates to this because it states that morality is objective, and not simply a matter of personal opinion or expression of interest and desire. And, that from the standpoint of morality, each person matters just as much as, and no more than, any other person. Throughout the interview Dan continued to exemplify this way of moral thinking through impartiality and Deontological views. For example, when in response to the transplant dilemma he said, “One would have to review the Hippocratic Oath sworn to by most doctors. There is a modern and classic oath sworn by doctors in the US. Based on the facts presented I believe this it is not morally mandatory to look after 5 and let one die…. If you can save five why not save them. One could sleep better if he only lost one life knowing that he couldn’t save them all. Doctors face these types of issues all the time in the ER. They can only do so much. It is a sad situation, but there still are five people living instead of one.” By referencing the Hippocratic Oath he is taking into account as to what doctor’s duties are, and that although they cant do everything, they should still uphold a duty and devotion to the patients to save as many lives as possible. Dan was able to differentiate moral obligations and legal duties which align with Deontologist ways of thinking. While understanding Dan’s moral theory is important, he can be further categorized in his moral development through Kohlberg’s six stages of moral development theory.
Kohlberg’s six moral stages are grouped into three major levels: preconventional, conventional, and postconventional. Preconventional stage can be described as rules and social expectations that are something external to the self. A conventional person can be described as someone who the self is identified with or has internalized the rules and expectations of others, especially those of authority. Postconventional stage can be described as someone who believes that a good society is best conceived as a social contract into which people freely enter to work toward the benefit of all. They recognize that different social groups within a society will have different values, but they believe that all rational people would agree on two points: basic rights and democratic procedures. While interviewing my subject, Dan proved that although his job requires him to respect the law and his duty to support these laws, he believes in a higher sense of morality. He shows this thinking when he reacted to Heinz’s Dilemma, “Yes it is important to do everything in his power to save his wife. He owes her that much. Life is tough and sometimes you can’t always do what you want.” In this response Dan is showing that there is a priority for principles chosen by oneself which aligns with Stage 5, and throughout the interview, Dan continued to illustrated postconventional thinking. In the article, Moral Stages and Moralization, the Cognitive-Developmental Approach, it states, “Level five is a post conventional person, who has differentiated his self from the rules and expectations of others and defines his values in terms of self-chosen principles,” (p 204). After being given Kohlberg’s, Heinz’s Dilemma, Dan strongly showed postconventional thinking when asked the question should Heinz steal the drug and responded, “Yes. It may be wrong but a life is at stake. He may be punished, sent to jail, or placed on probation if found guilty.” This statement showed that Dan has a higher sense of morality because he sees the value of life over the law. Stage 5 thinkers demonstrate the ability to accept punishment, and also place value on what is right and wrong in a moral dilemma, in this case it was stealing the drug to save a life. Dan made points throughout his argument that proved his placement as postconventional to be true. Through analysis of Dan’s responses to moral dilemma and basic questions, it can be concluded that he is in the late stages of his moral reasoning and supports deontologist ways of thinking.
In developing an understanding of how people cope with moral dilemmas, it is beneficial to receive direct information from ordinary adults. Interviewing my subject helped me to gain a sense of awareness that as one gets more accustomed and knowledgeable about the social ways of life, they have the ability to make moral decisions based on the situation and reverence for duty. Being a judge has allowed Dan to closely analyze all aspects of justice, and has given him the opportunity to work with difficult situations dealing with and determining what is right or wrong. Overall, because Dan was correlated with Deontology and is in Stage 5 of moral development, it can be concluded that he is a very morally well rounded person. He has the capability to see that law does not always come first, differentiating his moral worth from his job of defending and respecting laws. He also shows a great veneration for duty and natural rights in both Deontology and Rights Ethicist ways, which proves he sees people as means, not ends. The combination of respect for laws and duties, as well as using self-chosen principles to see that what is duty is not always right, makes for one of the most morally developed people that can exist. It gives me great confidence to know that because Dan is at this higher stage of moral reasoning, he has the ability to act fairly and justly in court.
Korematsu vs. US (1944)
Opening Statement:
Thank you your honors. May it please the court, my name is Hanna Martens and I will give the opening statement for my client Fred Korematsu. Picture yourself awaking one spring morning, to walk outside and see flyers posted around your home saying you must leave everything behind and abandon your life. Saying that you have nine days to pack your belongings into one suitcase and go somewhere you don’t know. You can imagine the fear that would have overcome you if you didn’t know what would become of your life and your family. Imagine being treated almost like livestock, being shoved into stalls and made to stay there throughout the freezing nights on your journey to internment camps. You are given food that is not sanitary and makes you ill. There is no quiet place because children cry day in and out from the pain that curbs their stomachs, and the cold that anguishes their happiness. And all the while you have no privacy or peace of mind because you are bombarded with the fear of the unknown. You start thinking about the worst, whether you will get sleep, or survive the journey to the camps. You worry about your family, and if they will be safe. I would not wish this life upon anyone, and would not wish despondency upon thousands of innocent Japanese people. Now let me ask you, how would you feel if you had everything taken from you in a matter of days, just because of your appearance? How would you feel if you were sent away from the home in which you grew up in, due to the fear of the people who are supposed to protect you? I can assume you would feel scared, and frustrated with your country, as my client did. Would you not have done the same thing if you were in love, and had a job, and a prosperous future?
This is a case about the racial antagonism against those of Japanese descent that came along with Executive Order 9066 and the Civilian Exclusion Order. Fred Korematsu is being convicted as a punishment for not submitting to imprisonment in an internment camp, based solely on his ancestry, without evidence or examination regarding his loyalty and good disposition towards the United States. The indisputable facts my colleagues and I will exhibit in today’s trial shows a clear violation of Constitutional rights and does not pass the three tests of strict scrutiny.
We will call J. Edgar Hoover, Fred Korematsu, Attorney General Francis Biddle, Ralph Lazo, and Curtis B. Munson as witnesses to support our position. Through these witnesses we will show that internment camps were a form of arrest, and therefore violated the right to Habeas Corpus for all Japanese Americans. We will show that the majority of those detained were loyal to the US and posed no threat to the national security of the United States. The Munson Report will prove that there was no reasonable threat posed by those of Japanese descent. J Edgar Hoover, head of the FBI, has caught the Japanese nationalists/spies existing in the United States at this point in time, in which they have been detained and given a hearing. The Ringle Report will support the findings in the Munson Report by backing up the claim that the majority of Japanese Americans were faithful to the country in which they were living. We intend to prove through Fred Korematsu’s trial, that Executive Order 9066 and the Civilian Exclusion Order were unnecessary and unconstitutional. It violated rights to 120,000 individuals where 62% were citizens of the United States. As you hear from these witnesses today, please keep in mind the critical importance of protecting individual liberties.
Cross Examination:
You are Mike Masaoka, correct?
You work for the Japanese American Civil Liberties Union?
You yourself did not have to go to the internment camps? Yes
Therefore you are not fully aware of and have not experienced the living conditions in which the people of your ancestry were living, correct?
So is it safe to say you do not know the lifestyle of most Japanese Americans currently being detained?
Because of your support of the detainment of Japanese Americans and agreement with the United States government in the Civilian Exclusion Order, is it safe to say that this “relationship” has given you leeway in the sense that you do not have to partake in the internment camps? Yes
(If she says no, follow up with… Well then why are you not being tried for the same things that my client Fred Korematsu is? What makes you different?)
How are you qualified to be a representative of Japanese Americans, when you do not understand the hardships they face each day?
Thank you I have no further questions.
Thank you your honors. May it please the court, my name is Hanna Martens and I will give the opening statement for my client Fred Korematsu. Picture yourself awaking one spring morning, to walk outside and see flyers posted around your home saying you must leave everything behind and abandon your life. Saying that you have nine days to pack your belongings into one suitcase and go somewhere you don’t know. You can imagine the fear that would have overcome you if you didn’t know what would become of your life and your family. Imagine being treated almost like livestock, being shoved into stalls and made to stay there throughout the freezing nights on your journey to internment camps. You are given food that is not sanitary and makes you ill. There is no quiet place because children cry day in and out from the pain that curbs their stomachs, and the cold that anguishes their happiness. And all the while you have no privacy or peace of mind because you are bombarded with the fear of the unknown. You start thinking about the worst, whether you will get sleep, or survive the journey to the camps. You worry about your family, and if they will be safe. I would not wish this life upon anyone, and would not wish despondency upon thousands of innocent Japanese people. Now let me ask you, how would you feel if you had everything taken from you in a matter of days, just because of your appearance? How would you feel if you were sent away from the home in which you grew up in, due to the fear of the people who are supposed to protect you? I can assume you would feel scared, and frustrated with your country, as my client did. Would you not have done the same thing if you were in love, and had a job, and a prosperous future?
This is a case about the racial antagonism against those of Japanese descent that came along with Executive Order 9066 and the Civilian Exclusion Order. Fred Korematsu is being convicted as a punishment for not submitting to imprisonment in an internment camp, based solely on his ancestry, without evidence or examination regarding his loyalty and good disposition towards the United States. The indisputable facts my colleagues and I will exhibit in today’s trial shows a clear violation of Constitutional rights and does not pass the three tests of strict scrutiny.
We will call J. Edgar Hoover, Fred Korematsu, Attorney General Francis Biddle, Ralph Lazo, and Curtis B. Munson as witnesses to support our position. Through these witnesses we will show that internment camps were a form of arrest, and therefore violated the right to Habeas Corpus for all Japanese Americans. We will show that the majority of those detained were loyal to the US and posed no threat to the national security of the United States. The Munson Report will prove that there was no reasonable threat posed by those of Japanese descent. J Edgar Hoover, head of the FBI, has caught the Japanese nationalists/spies existing in the United States at this point in time, in which they have been detained and given a hearing. The Ringle Report will support the findings in the Munson Report by backing up the claim that the majority of Japanese Americans were faithful to the country in which they were living. We intend to prove through Fred Korematsu’s trial, that Executive Order 9066 and the Civilian Exclusion Order were unnecessary and unconstitutional. It violated rights to 120,000 individuals where 62% were citizens of the United States. As you hear from these witnesses today, please keep in mind the critical importance of protecting individual liberties.
Cross Examination:
You are Mike Masaoka, correct?
You work for the Japanese American Civil Liberties Union?
You yourself did not have to go to the internment camps? Yes
Therefore you are not fully aware of and have not experienced the living conditions in which the people of your ancestry were living, correct?
So is it safe to say you do not know the lifestyle of most Japanese Americans currently being detained?
Because of your support of the detainment of Japanese Americans and agreement with the United States government in the Civilian Exclusion Order, is it safe to say that this “relationship” has given you leeway in the sense that you do not have to partake in the internment camps? Yes
(If she says no, follow up with… Well then why are you not being tried for the same things that my client Fred Korematsu is? What makes you different?)
How are you qualified to be a representative of Japanese Americans, when you do not understand the hardships they face each day?
Thank you I have no further questions.
Project Reflection:
This project was a mock trial of the 1944 case Korematsu vs. US, which was a Supreme Court case about the civil liberties of Japanese Americans. The goal was to determine whether Executive Order 9066 and Civilian Exclusion Order No. 34 was constitutional or not. Leading up to this assignment our class read Snow Falling on Cedars, and through this went in to detail about racial discrimination against those of Japanese descent. Our class then researched and worked on looking into constitutional and legal content that would support our position in the mock trial. Before researching, we had done a great deal of work reading and analyzing the Constitution and Bill of Rights so we had more background knowledge of the foundation in which our country is based off of. We also looked into the roles that each branch of government had, and what there powers were during times of war. I was a defense lawyer, so I looked into the 5th and 14th amendments and other legal constituents that backed up the claim that the Executive Order 9066 and the Civilian Exclusion Order was unconstitutional. Local lawyers came into our classroom and helped us with our arguments, and guided us in proper courtroom etiquette. I learned a lot about the history of Japanese internment camps, and the racism and prejudice against those of Japanese decent. It was interesting to see how much the government hides in terms of sharing with the public the awful conditions that the Japanese Americans were placed in for several years, due to the fear of our nation.
I thought it was very useful working in a group because it taught me to communicate efficiently, and use my peers to gain more information on the case. It was a very valuable learning experience because I had to learn to trust that my partners would come through to provide good work, and make my team look good in the trial. It was a bit stressful at times because I was unsure if we were going to be able to pull it together in the end, and make solid arguments during trial but I am very pleased with how we worked together and accomplished such a big task. To overcome challenges, I worked on communicating well and providing my peers with as much information as I could to help them with their questioning. They did the same for me, and I thought we did a great job working together and all pulling our own weight.
In my opening statement, the biggest revisions I made were going back and creating more of an emotional appeal. In the beginning I didn't have anything that got the courtroom interested, so I went back through and provided information about the hardships that the Japanese Americans went through on their journeys to the internment camps. I got my idea from a chapter in Snow Falling on Cedars, where it vividly described one of the main characters experience on the way to Manzanar. I felt that this emotional story helped strengthen my argument that the treatment and discrimination against Japanese Americans was unjust and misplaced. It made the court put themselves in the shoes of a Japanese person, and really see the other side. During the trial I felt I delivered this portion with a strong voice, that moved the members of the court. As far as revisions for my cross examination went, I had little to none. I got the information that I needed to delegitimize the role of Mike Masoaka and I went forth with straight forward questions. The only revisions I made were just wording the questions so that I was putting words into my witnesses mouth that she couldn't argue with or go off on tangents about. Overall, I felt I made strong arguments and had solid pieces of writing to help my defense team win the case.
In the beginning I wasn't sure what to make of this project because it seemed like it required a lot of work trying to piece all the different components of a successful trial together. I had little knowledge about the subject, but as time progressed I found myself enjoying the process of creating the trial more and more. I enjoyed this project because I had to get into what I was doing and really put myself in the role of an attorney, which I had never done before. I loved our exhibition and how we did it in an actual courtroom. I felt it went really smoothly, and my team worked together to create a wonderful argument. If I were to give some constructive feedback on how to improve this project, I would say the biggest thing would be to understand the case inside and out. I didn't feel as though I had the time to understand all the components of the case. I also would have liked more background knowledge on the internment camps, and how it affected the Japanese Americans. We covered this but never went into depth, so I would recommend looking into interviews and first hand experiences that the Japanese Americans at the time had provided. To better prepare myself in trial, I think it would have been beneficial to go through the entire questioning process before the actual trial with my defense team and our witnesses. This would have made the trial go a bit more smoothly because we could see and predict what each person was going to say. I also would recommend looking into as many aspects of the actual trial as possible. The prosecution team brought up the Black Dragon society, which I had never heard of, therefore making me unable to push back on their arguments. I think it is very important to predict what the prosecution team will say by doing a good deal of research, so that you can make counter arguments. In the end I felt confident about my performance at the trial, and enjoyed the project thoroughly.
This project was a mock trial of the 1944 case Korematsu vs. US, which was a Supreme Court case about the civil liberties of Japanese Americans. The goal was to determine whether Executive Order 9066 and Civilian Exclusion Order No. 34 was constitutional or not. Leading up to this assignment our class read Snow Falling on Cedars, and through this went in to detail about racial discrimination against those of Japanese descent. Our class then researched and worked on looking into constitutional and legal content that would support our position in the mock trial. Before researching, we had done a great deal of work reading and analyzing the Constitution and Bill of Rights so we had more background knowledge of the foundation in which our country is based off of. We also looked into the roles that each branch of government had, and what there powers were during times of war. I was a defense lawyer, so I looked into the 5th and 14th amendments and other legal constituents that backed up the claim that the Executive Order 9066 and the Civilian Exclusion Order was unconstitutional. Local lawyers came into our classroom and helped us with our arguments, and guided us in proper courtroom etiquette. I learned a lot about the history of Japanese internment camps, and the racism and prejudice against those of Japanese decent. It was interesting to see how much the government hides in terms of sharing with the public the awful conditions that the Japanese Americans were placed in for several years, due to the fear of our nation.
I thought it was very useful working in a group because it taught me to communicate efficiently, and use my peers to gain more information on the case. It was a very valuable learning experience because I had to learn to trust that my partners would come through to provide good work, and make my team look good in the trial. It was a bit stressful at times because I was unsure if we were going to be able to pull it together in the end, and make solid arguments during trial but I am very pleased with how we worked together and accomplished such a big task. To overcome challenges, I worked on communicating well and providing my peers with as much information as I could to help them with their questioning. They did the same for me, and I thought we did a great job working together and all pulling our own weight.
In my opening statement, the biggest revisions I made were going back and creating more of an emotional appeal. In the beginning I didn't have anything that got the courtroom interested, so I went back through and provided information about the hardships that the Japanese Americans went through on their journeys to the internment camps. I got my idea from a chapter in Snow Falling on Cedars, where it vividly described one of the main characters experience on the way to Manzanar. I felt that this emotional story helped strengthen my argument that the treatment and discrimination against Japanese Americans was unjust and misplaced. It made the court put themselves in the shoes of a Japanese person, and really see the other side. During the trial I felt I delivered this portion with a strong voice, that moved the members of the court. As far as revisions for my cross examination went, I had little to none. I got the information that I needed to delegitimize the role of Mike Masoaka and I went forth with straight forward questions. The only revisions I made were just wording the questions so that I was putting words into my witnesses mouth that she couldn't argue with or go off on tangents about. Overall, I felt I made strong arguments and had solid pieces of writing to help my defense team win the case.
In the beginning I wasn't sure what to make of this project because it seemed like it required a lot of work trying to piece all the different components of a successful trial together. I had little knowledge about the subject, but as time progressed I found myself enjoying the process of creating the trial more and more. I enjoyed this project because I had to get into what I was doing and really put myself in the role of an attorney, which I had never done before. I loved our exhibition and how we did it in an actual courtroom. I felt it went really smoothly, and my team worked together to create a wonderful argument. If I were to give some constructive feedback on how to improve this project, I would say the biggest thing would be to understand the case inside and out. I didn't feel as though I had the time to understand all the components of the case. I also would have liked more background knowledge on the internment camps, and how it affected the Japanese Americans. We covered this but never went into depth, so I would recommend looking into interviews and first hand experiences that the Japanese Americans at the time had provided. To better prepare myself in trial, I think it would have been beneficial to go through the entire questioning process before the actual trial with my defense team and our witnesses. This would have made the trial go a bit more smoothly because we could see and predict what each person was going to say. I also would recommend looking into as many aspects of the actual trial as possible. The prosecution team brought up the Black Dragon society, which I had never heard of, therefore making me unable to push back on their arguments. I think it is very important to predict what the prosecution team will say by doing a good deal of research, so that you can make counter arguments. In the end I felt confident about my performance at the trial, and enjoyed the project thoroughly.
Energy & Place
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
ARTIST STATEMENT As I explored my relationship with my surroundings, I found myself describing how I have become one with nature. I wanted to show this connection and value that I had placed on the land around me by projecting images of nature on a body. I feel that this visual piece shows a line in my essay that says, “I can feel the pulse of the ground in my veins. My adrenaline will flow, and my heartbeat will go faster and faster as I travel farther and farther into the unknown. Where the soil is alive and I warp into the roots of the forest, becoming one with my atmosphere.” I believe our relationship to nature can be very elegant, and beautiful, so I attempted to portray this in my images. I also think these images show that it is possible to coexist with nature, and not assert dominance over our surroundings. The human body is not any more powerful than the nature that is projected on to it. They exist together in a cohesive community, where they are both pieces to a bigger picture.
To create this piece, I gathered pictures of nature scenes that I had taken over the past couple of years, and put them onto a projector. I then had a model come in and stand in front of a green screen, where I projected these images onto different parts of her body. The image of the hands has a picture of a mushroom coming out of the cracked earth projected on to them. The image of the flower is projected onto a stomach, where the center is the belly button. The image of the tree branches is projected onto a back, and the image of the spiked flower is projected onto the side of the model’s face. I wanted to incorporate different types of pictures that would have certain effects on the body, which in the end created a diverse outlay of pictures. All of these images came together in a cohesive manner to represent my perspective. After I took the pictures, I edited, printed, and framed them.
I was inspired to do this process when I was at my internship at the Loveland Reporter Herald. My mentor was telling me about her senior project, and how she had a vision to layer images on a body. She did something similar to me (much more professional, obviously), and she used models to pose nude with different images projected onto their bodies. I fell in love with this idea and wanted to incorporate it into my project, and make it relevant to my essay. I had this vision in the beginning of the project, and in the end was able to execute my vision with relevance.
To create this piece, I gathered pictures of nature scenes that I had taken over the past couple of years, and put them onto a projector. I then had a model come in and stand in front of a green screen, where I projected these images onto different parts of her body. The image of the hands has a picture of a mushroom coming out of the cracked earth projected on to them. The image of the flower is projected onto a stomach, where the center is the belly button. The image of the tree branches is projected onto a back, and the image of the spiked flower is projected onto the side of the model’s face. I wanted to incorporate different types of pictures that would have certain effects on the body, which in the end created a diverse outlay of pictures. All of these images came together in a cohesive manner to represent my perspective. After I took the pictures, I edited, printed, and framed them.
I was inspired to do this process when I was at my internship at the Loveland Reporter Herald. My mentor was telling me about her senior project, and how she had a vision to layer images on a body. She did something similar to me (much more professional, obviously), and she used models to pose nude with different images projected onto their bodies. I fell in love with this idea and wanted to incorporate it into my project, and make it relevant to my essay. I had this vision in the beginning of the project, and in the end was able to execute my vision with relevance.
Souls on Soil
John A. Gowen, an established author and Cornell alumni once said, “Life is the information pathway by which the universe achieves consciousness and self-awareness, and begins to explore itself, including evolving new modes of experience, creativity, and beauty.” The human connection to land, to people, to a sense of spiritual highness, creates a unique awareness that drives our mind to cut out all thoughts of “reality” and allows us to soak in a moment in time. Many people search for these moments of pure existence, unaltered by the sounds of cars roaring, the clicking of computer keys, or the smog that divides us from experiencing the night sky. When we take away all the distractions that our daily life brings us, we are left with the soil at the soles of our feet, and the miles of expansive forest unaltered by the hand of man. Those who cannot connect to the land around them walk around numb to the destruction, and downfall of the natural world. But when I connect to my surroundings, I can feel the pulse of the ground in my veins. My adrenaline will flow, and my heartbeat will go faster and faster as I travel farther and farther into the unknown. Where the soil is alive and I warp into the roots of the forest, becoming one with my atmosphere. The body of God is in my body and the thoughts of the world swirl through my apperception. I know that my body is the earth’s precious remedy, and this broken realm we call home is taxing my unsatisfied soul. In the woods, unscathed by man’s massive imprint, the creases of my worn feet mesh with the uneven terrain. In the woods, I am spiritual.
Whether there is a real God out there, or our search to find a higher power in life reveals a sort of insanity; I have experienced that one moment in time that I cannot help but to describe as spiritual. It was a crisp, clear night, miles and miles from any form of civilization. The only sounds were the soft murmur of the breeze as they caressed the full grown summer leaves, and the shuffle of 60 feet wandering around the crackling fire. We were waiting for someone to tell us it was time to go to sleep, or that we were going to be playing some extravagant night game where we would paint our faces and run around the expansive forest looking for who knows what. When our mentors emerged with buckets of blindfolds and told us to put them on, we were puzzled. Our eyes widened at the thought of not seeing where we were going at this hour of the night. “Trust,” they said, “Trust the ground beneath your feet to support you, and the rope that will guide you up the mountainside.”
Nervously, I tied the blindfold around my eyes and grasped a thin rope. I began to shuffle through the familiar field where I have spent many years wandering, thinking, and writing. The woven wire slid beneath my palms as I sauntered in the direction of the thick forest. Like a connect-the-dots game in a children’s book, the rope staggered between the majestic pine trees that towered over our heads. We were led up an incline, over eroding soil, broken branches, and patchy rocks. Oddly enough it was not ominous or frightening to walk through an unfamiliar place without the comfort of vision. Those behind and in front of me whispered and laughed, but I was unable to do these things. I was in awe at the sheer beauty of my surroundings. I felt as though I could breathe and I wanted to soak up every minute of it. I had to place my safety and trust into this one rope to take me where I was supposed to go. In most cases trust is interdependent with the formation of knowledge. In this instance however, I had no knowledge of my course, only the familiarity of the knots on the rope and the changing earth beneath my energized legs.
As my consciousness elevated with each step towards the heavens, I felt a weight lifted off of my shoulders. The weight of all the books and papers, mothers shouting to wash the dishes, pressure to fit in to societal norms, and the looming presence of the future, had been unveiled by some force of nature. When I came to the end of the rope, I stopped to uncover my eyes. In that moment, it hit me. In that moment, I could see. Of course I saw things every day, but the things that I could see were all a part of some make-believe reality. A controlled, suffocated environment that remained unchanging every day: the same places, the same faces, the same mouths spitting out lie after lie. The same haze that fills the void of a forever spacious sky. The only way we begin to feel spiritual is through a toxic release, sitting in a circle, breathing in the smoke that takes us away from this hell. Feeling higher and higher we move farther and farther away from the repressed mindset we are so viciously taught to live in. But is this right? Should we be forced to find unnatural escapes? Like a washing machine, we swish back and forth between materialistic senses of satisfaction and a separated mindset to our surroundings. This troubled cycle humans live in creates disconnect between our state of mind and the natural world. In my life, I have been taught how to fit in society. Each morning I wake up with the mentality that must live up to the expectation that someone else has deemed successful. I have been taught that “things” are better than internal contentment. Inhibited to the norms of society, I must seek impermanent happiness through a sense of normalcy. No one showed me that all I needed to do was find a place; that one spot in the world where I can find permanent fulfillment. On the evening in the woods, I was not told nor judged on the place that I found happiness. There was nothing avaricious about that night. It was raw, and it was beautiful. I escaped the corrupt world, and I found myself as one with the earth.
When I uncovered my eyes, the night sky looked as if invisible hands flicked speckled light across a borderless flow of darkness. Stars danced across my field of vision and amongst the raw beauty that sank into my soul, I felt inconsequential. It became clear to me in that moment that I was one. I was just one of 7 billion people, living on a speck amongst billions of other specks in a never-ending universe. I understood in that moment why we are so dependent on religion, and why we choose to believe in a higher power. Everything in our existence is unknown and unfathomable to the expanse of our minds, so we create perceivable theories to place our lives in. It comforts us to know that we can put our beautifully made bodies into the hands of a greater power. Though we tend to grasp on to things that are beyond ourselves, we must also seek contentment through that which is tangible.
I don’t know if the people around me were experiencing the same clarity and depth I felt, but it brought fulfillment to my existence. I had never experienced such definite connection to my surroundings, and I felt the need to ground myself to the earth. In a big world, we must clutch on to the things that bring us security. Although I was feeling miniscule, I realized the importance of protecting and restoring these places that cradle our living souls in a thriving environment. There is nothing but this world for us, and it is necessary for people to understand that we cannot drive it into the ground. When one thinks about the future, it seems as though time will continue, but the destruction of our land will cease. This however, is not the case. At the rate we are headed, we will not be able to sustain our luxurious lifestyles for much longer. The greediness that comes with expecting a steaming shower at the end of every day, and slapping a thick piece of pavement from our homes to our workplace, is the driving force of our condemned fate.
I tilted my head back and let the brush beneath me flatten to create an imprint of my back. As I lay under the stars, the ecstasy of spirituality throbbed through my veins. My mind was overcome with extraordinary insights about man’s past, present, and future. Forgive me, for this may seem clichéd, but when I look back at the spinning wheels rotating through my cognizance, it was visionary. I could see and feel the love of ancient cultures that worshiped and respected the land that they walked on. In 1854 Chief Seattle spoke about the intrinsic values his tribe placed over their surroundings. He argued in favor of ecological responsibility and pleaded respect of the connectedness that his native people felt towards the land that they were built upon. I believe that in order to reverse our devastation we must adopt his theories. As I lay on the cold, hard ground, his words resonated through the corners of my mind. “Every part of this soil is sacred in the estimation of my people. Every hillside, every valley, every plain and grove, has been hallowed by some sad or happy event in days long vanished. Even the rocks, which seem to be dumb and dead as the swelter in the sun along the silent shore, thrill with memories of stirring events connected with the lives of my people, and the very dust upon which you now stand responds more lovingly to their footsteps than yours, because it is rich with the blood of our ancestors, and our bare feet are conscious of the sympathetic touch.” Without the luxuries that have become a part of our everyday lives, humans existing in a simpler life were forced to be one with their surroundings. Not only were they part of a thriving community, but they did not assert such profound dominance as we do now. Like a ravenous bear, the human conscience has an uncontrollable desire to dominate and to covet more.
As humans progressively began moving away from an appreciation for nature for its own right, we started seeing a perception of nature as only a means to an end: human profit. Like the globe spiraling out of control, my mind took a turn for the worst as it flashed forward to broken images of my great granddaughter. She ambled up the same path I had just journeyed upon, except this path had burdened a grave disruption. Her solemn face was a mirror that reflected the unsatisfactory view at the top of the mountain. She came up here to be alone: away from the disturbed faces and broken places that crawled under her skin and tormented her trapped spirit. She wished to lie under the stars and feel the force of the universe take hold of her broken soul and repair it as her great grandmother once described in an old journal she found. At the top of this mountain she could see the burly piles of smoke rising laboriously out of a concrete fortress. The waste and sludge gurgled around the corners of the valley, taking life and fracturing its existence. As if she was living in a black and white film, her vision could not experience color. No green buds sprouted each spring and no glowing red leaves showered the soil in fall. The haze was a fire extinguisher that created a thin sheen of grey over the bumps and curves of the horizon. She held and old picture, taken right where she sat 100 years before. When she looked at the untouched hillside and deep blue sky in the image, her eyes welled and tears caressed the curves of her face. She screamed at the top of her lungs but her cries were muted by the thunder of engines, and the repetitive hum of an oil rig skillfully sucking the last of slick black matter from the earth’s crust. I could feel her pain in the pit of my stomach and wanted nothing more but to cradle her in my arms and give her the pleasure of experiencing the moment I had on top of the mountain. No hope, no imagination, no inspiration, and no belief: What would become of my great granddaughter? Could the barbaric bear inside us be tamed and brought to sense?
After I came back to reality, I was disturbed by the images that I had just experienced. No one should have to go through their lives without understanding what it feels like to have an unknown power take hold of them and show them the phenomenal experience of understanding self, others, and world as a continuous whole. The earth offers endless contentment as long as man treats it as an equal, and does not strive to control it. Gandhi beautifully addressed this desire to conquer surroundings when he said, “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed.” If we can adopt this philosophy and understand that we are destined for utter chaos, then maybe, just maybe, we can reverse the footprint of man’s insatiability. I want my great granddaughter to follow an unknown path up this mountain, and look at the same stars that guided me to life changing revelations. I want her to carry a smile upon her face and be able to sing and hear the world sing back. With the silver flame of the moon projecting light upon the rounds of my face, and the faces of those around me, I deemed myself a part of the earth. I walked down the mountain, guided by the light that peeked in through the stars above. I was not blindfolded in my descent, and I strode down the hill with trust and confidence in the dirt beneath my feet. My soul was, and forever will be, engrained in the soil.
John A. Gowen, an established author and Cornell alumni once said, “Life is the information pathway by which the universe achieves consciousness and self-awareness, and begins to explore itself, including evolving new modes of experience, creativity, and beauty.” The human connection to land, to people, to a sense of spiritual highness, creates a unique awareness that drives our mind to cut out all thoughts of “reality” and allows us to soak in a moment in time. Many people search for these moments of pure existence, unaltered by the sounds of cars roaring, the clicking of computer keys, or the smog that divides us from experiencing the night sky. When we take away all the distractions that our daily life brings us, we are left with the soil at the soles of our feet, and the miles of expansive forest unaltered by the hand of man. Those who cannot connect to the land around them walk around numb to the destruction, and downfall of the natural world. But when I connect to my surroundings, I can feel the pulse of the ground in my veins. My adrenaline will flow, and my heartbeat will go faster and faster as I travel farther and farther into the unknown. Where the soil is alive and I warp into the roots of the forest, becoming one with my atmosphere. The body of God is in my body and the thoughts of the world swirl through my apperception. I know that my body is the earth’s precious remedy, and this broken realm we call home is taxing my unsatisfied soul. In the woods, unscathed by man’s massive imprint, the creases of my worn feet mesh with the uneven terrain. In the woods, I am spiritual.
Whether there is a real God out there, or our search to find a higher power in life reveals a sort of insanity; I have experienced that one moment in time that I cannot help but to describe as spiritual. It was a crisp, clear night, miles and miles from any form of civilization. The only sounds were the soft murmur of the breeze as they caressed the full grown summer leaves, and the shuffle of 60 feet wandering around the crackling fire. We were waiting for someone to tell us it was time to go to sleep, or that we were going to be playing some extravagant night game where we would paint our faces and run around the expansive forest looking for who knows what. When our mentors emerged with buckets of blindfolds and told us to put them on, we were puzzled. Our eyes widened at the thought of not seeing where we were going at this hour of the night. “Trust,” they said, “Trust the ground beneath your feet to support you, and the rope that will guide you up the mountainside.”
Nervously, I tied the blindfold around my eyes and grasped a thin rope. I began to shuffle through the familiar field where I have spent many years wandering, thinking, and writing. The woven wire slid beneath my palms as I sauntered in the direction of the thick forest. Like a connect-the-dots game in a children’s book, the rope staggered between the majestic pine trees that towered over our heads. We were led up an incline, over eroding soil, broken branches, and patchy rocks. Oddly enough it was not ominous or frightening to walk through an unfamiliar place without the comfort of vision. Those behind and in front of me whispered and laughed, but I was unable to do these things. I was in awe at the sheer beauty of my surroundings. I felt as though I could breathe and I wanted to soak up every minute of it. I had to place my safety and trust into this one rope to take me where I was supposed to go. In most cases trust is interdependent with the formation of knowledge. In this instance however, I had no knowledge of my course, only the familiarity of the knots on the rope and the changing earth beneath my energized legs.
As my consciousness elevated with each step towards the heavens, I felt a weight lifted off of my shoulders. The weight of all the books and papers, mothers shouting to wash the dishes, pressure to fit in to societal norms, and the looming presence of the future, had been unveiled by some force of nature. When I came to the end of the rope, I stopped to uncover my eyes. In that moment, it hit me. In that moment, I could see. Of course I saw things every day, but the things that I could see were all a part of some make-believe reality. A controlled, suffocated environment that remained unchanging every day: the same places, the same faces, the same mouths spitting out lie after lie. The same haze that fills the void of a forever spacious sky. The only way we begin to feel spiritual is through a toxic release, sitting in a circle, breathing in the smoke that takes us away from this hell. Feeling higher and higher we move farther and farther away from the repressed mindset we are so viciously taught to live in. But is this right? Should we be forced to find unnatural escapes? Like a washing machine, we swish back and forth between materialistic senses of satisfaction and a separated mindset to our surroundings. This troubled cycle humans live in creates disconnect between our state of mind and the natural world. In my life, I have been taught how to fit in society. Each morning I wake up with the mentality that must live up to the expectation that someone else has deemed successful. I have been taught that “things” are better than internal contentment. Inhibited to the norms of society, I must seek impermanent happiness through a sense of normalcy. No one showed me that all I needed to do was find a place; that one spot in the world where I can find permanent fulfillment. On the evening in the woods, I was not told nor judged on the place that I found happiness. There was nothing avaricious about that night. It was raw, and it was beautiful. I escaped the corrupt world, and I found myself as one with the earth.
When I uncovered my eyes, the night sky looked as if invisible hands flicked speckled light across a borderless flow of darkness. Stars danced across my field of vision and amongst the raw beauty that sank into my soul, I felt inconsequential. It became clear to me in that moment that I was one. I was just one of 7 billion people, living on a speck amongst billions of other specks in a never-ending universe. I understood in that moment why we are so dependent on religion, and why we choose to believe in a higher power. Everything in our existence is unknown and unfathomable to the expanse of our minds, so we create perceivable theories to place our lives in. It comforts us to know that we can put our beautifully made bodies into the hands of a greater power. Though we tend to grasp on to things that are beyond ourselves, we must also seek contentment through that which is tangible.
I don’t know if the people around me were experiencing the same clarity and depth I felt, but it brought fulfillment to my existence. I had never experienced such definite connection to my surroundings, and I felt the need to ground myself to the earth. In a big world, we must clutch on to the things that bring us security. Although I was feeling miniscule, I realized the importance of protecting and restoring these places that cradle our living souls in a thriving environment. There is nothing but this world for us, and it is necessary for people to understand that we cannot drive it into the ground. When one thinks about the future, it seems as though time will continue, but the destruction of our land will cease. This however, is not the case. At the rate we are headed, we will not be able to sustain our luxurious lifestyles for much longer. The greediness that comes with expecting a steaming shower at the end of every day, and slapping a thick piece of pavement from our homes to our workplace, is the driving force of our condemned fate.
I tilted my head back and let the brush beneath me flatten to create an imprint of my back. As I lay under the stars, the ecstasy of spirituality throbbed through my veins. My mind was overcome with extraordinary insights about man’s past, present, and future. Forgive me, for this may seem clichéd, but when I look back at the spinning wheels rotating through my cognizance, it was visionary. I could see and feel the love of ancient cultures that worshiped and respected the land that they walked on. In 1854 Chief Seattle spoke about the intrinsic values his tribe placed over their surroundings. He argued in favor of ecological responsibility and pleaded respect of the connectedness that his native people felt towards the land that they were built upon. I believe that in order to reverse our devastation we must adopt his theories. As I lay on the cold, hard ground, his words resonated through the corners of my mind. “Every part of this soil is sacred in the estimation of my people. Every hillside, every valley, every plain and grove, has been hallowed by some sad or happy event in days long vanished. Even the rocks, which seem to be dumb and dead as the swelter in the sun along the silent shore, thrill with memories of stirring events connected with the lives of my people, and the very dust upon which you now stand responds more lovingly to their footsteps than yours, because it is rich with the blood of our ancestors, and our bare feet are conscious of the sympathetic touch.” Without the luxuries that have become a part of our everyday lives, humans existing in a simpler life were forced to be one with their surroundings. Not only were they part of a thriving community, but they did not assert such profound dominance as we do now. Like a ravenous bear, the human conscience has an uncontrollable desire to dominate and to covet more.
As humans progressively began moving away from an appreciation for nature for its own right, we started seeing a perception of nature as only a means to an end: human profit. Like the globe spiraling out of control, my mind took a turn for the worst as it flashed forward to broken images of my great granddaughter. She ambled up the same path I had just journeyed upon, except this path had burdened a grave disruption. Her solemn face was a mirror that reflected the unsatisfactory view at the top of the mountain. She came up here to be alone: away from the disturbed faces and broken places that crawled under her skin and tormented her trapped spirit. She wished to lie under the stars and feel the force of the universe take hold of her broken soul and repair it as her great grandmother once described in an old journal she found. At the top of this mountain she could see the burly piles of smoke rising laboriously out of a concrete fortress. The waste and sludge gurgled around the corners of the valley, taking life and fracturing its existence. As if she was living in a black and white film, her vision could not experience color. No green buds sprouted each spring and no glowing red leaves showered the soil in fall. The haze was a fire extinguisher that created a thin sheen of grey over the bumps and curves of the horizon. She held and old picture, taken right where she sat 100 years before. When she looked at the untouched hillside and deep blue sky in the image, her eyes welled and tears caressed the curves of her face. She screamed at the top of her lungs but her cries were muted by the thunder of engines, and the repetitive hum of an oil rig skillfully sucking the last of slick black matter from the earth’s crust. I could feel her pain in the pit of my stomach and wanted nothing more but to cradle her in my arms and give her the pleasure of experiencing the moment I had on top of the mountain. No hope, no imagination, no inspiration, and no belief: What would become of my great granddaughter? Could the barbaric bear inside us be tamed and brought to sense?
After I came back to reality, I was disturbed by the images that I had just experienced. No one should have to go through their lives without understanding what it feels like to have an unknown power take hold of them and show them the phenomenal experience of understanding self, others, and world as a continuous whole. The earth offers endless contentment as long as man treats it as an equal, and does not strive to control it. Gandhi beautifully addressed this desire to conquer surroundings when he said, “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed.” If we can adopt this philosophy and understand that we are destined for utter chaos, then maybe, just maybe, we can reverse the footprint of man’s insatiability. I want my great granddaughter to follow an unknown path up this mountain, and look at the same stars that guided me to life changing revelations. I want her to carry a smile upon her face and be able to sing and hear the world sing back. With the silver flame of the moon projecting light upon the rounds of my face, and the faces of those around me, I deemed myself a part of the earth. I walked down the mountain, guided by the light that peeked in through the stars above. I was not blindfolded in my descent, and I strode down the hill with trust and confidence in the dirt beneath my feet. My soul was, and forever will be, engrained in the soil.
Project Reflection
This project was designed to allow us to explore environmental ethics and our sense of place, and if we chose, how it relates to energy production and then write an essay about it. We worked our way up to this essay by practicing creative writing with journal prompts, learning about the different types of environmental ethics, and hearing from guest speakers that talked about energy production and human impact on the environment. We were also asked to create an accompanying visual piece that represented our essay's perspective. To inspire creative thinking we looked at how poets, photographers, and films displayed their thoughts about human impact, energy production, and destruction to the environment. This project required a lot of self reflection and critical thinking and it got me motivated to learn more about where we can go next with land preservation and energy.
I grew a lot in the process of this project and was forced to think about myself in ways that I had not yet explored. In order to articulate my sense of place I had to think about places that I had been or lived that shaped who I am today. It took time to think about a place that I associated my "soul" with, but once I realized what it was, it was fairly easy to write about an experience I had there. The environmental ethic piece was more difficult to figure out, but as my essay progressed I took on the perspective of preservationism, to save the land for future generations. I wanted my grandchildren to be able to experience the same connection to their surroundings as I had. When I explored my place, I also was challenged with trying to understand concepts of religion and how that influenced connections. It was difficult for me to fathom why I had felt so spiritually connected to the land around me in this one instance. I had to do some "soul searching", if you will, to understand abstract concepts and make valid criticisms of societal flaws. This was a really challenging process, but I got a lot out of it and was able to self reflect upon my decisions and how I can improve future decisions regarding protection of the environment.
I am proud of both my visual piece and my essay. I think that I created an aesthetically pleasing visual piece that complimented my essay very well. I'm glad I was able to go through with an idea that I had at the beginning of the project and execute it the way I had imagined. As far as my essay goes, I feel as though I developed a really strong sense of place and was able to articulate abstract concepts fairly well. I enjoy this piece of writing because it is a reflection of myself, and my thoughts. I was forced to step back and make a sincere criticism of our society, and how my experiences have shaped who I am today. I was also able to display improved creative writing skills, which I lacked at the beginning of the project. One of my favorite lines that paints a vivid picture in my mind is "When I uncovered my eyes, the night sky looked as if invisible hands flicked speckled light across a borderless flow of darkness. Stars danced across my field of vision and amongst the raw beauty that sank into my soul, I felt inconsequential." I am proud of this quote from my essay because it captures a moment, and shows descriptive writing. I think not only this quote, but the entire essay is a strong reflection of my growth and improvements in "showing not telling", and creating clear thoughts.
At the beginning of this project I was unenthusiastic about a joint project with chemistry, but I moved away from that and became really interested in how my connection to my surroundings influences my thoughts on energy production. This project was extremely relevant in today's society, and has given me the opportunity to comprehend where we can go next in terms of preserving and protecting our land. I enjoyed the humanities portion much better than chemistry because I am more interested in environmental ethics, and I loved the opportunity to be creative and write about something that is very close to me. Combining chemistry and humanities allowed me to understand the science and technical aspects surrounding energy production, while getting a feel for ethical reasoning and approaches to issues arising in certain types of energy. It was nice to see the correlation between morality, connections, business, and science. This project brought relevance to my learning and provided me with the skills I need in becoming more educated on upcoming issues having to do with energy and environmental safety.
To see my chemistry project, click the chemistry tab at the top of the page
I grew a lot in the process of this project and was forced to think about myself in ways that I had not yet explored. In order to articulate my sense of place I had to think about places that I had been or lived that shaped who I am today. It took time to think about a place that I associated my "soul" with, but once I realized what it was, it was fairly easy to write about an experience I had there. The environmental ethic piece was more difficult to figure out, but as my essay progressed I took on the perspective of preservationism, to save the land for future generations. I wanted my grandchildren to be able to experience the same connection to their surroundings as I had. When I explored my place, I also was challenged with trying to understand concepts of religion and how that influenced connections. It was difficult for me to fathom why I had felt so spiritually connected to the land around me in this one instance. I had to do some "soul searching", if you will, to understand abstract concepts and make valid criticisms of societal flaws. This was a really challenging process, but I got a lot out of it and was able to self reflect upon my decisions and how I can improve future decisions regarding protection of the environment.
I am proud of both my visual piece and my essay. I think that I created an aesthetically pleasing visual piece that complimented my essay very well. I'm glad I was able to go through with an idea that I had at the beginning of the project and execute it the way I had imagined. As far as my essay goes, I feel as though I developed a really strong sense of place and was able to articulate abstract concepts fairly well. I enjoy this piece of writing because it is a reflection of myself, and my thoughts. I was forced to step back and make a sincere criticism of our society, and how my experiences have shaped who I am today. I was also able to display improved creative writing skills, which I lacked at the beginning of the project. One of my favorite lines that paints a vivid picture in my mind is "When I uncovered my eyes, the night sky looked as if invisible hands flicked speckled light across a borderless flow of darkness. Stars danced across my field of vision and amongst the raw beauty that sank into my soul, I felt inconsequential." I am proud of this quote from my essay because it captures a moment, and shows descriptive writing. I think not only this quote, but the entire essay is a strong reflection of my growth and improvements in "showing not telling", and creating clear thoughts.
At the beginning of this project I was unenthusiastic about a joint project with chemistry, but I moved away from that and became really interested in how my connection to my surroundings influences my thoughts on energy production. This project was extremely relevant in today's society, and has given me the opportunity to comprehend where we can go next in terms of preserving and protecting our land. I enjoyed the humanities portion much better than chemistry because I am more interested in environmental ethics, and I loved the opportunity to be creative and write about something that is very close to me. Combining chemistry and humanities allowed me to understand the science and technical aspects surrounding energy production, while getting a feel for ethical reasoning and approaches to issues arising in certain types of energy. It was nice to see the correlation between morality, connections, business, and science. This project brought relevance to my learning and provided me with the skills I need in becoming more educated on upcoming issues having to do with energy and environmental safety.
To see my chemistry project, click the chemistry tab at the top of the page