Social contract

What is a government and what purpose do they serve? Governments are meant to serve the people and see that their basic rights are protected. There is an agreement between the people and the government: that being that the people give up some freedoms in exchange for protection from hostile forces. However, as Henry David Thoreau said, when the government doesn't meet it's half of the agreement, it is the responsibility of the people either reform the government or overthrow it and start a new one that serves the needs of the people. Although Thoreau wrote about this Civil Disobedience, and the idea may seem archaic and not relevant to modern society, this neglect of the agreement can be seen today in places like Egypt, Russia, and Syria. The government ignores the demands of the people and the people reform the government to better fit their needs. However, it does not always have to be as extreme
As rebelling and violently changing the government. Everyday people petition the government
To change laws to protect the peoples' rights. The government is never perfect. However, through the active
Involvement and participation of the people, both the government and the people
Can work together to form the best government possible.

early american history: the gateway to the future

Some may say that a book loses its power and the theme becomes meaningless over time. For example. the Holy Bible. Many Christians think its meanings and instructions are outdated, and thus not applicable to them. I do believe, however, that books are just as useful and inspirational as they were two hundred years ago or two thousand years ago! This phenomenon can be easily applied to America history. Much of the early literature today still has the power to teach people and should be taught in schools indefinitely. For example, The Adventures of Huckleberry Fin is a story that is well over a century old but is very important that people read it to understand America's history of slavery, discrimination, inequality, and hatred towards blacks. Imagine if that story was removed from the curriculum of public schools or if it was somehow rejected by society. Americans would suffer and lack in basic history and background in addition to the important themes of the story. Even though these books were boring when I read them, looking back only a few years ago to a few months ago, I realize that these stories have shaped me and I think that people everywhere should read books like Uncle Tom's Cabin, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and The Jungle.

how much has to be done to exist?

This week we discussed that quote about how to make an impact in the world and how to stand out and say you did something to better society. the quote said that in order to exist, you must die. I disagree with this quote because many people have achieved greatness during their lifetime and make an impact during their tenure on earth like Mahatma Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Bill Clinton, just to name a few people. These humanitarians gave up their being to serve others and make the world a better place, yet they were recognized for these achievements during their respective lives. Society has the capability of recognizing greatness and proper existence during the lifetime of the person and it does not require their death to be properly recognized and credited for their great works. I am not sure how the demise of a great figure makes them any better then when they were alive. However, I can understand that a person gets thought and recognition at the news of their death but that is only due to the greatness they had achieved while they were alive. People die all the time, but only the great ones continue to exist after their death.

witch hunts: not necessarily a thing of the past

I bet a lot of people read "The Crucible" and just laugh and the senselessness of witch hunts. Most people think that these issues have been resolved and no one in their right minds accuses another person of practicing witchcraft. This is in fact, wrong. Witch hunts still happen today. Not necessarily in America, but in less developed countries like Africa and Tanzania. Thousands of people, mostly women, are being killed for their supposed connection to the devil through sorcery. The article we read this week about how global warming directly affects thousands of women said it best. Whenever there is civil disobedience, climate change, bad harvest, or anything negative, people in less developed countries look for a scapegoat and blame certain women for cursing the community and are immediately killed with no proof of witchcraft. I would have assumed we as a global community, would have moved beyond this in the past 60 years, even in the world's most underdeveloped areas, because the thought of senselessly killing people is totally crazy. Somehow the world should come together, recognize this issue, and eliminate it because it is hard to believe in a world that has become so sophisticated and advanced in some areas, is still practically in the dark ages in other areas. Most people did not even know witch hunting still occurred and it should be recognized and dealt with because the mass killing of innocent people is never okay.