During this semester, I also took Environmental Ethics. In the class, we learned about Participatory Justice. Participatory Justice, as promoted by Iris Marion Young, a Political Theorist, is the protection of the democratic process. The idea that people should be able to participate in the things that can affect their lives, develop themselves and express their needs and thoughts. People from different cultural backgrounds, experiences and perspectives should all be able to bring their differences to the surface and decision making process. In the end, should decisions be made which disregard people's rights and dignity, the decision cannot be held as morally responsible.
Environmental Ethics is all about the discussion of what acts and decision can be morally justified. Throughout U.S. Government & Politics, I actually feel like my voice is less effective than before the class. And my reasoning is as follows. During the course, we completed a discussion regarding "Campaign Finance". After looking at the numbers, incumbents were almost always reelected. They often had the most money to spend on their campaigns, but unfortunately, the majority of their funds came from large corporations which run our society. For example, gas and oil industries, meat industries, gambling and alcohol corporations. And of course, the idea is that a candidate will support these industries after they have funded their campaigns. I do not consider myself a naive person. However, the older I get the more and more money seems to be the culprit of oppression, discrimination, environmental racism, and corruption. Take even the food industry today. In the 50s, companies first started to realize that sugar was addictive, so they added it to all their foods in order to retain customers. Since then, the food industry has really exploited the laws, finds loopholes and produces toxic foods as opposed to foods that fuel for the human body. With that being said, the U.S. Government & Politics course has made me more aware of how are government actually works. Before this class, I didn't know what the word "incumbent" meant. I didn't know the history of how our political parties were started or that there were even more than the Republican and Democratic parties which existed. I didn't know that members of the House of Representatives were elected by the people and that the Senate was elected by House members. I didn't and honestly still don't understand quite a bit of it all. Our government has so much more that goes into it's working gears than one would have thought. But even though, there is still much I don't understand, I am grateful for a further insight into the field. I most enjoyed the history of the political parties. I grew up in Upstate New York and my family and I traveled to Boston and Philadelphia to see the Liberty Bell and Benjamin Franklin's grave. I learned that Paul Revere was under 5 feet tall, as tall as his gravestone he was. You know the man on Samuel Adams beer? Did you know that's not Sam Adams? It's Paul Revere! Sam Adams was so ugly with a hunch and an unattractive face he was not wanted on the bottle, but "Paul Revere Beer" sounded awful. I learned that while in Boston. It amazes me that not only do we face so many issues in government that even our history is incorrect. We celebrate Columbus Day, to recognize a man that did not discover the Americas. Leif Erikson, a Norse explorer from Iceland, was actually the first European to discover North America. Then why do we celebrate Columbus? Because he conquered the Native Americans, aka...he slaughtered them and forced them out. Why is our country based on a lie. Why do we force the prettier picture to represent us even when it is not the truth? I think this concept is what continues to rule, not just America, but the world. During the opening ceremony of the Statue of Liberty in New York City, stood a massive statue of a woman who represented freedom for all, and women were not allowed to attend. So a group of women activists rented a number of boats and surrounded the island. Small efforts like these are the ones which will have big effects later on. I still believe small changes can build up to large outcomes. However, I think we will need thousands of small changes to truly make big differences to last through for generations to come.
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AuthorAnne is 25 years old and originally from the Bay Area, California, but grew up in the small charming town of Horseheads, just south of the Finger Lakes Wine Country in Upstate New York. Archives
April 2019
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