(bi)weekly biz

Individual disobedience is fully committing to fight for a cause you believe in. As Henry David Thoreau states, it is casting "your whole vote, not a strip of paper merely, but your whole influence." On the other hand, group disobedience requires the commitment of multiple individuals - the more the better. So can individual disobedience be effective?  In some cases, probably not. If I decided it was unjust for me to write this post, I could follow in the footsteps of Thoreau and refuse to do it. However, that would simply result in a zero, and likely no change would be made. If I continued this behavior for the year, I would fail the class, and still, no change would be made. In this case, individual disobedience is ineffective. However, in other cases, such as the one of Jaswant Singh Khalra, individual disobedience was greatly impactful. Jaswant Singh Khalra was a human rights activist from Punjab, India, who devoted his life to uncovering the truth behind the thousands of...

In the speech "This is Water," David Foster Wallace explores concepts of selfishness - that humans tend to have a "default setting" of self-centered behavior. Wallace asserts that this mindset is apparent in everyday life. He describes the stress and frustration surrounding an average work day, attributing this behavior to our unempathetic attitudes. Furthermore, he convinces the audience that by recognizing the struggles that others may have, they can live a more fulfilling lifestyle. However, humans also exhibit traits of generosity and kindness, especially when it comes to volunteering organizations or homeless shelters. This contrasts harshly with the ideas laid out by Wallace.  Moreover, University of Michigan researcher Felix Warneken argues that "kids have a spontaneous biologically based tendency to care about others," suggesting that we are not born selfish, perhaps it is a partially learned behavior. Therefore, it may be essential to preserve em...

Mount Rushmore National Monument is situated in South Dakota's Black Hills. This impressive carving contains the faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. Many argue that Mount Rushmore is necessary, as it is an important tribute to individuals who have contributed to "the founding, expansion, preservation, and unification of the United States" (Borglum). In addition, Mount Rushmore symbolizes freedom and democracy while also representing both the past and the future.  However, the history of the monument has led to controversy over the years. It was built on stolen land, taken from the Lakota Sioux , leading to many present-day protests that bring attention to the history of Indigenous displacement. In 2020 , Indigenous groups protested at Donald Trump's speech at the Mount Rushmore, chanting "Land Back" as a passionate expression of their demands. Many asserted that the monument is like graffiti on their cheri...