In class we read the 'Singer Solution to World Poverty' to be honest, I really did not enjoy it. It was very brutal on his behalf to write such a paper on world poverty. Singer proposes two different situations, one of Dora and the other of Bob. In Dora's situation she takes a boy to an orphanage and is paid money so she can buy her big t.v. she always wanted. Unfortuantely she finds out that the boy is not going to the orphanage, instead he will be killed and his organs will be donated. Dora is overwhelmed with guilt but she really likes her new t.v. and is reluctant to give it up if it comes to that the organization she gave the boy to wants their money back.
The second situation is with Bob. Bob is a train track operator. One day a train is running of the wrong track and is heading for a little boy who is on that track unaware of the train coming. Bob can do nothing to warn the boy because he is out of calling distance. Bobs only option is to flip a switch that will throw the train off the tracks and into a parking lot. That way no one is killed. But he is stuck because if he flips the switch and the train goes into the parking lot, it will crush his favorite car. His car means everything to him and Bob refuses to voluntarily destroy it. Bob does not flip the switch and the boy dies.
Singer twists the situation putting us in the place of Bob and Dora. He proposes that we live in situations like this every day of our lives. He gives us the organizations that we could donate to and help homeless and starving children in poverty. He said our decision not to help and not to donate is just like not flipping the switch. Its like us valueing our material things over another persons life.
My opinion is that yes all this is partially true. But our situations in our lives differ a lot from the situations of Bob and Dora. For example Bob and Dora's situations affected the lives of their children more directly then ours do. Its pretty messed up that he would write us off as murderers. I do give often to the McDonald house, I've been there and helped out and so I am moved to donate to a organization I have seen work with my own eyes. It is pointless to donate to an organization you would not trust. I would not give my money to help children in Africa if the money is not totally going to help children in Africa. There are so many fake and corrupt organizations in the world.
In some ways I do agree with Singer. The fact that we choose to buy $70 shoes instead of giving some of our extra money to a charitable organization is money that will never help homeless children. But you have to find a line or a boundary that says where enough is or where a good amount of money is. I believe $1 is enough if you're giving it with a willing heart. I truly believe it is selfish to give money just because it makes you feel better about yourself and you care nothing about who its going to and who it is affecting. Singer touches apon this as well in his paper. There are so many questions that go unanswered.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
My Essential Question
In my essential question I asked how my life makes an impact on the world and how do I make a difference in how the world is. There are many things that we do in life that affect the world in different ways. I have littered in one way or another. I know my life will not directly impact some poor person in Africa. But there are small things that people can do that can help your community and help the world all together. I'm not all sure if I myself have been doing these small things that will benefit the world.
I go to school where education is $15,000. I don't know how you can put a price on education and knowledge. Knowledge is life, that's how teachers give back to the world. They influence the minds of the young, they prepare us for the world, they arm us for the war that rages outside school campus. Knowledge helps me, maybe some day my knowledge can help someone else. I've received a lot of help from some really generous people and organizations that aid me in paying for my education. I cannot stress how unequipped my family is when it comes to paying $3000 per class. I really appreciate that help that I get from these people, maybe their generosity will be shown through me. Like paying it forward. Some day I will be moved to be generous, or maybe just be moved to be more generous in my life.
With everyday that passes I always wonder what my life will add up to when education is done and I have a job. I wonder what job that will be, I hope that it will be one that affects the world in a good way, whatever small way that it does. I still have no idea how my life affects the world and changes the world in anyway. I am a small person in this huge world, I would like a bigger part in it.
I go to school where education is $15,000. I don't know how you can put a price on education and knowledge. Knowledge is life, that's how teachers give back to the world. They influence the minds of the young, they prepare us for the world, they arm us for the war that rages outside school campus. Knowledge helps me, maybe some day my knowledge can help someone else. I've received a lot of help from some really generous people and organizations that aid me in paying for my education. I cannot stress how unequipped my family is when it comes to paying $3000 per class. I really appreciate that help that I get from these people, maybe their generosity will be shown through me. Like paying it forward. Some day I will be moved to be generous, or maybe just be moved to be more generous in my life.
With everyday that passes I always wonder what my life will add up to when education is done and I have a job. I wonder what job that will be, I hope that it will be one that affects the world in a good way, whatever small way that it does. I still have no idea how my life affects the world and changes the world in anyway. I am a small person in this huge world, I would like a bigger part in it.
Second Response to Essential Question
At first this seems really creepy. Probably because it is. But think how many people actually do this. It's an option now with the new cool phones that have come out. It's pretty awesome I think. But this makes you ask yourself exactly what kind of world do we live in? It's hard to know if we've gone too far in advancements. An essential question of mine is what do we, as humans and together as mankind, value more? Progression and advancements? Or ending world peace and poverty? I don't think these these two can go together hand in hand. If we were to totally do away with all of the poverty all over the world, everyone would be one single class of normal people. No one richer or poorer than the other. We would all be at the same economic status. Wether this is good or not, I still have not decided. I'm leaning more to this being bad.
If we were to crush all fueds between countries and establish, finally, world peace. Of course that would be great! But you have to ask for how long will this peace really last? History has shown that during times of war and times of stuggle human advancements and inventions have flourished the most. In asian studies the Zhou dynasty fought amoungst eachother for some long brutal 600 years. But during those years the most advancements in iron tools and weapon making occured. With out world war II I don't think we would have had nuclear power until recently. I think the biggest motivation for advancements are those that you do in order to protect yourself and kill others. The local Pidgeon language was semi formed during world war II. There are so many things that we would not have if our country did't go to war, or even if there were no wars to begin with.
My question therefore is, "Which do I value more, peace or progression?"
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
I Believe
I believe in non-destructive release of agression. I'm for prescribed pain killers and against any consumption of illegal drugs.I believe every stressful enviornment should have a punching dummy, feel good Bob Marley music, and a life time supply of yohoo's. People who lose their tempers easily annoy me. People that cannot laugh at themselves annoy me. I believe a daily dose of laughter unconciously saves lives. Long live class clowns, pranksters, and self proclaimed stand-up comics.
Intro: I Live Ewa
I know it takes an hour and a half to get from my house to school on a clear day. Three years have passed and I still wake up at 4:50 a.m. every morning. I know the Government plans to put 15,000 more houses where I live. There’s only one way in and out of Ewa. Kapolei is supposedly going to be the new City which means new jobs waiting for new workers out of Ewa. Yeah right. I know that’s not going to work. I don’t know what time I’m going to have to wake up after 15,000 more cars need to get out of Ewa. It’s almost like no one wants to be here.
I know our economy needs more people to live and ‘buy’ Hawaii. I know that Ewa side needs more attention. I don’t know if more houses will fix the drug problem, the gangs, or the education. I know that we need to crack down harder on law breakers and better educate the youth. But what do I truly know, I go to school on the other side of the island. My typical day starts in Ewa and ends in Ewa, I wake up and sleep in Ewa, thats about it. I don’t know what goes on while I’m gone. But I have a good idea.
I know who I am. I’m very proud of that. It’s pretty obvious any way. I am the missing link in the human evolutionary track, right after big foot and before the cave man. I’m five foot six, width wise I know that. I’m alright with that fact but there are some days I wish I was six foot five in regular human height. I know that’s human nature to want to be greater than what you are. Seeing that my middle name is Fiasili which means ‘wanting greatness’, I wasn’t any exception. I know that the Nazi’s killed thousands of Jewish men, women and children over one man ‘wanting greatness’. I know that thousands of people have died because of another man ‘wanting greatness’. Some big man higher up the social latter (a.k.a. ‘the man’) is getting a lot of greatness with the building of 15,000 more houses in Ewa. I know Greed is in evident. It’s a natural human feeling. It’s my middle name. I don’t know how many people I have hurt in my strive for greatness and I don’t know how many more people. I hope not more than 15,000.
I know how a war starts. It starts with one man wanting more. Like the old Christian missionaries who spread their God into Godless parts of the world, Africa, India, Asia, Mexico, Polynesia. I know change is in evitable. Some people would fight and die trying to keep things the same. The Aztecs fought the white man. The Africans fought the white man. The Asians fought the white man. The Indians fought the white man. The Polynesians fought the white man. The white man fought the white man. I know greed was the reason for all these fights. If people weren’t so greedy, countless people would have gotten a chance to live a little longer. Then again, I don’t know where I’d be right now. I’d probably be living in a grass shack wearing a tapa skirt and learning how to hunt pig. I don’t know if ‘wanting greatness’ is good or bad. I don’t know if my middle name is a blessing or a curse.
I know our economy needs more people to live and ‘buy’ Hawaii. I know that Ewa side needs more attention. I don’t know if more houses will fix the drug problem, the gangs, or the education. I know that we need to crack down harder on law breakers and better educate the youth. But what do I truly know, I go to school on the other side of the island. My typical day starts in Ewa and ends in Ewa, I wake up and sleep in Ewa, thats about it. I don’t know what goes on while I’m gone. But I have a good idea.
I know who I am. I’m very proud of that. It’s pretty obvious any way. I am the missing link in the human evolutionary track, right after big foot and before the cave man. I’m five foot six, width wise I know that. I’m alright with that fact but there are some days I wish I was six foot five in regular human height. I know that’s human nature to want to be greater than what you are. Seeing that my middle name is Fiasili which means ‘wanting greatness’, I wasn’t any exception. I know that the Nazi’s killed thousands of Jewish men, women and children over one man ‘wanting greatness’. I know that thousands of people have died because of another man ‘wanting greatness’. Some big man higher up the social latter (a.k.a. ‘the man’) is getting a lot of greatness with the building of 15,000 more houses in Ewa. I know Greed is in evident. It’s a natural human feeling. It’s my middle name. I don’t know how many people I have hurt in my strive for greatness and I don’t know how many more people. I hope not more than 15,000.
I know how a war starts. It starts with one man wanting more. Like the old Christian missionaries who spread their God into Godless parts of the world, Africa, India, Asia, Mexico, Polynesia. I know change is in evitable. Some people would fight and die trying to keep things the same. The Aztecs fought the white man. The Africans fought the white man. The Asians fought the white man. The Indians fought the white man. The Polynesians fought the white man. The white man fought the white man. I know greed was the reason for all these fights. If people weren’t so greedy, countless people would have gotten a chance to live a little longer. Then again, I don’t know where I’d be right now. I’d probably be living in a grass shack wearing a tapa skirt and learning how to hunt pig. I don’t know if ‘wanting greatness’ is good or bad. I don’t know if my middle name is a blessing or a curse.
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