When I learned about the Pine RIdge Reservation and that families make only $1500 per year, I was astonished as to how this could happen. The history of the United States is rife with injustices. But the displacement and genocide of native people of the Americas is one of the most horrific tragedies to ever happen on Earth, yet it is barely talked about. The United States is one of the world’s biggest spenders on foreign aid. But when people living within the United States cannot afford basic amenities and are living in slums, it begs the question why people are paying to help people halfway across the world when people are suffering in our own backyard. I understand the concept of foreign aid is to help people in countries whose government cannot help their own people. And I feel that foreign aid is a good thing for the most part. Countless lives are saved through aid projects funded by the United States. But when native people living on reservations have a significantly higher poverty rate, and higher rates of alcoholism and drug addiction than the general population, there is something wrong with the way the government and other groups are dealing with native populations.
I understand that many native peoples do not want help from the government or outside groups. That outside money and aid may corrupt their traditional way of life. But there is a serious problem when the United States is sending millions of dollars in aid to people overseas while the native populations of this country are suffering in silence. Something must be done to curb the rates of poverty, alcohol, and drug addiction on Indian Reservations. Whether this is done from the inside, through grassroots efforts in the native populations, or through outside help, funding must be provided to get programs in place. This funding must come from the government that put these people into this situation in the first place. Mental health services must also be provided. I think the government should focus first on people living inside their own country, especially people as disenfranchised as Native Americans. The concept of the United State being an arbiter of peace and goodwill throughout the world is one shaped in part by the foreign aid we provide other countries. There would be a of of outcry by people in this country and in others if funding for foreign aid was cut. The United State does a lot of good things throughout the world. But people living in extreme poverty and slum conditions do not exist only outside the Untie States. All somebody has to do to see people living in these conditions is go to an Indian reservation. The government should increase funding for lifting native peoples out of poverty and into mainstream America.

The graphs that Sam showed in class about income inequality in the US, and the results of the questions he asked were not what I expected. When he told us what the real income inequality figures were compared to what we would ideally like, we found out that most of us would rather live in a socialist system instead of a capitalist one. There is something to be said about that. In a society that is so unfairly balanced in wealth distribution, the people who are part of the 99% end up being the most disadvantaged and wanting change. Power ultimately lies with the people who control the most resources. People who are at the very top of the wealth scale have been able to use the system to their advantage in order to stay on top. The capitalist idealism in the United State is that if you work hard enough, you can be successful. Maybe just as successful as anybody else. But people do not find success through hard work alone. There may be a bit of luck involved, but people are shaped by factors and forces outside of their control. A person’s success can be attributed to their work ethic or personal choices that person made, but they didn’t get to where they are only through things which they themselves control. A person making millions of dollars has had a little help on the way, either through being born into a lot of money, or knowing powerful people. People in positions of power tend to perpetuate their power through the advantages they have over others. This is why we can afford to bail out banks and the people who made risky decisions, but not provide affordable health care to every citizen. When people hear the word socialism, a little alarm goes off because people in power have told us that capitalism is the only right way to do things, and that socialist policies should be feared because of the perceived intrusiveness of the government. More socialist policies would mean more sharing of wealth, which means the super rich would not have as much. They have worked to ensure that this does not happen, and thus the income gap grows larger and wages remain stagnant. When it’s all about the money, people tend to forget about others that are less fortunate than themselves. When a significant portion of the population does not have access to affordable health care, but insurance companies and medical providers are making more profits than ever, the priorities of the people making the rules are a little skewed. In a society with more even wealth distribution, nobody would live extremely extravagantly, but almost everybody would be able to afford food and basic amenities. I would rather live in a world where people are taken care of by their government, rather than being pushed around and held down through rules and laws that benefit people with money and power.

I was not really aware that there was a stigma associated with reincarnation. I think that it is not generally talked about in our society because the vast majority of people belong to a religion that does not consider it, or are not religious at all. I think it is a very interesting concept worth talking about however. At the end of lecture on Thursday, when Sam was talking about it, a lot of people seemed to kind of tune out. They either did not want to hear about the idea, or just did not believe his story. However, I found it fascinating that there are stories all over the world like this. Children believing they are somebody else, and then evidence of their story being found is a pretty convincing argument. There could be a simple explanation for these events, or there could be forces beyond our comprehension at work. I do not know which, but I think it is worth talking about. I think there is a bit of a stigma about it because people in general are uncomfortable talking about death and the afterlife. People do not want to think about their own death. People live in fear of dying, and it sometimes prevents them from living a fulfilling life while they are still here to do so. When it comes to the afterlife, people have all sorts of ideas about what happens. Only a small portion of people throughout the world actually believe they will be reincarnated. I think it is a very interesting concept. I think that if a person is reincarnated, the way in which they live their life will affect their reincarnation. If you are generally a good person, and try your best to do good things, then your reincarnation will be something favorable. But if you do bad things, then you will come back as something nobody would ever want to be. Because of this, most people do not want to be judged. This is because most people remember the bad things they have done instead of the good things, and are afraid of being judged on these things, even though the good may outweigh the bad. Hence, people are afraid of coming back as something bad, and thus do not want to believe in reincarnation. As for the stigma in our society, religion is already as touchy subject. Different religions have different views on the afterlife, and thus people don’t want to really discuss these views. But I think that if we talk more about our death, and what may come after, we may be motivated to do better things in life. If people are more aware of how their actions may impact them in a later life, they may think twice about doing actions they otherwise may.

Circumstances beyond our individual control that can cause harm to us and others can be frightening to think about. However, there are precautions that can be taken so that people know what to do in the event of a national emergency or mass evacuation. This article also ties into the reading we did in the book about whether or not people act irrationally or panic in dire situations. The reading concluded that most evidence shows people are willing to help others in need before themselves, even if it can be detrimental to their own health or safety. This is especially true in close-knit communities or families. One thing that needs to be done is that everyone needs to know what precautions to take before an emergency actually strikes. Plans need to be laid out in order for there to be a higher chance of success in a dire situation.

Many people know that even by not doing anything, they can still reap the benefits of other people doing things for them, even in an indirect way. These people need to realize that if everyone acts together, there is a smaller chance of others being harmed or left behind or what have you. Just because you don't feel like acting on a situation does not mean that someone else should duffer for it. The fact that one benefits from everyone acting collectively should be enough to convince that person that they need to do something to; not only to help themselves but help others around them. the more people that help with the cause at hand, the more likely it is to be a success. People working as a collective towards a common goal will almost always be more efficient and benefit more people to a greater extent than people working separately towards a common goal, or people slacking off and not doing anything, knowing that they will still reap the benefits. It is in everyone's best interest that everyone chip in something, even something small, in order to achieve the goal at hand. In terms of natural disasters, rescue and medical personnel will be at a premium, and will most likely be tied up somewhere else. Sure they may get around to searching for other people around you eventually, but that may be hours or days. instead people need to be proactive and put their own needs aside in order to help people that are in much more dire situations than themselves. everyone benefits. The more people you help, the more people are able to help even more people. The satisfaction of knowing that a person has made a big difference in someone's life is huge, and may come back around in a good way that one might never expect. The collective effort of many is always going to achieve more than the individual effort of a few.

This video has shed a whole new light for me on the educational system as I have come to know it. There are a few key points that really struck me. The fact that the public education system has not really changed for the last 200 years is something that can be troubling at some level. Expectations now are completely different than what they were 150 years ago, yet the methods and practices of teachers and schools make it difficult for students to realize their full potential. Such a strict and confined way of learning is what we have come to expect from schools. It helps keep kids "in order", if you will. It socializes them to a standard held by people three or four times their own age. Kids, especially younger ones, are not exposed to the type of mental stimulation that may be necessary for truly creative and divergent thinking. The grouping of kids by age can also limit their interactions with other classmates. If a child has had a vastly different life experience than another, they may be more or less mature than the children surrounding them and may be socialized as an outcast for being different. People must come to realize that kids mature at different rates, and have different learning style and don't always absorb material in the same way that they are taught. The academic setting encourages creativity, but does not necessarily allow for it. Divergent thinking among young children steadily declines as they get older because of the way they are taught. Children are taught what to learn and think, not how to learn and think. Feeding them inane facts will help them memorize it, but not allow them to expand upon what they've already learned and think critically about it. At higher level of learning, student are told to think critically about certain topics, but this becomes difficult because of the way they were taught in their earlier years. If students are given more free reign throughout their education, critical and divergent thinking may come easier and the world will come to realize how useful these tools really are. The world is changing rapidly and the educational system is not at all keeping up. People are bombarded with information almost every minute of their waking lives nowadays, but are expected to be able to concentrate on one thing for six hours per day. It's not realistic. Instead of medicating children who are thought to be "hyperactive", we should try to channel that energy into creativity, arts, humanities and other subjects where their attention can be drawn in a more positive manner.

The question posed in this article, about how we may change the way we live if we truly embrace what this man is saying, would force us to drastically alter our perceptions of people and the human race as a whole. I'm not saying that this is necessarily a bad thing or even impossible. I'm simply saying that the way I, as an American, have been raised makes it very difficult. If we move towards a more empathic society, there would most likely be much less violence, anger, materialism, and other negative human attributes that we are constantly surrounded by in this day and age. It would force us to act as a family. We would look out for the best interest of not only ourselves, but everyone around us. It would not be a Utopia, like the man said. But living in a utopia would not be a completely human experience. The realization that life is fragile and that it will end some day is one that when it comes about changes our outlook on everything. As a child, I remember having such a vivd imagination. I felt connected to every living thing on earth. Everything breathed, thought, and felt certain things. But now I have been awoken to reality and am more focus on self-sustainment. This does not prevent me from forming meaningful relationships with those around me but I am more wary of my surroundings, not as naive, and feel more vulnerable to the world. The empathic being sees others as equals and treats them so. If another person is hurt, or feels awkward, the empathic person feels the same way. Other people's feelings are projected onto the empathic person, and this allows the empathic person to really feel what it's like to be in someone else's shoes. If everyone felt like this then society would be all the better for it. War would be greatly reduced, radical religious sects would decrease, domestic violence, abuse, assault, and inner city violence would likely all see drops in rates. If i thought of everyone as my family however, it may make certain social situations a little awkward, such as dating. Despite this, the benefits of an empathic society and planet greatly outweigh whatever drawbacks there may be.

I feel inclined to tell you that these thoughts and feelings you have are not your fault. You are not alone in the way you think. Despite the recent downturns in your life, things will look up eventually. The decision you are making may make you feel like you have no other choice, and that it is only you controlling it. But the reality of it is that your decision is being shaped by many other factors that are beyond your or any of our controls. Society as a whole has shaped the way you feel, but you are the only one who can control what you do. Suicide may seem like the only option at a time like this, but think of all the people who will be affected. Your friends, family, and close acquaintances will all mourn your loss for years. Some may never recover. You are not only taking your own life, you are deeply affecting those closest to you and they may never recover. You don't want to become just another statistic. Despite the forces acting beyond your control, you can corral them into something better for yourself. Remember that as bad as things may seem for you right now, they can always look up within a short period of time. You never know what may come your way. I strongly urge you to reconsider your motives. You never know whose life you may touch sometime in the future. Suicide is permanent. Your current situation is not.

SOC 001

This letter is moving to me, not only because of what it talks about, but because of the source it is coming from. B, the inmate is writing from a unique perspective on something that he used to take for granted but now knows how much he did. This whole letter highlights the fact that we don't know what we have 'til it's gone. And it couldn't be brought to light more clearly.
I now realize how many freedoms the we, as citizens of this country, take advantage of on a daily basis without thinking twice about it. I guess that when something you used to take for granted is taken away from you, it makes you look inwards and realize that you still are lucky because there are freedoms people can never take away. Freedom to self-reflect is one of the most powerful freedoms we have. It allows us to analyze ourselves in ways other people cannot. Nobody can take that away from you.