Alas, a new reason!

Since the beginning of the war it seems as though the Bush Administration keeps creating new ideas for invading Iraq and surrounding areas. We originally invaded Iraq to try to find weapons of mass destruction and when we couldn’t find any, the government came up with a new reason for being in Iraq. It seems as though we went into Iraq for the wrong reasons and now somehow we are trying to justify our purpose there.

Clearly, democracy works for America, but this doesn’t mean that it will work for other country’s governments. It seems as though the common consensus in class was that enough is enough. I hadn’t looked up how many soldiers had died in this war in awhile, and I was shocked by the numbers that were said in class. Sadly, people are dying for all the wrong reasons, and I believe that something needs to change soon.

Public Transportation

In class we discussed the use of public transportation. I have never been to Europe, but it is evident that their transportation systems are much more advanced and readily available. Here in the United States the only high speed transportation we have available in the northeast is a high speed train that travels from Boston to New York City and to Washington DC. It is evident that transportation in the United States only focuses around large cities because of higher population. If we were able to have public transportation that was more available, people would not have to rely on automobiles as much.

As a resident of Berkshire County, I have always relied on my car since I first began driving. I have always said that I wouldn’t be able to survive without my car because I use it to go everywhere. I have never used the B-bus, nor do I even know where it goes or how much it costs. I have never used the bus system because it is more convenient to use my car and arrive at my destination at the time I want. I know that by not using public transportation I am only contributing to global warming and the constant rise in gasoline costs. But I believe that if public transportation was more available, people would find it more socially acceptable and more convenient.

Patriotism

I agree with Jenson’s claim that patriotism today is not what it should be. Patriotism has morphed into nationalism that has become crude and ugly. When I think of patriotism I think of loyalty and love for your Country and standing up for what you believe in. It seems as though patriotism has turned into something much more than that, and many people are labeled “un-American” if they do not agree with every political move. It seems as though many politicians have used the word patriotism to try to encourage people to support their decisions, especially after 9/11. They encourage people by saying, if you love your country and want to embrace what we stand for, you will support this war. Now patriotism has turned into hatred and racism combined together with a “love for our Country.” By using patriotism in a negative way to gain support, it is losing its meaning.

I do not however believe that patriotism should be thrown out; because I believe it is an important part of our human experience. It is not to say that our Country is better than any other Countries, but that we love where we come from and that we only want the best for our Country and its people. I do not believe that freedom should be labeled as an American characteristic, but as a human characteristic and that because we have patriotism for our Country we will strive for freedom for our Country.

We Must Support

I found the article by Robert Jensen, “Goodbye to Patriotism” to be very informative and appealing. The article voices many concerns and thoughts that many Americans have, especially since 9/11. I feel as though we are pushed to be Patriotic and supportive of our Country, but many times I don’t agree with what is happening. I feel as though many people are stuck with these feelings, as they want to be supportive of our troops but do not agree with the war.

I often find myself in this position. I genuinely hate this war, but I completely support our troops. I respect and admire the passion, diligence, and courage that our troops have to fight for our Country. But at the same time I feel as though there has to be another solution to this war situation. I found Jensen’s quote moving, “…the only real way to defend ourselves is by military force. If you want to be patriotic, you should -- you must -- support the war.” I find it difficult to support the war, but I know I must support our troops. These men and women sacrifice their lives every day so that I can live a safe life here in America. I would feel guilty and selfish if I didn’t support the war, but yet I feel that this war is un-necessary and that it is not going to end any time soon.


I look forward to tomorrow’s class discussion because I am curious to see how other people feel about the war situation at hand.

Inspire me to be vegetarian?

I found Pamela Rice’s article, “101 Reasons Why I'm a Vegetarian" to be interesting and informative. Although it was full of significant information, it did not inspire me to become a vegetarian. Rice had some good thoughts and ideas that mostly focused on the mistreatment of animals, but they were not convincing enough. I’m sure this article is more motivating for vegans and vegetarians as they already have these ideas in place.

I think that it is your choice to eat meat or not, and that your individual choice is moral. Some people may view eating meat as unethical, but you are entitled to your own opinion. If the entire world were vegetarians and vegans, would we exhaust our plant resources? It seems as though our world is too far advanced into the meat eating tradition to change it now. Although many cultures and traditions are based around eating meat, it is clear that there are moral ways to get meat.

Views on eating meat, so far:

Since the beginning of human evolution two million years ago, humans have always been omnivorous hunters and gathers. Humans have just as much of a right to eat meat as other carnivores do. Some other meat eating animals eat their prey when it is still alive; at least humans have more decency. It is evident that traditions around the world, including some places in the United States, do not treat animals with respect. I believe to be a moral meat eater, one should be aware of where their meat is coming from. An average American would be able to afford meat and should choose organically or healthily raised animals, opposed to factory meat. Therefore, I believe that it is moral and ethical for an average American to eat meat, because it is natural to our human nature. It is important however, to be conscious of where the meat comes from to ensure that animals are treated in a humane manner.

I found the article, “Eating meat is natural” by Jim Powlesland, http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~powlesla/personal/hunting/rights/meat.txt. In this article, the author explains what the USDA Dietary Guidelines are for Americans. It is recommended that Americans should eat grain products, vegetables, fruits, low fat milk products, lean meats, fish, poultry, and dry beans to have a healthy diet. Animal meat is the only source of B12, so by cutting this out of your diet, you will be unnatural, according to Powlesland. It is also evident that children need a complete diet including meat to be healthy when developing. According to Powlesland, children that have been raised on a vegan diet have slowed growth and development.

Although this is not a complete defense for eating meat, as it does have flaws. I again suggest that we should be moral meat eaters, and know where our meat comes from.

Glass Walls

A quote was mentioned in class, “if slaughter houses had glass walls, everyone would be vegetarian” – Paul McCartney. I found this quote interesting because this could be true for many other ethical activities that go on that we do not see every day. If everyone could see war and see the pain and suffering that the soldiers go through, they would be against war. I believe it all comes back to choices, and that humans have many different choices, but sometimes our ignorance clouds our decisions.

This quote is important to us because we should watch what goes on in slaughter houses. If people had a better idea of what goes on in slaughter houses they would be more willing to help with animal rights. People will be more supportive of factory produced meat rather than the extreme slaughtering of animals. I do believe that eating meat is ethical, but that it is important to know where your meat is coming from. By informing and showing people where their meat comes from, more people will be supportive and interested in how animals are treated.