11th Grade Humanities
Morality and Politics of Justice
In this project, we studied morality and how it was involved in politics throughout American history, from the constitution to present day. To start this project off, we studied morality and how it develops for people throughout their lives. Our main points of research of moral development can be found in one of the essays listed below titled, "Moral Development." In this essay, we were assigned to interview any person about their life regardless of age, race, sex, ect. and rate them on Kohlberg's scale of morality according to their answers. After getting a good grasp on the development of morality in a person's life, we started to apply this knowledge through researching present day politics. We were assigned to research an issue that has lack of moral stability. In other words, a political issue where there are two apposing sides fighting for what they feel is 'moral.' The final essay, mine being on the legalization of marijuana, can also be found below. Along with this essay, we were assigned to give a visual representation of our opinions in this writing, and once again, it is listed below.
Referring to Animas High's Habits of Heart and Mind, the one I most used through this project is perspective. Perspective allows me to take my own evidence and base an opinion solely on my own thoughts. I also try to view the perspective of others as best as I can in everything I do, and this essay is no different. It was easy to be respective and open-minded about the opinions of others. Some didn't agree with me on the stance of this political issue and that's okay; they also had some very good points.
Within my Op-Ed article, I believe my development and evidence was the strongest. I argued two main points and focused on them to drive my point home. Using evidence such as "According to a recent report released by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics, nine Billion dollars of tax payers’ money is spent dealing with marijuana laws every single year," that regular Americans, as tax payers, can greatly relate to. Although my evidence was strong, my organization of the different sets of evidence was a but sloppy. For example, there was a very week transition between the sixth paragraph and my conclusion. This is a fairly simple fix that just require some extra thinking. I believe that I personally deserve an 'A' as my grade on this project. I have never asked for a high grade such as this before but I feel that I have done everything possible within the guidelines to make this the best Op-Ed article I could. If my essay was longer and without word cap being at 700, it would leave a lot more room for messy writing.
If I had another week on this project, I don't think much would change. I'm pretty sure that I had made the best points I had could that the public could relate to when they read it or when I had explained it during exhibition. I could not put anything else in it mainly because of the word limit, which was 700 words. I had already exceeded this limit in my final draft by about 50. If the word limit was unrestricted, with another week it would be an estimates 1500 words. It would give me more room and freedom to argue more points and bring in the context of the opposing side's viewpoints.
Legalization of Marijuana
Marijuana has been illegal in the united States for some time now, but is banning this narcotic a violation of our rights as Americans? The opinion about the legalization of recreational marijuana is very black and white, though I believe that as long as it is regulated similarly to alcohol, it could benefit our society greatly.
The legalization of marijuana has been closely followed since late 2010 with the presentation of Proposition 19 in California. The details of Proposition 19, if voted “yes,” will allow the possession, cultivation, and use of marijuana within the state for medicinal purposes. The proposition was voted “No,” by the majority, but now leaves room for Colorado to be titles as the first state to potentially decriminalize marijuana. The next question is, why should the voters of Colorado vote “Yes,” to Amendment 64?
Medicinal marijuana is already legal in Colorado and is restricted only to those with prescriptions, but Amendment 64 will allow the possession, cultivation, use, transport and sale of up to an ounce of the drug as long as the person is over the age of 21. In other words, cannabis will be controlled similarly to alcohol. Many people view being able to drink alcohol, although it can be dangerous, a right and should be an adult choice; no one should be able to intervene with your right to buy and consume alcohol, so why should they be able to keep you from possessing marijuana?
Decriminalizing marijuana would not only pose individual benefit, but an overall benefit for society. In an argument against the legalization of marijuana increasing drug violence by Sylvia Longmire, Adam Ozemik claims that, “I think what Longmire is missing is the way legalization of pot would undermine the very nature of the black market from the ground up. It’s not just about profits, for one thing. Marijuana is rightly considered a gateway drug but this is almost entirely because when someone buys marijuana they do so from a dealer” (Ozemik). He goes on to state that marijuana is huge to the infrastructure of the drug market because it introduces more people to more expensive drugs such as cocaine, which in a lot of cases, can be bought from that same dealer. “Legalizing marijuana fundamentally alters the landscape of the black market in ways that would make it harder for drug traffickers to access the market in the first place, creating fewer consumers and potential consumers almost overnight. This means that even if marijuana makes up much less than 60 percent of the cartels’ profits, removing marijuana from their product line would cut into profits all across the board.” Though being a great argument, it’s not the only one.
Russ Roberts from George Mason University argues from more of an economical standpoint. Roberts states that, “We spend a huge amount of resources putting people in jail and trying to catch them and discourage them, and all that does is make nasty gang members rich” (Roberts, 2012). According to a recent report released by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics, nine Billion dollars of tax payers’ money is spent dealing with marijuana laws every single year. Eight billion of those tax dollars is spent purely on arresting the abusers of marijuana and the other one billion is spent on the incarceration of people with marijuana offenses. Nearly one out of eight people in prison for drug use, are in there for marijuana.
Legalizing marijuana is more moral than not according to Utilitarian viewpoints. In all, it helps the most people by breaking marijuana as a gateway drug and keeping it safer for one to acquire the narcotic. Instead of buying from such dealer, one would be much safer taking a trip to their local grocery store or dispensary. This also brings down the chance that people could be consuming marijuana that has been laced with harder drugs to keep the dealers in business. It is also beneficial for more people when these tax dollars are used for something more important than this simple drug.
As stated by Jean B. Colbert, a French politician in the mid 1600s, “The art of taxation consists in so plucking the goose as to obtain the largest possible amount of feathers with the smallest possible amount of hissing.” (Colbert) We can change marijuana laws to fit this philosophy. Being able to turn around from spending nine billion dollars a year to taxing marijuana for a profit would be an incredible step forward for this country.
Citations:
California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs. "What Is Proposition 19?" What Is Proposition 19? N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Oct. 2012. <http://www.adp.ca.gov/marijuana/WhatisProp19.shtml>.
Kain, Erik. "Would Legalizing Marijuana Stop the Drug Violence in Mexico?" Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 24 June 2011. Web. 25 Oct. 2012. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2011/06/24/would-legalizing-marijuana-stop-the-drug-violence-in-mexico/>.
Smith, Robert. "Two More Policies Economists Love And Politicians Hate." NPR. NPR, 18 Oct. 2012. Web. 25 Oct. 2012. <http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2012/10/18/163179117/two-more-policies-economists-love-and-politicians-hate>.
Artist Statement
My poster is about the legalization of marijuana and why it should be decriminalized. In my poster, I portray a character looking up at a large gate. The two large doors of the gate are engraved with marijuana leaves showing how marijuana is viewed as a gateway drug. The gate has a large pad-lock on it preventing it from being opened. Essentially showing that viewing marijuana as a gateway drug is less justifiable. Behind the gate is a pre-dug grave, signifying the ruining of lives that would be stop by locking this gate. Lives are ruined because of marijuana being a gateway drug and black market violence such as all the contraband that comes across the border with the cartel.
In my poster, I mostly use logos. Of course, the grave in the background and the dark shading give a slightly more depressing mood, I like to use the symbolism more to persuade my reasoning, other than just make the audience feel bad. While the picture itself describes the problems that illegal marijuana gives us, my quote shows the other side of the story: what could we be getting by legalizing it? My quote shows how we could tax marijuana if it was legalized an
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Moral Development
What is morality? Morality is what flows through our head when making decisions, and it can also be measured. To measure a person’s morality, I found a subject to interview. He is a 50 year old white male, in the middle class, with an agnostic point of view on religion. The subject of this interview was tested on multiple situations to verify the stage of morality they are at and which moral philosophy they fall into the most. The subject was asked about a political issue, in this case gun control, and was assessed on how he thought morally by what he said about this political issue. He was also assessed on a popular fictional situation by Kohlberg where a man is forced to make a decision of either stealing a drug to save his wife or steal it illegally and another situation where one could save several lives by pushing a single man in front of a trolly car. Kohlberg’s scale of morality consists of 6 stages. At stage one, occurring in young children is the thought that “what it right, is that which authority says is right” (Kohlberg, 7). At stage 2, children start to find more interest of pursuing their own goals and don’t care for what a single authority tells them. At stage 3 and 4, people start to emphasize helping others and obeying laws to maintain a just society. At stage 5 and 6, people are less concerned about obeying laws to maintain a just society and start thinking of how to make such society better. They start to put more emphasis on principles and basic rights. The subject was also assessed on the moral philosophy that they are mainly based in. Philosophies such as Utilitarianism, where one would sacrifice 1 man for the good of the rest, Deontology , which concentrates on obeying rules no matter what happens, and Rights and Ethics, which is the ideal that everyone is born with the rights to life, property, and liberty. Our subject was found to be a stage 5 on Kohlberg’s moral scale and mainly based in the Rights and Ethics moral philosophy.
First, the topic that the subject was tested on were his thoughts on the current gun control issue. Its an issue freedom to own a weapon even though one may use these such weapons to commit violent crimes. When asked if he supported the overall ban on assault weapons, the subject responded with, “No. I don’t believe that it is the weapon that is the problem but the people.” He made the point that gun control is a very serious topic for it gives anyone the power to change major things whether it be taking a life or threatening to to get other things they want. He stated that even if we do a ban on assault weapons, these criminals would have no problem obtaining them illegally or violently attacking another with something such as a baseball bat. When asked what he thought the main problem was besides the weapon he stated, “The media is a huge problem.” He spoke about how the media is the gateway to fame. Some of these criminals may just be looking for their short lived fame; to be known around the world.” This is great insight into both Utilitarian and Rights and Ethics ideals of what is right. He speaks to Utilitarianism because his opinion caters more toward letting the mass amounts of civilians possess weapons, and Rights and Ethics because each person has the right to property at birth.
The subject was asked several questions about a moral situation where a large amount of men could be saved from getting killed by a runaway trolly car but only if the subject would push a single man in front of the trolly car causing it to stop. The main question of this was of course, “Would you push this man to save the lives of the men standing on the track?” The subject answered with, “No, we should do whatever is in our power to prevent it but those poor guys were in the wrong place at the wrong time.” He continued to say that he would not kill an innocent man to change ‘fate.’ This shows that he is a rights ethicist because he is not one to take the property of this man’s life just because others were in a horrible situation. It was also discussed that the quality of this man’s life is not a deciding factor of whether he would push the man or not. If the man is overweight and has chosen to live that lifestyle then his life choices are just as justifiable as the healthy men on the track. To push the man because of his quality of life would be because, “the man is truly suffering and would rather die than be alive at that point.” He said that if this man was at a state of mass suffering, then he would have to assess his own opinion of what he would want if he was in this man’s shoes. He also said that if he had to choose a way to save these men, he would sacrifice himself way before somebody else. With this said, he shares some aspects with Utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is where the person will always sacrifice a smaller value for the overall greater good.
He was then assessed on his moral development. To do this, I asked him some questions about another fictional situation where a man named Heinz was pressured with the decision of either letting his wife die or stealing a very expensive drug that he could not afford that would save her life. He said that if he was in the situation of Heinz, he would steal the drug without question. Even if he had to face major consequences such as life in prison, he would rather see his loved one live out the rest of their life. When asked if the person being a loved one would be a deciding factor, he said that it wasn’t necessarily a deciding factor but it was definitely a huge motivator. This shows that there is a great basis in stage 5 morality according to Kohlberg’s method of scaling morality. This is because he believes in peoples’ natural rights, such as life and liberty, over any law that the government has put in place. Though he says that he would like to go this route and save the stranger, even if facing a lifetime in prison, he would have to see how he would react to the situation in real life.
The subject was also asked if he would go through this same situation, and steal the drug, if the victim was a pet such as a dog. He said that he would for his own dog, though if it was for somebody else’s, he probably wouldn’t do it. He stated that you are much more obligated to steal the drug for another hum rather than a dog, though he still may do it. The subject stated that, “this law is protecting greed,” and at that point there doesn’t seem to be any consequence for greed, even though it is a life or death situation. This also points to this subject being a 4 or 5 on Kohlberg’s scale.
Another question asked was about if everyone is obligated to save another persons life. He responded that everyone is obligated to save someones life within reason. They should do what is in their capability, “Some people would jump in front of a bus to save another person, others won’t.” He said that everyone needs to take care of yourself and the people you care about first. “If I jumped in front of a bus to save a life, who would I be hurting that depend on me?” He was also asked another question which strengthened the trust in our results. The question was: “Can a law be broken and it what circumstances?” He answered saying that, “Just because there is a law in place, does not make it moral or immoral ... People should try their best to follow the laws... [They can break a law] when the consequences of obeying the law are worse than breaking the law.” The subject was then asked one more final question of, “Is it OK to steal this drug to prove a point?” He responded, “It sure would be tempting, but no; not to just prove a point. At that point breaking the law would be worse than not.” He then finished off the interview with saying, “Ultimately, everyone has to do what is right for them.”
With the information gathered about these fictional scenarios, we can gather that our subject is mainly based in the theory of Rights and Ethics and is in stage 5 moral development. If all of these things said were true responses of what he may do in a real life situation, it is safe to say that our data is as close as possible to what our subjects morals are.
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Energy and Place
How does energy production impact place?
How does your sense of place, environmental ethic and understanding of our energy needs influence your perception and decisions regarding energy production
The Worlds in which I Walk
I wake up to the view of a sunrise for the first time in years. The sky glows orange
bringing the clarity of sight to the fields that, moments ago, were shaded by night. Its a sky
worthy of a good picture if I've ever seen one, but hell, my cameras at least a good six feet away
and it would just pain me to walk that far. Beside, there will always be another one, right? I walk
to the bathroom, past the camera that sits there, and eventually make my way to the kitchen. I'm
a simple guy. I'm not one for fancy camera angles nor nature walks through the woods with a
pair a binoculars dangling from my neck by a cheap piece of survival cord. I'm lucky enough to
have toasted bread in the mornings if I can somehow get my lazy ass to go about doing such
great feats.
BEAUTY, noun
The quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind.
I closed my laptop, feeling a great urge to get out of the house. I look at my dog lying on the couch next to me. She stares up with eyes that look as confused as anyone who walks into the middle of Pulp Fiction, trying to understand any strand on the plot. I start talking to her, and the looks she gives me only get worse. I get up and walk over to the front door, slipping my
shoes on. I open it and call her name. With a lame look on her face she slowly trots out the door.
I close the door behind us which alarms her. The fact that I’m on the same side of the door as
her brings excitement to her steps. We trek off into the trees behind my house. The ones that I have hardly ever explored, even after 16 years of living here. I find myself loving hikes through the woods but not for the nature around me. It’s the joy that it brings, seeing my dog sprint through the fallen trees and navigating rocky terrain like a wild animal chasing down its prey. The shimmering shadows of the leaves as she runs through them. The light which the shadows separate are dancing over her as she dodges and weaves through the oak brush. She’s happy and having fun, therefore, so am I. She stops to wait for me when she gets too far in front of me. Sitting in the middle of the trail, she turns her head, her legs in a position ready to thrust forward again. She stares at me, waiting for the OK to take off once again. “Go on, girl,” I call pointing to the trail ahead. She barks at me and bolts into the deeps of the brush. Its right then that I have to stop walking. I stand there watching her play and get the absolute greatest feeling of joy; the feeling of true beauty. It’s not something one can simply see, nor take a picture of. It’s a warm feeling of belonging. A sense of community. It’s at that point that I feel at home. I’m not at my
BEAUTY, noun
The quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind.
I closed my laptop, feeling a great urge to get out of the house. I look at my dog lying on the couch next to me. She stares up with eyes that look as confused as anyone who walks into the middle of Pulp Fiction, trying to understand any strand on the plot. I start talking to her, and the looks she gives me only get worse. I get up and walk over to the front door, slipping my
shoes on. I open it and call her name. With a lame look on her face she slowly trots out the door.
I close the door behind us which alarms her. The fact that I’m on the same side of the door as
her brings excitement to her steps. We trek off into the trees behind my house. The ones that I have hardly ever explored, even after 16 years of living here. I find myself loving hikes through the woods but not for the nature around me. It’s the joy that it brings, seeing my dog sprint through the fallen trees and navigating rocky terrain like a wild animal chasing down its prey. The shimmering shadows of the leaves as she runs through them. The light which the shadows separate are dancing over her as she dodges and weaves through the oak brush. She’s happy and having fun, therefore, so am I. She stops to wait for me when she gets too far in front of me. Sitting in the middle of the trail, she turns her head, her legs in a position ready to thrust forward again. She stares at me, waiting for the OK to take off once again. “Go on, girl,” I call pointing to the trail ahead. She barks at me and bolts into the deeps of the brush. Its right then that I have to stop walking. I stand there watching her play and get the absolute greatest feeling of joy; the feeling of true beauty. It’s not something one can simply see, nor take a picture of. It’s a warm feeling of belonging. A sense of community. It’s at that point that I feel at home. I’m not at my
Stephen Miranda
house, or even remotely close to a place that I know well, but I feel good, like I never want to
leave. Isn’t that what a home should feel like?
HOME, noun
The place or region where something is native or
most common.
I sit on my bed fiddling with a piece of paper torn off the corner of my homework. I stare blankly at it, my fingers crushing it and rolling it with no end in sight. As the paper crackles between in finger tips, the thought of being anywhere else fills my mind. Dreams of different worlds with no adult-like responsibilities drift through my head like sunlight. Warming me and bringing me hope. Though a world like this will never become a reality, it's an escape. I readjust my eyes back into focus, walking over to turn my music up to keep me concentrating on the things I hate. For the fourth time I’m writing the same story, through the same eyes, though different each time. Pouring my thoughts into a mold that somebody else fabricated. I’m stressed and tired. The long day at work on this fantastic Sunday has drained me. I feel angry. In ways that I have felt many times. I pause and look around the room. I feel discouraged at the thought that I am not comfortable in my own house. I don’t feel welcome because I’m not happy. Location is nothing to me, especially if I don’t feel welcome. The ridged silhouettes of the grand mountains could never bring me to a better state of thought. The beauty I see others viewing is only a perception of the eye, and it almost seems silly to think any more of it. The magpies singing outside my window and the great Redwoods of California are cool and all, but how does one find these things having almost narcotic properties? How can these be a primary source of joy of people? In my mind, gazing at a landscape only seems like a waste of time, and honestly, it just seems silly how others will travel and work hard just to get a better look at what a lot of us have already seen. Don’t get me wrong, I am not calling people idiots for enjoying nature or a nice view, I just don’t understand it. Maybe its just me; being a small town teenage boy who grew up around what people claim to be an alluring landscape covered by snow capped mountains and forests that could swallow even the most experienced outdoorsmen whole. It brings me back to the constant thought that others feel a deeper connection to settings than I ever have.
Most people need to find a place that they enjoy to call their home, and I must say, living in a small house on the beach is everyone’s dream, but does a home really need to be a specific place? Does it have to be the place where you sleep and spend most of your free time? I know where my home is. It’s the journey there where I stumble. Home is not the ground I walk on, nor is it my bed. These are merely playgrounds where one spends his life in search of something greater. The world is only a perception of the mind, where one truly lives. My connections to physical things are very miniscule. I don’t mind where I live, nor the weather. These are only obstacles, some lower, some higher; connections keeping you from your own head. Television and conveniences blur our lives together, taking away diversity in culture and experience. The
HOME, noun
The place or region where something is native or
most common.
I sit on my bed fiddling with a piece of paper torn off the corner of my homework. I stare blankly at it, my fingers crushing it and rolling it with no end in sight. As the paper crackles between in finger tips, the thought of being anywhere else fills my mind. Dreams of different worlds with no adult-like responsibilities drift through my head like sunlight. Warming me and bringing me hope. Though a world like this will never become a reality, it's an escape. I readjust my eyes back into focus, walking over to turn my music up to keep me concentrating on the things I hate. For the fourth time I’m writing the same story, through the same eyes, though different each time. Pouring my thoughts into a mold that somebody else fabricated. I’m stressed and tired. The long day at work on this fantastic Sunday has drained me. I feel angry. In ways that I have felt many times. I pause and look around the room. I feel discouraged at the thought that I am not comfortable in my own house. I don’t feel welcome because I’m not happy. Location is nothing to me, especially if I don’t feel welcome. The ridged silhouettes of the grand mountains could never bring me to a better state of thought. The beauty I see others viewing is only a perception of the eye, and it almost seems silly to think any more of it. The magpies singing outside my window and the great Redwoods of California are cool and all, but how does one find these things having almost narcotic properties? How can these be a primary source of joy of people? In my mind, gazing at a landscape only seems like a waste of time, and honestly, it just seems silly how others will travel and work hard just to get a better look at what a lot of us have already seen. Don’t get me wrong, I am not calling people idiots for enjoying nature or a nice view, I just don’t understand it. Maybe its just me; being a small town teenage boy who grew up around what people claim to be an alluring landscape covered by snow capped mountains and forests that could swallow even the most experienced outdoorsmen whole. It brings me back to the constant thought that others feel a deeper connection to settings than I ever have.
Most people need to find a place that they enjoy to call their home, and I must say, living in a small house on the beach is everyone’s dream, but does a home really need to be a specific place? Does it have to be the place where you sleep and spend most of your free time? I know where my home is. It’s the journey there where I stumble. Home is not the ground I walk on, nor is it my bed. These are merely playgrounds where one spends his life in search of something greater. The world is only a perception of the mind, where one truly lives. My connections to physical things are very miniscule. I don’t mind where I live, nor the weather. These are only obstacles, some lower, some higher; connections keeping you from your own head. Television and conveniences blur our lives together, taking away diversity in culture and experience. The
fast pace of America’s nine to five schedule leaves us moving. People forget how to stop and
think. They forget how to think and get lost in their own mind, reflecting on self actions and how
to be a better person. I’m guilty of this, though I have gone to lengths to rid myself of many of
these conveniences and the radical change in happiness was amazing.
HAPPINESS, noun
Good fortune; pleasure; contentment; joy.
I used to look at the people around me, wondering how they get so much done. The day I challenged myself to unplug the tv from my room slowly turned into a hard one. I had no idea what to do with my free time. I sat there, refreshing my Facebook page, over and over, expecting this same shit to change. It dawned on me. Life was moving by too quickly. I made one step but I wasn’t acting upon it. I was letting time take me in as it’s servant. Wasting away my hours. It only took a few more steps. I soon started doing more. Things that showed me the way to a more energetic and thoughtful lifestyle. I was soon taking my dog on walks and working on my cars as I always talked about. Getting out and doing things as I never really had in years. The stress filled days slaving away as a student were catching up to me, and quickly. It needed to change, and it did. As I started to get out more, I started to realize how I can bring myself to do more things that I truly enjoyed. Getting my little Mazda ready and pulling it out a few towns over and placing it on the starting grid. Bringing myself to a bewitching situation instead of sitting inside waiting for it to come to me. The sudden realization of what I can do for myself. Leaving all my troubles behind when Saturday finally comes around. Dragging my sleep deprived ass out of a world that I hate and into one that feels real. Meeting new people through what I do for fun, and forming a double life.
CARE, noun
A state of mind in which one is troubled; worry, anxiety, or concern.
Though the nature around me doesn’t hold much beauty to me, it is the one thing we all have in common. I listen to the two arguments by each side of the environmental ethic debate; top issues such as global warming. Of course, as with everything, politics are what decides the outcome of our planet. Both sides on the extreme, only in a race to gain popularity. It’s hard to find a median in the midst of modern commuting and demand for energy which coal companies effortlessly sell to the world. Things need to change, though the amount of money it take is too great for anybody to want to spend, and I don’t blame them. I can’t blame them. As I haul ass around an autocross course in my car, or riding my motorcycle through the deserts of New
HAPPINESS, noun
Good fortune; pleasure; contentment; joy.
I used to look at the people around me, wondering how they get so much done. The day I challenged myself to unplug the tv from my room slowly turned into a hard one. I had no idea what to do with my free time. I sat there, refreshing my Facebook page, over and over, expecting this same shit to change. It dawned on me. Life was moving by too quickly. I made one step but I wasn’t acting upon it. I was letting time take me in as it’s servant. Wasting away my hours. It only took a few more steps. I soon started doing more. Things that showed me the way to a more energetic and thoughtful lifestyle. I was soon taking my dog on walks and working on my cars as I always talked about. Getting out and doing things as I never really had in years. The stress filled days slaving away as a student were catching up to me, and quickly. It needed to change, and it did. As I started to get out more, I started to realize how I can bring myself to do more things that I truly enjoyed. Getting my little Mazda ready and pulling it out a few towns over and placing it on the starting grid. Bringing myself to a bewitching situation instead of sitting inside waiting for it to come to me. The sudden realization of what I can do for myself. Leaving all my troubles behind when Saturday finally comes around. Dragging my sleep deprived ass out of a world that I hate and into one that feels real. Meeting new people through what I do for fun, and forming a double life.
CARE, noun
A state of mind in which one is troubled; worry, anxiety, or concern.
Though the nature around me doesn’t hold much beauty to me, it is the one thing we all have in common. I listen to the two arguments by each side of the environmental ethic debate; top issues such as global warming. Of course, as with everything, politics are what decides the outcome of our planet. Both sides on the extreme, only in a race to gain popularity. It’s hard to find a median in the midst of modern commuting and demand for energy which coal companies effortlessly sell to the world. Things need to change, though the amount of money it take is too great for anybody to want to spend, and I don’t blame them. I can’t blame them. As I haul ass around an autocross course in my car, or riding my motorcycle through the deserts of New
Mexico, I’m really not giving up much myself, and the stuff that I would need to give up is
extremely miniscule compared to what the power companies would. As I write this essay, I look
around my house counting the things that I would be able to give up. The house I currently live in
is large and could be much smaller, but other than that, I use everything I have to be able to live a
decent life in this capitalistic world. Without a heated and lighted house that is large enough to
keep me from a claustrophobic state of depression, I would never get sleep, nor get my
schoolwork done. Without my car, I couldn't make it to school or work, leaving me to be
uneducated or prepared for when I move out. Everything I use runs on power, and in this day, if
we cut very many of our luxuries, it would be impossible to succeed. I hope that one day,
innovation in energy production will lead us forward to a cleaner planet, but today, it nearly
seems impossible. These are our stomping grounds, and they are the most important thing that we have. They need to be saved.
seems impossible. These are our stomping grounds, and they are the most important thing that we have. They need to be saved.
Artist Statement for Visual Piece
In my visual piece, I look over Durango, Colorado along side my car. Durango is where I
grew up and spent my whole life to this point, though it becomes hard to call this place my home
in the midst of the stress that takes place during high school. This picture shows my stomping
grounds and where I live, while my car is there to symbolize my ways to go about being happy.
It’s fairly simple; I didn’t try very hard to grab the best camera angles because in my essay I state
that I don’t find much beauty in pretty lines.
In the end, my final visual piece did not come out how I wanted it to. The picture I am using was originally only a reference to a painting that I had been doing. When I got done with my painting, it looked like a five year old boy with an overactive imagination took a brush and painted it. With heavy dissatisfaction for this piece, I thought it would be best to use this photo instead. In all, it is a decent photo of a cool view.
The inspiration for my work is what I do for fun and what keeps me happy. Right now, my car is my primary source of happiness so it needed to be included. I also wanted a way to depict the land that I want to preserve as stated in the last section of my essay. The image of Durango with the mountains in the background was, in my opinion, the best way to do this.
Project Reflection
Before starting this project we did several smaller assignments to get a better understanding of what we would speak about in our papers. One of these larger assignments was an inspiration journal. We kept the journal for two weeks, writing about things that we saw and drawing them as well, helping us find what we really cared about. We also visited the energy museum in Farmington, NM and learned more about how the production of energy effect our land. When it came to the final project, we were told to write an essay on our sense of place; what we loved. The spin on it was how the production of energy effected what we loved about the earth. We also did a visual piece connecting to our essay.
The prompt for this essay is something I have thought about quite a bit over the past couple of years. I wrote specifically about what I call home and that I didn't find much care in the beauty that nature has to offer. I talk about how my home is in my head as long as I'm happy and that the earth is only a playground either helping me or restricting me from happiness. The hardest thing for me to accomplish in this project was how I wanted to portray my points. I rewrote the essay over and over trying to get the right feeling out of it. Some were too artsy or metaphorical and others were to direct. In the end, I found a very nice medium using the definitions between section as the more creative part of the essay.
I'm very proud of what I accomplished in my essay. Very little of it seemed cheesily tacked on and the language was interesting and fun to write. Although I felt this essay was one of my best ones yet, my visual piece was another story. I started out my visual piece by taking photos for reference for a painting that I had planned to do. I took several photos of my car overlooking downtown Durango which I then tried to paint on canvas. After getting done with it, in my opinion, it looked horrible. I've painted things before which i personally thought looked pretty good but this, this was bad. In the end, I used one of my reference photos instead. I had it printed out very nicely and framed it. My visual piece turned out good because it was still a decent picture but it could have been much better. I really enjoyed how the two classes, humanities and chemistry, complimented each other. It brought more real world meaning to what we were learning in chemistry and gave humanities a bit of a more fact driven format.
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