As a girl I’ve been told my whole life to be careful, not run alone at night or sleep in an empty house with the doors unlocked. I’ve been told to park close and make sure I always have a phone with me. I’ve been told to avoid bad guys; you know? The kind that ride motorcycles and smoke cigarettes, they’re said to ‘break girls hearts’ but the truth is I’ve never been warned about the one thing that can really hurt me; a good guy. I truly think that most girls have a ‘bad boy’ complex because they know that deep down they will never truly let themselves fall for him, but a good guy – they get into your heart and break it from the inside out. A bad boy may get a girl into trouble, keep her out too late or rub off bad addictions… but these are the type of things that are easy to fix. A good guy, however, will make a girl feel beautiful, wanted, secure… and most girls will give the best of their hearts with little critique to a good guy because he isn’t masked the way a bad one is, he isn’t know to break a heart… but the difference is this; falling for a bad boy is like jumping into a puddle; it makes a few splashes, but nothing paramount. Falling for a good guy is like jumping head first into the ocean, no idea where the bottom is, no chance of coming up for air in time and no sign of where you have disappeared to those looking for you. Drowning doesn’t have to be a bad thing, when the water isn’t cold and the marine life is friendly… but who would honestly choose drowning in an ocean over jumping in a puddle? One lets you walk away free… without a scratch. I fear the unknown more than any bad boy I know.

I was rummaging through an old box of keepsakes today and I found remnants of a girl I used to be… I am happy with the woman I am becoming, I am pleased with my accomplishments and feel like my life is moving forward in most aspects, but I miss that girl inside that box sometimes. I miss saving movie ticket stubs, writing down everything, saving charms from broken jewelry, Polaroid’s... I also found a few mix CDs from old friends… I miss the girl who not only couldn’t wait to hear the songs, but actually had time to listen to them, every lyric. Its funny how the things that defined us and are probably the deepest rooted get shoved into boxes because there isn’t room in our brains to store them anymore…

There is something that grants justification in a harsh dichotomy, an extreme either way is acceptable, and middle ground is the last place anyone should strive to be. Think of it in terms of a car; if your car is amazing, fast, expensive, shiny etc... Then it deserves compliments and merit. If your car is completely trashy, missing hubcaps and squeals it is a laughing matter… it’s the cars that are not nice enough to be nice or not trashy enough to be a joke that are missing out.. Sometimes I feel like those cars in the middle; average. Not enough to feel justified in wishing I were better and not exceptional enough to feel secure.

In 6th grade I had to switch schools and I was devastated, but I loved going to art class. My class room was in a different building, but the art room was in the main school building. It was always messy and bright, the only really happy room I remember there. I am not a great artist, it’s all I can do to draw a stick figure without having to start over but this art teacher didn’t require standard assignments… she gave us all a piece of canvas that was bound to wood… The beautiful thing about canvas is that once the paint dries, you can paint something completely new on top of it, hiding all of the original sins, mistakes, bad days… I miss that canvas, it absorbed so much… the only problem with covering the original art is that at some point the piece of canvas gets heavy and bumpy, the texture isn’t smooth… I never realized how hard it would be to find a blank piece to start over with, because at some point the mistakes are not about the picture painted or what is evident on the surface, but about the weight the medium bares.

I may complain about my long list of things to do, my never ending pile of laundry, my full inbox awaiting responses or the million errands I have to run… but the truth is I purposefully fill my life with tasks and responsibilities. They are a lot easier to get through then the quiet or the sorrow that a memory brings. There is a feeling that creeps in when everything is done, and I have to listen to who I really am... underneath my strategically planned to appear calm and cool veneer there is a girl who is lost, a girl whose problems are not big enough to be discussed because everyone around her has a heavier heart, a girl who doesn’t necessarily want to continue down this crazy career path but is too scared to be ordinary… I guess deep down I feel like if I do something extraordinary, something that keeps me busy and keeps me at center stage I won’t have to deal with the hot coal burning underneath the fire.

This Is What You Shall Do:

Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to everyone that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence toward the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown, or to any man or number of men-go freely with powerful uneducated persons, and with the young, and with the mothers or families-re-examine all you have been told in school or church or in any book, and dismiss whatever insults your own soul; and your very flesh shall be a great poem, and have the richest fluency, not only in its words, but in the silent lines of its lips and face, and between the lashes of your eyes, and in every motion and joint of your body. - Walt Whitman

There is a strange comfort in making a mistake, only after you have acknowledged that it is a mistake. I think there is a sense of rationality that comes from confessing that you are aware you are making a choice that won’t benefit you in the long run; and only when the right choice is within reach is making a mistake excruciating. Needless to say, my law school applications will all be sent within the next few months, and I know that I should be pursuing a doctorate degree in psychology, but I have already taken the LSAT and acknowledged my mistake.

"Rats and roaches live by competition under the laws of supply and demand; it is the privilege of human beings to live under the laws of justice and mercy." Wendell Berry

I have been exploring Berry’s work recently and have realized that his pieces are connected by the same underlying sense of humanity; Berry finds it fundamental to existence. I am nothing short of disappointed by the economy, environmental degradation and war. We have the privilege of high level cognitive thinking and it appears that many members of mankind only take advantage of their intelligence to harm other individuals or exploit resources.

This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness. ~Dalai Lama

Check out my photography blog: www.wildflowerphotography.blogspot.com

There is a common theme in Today's world... that we are temporary...
that nothing lasts... that the beauty is ours to destory...

this is flawed... there is beauty...

but the beauty is not ours to destroy... it's ours to preserve...

“Whether we and our politicians know it or not, Nature is party to all our deals and decisions, and she has more votes, a longer memory, and a sterner sense of justice than we do”

- Wendell Berry

Immanuel Kant's Categorical Imperative In Correlation to Our Environment

The following essay will discuss the correlation between Immanuel Kant’s Categorical Imperative and our environmental crisis. There are many factors that play a part in our environmental crisis, but the larger concern is the extinction of humankind if our earth is not sustainable. This essay will discuss the direct correlation between the treatment of the earth and the treatment of humankind, morality cannot be subject to change based on circumstance.
Kant states the first formation of the categorical imperative as this, “Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that is should become a universal law…”[1] Kant’s first formation of the categorical imperative, as displayed by his previous statement, deals with moral law and thinking. It is evident by the first formation of the categorical imperative that Kant’s philosophy entails behaving as if each action an individual commits could be translated into a universal law. There is an implicit respect for humankind in the first formation of the categorical imperative, mandating that each individual treats every other individual as they would, under a moral law, mandate to be treated. “The categorical imperative procedure itself is not the result of construction but rather ‘laid out’ on the basis [of] the conception of free and equal persons as reasonable and rational, a conception that is mirrored in the procedure and ‘elicited from our moral experience.’” [2] The second formation of Kant’s categorical imperative covers an understanding of humanity, never treating another human as means to an end but instead as ends in and of themselves. This is a crucial formation in the Categorical Imperative, because it deals directly with the treatment of human kind as an end, and therefore stating that human existence is always meaningful, a fact that cannot be discounted for any purpose.
The third formation of Kant’s categorical imperative deals with a ‘Kingdom of Ends’. The third formation, as a Kingdom of Ends, states that all moral and rational individuals need to abide by common objective laws. Kant states, “Therefore, every rational being must so act as if he were through his maxim always legislating member in the universal kingdom of ends. The formal principle of these maxims is this: so act as if your maxims were to serve at the same time as a universal law…”[3] It is clear in Kant’s categorical imperative based on the formulations that every rational individual has to adhere to laws that increase the meaning of human kind through treatment as an ends, and not as a means. It is also implicit that humanity has to be at the foundation of all law and of every action.
I can think of nothing that effects human existence (and that human existence affects) more than our environment. Our environment is, in essence, our entire world. Unfortunately, our environment is no longer sustainable. There are choices that we, as humankind, have made that have directly led to the degradation of our environment. The earth is rapidly diminishing, due to global warming, safe water shortages and most importantly, overconsumption of finite resources. It is impossible to discuss our environmental crisis without discussing capitalism. There is a direct correlation between capitalism and overconsumption, which inevitably leads to a lack of sustainability and eventually the termination of existence on this earth. A capitalist mindset is rooted in the need to cheapen costs and gain market share, to adhere to a short term/instant gratification mindset and to have a secretive and private nature. Capitalism plays to a no effect mindset; that we do not affect the world and the world cannot affect us. It is frightening that mainstream media has been successful in their portrayal of denying that we affect the world around us. The number one problem with this mindset, pushed by the media, is that there is no responsibility. When there is no responsibility, there is no fight and when there is no fight, there is no change. This lack of guilt and action is precisely what a capitalist economy relies on because it gives the individuals in power the ability to further successes at the expense of nature, but never adhere to the allegations that they have harmed our environment. This type of thinking is detrimental for the environment because a capitalist based society is less concerned with finite resource preservation and more concerned with expendable income.
The bottom line of our environmental crisis is that finite resource preservation takes a back seat to production and market gain under a capitalist regime. This does not only affect capitalist nations, is it universal. If every country consumed and used finite resources at the pace that capitalism sets, the earth would have been stripped years ago. Overconsumption does not lead to sustainability, this fact is clear. Not only do capitalist nations consume at too high of a rate, but they allow industrialized farming to be a large part of the culture. “Resource intensive agricultural practices are considered unsustainable for two reasons: much of the consumption is of nonrenewable resources, in particular, fossil fuels; and consumption of some renewable resources is occurring faster then the rate of regeneration.” State Horrigan, Lawrence and Walker. We must change our thoughts and beliefs toward what sustainability is. We must act as if our behavior would become universal law.
Fortunately, not every country follows a capitalist model of consumption. Aldo Leopold expresses concern stating, “The land-relation is still strictly economic, entailing privileges but not obligations.”[4] Leopold shows a deep understanding of the root of our environmental problems in correlation to economics, which tie directly to capitalism. In short, our environmental crisis will eventually lead to the depletion of all resources and by proxy, lead to the distinction of humankind.
Make no mistake that there is a direct correlation between our humanity and the treatment of our environment. Leopold goes on to say, “Obligations have no meaning without conscience, and the problem we face is the extension of the social conscience from people to land.”[5] If there is a habitual act of degrading the earth, there is no doubt that it will eventually translate into the degradation of other individuals. There is no half morality, Kant clearly displayed in the categorical imperative, the imperative is such – there are no contingencies for ethical treatment and such needs to be the case for morality. An individual cannot treat the earth with disrespect and then treat an individual with complete humanity. There have to be consistencies without boundaries when it comes to moral law and reasoning.
There is a direct correlation between the way an individual treats another individual and the way that same individual treats the earth – plants, animals etc… There is a justification made in response to the degradation of the earth, and the response is that humans are more than the earth, that because we have sentience and more cognitive abilities, it is our inherent right to exploit the earth for our use. However, these justifications rarely remain responses to degradation of our environment. They carry over to the justification of the poor treatment of humankind. This type of justification directly defies Kant’s categorical imperative. Holmes Rolston states, “A life is defended for what it is in itself, without necessary further contributory reference, although, given the structure of all ecosystems, such lives necessarily do have further reference. The organism has something it is conserving, something for which it is standing: its life.” [6] We cannot continue to use the earth as a means to an end, while treating humankind as an end in itself. There is no way to lead a life that remains humane, while degrading the earth. The categorical imperative and our environmental crisis may seem mutually exclusive, but the vertex is this; each individual on this earth relies on the sustainability of our environment for the sustainability of their lives and there not a way to harm the earth without harming one another. If an individual consumes too much, another individual suffers. The categorical imperative and an unsustainable earth cannot go hand in hand. It is crucial to the existence of humankind that the earth is preserved. When an individual hurts the earth and strips the finite resources it has to offer, that individual is simply robbing another individual the right to life. While this may not be immediate, the over consumption of resources and the crisis that we have all created will dismantle the earth and all it once had to offer. Leaving future generations robbed of resources and possibly a chance at life on this earth.
In order for our country and the globe to patch up the problems of our ecological crisis, it is imperative that the behavior of every citizen change. A common misconception surrounding the ecological crisis is the belief that we should “fight fire with fire.” Instead of going back to the farms, we create more pesticides, more genetically engineered crops. We fight the crisis at hand by furthering the machines and ideas that got us into this predicament in the first place. When a problem arises, America fights the problem by using the same thing that started the problem – be it machines, money, pesticides etc… this misconception that furthering technology is the solution to ecological problems began as far back as the medieval times. White recognizes this in stating, “Man’s relation to the soil was profoundly changed. Formerly man had been part of nature, now he is the exploiter of nature.”
Throughout much literature discussing environmental crisis, solutions and ethics there is a common theme; a correlation between treatment of the earth and treatment of humankind. Paul Taylor states, “We may have responsibilities with regard to the natural ecosystems and biotic communities of our planet, but these responsibilities are in every case based on the contingent fact that our treatment of those ecosystems and communities of life can further the realization of human values and/or human rights.” [7] From every standpoint – environmentalists to philosophers, the theme is consistent. Regardless of the amount of responsibility one feels for the earth, it is undeniable that the treatment of the earth translates into humanity and ethical treatment of humankind. Taylor goes on to say, “The ethics of respect for nature is made up of three basic elements: a belief system, an ultimate moral attitude, and a set of rules of duty and standards of character.” [8] The three elements that Taylor outlined are complimentary of Kant’s formulations within the categorical imperative. It is clear that there is no line between the ethical treatment of the earth and moving toward sustainability and humanity in reference to the treatment of humankind.
There is a type of superiority that is at the root of poor treatment of our environment, which leads invariably to the poor treatment of other individuals. Taylor states, “…after all, various nonhuman species have capacities that humans lack. There is the speed of the cheetah, the vision of an eagle, the agility of a monkey. Why should not these be taken as signs of their superiority over humans?” [9] My point through the use of that statement is simply this: no one animal, plant or human is 100% better than any other. Each possess strength and potentially weakness, but it is not out moral place to state the value on any other living organism – we must follow what Kant outlines in the categorical imperative; each individual, which extends to each organism, is an end in itself.
There is no question that the treatment of the earth and the treatment of humankind are inextricably intertwined. Poor treatment of the earth leaves other individuals without resources. When there is a capitalist mindset, the needs and humane treatment of humankind are overlooked. It is undeniable that all of the above listed become part of a larger cycle, with the end result a violation of Kant’s categorical imperative.
The categorical imperative was set forth as a moral law, but morality is not contingent on circumstances. The very term categorical negates any notion that morality is subject to change when the practice of it is no longer convenient. There is no possible way to create a moral society, one in which individuals treat one another as they would wish to be treated – as they would wish to be universal law, without respect for our environment. There is no way to separate all of the negative effects of exploiting the earth and treating humankind without respect and a moral code. These things are simply the gateway to a completely chaotic world that is capitalist driven and completely unsustainable – the world we have. We have to rewind the damages that have been done to our environment and by proxy this action will inevitably lead to a more complete following of Kant’s categorical imperative.
Kant states his point clearly in saying, “In the natural constitution of an organized being, i.e., one suitably adapted to the purse of life, let us take as principle that in such a being no organ is to be found for any end unless it be the most fit and the best adapted for that end. “[10] It is clear that no natural part of this earth’s best possible end would be in the form of plastic, just as it is clear that no member of humankind’s best possible end would be slavery.
Leopold makes an eloquent statement, “It is inconceivable to me that an ethical relation to land can exist without love, respect, and admiration for land, and a high regard for its value. By value, I, of course mean something far broader than mere economic value; I mean value in the philosophical sense.”[11] There is a clear correlation between Kant and Leopold – an ethical connection. Nothing should be used as means to an end, the earth or humankind, because there is truly no separation between the two. Our environment is all encompassing; there is no possible way to treat it harshly without hurting humankind, without violating Kant’s categorical imperative.



[1] Immanuel Kant: Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals, translated by James W. Ellington Hackett Publishing Company 1979
[2] John Rawls, “Themes in Kant’s Moral Philosophy,” in Rawls, Collected Papers, Samuel Freeman,
ed. (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1999),
[3] Immanuel Kant: Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals, translated by James W. Ellington Hackett Publishing Company 1979
4Aldo Leopold: A Sand County Almanac: And Sketches Here and there, The Oxford University Press copyright 1949
[5] Aldo Leopold: A Sand County Almanac: And Sketches Here and there, The Oxford University Press copyright 1949
[6] Holmes Rolston III: Environmental Ethics, revised version appears in Ecology, Economics, Ethics: The Broken Circle. Yale University Press 1991
[7] Paul Taylor, Environmental Ethics, Volume 3, Number 3 (Fall 1981)
[8] Paul Taylor, Environmental Ethics, Volume 3, Number 3 (Fall 1981)
[9] Paul Taylor, Environmental Ethics, Volume 3, Number 3 (Fall 1981)
[10] [10] Immanuel Kant: Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals, translated by James W. Ellington Hackett Publishing Company 1979
[11] Aldo Leopold: A Sand County Almanac: And Sketches Here and there, The Oxford University Press copyright 1949

My little brother, who is a whole foot taller than me and a hell of a lot smarter, is graduating from high school this week. I honestly don’t know where the time goes. It seems like it was just moments ago that we were kids, digging a hole in the sand box to make a pond (genius plan). I remember that feeling, right before graduation – the whole world ahead of you, knowing you were about leave your current world behind…a strange combination of happy and sad… I’m in the process of writing him a long list of things not to do in his first year – pretty typical; don’t break the law, don’t miss class etc… but then I realized I was leaving out the most important thing of all – don’t die on every hill. I think it’s a lesson some people never learn, and one that definitely has to be learned in one’s own time and way – but I hope he learns that life is too short to be spent fighting battles that don’t matter. If you are going to fight for anything, it should be something you are passionate about and truly care about winning. If you die on every hill and fight every battle, you’ll have no energy left for the fights that matter.

The gap in blogging (again) is due to new classes beginning. I am a sick woman taking 22 credits in the summer, but I’ll be happy come winter. A few thoughts I’ve entertained recently;

a.) I loathe emotional games. I am insanely irritated with the constant text-analyze-respond cycle. I miss the days of phone calls and hearing someone’s tone of voice. The punctuation and ‘haha’ comments are frustrating to weed out; can we please go back to a pre-text era?! It could lead to me having more successful relationships…
b.) Professors should not be allowed to write their own textbook and force it upon an unsuspecting group of people. There is no room for learning, on the part of the teacher or student, when their text is law.
c.) Please listen to Nobody’s Darlings by Lucero – it’s beautiful. I rediscovered it this week.
d.) Life is too short to be miserable. I quit my job. Yay!

That’s all that there is room for in this little head of mine… maybe when all of the homework is shoved out and life is simple again I’ll write something that matters. xo

There is a place at the mouth of the canyon, a big bridge that’s easy to climb up that overlooks the river. Sitting on it you can feel the heat from the air and the cold from the river – you can hear the water running and the cars speeding fast on the road, a dichotomy like my mind. Two halves – completely different – each valuable in their own context. The problem is, I never know if I want to jump into the river or run out in front of the cars.

There is this great little coffee shop in downtown Provo and across the street, on an abandoned warehouse window several inspirational thoughts are spray painted, the picture doesn’t do it justice. Just when you think that a town has exhausted your creativity, when all the canyons are being mined and you think the beauty is gone – you see something like this. Every morning, a little bit of my hope in humanity is replaced because of this simple window, on a quiet street, in an old neighborhood, in a useless town.

The Town That You Live In

I must say... it's a nice day, when the leaves start to turn, there is so much to learn from the freeway... You're my friend, for the weekend! When the spring comes around, you can show me the town that you live in... Tonight I walk through an empty street, with my shadow stretching in front of me, when my lonely thoughts meet my lonely feet... the cold reminds me that I've chosen this life...

I must say, it's a nice day... With the flowers in bllom, there is so much to view from the freeway. We're friends, for the weekend, when the falls comes around, you can show me the town that you live in...

Tonight I walk through an empty street, with my shadow stretching in front of me, when my lonely thoughts meet my lonely feet and the cold reminds me that I've chosen this life....

so hang up the phone cause you're probably better alone....
Tonight I walk through any empty street, with my shadow stretching in front of me... When my lonely thoughts meet my lonely feet and the cold reminds me...
That I've chosen this life...
When my lonely thoughts meet my lonely feet, the cold reminds me that I've chosen this life...

Sherwood, The Town That You Live In

Pictures: Melissa Pederson BF

I can’t believe I haven’t blogged in almost a month… I have been so busy! The semester is finally coming to an end – I thought I would be relieved – but I feel a little sad… I have a few classes every semester that feel like home, it is bitter sweet but I am glad that all the assignments are done and finals will breeze by. That being said, there have been a few things on my mind lately that usually don’t waste their time lingering. Love, for one. Anyone who knows me knows that I have big plans and NO intention of sticking around for long, and I used to think that also meant I couldn’t make lasting relationships with people here. I was wrong. I took myself up on my new year’s resolution and decided to live in the moment and give the rope around my heart a little slack. I’m glad I did. But I am still holding any future relationship to the standard of the song Thirteen by Ben Kweller, no exceptions. Also, BIG NEWS! I am thinking of studying environmental policy in graduate school instead of psychology…. Over the past 8 months or so I have realized that while psychology fascinates me and I will always love to study it, my heart is not there like it used to be. I’d be selling myself short not doing work in the environmental field. Lastly, the phrase “Leap and the net will appear” has been on my mind constantly. Anyone who lives in my town knows how the dating/marriage scene is. It’s sobering to think that people get married solely based on attraction. It has brought me to a potential philosophy that aids in explaining relational flaws… I think that people get so wrapped up in following the rules that they completely forget the details. The details like ensuring that their partner is happy and challenged, the details like notes written on the bathroom mirror or making dessert – the ‘leap and the net will appear’ mentality definitely has it’s value but I’d like to believe that we have to build a net in order to leap. Building a solid net would take time and that is something people around here are unwilling to do based on religious reasons, but it’s frightening to see people leaping with no where to land. On that happy note, I hope everyone has a great Earth Day! I will try to keep my blog more current! LoveLove!

There's something in every atheist, itching to believe, and something in every believer, itching to doubt. --Mignon McLaughlin

I have such a difficult time wrapping my head around the idea of religion, or religions. There are so many different practices and beliefs, and I respect individuals from all walks of life who believe in what they need to in order to be happy, but if there is a God – then there is only one God… when there is so much contradiction in the world yet people say they are acting in the name of their God… then their God must not have spoken to the opposing God’s religion. Religion alone seems like a recipe for chaos or a type of permission slip. I have so often heard that people felt impressed by God to do something, like kill another person. Is that truly an act that God permitted an individual to do? My pessimism does run out though… what if God knows all things and this appearance of chaos is designed so that we are kept from hurting each other to our full extent? I have been doing a little research on various religions and nothing has touched me quite as much as the following quote:

“If there is a God, He is infinitely incomprehensible, since, having, neither parts nor limits, He has no affinity to us. We are then incapable of knowing either what He is or if He is. [So] you must wager. Let us weigh the gain and the loss in wagering that God is. Let us estimate these two chances. If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager then without hesitation that he is.”- Blaise Pascal

Sweet Summertime

Coffee for dinner instead of breakfast, calling in sick, skirts well above the knees, country concerts, no make up, bikinis, running over snakes (sorry). Daffodils. 18 credits instead of 20. Iced tea. Tom Petty. California. Slurpees. Ice free trails. Drives to Heber. Lotto tickets. Baby Oil. Strawberries. No commitments. Movies. Seven peaks. Free car washes. Drinking water from the hose. Trampolines. Orange sun. Mixed CDs. Bikes. Over sized sunglasses. Jeeps. The lake. No shoes.

“At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst.” Aristotle
I strongly negate the resolution: Vigilantism is justified when the government has failed to enforce the law. While the law may be imperfect, it is the only barrier between mankind and complete societal chaos. If the individuals that claim to uphold justice through vigilantism truly cared about enforcing justice, they would allow the government to step in so that every piece of the said crime could be viable evidence in a court of law. If the government is not stepping in, there may be circumstances that are unclear to the civilian eye. I am reminded of a story that happened near Mt. View High School several years back. There were two cars, one in front of the other, driving down the road. The car in the front stopped and the car behind it assumed that they were having car problems and sped around the stopped car hitting and killing 2 young children.
There are often circumstances that the government is aware of, that we the people are shielded from so that the government has an opportunity to enforce justice. While that justice may not be instantaneous, a vigilante stepping in could easily ensure that justice is never served. Timing is a crucial part in catching a criminal or ensuring that just acts are enforced. Had that car followed traffic laws and not been slave to assumption, those two children would still be alive.
Justice is the quality of fairness. Behind the concept of justice lies the notion of balance – that people get what is right, fair and appropriate. Most importantly, that fairness and justice are served by the appropriate people and those people are the government. Justice is lost when the law is lost. Who is a vigilante to decide what is and is not appropriate regarding justice? While there are flaws in many governmental systems, the systems are designed with the best interest of its people in mind. My concern with vigilantism being justified when the government has failed to enforce the law is that there is no possible way for a citizen or vigilante to have the full scope of information that the government has. The government was designed with checks and balances and several branches of intelligence, and while there are many circumstances where it may appear that the government has failed to step in, they are simply gathering more data and ensuring that justice will be served. The government has the ability to serve justice much more efficiently than a vigilante does.
Vigilantism and government enforcement cannot coexist. Government systems exist to execute certain laws and functions. By advocating vigilantism, you weaken the government’s authority to execute justice on behalf of the people. Vigilantism may disguise itself as a positive attribute of caring citizens, but to truly care, a citizen would have to remove themselves from a situation where they felt urged to enforce their own type of justice and allow the government to make decisions regarding what is fair and what is right. When vigilantism is promoted, the authority of the government becomes decreased thus resulting in chaos, so what may have originally been a favorable act for society can quickly become an upheaval of the people and their government.
I would like to leave you with this simple question: what proof does one possibly have that the government is not currently working toward serving justice and ensuring that fairness and appropriation are present? Vigilantism is selfish and shows a great deal of a need for instant gratification. The values of justice and peace are those that our society was founded upon, not one individual feeling justified without the realm of facts that justice requires. If these individuals truly believed in their cause, they would sacrifice their immediate desire and allow the government to ensure that justice was served in a fair and appropriate way.

I am taking a mediation class this semester. The first week of class I found out that we had to complete a certain number of hours of mediation throughout the semester! I was so stressed out and didn’t know how I was going to fit it into my schedule! I found a way though and it turns out that it has been one of the most rewarding experiences that I have had in a long time. I get to go to a local high school each week (the one my little brother attends) and help students and their parents communicate about tough issues regarding their performance in school. Some weeks it can be very challenging, but when you see the student start to become successful it’s so rewarding! Here is a quote about teenagers that I absolutely love:
“Teenagers are amazing, I wish the world would see, just how beautiful we are, how compassionate we can be. I wish they could take back, All the cynical things they've said, and see how much we shine, be positive instead. Remark on our radiant smiles, And the differences we make, all of the people our lives touch, all of the chances that we take. Notice how we change, Each and every day, wanting to leave childhood, yet desperately trying to stay. I wish they could remember, how tough our lives can be, the promises that are broken, the violence that we see. Yet we still venture onward, Unsure of where the road may lead, Hoping they will take notice, Hoping
they'll take heed, Of the changes that we've made, Of the power that we hold, Of the wisdom we have hidden, Of the stories yet untold. I hope the world will notice, what some have already seen, Teenagers are amazing people, striving to follow their dreams.” –unknown

Priorities & Responsibility

My #1 priority right now is getting through college. I never miss my classes and I make sure to stay on top of all assignments and exams. If school is not a priority to someone I completely understand if they do the bare minimum to get by, I do not however, think it’s acceptable for an individual to not care about their academic success enough to attend school and do the work but expect other individuals to get them through every class they take. It’s irresponsible to willfully miss lectures and not turn in assignments and the consequence of that irresponsibility is not passing the class. It is not the responsibility of other students to give you their lecture notes or copies of study guides, if they do it is probably because they are a pushover (like me). I have really struggled with people in different classes expecting me to constantly let them copy notes or tell them what they missed. I am happy to help people who have or would help me, but it makes me feel used to give an individual all of the materials that they missed simply because they were too lazy to attend class. Sorry to rant and write a negative blog, but it’s been on my mind recently and I had to express it.

ee cummings

I carry your heart with me
I carry it in my heart
I am never without it
Anywhere I go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling
I fear no fate for you are my fate, my sweet
I want no world for beautiful you are my world, my true
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you
here is the deepest secret nobody knows
here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart
I carry your heart, I carry it in my heart