Entry #10 -- What Should I Say

So for my tenth and final blog, I want to discuss free speech. Every blog post, whether or not it should, always is chosen to make the most minor ripples possible. Will what I say come back to haunt me and destroy my career twenty years from now? Should I aim my discussions at a level that someone most likely to take offense will not be bothered to keep the peace? Voltaire's famous quote says, "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." I love this quote so much. There are stupid people out there with stupid opinions. No matter how absurd that opinion is, it is my duty, especially in uniform, to defend that person's right to be able to be as stupid as they want. 

Does this mean people can say whatever they want without consequences? Absolutely not. However, they do have a right to say what they want. For example, an outspoken member of the KKK should not be allowed to head a diversity committee, while a mass shooter should not be able to decide gun legislation. 

Instead of coming from the mindset of shutting down speech that upsets us, we should engage in debate. Take the mask debate during Covid, for example. There were medical experts on both sides debating the efficacy of wearing masks to stop the spread. The dissenter's opinions were pulled from almost all platforms and viewed as dangerous. People who questioned wearing masks were called murderers. In 1846, a doctor named Ignaz Semmelweis proposed hand washing to save babies' lives during childbirth. He was excoriated by the medical community. The point of all these examples is to encourage the free flow of communication. Change the mindset of people with facts and evidence.

Take, for instance, raising a child. When that child asks "why," the parent replies, "Because I said so." Does that child now have a more thorough understanding of the task they have been given, or are they resentful that they have to do something where they don't see the value of its purpose? Along the same line, protesting an event to an extreme where a speaker cannot be heard has almost the same effect. Everyone should have a voice and means to express their thoughts.

If the government were to establish a committee to control misinformation, which is ultimately in charge of heading the committee? The party in power? Elected groups? Politicians who may be corrupt from lobby money? It's a slippery slope handing over the right of an individual to say what they want to a government composed of inherently flawed people.

Just food for thought as I finish out this semester. What are yours?

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Entry #9 - I Eat What I Want

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America is the biggest melting pot in the world. No other country has a more diverse set of ethnicities, cultures, and diverse backgrounds. Yet, with that said, sometimes I wonder how we have become a society where discernment for what is healthy and appropriate is no longer valued. 

I cannot stop watching this video. However, I do not know the creator's intentions and how they want viewers to interpret its meaning. There are two ways I approach its purpose. 

The first is trying to show people what processed and junk foods do to the body. The cartoon figure chooses to be surrounded by foods that harm the body. Its body type would be considered at high risk of many medical conditions by maintaining a diet of these foods. While the figure may be enjoying the momentary enjoyment of eating toxic foods, most people know that the consequences of this behavior will have more prolonged side effects.

The second will be the more popular, modern American approach. This is my body, my choice, and you cannot criticize my behavior. While I agree a person is entitled carte blanche over their body, this does not preclude them from receiving negative feedback. We need to stop celebrating the actions of people causing apparent self-harm. These actions affect the individual and significantly impact the medical system. The CDC reports that obesity costs the US healthcare system 173 billion annually! People do not have to have the lifestyle and body type of those pictured on the covers of fitness magazines.  Our society must promote a healthier lifestyle with a positive, inclusive attitude to benefit us all.

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Entry #8- Who's the Best?

I watch and read a lot of news all day, every day. My job requires it at work, and I like knowing what's happening around me. The news can be as diverse as international diplomacy to who the Kardashians are currently dating. I love the information, and it doesn't matter which political slant the publication leans. I watch CNN, Fox News, Reuters, NPR, BBC, Vox, etc. If you don't try to understand where an opposing viewpoint comes from, how can you defend your beliefs? A previous blog led me to the writing about the "China Balloon" based on current headlines, and today it's about participation trophies and trying to create equal outcomes for all.

 

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 As a Nation, we seem to be lowering or eliminating standards with justifications such as Covid or equity to make more people qualify for whatever they are going for. In New York, the criteria for English and Math were lowered; in Memphis, the bar for becoming a police officer was reduced, and in Alaska, it's becoming even easier to become a lawyer. In my recent experience, the Air Force lowered the physical fitness standards, and to my understanding, all the services are making it easier for people to qualify for enlistment.

Does it really broaden the field for a more significant number of people that should be qualified to qualify, or are we gravitating towards a society based upon its weakest link? Do we want to trust that our doctors know a lot because they studied well in school and achieved good grades? Do we want expert engineers building the planes we fly in?

There's a great short story called Harrison Bergeron, written by Kurt Vonnegut, that I was assigned to read in junior high. The story's plot was that the government placed items on people that handicapped them to the point where they were no better than anyone else at an activity. Is this the direction we are headed? Some people were blessed with an aptitude in certain areas more than others. We should appreciate their talents and figure out where our own unique talents lie. 

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Entry #7: You Are What You Eat

 In my English 101 class, I have entered our course's persuasive essay writing section. I had the assignment to watch a film called Fresh. This film aimed to persuade viewers about the negative aspects of industrialized farming vs. the healthier benefits of sustainable, organic farming techniques.

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The film effectively demonstrates why consumers should purchase their food from smaller, organic farms vs. mass-production farms that use chemicals and antibiotics on their food and animals. Why would I want to get my food from companies that, due to their cost-cutting, mass-producing goals, lead to diseases and less-nutritional products? It seems like a no-brainer to buy organic. It had me doing a Google search for farmer's markets in my local area.

This film made me feel guilty about what I feed my children daily. One of the farmers, Joel Salatin, is shown on a swing with his grandson, talking about all the nutritious vegetables he likes to eat, and then they sit down for a family meal containing lots of fresh farm food. I am guilty of Poptarts or sugary cereals for breakfast and fast-food meals in the evenings on my busy days. I know this is unhealthy, and while I try to cook home-cooked meals 5-6 nights a week, I often fall short and throw those chicken nuggets in the air fryer. Even with the prepared meals, getting my children to eat a sizable amount of their vegetables is quite the challenge. I often wish they had never been introduced to processed foods, to begin with.

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Another obstacle to eating farm-to-table for me and many others is the cost. Free-range eggs are often double, if not triple, the price of mass-produced eggs. Organic vegetables and meat also cost more. Add inflation to the cost of organic foods, and I have to take out a second mortgage just to put food on the table. If I could shop at farmer's markets more, those foods would be gentler on the wallet.

The last challenge for me to switch to the foods the video supports is shelf life. I cannot even begin to calculate the cost of the foods I have thrown away because I plan to cook them, but they go bad before I get the chance. Becoming more dedicated to meal prep could be a solution to this issue.

The issue of what I feed my family has been on my mind for a while, and the timing of this film assignment was uncanny. If I tackle each issue in small steps, I can reach the goals of supporting small farms and raising kids with a healthy diet.