I created this piece called Gaia’s Treedom, representing our abiding connection with nature along with my indisputable perception on life itself. Moving through this journey, it’s very important to make the most out of life with the truly small amount of time we get to spend here. Between existentialism and transcendentalism, this piece resembles a transcendentalistic perspective. Every bit of life, ups and downs are worth experiencing and being apart of this wild expedition. These bright and vibrant colors show this perspective along with the role of happiness in our chaotic lives. Happiness comes from outlook and those that surround you. What people forget when seeking this is that happiness is only real when shared. Happiness doesn’t mean much unless you have the ability to impact another person’s life and experience that blissfulness with someone else. Look around at the celestial beauty found in the things that surround us and inhabit this earth with us. See the comeliness in the constant blossoming, death, and rebirth. These beings that encompass us are lively and full of meaning and depth. Our undying dependence on nature is a manifestation connecting us. I have a strong belief against anthropocentrism -- the idea that the world was made for us and only us, because as homo sapiens we can not possibly be the only things experiencing and benefiting from this amazing journey. Nature, in sight, is this radiating domain who we have destroyed along the way. It is time to come to terms with the environment and face realities instead of evasion of truth. Our relationship with earth is slowly deteriorating and it’s our duty to fix and protect this prepossessing, realm of Gaia’s that we live in.
Reflection:
This project was very broad in exactly where we could go for it, which I very much enjoyed because it really put the whole thing into our hands and I loved seeing the creativity that came from it. I decided that of all the depth we went into this year, I wanted to focus on my perspective of life - specifically speaking of the existentialism/ transcendentalism piece we learned about and anything else that came to mind. In learning about those two I immediately knew that I was more on the transcendentalist spectrum and knew where I had to take my project with that. Once I found exactly what message I wanted to put across, I decided I wanted to do a physical art piece (loving studio art also helped with that decision!). In thinking of how I wanted to display my piece and what canvas to use, a door came to mind and that’s when the “doorways to life” and “taking new chances” came into play. I really loved this idea and thought long and hard on different designs to do and where I could take this awesome idea. Throughout the year I’ve come to really understand who I am and what I believe and it’s been one amazing journey thanks to Jessica McCallum! I’ve come to terms with my love for the Earth and nature so I thought it was also important to focus on Gaia and this astounding realm we live in that gives us life. The messages I was putting across through this piece was “living in the moment” and the vibrant, positivity, and blissfulness, along with all of the other chaotic experiences life provides that I believe everyone should experience. I also wanted to portray the idea that absolutely everything has some sort of connection with Earth and that the beautiful nature surrounding us has as much life as we embody ourselves. With this, I additionally wanted to remind everyone of Mother Earth, our Gaia, and how much it is our job now to fix what we’ve damaged along the way of the alluring things she has provided us with. The new perspectives I’ve reached over the course of this project is not to sway too much on the things we do not know and cannot change. This does not mean do not have curiosity or to not question things, but I’ve come to the idea that it’s best to not worry and make the most of the little amount of time we have here. I absolutely loved learning about these things and having the opportunity to talk so openly and go so far into depth about something so relevant at this time. This class, I can honestly say, has helped me realize and come to terms with the person I’m becoming and has taught me so much more about life than any english and history class ever will.
Project Discription: As a class we thoroughly discussed what it means to be an American. In deconstructing America, we elaborated on the rehtoric and dialect our leaders and people use to get their point across, preconceived bias' on specific subjects, and we spent a lot of time discussing how divided we are as a country -- specifically with politics. We were asked to individually choose a political issue that interests us and write an essay on how we formed our bias through our personal experience. We then thoroughly researched our issue and wrote an essay from our perspective and again from the opposing side's perspective. The next step in this process was to create something to display our views (I chose to do an art piece). Lastly we wrote a reflection essay on the project and exactly how our perspective has shifted. The topic I chose is Affirmative Action and my art piece displays my idea on the issue. I did a water color painting of a man -- half black and half white, and the blending of the two skin tones represents equality among all races and the idea that, "If everyone is equal, why should one person get preferential treatment over another?"
Affirmative Action
Affirmative Action is supposed to be a policy that evens out the equality and opportunities in society. It favors those who are said to suffer from discrimination in relation to employment or education. It does increase the opportunity for an individual to succeed, but at the cost of lowering the potential of a more qualified individual to succeed. Affirmative action is a form of reverse discrimination. Instead of solving the issue of discrimination negatively affecting a person’s chance with employment or education, it creates injustices and inequalities. Affirmative Action should redress actual disadvantages and not base preference on skin color alone. For instance, the claim is that racial preferences help the “disadvantaged”, when in reality, the only people benefitting from this policy come from the middle- or upper-class backgrounds and qualify only out of race. This in turn hurts poor whites and even many Asians, who actually qualify as “disadvantaged” according to the definition. State University claims that affirmative action perpetuates inequalities by “making it easy for members of racial minorities from privileged backgrounds to get into prestigious colleges while not helping members of the lower classes.”(State University) To clarify, social and economic injustices are maintained by affirmative action itself. If the point of this policy was legitimately to help those who are disadvantaged, preferences would be primarily formed from the basis of disadvantage, not by race. This controversy has caused supporters to shift stances -- instead of pushing for the disadvantaged, it’s now diversity they seek. If a business or school really seeked “diversity”, their preferences would not be based on race but by individual’s interests. When a company or education system is looking for diversity through race alone this means that to them, diversity only qualifies in racial type and it implies that all minorities think the same way. Raina Kelley from Newsweek says, “more than 70 percent of voters believe diversity is not a good enough reason to give minorities preferential treatment.”(Kelley) Although it is not the only reason why affirmative action is in place, diversity is not a competent reason due to the fact that the “diversity” a business or school is getting is a variety in ethnic groups. “Diversity of opinion isn’t created by diversity of race or gender”(Martindale Network); the kind of diversity that would benefit a community’s way of thinking would stem from how the person was raised or exactly what class they fall under. The whole idea of anti-discrimination will not be solved through more discriminatory policies like affirmative action, but by the thought of a color-blind society. This does not mean we must forget where a person comes from or their cultural background, but that a person’s race should not be what makes them who they are. Positions should not be handed out based on race but by working for it and meeting the requirements and qualifications for that position. People should be chosen based on merit and not by race or gender; this blind method will create the best, most qualified individuals. People are scared that if they were to discontinue affirmative action they would be labeled as a racist, when in reality accepting someone over another simply because of their race is racist. The point of affirmative action should be to favor those who suffer from disadvantages such as being in the lower-class. Today, people read into things way too much questioning a person’s intentions as to whether or not they are a racist. If the idea of affirmative action, based around the discriminated, were to be discontinued, everyone (by race, not by disadvantage) would have a fair chance. In today’s society the things that set people back in the workplace or in educational systems is disadvantage not race. The last thing affirmative action is,is a fair non-discriminating policy. The past discrimination against certain minority groups does not justify present discrimination against non-minorities. Giving a position to someone who only earned it because of their skin color is the complete opposite of fair. This policy discriminates against those who are not of the “discriminated” race which is in fact reverse discrimination. Since discrimination is so minimal today, those who should be given advantages are the disadvantaged. It is clear how much the idea of affirmative action has sculpted into something completely different through the years.
Affirmative Action Opposing Side
Affirmative action helps those discriminated against have an equal opportunity at success. It facilitates the integration of minorities into the educational systems and the workplace and is a crucial tool in creating the opportunity for everyone to succeed. It is time for everyone to actually be on a level playing field after the past historical injustices and inequalities. People have associated affirmative action with unfair advantages being given to undeserving people who happen to qualify simply out of race. The phrase itself has come to mean to the opposing side, the acceptance of an unqualified minority over a very qualified white person. Affirmative action is not meant to “prefer” a certain race over another, it is to make sure everyone is getting into college/ the workplace without discrimination affecting their chance. Raina Kelley from Newsweek says that more than 70 percent of voters believe “diversity is not a good enough reason to give minorities preferential treatment.” (Raina Kelley) What those people don’t understand is that affirmative action doesn’t just help minorities, it works on behalf of all people. Kelley stated that in Canada it’s called “employment equity” specifically so that people realize that it isn’t about giving a job to, what some might say, an unqualified minority, but instead about fairness. Affirmative action not only helps those disadvantaged socially and economically, but it benefits everyone through exposure to diversity and variety of viewpoints. Affirmative action is a way to ensure that diversity is present in educational systems and the workplace. It helps communities tremendously in exposing people to new and different perspectives and ideas than that of their own. Students and adults in the workplace can learn a lot from one another, only if the student body/ employees contain a wide range of backgrounds. If left to chance, diversity is most likely not going to occur. Affirmative action was never supposed to be a dispute. According to UCI, President John F. Kennedy issued it which ensured that government contractors make certain that “applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin.” Affirmative Action was created partially to make up for the past injustices and inequalities. The Civil Rights Act in 1964, Lyndon Johnson elaborated on the purpose of affirmative action: You do not wipe away the scars of centuries by saying: “now, you are free to go where you want, do as you desire, and choose the leaders you please.” You do not take a man who has been hobbled by chains, liberate him, bring him to the starting line of a race, saying, ‘you are free to compete with all the others,’ and still justly believe you have been completely fair. Affirmative action seeks opportunity and equality, not just diversity. People don’t realize the impact that having a great education and going to a good school has on the potential of students. It doesn’t make sense for a good education to be exclusive to rich kids. The schools in poor communities, specifically in areas of color, lack resources that are standard at wealthier schools. Women and people of color face many obstacles in obtaining admission from higher level educational systems and businesses such as: the unavailability of advanced placement classes in primarily minority schools, a gap in standardized test scores, and income gaps. Going further on this topic, the graduation rate and long-term career arcs of minority students at elite institutions shows how effective affirmative action truly is. For example, the graduation rates and long-term career arcs of the black students are “relatively high, and are five percentage points or less below the graduation rate for white students.”(The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education) Without affirmative action minority students would not have the opportunities to be successful. It inspires those students to strive for something more than the typical stereotypes they may be perceived of having. Affirmative action not only ensures diversity in the educational systems and workplace, helps with past harm of institutional racism; it also is a crucial element in addressing these issues. It does not create racial preferences, but instead removes barriers that keep minorities and women from equal opportunity at success. It gives those fair treatment and the ability to have the “American Dream” after being long neglected.
Affirmative Action Reflection
Going into this project I was completely anti affirmative action but didn’t quite understand the other side’s point of view. Researching more about this topic has helped me tremendously realize exactly why I have the opinion I do. It also made me realize, when taking a side be sure to know everything about the topic from both points of view and then take your stance on it. This project has shifted my perspective in strengthening my opinion against affirmative action. I have learned a lot more on both sides and my opinion did not change. I now understand the beliefs the other side has on this topic. Although I recognize their point of view, I do not agree with it. I do not see where they’re coming from but I do see what their argument is about. Learning more on why the opposing side believes what they do, it has only made me disagree with affirmative action more. In researching this topic, I learned more about the opposing side’s values that I did not know before. The main reason I disagree with affirmative action is because my vision of equality is different than that of the opposing side. I have a strong belief that to get past racial inequalities and injustices we must apologize and move on from the past. The opposing side tends to have the idea that to restore racial justice, we must set something in place that acts as an apology to make up for the historical injustices in the past. My question to that belief is: “When does it stop?” Democracy is basically “majority rules”. There will always be people that are not happy with the results of something but the thing to remember is that the majority is happy with it. What is most important in democracy is that your opinion is not always the only correct opinion. Everyone has different perspectives so it’s crucial to understand their opinion on things and know that it’s possible for two people to be correct in different ways. Taking a stance on both perspectives was eye opening in respecting other people’s opinions. This project has not changed my political views at all. It has helped me become more open minded to new ideas and different perspectives/ opinions. Writing a paper on affirmative action from the opposing side really helped me understand exactly why the opposing side stands for what they do; my opinion on the particular topic I researched only became stronger in what I believe, it did not shift sides.
Affirmative Action Personal Experience
Affirmative Action is supposed to be a policy that evens out the equality and opportunities in society. It favors those who suffer from discrimination in relation to employment or education. I do believe that it increases the opportunity for an individual to succeed but at the cost of lowering the potential of a more qualified individual to succeed. I believe that affirmative action is a form of reverse discrimination. Instead of solving the issue of discrimination negatively affecting a person’s chance with employment or education, it actually causes reverse discrimination. My father has worked very hard to get where he is now. The company he works for has started an affirmative action policy stating that there will be reserved positions within management for a specific race. This is discrimination. A position should be given to someone who has worked for it and legitimately deserves it rather than handing a position out simply based on race or the seek for diversity within the business. This not only teaches those of a specific race that they do not have to work as hard because the position is being held for them, but it also teaches others not of that specific race that no matter how hard they work, they will not receive the position. For instance, the claim that racial preferences help the “disadvantaged” when in reality, the only people benefitting from this policy come from the middle- or upper-class backgrounds and qualify only because of race. This in turn hurts poor whites and even many Asians, who actually qualify as “disadvantaged”. If the point of this policy was legitimately to help those who are disadvantaged, preferences would be primarily formed from the basis of disadvantage, not by race. This controversy has caused supporters to shift stances -- instead of pushing for the disadvantaged, it’s now diversity they seek. If a business or school really seeked “diversity”, their preferences would not be based on race but by individual’s interests. This means, to them diversity only qualifies in race and it implies that all minorities think the same way. The whole idea of anti-discrimination will not be solved through more racism like affirmative action, but by the thought of a color-blind society. This does not mean we must forget where a person comes from or their cultural background, but that a person’s race should not be what makes them who they are. Positions should not be handed out based on race but by working for it and meeting the requirements and qualifications for that position. People are scared that if they were to discontinue affirmative action they would be labeled as a racist, when in reality accepting someone over another simply because of their race is considered racist. The point of affirmative action should be to favor those who suffer from disadvantages such as being in the lower-class. Today, people read into things way too much questioning a person’s intentions as to whether or not they are racist. I believe that if the idea of affirmative action, based around the discriminated, were to be discontinued, everyone (by race, not by disadvantage) would have a fair chance. A business or school would not restrain from accepting or hiring a person because they are black, they would immediately be labeled as a racist and discrimination like that would not occur in today’s society. The last thing I would call affirmative action is a fair non-discriminating policy. Giving a position to someone who only earned it because of their skin color is the complete opposite of fair. This policy discriminates against those who are not of the “discriminated” race which is reverse discrimination. Since discrimination is so minimal today, those who should be given advantages are the disadvantaged, not those who are “discriminated against”. It is clear how much the idea of affirmative action has sculpted into something completely different through the years.