PART 1 Thank you for this reply Nate. I'm sorry I've taken so long to acknowledge your words, things have just been crazy recently with work & kids & study... & now Christmas... but I thought I'd steal a moment, when I'm supposed to be submitting another job application, to get back to you.
The major rock around the city I live in is described on wiki (where we all know the knowledge of the world is held ha-ha) as an "isolated pink granite monolith". So granite is the answer to your question. It's funny that you think there are too many dwellings because you only have to travel 5 minutes out of any Australian city to find vast nothingness. Our land mass is equivalent to that of the USA yet our population is only 22 million & I believe you have that many people in New York alone, so you don't have to go far here to find solitude, if that's what you're looking for. Our population is concentrated on the east coast also, which I believe is unique by world standards.
I do agree with your perspective of personality too. That 'one genuine identity' was in my paper as we were required to reference the assigned readings in each weekly blog. For that assessment we didn't necessarily have to 'believe' what we were writing, just show we'd read, and could interpret, the material we were given. This is one of the reasons I personally believe formal education is nothing more than a process of jumping through hoops at times. I'm much more of a practical person than an academic and believe we can learn so much more from practical experience or through studying one another. Another reason why Psychology has disappointed me somewhat, in comparison to criminology, is that we're not able to get any practical experience until the completion of 4 years study. A 4 year degree just gives us the opportunity to then go on and obtain practical experience. Thankfully I found my friend in Arizona 3 years ago, and BtB in the last year to at least compliment that academic perspective in the meantime.
Apart from making me smile, your post also makes me think about how we're able to justify anything in our minds. How, through self-justification, if we encounter any cognitive dissonance or situations that are inconsistent with our beliefs, we are able to justify any behavior with the added ability to deny any associated negative feedback.
This is how we are able to teach our soldiers to kill to defend our countries or how an executioner can carry out state sanctioned murder and sleep peacefully at night. You've spoken before too of how you yourself, felt you had a legitimate reason to kill someone who was harming others.
It is this same principal that allows the powers that be to justify building a more 'suitable prison cell' above providing him with the appropriate psychological help he no doubt needs to curb his current inappropriate behaviors.
I have to agree with you that the criminal justice system is creating a larger problem than it had to begin with by caging people indefinately, who would benifit from rehabilitation and psychological intervention. I don't think we will ever be able to 'eliminate' crime, but as you say, "by curing the ills that cause it" this is the only hope we have. I don't think the societal structures of the USA have the foundations necessary to build strong individuals and the most recent mass shooting there in the US is a good example of that. What sort of hopelessness and helplessness must that individual have felt to make the decisions he did...
I heard Obama said in recent days something along the lines of 'for things to change WE have to change' so I'm hoping with the addition of his voice, this discussion will keep going and not stall until the next tragedy occurs there.
Have a Merry Christmas Nate.
Thank you for entertaining me and for your help with my studies this year. Take care!
Thanks for your reply Kyle! I wrote a long screed in reply, but haven't posted it (yet?) since it was too big to fit in the comment box.
But suffice it to say that I guess I don't really understand anarchism. Plus, there seems to be so many to choose from! :-) So, taking the clear-cutting example, I'll ask a few questions, and perhaps you can help me understand in some future blog post.
So, according to your understanding of Anarchism:
Who makes the decisions? i.e. Who decides that clear cutting is wrong? For example, if the chainsaw was just invented and clear cutting is now a real possibility that never existed before, this is a new challenge that society must deal with. How is this dealt with?
How are decisions made? (voting? volunteers only?)
What plans are made to enforce those decisions? Are decisions enforced at all? If so, who enforces them?
What happens to those people who voted differently and disagree with the final decision?
How does society change its mind? i.e. if clear cutting was not seen as a problem until the cherished Walnut Grove is now just Walnut Plains, how does society change course in the face of past precedent?
What happens to those people who rebel against the final decision? Who stops the clear cutters? And how are they stopped? Other forms of government use violent means, such as police or army. How does anarchism handle it?
Nicki, "The long term causes of segragation are something that I have wondered about and what you describe here brings to my mind how a puppy might react when he's been mis-treated by his captors; being timid, withdrawn and untrusting as he doesn't know what to expect".
Perhaps you meant to say "long term EFFECTS".
As a psychology and criminology student, surely you know that the cause vs effect of SEGREGATION (note spelling) are two completely different concepts.
Your words are incredibly touching. The long term causes of segregation on the human spirit are something that I have wondered about and what you describe here brings to my mind how a puppy might react when he's been mis-treated by his captors; being timid, withdrawn and untrusting as he doesn't know what to expect. It proves to me how damaging and wrong it is to hold someone captive in such a small space day and night, year after year. It has become unacceptable to treat circus animals in this way the world over, yet we continue to justify this unacceptable environment towards our own.
I take a small degree of comfort knowing you take control over what you can, and live with love in your heart. Although I am not a religeous person, I do hope my words provide some small degree of comfort, support and appreciation for your strength of mind.
I read this post several days ago and I keep thinking about it in my quiet moments and coming back to it. I also wrote to my friend who is serving life in Arizona discussing the things you speak of and saying to him how thankful I am that he has the ability to move about and utilize his social skills when others such as you don't have that opportunity.
Thank you once again for sharing, your words continue to touch me and make me so very thankful for all I have in my life, regardless of any struggles I may face. Thank you for showing me that appreciation.
You don´t seriously believe that - that the world would be better without Christians or other religions, do you?
According to my opinion, it´s not religion but the human nature that makes people suppress others, kill others etc. If they didn´t do it because of their religion, they´d do it because of skin colour or because the other ones´ noses aren´t straight. The ones who want to act like that always find a reason.
But I agree that you don´t have to be a Christian to be a good human being. I know good Christians AND good atheists as well as bad Christians and bad atheists..... depends on the person.
PS Someone changed the imagination of God from wrathful to forgiving? Yes - that guy´s named Jesus and if he really was God´s son, he had every right to do that, and for the better if God is like He told us. But of course, that´s a matter of faith and it´s completely okay if you think it´s not true.
RSS
Thank you for this reply Nate. I'm sorry I've taken so long to acknowledge your words, things have just been crazy recently with work & kids & study... & now Christmas... but I thought I'd steal a moment, when I'm supposed to be submitting another job application, to get back to you.
The major rock around the city I live in is described on wiki (where we all know the knowledge of the world is held ha-ha) as an "isolated pink granite monolith". So granite is the answer to your question. It's funny that you think there are too many dwellings because you only have to travel 5 minutes out of any Australian city to find vast nothingness. Our land mass is equivalent to that of the USA yet our population is only 22 million & I believe you have that many people in New York alone, so you don't have to go far here to find solitude, if that's what you're looking for. Our population is concentrated on the east coast also, which I believe is unique by world standards.
I do agree with your perspective of personality too. That 'one genuine identity' was in my paper as we were required to reference the assigned readings in each weekly blog. For that assessment we didn't necessarily have to 'believe' what we were writing, just show we'd read, and could interpret, the material we were given. This is one of the reasons I personally believe formal education is nothing more than a process of jumping through hoops at times. I'm much more of a practical person than an academic and believe we can learn so much more from practical experience or through studying one another. Another reason why Psychology has disappointed me somewhat, in comparison to criminology, is that we're not able to get any practical experience until the completion of 4 years study. A 4 year degree just gives us the opportunity to then go on and obtain practical experience. Thankfully I found my friend in Arizona 3 years ago, and BtB in the last year to at least compliment that academic perspective in the meantime.
This is how we are able to teach our soldiers to kill to defend our countries or how an executioner can carry out state sanctioned murder and sleep peacefully at night. You've spoken before too of how you yourself, felt you had a legitimate reason to kill someone who was harming others.
It is this same principal that allows the powers that be to justify building a more 'suitable prison cell' above providing him with the appropriate psychological help he no doubt needs to curb his current inappropriate behaviors.
I have to agree with you that the criminal justice system is creating a larger problem than it had to begin with by caging people indefinately, who would benifit from rehabilitation and psychological intervention. I don't think we will ever be able to 'eliminate' crime, but as you say, "by curing the ills that cause it" this is the only hope we have. I don't think the societal structures of the USA have the foundations necessary to build strong individuals and the most recent mass shooting there in the US is a good example of that. What sort of hopelessness and helplessness must that individual have felt to make the decisions he did...
I heard Obama said in recent days something along the lines of 'for things to change WE have to change' so I'm hoping with the addition of his voice, this discussion will keep going and not stall until the next tragedy occurs there.
Have a Merry Christmas Nate.
Thank you for entertaining me and for your help with my studies this year. Take care!
Nicki
But suffice it to say that I guess I don't really understand anarchism. Plus, there seems to be so many to choose from! :-) So, taking the clear-cutting example, I'll ask a few questions, and perhaps you can help me understand in some future blog post.
So, according to your understanding of Anarchism:
Who makes the decisions? i.e. Who decides that clear cutting is wrong? For example, if the chainsaw was just invented and clear cutting is now a real possibility that never existed before, this is a new challenge that society must deal with. How is this dealt with?
How are decisions made? (voting? volunteers only?)
What plans are made to enforce those decisions? Are decisions enforced at all? If so, who enforces them?
What happens to those people who voted differently and disagree with the final decision?
How does society change its mind? i.e. if clear cutting was not seen as a problem until the cherished Walnut Grove is now just Walnut Plains, how does society change course in the face of past precedent?
What happens to those people who rebel against the final decision? Who stops the clear cutters? And how are they stopped? Other forms of government use violent means, such as police or army. How does anarchism handle it?
Thanks!
- Chris
Perhaps you meant to say "long term EFFECTS".
As a psychology and criminology student, surely you know that the cause vs effect of SEGREGATION (note spelling) are two completely different concepts.
I take a small degree of comfort knowing you take control over what you can, and live with love in your heart. Although I am not a religeous person, I do hope my words provide some small degree of comfort, support and appreciation for your strength of mind.
I read this post several days ago and I keep thinking about it in my quiet moments and coming back to it. I also wrote to my friend who is serving life in Arizona discussing the things you speak of and saying to him how thankful I am that he has the ability to move about and utilize his social skills when others such as you don't have that opportunity.
Thank you once again for sharing, your words continue to touch me and make me so very thankful for all I have in my life, regardless of any struggles I may face. Thank you for showing me that appreciation.
Take care.
Nicki
According to my opinion, it´s not religion but the human nature that makes people suppress others, kill others etc. If they didn´t do it because of their religion, they´d do it because of skin colour or because the other ones´ noses aren´t straight.
The ones who want to act like that always find a reason.
But I agree that you don´t have to be a Christian to be a good human being. I know good Christians AND good atheists as well as bad Christians and bad atheists.....
depends on the person.
PS
Someone changed the imagination of God from wrathful to forgiving?
Yes - that guy´s named Jesus and if he really was God´s son, he had every right to do that, and for the better if God is like He told us.
But of course, that´s a matter of faith and it´s completely okay if you think it´s not true.
The King Of All Kings
Brooklyn's Finest Poet
My heart smiled seeing your work on the Internet.
Sincerely,
BF