Comments due: 11:59pm Sunday, 4/17, 2016.
In class we will consider remarks Peter Singer offered in his recent TED talk
in addition to Martin Luther King, Jr.'s powerful sermon "On Being a
Good Neighbor". We will wonder together how these reflections might
bear upon our lives, our ultimate pursuits. We'll wonder together
what our lives (individual and corporate) might look like if we followed MLK, Jr. in making concern
for others the first law of our lives, in adopting altruism as urged by
both Singer and MLK, Jr.
Here I would like you to read very carefully MLK, Jr.'s sermon.
Allow it to speak to you, your circumstances, and the tragic global situation today.
Respond.
What stood out to you? What claims did MLK, Jr. make that you would you like
to think more about? Does this serve as a challenge to the status quo
consumerism that runs rampant here in the US? If so, how so? In what
ways?
In addition, family and community activist and organizer Mia Birdsong, in her recent TED talk
entitled "The Story We Tell about Poverty Isn't True", gestures toward
what she takes to be the best resource for addressing poverty: namely,
poor people. She tells stories and challenges the popular narrative that
hard work leads to success and, by implication, those that don't enjoy
material success aren't hardworking.
Again, what stood out to you? How did Birdsong challenge you? Is she on to something here?
Moreover, here's Gary Haugen offering a TED talk
entitled "The Hidden Reason for Poverty". Haugen is a human rights
attorney, he worked for the UN investigating war crimes in Rwanda, and
he is the founder of International Justice Mission. Haugen connects
poverty with the topic of our last unity: violence.
How
does Haugen challenge your views? How does Haugen challenge some views
dominant in the US and elsewhere? What are the implications, if any, of
what we should do as individuals and collectively? How does his talk
intersect with our previous unit on war and violence?
Finally, here is a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution given by Peter Edelman,
law professor at Georgetown Law and faculty director of the Georgetown
Center on Poverty and Inequality. The lecture is entitled "So Rich, So
Poor: Why It's So Hard to End Poverty in America." Edelman addresses the
so-called war on poverty here in the US and the various policy issues
surrounding poverty.
As with the others, did
Edelman offer anything that stood out to you? How did he challenge your
views about poverty in the US and the ways of looking at poverty that
prevail in the public square?
Take the time to
reflect carefully upon these lectures. Be willing to learn from each of
them. As always, when commenting and interacting, be gracious and
humble. Strive to listen to each other and learn from each other. In all
things, love and courage.
In the MLK essay, what stood out to me was the stories about those that could have lived had they been given immediate care. The short response time we take for granted today is something that would have saved numerous lives in the past, especially in the south. The only exception being it was the law enforcement officers doing a lot of the injuring of citizens, many of which lost their lives. We see people as "what they are" from religion to ethnicity, and often times fail to see them as simply human beings, and that is something I'd like to think about more because it is simply not thought about enough.
ReplyDeleteThe main point I took from Mia Birdsong's talk is that it is important for those struggling and in poverty to stick together and find support and strength in those struggling in the same ways as them. Poverty is about more than money. Broke, but not broken. There is something to learn from this, and I think she is definitely on to something here.
Gary Haugen made it very apparent to me that violence is a large part of poverty. I think this is something that is not commonly addressed or recognized by those saying that money is the answer to the end of poverty. He suggests that issues need to be talked about in order to be addressed, which is important. We must support the systems providing protection.
Peter Eddelman says that we do need public policy at every level of government, but that public policy itself will not solve the problems posed by poverty itself, but that we must take private action in some form, even if it is only volunteering. I didn't really feel that my personal views had been challenged in this lecture, except at one point in time. I believe that vocational schools and careers are just as important, if not more important, than some of the collegiate careers. Regardless of what was said, I still believe this.
Martin Luther King Jr. largely discusses how a love ethic should apply to the fight against poverty. King mentions that one should love thy neighbor, explaining that a neighbor is nothing less than any human, because a human has value. This view is called altruism, regarding for and devotion to the interest and concern for others. The idea of putting someone else's concerns in place of your own. This idea stood out to me prominently when he discusses how Lincoln knew he had to declare the Emancipation Proclamation, he put into consideration that despite his hurt reputation, it was more important to abolish slavery, and prevent the suffering of others. When attacking poverty one should make sure that the aid agency shares this belief, and wants to see the poor flourish.
ReplyDeleteMia Birdsong's call to action was to invite and learn from the hard working marginalized communities, because they are no different. By ignoring these negative stories, and focusing on the prospering and development of the poor, it will provide them comfort, and the ability to have better opportunities.
In Gary Haugen’s TED talk he explains how there has been improvement in reducing global poverty, but still there are two billion people that only make 2 dollars a day or more. Haugen says these people are trapped by violence, without law enforcement to protect them. Without protection the poor are likely to be assaulted, stolen from, and even enslaved. This means anti-poverty programs never truly help the poor, because most of time the poor can’t use these resources, and are in the fear of someone stealing their resources. I found it very interesting that when allowing a poor young girl attend school for free, she was unable to because of the fear of being assaulted on her way to and from school. This completely demolished the efforts of the anti-poverty program. There needs to be a concentrated effort to reduce this violence to help the poor escape the system.
Ryan W. (2:00)
Martin Luther King, Jr. had a lot of valid points in his essay “Being a Good Neighbor”. This concept originated from a religious point of view to “love thy neighbor as thyself” and the requirement to become a Good Samaritan. He started by defining Altruism, or having a regard for the interest of others. He then talked about the three types: universal altruism, excessive altruism, and dangerous altruism. Something that stood out to me was when he stated that people are only group centered. They care for their neighbors, as long as they are equal and inside their group. This is the mentality that applied to the inhuman treatment of African Americans, and what still concurs as a problem in the modern age. MLK, Jr. writes, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. This is another issue with people when they refuse to change the status quo and go out of their way to do something, despite a harder path. Everyone can give dollars to the poor, but people need to give compassion.
ReplyDeleteSimilar to the idea of compassion, Mia Birdsong presented an impactful speech over how being defined as poor only means they need to seek power in the community. Policies are trying to be created to change poverty, but they don’t do enough. One thing that stood out to me the most was the idea that “people who are broke but not broken”. I think she is on to something when she says how it is important to remember that collectively, all people are unstoppable and capable of anything.
Gary Haugen focused on a hidden reason for poverty: violence. This compares to our previous lesson over war and violence in saying that even though poverty programs have helped statistically, they don’t stop violent acts that happen against the poor. Today, the number of poor people who die every day has reduced from 40,000 to 17,000 people. However, over 35 million poor people are still enslaved today, as well as having the poor living in violence outside of the rule of law. Private security is seven times better than public security due to the fact that the rich can pay for safety. Sharing personal stories, he acknowledges that compassion really means “to suffer with” and can relate to the violence surrounding the poor. I feel like he wants to make us collectively more aware of the violence surrounding the poor, to try and promote peace and support to these communities.
Finally, Peter Edelman covered the issue of poverty with his speech “So Rich, So Poor”. One thing that really stood out to me was that he really highlighted the fact that poverty is a complex and challenging issue. While seeming obvious, I feel like in the United States people just pass it off, thinking it can simply be solved by the Acts and provisions in law. While Edelman stresses that poverty would be more than twice what it is now without these programs and that they do help in some ways, 46 million people are still poor. He covered the amount of low-paying jobs, the difficulties of single moms, and that the only growth in the last 40 years has happened to the rich people at the top. All four of these individuals cover the topic of poverty in a way that should bring some hesitance to all people in the United States—to want to seek change for the future.
Sara B. (1:00)
What stood out to me in the MLK Jr. article was when he stated “The real tragedy of such narrow provincialism is that we see people as entitiles or merely as things. Too seldom do we see people in their true humanness” –This is so true, rarely do we look past the opinions that we form by judging a book by its cover. This, and two another statements he made, made me reconsider how I think of treating someone they way they should be treated. Statement 1: “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. The true neighbor will risk his position, his prestige, and even his life for the welfare of others. In dangerous valleys and hazardous pathways, he will lift some bruised and beaten brother to a higher and more noble life.” Statement 2: “Philanthropy is marvelous, but it must not cause the philanthropist to overlook the need for working to remove the circumstances of economic injustice which make philanthropy necessary. Maybe the priest and the Levite believed that it was better to cure injustice at the casual source than to get bogged down with a single individual effect.” Each makes one consider their own life and what they would do if they were in a similar situation; whether they would risk their life in order to save another. We rarely consider other people, now a days we tend to become selfish, and I think that is where we have a downfall when trying to create peace.
ReplyDeleteBirdsong made me think of how important it is for people to stick together, not only with others in poverty but in general. She focused more on people who have created support groups who are in poverty that creates a way to become stronger and find mutual support within other people who are going through the same thing. Once they realize that they are not alone they come to find out how strong they are with the support of other people, it makes life a lot easier to deal/live/cope with. I think she is completely onto something great!
I can relate to Gary Haugen as I’m not much of a crier either. I was caught off guard when he stated that he had to investigate a genocide, he said the one thing they lacked was a sense of compassion. Compassion has the power to stop the suffering of millions of people. No matter how much people help by donating money or any efforts to help there is one thing they cannot stop, violence. Poor people are stuck in violence, every anti-poverty act does no effort that helps to take people out of slavery and violence. They do not get law enforcement, they live without the protection of the law. Some of the stories that he told with people that he had met really tests your own compassion.
Peter Edelman stated that we need public policy at every level of government, but that public policy itself will not solve the problems posed by poverty itself. We need to take some type of action!! He didn’t make me feel like Gary Haugen, but he still made good points like he did.
Katherine S. (1:00)
In MLK’s sermon, what stood out is how he started the sermon with Jesus’s story. Also, the fact that back in the time, the statement “all men are created equal” meant only the whites. I understand that segregation did not have its full movement and laws against it at this time, but there was also room for some colored to be included. MLK relates the Jesus scene to present day because we always question how this effect our well-being, but what we should really be asking is how can we better each and every person plus ourselves. MLK does challenge the standards, but also goes along with what our society still says years later. We are concerned more with ourselves than with others. We could care less about their well-being over ours. The story does put in perspective that there are good people, but it takes many to kick us aside before we can find the one to rise us up to health again. Being neighborly is what our standards have come too, but if you are not raised to be neighborly then those skills lack and are reversed.
ReplyDeleteMia’s talk led me to think more about poverty. I know it is a problem, but I didn’t realize it was this bad. Many groups are established to help relieve poverty, but the more poverty the less money we can put in. What Mia says is that these poor people can actually help our economy. We need to use them in order to relieve the poverty. She made me think more about how to help the poor to become a better person for them, us, and become a better country in general. Our poor communities work just as hard as a CEO of a corporation, but just don’t make the same money. Why don’t they, just because of where they live. Hard work doesn’t always put people in the success they should be, luck can. She is on to something by saying that the poor work as hard, but there is a reason for their money situation. We need to help these people to become a better community. The community puts them there, so building up the community will build up the economy.
Gary’s ted talk about poverty and violence was interesting. I think that the money spent per year on violence/wars can lead to poverty, but how does this effect every individual on earth that is poor? It is also interesting that compassion can stop the violence and decrease the poverty rate within the U.S. It is hard to have compassion for everyone, but we need to use our resources and compassion to push the way through poverty. We can’t protect the poor, but we can just help them so they don’t die. Just like in Flint, MI this past month, we sent truckloads of water to save the lives of those affected by the chemicals in their water. We used compassion to save their lives, but why can’t we help those living on a street? People with the money just can’t put their head around it to help others. They don’t have the compassion we should in order to save others. They buy their way through everything they have, but those without money can’t do that. They live off of the rich’s scraps and live off of what they can. The poor are left unprotected and scared because we don’t have the enforcement to limit this loss of compassion and the expansion of violence. He is very in depth on how we should protect the poor and use various ways to help save them.
Peter's talk was very interesting. I like how he described the the problems of poverty. The thing that stood our the most was that the raise in minimum wage still hasn't helped increase the poverty line. 1/3 of the population are still under the wage standards, which causes the low-wage workers to live in poverty. People can't afford to live off of one salary at $40,000 per year, let alone with a family to support at wages that equal less than that. WE have been "stuck" for 40 years in this poverty and will not be relieved of poverty unless something is changed!
Catherine K. (2:00)
The sermon composed by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made some very good points. He tells us as individuals to love thy neighbor as thyself, which I know for a fact is very hard for most people. A lot of us have different views, qualities, morals, etc. from other individuals that makes it hard to relate to one another. To love one’s neighbor can be extremely difficult especially if you don’t agree with the other individual. He describes that humans only see each other as mere things opposed to actual human beings. Humans have value and we need to try to discover each other’s value and worth. He also made a statement towards the middle of the sermon that really grabbed my attention. He states, “We so often ask what will happen to my job, my prestige, or my status if I take a stand on this issue?” The good man always reverses this question. A true neighbor will risk everything he has and even put his life on the line for the welfare of others.
ReplyDeleteMia Birdsong took a different approach as to how we look at poverty. She stated that a lot of individuals living in marginalized communities are special. They have talents, skills, and knowledge, but they just aren’t as fortunate as others. These people are extremely hardworking people but they just can’t catch breaks to lift them from the situations that they are in. She made a powerful statement that really hit home. She stated that these people may be broke, but they are not broken. The people are working, the approach is broken. The people that suffer from the struggles of poverty need to stick together to better the situation they are in.
Gary Haugen’s presentation describes the relationship between poverty and violence. He stated that although we are making progress, 2 billion people still live off $2 per day. Although we have all these policies that try to assist the poor, but these policies don’t take violence into consideration. He told the story about the girl who was given free schooling, but she didn’t take advantage of it. She didn’t go to school because it wasn’t safe for her to leave the house. When she did try to leave the house to go to school, she was assaulted. He stated a statistic that was shocking. 35 million people are currently enslaved throughout the world. Law enforcement is extremely depleted in rural and underdeveloped regions, and that is one of the leading reasons why poverty is still a huge issue today.
Peter Edelman stets that poverty in the world is an extremely complex issue. A lot of individuals sit back and watch poverty take place thinking that it will take care of itself. They believe that it’s somebody else’s issue and that they will take care of it. I am guilty of this just like many others. He states that the policies put in place are truly helping. If we didn’t have the policies that we have today then poverty would be doubled the amount that it is now. It is extremely difficult for individuals to pay everyday expenses while getting paid low wage jobs. Over the past 40 years, the people who suffer from poverty have seen a pretty stagnant rate of change while the rich and wealthy have only been getting more powerful.
Sal S. (2:00)
I agree with you on Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK), I feel that MLK was always very confident and always got his point across. MLK discussed ways that promoted non violent reactions. I feel that not much more can be written since many have already summarized the speakers. This one was most interesting to me. But i feel it is something beneficial and wish we could all be taught it. I second Erika as well and do not think minimum wage increases helps anyone. In the end it hurts everything. Sometimes, I feel we should stress the importance of education to everyone instead of supporting those who do nothing. I also don't agree that all poverty is self inflicted because think about the kids that come into the world with low income families. No one gets to pick their parents so it is uncontrollable.
DeleteDemondre B. (1:00)
In Martin Luther Kind Jr.’s sermon, he talks about how we should try to help each other like we talked about with love ethic. I agree that we should be willing to help each other out, especially in times of crisis. It’s not overly hard to help those in poverty, you can help out by volunteering or donating any amount of money. It seems that when those who are suffering from poverty are shown compassion, they gain some hope. It’s a simple act to help someone feel better about life when going through so much pain.
ReplyDeleteI really like Mia Birdsong’s stories about how people unite together to help each other. It’s nice to hear that those who are suffering from poverty support each other. It’s not that money does not work in helping those in poverty but it’s more about helping these people get back on their feet by providing support for them. Support in the form of maybe helping them get a job or getting them some nice clothes for job interviews. Maybe just letting them talk about their worries so that they can feel like they have someone to talk to. I also like the point she makes about “hard work leads to success” because there are many people who are poor and they work harder than anyone else to get a job or provide for their family.
Gary Haugen tells some very sad stories that make you want to help these people. It would seem that over 35 years much hasn’t changed. So many people are still in poverty and he talks about the fact that many people end up in poverty due to violence. It’s not something many people think about when questioning why there are so many people in poverty. These organizations do not address this problem and it’s very troubling. He talked about the girl who faced violence when going to school, how is she supposed to get an education to get out of poverty? It is major problem that there is no law enforcement for the poor and it seems that in a sense it should be easy to fix. Haugen talks about the fix in the end of his talk, resources need to be pooled into fighting the violence. However, it would seem that most organizations are still not geared towards this yet. Most still work on feeding children or donating money.
In Peter’s lecture, I really like that he brought up the fact that even though minimum wage has been raised many times, it has not changed anything. The more we raise the minimum wage, it seems the more it hurt. I find that it seems like continuing to raise the minimum wage is a very bad idea. He brings up other good topics and it seems to be a frustrating topic since so many actions we have already taken have failed. He is right that action needs to be taken.
K.P. (1:00)
Martin Luther King, Jr. states in his sermon that a good neighbor looks beyond the external accidents and discerns those inner qualities that make all men human, and, therefore, brothers. This stood out to me because it is extremely relevant in today’s society. All of the racial profiling that goes on and the disputes that break out because of someone’s gender or sexuality is immense. If, starting on a individual level, people could start to see one another as human rather than male, female, gay, straight, black, or white then the disputes among external features would diminish and there would seem to be no dispute at all between humans. Everyone could be seen as equal. No one would pass a starving black man on the street just because he is black. It seems that if people could understand this notion today, then the world could easily become a better place to live.
ReplyDeleteMia Birdsong speaks of how to help the issue on poverty. Birdsong alludes to poor people as a primary resource to begin to think about the resolution to poverty on a different level. Birdsong begins to mention that within the poor community they are not focused on money, they are focused on housing, education, and the like. This mentality allows for the poor people to become independent. She says that for decades we have told the story that hard work leads to success. Birdsong claims that with this story we have have the mentality that we who make it, deserve it, and those who do not make, do not deserve it. She says these stories that have us convinced that poor people are a problem that need fixed, she says what is working is the people and what is broken is our approach. We need to follow what the poor people do instead of trying to change what they do. Overall, it seems that Birdsong thinks that our mentality of poor people is completely wrong. We always seem to think that poor people are just lazy people that cannot seem to get it right. But, it is not always true that they are not trying but they just are not appreciated enough to make an impact. We constantly undermine the work the poor people are doing because they do not have the wealth that comes with the idea we have of success. All of what Birdsong mentioned was really eye-opening. It makes me wonder if those who are trying to fight the war on poverty are even listening to what the poor have to say.
Sierra L. (2:00)
Continued:
ReplyDeleteGary Haugen realizes that poverty is often times attached to violence. He recognizes that people are in poverty because they are violently kept in poverty. Poor people are kept within the bounds of poverty because they are living outside the rule of law. Haugen recognizes that law enforcement should be a part of every day poverty relief but it is not. Introducing a law enforcement to take over the poor areas of the world would reduce the violence that is keeping these people in poverty. Therefore, by allowing the poor some comfort of having the law to protect them, they will be more willing to go out and do something about their well-being. They would be able to walk to school and get an education, or walk to a job to make money to help out with their situation. Before listening to Haugen speak about poverty, I never really put together that violence is a major cause of poverty. Stopping this violence can make a move to help poverty.
Finally, Peter Edelman speaks about his take on poverty. What stood out to me is that Edelman recognizing the complicated issues that come with poverty. Edelman says introducing a public policy is essential at all levels of government but it will not solve poverty itself. He says we must also have private action to solve poverty. Edelman says that the terrible facts that come with poverty no longer exist because of the national food stamps program that was enacted. In saying that, the food stamp program is extremely helpful in poverty in America, however, what about the people in other parts of the world? They are not exposed to the same opportunities as the impoverished people in America. I realize that he is speaking directly about why it is difficult to end poverty in America but it seems that just focusing his argument in America is not addressing the entire issue of poverty.
Sierra L. (2:00)
What stood out to me in the MLK article was that he tells us that we should love our neighbors, the same, as we love ourselves. This can be very difficult for many people, since we all have different views, which can make it rather difficult to love someone who believes the opposite of what you do. We as humans should respect everyone regardless of what their values and beliefs are. The odds are that if you do not show love and respect to your neighbor, they probably will not respect you. A good neighbor will risk everything they have to help the ones around them, regardless of what could happen to them.
ReplyDeleteOne of the main points that I gathered from Mia Birdsong, was that it is important for those who are struggling to stick together. This helps them find support and strength in one another to overcome the situation they are in. When going through a struggling situation, it is much easier to do it with others that are in the same situation, so you do not feel like you are alone.
Gary Haugen, talked about the relationship between violence and poverty. Even though we are making progress there are still so many people that are living on two dollars each day. With all of the government aid and funding that we have, it doesn’t account for violence. Majority of violence is in poor areas, where it isn’t even safe to stay inside of your own home. He mentions a story of a little girl who was offered to attend school for free, but it was in such a terrible neighborhood she was too afraid to leave her home. When she did gain the courage to leave, she was assaulted. Policing in these areas is basically useless. When an individual is taken into the justice system from an area in extreme poverty, the individuals usually prefer to stay in jail since it is a “safe” environment for them there.
Peter Edelman talks about the struggle of poverty and that it isn’t an easy issue to deal with. A vast majority of the people in this country will just sit back and watch poverty come in, and not do anything to prevent it, hoping it will take care of itself. He believes the policies the government has put in place are working. Even though there are still billions of people that are not financially stable, scrapping pennies up off the streets in hopes they can put a meal on the table.
Jeremy J. (1:00)
In the sermon done by MLK Jr. he makes many interesting points and claims. One of the claims that he makes is that, “One of the great tragedies of man’s long trek along the highway of history has been limiting neighborly concern to tribe, race, class, or nation.” I think this claim is important to think about, because it shows us one place in which people err when it comes to helping others. This idea can also be used to explain why the white driver and doctor at the hospital would not help the people that were in the accident, they were too concerned about race to worry about the humanity of the people who had been in the accident. MLK Jr.’s sermon uses ideas such as this to challenge what we consider to be right and okay. One thing that MLK brings up is that often when people think about helping people they think about what they should do for them, not what they should do alongside the poor people to help them. MLK’s sermon challenges people to look past status, race, and nationality and to help work with people in helping people that are on the ‘roadside of life.’
ReplyDeleteWe also heard from Mia Birdsong who talked about the way people think about poverty is not true. What stood out for me in Birdsong’s talk was that she said the best way to help poverty was through the poor. She told three major stories about poor people that worked hard to try to find ways to make extra money or help themselves and others out. In Birdsong’s talk she challenges us to support the poor by helping to give fuel to their already burning flame. One way she talks about doing this is giving them money to help make their ideas and dreams come true, because poor people do work hard, they just do not always have the chance to get out of the rut they are in, so that they can be successful. I feel that Birdsong is onto something. Many people out in the world do not work hard or want to and would love to be given a handout. On the other side of the coin, many poor people out there are trying to work hard to survive, support their children, and to get out of the rut that they are stuck in. Instead of looking down on the poor, people need to help the poor that are already fired up and trying to succeed, by helping them to succeed.
Next, we heard from Gary Haugen who discusses the issues poor people in developing countries has with security and pubic police systems. He stresses that the major problem poor people have today that makes them and/ or keeps them poor is slavery and violence. Haugen challenges my views and the views of others in the US by contradicting the popular belief that poor people do not have the money and resources to get out of poverty or from dying. He says that in fact the problem is that they do not have the resources that protect them from violence, being thrown out of their homes, and being turned into slaves. This sheds some new light onto the issue of poverty that most people do not think about or want to think about. What he says shows people that they cannot just send money to charities for the poor, but we need to send money to train police forces and other areas in the justice system so that people can be protected from violence and slavery that causes death and poverty in developing countries.
Lastly, we heard from Peter Edelman who talked about poverty in the United States. What I took from his speech is that poverty is difficult and complicated. What Edelman did to change my views about poverty is that it made me think more about the successes we have made, and also the challenges of bringing complex things together so that we can fight poverty.
Hannah K. (1:00)
While reading the MLK JR article, there were obviously quite a few things I found interesting and also very relatable to our class. One of the parts I wanted to research more about and talk about on here would be the specific sentence, "If a white man is concerned only about his race, he will casually pass by the Negro who has been robbed of his personhood, stripped of his sense of dignity, beaten by hooded perpetrators of violence, and left dying on some wayside road." This sentence specifically drew my attention because of the things we go over in class.
ReplyDeleteIn class we are on the subject of love ethics and war and violence. God believes everyone is to love everyone, no matter if they are an enemy to you. No matter their race, sex, ethnicity, size, or physical sense. So that sentence really says something about that. That no matter what race the person is, you are to help them flourish and save them because you are to love and help all creatures no matter what. Not only that, but how can someone morally be okay with walking past a person being beat to death when they have never even done anything wrong to you? You don't have to do it for them, but do it for you; make you feel good about yourself and have faith in knowing you did the right thing.
This also relates to MLK's movement because he was against racial segregation. People were treating blacks and whites different and they wouldn't stand to help or love each other. Even though people knew God would want them to love one another especially allowing them to flourish. MLK worked really hard on showing the world that there are no enemies, or that there shouldn't be. And he was a great example of peace; not getting his way by using war and violence. Instead, he never gave up and continued to show people that he wasn't backing down.
What stood out most to be about MLK’s speech was his concern about capitalism. This is very relevant in today’s world, especially when considering our current presidential election. There is a lot of controversy about Bernie Sanders and his democratic socialism. I think that I side more with MLK on this issue. The “working men” are mostly ignored while the top dogs get all of the credit and money. Another interesting thing that I would like to look into more (this is also mentioned by Gary Haugen later) is the fact that philanthropy itself will not solve our issues. In order to solve the issue of poverty we need to stop whatever is causing the poverty as well as work to relieve it.
ReplyDeleteI think Mia Birdsong’s idea that rather than looking for solutions to “poor people problem” we should instead fuel their creativity and ingenuity is very interesting. I do agree that there are some very hard working and deserving poor people but I feel like they are the minority. We should definitely help these people prosper when we come across them but we also need to figure out the underlying issue that is causing this person and those around this person to be in poverty. I like the idea behind her talk but I don’t think that by “elevating the voices of the unheard” we could completely eliminate the poverty issue.
Gary Haugen challenges the stance that most people take when it comes to poverty. People tend to donate money or other goods, which isn’t a bad thing, but like Gary said, it’s not solving the issue. Similar to what MLK said, we need to attack the problem at its root. Gary proposes that every day violence is that root cause of poverty in underdeveloped nations and to put an end to poverty we need to put an end to violence. It blows my mind how little law enforcement there is. The fact that private protection is 7 times larger than public law enforcement just goes to show how corrupt governments in underdeveloped countries can be. I completely agree that instead of simply donating goods and money we should work towards developing countries that are in poverty.
I think that Peter Edelman had some good ideas, but I don’t think many of his ideas were very original. Edelman also mentions the idea of the 1% of wealthy Americans getting most of the growth that America has experienced (going back to MLK’s ideas on capitalism). Even Edelman’s main point, creating publicly funded jobs to improve our country for young and unemployed American’s isn’t new. This is very similar to what Teddy Roosevelt did during his presidency. It is definitely not a bad idea, but it’s nothing that we haven’t tried already.
-Cody F.(2:00)
Martin Luther King Jr. spoke mainly of altruism, or the notion that no person is any less than a human, and a human has value. He apply's the concept of a love ethic to the fight against poverty. Altruism can also be put as the devotion to the interest and concern for others. This ;arge;y correlated with his mention of Lincoln knowing he had to declare the Emancipation Proclamation, despite the damages it did to the his popular image. He saw that it was more important to abolish slavery than to keep his name untarnished.
ReplyDeleteMia Birdsong focuses on the good when it comes to people under the poverty line. There are negative stories and positive, and she invites us to learn from the positive. Staying positive and working on the development and comfort of the marginalized communities gives them a better chance at opportunity.
The statistic that Gary Haugen gave in his TED Talk that there are still 2 billion people throughout the world who only make 2 dollars a day shocked me a little. Even further, the idea that anti-poverty welfare programs invited violence to be commited against those who participate surprised and saddened me. I definitely think he was right in that we need to focus on stopping the everyday violence among poor communities, but I think at the same time, we should offer welfare programs.
Sarah C. (1:00)
Peter Singer makes some very interesting points in his talk. He specifically keys in on effective altruism which combines heart and mind and ultimately gives life meaning. Singer explains that we can not only care that these less unfortunate people are suffering but also know what to do to help them. To this statement he begs the question “can we help them?”. The answer, surely, is yes we can. And he goes on to explain that money is not the only thing that is needed. There is much else to give to the needy. The only thing standing in the way of more people helping out are questions being asked by these people pertaining to how much to help out and exactly how to help. Everyone is capable of helping in some way or another.
ReplyDeleteMLK’s sermon powerfully describes how all humans should act toward one another. Reading both the sermon and my classmates’ summaries, I am completely in agreement with it all. MLK stood for peace and freedom from violence and suffering. He offered and practiced ways of conducting oneself to all others and just living life in general. He lead the way for the people after him to begin to think in the same way he did and treat all people as equals.
Mia Birdsong discussed how poverty and wealth are not as different as thought. She points out that not all those who work hard and do the things they should do end up with good lives free of poverty. Birdsong said that hard work is the common denominator. It should not be so that those in poverty are looked down upon and just assumed to be lazy and useless. All people deserve to be heard and helped in times of need. Nothing is guaranteed for anyone no matter what they have done or been through, and it’s not correct to just assume that certain people have certain pre-set qualities and lifestyles.
Gary Haugen started off his talk by explaining that compassion means to suffer with. We need to show compassion to help solve the poverty problem today. Haugen stated that “15% of the population lives off of $1.25 per day”. This just reflects how bad some of the unfortunate people in poverty have it. However, he suggests that sending money, food, and supplies is not solely enough to help the needy. He explains that law enforcement is the biggest thing that is missing from the lives of those living in poverty. The “locust effect” is the term that Haugen uses in association to everyday violence that poor encounter. The violence issue needs to be addressed in poor communities to help resolve the outcome of poverty in the first place.
Lastly, Peter Edelman outlined some of the things that politicians have done to help fight “The War on Poverty”. Although he does admit that the rich do just keep getting richer, Edelman does describe some positive things that have come of politicians getting involved. He believes that food stamps really have helped those in need. Also, increased minimum wage has risen a majority of the population back up to above the poverty line. There needs to be more widespread use of these specific practices to help out even more. To summarize the point of Mr. Edelman’s lecture, he does believe that with a little guidance, the government and politicians can help with “The War on Poverty” to an even greater extent than they already have. All of this material I have just read over/listened to helps me better understand how bad the poverty situation really is and also ways that can be used to help stop it.
James D. (2:00)
One thing that I felt each of the lectures and readings had in common was the understanding that poverty is not something that can be 100% fixed. I think this is important to realize, but I also think people need to know how important their personal role is in the severity of poverty. I found Mia Birdsong's Ted Talk to be very inspirational in that it led me to see our view of poverty differently. Her statement, "What if we realized that what's working is people and what's broken is our approach" really made me think about how out of focus we get from our actual goals. In the same way, MLK's sermon discussed how close-minded people tend to be when issues of race, religion, gender, etc. get involved. As he put it, people are no longer concerned for what happens outside of their group. People no longer see everyone as "neighbors"/brothers. Rather, our world is run by racial, religious, and gender inequalities that cloud our judgment.
ReplyDeleteGary Haugen, in his Ted Talk explained poverty as something that cannot be completely fixed because we simply cannot always help the root of the problem. (i.e. Venus experienced poverty by violence). In Peter Edelman's lecture, his analysis of the 8 changes that our nation has experienced and caused the persistence of poverty was interesting. It really breaks down the underlying issues that keep the poor. It nearly creates a feeling of hopelessness fro those affected. I think Edelman's idea of "creating publically financed jobs doing things we need done" would really impact this nation. It is just a matter of willingness to work towards it. I also believe that we have become a "society of gated communities" and a loss of personal care for others, but I think that with a change of priority we could see drastic change.
Brianna E. (2:00)
Addressing "On Being a Good Neighbor," I found myself saying "Of course we should," and "Why wouldn't I?" Being raised in a different time by more loving, respecting people has put space between my reality and theirs. It is heart breaking to read the struggles of "the others," be it the Jews or the African Americans. The story of the three men's accident and their lack of treatment sparked something inside of me. I realized that some of the same patterns are true today: while it's illegal to turn away from someone due to discrimination, there are still stigmas, hesitations and reservations toward certain kinds of people. Now more than ever, Middle Eastern immigrants are being singled out, as far as race goes. But for my case, mental stigmas can feel just as heavy. Just recently I was having severe side effects to a medication I'd just started. They affected me very mentally and emotionally, and I needed a doctor. In one day, I had called and visited four medical offices: a doctor's office, an urgent care, a mental health clinic, and the emergency room. Of the four, three turned me away before they asked for my name, and one of them laughed at me. The symptoms were strange - I'll give them that. But they were accompanied by physical pain, and three of them expressed no remorse in turning me away.
ReplyDeleteGetting back on topic, the strongest message I got out of this sermon was: Dealing and helping with the struggles on an individual basis is not enough (but it is a start) - One must take measures to prevent the same thing from happening over and over again.
Mia Birdsong's talk was truly inspiring, and similar to a speech I just delivered on openmindedness and perceptions to different religions. All people are complex and beautiful. Their religions, socioeconomic status, life experiences, relationships and personalities are important and worthy of time and respect. This talk enforced beliefs I already encompass, to be honest. Very refreshing to be reminded.
Gary Haugen's talk was also quite inspiring. For a few minutes, I was wondering where all of his discussions were going, but he truly makes law enforcement appear to be the root cause. The numbers he gives in the small Q and A session at the end were an encouraging start: approximately 1 million dollars a year in Guatemala has caused about a 1000% increase in more successful prosecutions. Wow! This corresponds very nicely with the previous chapter, because he encourages people to help with their actions and support, not with violence.
With Edelman's discussion, the first point to stick out to me was that we have become a two speed society, and I think that is very true. We either have, or we don't, and many times there is only a dream that that situation may change. Some may need a few footholds, while others may need quite a bit of help, but he feels that the main problem stems from low wages. His solution for this is to create jobs and funding for things that "need done," and that specifically help the poor: childcare, affordable housing, etc, and training unemployed and young people as part of the program. How to get things up and running with this program may not be completely worked out yet, but I believe his ideas are on the right track, and creating jobs for people below the poverty line specifically to pull people up above the poverty line is brilliant! This may be the 1:30 a.m. talking, but it's like having bootstraps being pulled up by bootstraps!
I found myself responding to the ideas in MLK’s “on being a good neighbor” similar to Meagan; I feel myself continually thinking ‘well obviously’ just because we have grown as a society and have overcome the problems of race for the most part. His idea of loving all neighbors is one I believe to be very important as long as one truly understands that ‘neighbors’ does not literally mean only your neighbors. Neighbors in this sense means much more than just the people who live near you, but instead all people in general. I think this can sermon can be useful especially now as people are debating about the policy that should be put in place with immigrants in the US.
ReplyDeleteMia Birdsong’s Ted Talk was very moving to me in that she talked about how even though one may be in poverty that does not mean they are worthless or lazy by any means. I believe that some people have unfortunate luck or runs of bad luck despite being a great person, sometimes bad things happen to good people is commonly used. Some of those in poverty may be real life examples of this saying and that it could just be a set back in time that is proving to be a huge task to overcome. Just because they are in poverty, though, does not mean they are lazy and undeserving of good chances at bettering their lives.
Gary Haugen stresses that the issue of poor people and poverty is not necessarily the lack of money but the presence of violence. Poor people are not given the opportunity to try to build on what little they have because things are stripped away from them like their homes and their belongings. Often those who live in poverty do not live in the safest environments and are exposed to violence every day which makes an individual live in fear even in their home where they should feel the safest. In order to rid the world of poverty Gary believes the world needs to be rid of violence.
Peter Edelman talks about minimum wage and how it has been raised several times in order to try to get rid of poverty. He also talks about how this strategy has not worked. I feel that the idea of raising minimum wage seems to make sense at first because the world is becoming more and more expensive due to inflation but the more inflation goes up the less money is worth anyway. It seems that if prices continue to go up with inflation the entire world will be living in poverty eventually regardless of how high the minimum wage value is.
Amanda W. (1:00)
The topic that caught my eye the most was Mia's talk about families and helping them get out of poverty. I love the fact that she made points about working hard. I believe that it is so true in that whatever you do or will do it will take hard work. And if you do hard work good things will come about. Being in a family especially takes hard work, for personal experience I think my family could have worked a lot harder at communicating and maybe we would have been together longer. But live and learn and now that leads us to the future. I love the program she developed and the award that helps children be who they are no matter their race. To me it leads people to follow their true selves with no held backs.
ReplyDeleteThe author Gary is a been there done that kind of guy, he has real life experience of violence in front of his own eyes. He is the perfect person to make judgements about violence. He made an effort of to safe victims of global violence. He points out the violence that happens in the life of poverty and how they live their lives in these ways. It's so crazy to think of the lives we live and how easy it is to forget how the other people around the world live. Sometimes its seems to be that the biggest problem we have is running out of milk for your morning cereal. When in some areas of the war they do not have milk and may even get beating up for no reason. This really opened my eyes to some great people that really help out all around the world and save many people,
The Martin Luther King Jr. essay discussed a lot about love should be used to fight against poverty. All humans are valuable and should be treated as so, and individuals should devote themselves to the interests and concerns of those around them. It’s more important to prevent suffering of others, and I think this is a really good concept to take away. Mia Birdsong discussed strengthening communities of poverty and promoting unity from individuals in the same boat. She also discussed how there are not enough policies in place to truly protect the poor, which is something I never personally realized, and didn’t know how these policies helped. Gary Hauden largely discussed how violence and poverty have a link, and that the rich are able to stay protected simply because they can provide private services and securities that the poor cannot. Hauden also largely discussed how awareness to this issue needs to brought about so it can be properly handled and not swept under the rug anymore. Peter Edelman discussed how poverty is complex, even though most of society sees it as an issue with an easy fix — “get a job”. He discussed how the rise in minimum wage has not increased the poverty line, shockingly, and that even though there are policies in place to help the poor there aren’t nearly enough and action needs to be taken by the community. I thought all of these are positive outlooks on how poverty needs to be addressed, and all aim for the better wellbeing of a large group of people who deserve to be treated with value.
ReplyDeleteJ Burke (1PM)
Much of the first part of MLK’s essay is very familiar to me. Growing up in a Christian church, I am all too familiar with the tale of the Good Samaritan. I also know that this most likely means that many other people are aware of the same story. And yet, we still see a hesitancy to help one’s neighbor whether it is due to race or other factors. It is clear that while the civil rights movement did a lot of good, it still did not completely take away the reluctance to help one’s neighbor. MLK then goes on to state that perhaps the first two men did not stop because they were afraid. Fear is one of the biggest driving forces present in human beings. The idea of self preservation is how we have survived this long, and this instinct is not easy to shake. However, MLK makes an excellent point in stating that we should stop fearing for ourselves and start fearing for others. We should question what our lack of action will result in, and if that end result is bad, then why not help your neighbor? This essay certainly challenges the status quo of today. When MLK was alive, it was African Americans who were being persecuted. Today, it is those escaping from Islam and other Middle Eastern countries, and those individuals belonging to the LGBT community. If a change in the way we think as human beings does not come about, I have little faith that humans will always stop to help every “neighbor” in need. Mia Birdsong’s talk was beautiful. It was truly inspiring to hear the stories of those who thought of innovative ideas to make ends meet. This reinforced my belief that you do not have to come from a wealthy family to be successful. She is definitely on to something here. All too often, there are bright minds that are simply overlooked, or do not even get the chance to show the world how bright they truly are due to wealth and social status alone.
ReplyDeleteGary Haugen gives some very interesting statistics about those living in poverty. It was absolutely shocking to learn just how little money these people are living on. I completely agree with his ideas on law enforcement. If the issues are not directly addressed, they will never be resolved. This pairs great with our previous discussions on war and violence. Haugen’s approach is an excellent solution, and there is no violence involved. In fact, their aim is to stop the violence all together to bring about a greater end result.
Finally, Peter Edelman talked about his views on poverty. He made it very clear that poverty is not a simple issue. I feel as though so many individuals simply believe that if those in poverty wanted to help themselves, then they would go out and get a job. It is unfortunately not this simple, and I feel as though people find it easier to brush the issue aside instead of addressing it. I completely agree that nothing will change and it will not become easier until a major change comes about, otherwise we will continue to be “stuck”.
Alexis Locke: 1:00 PM
I think that MLK's speech is one that more people need to hear, especially people that do not respect/take care of their neighbors. I agree with Ryan in his earlier comment about MLK, about how a love ethic should apply to the fight against poverty. This speech is one that applies to us even to this day. For a country that proclaims to be the greatest country in the world and to have vast amounts of freedom and caring towards others, people within the country show a lot of hate towards other countries and even to people within the US as well. I think that people tend to forget that everyone is different and won't have the same thoughts and Ideals as each other, that it's perfectly okay, and we don't need to use hate or violence towards people that do not believe the same as us. At the same time, some people are not as fortunate as others and therefore need a little help, such as from homelessness, loosing a job, or struck with an illness.
ReplyDeleteI think that many people who are privileged have this view of people in poverty in their minds that once in poverty always in poverty. I think that some people who are in poverty believe that there is little help for them and little they can do about their situation. From Mia's stories, we learn that there is always a way to to get out of a situation, there is always a way to help yourself, and there is always a way to make a situation better for yourself but you have to go out and do something about it. To me, the people that Mia talked about, do not seem like they are in poverty. They may not have as much money or live in a place that is as fantastic as others, but they are surviving and they are all doing something about their situations because they needed and wanted to, because they came together to build each other up and support one another.
Gary Haugen's talk really makes people think. While we know that violence happens and we know that the poor are often unable to protect themselves, especially women, but Haugen's talk was a real eye opener. I believe that if we could pour more money, education, and resources towards helping the poor to building their lives up and protection for themselves then the level of poverty will improves.
The speech by Peter Edelman was helpful to get a better feel on the poverty situation in the US. I feel that many people don't have a good idea of what where the poverty level currently is. I think that poverty is an issue that will always occur, no matter what country is but there are still programs and issues that could be covered and modified to help those in poverty live better lives. Programs such as food stamps and Obamacare are great in theory, but it's the people that abuse or cheat the system that make other people feel that the programs aren't actually working.
Rachel F. (1:00)
In MLK Jr’s sermon, he discusses how in the bible, A man approached Jesus to ask him how to inherit eternal life. The answer to this question was to love God and neighbors the same. Jesus explains a neighbor by a life situation and not an exact definition. A neighbor is simply anyone you run across in life who lies in need. It is then discussed how people tend to substitute the word “some” for the word “all”. We do this in many things such as when everyone is equal but often times only white people are seen as equal or when it comes to the work force and some women are still seen below men.
ReplyDeleteWe often think that neighbors regards to those in our specific group such as some classify their neighbors as white people and some classify their neighbors as US citizens which is then why war occurs. In today’s generation, the majority of people have gotten over the difference in race. However there are still the older generations who believe that white is superior to all such as the older aunts in my family. I specifically remember them telling stories about not wanting to be around blacks and all of my cousins and I were just appalled because that is no longer an issue to us. Although the race problem may be deteriorating, I’m not sure we all feel love for those from Afghanistan or Iraq where we have spent countless years fighting. It would be hard to see these individuals as our neighbors.
In the first Ted talk the issue of Poverty is discussed and how all of our efforts have done nothing to improve poverty. Mia suggests that the only way to help poverty is with those who are also in poverty. If anyone else tries to help, they do not fully understand what that person is going through. However when those who are in poverty come together to not just try to make some extra change but to even just talk about their experiences helps those people become more successful in life. It is not an answer to just give them money, but to help them succeed in life. Hard work does not always lead to success. Some people just aren’t confronted with that certain privilege that others encounter. However just because people can’t make it out of poverty, or don’t succeed doesn’t mean that they don’t deserve it. As Martin Luther King Jr. discussed, in the case of poverty, we just need to show love to all of our neighbors.
In the second Ted talk, Gary Haugen starts off by explaining how he helped investigate into Rwanda’s genocide. He also explains how he has helped in the most successful act of compassion which is fighting global poverty. Gary explains that no amount of money that is donated will actually help poverty. What those in poverty do need is the opportunities which they aren’t given such as the chance to go to school. 35 million people are stuck in slavery because of poverty. It is then discussed that those in poverty have laws, but they do not have law enforcement. Those in poverty therefore have to fear crime and violence with no one to protect them. We would not feel safe at all if we did not have law enforcement in our lives.
In the lecture by Peter Edelman, he discusses that we need public policy and also private action. This private action includes volunteering and civic action. There are 8 key changes that happened to the U.S. that we did not foresee. The first is that we became a low wage nation.. Three is that education for low status children deteriorated. Five, cash assistance disappeared. Sixth, the poverty of place, worsened. Seventh, the politics of race and gender stayed the same instead of improving as anticipated. Eight, Inequality grew worse. Our nation needs to strive for a better community atmosphere, better jobs, more equality, and better support. When our economy improves, the gross only goes to those who are already at the top. Peter believes that we should create publicly financed jobs doing things that we need done. People tend to think that poverty is only a black thing but this is false. A good percentage of white people are also in poverty so we need to get this stereotype out of our heads.
Ashley L (1:00)
MLK’s discussion about both the secular and sacred aspects to altruism stands out to a testament in the ethical argument of love towards his fellow man. Though this seems painfully clear, a distinction such as this towards equality and the concept of altruism stands out in its own right, as well as enforcing the fundamental belief that we as human beings should promote the well-being and flourishment of our fellow creatures, especially by virtue of being a person. The statement in the love ethic that stands out the most is the idea of allowing your neighbors and yourself to flourish. That means allowing for their physical needs, moral development, and justice. He also goes on to explain the blatant double standard of the time. An example would be the girl that jumped on a white supremacy supporter to keep him from receiving the violence, that most believe that he deserved it. I believe that this message does serve a purpose for the status quo that is present in the US today, as well as back then. Though I do believe our society is much better in defending injustices, there is still many aspects that need to be looked over. Once again we go back to the concept of loving yourself and your neighbor and wanting them to flourish by encouraging their freedoms.
ReplyDeleteBirdsong’s narrative about the position that people take when they ‘make it big’ was one of the things that really struck me. I believe that hard work can get you places if you are lucky enough to make the right moves. I also believe failure in general is inevitable as well. The thing that hit me in this speech was the fact that working hard causes people to get a big head about themselves, causing them to be overly proud and self-approving. This can lead them to look down on individuals, originally similar to themselves, saying that they don’t deserve success because they are not good enough. Our system and thinking is flawed. We need to promote flourishing of our neighbors and give them the confidence to keep trying until they make the right moves.
Haugen’s argument about the lawlessness, the unsatisfying working conditions, and the lack of opportunity for both justice, equality, and satisfying the poor people’s fundamental needs of food, shelter, and basic safety is astonishing! I really didn’t know the extent of pure evil some of these individuals have to endure. He challenges our society’s views on poverty by stating outright that what we are doing is not enough. Though, statistically we are improving poverty the violence is what really needs to be looked at, but how? The only way I see this changing is by improving the economy of their country and allowing for better opportunity. This in itself is almost an impossibility from an outside perspective. I think this issue more reflects the Love Ethic lecture than the War and Violence. We are to promote the well-being of others by aiding where we can and eliminating violence in a way that keeps from further violence.
Edelman’s lecture was good in the approach of trying to understand the basis of poverty. I feel like the concept of poverty is over many peoples’ heads, way passed what we learn about. I think it truly is an eye opener to citizens because when we think of poor we think of people off the street, where it is deeper than that there is also the concept of violence that incorporates into that concept as well.
Tyler C. (2:00)
I really enjoyed the Martin Luther King Jr.’s sermon on loving neighbors, it was interesting. I appreciated it for how he discussed loving your neighbor. I have always believed this because this is also in the Bible. I think it is important to be kind to everyone. He discussed altruism which I also believe is very important. All human life is valuable and no one is more important than another. I think this sermon is something everyone should have to listen to. While I think we have come a long way with civil rights since this sermon, I still think it is something everyone should be reminded of.
ReplyDeleteMia Songbird discussed the idea that people living below the poverty line have many negative undertones. She believes we should focus on the good things and that they might not necessarily may be lazy or unmotivated, they simply could be down on their luck. People are so much more than how much money they have.
Gary Haugen blew my mind when he said that 2 billion people in the world make $2 a day or less. He discussed that people living in poverty are not able to control their environment, such as violence taking essentials was from them, making it impossible for them to climb out of poverty.
Edelman discussed increases in minimum wage. I personally do not believe raising minimum wage does anything. It also increases the prices of other everyday items. As he stated, increasing minimum wage does not reduce poverty it increases inflation which in return puts people farther into poverty.
Victoria W. (1:00)
I found it interesting how rooted MLK’s beliefs are in religion. Of course, this is because it is a sermon, but it makes it difficult for the majority of citizens to relate and agree with it. While his points are sound, and his point of considering those around you your neighbor and should then be treated as such is something all can understand, it may throw some off due to the religiosity. Of course that is not the overall premise of the lecture. I think this sermon strongly resounded with our recent investigation on love and how to love all persons.
ReplyDeleteIn Birdsong’s speech, I thought the most stand out point was about how effort and success can be a persons’ moral downfall. I agree that when a person has too much of one thing, it can cause bigheadedness, and this is commonly seen with people thinking that they are higher beings above those who are lower class. Loving thy neighbor is heavily dependent on who the neighbor is compared to you. This is ultimately the largest flaw in why those who have more than enough do not reach out to help others. We must actively work on altering our state of mind and looking down on others.
Gary Haugen’s speech was ultimately about the statistics most do not know about poverty. This is a direct strategy to inform and convince others to reach out to help since those who are well off are not likely to research those who are not. The issue is not important unless it applies to you, it seems.
I thought Peter Edelman’s strongest point was about minimum wage. It’s a simply way, one might think, to help those struggling with poverty but ultimately it only causes inflation issues. The fact of the matter is that raising minimum wage is a throw away strategy that not much thought was put into. In order to assist with those struggling poverty, we must truly think of long term solutions and treat the issue with respect and relevance.
-Meghan K. (2:00 pm)
MLK had a motto to love your neighbors just as you love yourself. In relation to that, it also goes along with the same treat others the way you wish to be treated. It really speaks volumes that a man like himself in his time could stand up in the face of hate and say that. When I first read the article it reminded me of the African American woman in Ann Arbor who shielded the white KKK member from the crowd beating him on the ground. Even though he probably wouldn’t have done the same to her, she still saw him as a human in need instead of a racist man. We all need to be good neighbors just like she was to improve society.
ReplyDeleteFor Mia Birdsong, what I got out of it was that when people are at our lowest or in need, that is when we need to stick together to persevere. It’s true that there is strength in numbers and that is why peaceful protests are so important in today’s society because for one there is no violent outcome and two, the media blows the situation up and word spreads. For example, with the shooting in Paris, the whole world came together to help and show support.
Gary Haugen talked about a topic I can really relate to and that is violence and poverty and how they are related. Even though my family does well, the city where I come from is stricken with violence and poverty. The thing is as time has gone on and poverty has gone up, so has the violence. It is really sad for the kids who grow up in poverty and are pressured by soo much violence. It just makes it that much harder to make it out and lead a better life than their parents.
Relating to what Haugen had to say, Peter Edelman also talked about poverty. He talked about how in the United States is very difficult to deal with and hard to solve. Basically, the American public needs to pay more attention and care for those in need. It really makes me feel lucky to be in the situation that I am in now because there are millions of people that would dream to be in a college kids shoes.
Matt S. (1:00)
I felt that these lectures had the understanding that poverty is not something that can be completely fixed. I believe that this is so important to realize because things can't really be fixed. Although, I do feel that people need to know how important their roles are in the issue of poverty. In Gary Haugens Ted Talk, he explained poverty as a thing that can't be all fixed because we can't t always help the problem of violence. In Peter Edelman's lecture, his analysis of the eight changes that our nation has experienced. How it caused the persistence of poverty was interesting. This encourages a negative feeling of hopelessness from the people that were affected. I believe his idea would have impacted the nation. It is only a matter of want to work towards it. I believe that we have become a community and lost all of care for other people. I think that Mia Birdsong's Ted Talk is extremely touching in that it led me to see our view of poverty differently. Her work helped me think about how far away we get from our personal goals in life. Like MLK's sermon had discussed how close-minded people can be when the topics of, religion, race, and gender get involved. As MLK put it, people are no longer worried about what happens outside of their people. People don't see everyone as brothers anymore. The world is run by religion, race, and gender inequalities that change your mind and block your sight from things.
ReplyDeleteKatie H. (1:00)
There is a whole lot to be taken from all of the information in this post. I enjoy how most of the speakers took a convicting approach to their speeches to make a point.
ReplyDeleteSome of what I took in from all of this, is that there is a definite approach that needs to be taken when comes to acting on poverty and giving. Singer spoke on effective altruism. What I took from effective altruism is that some of the brilliant minds in our world can be put to the use of helping the less fortunate. Specifically, Singer noted, philosophers, scientists, mathematicians, etc. I think that just how entrepreneurs tackle household problems, thinkers can go together to tackle global problems.
On the topic of battling poverty I was especially moved by what Haugen had to say. Haugen's speech was quite eye opening. I was mystified to hear about the violence in impoverished places, though I wasn't surprised. I think that it isn't just about sending physical aid to third world countries. I believe that political redevelopment is part of an issue in the law enforcement or "Brutus" problem that Haugen discussed.
Tom R. (2:00)
After listening to the first Ted talk with Peter Singer, it made me think about what martin luther king jr. Said about how easy many people who have killed if only they could have been given care right away instead of being left. It just goes to show that maybe that child who got hit by the bus would have been helped by the first person that child might have made it through everything. It just goes to show what we truly do take for advantage since in America we have a fast response time to all medical help and everyone for the most part is covered with human life. just crazy to watch that video and watch 3 people walk past a young child that got hit by a car. Even crazier that the bus didn't stop.
ReplyDeleteAfter listening to birdsong it goes to show that even people in poverty truly have great skills and is not because they don't work hard enough or anything but just simply that it's their circumstances. It says that basically poverty is full of string people who get strong and are resilient the more they band together.
On the third talk he spoke about the need for more compassion. A key point that the increase of compassion can help liberate and help to end violence threw compassion. he basically claims that commission had an amazing power to stop thousands and millions of people from suffering. It's interesting to think that something add simple and basic as compassion can solve major problems of violence. I think poverty needs more compassion and less violence.
I deffinately think that in the last talk it starts up a great conversation about minimum wage increases. I have always believed that when you raise minimum wage the only thing that raises is the cost of living. he makes a great point in showing just how much the increase in minimum wage is actually harming poverty and everyone.it just makes you think about all the other things we've done in an effort to make things better and actually made everything worse.
~Erika M 2:00
I feel that MLK Jr. was always very eloquent and spoke well. He was able too discuss in ways that almost promoted peace within itself. I feel that not much more can be written since many have already summarized the speakers. I will be honest and say that this is more interesting to me. Altruism has often been mentioned and I never fully understood it. I feel it is something beneficial and wish we could all be taught it. I second Erika as well and do not think minimum wage increases helps anything. Sometimes, I feel we should stress the importance of education to everyone instead of supporting those who do nothing. I don't agree that all poverty is self inflicted but we should stress those important facts to those who are in poverty. give them resources to excel as well.
DeleteMLK's speech about loving your neighbors was interesting because it dissected exactly what that means. I think love has a lot of connotations and definitions, and so knowing how to love your neighbor makes it a lot easier to do so. However, I was a little turned off by the fact that it was religiously rooted. While I completely understand that MLK Jr. was a pastor, I still think that there is a way to tell people to love other people and help them without forcing religion into it.
ReplyDeleteListening to Peter Singer made me realize that I take a lot for granted living in the United States in the time that I do. It also made me realize that every detail and every person counts. In the case of the child who got hit by the bus, there were a million different ways in which their death could have been avoided. The bus could've stopped, someone could have called the police, someone could have tried to perform CPR. While it wasn't directly related to poverty, it really showed that giving can entirely change someone's life.
In Birdsong's speech I was really interested in the way it was pointed out that sometimes success can be our downfall. It showed that loving your neighbors and taking care of those less fortunate than you is especially important because someday you very well could be the one who needs help.
Haugen's speech didn't have the emotional impact of some of the others, but what it did have was facts. This speech focused on the real statistics and facts about people who are impoverished. While it might not be the most heart rendering, it nonetheless is a critical part to understanding the issue at hand so it can be properly addressed. I for instance didn't realize how big of an issue poverty in America really was because it isn't something I'm being confronted with everyday.
In Edelman's speech, it was interesting to see how poverty is broken down. I think a lot of people don't understand how hard it is to get out of poverty. I thought that his discussion of the minimum wage was especially poignant. For a lot of people, the minimum wage simply isn't enough to live on, and even for someone working full time, could easily be impoverished.
Martin Luther King Jr, believed that no person is any less of a human than another and every human has value. He states, “a good neighbor looks beyond the external accidents and discerns those inner qualities that make all men human, and, therefore, brothers,” This is extremely relevant to our society today. If everyone was seen as equals there would be less racial profiling and arguments between humans. Our world should be an easier place to live instead a struggle. Mia Birdsong explains how to help our world with poverty. Those in poverty are not focused on money, they are focusing on what is important, shelter, education, and food. She stays positive trying to work on the development and comfort of communities that give people a higher opportunity. She also says that poor people are what we need to fix, this stood out to me because it isn’t the people, some yes, but many people who are impoverished cannot help it. They try but they have a felony so they cannot get hired or they have a disability. This really changes the way I look at poverty because society has taught us to look at poor people as lazy and uneducated, this is wrong.
ReplyDeleteChloe Johnson (1:00)
The sermon by Martin Luther King Jr. discusses the idea that we must love thy neighbor. He also discusses the fact that in many case we see people as “things’ and not human beings. We fail to help those in need because we don’t value the same things they do. A good neighbor will always be wiling to help those in need even if that means ignoring their responsibilities.
ReplyDeleteI felt as though Mia Birdsong’s main point in her discussion was that we need to stop overlooking the poor and making them appear lazy and unable to work hard. She made it very clear that hard work does not necessarily lead to a successful life. Some of those living in poverty work extremely hard but are under paid or even experiencing debt from a college education. She also made it clear that those living in poverty are not only doing for themselves a majority of the time but also doing for others.
The main point that Haugen made in his discussion was that violence is a major cause of poverty. He also discussed the failure of compassion and its effects on those in poverty. I didn’t quite follow his discussion as well as some of the others. I felt that his discussion focused a lot on the criminal justice system and not poverty.
I felt that Peter Edelman’s discussion was the most interesting of all the discussions.
The main point that Peter made was that poverty is devastating and very difficult to manage. Peter made it very clear that poverty is most prevalent with single moms due to the lack of support from the government. Peter also made it clear that low wages and the lack of jobs is a major reason for poverty in the United States. It’s obvious that government policy needs a lot of work if we plan on alleviating the poverty percentage.
Lacie (1:00)
After listening to Peter Singer, and hearing about the girl who got struck by not only one vehicle but two, and reviewing Dr. Kings thought on the matter of a Good Samaritan it is easy to say that one should do the right thing. One should lend that helping hand, help someone who is in desperate need, but in reality people just do not do these things. For instance the little girl whom was struck by the two vehicles ending up dying days later in the hospital. Well if that first person would have helped her, or even the second then should would not have struck by that second vehicle, she would have been rush to the hospital faster, and received the care and treatment she needed faster, eventually, possibly saving her life.
ReplyDeleteBirdsong made some very interesting points. Just because there is poverty, and some people suffer in it, does not mean that these people are worthless. A lot of these people have really good skills that could be used in the right job market, but jobs are scarce at the moment. It is not necessarily that these people do not work hard, but they aren’t given the right opportunities.
Minimum wage increases I think are extremely necessary. Personally I work for a little bit over minimum wage, and it helps me out, but I think for the work that my co-workers and I do on a daily basis is worth more than what they are paying us. Plus with the ability to make more at jobs that are hiring on a regular basis would really draw in employees from all over. I think it would be a great idea.
Dylan (1:00)
From MLK's "On Being A Good Neighbor," he gives the example of Jesus telling the story of the good Samaritan, where he defines a neighbor as "anyone who lies in need at life's roadside." Dr. King mainly talked about altruism, which is making the concern for others the first law in one's life. One part that really stuck out to me was where we were talking about how our world has viewed some men as objects, but then explains how all "men" have the same inner qualities that make all men human. And that the ultimate measure of a man is where he stands in times of challenge and controversy. King also describes true sympathy as one who demands the giving of one's soul.
ReplyDeleteYes, this altruism serves as a challenge to the status quo consumerism that runs rampant here in the US. King talks about the unenforceable obligations that concern inner attitudes, genuine person-to-person relations. Legislation and judicial programs play major roles in enforcing these unenforceable obligations. Morality can't be legislated, but behavior can be regulated. Vigorous enforcement of civil rights laws cannot bring an end to fears, prejudice, pride, and irrationality. "Love is man's most potent weapon for personal and social transformation." King ends by saying "His (Christ) altruism was universal, dangerous, and excessive- He chose to die on Calvary, history's most magnificent expression of obedience to th unenforceable." I really enjoyed watching Mia Songbird's TED Talk. Her speech was structured very well. She states she is tired of the story we tell that hard work leads to success. It came to her through luck and privilege. We give the implication that those who make it deserve, and those who don't don't deserve it. "There must be something a little wrong with those poor people." Gary Haugen's TED Talk was very convincing and persuading. He gave examples of individuals in poverty
His main point is that the poor of our world are trapped in whole systems of violence. For example, there are 35 million people in the world currently enslaved today. There are laws for the poor, but there is no law enforcement. "Most poor people live outside the protection of the law." We have no idea what that could mean to them because we don't have the first hand experience of that. Haugen challenges your view by providing examples of the prevalence of violence and lists things of what we should do to end this failure of compassion. He ends his speech very well by giving the illustration of what our grandkids are going to ask us about where we were when all of the 2 billion people live in everyday violence. We need to be able to tell them that we had compassion and raised our voices on the issue. We must move. Those are some of the implications he gives on what we should do as individuals and collectively. Haugen challenges some views dominant in the US and elsewhere by arguing how much violence exists.
Peter Edelman talks about how complex the issue of poverty is. He says we need public policy at every level of government, but that public policy itself will not solve the problems posed by poverty itself.
I've always known poverty is a huge issue and have always tried to help people in any way I can. I always knew growing that I wanted to help people and make a difference, and these readings and videos have just reopened my eyes.
Courtney (2:00)