Category Archives: Dewey

Prejudice operates on anti-intellectual and non-philosophical thought – it is based upon unexamined societal customs and biases that persist across generations often in complete disregard of veracity and of rationality- and is therefore a mode of thinking that is unfit and ultimately detrimental toward the cultivation of a Great Society. Because prejudice has a tendency to be extreme in its discrimination, it ensures the oppression of “X” (a filler for any oppressed group) sect of society. If “X” sect of society is oppressed and silenced socially, the same oppression will become solidified through laws in state and federal dominions. Whatever decisions come about in society will not reflect the values or worries of the entirety of society, and thus tragically hinder efforts of progressive reform and social betterment.

White supremacists of today uphold similar antagonistic ideals that racists of earlier American eras did; by deliberately aiming toward the exclusion of non-whites from society/government-building processes, they deny minorities/marginalized people the ability to realize their true human individualities to become free and productive members of society. Racial supremacists’ fixation on the past and the comfortable loftiness white life held provides no impetus for positive or liberatory social change. The hatefulness in racial prejudice and supremacy is so narrow-minded in its goal to remain at the apex of the perceived social hierarchy, that progress is disregarded since their energy is instead focused on the continuation of oppression in hopes of maintaining dominance and the existing conceptions of normalcy. Considering that America is becoming less and less white, white supremacists lose whatever petty “virtues” (if they are even deserving of the word (they aren’t 8-) )) they held simply by constituting a majority.

A dream America, for racists, is one that is socially and intellectually stagnant and that has been rendered vulnerable to internal and international strife — it is naive and quite delusional to assume that
1. change will not arise in one way or another, i.e. violent revolt or outside intervention, and that,
2. other nations will display kindness or support, let alone wait for the United States to catch up to contemporary philosophical ideals of enlightenment, sciences, the human condition, etc.
The foreseeable future of a United States that is continually held back by racial prejudice is one of immense and avoidable failure.

Racial bias is incapable of fostering pragmatic philosophical thoughts that are necessary in keeping social and governmental conditions wholly relevant and effective throughout changing conditions and in perpetuity. When diversity is embraced, a society can draw from all sorts of experiences, cultures, and wisdoms to craft and, when the time comes, reshape a productive and intelligent community.

The school to prison pipeline is becoming an unavoidable problem in our society. I will not accept anything less than a complete reform of the way we educate our youth today and every day until our education system reflects our democratic values. While a core curriculum of math, science, history and literature are important aspects of our educational culture; we can no longer ignore the gaps we create in our children’s education when it comes to giving them a sense of community and service.

I believe in mandatory community work for every citizen seeking a public and higher education. They must dig deep within their community, truly engross themselves in the servitude of the people to understand themselves and become a clearer piece of a larger picture. Incarcerated youth who grow to unfortunately become incarcerated adults cannot succeed in a democratic society that does not incorporate the value of community service and social support into an already compulsory education. We cannot only focus on molding our children’s minds we must teach them how to be compassionate as well as hard working. We must also teach our citizens that working hard only to benefit one’s own life is not what is best for our community and our posterity.

What happens if we learn that we are valued at the rate in which we produce goods. If we only see our worth through our jobs, what can we fall back on when we lose everything? When our job is taken from us, when we lose our sense of self and our sense of worth in a society that cannot find value in us, who is surprised when we resort to criminal ways? What service could society have given us?

We must teach our children to value the harmony of service and not the capitalist gain of self-service. We must become become one living breathing entity that represents our democratic values on the micro level. Democracy can only prosper if the citizens can see themselves reflected in our values. Once our citizens can see themselves in others, once there is a greater sense of community we will not be forced to lock our children away only to relocate them to a stricter facility when they become of age. If we teach our sons and daughters a trade that will only benefit a capitalist machine in place of an emotional and empathetic education we are letting them down.

Our citizens are more than what they have memorized behind concrete walls for eight hours a day, five days a week. They can become more and understand more once empathy becomes a concrete part of our curriculum. Arts and science are valuable assets to the betterment of the self but compassion and service are more likely benefit the society as a whole as well.

There are many threats to the development of the Great Society and they often arise from suppression of the individual. One of the most pertinent threats to modern society has been the disproportionality of education available to people. Every individual is in possession of extraordinary capacity to solve problems and build society and this capacity for good needs to be encouraged and trained. Every person is in possession of this ability, but some people need more help and resources than others in order to properly nurture this latent ability. This is where education becomes key. By continuing to allow educational dead zones we are influencing the growth of systemic disadvantages. When an individual is deprived of proper education, they are denied the chance to rise to their potential. When an individual is denied their potential, all of society loses out on the chance at betterment.

Every person has the latent ability to learn complex subjects and to apply this knowledge for the benefit of all of society. Only when citizens are informed and organized that they can feel the true efficacy of their actions. Many people expect automatic greatness from each other but in reality these developments take time. How can an individual be expected to rise to greatness if they are not given the necessary tools? People need to have all the same educational advantages available to them so that it is possible society to continue to elevate itself. Too many people are caught in cycles of poverty, crime, and general disadvantage because they were not given the proper nurturing environment to aid the development of their individual importance. These systemic disadvantages make it all to easy for people to be looked down upon by other members of society for not providing “appropriate contribution”. Lack of education is making it easier for people to divide themselves, to become separate groups that comprise malformed “mini societies” rather than a great, inclusive society. When individuals are lost to the malpractice of this inefficient system, we lose out on further enlightenment that benefits the ascension of our species.

An important facet of a healthy society is the ease of communication and action between groups of people. It is important to realize that when a member of society is lost to these systemic disadvantages, we all experience a negative impact. We lose the potential for our thoughts, prejudices, and philosophies to be expanded upon. Every person deprived of his or her potential is a direct loss to society as a whole. The goal of society is to improve upon itself and allowing every individual to contribute to the collective is imperative to this mission. We should not look to blame one another for the loss of this potential. Instead, we need to plainly realize that in order for the output of society to be good, the input must also be good. Individuals and their power are the key to the Great Society. In order to create the Great Society, we must help each other so that we can work for the benefit of all.

There has been a disturbing trend in modern American democracy, one that has become even more pervasive and entrenched as we progress into the new millennium. This issue has become a malignancy on the development of the Great Society and serves to hinder the progress of democracy as we know it. This important issue that I bring to light is the non participation and apathy of the average American voter. Many Americans question the efficacy of their vote and its impact on society, which has led to a new generation of voters who find themselves out of touch with their government. These disillusioned voters can no longer see the connection between the action of voting and the implementation of policy. Essentially, this demoralized citizenry feel as though they are small, ineffective cogs in the machine.

What these disillusioned voters need to realize is that the true value of an idea or action is in the problems it attempts to solve. While it is possible to critique this position as being too hopeful or “pie in the sky”, I would say that it is heavily based on reality. The only way society continues to progress in this very real and grounded reality is by the spread of ideas and the development of opinion. At its core, society is the conglomeration of individuals. It is not a uniform, homogenous blob of opinion but rather an infinitely faceted grouping of people that espouses many different viewpoints, ideas, and dreams. Every person everywhere matters, and most importantly, we also matter to each other. If we hide our opinions or adopt policies of inaction, then we are devaluing the importance of ourselves of society as a whole. It’s importance to realize that even though our actions may not have immediately tangible effects, they contribute to the greater mass of thought and opinion that make up a well-educated and free society. By not voting or acting on the issues that are important to us as individuals, we are lowering the value of our own intellectual power and the intellect of society as a whole.

When a citizen feels a lack of efficacy in their efforts, it is because they feel alone and powerless when faced with the greater forces of society. I encourage people to realize that they are not alone and that their hopes and ideas are significant to many people. There exist groups, foundations, and organizations for every problem conceivable. If you find something to be important, chances are someone else has felt the same way too. I encourage us all to seek these people out and act alongside them so that we can see our problems aren’t insignificant and they are indeed shared with society. It is only by acting and becoming truly exposed to societal issues that you will find these kindred souls and become aligned with them. Once you find these people, move together to find other idealists who you don’t agree with and work to develop your thoughts among each other. The true measure of a society is the communication and action between people of different backgrounds, hopes, and interests. It is only through action that you can expose yourself to society at large. This is the only way to truly feel the power of your individual self and the resounding effect you have on the people around you. Everyone needs each other. Go vote.