rpandya-blog

[rpandya-blog]

This author clearly knows how to motivate its readers and engage them in this topic of conversation. Really cool! 

Current Events:

This past week, I came across a very disturbing photo on social media. The photo showed an elderly man helplessly lying on the ground at a VA hospital in North Carolina. The veteran was denied a reclining seat, so he resorted to lying on the ground while using his medicine sack as a pillow. Witnesses say the man was yelling in pain, and that nurses showed little care for his condition. The nurses told him he needed to stand up, however he was too sick and weak to rise. A fellow veteran says the elderly man said the following to one of the nurses, “I can’t get up and I won’t get up. I will be here until you can see me.” The man is referring to getting seen by a medical professional - he’d reportedly been waiting for over three hours. I find this entire situation sickening. What’s really unfortunate is that this scene is all too common. According to CNN, over 300,000 veterans have died before their applications for care were even processed. Donald Trump also cited this number during his presidential campaign. Is this really the best we can do for our nations most deserving and courageous people? While politicians bicker back and forth over irrelevant things like the size of crowds at marches and inaugurations, veterans are literally dying while they wait for care. Politicians must set aside differences and find common ground on this issue. They must not only find common ground, they must take strong and decisive action. It’s up to the American people to hold politicians accountable for their lack of results and progress. Its our job to stand up and fight for those who have fought so valorously for us. We must be persistent in our efforts to seek justice for all of our nation’s heroes. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat justice everywhere.”

[rpandya-blog]

An experiment performed in the 1950′s illustrates the relevance of this topic to our daily lives. Check it out! 

[rpandya-blog]

“Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.” 

- John F. Kennedy

[rpandya-blog]

I enjoyed how this author clearly conveys a deep passion for this topic. The author expands on the relevance of this topic to our lives, while expressing a deep concern for the problems surrounding climate change. 

The Cause

Climate change is the most prominent problem facing humanity. How can anything else even be compared to the consequences global warming will have on the future? With accelerated sea rising, severe droughts and larger weather systems severity increasing, these are issues that can no longer be overlooked. What will be left if action is not taken? The effects and proof of climate change are undeniable. Having lived around the world I have in my short life seen what inaction towards climate is doing to the planet. Living in China showed me that the excess and unchecked emissions of fossil fuels will lead to an uninhabitable planet, where going outside can lead to lung cancer and asthma. My global experience has led me to take an active stance towards climate change. During the summers I work for an aquarium helping save and rehabilitate wildlife; I also help the conservation board in my district to promote residents to be environmentally conscious. Through this Tumblr blog, I will share my ideology with all who wish to learn more about the adverse effects of climate change, the realistic solutions, and how popular culture and current events are doing nothing to solve the issue. 

[rpandya-blog]

Conformity Is In Our Nature

Since the dawn of human life we have survived, conquered, enslaved, freed, and grown. Yet we still submit to societal traditions, fashions, status and trends. We are so accustomed to these ideas, since they are deeply rooted in our society, that we fail to realize the controlling grasp it has over our lives. These societal trends make us slaves to their changes and norms, and we can’t seem to shy away from them. Moreover, we alter our identities to be accepted by our own structured “society”. We boast and encourage change, only to impress our own people, while we don’t register our loss of uniqueness and character. Our identities conform to meet the needs of society, ceasing any form of intellectual/moral growth. We don’t question, we don’t think, don’t analyze, but only believe that society is just and fair to all. WRONG! It is important to question and differ from social norms. Society’s trends and values program you instead of allowing you to have your own thoughts and opinions. Society’s inevitable involvement in our lives force us to believe that the norm is right, that is what you need to follow. Social trends and values shouldn’t pre-determine the outcomes of our lives, but yet always seems to prevail. We are enslaved by the concept of being “accepted” by others, but in reality change who we are in order to get there. As society’s influence and power increases, the need for uniqueness and creativity increase as well. James Allen, a politician, once said, “Before complaining that you are a slave to another, be sure that you are not a slave to self. Look within;you will find there, perchance, slavish thoughts, slavish desires, and in your daily life and conduct slavish habits. Conquer these; cease to be a slave to self, and no man will have the power to enslave you.” I believe that the idea behind breaking free and prospering directly correlates to this concept of modern enslavement. We have no power of decision, no creativity in our tasks, which makes us no different from one another. In a world with many evils, it is necessary to believe in yourself without the need to follow others.

[rpandya-blog]

Society is a system of controls. I found it extremely interesting how this article illustrates the idea that society’s purpose is to “regulate” people. Liam Whittaker talks about how although people perceive society as harmless and a choice to be a part of, we conform without even knowing. Society is known for not controlling what we do, but what we think and believe. Whittaker states, “In essence, society controls us by rewarding us when we conform, and penalizing us when we don’t.” This highlights the foundation of my argument, capturing the idea that we all feel accustomed to the “norms” and never stray away because it isn’t what is considered “morally right” in the eyes of society. Furthermore, I agree and vouch for the legitimacy of this article due to solid factual evidence provided in which it drew conclusions from. This article incorporates important ideals of sociology, the study of the development, structure, and functions of human society. It provides us with information about how we are brought up from birth to follow in the footsteps of others, destroying the will and need for our own creative processes. Society doesn’t seem to just control us but make us it’s own. When we conform to society it rewards us with recognition and approval. However, when we don’t it shuns and destroys us. The importance of our image, viewed by others, matters deeply to us because it is what others believe is important. Whittaker takes in interesting approach by stating, “And so the hidden irony here is that even if we do succeed in society’s terms – and become successful, rich, respected, etc – the price for this successful adaptation is that we have had to become who we are not.” Not only does he pinpoint the importance of being yourself, but speaks about how society manages to set us up for internal failure. It illustrates the intensity and importance of being unique and different, rather than following the pack.

[rpandya-blog]

A prime example of society influencing a person’s moral ability and thinking is represented throughout Huckleberry Finn. Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain, is an American Classic that captures societal ideals and conflicts regarding race pre-civil war. Twain uses the novel to expose the hypocrisy, racism, and injustices of society. Throughout the novel we encounter many conflicts surrounding societal pressures which affect the actions and decisions of the main character. During the most pivotal point in the novel, Huck is faced with an interesting dilemma that has been analyzed and talked about til this very day. He decides to rescue Jim, a runaway slave, which goes against the eyes of society. Society has raised Huck to be “civilized” and follow the rules imposed on him and others. It is a time when slavery is acceptable and the lives of African Americans are devalued. This adds meaning and allows for that decision to become even more powerful. Not only does Huck not give in to social pressures, but he makes a moral and justified decision without incorporating notions of race. At a time of immense racial conflict, this brought light to the topic of race and allowed for the possibility to classify African Americans as human beings. The influence that society bears on Huck is so large, that it almost stops him from making the right decision. Huck and Jim’s adventures allow us the chance to examine the society they live in. I believe that this is Twain’s way of showing us that sometimes we must break away from society and what the world views as correct and just. He shows us that we have the strength to stand on our own and make decisions for ourselves. Twain, through Huck, gives us the chance to see all the things in the world as they really are, without the influence of society.

[rpandya-blog]

The media plays a significant part in our lives, by informing us about what is happening in the world around us. However, many believe that we constantly receive “fake” news on a daily basis, and that the media was designed to control us and limit the amount of information we know. Donald Trump, our very own president, has spoken against the media calling it fake and unreliable. This makes me think about the society we live in today. We are so openly blinded and shielded from the truth and from reality on a consistent basis, not knowing whether or not the information we receive from our own government is legitimate. The news and the media have been played immense roles in our society, causing for me to question the judgement of our own people. Society is founded to generalize a mass of people, restraining them from having any personal thoughts or opinions because they are so used to conforming to social pressures and values. I found it shocking how people have reacted to the President’s claims of the media, and how it impacted our society. Our society deprives those who don’t believe in the same social values and political interest. How could we grow and prosper if we are held back by our own? A recent example from current events, leads to an MSNBC host stating that it’s the media’s job to control exactly what people think. Is that really what society wishes to impose on everyone’s lives? Do we really not have the freedom/right to know the truth? This story of an MSNBC host illustrates the complexity of our society, and its mission to control who we are and what we believe in.