Today, according to U.S. law, I am an adult. A few days ago I was hired at a grocery store but couldn't sign some paperwork because I was underage. So today, I went in to officially become an employee and sign away a few liberties while I was at it. As most people feel at this age, I feel a vague sense of psychological renewal but mostly an ambiguous blot of development. My new boss told me that I could now sign the papers because I am "of my own mind". So, today is as good as any to impart to you my thoughts on the transition to adulthood.
In regards to my boss' comment (which was meant jokingly not demeaningly), mentally I feel exactly the same. Obviously. It's only been a few hours since my last conscious interaction with the world. It's not like I was suddenly thrown out on the street, forced to find an apprenticeship or else beg for food and lodging. My day today and the next few months will be the same as they always have been.
The truth is, being an adult to me is more than assuming the major responsibilities that naturally come with continued life. Everyone has to pay taxes, most people have to work for a living and anyone can make a baby. For a lot of people the responsibiltiies of finance and childcare are simply thrust upon them. For these kinds of people, life is lived rather begrdugingly. No, despite my aunt's retort "you'll change your mind when you start paying taxes!" adulthood for me is more than workforce subservience and childrearing.
My criteria for an adult are temperament and ethical duty. I believe an adult is someone who has a realistic sense of their place in the world, aspirationally and relationally. They should know about how achievable their ideal self actually is and who is emotionally important to them. If you are assured of these two things, you should be able to take life in stride. My second criterion means you should uphold a moral code of conduct. This is to preserve your own integrity and happiness and that of your greater community. For my personal ethic, I think this conduct should include a continued accrument of knowledge and active participation in the government. These tasks prevent stagnation, keeping you a relevant and involved citizen. After all, if you sympathize with my aunt and paying into the government constitutes being an adult, you might as well actually use your right to vote which I consider the main privilege of adult life.
None of this will happen over night. I think most people are ill-groomed to perform the duties I consider quintessential to maturity. Most of the people I encounter are in a state of prolonged adolescence, still trying to fill self esteem needs. Particularly in America this is a sociological trend. Our culture promotes infantilism so products are cross generational and consumerism can flourish. In addition, our improved quality of life has created a general sense of entitlement. Not to mention the failings of our education system which is supposed to create an intellectually vibrant citizenry but currently has less influence on our intellectual interests than youtube.
So, I will journey into the adult world and try to set the example I want to see. It won't be easy. Like I said, your hangups of 18 years won't go away over night. You're still essentially the person you were when you go to college. It's just a change of setting and responsibility. However, every day I will strive to be someone who expects more from himself than he does from the world.
Yours Truly,
Jamin
Friday, June 10, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
The World Has Ended...
Well, we're all still here. I wonder how the people who believed in the rapture are feeling right now. Probably full of existential angst. Or maybe forsaken because God didn't take them up to heaven with him. As many thorough readers of the Bible have pointed out, only God is supposed to know when the end of days is to happen. If you're like me, you think humanity is going to be its own extinction through one environmentally induced disaster or another. Along with us will die all notions of divinity. But it was nice to dream!
So now that you've survived an apocalypse, I hope you enjoy what remains of your life with a sweetened sense of purpose. For tips on wellness in my previous post, click here
Happy end times!
Jamin
So now that you've survived an apocalypse, I hope you enjoy what remains of your life with a sweetened sense of purpose. For tips on wellness in my previous post, click here
Happy end times!
Jamin
Monday, May 16, 2011
Terrorism...My Conversation Filler
Today I leave you with a really dry explanation of terrorism and various problems with defining and pinpointing it as a national threat. I've been wanting to post for a while now but couldn't think of anything so today you just get a republished paper from one of my politcal science classes. Lucky you.
There are a few problems with defining terrorism. In the vernacular it has become misconstrued by emotional ties to recent terrorist activity. A more objective definition of terrorism is: a method by which nongovernmental actors use violence to achieve political ends by inspiring fear of further violence. Even excluding popular input, this definition raises issues. The first issue is recognizing that terrorism is a method not a political ideology. A clear distinction can be made when examining who employs terrorism. Terrorism can be used by groups anywhere, "For example, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) bombed innocent civilians in British cities to raise the cost of British control of Northern Ireland. Al Qaeda commits its attacks in order to raise the cost of various policies it opposes" (D'Anieri 228). It is clear terrorism is a method because it transcends nationalities; however that doesn't mean there's not a particular type of international player that uses it. The second issue with defining it is distinguishing terrorists’ actions from other uses of violence. D'Anieri states that "it is important not only what is done and to whom, but by whom it is done" (228). States are not considered "terrorists" if they bomb another country because "only states can use force legitimately, in the generally accepted view" (D'Anieri 229). The reason for this is that states are supposed to govern public matters and have deterrents like public welfare and values. Terrorists are private players taking part in public matters and cannot be deterred the same way.
While there are many theorized causes to terrorism, none of them can be definitively proven. One explanation for terrorism is rational choice theory, in which the terrorist is left with no other option and terrorism is the only rational way to achieve their desired end. However, Islamic extremist groups that employ terrorism to establish a region-wide Islamic government don't fit this criterion. D'Anieri states "it does not appear useful in achieving positive goods such as control of a territory or of a government" (232). Poverty is offered as another explanation because poverty stricken people may be more willing to adopt extreme beliefs and a desire to overthrow the current system. There is, however, no direct link between the two since "a significant number of terrorists come from relatively wealthy backgrounds" (D'Anieri 233). This includes Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden who came from a family of millionaires. Finally, some think Islam is the source of terrorism because of beliefs like jihad, or holy war, which are used to justify terrorist actions. This is a really faulty explanation for a few reasons. One, jihad is not a widespread belief. Two, other extremists have used religious justification for their actions. For example "Hindu hardliners in India and Jewish extremists in Israel make similar claims, as did Christian Crusaders for centuries" (D'Anieri 234). Lastly, "much terrorism throughout history has not been religiously motivated" (D'Anieri 234). It was only recently that Islam came to the forefront. Other extremist actions throughout history have been fueled by nationalism and whatever was popular at the time. There is really no clear cause of terrorism yet.
For next time, would you rather have an essay on how to dissect literature or Osama Bin Laden? I was thinking the latter but I'm pretty sure we're all tired of hearing about his death the possible political significance of it.
Blah,
Jamin
There are a few problems with defining terrorism. In the vernacular it has become misconstrued by emotional ties to recent terrorist activity. A more objective definition of terrorism is: a method by which nongovernmental actors use violence to achieve political ends by inspiring fear of further violence. Even excluding popular input, this definition raises issues. The first issue is recognizing that terrorism is a method not a political ideology. A clear distinction can be made when examining who employs terrorism. Terrorism can be used by groups anywhere, "For example, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) bombed innocent civilians in British cities to raise the cost of British control of Northern Ireland. Al Qaeda commits its attacks in order to raise the cost of various policies it opposes" (D'Anieri 228). It is clear terrorism is a method because it transcends nationalities; however that doesn't mean there's not a particular type of international player that uses it. The second issue with defining it is distinguishing terrorists’ actions from other uses of violence. D'Anieri states that "it is important not only what is done and to whom, but by whom it is done" (228). States are not considered "terrorists" if they bomb another country because "only states can use force legitimately, in the generally accepted view" (D'Anieri 229). The reason for this is that states are supposed to govern public matters and have deterrents like public welfare and values. Terrorists are private players taking part in public matters and cannot be deterred the same way.
While there are many theorized causes to terrorism, none of them can be definitively proven. One explanation for terrorism is rational choice theory, in which the terrorist is left with no other option and terrorism is the only rational way to achieve their desired end. However, Islamic extremist groups that employ terrorism to establish a region-wide Islamic government don't fit this criterion. D'Anieri states "it does not appear useful in achieving positive goods such as control of a territory or of a government" (232). Poverty is offered as another explanation because poverty stricken people may be more willing to adopt extreme beliefs and a desire to overthrow the current system. There is, however, no direct link between the two since "a significant number of terrorists come from relatively wealthy backgrounds" (D'Anieri 233). This includes Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden who came from a family of millionaires. Finally, some think Islam is the source of terrorism because of beliefs like jihad, or holy war, which are used to justify terrorist actions. This is a really faulty explanation for a few reasons. One, jihad is not a widespread belief. Two, other extremists have used religious justification for their actions. For example "Hindu hardliners in India and Jewish extremists in Israel make similar claims, as did Christian Crusaders for centuries" (D'Anieri 234). Lastly, "much terrorism throughout history has not been religiously motivated" (D'Anieri 234). It was only recently that Islam came to the forefront. Other extremist actions throughout history have been fueled by nationalism and whatever was popular at the time. There is really no clear cause of terrorism yet.
For next time, would you rather have an essay on how to dissect literature or Osama Bin Laden? I was thinking the latter but I'm pretty sure we're all tired of hearing about his death the possible political significance of it.
Blah,
Jamin
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Goodness Flows From You Like A Fountain
Today my friends I wish to celebrate the goodness of life.
Sometimes, you just have so much to be thankful for you can't help but walk around with an aura of sickening glee. But it's not an unusual frequency of those rare times that make a happy person. After all, you can't really count on things working out in your favor. The goodness of your life isn't measured in the blessings you receive, but rather in the happiness you find in yourself and the life you have.
So make a resolution today, and tomorrow, and the next day to just be happy. Smiling often helps. Your body doesn't know the difference between fake stimulants and real ones. That's how Mormonism works I think...they smile so much and watch so many joyous, Disneyfied-version-of-reality movies that they can't help but be happy! More seriously, most of them have a daily practice of grateful revelling, whether it be at seminary, church, youth group, or family night. This simple daily reminder of what's important to them as people, I think, makes all the difference in the world.
If it helps you, make a "daily bible". It doesn't have to be fancy- just a list of things that make you warm inside and thankful you have a life at all. Most people don't achieve their life's ambitions or amass great wealth or have an unnaturally cheery disposition. And even if someone does get granted all the things that are supposed to make them happy, the happiness is then contingent on the continued prescence of those things.
As they say, "do something for yourself", but don't go out and indulge in that chocolate cake you've been craving all week. Instead, let your brain give your body a chemical uplift. Meditate on why you like living. Bring purpose to your life. Give YOURSELF happiness. The most beautiful thing is you get to decide for yourself. All the pain and ambiguity in the world is there so you can make something personally meaningful out of it...which may just be a chocolate cake at the end of the week.
Happily Yours,
Jamin
Sometimes, you just have so much to be thankful for you can't help but walk around with an aura of sickening glee. But it's not an unusual frequency of those rare times that make a happy person. After all, you can't really count on things working out in your favor. The goodness of your life isn't measured in the blessings you receive, but rather in the happiness you find in yourself and the life you have.
So make a resolution today, and tomorrow, and the next day to just be happy. Smiling often helps. Your body doesn't know the difference between fake stimulants and real ones. That's how Mormonism works I think...they smile so much and watch so many joyous, Disneyfied-version-of-reality movies that they can't help but be happy! More seriously, most of them have a daily practice of grateful revelling, whether it be at seminary, church, youth group, or family night. This simple daily reminder of what's important to them as people, I think, makes all the difference in the world.
If it helps you, make a "daily bible". It doesn't have to be fancy- just a list of things that make you warm inside and thankful you have a life at all. Most people don't achieve their life's ambitions or amass great wealth or have an unnaturally cheery disposition. And even if someone does get granted all the things that are supposed to make them happy, the happiness is then contingent on the continued prescence of those things.
As they say, "do something for yourself", but don't go out and indulge in that chocolate cake you've been craving all week. Instead, let your brain give your body a chemical uplift. Meditate on why you like living. Bring purpose to your life. Give YOURSELF happiness. The most beautiful thing is you get to decide for yourself. All the pain and ambiguity in the world is there so you can make something personally meaningful out of it...which may just be a chocolate cake at the end of the week.
Happily Yours,
Jamin
Friday, April 29, 2011
One Night Stand
If you read a post of mine in February, I said that I had lots of drafts waiting to be edited and published. This is still true. There they are. Just sitting there. Neglected, collecting cyber dust, jealous of their counterparts that sit adjacent to them polished and published. The thing is, as attractive as those pieces are, I've discovered blog posts are like one night stands for me. I have to do it quickly, vigorously, and excitedly, but after that, it should only be remembered pleasantly every once in a while when the sting of loneliness kicks in. Maybe I'll rekindle the flames by reading about more current events.
Learning to have long-term relationships with his blog posts,
Jamin
Learning to have long-term relationships with his blog posts,
Jamin
Thursday, April 28, 2011
A Plea For Americans
It's no secret that our political environment is toxic and has been for a while. Growing up in the late 90s and early 2000s I never got to witness for myself winning strokes in political history. The image of my first president was tainted by a sex scandal. My first memory of the voting process was littered with doubt about its legitimacy. My second president spoke less articulately than most of my classmates. The national crisis I lived through was used as a tool to begin an everlasting war justified by false evidence, vague notions of a world ruled by democracy, and thinly veiled economic interests. The first president I believed in, while projecting an earnest image, seems caught in the same agenda that propelled us eastward in the first place. Aspersions are cast about his credentials and citizenship by a man with hair implants and a woman who can't be bothered to be more informed than the average citizen. The intellectualism and honesty of the conservative party is all but gone. The bravery and push for change of the liberal party seems misplaced.
I write to you today not to complain about the state of our political system. I'm sure every generation when they're my age feels like their world's falling apart and great things were only accomplished in some long-forgotten era of political triumph. I could probably make a case for an ailing nation in every decade. What I want to remind you of today is the importance of the people. While practically we can do little, our voice can still shift America's attitude.
What I want to ask is this: please, know your politicians and what they're up to. You don't have to understand the science of tactical manipulation to know when someone's not being forthcoming. However, if you let information only travel to you from the general public or propoganda, you deserve not to have an opinion. Please, don't accept the level of ignorance, inadequacy, and iniquity that's making its way into our seats of power. If someone is as imbecilic as Palin or Trump or as personally dubious as Edwards or Spitzer, don't stand for it. Our politicians SHOULD be held to higher standards of conduct and pedanticalness. Finally, please be courteous to your fellow citizens.
Dissatisfaction with the government crosses party lines. I suppose that's why people are especially obsessed with credulous conspiracies right now. They want the bad to have a source. The thing disuniting us as a people is where we apportion the blame. I posit to you that some of our current circumstances are driven by political forces beyond anyone's control. Some of them are caused by past failures in leadership. And some of them are caused by our unwillingness to compromise and make educated decisions as a people and as a nation. If we, the people, all promote an attitude of unity and intellectual perserverance in the face of hard times, our politicians may follow. If we ignore the problems most of the time, throw wild accusations across the room, and remain mostly misinformed, we give our leaders license to do so as well.
The Founding Fathers didn't give us freedom and democracy lightly. Originally, only land-owning, educated, white men could vote. Obviously we know now that race, class, and gender have little bearing on a person's competency, but what then becomes the great equalizer is knowledge or lack thereof. So please, don't squander your amazing right and don't poison the American image with more misplaced anger. Follow some news, talk with friends, talk with people with opposing views, be a good citizen and maybe the next generation can tell better stories of their political system.
I write to you today not to complain about the state of our political system. I'm sure every generation when they're my age feels like their world's falling apart and great things were only accomplished in some long-forgotten era of political triumph. I could probably make a case for an ailing nation in every decade. What I want to remind you of today is the importance of the people. While practically we can do little, our voice can still shift America's attitude.
What I want to ask is this: please, know your politicians and what they're up to. You don't have to understand the science of tactical manipulation to know when someone's not being forthcoming. However, if you let information only travel to you from the general public or propoganda, you deserve not to have an opinion. Please, don't accept the level of ignorance, inadequacy, and iniquity that's making its way into our seats of power. If someone is as imbecilic as Palin or Trump or as personally dubious as Edwards or Spitzer, don't stand for it. Our politicians SHOULD be held to higher standards of conduct and pedanticalness. Finally, please be courteous to your fellow citizens.
Dissatisfaction with the government crosses party lines. I suppose that's why people are especially obsessed with credulous conspiracies right now. They want the bad to have a source. The thing disuniting us as a people is where we apportion the blame. I posit to you that some of our current circumstances are driven by political forces beyond anyone's control. Some of them are caused by past failures in leadership. And some of them are caused by our unwillingness to compromise and make educated decisions as a people and as a nation. If we, the people, all promote an attitude of unity and intellectual perserverance in the face of hard times, our politicians may follow. If we ignore the problems most of the time, throw wild accusations across the room, and remain mostly misinformed, we give our leaders license to do so as well.
The Founding Fathers didn't give us freedom and democracy lightly. Originally, only land-owning, educated, white men could vote. Obviously we know now that race, class, and gender have little bearing on a person's competency, but what then becomes the great equalizer is knowledge or lack thereof. So please, don't squander your amazing right and don't poison the American image with more misplaced anger. Follow some news, talk with friends, talk with people with opposing views, be a good citizen and maybe the next generation can tell better stories of their political system.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
All I Want for Christmas Are My Rights
Dear Readers,
After opening night of Assassins a parent voiced concern over the content of the show, specifically the violence. At our show last night a news crew from Krem2 came to film the first part of the performance. After some deliberation with the administration, the n word was struck from the show. While the initial scare of cancellation has died down, this controversy brings to light many important issues.
The first concern underlying this parent's, and other people's, sentiments is that teenagers should not and can't deal with obscenity, political complexities, psychopathy, and violence. This is simply not true. High schoolers are capable of dealing with sophisticated material. Assassins is a controversial show by nature but this uproar was rooted in doubts of "appropriateness". While many teenagers don't exhibit their finer qualities to the adults in their life, most kids have the intellectual and emotional prowess to not only understand darker issues, but have meaningful discourse on them as well.
You are laboring under delusions if you think teens are blissfully unaware of the atrocities committed by humanity. You are also mistaken in thinking that teens don't discuss sexuality, frustrations with the government, and all things obscene. Conversely, they tend to be major topics of discussion because during these formative years is when we gain enough knowledge and confidence to discover and form opinions on these matters. Just as English and History classes have to tackle the darkness of humanity, so too must theater. We would be denying parts of ourselves and our world if we didn't read books like Huckleberry Finn and Crime and Punishment (which are required reading and are centered on issues of racism and murder respectively), study the foundation of our nation or World War Two, and put on theater like Sweeney Todd and Assassins. All are essential for our growth as people and censoring them will potentially make our new generation socially stagnant.
I think much of the offense to this show stems from not understanding its message. This shows questions the negative effects of our nation's spirit on our citizens. But Assassins does not condone, support, or promote the use of violence to achieve what you want. It simply shows what happens upon the unfortunate marriage of falling short of the American Dream with psychopathy. In fact, through the assassins' examples, the audience gets to see that radical acts are only good for infamy and not effecting social change. At the end of the show none of the characters find fulfillment or assuage their discontent. Some people rise to glory and others must learn to live simply, but the beauty of our nation is that "EVERYONE is free to fail" which inversely means that everyone can succeed.
Assassins is more relevant to our lives than any other show I've been in. A new film was just released about John Wilkes Booth and his fellow conspirators. This year, another desperate man tried to change his world by shooting our US Representative Gabrielle Giffords. Now, just as ever, we need to challenge ourselves to tread morally murky waters IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM to quell ignorance and radicalism.
Finally, a high school theater, and any theater for that matter, should be allowed to put on shows that are meaningful to them and true to historical context without censorship. If we don't stand up for our art we don't truly believe in free speech. When our teacher sets out to do pieces like this, she does so to provide our communities with something more than run-of-the-mill frivolous entertainment. She has taught us that art is often the best way to ponder some of the harsher aspects of ourselves and society. Together, we set out to educate and shape our world. But ultimately, art IS meant to entertain and we hope we've delivered a quality production that can do just that. If you as audience member don't like the content, don't go to the show.
Thank you for your time. I hope you will show your support by coming to Assassins at University High School!
After opening night of Assassins a parent voiced concern over the content of the show, specifically the violence. At our show last night a news crew from Krem2 came to film the first part of the performance. After some deliberation with the administration, the n word was struck from the show. While the initial scare of cancellation has died down, this controversy brings to light many important issues.
The first concern underlying this parent's, and other people's, sentiments is that teenagers should not and can't deal with obscenity, political complexities, psychopathy, and violence. This is simply not true. High schoolers are capable of dealing with sophisticated material. Assassins is a controversial show by nature but this uproar was rooted in doubts of "appropriateness". While many teenagers don't exhibit their finer qualities to the adults in their life, most kids have the intellectual and emotional prowess to not only understand darker issues, but have meaningful discourse on them as well.
You are laboring under delusions if you think teens are blissfully unaware of the atrocities committed by humanity. You are also mistaken in thinking that teens don't discuss sexuality, frustrations with the government, and all things obscene. Conversely, they tend to be major topics of discussion because during these formative years is when we gain enough knowledge and confidence to discover and form opinions on these matters. Just as English and History classes have to tackle the darkness of humanity, so too must theater. We would be denying parts of ourselves and our world if we didn't read books like Huckleberry Finn and Crime and Punishment (which are required reading and are centered on issues of racism and murder respectively), study the foundation of our nation or World War Two, and put on theater like Sweeney Todd and Assassins. All are essential for our growth as people and censoring them will potentially make our new generation socially stagnant.
I think much of the offense to this show stems from not understanding its message. This shows questions the negative effects of our nation's spirit on our citizens. But Assassins does not condone, support, or promote the use of violence to achieve what you want. It simply shows what happens upon the unfortunate marriage of falling short of the American Dream with psychopathy. In fact, through the assassins' examples, the audience gets to see that radical acts are only good for infamy and not effecting social change. At the end of the show none of the characters find fulfillment or assuage their discontent. Some people rise to glory and others must learn to live simply, but the beauty of our nation is that "EVERYONE is free to fail" which inversely means that everyone can succeed.
Assassins is more relevant to our lives than any other show I've been in. A new film was just released about John Wilkes Booth and his fellow conspirators. This year, another desperate man tried to change his world by shooting our US Representative Gabrielle Giffords. Now, just as ever, we need to challenge ourselves to tread morally murky waters IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM to quell ignorance and radicalism.
Finally, a high school theater, and any theater for that matter, should be allowed to put on shows that are meaningful to them and true to historical context without censorship. If we don't stand up for our art we don't truly believe in free speech. When our teacher sets out to do pieces like this, she does so to provide our communities with something more than run-of-the-mill frivolous entertainment. She has taught us that art is often the best way to ponder some of the harsher aspects of ourselves and society. Together, we set out to educate and shape our world. But ultimately, art IS meant to entertain and we hope we've delivered a quality production that can do just that. If you as audience member don't like the content, don't go to the show.
Thank you for your time. I hope you will show your support by coming to Assassins at University High School!
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