Part III Informal Essay

According to Alexis de Tocqueville in Democracy in America, freedom is perhaps the most desired element of a democracy. Tocqueville was quoted in Democracy in America as stating, “Nothing is more wonderful than the art of being free, but nothing is harder to learn how to use than freedom." Freedom being the best possible thing for a democracy proved to be true when completing the voluntary associations project because of the very few recognizable guidelines found within it. If I have learned anything about democracy this semester, it is that it does not exist without freedom. The voluntary association project was certainly not a perfect democracy, but I found that it largely displayed freedom, which is the key component of a great democracy. I think that if Tocqueville would have been in my shoes during this project, he would have asked himself the question, “What am I going to do with all of this freedom?”
Throughout the task of investigating voluntary associations with four other students, I quickly recognized that a lot of decisions were going to need to be made. In the assignment, my classmates and I were given extensive freedom of choice. Firstly, in choosing which category of voluntary associations to study. Secondly, in deciding the specific voluntary associations to research. Thirdly, by selecting everything that was to be included in the presentation. After completing all of these choices, I think that everyone on my group could come to the realization that although we may not have had equal amounts of work during this project, we were responsible for what we chose to do within it. I believe that when someone is given the freedom of choice, they feel a greater responsibility for their action and how they complete it. In this project, my group members and I divided the work by which topics we would each like to cover. There were no arguments about what each member chose, nor complaints. In fact, I was a little surprised by how well this kind of democracy worked and how easy it was to divide the different tasks. Each person completed their tasks differently, but we set a timeline of what dates we wanted certain tasks to be finished by. By setting a timeline of reasonable goals for completing our presentation, each person had delegated responsibilities to themselves.
From working in a group, I think that I have learned some effective habits of a successful democracy. When every person involved in a democracy has a central goal in mind, it becomes easier for people to not sway from that original goal. In places where democracies have been implemented around the world, many times, people have opposite ideas of what they would like to accomplish through their democracy. In our group, we did not face the challenge of anyone going against what we were trying to accomplish. With the given freedom of a democracy, any person can oppose the government and their plans. It was definitely easier for my group and I to work together because we all have the same basic objective, to finish the presentation and receive a good grade.
This leads me into why I believe that the necessity of a similar objective in a democracy is not the only piece to unifying a country underneath the entire governmental rule. In Robert Putnam’s Bowling Alone, I recognized the need for not only a common thread between citizens of a country, but also the need for community involvement at the local level of society. In my experience of working with a group, I felt that the ultimate reason for why the presentation was successful was because of the time and effort that was put into it. This idea of being active in a group project is exactly what Putnam was speaking favorably of in Bowling Alone. Bowling Alone demonstrated the strong correlation between community involvement and social capital found in societies. In a group project where people are devoting their energy to creating something that is successful, social capital flourishes. People such as my classmates and I became more concerned with the end product of our efforts. With individual effort and a central idea being emphasized in a democratic setting, I believe that my group and I saw many challenges fall by the wayside as our presentation took form.
Through the two most emphasized authors of our American Conversation class this semester, I have seen how their ideas of how a democracy should work shape the group work of my classmates and I. A democracy is greater though than Tocqueville’s argument for freedom and equality, or Putnam’s emphasis on generating social capital. In my understanding, a democracy should be connected by a central thought process that ricochets from one individual’s grasp to the full understanding of all people.

Louisa Mae Alcott Responds to the Reactions Surrounding bin Laden's death

I chose to write my piece in the voice of Louisa Mae Alcott. The product is a satire about the reactions to the death of bin Laden/bin Laden's death:

"What a joyous day! The gruesome leader of the terrorism organization al-Qaeda was rightfully killed during this past week by heroic American soliders. What is even more wonderful than the death of Osama bin Laden is the sheer patriotism of the American public, showing their festive spirit in light of the recent victory over evil. American flags waving in the wind, fireworks exploding in the countryside- Americans should be so proud to have vanquished this tyrant with their bare hands. This deserves the most radical celebration of pomp and circumstance that Americans have witnessed in years. With his own intelligence, President Obama single-handedly initiated this military mission. The American public responded with chants of "USA! USA!" throughout the streets, signifying their true elitism over the Middle Eastern countries. It is clear to everyone that the Middle East is a mecca for terrorism, with all of its inhabitants required to go to terrorism school, to learn how to make their first car bomb. Americans certainly have shown the Middle East that good does conquer evil. Americans are right in their manner of exuberance and patriotism because without them, the world would never have found Osama bin Laden, the world's most wanted terrorist."

Teacher Shaves for First Time Since 9/11

I read this Time Magazine article online today after reading numerous Osama bin Laden articles and it definitely caught my eye. Washington state middle school teacher, Garry Weddle, made a vow following September 11, 2001 to not shave his beard until Osama bin Laden was captured or killed. Weddle kept his promise and finally, 10 years later, shaved his overgrown beard completely off on Monday at school. More on the story here: http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/05/03/with-bin-laden-dead-teacher-shaves-for-first-time-since-sept-11-2001/

I have great respect for someone who keeps a promise, even if it is just to himself. Talk about dedication to your word!

Bin Laden's Demise: A Social Capital Milestone?

After last night's news of Bin Laden's death, many of us students watched Obama's announcement and turned our attention to the news media portraying the reactions towards his death. Social media exploded with opinions, many cheering for his downfall, and others remaining cautious. Questions for the future arose shortly after: "Does this mean the war is over?" And I think most of us can guess the response of no, that this doesn't mean things are over because al-Qaeda is still a major threat in the Middle East even when its most prominent leader is gone. But in regards to what we've been studying in AmCon, I think that a different question to ask is what effects this death will have on social capital in the U.S.

In Putnam's follow-up article to Bowling Alone, he spoke of the change in the social capital for U.S. citizens following the event of 9/11. 9/11 was obviously a milestone in America's history that changed our generation and increased social capital by uniting Americans through a tragedy. But soon after in 2001 when the U.S. learned about the Middle Eastern terrorist group responsible for the attacks, al-Qaeda, the search began for its notorious, murderous leader, Osama Bin Laden. And now, 10 years later, the United States has found just who they've been searching for. The man who sparked an increase in community activism throughout our country through his attacks has been put to justice for his actions. It would seem as though this act, which is a joyous occasion for many Americans, should unite the U.S. in an equal, but opposite fashion. I do question whether or not an increase in social capital will take place following this historic event, but I know that for many Americans, the death of 1 terrorist front-man does not replace the lives of the nearly 3,000 people killed by 9/11.

So to me, this brings about an interesting question of whether or not any historic act of "justice being served" could ever bring about as great of an effect to social capital as a tragedy could. Osama Bin Laden's death might either bring about fleeting moments of patriotism (as most of us are witnessing now and also witnessed on 9/11), or it could continue to affect how Americans take action in their own communities.