Reaction post

 Reaction Post 

I learned several important facts from Francesca's case study on State v. Mann that I had never heard of. She began by asking that the Court use the economic logic that one Justice used rather than making a moral choice in this case. That caught my interest because this case is based on someone else's moral opinion. 

Her first argument analyzed a really smart part of the case that, before she raised it, I hadn't ever thought about.  According to her, a slave is owned by someone and can be used anyway that person wishes.  Since the slave was an investment, they would simply be responsible for carrying the loss if they killed the slave. However, as Mr. Mann did not own the slave he hurt, it was not his property, and he refused to accept the loss. Instead, Elizabeth Jones, the owner, did.

In her next argument, she points out that slave owners who gave away their slaves to those who were in need used to think about this. This suggests that a safeguard for such a risk was already in place by the market. Furthermore, she told the Court that in the event that the contract failed, it should not eliminate this protection. 

Her fifth point, in my view, was something to take into account.  This specific instance would serve as a precedent for similar cases in the future. 

This means that every subsequent case will follow the same conclusion if the Court decides to drop the claim that a hirer murdered a slave. This is ridiculous because it gives the hirer the same level of immunity as the slave's real owner. 

In closing, Francesca stated that clear differentiation between the hirer's and the owner's capabilities would result from an appropriate use of economic thinking.

EOTO Reaction

 EOTO Reaction 

I was especially interested in this week's EOTOs because they all featured stories that I had actually never heard of before. Francesca began by giving a talk about a post-slavery relief project called "Forty Acres and a Mule." In order to decide what to do with almost 400,000 acres of Confederate coastal land, General William Tecumseh Sherman met with twenty Black clergymen in Georgia in 1865. This was the beginning of the effort.

It didn't last, of course. By late 1865, Andrew Johnson had nearly immediately reversed the order after Lincoln was slain and he became the president. Tens of thousands of African Americans were compelled to return to their former enslavers' plantations as sharecroppers so as to pay off debts they never should have owed in the first place after that one decision stripped them of the land they had just settled on.

I learned about the first African American senator, Hiram Rhodes Revels, and representative, Joseph Hayne Rainey, from Preston's talk. One thing that most shocked me was that both of them eventually left those historic roles to return to regular jobs: Rainey came back to banking, while Revels went back to teaching.

, which was founded in 1865, was the topic of Rilo's talk. It supplied food, education, and other basics to roughly four million former slaves. Unfortunately, it was never sufficiently backed and finally closed, just like a lot of other things from this era.

Heat of the night

 Heat Of The Night 

I expected In the Heat of the Night to be a simple crime story, but instead of focusing on the murder mystery itself, I ended up thinking more about racism, pride, and power. The story stays with me because, in my opinion, the plot is really a platform for a much deeper conversation.

Without a doubt, the character that most connected with me was Virgil Tibbs. He is smart, composed, and totally unable to change who he is in order to please those around him. I was impressed by the fact that he never raises his voice to make a point. The hatred aimed against him seems unbelievable because of his expertise, which speaks for itself. I discovered that I was rooting for him because of his brilliance and self-control, not because the script needed it.

Reactions to Gillespie are more complex.  To be honest, I didn't like him at first. He is defensive, quick to pass judgment, and plainly uneasy about the possibility that a Black detective is more informed than he is. However, I liked that the story does not readily free him. By the end, I like how the story used him to show that change is possible, even if it's slow and reluctant. His growth felt earned rather than rushed.

To be honest, the setting practically has a character of its own. I was actually uncomfortable watching because of the mood created by the heat, tension, and lack of trust in every conversation. I believe the discomfort was intentional, and it had what I wanted on me.

The story's refusal to provide simple solutions is what I valued most. It would have been easy to make Gillespie a complete villain or a fully forgiven ally, but I thought it was more honest for him to stay in the middle. The fact that Tibbs is never reduced to a symbol also spoke to me. Despite prejudice in his surroundings, he has a unique sense of self, weaknesses, and frustrations.

If I had one critique, it would be that, in comparison to Tibbs and Gillespie, a few of the secondary characters seemed a bit weak.  Beyond how the locals respond to Tibbs' presence, I was interested in finding out more about them. However, I don't believe that takes away from the main plot.

By the end, I was interested more in how Tibbs and Gillespie traveled through the same town than in who had done the crime. I recommend it to anyone who is prepared to sit with some discomfort while reading because that contrast is truly the core of the story.

Final

 Summer advantage 

I wasn't sure what to expect when I was going to be at High point university for four weeks in the summer before I actually started my freshman year in the fall. At the end of this it taught me what most incoming freshman don't know. Before all the stress of multiple class and more work, this taught me how to manage my time, being away from home, and know my way around campus. By the time I am officially here I will already know how to do all of that. 

DIS1000 which brought our class together because we were all together everyday five days a week. We quickly went from strangers to friends when we were all able to see each other around campus and be with each other everyday. As the weeks passed, people were more comfortable speaking up and debating with one another which led to better conversations. 

I found the topic of freedom and law to be the most difficult in this class. Instead of simply talking about the 14th amendment in general, we worked through multiple trials to apply the ideas of equal protection and due process to an actual cases. I found out how much thought goes into every court decision by creating arguments, and looking into the evidence. 

We also watched gone with the wind and Heat of the night to bring these ideas into our imagination. Comparing two films made it clear to me how much the country has changed and how much more it needs to still needs to change. 

Academic achievement was important, but so was personal development. This was the first major period of time I had lived alone, and it made me take responsibilites that I had never dealt with previously, like scheduling my own time or just getting to class, At first, it appeared weird, but by the end it felt normal, and I left much more independent than when I first arrived. 

Living here for the past four weeks has made me develop as a person. I was able to get out of my own bubble and get out my comfort zone and meet others. Being on my own pushed me to make friends more quickly than I ever would have. I made so many friends within these past four weeks thanks to summer advantage. Being here they encourage you to talk to everyone and get to know campus. I now have people that I can trust and already have a head start before everyone arrives. I am truly so great for summer advantage for all the experiences that it gave me. 

March on Washington in jobs of freedom

The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom: A Turning Point in American History

On August 28, 1963, more than 200,000 people gathered on the National Mall for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, one of the largest political demonstrations in United States history. Organized by a coalition of civil rights, labor, and religious groups, the march called on Congress to address racial discrimination and economic inequality facing Black Americans.

The event's roots stretch back to 1941, when labor leader A. Philip Randolph first proposed a march to protest the exclusion of Black workers from defense industry jobs. According to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University, the idea resurfaced in 1963 as high unemployment, low wages, and persistent segregation pushed civil rights leaders toward a coordinated national demonstration. By that year, the centennial of the Emancipation Proclamation, many of the goals from earlier protests, including the 1957 Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom, still had not been realized.

Randolph, along with Bayard Rustin, who managed the event's logistics, brought together major organizations including the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the Congress of Racial Equality, and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Their demands, outlined in the official program held by the National Archives, included fair employment practices, an increased minimum wage, and passage of meaningful civil rights legislation. Demonstrators also called for an end to discrimination in housing, education, and public accommodations.

The march is best remembered for Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, delivered from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Yet the day also featured performances by Mahalia Jackson, Joan Baez, and the folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary, along with remarks from labor and religious leaders representing a broad cross-section of American society. Actress and activist Ruby Dee, together with her husband Ossie Davis, emceed the program.

Estimates of attendance vary slightly across sources, but the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department reported that by 3 p.m., roughly 210,000 people had gathered at the rally, a figure detailed in a Congressional Research Service fact sheet published through the Library of Congress. National and international press outlets covered the event extensively, bringing global attention to the American civil rights struggle.

While the march did not immediately produce new legislation, it is widely credited with reshaping public opinion and building momentum toward the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. More than sixty years later, the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom remains a defining symbol of nonviolent protest and democratic participation in America, continuing to inform discussions of racial and economic justice today.

Ai disclosure: For this blog post I used Claude AI. I used it to do historical research on the Washington March, After promoting the tool to do research based only on academic and other high quality sources, I asked Claude to make it 300 to 400 words. I shaped the Ai for making it readable, I also added reliable links and made the paragraphs for but professional 

Gone with the wind

 Gone with the wind 

This past week I sat down with my class and watched with gone with the wind, and finally understood why it is such a popular movie. I thought it would be an old fashion, slow type of movie, but it was much more than I expected. 

There is a lot about Scarlett O'Hare , she is spoiled, but mart. She is used to getting what she wants. At first I thought she was very annoying.  The more I watched, the more I liked her determination. She doesn't care what people think about her, which is surprising for a woman in that era. At the end of it I did come to like her and who she was as a person. 

Next is Ashley Wilkes, to me he was kinda just there, boring. He didn't seem like a person with much personality to him but more like a gentleman. I do get Scarletts obsession with him in the beginning of the movie. I could tell though her feeling for him wasn't because of his true character but because she likes the idea of him. 

Rhett Butler was definitely my favorite .  I personally think that every time he came onto the screen the movie would get better. My favorite part of him was his humor, he was always sarcastic which I relate to. He never cares about the rules of the South. Rhett was the type of person to do what he wants and say what everyone else was thinking. 

I did really like Melanie. She is much stronger than everyone thinks she is. She's a nice person but not stupid. I feel as the story goes she will be more important to the story. 

I do have very mixed feeling about the movie. For the time is was being filmed it was really good, my favorite part was when Atlanta was on fire. But in some parts of the movie it was slow and a little boring, I found it difficult to see how the film skips over slavery and sorta romanticized life on a plantation. 

The first half attention was on how each character's reaction of their world falling apart instead of the Civil war itself, that really stood out to me. Scarlett won't admit that anything is changing. Ashley is upset about everything. Rhett already knows what is going to happen. Melanie just takes it in with being quiet. 

By the end of the movie I was more interested in the characters than the actual war itself. I'm interested to see if Scarlett ever grows up or just becomes more stubborn. Rhett is the one one being honest with everyone and I hope to see him get some credit for thinking in the reality and not the expectation. 

8 values

Market place of ideas 

What does it mean?

The idea of the market place of idea says what is the best way to find the truth and its not through control or authority saying what is right, but by a debate between different point if views.  This all began with philosopher John Stuart Mill and was made popular in American law, which believed  the best way of the trust is to stand up to criticism and still be accepted in the free market. 

Actually, this means letting both good and bad opinions be talked about in public. Based on the theory the best ideas will naturally come out when people speak freely. 

what does this mean to me?

When I think about the market place of ideas I don't think of a court room or anything with the law, because sometimes in those setting you can't truly debate how you feel and what your truth is. When I think off the market place of ideas I think of something such as walking around town with some friends because no one is telling them what is right and what's wrong of what their discussion is. 

To me this value is more about protecting the process itself than protecting ideas that I agree with. If I hear and argument with opinions I don't agree with, or that is offensive to someone and they were hurt by the comment. I have to realize I can't stay silent but try and see why those people feel that way, and try to reason with them. 

My opinion

I personally think the Market Place of Ideas is one of the most important values.Yes the idea of letting the best idea win, but in reality not everyone has the same resources or platform when they enter the market. A correction that means no harm won't spread as quickly as a lie.

Still, I don't believe giving up on an idea is the answer. In my opinion you should take the debate seriously enough to participate in it, This includes confirming information before telling anyone, listing to the other point of view and having an open mind. 

Why does it matter?

This value matters to me because it acts as a reminder that the right to freedom of speech is not only expression. It is the ability to pay attention and participate. The marketplace only works if its members are willing to challenges and listen to others point of view rather then just yell at each other. 

I believe That protecting this is still important because in this society that we live in there is more false information then there has ever been.  The chaos of debate seem to be more risky than another option, which is to allow some to have their own ideas, because in society everyone thinks they have to have the same opinion.