Text 1: "The knowledge of the real by the eye of clear insight is to be gained by one's own sight and not by the teacher's"

Response 1: Immediately when I read this quote, I thought of our class. Our grades are not determined by tests or essays or typical ways that a teacher grades a student, but by our ability to speak on the topic and think critically and thoughtfully. I have learned so much in our class not only from of our weekly readings, but more importantly from the insights of others in class. A grade cannot be truly put on what someone learns, it is unquantifiable. This quote parallels the theory behind our midterm and final exam because it promotes that we learn for our own good and personal growth, not just for the grade our teacher gives us. When we stop worrying about our grade, essentially being judged by others, that is when we learn the most.

Text 2: "Knowledge is gained by discernment, by examining, by instruction, but not by bathing, nor gifts, nor a hundred holdings of the breath. Success demands first ripeness; questions of time and place are subsidiary."

Response 2: I particularly resonate with this ideology because I whole-heartedly believe in the power of spiritual development and analysis. One of my favorite quotes by Socrates is "the unexamined life is not worth living", and I believe that as a young adult, I am in a great period of discernment. I feel I will always be in some sort of state of discernment because of our lives' uncertainty. Personally I find examining my life on a regular basis helps me find a greater meaning behind why I do what I do, the people in my life, etc. Self-examination is one of the most important parts of becoming dura personalis, or the whole person.

Text 1: "We are insecure by constitution. We fear pain and rejection. We fear the collapse of meaning. Ultimately, we fear death. Contemporary society aggravates our fear and insecurity. We worry about crime, environmental disaster, and nuclear and industrial accident. September 11, 2001, marked the globalization of insecurity: a sensation of physical insecurity has now spread to people who once felt safe."

Response 1: This was a pretty loaded paragraph but it had a lot of thought-provoking and interesting ideas that I agreed with. The one that first caught my attention was "we fear pain and rejection", because this is one that I can best resonate with. As a perfectionist and over-thinker, I can completely agree that one of the things I fear most is rejection. While many people won't want to admit that they are constantly seeking approval from others, it is only in human nature to want to feel a sense of accomplishment.


Actual Text 2: The idea that some are important while others don't count explains how public policy and institutions work. "Unimportant" people are nameless and two-dimensional for "important" people who do not identify with them and feel no obligation to do unto them as they would have others do unto themselves.

Response 2: I think this is one of the truest statements in the article, let alone we have read in the class. There is a small minority of "important" people that make all of the decisions and are considered the elite. It's a frustrating, never-edning vicious cycle because those who have the opportunity and power to make change are a part of the elite and therefore would not do anything to jeopardize their status or money. I feel it is very true that those said elite people have a hard time sympathizing, or even attempting to sympathize, with the "unimportant" vast majority because they have an undeniable sense of entitlement.

Text 1: "Integrating low-income seniors and disabled adults into the society as respected contributing members is our major goal. We work to bring back an environment where the elderly can continue to age in place with dignity and in good health. Our model includes changing lifestyles to a more healthy and active one."

Response 1: I really like the ideas presented in this passage. I have done a lot of work with people with development disabilities. I have volunteered at an organization in Chicago called Misericordia, which is an assisted living community for adults with development disabilities. What I like most about the work is how at Misericordia, the residents work real jobs and become functioning members of society. This particular topic of helping people, specifically adults, with disabilities is because I have personal experience with it and very much enjoy the work I do. Right when I started reading this passage I thought of Misericordia and I liked that I could make a connection between the two.

Text 2: "At age 14, I was flown to Miami as one of the 14,000 unaccompanied children who came into the United States from Cuba during the first years of the 1960s. This exodus of children was the result of a pronouncement made the the new military government that children should be taken away from their families and put into collective schools and communities. My parents were terrified of the possibility that my brother and I would be taken to one of these schools, which they believed were effectively military camps where children were being indoctrinated and brainwashed."

Response 2: I was shocked when I read this paragraph. Initially I thought, how inhumane can a government be to take away children from their families and send them off somewhere? However, after I read this, I did a little research of my own on the topic. According to an excerpt written by Maria Vizcanio called Postcards of Cuba, this was "The largest exodus of underage children in this hemisphere is known as Operation Pedro Pan. From December of 1960 to October of 1962, 14,048 children and adolescents up to 18 years of age were sent by their parents to the United States to safeguard them from the Communist system". I cannot fathom the idea such terror that would cause families to be forced to send their children off to another country. I am glad I looked further into Operation Peter Pan because I had previously never heard of it.

I had some difficulty watching the movie all the way through because I do not do well with horrific and graphic scenes. However, the vividness of the movies is appropriate because it symbolizes the passion and power Oscar Romero had in his work in El Salvador.

Quote 1: "Christ passed through El Salvador"

Response 1: This quote by a woman in the movie is the essence of Oscar Romero and his impact on the people of El Salvador. He is a Christ-like figure who worked towards justice for the church and its members and leaders. One of the main themes of the movie was Archbishop Romero's determination, which was clearly seen when he continued to give homilies and services even though he was being threatened and attacked. He is most like Christ is that he was a savior for the people of El Salvador, as he provided a source of strength and unity. As Christ was influential and powerful, Archbishop Romero showed similar attributes, as his Sunday 8 PM homilies were heard by all, no matter what someone was doing. Although they faced great oppression, Archbishop Romero and the members of the church kept a strong faith in God during times of turmoil. Oscar Romero is a clear vision of a Christ-like figure because he led by example and used his faith as a source of strength.

Quote 2: "They learned that it was not God keeping them hungry, but the government and the wealthy institutions."

Response 2: As many other students have commented on this quote, I also find it powerful. I have always been interested in politics and international affairs, so this movie was particularly interesting for me because of the role the government played in the conflict. It's clear that the oppressive government was the source of the problem because those being persecuted were the religious. Even though God is the most powerful being, it was the government and their policies that led to tragedy. Whenever I hear the quote, I look particularly at the "wealthy institutions" part. Immediately I think that the United States is at fault, and then I think of the greater issue of the wealth gap between the US and nations like El Salvador.

Throughout the movie, I kept seeing similarities between El Salvador and the Civil Rights Movement. I have seen many documentaries and movies on the topic, and the themes of oppression and persecution are very parallel to each other. It's disturbing to think that these catastrophes are still happening in the world.

Text 1: "Today more than 1 billion people live on less than one dollar a day and lack access to clean water, health care, education, and other basic social services (UN Development Group 2008). The gap between the rich and the poor is widening, with the world's richest 20% consuming over 75% of the world's resources while the world's poorest 20% consume only 1.5% (World Bank 2008)"

Text 1 Response: I always get caught by startling statistics like these. How is it possible that one fifth of the world consumes three fourths of the worlds resources? The gap between economic and social classes is increasing all over the world, including the United States, as the infamous "1%" is unfairly dominating the economic scene. The stat about over 1 billion people living on less than one dollar per day specifically interests me because of an exercise I did during Urban Plunge. In the activity, we watched a documentary that challenged a couple to live on a minimum wage income for one month. We simulated the documentary with partners, and it was clear that living with such a low income is nearly impossible. I couldn't even imagine living on less than a dollar per day, and it is painful to think a fifth of the world's populating suffers that way.

Text 2: "Fair Trade is a very attractive concept, across the political spectrum. People like the idea of helping people, not with handouts but with the opportunity to work hard and decently"- Daniel Salcedo, Brief History of Fair Trade

Text 2 Response: I think that quote is the essence of and captures the purpose of Fair Trade. I like the idea that Fair Trade creates a business partnership between the person making the goods and the person buying the goods, rather than just there being a donor and a recipient. Whenever I think of Fair Trade, I think of the quote "Give a man a fish and you will feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you will feed him for a lifetime". Anyone can give a monetary donation that will buy a person in need food or other resources, but that will only last for a limited amount of time. Supporting their business will create a lasting source of income, and more importantly a sense of pride and accomplishment. The quote by Daniel Salcedo, the founder and CEO of www.peoplink.org and www.openentry.com clearly rings true because Fair Trade organizations began after World War II, over 5 million people and 60 countries have been involved in Fair Trade.