P4+MSandoval

Ideally we believe every thought we hold to be derived from our own; however this could not be farther from the truth. In reality most ideals, are instilled in us from birth. The idea of right and wrong, being the most important learned ideal is one we generally believe to be our own; with these instilled morals, or rather ideals, we begin our judgment of that which is right and that which is wrong. In general, we find that when confronted with some injustice we are passive in action but very active in these judgments. We wait for one brave figure, regardless of their validity, to instigate some fire some passion to actually move on our judgments; once this occurs we act, whether we are right or wrong. It seems that this individual is not coping with the injustice, as the rest would passively do, he would actually attempt to “right the wrong”. However we must recognize that not only is our judgment based on society, but clouded by this bewilderment, thus we are susceptible to ill leadership

The great depression was a period in time in which people were lost and knew not where to turn at the face of the injustice of their lands being taken they simply, “sat still-thinking-figuring” This is a general human tendency, to simply wait and ponder about a subject that is not always as complex as we make it seem. Rather than confronting the problem or doing something about it we sit and wait to see what will happen. “The men were silent and hey did not move often. And the women came out of the houses to stand beside their men-to feel whether this time the men would break. The women studied the men’s faces secretly, for the corn could go, as long as something else remained” (Grapes of Wrath chapter 1). The primal response to a injustice is bewilderment: to not necessarily do nothing, but be in disbelieve. John Steinbeck’s book Grapes of Wrath, retell’s the trials of the Great depression where the American public was lost, and the government did nothing really to help the society. Steinbeck continually mentions this, in the description of poor helpless families who believe their only hope is to “follow the flock” westward to California.

Injustice is defined as that which opposes what we have established to be right: the injustice of a separation of children, injustice of rape, the injustice of hunger, and the injustice of murder are all tragic forms of human wrongs, but we find that all these cases the reaction is the same. Just as the injustice of the great depression upon millions of families forced of their land “I can’t go no higher than fifty…Got a pair of mules I’ll trade…We’re goin’ to California. I got to get a car.”(Grapes of Wrath Chapter 7) Literally with nothing they could think of nothing more than to follow the flock and go to California. The injustice of their land being taken away led to the move westward. “Some of them hated the mathematics that drove them, and some were afraid and some worshipped the mathematics because it provided a refuge from thought and feeling.” (Grapes of Wrath Chapter 9) Yet we find that not all leave unaware of what it is that drives them.

Blame is always passed around when some form of injustice has occurred Rather than effectively dealing with a injustice we deal with it in a way that we believe is correct. The “great owners” of the great depression also placed blame on factors which in truth were results not causes of their problems, ““If you could separate causes from results, if you could know that Paine, Marx, Jefferson, Lenin, were results, not causes, you might survive.”( Grapes of Wrath Chapter 14) This was a general tendency amongst many, to simply listen and follow along: “follow the flock” system where we wait for a wise, courageous leader to pave the way to justice. This system will and has not always lead to the solution of a problem rather the creation of another. We find this in Germany after WWI: from an economically depressed Germany, to a Nazi infested Germany was no relief or solution to their problems. However a shift from independence to unionization is not always cause for more problems. "And as the worlds moved westward, rules became laws..." (Grapes of Wrath Chapter 17) shows us the effects of coming together under one single ideal does not necessarily mean destruction. Sometimes the ideas we culminate together without the aid of outside societies or governments are good, are right, "And the families learned, although no one told them, what rights are monstrous and must be destroyed..." (Grapes of Wrath Chapter 17)

On compassion presents the idea of a mistaken ideal. It is unjust to say that homeless man should be feared, yet it is instinct to do so: Yet rather than confronting this fear we choose to mask it with the idea of a instinctive compassion: Another manner in which we avoid the problem at hand. When one see’s a homeless man on the street, a million things run through your head, first comes the obvious sympathy and then willingness to give some form of charity. But then you think, if I go will he hurt me? Should I go, maybe he’s just being lazy, or crazy, perhaps a addict of some sort….But still you find yourself giving him something. “Was it fear or compassion that motivated the gift?” Why not juts face the problem and do something to actually this man, rather than simply doing what the rest do and wait for someone else to make a change in this man’s life.

Civil disobedience part 1 states that we should place morality above what the government’s jurisdiction: this holds truth but some how we tend to twist these words into falsity. Yes we should go beyond what the government tells us, but to follow one’s own judgment, not that of another “wise” leader, “Must the citizen ever for a moment, or in the least degree, resign his conscience to the legislator? Why has every man a conscience then?” These very words should be read clearly, and this must be how we act upon a injustice with our own judgments, not that of anyone else’s

As humans, when we are presented with a injustice we are stunned and do not absorb the situation completely, yet we come judge the situation with whichever ideals we hold. Rather than following some instinctive humanity (something culminated on our own) we utilize instinctive society (a culmination derived from various views within our society), “Raw humanity offends our sensibilities” (On compassion). Then not only is our judgment based on society, but clouded by this bewilderment, thus we are susceptible to ill leadership, or grand unity amongst the masses.