Sorry for the graphic image
Leadership and Ethics
I don't know if my perspective on leadership changed much this year. I participated in LEAP to expand my knowledge about leadership. But honestly, I feel like I learned all of this back in high school. My high school was big on leadership and had discussion sessions and lectures on being a leader. My freshman year has been reiteration of everything that I learned in high school. Even though I know the basics behind being a great leader, I haven't been actively practicing them. I am the group leader of my macro economics class, and I have been a good leader who leads by example. However, I didn't go any further than just being good. I could have been more involved with the group, but I just wasn't being proactive. I guess my point is that I know the theories behind being a great leader, but I have yet to practice them in real life. I hope to find something I feel passionate about and really get involved with it. My plan is to step up next semester and become a proactive leader in whatever I do.
I want to be like the duck in the front
Ethics
This year, I have been introduced to many ethical dilemmas around the world. I think we spent the most of our time discussing animal cruelty. Because I got so much exposure to the issue, I became genuinely interested in it. I went to watch The Cove, listen to the PETA debate, which was disappointing, and even watched Food Inc on my free time. I agree that animals are being treated terribly, but I haven't become vegetarian or refused to buy leather product. I know animal cruelty exists around the world, and I wish it wasn't present. However, I still do not see the fundamental faults in consuming meat and using animal skins. We've had this practice since the beginning of human existence, and I say it's not wrong to continue the practice. We probably should be less greedy and lower the demands for such animal products, but in today's world where everything is business oriented, I do not see that happening. It is not that I lack the sympathetic imagination that Alice does when she can't fathom why no one likes Dinah, her cat: "Nobody seems to like her down here, and I'm sure she's the best cat in the world!" (36). I am just being realistic and calculative. The world population is rising, and living standard is also rising. Thus, demand for luxury food will rise. As a result, supply of meat and leather will increase. Then there will be less concern for the cruelty to animals. Perhaps, if we had to kill our own supply of food, we wouldn't be able to eat as much meat. In Through the Looking Glass, after being introduced to the mutton, Queens do not eat mutton. According to the Red Queen, "It isn't etiquette to cut any one you've been introduced to" (262). Similarly, if we were "introduced" to our meat before it died, we might not be able to eat it.
If we had to kill them ourselves, could you? I probably couldn't
Ugh, I cannot believe I am sick! This was quite possibly the hardest DB to write because I couldn't concentrate at all! The past three hours I've spent on writing this were nasty. I think I'll leave it at this, and hopefully this suffices the DB requirement. If I feel better in the morning, I shall revise this DB. But for now, Good Night!
