Favorite Exploration, Joshua Graves

I feel that out of all of the explorations that I have written the best one is number 6, part of the reason why I like that one so much is due to the subject of Wendell Berry. The first paragraph is largely uninteresting but the other two analysis's of Berry's writings are quite good in my opinion. His ideas were definitely a source of interest for me, I found them to be fascinating and thought provoking. His criticisms of the problems facing the global economy and the apathy that the world shows in dealing with these problems caused me to come to the realization that I was guilty of many of those problem causing attitudes that he discusses. The idea of playing a more active role in the economy is something that everyone should consider, it would go a long way to a reform that will lead to a higher quality of life for everyone and a better future for the next generation in this country.

                                                                                                                                          

When I first heard of the attack I was in the middle of class then all of the sudden people started to go out into the hallway. I was unsure of what was happening and everyone looked unsure but the teachers were all scared for a reason that at the time was unknown to me. The next thing I remember is being sent home early and my parents were already there which was odd because they were not supposed to be off at the time. That is about all I can honestly remember, the entirety of my day was then spent doing other things while my mom and dad worried about the attack and I did my own thing.

            Some of the positive effects of this event were that people came together more, nothing unites a people like a common enemy, all the little differences get swept away and it’s suddenly us versus them. The impact of the event has changed the perceptions of the people as they now view the world as a more dangerous place, which in truth it always has been but now it was forced into their faces. The United States had not dealt with a direct attack since Pearl Harbor back in WWII and it inevitably shook the entire country up quite a bit.

            “National self-righteousness, like personal self-righteousness, is a mistake” I was enthralled by Wendell Berry and his ideas about how our vision of the world was changed and how we reacted to the event. None of his ideas made me mad but they did get me thinking about how no one really liked into the idea that the more we traded technology some was inevitably going to wind up in the hands of those who would use it for cruel purposes. Also his idea that we should not simplify the enemy like we have always done and instead learn about their culture and who they are as a culture and a people. What happened instead is what always happens, the enemy was dehumanized and Muslims became pariahs in the USA and in many ways still are.