Civilly Disagreeing with Thoreau

     Thoreau's 1849 On Resistance to Civil Disobedience has influenced countless radical transcendentalists by promoting dissent from "unjust government." Thoreau, himself, spent a brief time in jail for refusing to pay taxes imposed by the slavery-supporting United States. The pictures is for more than just a laugh; Thoreau argues that action, despite consequences, is the only true form of rebellion. Simply speaking out against a cause is reduced to hypocrisy in Thoreau's eyes because the speaker is not so dedicated that he would risk his own safety in defense of his beliefs.

     The problem with Thoreau's system of self-government is that is it impossible to satisfy the vast majority of moral obligations that Americans have. There are extreme pacifists, radically violent activists and people of every degree in between being governed under one law. Ethics are entirely subjective and vary greatly within a community of people.

     If everyone who did not agree with a law disobeyed it, the government would be collecting little to no taxes, food would be unsafe to eat, transportation would be dangerous, and people would live in constant fear of being killed by someone they rubbed the wrong way. There is no order in a place where people have no respect for authority. Have you seen The Purge? If I do not agree with a group of people, even if its the pro-slavery South, who says that I have the right to kill every single one of them? Who says I don't? National governments have taken on the role of mediator between beliefs by limiting the freedom of the individual for the benefit of society.

     In my life I have benefited from countless privileges: geographical, socioeconomic, racial, etc, etc, etc. I cannot imagine feeling so strongly about such a moral failure as slavery and my grievance going ignored by anyone in power. Thoreau also lived in a completely different time period; rapid transmission of communication via Internet could have changed his whole outlook on "spreading awareness" and hypocrisy. Thoreau and my own perspectives are hardly comparable, so it is difficult to say whether or no I disagree with him or just do not fully understand his point of view.

     Middle ground, however, does exist. The American government was developed in a way that depends on disobedience to ensure a government "by the people, for the people." The First Amendment ensures freedom of speech regardless of political motivations. Without dissenters such as Thoreau, we would have no progress. While not everyone can run wild and wreak havoc because they do not agree with governmental law, where would we be if Martin Luther King Jr. did not write his Letters from Birmingham Jail? Or if the founding fathers never signed the Declaration of Independence? America was built and has progressed on a solid foundation of dissenters and can only survive if disobedience does.

Losing an argument can mean many things from understanding others' perspectives, or simply being reminded that everyone sees the world from a different lens you will never fully comprehend. In this case, I think it is equally important to recognize that Thoreau's beliefs do work and that some of the most revolutionary causes were started by a single dissenter who ignored the law. 

8 Responses to "Accounting is Too Boring For You!"

If you have ever been an Accounting major, you've heard it all. So you're really good at math, right? So you love tax season? That sounds SO boring. You'll want out of that career in less than a year. But what do you say? No doesn't get rude relatives off your back, but have no fear; here are ten responses that are more effective than rolling your eyes just in time for the holidays.

1. Data entry is an entry-level position.

Yeah, I will spend a lot of time in front of spreadsheets. But entering numbers from incoming and outgoing invoices all day long is an intern's responsibility. I'll do it for a year or two, and then move on to bigger things: helping executives make big decisions, predicting markets, eliminating expense to increase profit.

2. Accounting is the heart of any company.

Without meticulously well kept financial records, a business has no way of knowing if they are operating on a profit or loss. Without a go-to person who can explain the company at any given time, owners and investors cannot make informed decisions. Every business needs someone to keep track of its legal liabilities. Accountants keep companies alive, what's boring about that?

3. I do more than taxes.

It's widely accepted taxes are a necessary evil. I happen to study not only how to do my own, yours, and even the massive undertaking that is corporate taxation; but I also study so much more than that. I didn't choose accounting to do taxes for the rest of my life, I chose accounting to understand the intricate structures that underlay business (which includes taxes). 

4. What is wrong with structure?

I am the student that dreaded the "Art Studies" graduation requirement. Vague theories don't make sense to me. I understand what I can see in front of me and I appreciate regulations like the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. When the pieces all fit together and debits equal credits, I feel relieved. In Accounting, you know immediately if you made a mistake and often how to fix it; perfectionists like myself appreciate that. 

5. Change is constant.

There will always be new rules, new products, new audits, new technology, and new challenges to overcome. There is nothing boring about learning new things everyday and being apart of the progress of an industry.

6. You have never heard of Forensic Accounting.

When some corporations are in financial trouble, they will go to great lengths to cover their failure ie. falsifying statements. Forensic accountants and auditors serve to find and rectify these companies. Investigations can take months or even years and result in settlements in the billions. The work these people do can affect several companies and thousands of people. On a scale that large, nothing is boring.

7. You can double, triple, or even quadruple it up.

Why not? Adding a double major in Finance, Management, International Business, or even Pre-Law opens countless doors for acceptance into graduate school or mobility within a career. With management training, accountants have the training and knowledge to start their own business without contracting out their financial work. Graduate degrees in other disciplines can offer jobs such as Chief Financial Officer and even Chief Executive Officer. 

8. You can do anything with a CMA.

Every single business needs some type of accounting figure, and that is where a Certified Managerial Accountant comes in. From mega-corporations to small non-profits, every company needs someone to handle their finances. No matter what your skill sets or interests, there is opportunity to be a part of any industry. In the event you do get end up getting bored working for a BioTech company, switch it up and transfer to a Clothing Design Corporation; the options are endless and the upward mobility is limitless for someone who understands underlying business operations.


Photos: http://www.scpolicycouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/taxes.jpg http://www.youngandprosperous.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/managers.jpg http://blog.marketo.com/2013/06/the-problems-with-using-spreadsheets-to-manage-your-marketing-budget.html https://www.goldenkey.org/programs-privileges/graduate-school-opportunities/ http://microvisionsinc.com/tag/new-technology/ http://www.itsgov.com/forensic-accounting-abc.html

Should I Participate in Social Media?

Subjective:

Why do I have accounts on several different sites? What makes me want to check up on them? How do I feel when I check each site? 

Authoritative:

What are the pros and cons of using social media? Is the consensus generally positive or negative? How do different researchers track the affects of prolonged use? 

Empirical:

What sites are considered in the study of social media? How can researchers pinpoint the effects of each site with such widespread use? 

Social:

How do these websites present me to others? How do people decide what to and what not to post on public websites? How do different social situations facilitate use (dinner table, work place, etc.)?

Photo Credit: http://maziermedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/SocialMediaIconcollage.png

Social Media? Or Anti-Social Media?

     Who hasn’t been here? Hanging out with friends, the dinner table, even classes are overrun by the presence of social media. Every slightly-awkward situation is masked by simply pulling out a cell phone. But in reality, so much technology is preventing social development in children and teens. An increasing number of young adults struggle to read social cues or suffer from psychological disorders such as social anxiety.

     People today also distance themselves from face to face interaction by looking to technology to quickly resolve problems. There are apps to recommend everything from restaurants and outfits to gifts, recipes, and even colleges. People no longer rely on personal interaction to even get to know one another: sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn allow anyone to learn about others. 

     With so many options, the ubiquity of social media demands nonstop attention. What’s frightening is how much a generation that depends on constant stimulation will be able to contribute to society. If we’re too busy tweeting or playing Flappy Bird to spend more than a moment in deep reflection, who will be our deep-thinking Confucius or Aristotle? As a generation, we must be conscious of our obstacles in order to overcome them. 

Adapted from a Pecha Kucha presentation given in class November 25, 2014.

Stereotypical Feminist Argument

"Because we're taught 'Don't leave your drink alone' instead of 'Don't drug someone.'"
          
          The hashtag #YesAllWomen has been trending in the Twitter world since early summer. Most #YesAllWomen tweets are composed by women to appeal pathetically to other women who are discomforted by rape culture. As men took notice, #YesAllWomen quickly eliminated the female-favoring phrase and evolved into #YesAllPeople. The new trend more accurately describes the often misunderstood pursuit of equality that feminists strive for. The hashtag brings together people who both support and reject current feminist movements. Many viral graphics, such as the one above, bring to light cliches such as "Don't walk alone home alone," or "Don't wear suggestive clothing," that women hear constantly. Rather, the photo argues, why don't people address the causes: "Don't attack others," "Respect others' privacy regardless of their appearance," etc. This ubiquitous, backwards thinking has surely saved countless women (and men!) from violent attacks, but how many would have been prevented in the first place if people were simply raised to understand right and wrong?

          In a society that has greatly distanced itself from religion in recent years and delegated child rearing to public schools and daycare, it is more important than ever that someone teaches adolescents the difference between right and wrong. A society that places responsibility on potential victims is a society that has little faith in its citizens' morality and little hope for future generations.

          The signature Red Solo cup itself describes the prevalence of sexual assault in cultures that consume alcohol and the incessant reminder that you should "Never accept a drink from a stranger," or "Never set down your cup," out of fear of someone slipping in a odorless, tasteless date-rape drugs. While solid advice, this does little to address the giant, abhorrent elephant in the room: in what kind of civilized society is premeditated drugging of another person for the purpose of sexual gratification so common that we feel the need to remind every young woman to watch her drink? How can we call ourselves a "community" when we are raised to be skeptical of every single person we meet rather than being reminded to respect others' freedom of choice? Where are the endless cliches that favor a sense of community?