Reading Log 4: Letter from Birmingham Jail

     In this week's reading, we read Martin Luther King's Letter from Birmingham Jail. In his letter, Dr. King expressed his views in light of his fellow clergymen's opinion on his activity during the sit-ins. Martin Luther King talks about civil disobedience and how he hopes that this drastically changes the way America was during his time period. He argued that "in any nonviolent campaign, there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action" (215). Since King and his followers have already done the first three steps, he says that they had no other choice but to initiate direct action because they were so unhappy with how things are and how they are segregated.
     King also argues that "Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever. The yearning for freedom eventually manifests itself, and that is what has happened to the American Negro" (223). They are so fed up with the unfairness and injustices that exist between the white community and the black community that they finally said enough is enough and that it is time to stand up and gain their equality and freedom. The Negroes have been disregarded for the longest time and the time has come for the public to hear their bottled up emotions. King states that "If one recognizes this great urge that has engulfed the Negro community, one should readily understand why public demonstrations are taking place" (223). In this statement, Kings states that unless the law makers recognize the Negro community's extreme thirst for freedom, the Negro community will keep on doing what they are already doing (sit ins and such) and there will be no forward progress until the law makers recognize their cause.

Reading Log 3: Satyagraha

     Mohandas Gandhi's Satyagraha goes on to explain that there are techniques to win certain battles. These techniques are laid out to the reader and Gandhi tells us that in order to win certain battles, you have to try and keep a good relationship with your opponent by winning their hearts as much as possible. The second technique is by earning the sympathy of the spectators, and perhaps even their help. Last but not least, Gandhi introduces to us his view on passive resistance
     I don't believe that we have to win our opponents hearts in order for satyagraha to succeed. However, we must be understanding and courteous towards them to better know where they are coming from and why they are our enemy. If we lack the love for our opponent, Gandhi tells us that we must understand our opponent so we can be sympathetic to them. Gandhi tells us to be understanding and not too forward because you never know if the thief inside your house is someone close to your heart like a father or a friend.
     In order to earn the sympathy or the spectators, we must be truthful. By being truthful, we pave the way for the spectators to trust us in what we do and therefore creating the trust between people that help each other in times of need. If we are not truthful, our satyagraha is lost and we will never be believed in the future because our reputation is ruined.
     Ghandi introduces to us his view of passive resistance. Passive resistance is when you NONVIOLENTLY rebel against the government over certain political decision that have been made you aren't happy about. He gives us examples like strikes, protests, marches etc. By doing so, we keep a good relationship with our opponent and by keeping that relationship, they will better understand us and maybe change the decisions that they made.

Reading Log 2: First Response to "The Qualities of the Prince"

8/3/12
Jeremy Ocampo
Prof. Billy Middleton

     Moving on to Machiavelli's passage, he discusses how in order to maintain a prince's position as ruler, he must know all fundamentals and aspects of warfare. If a prince didn't have the support of the people that he governed, he wouldn't be an effective ruler making him vulnerable to being disrespected and questioned by the public. In my views, a leader is one that possesses an aggressive image but at the same time, manages to be respected by the people through the decisions he makes for the good of the village. The ruler must never stay in rest, meaning that he has to be actively train himself even in time of peace. This can be done in two ways, "one by action, the other by the mind" (40). By action, the leader has to always out hunting and make his body used to the hard conditions present during wartime. The leader has to be mindful of his surroundings, taking mental notes on the advantages and disadvantages of the enemy, knowing their escape routes, and how to attack them if they are on high ground. A prince must weigh down every possibility if he wants to win the battle. By mind, the prince must get tips from history's greatest men and how they carried themselves in times of war. In comparison to Lau-tzu, Machiavelli argues that the prince's main focus is staying alive and keeping his position of power while on the other hand, Lau-tzu reinforces the idea that the leader must rule in a way that the people doesn't realize he exists. Machiavelli also argues that the prince must use any means necessary to make the people content in order to keep his position because my making majority of the people content, the public will be supportive of the leader's actions. In light of the decision making process that the leader undergoes, Machiavelli also states that the leader should "avoid being despised and hated' (50) because by not being despised or hated, no one is going to want to hurt or kill the prince. What I don't understand however is in what other ways does Lau-tzu's passage correlate with Machiavelli's passage? Other than that, the two passages were very interesting and they should be read twice in order to grasp the concepts that they try to portray to us readers.

Reading Log 1: Response to "Thoughts from Tao-te Ching"

8/3/2012
Jeremy Ocampo
Prof. Billy Middleton

     Lau-tzu wrote the Tao-te Ching as basic guidelines for the early rulers of China so that they may lead a successful country through harmony and enlightenment. Lau-tzu focuses mainly on achieving harmony and enlightenment among the people and this is accomplished through minimal government interference thus allowing people to forget that they are being governed. By doing so, "the leader allows the people to achieve good things" (22). Lau-tzu goes on to discuss how by "emptying people's minds" (23), it eliminates people's desires for things that they don't have and this will prevent them from stealing and competing for power. I definitely agree with Lau-tzu's position because by eliminating this desire for something that they do not have, people would be content with what they have and they with enjoy the little this, thus allowing them to live in harmony. He goes on by saying that if a man realizes he has made a mistake, he will correct the mistake and take criticisms from other people. The criticisms are the man's enlightenment and by enlightening the man who made the mistake and not heckling him about it, he will learn and not make the same mistakes in the future. As said by the passage "the master sees the things as they are, without trying to control them. She lets them go their own way and resides at the center of the circle" (26), the leader's main purpose is to allow the people to live their own lives and find the path to enlightenment by presenting to them the knowledge of the Tao. By centering ourselves around the Tao, the whole world would transform itself for the better and "people would be content with their simple, everyday lives, in harmony and free of desire" (27) Lau-tzu also teaches, what I think are quintessential components to becoming one with the Tao, simplicity, patience, and compassion. By accomplishing these three, one would find the true definition of becoming one with the Tao.