Document Type
Citizenship and Service Essay
Publication Date
2006
Excerpt
The world of politics is dirty business, but few would deny that it is a constant factor in our daily lives. From the local to the international level, politicians are always determining the course of action that they claim are in their constituents' best interests, and most of the time all the public can do is give them the benefit of the doubt. But all too often do lawmakers exploit their positions of power to implement bills and ideals that prove to do more harm than good to the very society they were elected to protect. Sadly, politics are ethereal in nature; it is difficult to verify when lawmakers have crossed the line between right and wrong. In fact, it is difficult to plainly see where the dividing line is located. But there are some acts of immorality that cannot go unnoticed, and a more conclusive approach is needed to deal with the darker side of politics: reform. Some look down upon the word 'reform' as unfavorable, but the very definition suggests that reform should be pursued; who would not want a change for the better, corrections of abuses, and the removal of defects in our political system? Not many, save the ones in power who may benefit from doing wrong. So when is it best to reform authority, or at least try, given the difficulties in proving any wrongdoings? Politics and morals are not exactly 'black-and-white', but a good method of examining the question is to view two drastically different opinions on the matter. Coupled with the pragmatic work of George Washington Plunkitt, the philosophy of Martin Luther King, Jr. will provide a more fully developed perspective on the issue of reform.
Recommended Citation
Spalding, Alex, "The Oppressed Must Demand (2006)" (2006). The Valpo Core Reader. 71.
http://scholar.valpo.edu/core_reader/71