Discussion question: Democracy (Essay Sample)

the discussion question for this module is posted on the Discussion Board. • Post an initial response and then post responses to your classmates. • Be sure to review the Discussion Guidelines in the Course Home menu before posting. Post your initial response to the discussion question no later than Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT. Post your responses to at least two classmates Post your initial response to the discussion question no later than Thursday 11:59 PM EST/EDT. module 5 Discussion Choose one question to respond to, and respond to questions you didn\'t choose for your two peer responses.Restate the question or questions as you answer them. 1. Does Democracy mean that the desires of the majority should at all times supersede the interests of the minority? Should Native Americans be moved aside since elected officials precipitated this action? 2. The Plains Indians were completely dependent on the Buffalo to maintain their way of life. In our society today. Is there anything upon which we are completely dependent? (Something that if taken away from us would completely change our culture or alter our ability to live our lives as we now live?) 3. Discuss the demise of the buffalo in relation to the Saint Leo University (SLU) core value of responsible stewardship. Please share details about who,what, when, where, and why? Cite sources! Saint Leo Core Values (http://www.saintleo.edu/about/florida-catholic-university.aspx) Post your responses to at least two classmates Post your responses to a one classmates Collapse Mark as Unread Module 5 Discussion Kelis O\'Rourke 2/4/2014 9:41:31 PM 1. Does Democracy mean that the desires of the majority should at all times supersede the interests of the minority? Should Native Americans be moved aside since elected officials precipitated this action? Democracy is defined as a government that is chosen by the people (Dictionary). This being said I believe that no matter if it’s the majority or minority everyone has a say in something. The majority should not have to take control over the minority. If the government becomes a dictatorship then it would be where the majority has more of a say then the minority. The majority should really not even have that much more of a say than minorities do because it is a democracy so everyone has a say. No, Native Americans should not be moved aside because of this action. Just because elected officials precipitated this action does not mean they have to abide by those rules. I would tell Native Americans to venture out and see if they can put an end to this action. They are allowed to voice their opinions. Just because they are a minority does not mean they cannot take charge and have a say in something. In a democracy everyone has a say no matter if you a minority or majority. This lets the people decide what they want as a whole, rather than one person making a decision for them. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/democracy?s=t ============================================================================================================= Post your responses to at least two classmates Collapse Mark as Unread Module 5 Discussion Wayne Mulder 2/5/2014 2:43:34 PM 3. Discuss the demise of the buffalo in relation to the Saint Leo University (SLU) core value of responsible stewardship. Please share details about who, what, when, where, and why? Cite sources! Saint Leo Core Values (http://www.saintleo.edu/about/florida-catholic-university.aspx This entire answer seems rhetorical in nature, given the knowledge that we have today. Looking back, we often do so with a “well, that seems obvious” perspective. Of course, this does not seem to prevent us from making many of the same mistakes again. Responsible Stewardship is defined in Saint Leo Universities Core Values as “Our Creator blesses us with an abundance of resources. We foster a spirit of service to employ our resources for University and community development. We must be resourceful. We must optimize and apply all of the resources of our community to fulfill Saint Leo University’s mission and goals.” (Saint Leo University). When I read this definition, the term management comes to mind, a sense of respectively using something in such a manner which ensures its continued existence for the benefit of both parties. One thing the American Indians understood in reference to the bison was that it was a mutually beneficial existence. The American Indians very survival was intertwined with the continued sustainability of the Bison herds. This spiritual understanding is an example of true stewardship. The demise of the American Buffalo, more accurately referred to as Bison, began in the early 1800’s as the early European explorers continued to push westward. A demand in Europe and on the East Coast of America for the hides and tongues, began a practice known as “bison running.” Over the next 60 years the “hunters” would systemically change locations, leading to the virtual extermination of all bison in non-protected areas (National Bison Association 10). Bison running as a business was done with the intent of making the most amount of money in the least amount of time and was extremely irresponsible. The carcasses were often left rotting as the only parts of the animal that were taken were those of monetary value, such as the hide, tongue, and later the skull to be crushed for fertilizer. In was not until the 1880’s that the bison running business began to see that their occupation was short-lived and that the great animal of the west was almost hunted to extinction. It is estimated that the population of the bison, over these 100 + years may have gone from 30 million plus animals to no more than 1,500 or in other words reducing the herd by 1/2000th. Another devastating effect was the elimination of genetic diversity among the herds (National Bison Association 10,11). In 1887 William Hornaday made a dire prediction about the American bison, “It is hoped that the following historical account of the discovery, partial utilization and almost complete extermination of the great American bison may serve to cause the public to fully realize the folly of allowing all our most valuable and interesting American mammals to be wantonly destroyed in the same manner. The wild bison is practically gone forever and in a few more years, when the whitened bones of the last bleaching skeleton shall have been picked up and shipped East for commercial uses, nothing will remain of him save his old, well-worn trails along the watercourses, a few museum specimens and regret of his fate. If his untimely end fails even to appoint a moral that shall benefit the surviving species of mammals which are now being slaughtered in like manner, it will be sad indeed” (Hornaday). Sadly, many in the United States Government knew that the plight of the American bison and the plains Indians were closely related, in some areas this also led to the increased destruction of the animals in an attempt to continue to eliminate the American Indians. Finally in the late 1880’s people started to understand that responsible management of these magnificent animals was the only way to guarantee their continued existence. This led to the founding of the American Bison Society in 1905 (National Bison Association 11). Clearly, what is described above is not stewardship and is the very definition of irresponsibility. The American Indians understood that their survival depended on these animals. They used every part of the animal for survival, from the hide to the bones. They often only hunted what they needed to survive, thus allowing the bison to breed and to increase in numbers for future generations. The demise of the American bison is a tragic piece of American history and only pales in comparison to the human element, such as those practices that were being used against the American Indians. The study of these portions of history allows each of us to make a conscious choice to ensure that this kind of wanton destruction for the sole purpose of greed and economic gain, never happens again. Works Cited Hornaday, William. "Annual Report of the Smithsonian Institute - 1889." Association, National Bison. Bison Breeder\'s Handbook. Denver, CO: Mountain West Printing, 2001. 11. book. National Bison Association. Bison Breeder\'s Handbook Fourth Edition. Denver, CO: Mountain West Printing , 2001. book. Saint Leo University. http://www.saintleo.edu/about/florida-catholic-university.aspx. n.d. website. 18 January 2014.