IsabelKrull

December2015
TheMoralityandPoliticsofJustice:ProjectReflection

TheassignmentofthisprojectwastowriteanOpEdarticleonatopicofourchoice,and
tocreateanartpieceresemblingapoliticalcampaignposter.Leadinguptotheassignment,we
researcheddifferentmoralphilosophies,tookanexam,andIwroteatimedessayaboutcurrent
educationinschools,usingHenryDavidThoreausviewstobackupmyclaim.Ourclasswas
alsoprovidedwithmoraldilemmasthatwehadtoworkthroughusingdifferentphilosophies.
Wealsolearnedhowtoreasonbetweenapoliticalbenefit,versusourpersonalmoralobligations.
IlearnedthemostabouttheUtilitarianismphilosophybecauseIusedittostrengthenmyOpEd.

Imainlymadechangestomywritingregardingimplementingarealisticsolution,and
eliminatingunnecessarywordstomakemyarticlemoreclearandpowerful.Thefirstcategory
ontherubricIrefinedwasEvidence.IhadplentyofevidencetomakeastrongOpEd,butthere
wasstillsomethingmissingfromit.Iaddedcontenttothissectionbyaddingintheevidencethat
therewasalreadyabillassignedtotheHouseofRepresentatives.ThischangedmyOpEdby
givingitadifferentangle.Insteadofanessaytryingtotellpeople,thisisamajorissuethatwe
needtobringattentionto,itwasanessaysentthemessageof:Thisinanissuethathasbeen
broughttopeoplesattention,butstillneedsattention,soletmetellyouWHYyoushould
supportit.

Mysymbolformypoliticalcampaignposterwasasadeyedhorse,streakedwithred
paint.Iwantedtoportrayhowthesehorsesarehappyandfulfilledbeforetheyaresenttothe
plants.Theredpaintfadingfromthegrayskiesresembleshowtheterribleinflictiontothe
horsesappearstraightfromtheirsurroundings,andsuddenlysoaktheminbloodallatonce.My
posterwasrhetoricalinthesensethatIusedethosandpathostoconstructmyposter.Myquote,
Theycansensethefearandsufferingofthehorsesbeingbrutallykilledinsidetheslaughter
plant,andthesmellofbloodanddeathintheairaroundthem,demonstratesbothethosand
pathos.Thequoteisobviouslyemotional,andportraysthehighamountofstressandsufferings
thehorsesaregoingthrough.Likepeople,horseshaveadistinctintuitionandawarenesswhenit
comestootherssuffering,andsopeopleareabletorelatetothisquoteonapersonallevel,
becausewecanenvisionwhatthismustlookandfeellike.Andwhatthatlooksandfeelslikeisa
horrendousexperience,thatnoonewouldwishonanotherbeing.Italsoisacrediblequote,
comingdirectlyfromtheHumaneSocietyoftheUnitedStateswebsite.Asstatedbefore,itisa
factthathorseshaveanintuitiontosensefear,suffering,andangst.Thismeansthatthequoteon
myposterwasnotonlya,Oh,look,thehorsesaresadforeachotherdying.Itsafactthat
whatwasgoingthroughthehorsesmindswasnothinglessthanpurefrenzy,andthefactthat
theywerebeingsenttotheirdeaths.Itriedtoshockmyaudiencewiththedepressedhorses

expression,theredpaint,andthedarkquote.Iwantedpeopletolookatmyposterandthink,
Somethingisobviouslywronghere.Whatisgoingon?Andlookdeeperintohorseslaughter,
seeingitshiddenhorrorsforthemselves.Thetoneofmyposterwasdarkandserious.Iwanted
peopletogetchillswhentheylookedatit,becausethisissuchaseriousissue.Iportrayedthe
toneofmyposterbymyuseofcolors,andtheexpressionofthehorsealone.Grayandredare
notseenasupliftingcolors.Redoftensymbolizesblood,andgreyoftensymbolizesdepression,
anddarktimes.Whenthesecolorsarepairedtogether,itcreatesaneeryvibe.Thehorsewasalso
notinapasturesurroundedbysunshineanddaffodils.Itwasalone,inaseaofgrey,saturatedin
red,a.k.a,blood.Itwasntahorseanymore,itwasathing,athingpeoplehadlostallrespectand
concisenessfor.IlaidoutmyposterthewayIdid,tryingtoemphasizethatthehorsehadbeen
forgottenabout.Withthehorsesheadinthecorner,dulledwiththepaint,theimageofitwas
diluted.Thehorseslifewasslowlydriftingoutofthepicture,andbeingswallowedupbythe
seaofblood.Thequotewasinthemiddleofmyposter,becauseIwantedpeopletoshowthat
thisiswhathorseslivesareturningintowhentheyaresenttotheslaughterplant.Irefinedmy
posterbymakingtheredmoreprominent.Inmyfirstdraft,theonlythingthatwasredwasthe
horse,perfectlycoloredinthelines,anditmadethehorselookevil.So,inmyfinaldraft,Imade
suretomakeitlookliketheredpaintwassuffocatingthisinnocenthorse.Iwasproudofmy
finaldraft.IthinkIspentalotoftimethinkingabouthowIwantedtospeakforthehorses,and
howIwantedpeopletoreactwhentheysawmyartpiece.Ididntwanttoscarethemawaywith
imagesofbeatenandtrampledhorses,butIwantedittobeseriousenoughsothattheywantedto
learnmore.

Throughoutthisproject,IhavelearnedthatImakemydecisionsandformopinionsbyfocusing
onwhatismorallyright,insteadoffollowingthestandpointonmypoliticalbeliefs.Withmoral
dilemmas,Ithinkthatitismostimportanttofollowwhatyoufeelisright,notjustfocusingon
howeachdecisionwillhurtorhelpoureconomy,andwiththisprojectIhavelearnedthatin
mostcases,weputmoneyoverwhatisright.LearningaboutrhetoricdidntchangethewayI
listentootherpeoplesargumentsforwhattheybelievein.Ivealwaysbeenawarethatrhetoric
isverypresentinourpolitics,andeveryothercampaign.Ihave,however,lookeddeeperintothe
wayItalktopeople.Ivestartedtoaskmyself,areyoumakingafalsepromisehere?Areyou
reallygoingtofulfillthatgoal?Whatargumentsareyoumakingtopersuadeyouraudience?Are
youargumentscredible?BecauseIthinkthatinoursociety,peoplearelookingforthe
loopholesinotherpeopleswayoftalking,butweautomaticallyassumethatwerenotdoingit,
either.Ithinklearningaboutthemoralphilosophieshasaffectedmethemostinthisproject.I
likeapplyingthemtoeverydaysituations,andIthinkIconnectedandpaidthemostattention
whenwewerelearningaboutthem,andhowtherearesomanywaystolookatdifferent
situations.IthoughtitwasreallyinterestingwhichphilosophiesIconnectedwithitsareally
challengingwaytofindwhatyoubelievein,andstandfor.

IthinkthemainthingIlearnedaboutmyselfthroughoutthisproject,isthatIformmyopinions
basedonplainlywhatIbelieveisright,anditisahugechallengeformetohearanythingother
thanmyopinion.IhavetroublelisteningtowhatotherpeoplethinkifIstronglydisagreewith
it...butthroughthisprojectIhavelearnedhowtolistentootherpeoplesideas,andusereal,
credibleevidencetohaveanintellectualargumentwiththem.