If You Can't Do the Time...

My initial idea for how to make the world a better place was to try to lower the crime rate. My plan for how to do that was to use the system of reward and punishment, and reward people who report crimes that are being committed, and to punish the people who are committing crimes. I want to say that the reward for reporting crimes would be something like extra money on tax returns at the end of the year. As for what the punishment would be for people who are going around committing crimes, I have to be honest and say that I’m on the fence about it. It could be jail, but jail might not be effective as all it would do is overfill the jails and then that would be a different problem. It could be a severe punishment like loss of limb or death which would deter some people but that seems a little bit too over the top. As you can see I’m a little stuck on the “How” part of my plan but I think that this would be a good idea in terms of making the world a better place because the ultimate goal would be that the crime rates would decrease. It would also do wonders in terms of decreasing the issue of the bystander effect, which is an instance where people see crimes or someone in need but don’t do anything to help or put a stop to the situation for various reasons. In other words, I feel that in rewarding the people who report crimes, it will motivate people to care about one another and help each other out if the need arises. While the “How” of my plan is a little rough, I’m open to suggestions on how to punish criminals without making the punishment as extreme.

Appreciating Those Around You

These days, it seems as if friends come and go as frequently as the seasons change. Sometimes people do not take the time to truly appreciate those friends and loved ones who have been around for the long haul; the ups and downs, the good and the bad times. 

I, like many other people, have had my fair share of heartbreaks and personal struggles, but my closest friends and loved ones are the people who have helped me to make it out relatively unscathed. 

Image courtesy of livingthebalancedlife.com

Who hasn't had a rough patch in their life? I mean, we are all humans, and nobody is perfect. (Just take a look at how Lindsay Lohan has turned out!) As humans who err, we need those people who will always be there for us-and who we will always be there for when the shoe is on the other foot. 

In Erin's perfect world, friends would take the time to show each other that they care and are thankful to have that person in their life. To do this, one would take a little bit of time to hand make something for a friend. It does not even have to cost you money. Simply writing "I'm so glad we're friends!" on a piece of paper and slipping it under their door will suffice. 

Image courtesy of blogs.babble.com/dadding

This first week of school has been anything but Erin's perfect world. It seems that I am the only one out of my friends who has been assigned homework in every class! But, one day while I was printing out syllabi, I remembered that my friend had started her first day of job training at a very nice Frederick restaurant that will remain unnamed. 

Image courtesy of Adam Leviton

Alright, I cannot keep it a secret any longer: the restaurant is Volt, so you can only imagine how intense job training is there. I mean, this poor friend got a stapled packet of all the rules she has to follow, right down to the stipulations of wearing eyebrow pencil. (By the way, I did not know people even wear eyebrow pencil unless their brows are completely waxed off.)

I digress.

After printing, I opened up a fresh Word document and typed a little note wishing this friend a good day at work and saying that I was excited to hang out that evening. I slid it under her door (she conveniently lives in my hall) and went along my merry way. 

Nothing was in it for me. I did not expect one thing in return, and that concept is the foundation of my plan for a better world. People are too concerned about what they will get out of things they do. Go grocery shopping, you will get gas points! Donate money to our art museum, you will get your name on a plaque so everyone sees how rich you are! 

Image courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org

That type of culture disgusts me. People should practice kindness to all, and generosity from the heart. Trust me when I say this, doing something when you expect not one thing in return feels great. When I ran into my friend later, she said that my simple note that took me one minute to make made her day. I was so pleased to hear that my words could add at least one smile into a friend's day.

So I challenge YOU to make something for a friend tomorrow. Yes, I know you have class, but if it took me a minute to type a one-sentence note, you can find something to give a friend to let them know you care!

City on a Hill

     With all the strife, pain, and suffering in the world, we often find ourselves asking what we can do to make the world a better place.

     I'm not proposing something radical, like unifying the world under a single government; rather, my plan involves people doing something very, very small: daily random acts of kindness.

     Throughout our history, we have often wanted to build a better community: the “City on a Hill.” (Notice that I said “better,” not “perfect”). Doing random and meaningful acts of kindness will build that city, brick by brick.

     But how would we achieve something so radical and fundamentally in contrast to the greed that permeates the heart and soul of every human being? Well, we can't force people to be kind; that just takes all of the meaning out of the act. We also can't give incentives to people for being kind; not only do we not have enough money to do that (hello, deficit), but that's also meaningless. (*Cough cough* tax deductions).

     I think the most effective route would be if a group of like-minded individuals gathered together and began doing such acts of kindness. Through their example, others might be inspired to participate, which would lead to a domino effect of exponential kindness. A similar method (without such a focus on kindness) can be seen in the development of the organization/zeitgeist Anonymous.

For those of you not familiar with Anonymous, you may want to check this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anonymous_%28group%29 (Yeah, it's Wikipedia, but I've managed to corroborate almost all of the information in that article. Simply put, it's true. I am also willing to provide external corroborating links upon request).

     These people had a dream, they came together, and they acted on it. Now, as the Wikipedia page states, “In 2012, Time named Anonymous as one of the most influential groups in the world.” If something so powerful can come out of a meme on 4chan, imagine what a large group of technologically linked people (minus the hacking, please) with a shared commitment to kindness can accomplish. If we actually join together, then a movement of charity could occur very easily.

     Why should we try something like this? Because people need help, regardless of who they are, that's why. (Notice I didn't say “deserve”). Helping someone at his or her moment of need is one of the best ways of making a lasting impact on someone, especially a good one. And perhaps that person will feel motivated to help another person later, which will help to make the world even better.

“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

                                       - 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NKJV)

"O stand, stand at the window
As the tears scald and start;
You shall love your crooked neighbor
With your crooked heart."
                  - W. H. Auden, "One Evening"

(Headless photo taken from above Wikipedia link about Anonymous. Unity photo from farazairoz.blogspot.com)