A Good Song

                                                             "Still Waiting"

[Chorus:]
So am I still waiting
For this world to stop hating
Can't find a good reason
Can't find hope to believe in

Drop dead
A bullet to my head
Your words are like a gun in hand
You can't change the state of the nation
We just need some motivation

These eyes
Have seen no conviction
Just lies and more contradiction
So tell me what would you say
I'd say it's time too late....

[Chorus:]
So am I still waiting
For this world to stop hating
Can't find a good reason
Can't find hope to believe in

Ignorance
And understanding
We're the first ones to jump in line
Out of step for what we believe in
But who's left to stop the bleeding

How far
Will we take this
It's not hard to see through the fakeness
So tell me what would you say
I'd say it's time too late

[Chorus]

This can't last forever
Time won't make things better
I feel so alone
Can't help myself
And no one knows
If this is worthless, tell me so

What have we done
with a war that can't be won
This can't be real
Cause I don't know what to feel

[Chorus:]
So am I still waiting
For this world to stop hating
Can't find a good reason
Can't find hope to believe

So am I still waiting
For this world to stop hating
Can't find a good reason
For this world to BELIEVE

The song that inspires me very much is "Still Waiting" by Sum 41. I like it because it illustrates the young people's desperate feelings toward this unreasonable world. As a rock song, "Still Waiting" interprets an image of the anti-war ideology. The theme is a strong objection to wars, but Sum 41 tries to input some implicit messages. As far as I'm concerned, this song not only calls out the repressed discontent of the young generation, but also encourages courage for those who want to resist the reality. The discontent comes from two aspect. Firstly, the young rebels get annoyed by others' manipulation. They want to make choices by themselves, instead of receiving unwise commands from others. Secondly, the world makes the young feel hopeless. Realizing that changing the world is impossible, these young men shout out their oppose to wars and those who play with power. So are they "waiting for this world to stop hating." Personally, whenever I hear this song, it gives me strength to keep fighting. The music can release my repressed emotions and catalyzes a warrior's spirit.

Just laws are hard to make just citizens

Definitely speaking, the just laws are not made in the purpose of creating good and just citizens. However, law does influence the environment of a state, and therefore shapes the characteristics of its citizens. No matter how many years have passed, Lycophron’s view of law as “a surety to one another of justice” is always true. On the other hand, though the law “has no real power to make the citizens good and right” (Aristotle, A Definition of Justice), immoral behaviors are prohibited or restricted as a result of just laws pushing toward common senses of goodness, and a stable and secure society could thereby be established.

Such relation applies to our own time and place as well. For example, the modern legislative and judicial system of the United States was created to be a protective mechanism for civil rights including life, property and freedom. In case someone breaks the law, he or she would be punished and afterwards remind others to abandon similar guilty in their minds. If the United States has no law, then criminals and gangsters would dominate this nation; in the consequence, good and just citizens no longer exist because of accompanying psychological pollution with crimes.

Despite the law stands on the side of moral righteousness, the reality illustrates overwhelming difficulties confronted by a nation. To use laws to help make its citizens good and just, is the same as to utilize collars to maintain brute animals tame. Human beings should have their free will to make decisions. Forcing people to act and believe in certain rules and values is like brainwash. For example, the first emperor of Ming Dynasty of China, Zhu Yuanzhang, was a beggar. After seizing the power, he made extremely just laws to punish corrupted officials in the hope that the people could be changed to be good and just. However, his cruel methods of punishment such as peeling the skin spread hallucination in the country. In the contrast of his expectation, a lot of officials still made illegal money because of low income.

Moreover, laws inevitably represent the ruling class’s will, as mentioned in Plato’s masterpiece Republic-- justice is “the interest of the stronger.” In other words, justice itself is usually defined by the strongest, either with monetary or political power. In this case, the just laws must have real power to judge the most powerful person. A good instance would be the Watergate scandal. Although President Nixon attempted to distort the truth, he was unable to justify himself in front of the court. More specifically, the law is difficult to help make its citizens good and just, but the just law can put the rulers in cage.

Overall, the relationship between the law and the citizen’s moral value is indirect. Just laws could make just citizens, but it is very difficult. Instead of pursuing unattainable absolute fair society, the laws could only create an environment of relative justice, where good citizens are able to live.

The meaning of Independence

Independence is an essential quality for determining the relationship among countries, states and colonies. For instance, The Declaration of Independence is a well-known document declaring the separation of 13 American colonies from the British control. In general, the word is frequently used while related to the idea of resisting subordination and gaining freedom as a nation.

Despite the fact that most people appreciate independence, the possible consequences of completely separation always lie in the most fabulous shadow. Basically, no one could predict the future. A recent example of this characteristic is the Scotland's vote for getting independence from the Great Britain. Though Prime Minister Cameron has promised to offer Scotland more rights, funds and political freedom, a large number of Scottish believe independence of Scotland would give them a better life. In other words, the action of seeking independence could be a sorrowful divorce, or an opportunity to change.

According to human history, the process of requiring independence accompanies with blood and tears. Revolutions and wars are twin brothers who re-draft the world map now and then. A country could not be considered to be independent without a sustainable government. A good example would be Iraq. The nation Iraq had been dependent on the U.S. for years because of regional disorders. After American troops left, Iraq could not be regarded as an independent country since religious conflicts are over the government's control. The establishment of ISIS, an extreme anti-humanitarian organization, has proved the inability of Iraq government. Therefore, Iraq does not own independence and still relies on the military support from the western world.

More specifically, the meaning of independence is always shown in its effects on us. No matter how the outcome would be, We The People keep exploring individual independence, sometimes as a larger group. After realizing personal will to change, we address ourselves towards a ideal status. Such is human nature that adults make a living by themselves, and such human nature forms our dignity and integrity.