I think that many people respect nature because they have come to realize that without it our lives would be more hard to get through, because if there were no nature there would be no trees and without tress there would be no paper and without paper there would be no dictionaries, newspapers, and other paper things that make our life�s easier.
In what ways is nature considered powerful?
It is considered powerful because there are good things that nature can do to us. For example the current earthquake that took place and then a tsunami, which killed 100,000s of people. Nature really takes control of our lives because it may decide to have a nice sunny, warm day, or it may cause an earthquake like in San Francisco and other deadly earthquakes that have taken place.
When people say they wish to, �simplify their lives� what do you think they mean?
Many people may think differently but what I think they wan to �simplify their lives� means that they want machines and other things to do their work to make their lives easier. Like now they have computers/machines that make cars for us, all we have to do is make sure that they are in working condition and that nothing wrong is happening. Back in the earlier days I don�t think that there were machines to do everyone�s job like there is now. I think that we have the technology that makes our lives easier. And they want to simplify their lives because they don�t want things so complicated.
Without changing your lifestyle or responsibilities, how could you, �simplify�, your life?
Well I think that everyone has simplified their lives once they have bought a computer. Because the computer has now made everyone�s life more simple. Before you had to write it on paper, and once you were done you had to make correction, like looking through the dictionary and making sure that you didn�t misspell a word. Now all you have to do on a computer is just type and on many programs it will tell you once you have made an error and it will give you options as to the word that you wanted to spell. The internet has also simplified our lives. Like now everything is on the internet music, encyclopedias, and other useful stuff.
Many claim that we live in a materialistic society. What does this mean?
It means that now everything and anything is available to the people. It means when people are obsessed with materialistic things like brand clothes like Abercrombie, American Eagle, Hollister, A|X, Burberry and other expensive brands.
Social and civic responsibility is becoming increasingly meaningful for many. If you could protest one social, civic, or community issue or practice, what would it be and why?
I would protest about big companies that just dumb their trash anywhere that they want to. They pay the government so much money that the government gets sucked into it that they take their money. Like the cigarette companies I bet that they pay a lot of money to the government or other people so that they wont get shut down and so that they won�t make smoking illegal.
Is our government too involved at times, or not involved enough in the lives of the people?
I think that the government is involved just right. Because I wouldn�t want the government to be too close to the people because without it we would go into chaos. I think that it is good for it to be close so that everything is kept under control.
Are taxes good things? How do you feel about paying income and sales tax?
I think that it is good because if it weren�t for us paying taxes, where would the people that have committed crimes be? They would still be out doing other bad stuff to the community. And paying taxes is also good because it keeps our communities cleaner, and safer by us having policemen, firemen, and other people that help us out, the navy, army, FBI, CIA, ect.
Does all knowledge come from the five senses? Are there higher truths and concepts whose presence or existence cannot be proven or sustained by the five senses?
No because there are other things that people feel about something else they might think differently, and other things.