Part One: One paragraph summary of the key idea of the section: Why study morality?

We need to study morality because our morals determine how we should be living our lives. If we do not understand and define our moral values, then we will live our lives in chaos. We can help better understand our morals by looking in the past at moral issues in history. In our class we looked at Lynching Photography in America, and the racist circumstances that surrounded it. We also looked at Harry Chapin's "Cats in the Cradle" and some of Aesop's Fables. By looking at the stories, songs, and movies that define our morals, we can live our lives better with a better understanding of how we should be living. Understanding our morals will also help us notice moral issues more easily when they come up. By spotting moral issues more easily, we can avoid making the wrong moral decision more easily. A person can easily loose track of what his or her morals are and can quickly forget them in life. Too live morally, a person needs to work on their morals and that is why we should study morality.

Part Two:
A)What morality did you grow up with?
The "morality" that I grew up with all came from my family pretty much. My grandma used to read me these old Irish childrens folk tales that she had been told to by her mother and father and which she managed to find compiled in a book. My mom and dad told me the classic childrens fairy tales that many American kids here when they are 3-5. My dad always tried to teach me morals through the stories of Jesus but I cant say I ever really listened to those stories as a young kid. I didnt find those stories very exciting, and so didnt listen, which frustrated my dad alot. I also learned alot of my morals through TV shows and childrens books. My favorites were the Bernstein Bears Books and Curious George Series. I remember watching the TV show versions of the books on TV or on VHS. I also watched the "Dennis the Menace" cartoon TV show on Saturday mornings alot . It didn’t have so much to do with right morals, but I remember whenever my dad was watching too and I laughed at something mean Dennis did, he would ask me, "We don’t do that, right Matt?" Of all the moral lessons my parents taught me, the top two were probably as follows: Be determined(basically Don’t be Lazy) and Follow the rules of the Church.

B) Cite a song that has a strong moral message that affects you even today.
  Lynyrd Skynyrd's is about a man who grew up as a boy dreaming of making his fortune in music. He didn’t care for school, the rules, and his father thought he was a useless bum. All he did as a boy we dream of making a living playing music. So when his opportunity came to leave town and make his fortune in rock n' roll, the boy took the first plane he could get. After achieving success, he returns home to prove his parents wrong and show them how good he was doing for himself. But he comes home to find that his parents have died. The moral issue of the song is in the man's lamenting over whether he was right or wrong for leaving home. This had an affect on me because as a kid my parents never squashed my dreams, no matter how outlandish they were. But as I grew older I started to realize that maybe all those sweet things that I had dreamt about weren’t for me. Maybe I shouldn’t live that life and have all those things. This is the same question that the man in the song is challenged with. "Was I Right or Wrong" for leaving home and trying to fulfill my dreams?

C) We tend to assume the ideas, values, feelings, with whom we associate. Cite one value you have unconsciously acquired from those with whom you spend time. This can be either good or bad or just different and unique.
One value that I have acquired from those who I hang out with is the value of being unique. I think the person I acquired this trait from the most is my Uncle Mike. My Uncle is a man who is an avid music listener, social worker, and outdoorsmen and has absolutely no problem with who he is. He is also my godparent and so I spend a lot more time with him than any of my other aunts or uncles. He doesn’t necessarily value uniqueness and individualism, but just the fact that he himself is an individual and like no other person I know, makes me value it. Because I enjoy such a good relationship with him, I value that same trait in everyone else.