Character Development and Service to Others

I viewed an interview of Dr. Morris Dees on YouTube. Dr. Dees described how when he was first starting out in the civil rights movement he had to go against the establishment to help the poor and African Americans. This turned the community against him because he made a decision that he felt was right but many did not find popular. I think that this relates to what we have been discussing in class in regards to leading a virtuous life. In order to develop your own character and be virtuous, you need to do things as an individual and not just because society believes it is the right thing to do. You need to keep the dignity of others in mind when you make your decisions, but that does not mean you should blindly follow what other people believe is the right thing to do. You need to make your own decision. In this case, Dr. Dees went against the popular sentiment at the time and instead defended those who needed help. He did what was right for human dignity and went against what was popular.

Dr. Dees provided a great service to others by defending African Americans and poor people during the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s. Many members of the community turned on him after he defended people of the opposite race, but Dr. Dees continued his service to the less fortunate. He said that many types of people get blamed for things that are not their fault, and that often times people are just looking for someone that they can blame. By doing what was considered by many to be unpopular, Dr. Dees managed to help many lives that otherwise would have been unfairly discriminated against.