Dear Me

Dear Me,
 Writing my letter to Congress and having to relate my knowledge of Herskovits, Rachels, and Sam Harris was a challenging experience in many ways, and it also forced me to think about and consider perspectives on issues that i wouldn't normally be exposed to or spend time researching. It was eye-opening to read some of the things that i found in my sources for the letter, and it challenged both my own writing comfort zone and my ability to objectively analyze such emotionally charged material. It was difficult to take myself out of the letter and make it as unbiased and informative as possible, and i found it hard not to let my voice start introducing an argument when discussing the issue as well as how it pertained to each writer. Because the ethical dilemma of FGM is so connected to issues which i have strong personal opinions about such as cultural relativism and morality, it wasn't easy to take an objective approach.
Our discussion of cultural relativism and cultural and moral values definitely touched on some of the larger questions i've had about morality in general, and it facilitated a lot of interesting thought and healthy consideration on my part. I am still conflicted about whether i believe in a higher set of universal moral standards, but I also and reluctant to accept the idea of meaningless moral values that are purely self-implied and can vary infinitely based on the time and place. I learned to better recognize when i unconsciously make judgments or decisions based on my own moral tendencies, and although i try to keep my thoughts from being influenced by preconceived notions and bias i am more aware of when i do it without necessarily realizing it. While working on the assignment i was reminded not to take for granted the things that seemed intuitively right or wrong to me, and to truly examine those feelings and the reasons behind them.
Signed,
Yourself