A632.5.4.RB - How Protected are Your Protected Values

After reading about protected values and working on the concept map it has opened my eyes on what I feel are my protected values.  I had to think about what my protected values were and how I was and am willing to go to protect them. Growing up where and how I did my value system was different. The only will “value “ that I had was my word, you stood by your word. And there were no inconsistences with your word, you either lived or died for your word.

            But I seen and learned in the corporate world there are inconsistences in protected values. I’ve even learned that I myself will sacrifice my values and what I believe in if the cost of what I’m wiling to buy is to high.

            Three of your major protected values are freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, and the fair and equal treatment of everyone. Yes, I know my protected values sound like those of the US Constitution. But I do believe in these values and until this module never really considered my own personal inconsistences.

            When I joined the National Guard then Army out of high school and fought in Desert Storm, I believed in my duty, in my leadership, even I my President (even if I didn’t vote for him or like him for that matter, but I was a solider and will always respect the office). But now even after working as a civilian contractor in Operation Iraqi Freedom I feel I sacrificed my values of everyone being treated fair and with equal treatment. But the now so-called War on Terror, I think is an unfair and unjust war against Islam. I think that a small number of extremist are giving those that need only a small reason to hate those not like them a reason to persecute millions of peaceful people. When the same group that likes to hate have radical extremist here in the US prying on a race of people for more then 400 years in the name of Christianity have never been called what they are TERRORIST nor hunted down and destroyed. The price for me to pay for standing up, speaking out, or going into some kind of action was to high. I didn’t want to risk my piece of the American “dream”. It was easier to hunt and persecute then to stand up.

            The next two examples can be group together, but that’s just the problem neither wants to be categorized together. Transgender restrooms and universal health care. With both of these examples I believe in the health and welfare of others, everyone being treated fair, and with equal treatment. But both even pushed and tested my resolve.

            I believe that as humans there are certain things we all have a right. I think that government has to right to tell others who they are. That between that person and their god, we the general are not the judge of how someone else should live. But my values where but to the test with the gender equity restroom rules. I think that transgender people have rights and should be equally, but I also think that one else’s right should not infringe on others. Corporations should have the chose if they want to provide a third option by building a third restroom they can. But forcing the general public to feel uncomfortable in the restrooms out in public is a much to high of a price to pay.

            I also think everyone should have the basic health care. And in the US we all do. I grew up watch people become dependent, lazy, and have the since of entitlement. I also watch as my parents struggle to provide and be an example of what you need to do to be successful. I want everyone to be able have access to good medical care, but not at the extra expense to my family and me.

            Looking back on these protected values I realize that there are certain things I am willing to give up to keep these values true and it helps influence my decisions I make.  Using the models from the Decision Maker text has also taught me how to evaluate these values and to make changes to keep more in line with these values.