Who is the Modern Gadfly?

Back in the day, Socrates was considered a Gadfly.  He spoke his opinions, even if they were considered heretic, blasphemous or impious.  He questioned the order or things and the nature of society and the people within it.
Nowadays, we have many gadflies.  Those most famous are perhaps not as keenly philosophical on life as a whole as Socrates was.  Many instead question politics and government.  I believe Michael Moore is the example of a present day gadfly.  He has written many movies and documentaries that question the government and many of their institutions.  Some of his statements are more radical than others, but he does use researched facts and public opinions to support his claims and criticisms on American society nowadays.
The first time I was exposed to Michael Moore was in seventh grade.  My social studies teacher showed us his documentary, "Sicko".  In this documentary, Moore criticizes the American health insurance system.  He first addresses those in America who have been rejected under the system and could not get adequate care.  For example, one man chopped off two of his fingers in a construction accident.  When he arrived at the hospital, they told him insurance would charge him $60,000 to reattach the middle finger and $14,000 to reattach the ring finger.  The man picked the ring finger and to this day only has four fingers.  Even though the doctors could have performed the surgery to reattach both fingers, this difficult choice had to be made because a working class man did not have the funds to have a necessary medical procedure.  Under a working health care system no man should have to decide between fingers because he doesn't have money.
Michael Moore then films in foreign countries where they have alternate healthcare systems.  He traveled to Canada, France and Cuba.  In these places, healthcare is a social program and is free for everyone, just as public education is in America.  Moore visits clinics and hospitals and never ceases to be amazed when the final bill comes out to be $0.  There are even windows at which you can receive money after visiting the hospital to reimburse for the cost of travel.
Moore then asks the obvious question, "How come other countries, even Cuba, have better health insurance systems than the United States?"  It is a difficult question.  In his documentary he mainly shows the negatives of the U.S. healthcare system and the positives of other systems.  Perhaps the benefits and downfalls are not as extremely opposite as he portrays them to be.  But he still asks difficult questions that many government officials would rather he not ask.  In this way, he is the modern gadfly.

Is the Unexamined Life Worth Living?

Thousands of years ago, Socrates famously stated, "The unexamined life is not worth living".  He basically said, if we do not philosophize, our life is not worth living.  Because philosophy is examining why we do the things we do.  As a philosopher, Socrates naturally defies the unexamined life.  But what strikes me, is the extremity of his statement against people who do not philosophize:  "The unexamined life is not worth living".  He is saying that if you do not look at past actions, and reason through things, your life is worthless.

Maybe we need to look at what he meant.  What does it mean to live an unexamined life?  Well, we as humans are creatures of habit.  We grow accustomed to an action that fits our lifestyles and natural thought processes and it becomes routine.  We hold beliefs that they have been taught to us from childhood that have become second nature.  Why question it?  If what you do makes you happy and your beliefs cause no harm, why should you examine your choices?  

Well, some may argue that a happy life is not always a full life.  Even further, others may argue that even if people think they are happy, if they have not examined their life and their actions, they are ignorant to the flaws and faults that do exist in their lives.  

Also, we must think about society as a whole.  If we keep doing the same things we have always done and believe what we have always believed, society and human kind will go nowhere.  Is life worth living if we live just like the people before us did and the people before them did?  Do we not have an obligation to move forward and examine what should and can be fixed?

Personally, I can not imagine living a life unexamined.  For personal reasons, looking to the past is the only way that I can learn what not to do in the future.  As many have said "history repeats itself".

But, I would not go as far as saying "the unexamined life is not worth living".  Some people are happy living out routine and never questioning their beliefs.  That is their lives and I will not speak as to whether or not it is worthless.  

Eulogy

What can I say about Julia?  I feel like one day I looked over in division and she was there, and the next the desk was empty.  We didn't know each other all that long, but for the short time we did, I came to know a lot about her.  So, when I learned that she had perished in the mountains of Guatemala during a ferocious battle against a rabid honey badger I can't say I was surprised.  I knew her eventual demise would be the result of her stupid selflessness.  She always acted without thinking of the consequences in order to benefit others.  That's just the person she is.  So when I learned she had saved an innocent family of native groundhogs from an insane, famished, froth-mouthed honey badger I was not surprised at all.  I heard detailed recounts about how she "valiantly reached into open mouth of the honey badger, lined by razor sharp, jagged two inch long teeth to retrieve a shaking yet thankfully unharmed groundhog youngling from it's throat" and thought to myself 'that's my Julia!'.  No, I cannot say I was surprised by the way she died.  I was only surprised by how early it came.  She was so young.   I feel like one day I looked over in division and she was there, and the next the desk was empty.  The girl I had come to know and love in such a short time was now gone.  But I have come here, not to describe her tragic death, and say things that have already been said.  I have not come here to mourn that empty seat but to celebrate the life of the person that used to sit in it.

I asked myself, 'where do I start, there's so much to say'?  Well I guess all things have a beginning and that is where I will begin.  Julia and I were in the same division for over 3 years.  The first couple years we didn't talk much and I knew very little about her.  Actually, my first impression was that she was a very quiet person who believed she was better than everyone else and couldn't even bother talking to others her age.  But when I finally did start striking up conversations with her I realized she was just shy and actually had quite a lot to say.  One day early junior year, we got fliers advertising gallery 37 during division.  I jokingly asked if she wanted to do a painting after school program with me expecting "oh, I wish I could, but I'm busy with school, and life, etc.", but to my surprise she was very interested and eventually agreed to do it.  That simple yes changed our lives.  The spring we spent more time together than either of us had bargained for, talking and painting and getting to know each other.  But as time went on we both grew to love each other.  The road wasn't easy, there were some fights and frustration, but there was also lots of learning and laughing and I can say today I miss her with all my heart.  I can only hope that Julia is looking down from somewhere smiling and laughing and crying along with us.  I hope she knows that although her valiant attempts could not prevent the mother groundhog from being slain by the honey badger, her litter is still alive and I have adopted them as my own in her memory.  There were five in all, and I have named them Justice, Unity, Liberty, Independence and Alberta.  If anyone wishes to contribute to the habitation of these poor orphaned groundhogs, I have started a collection fund.  I'm sure Julia would have appreciated it.  Thank you all for coming today and thank you for celebrating the memory of a true friend of mine.  She will remain in our hearts and the hearts of groundhogs forever.