My 102 class went to a talk given by Hildago about civil disobedience to immigration laws, which introduced me to this topic. His paper was a more comprehensive explanation, and it gave me a deeper understanding. I found the distinction between “doing” and “allowing” to be very interesting. It is similar to what we talked about in class, that people are much more willing incur higher risks if it means they are allowing something to happen, rather than doing something that has lower risks. This distinction has even deeper levels when you consider the morality of the choice. When it comes to immigration laws, I agree with Hildago that the choice to not do something (as in not follow the law) is the more moral option, and worth the risk of punishment. In the talk he gave last semester, he discussed the different types of civil disobedience as well. People often have an idea that civil disobedience must be grand gestures that call a great deal of attention. However, with immigration laws in particular, civil disobedience can be much more discrete. There is merit and importance in public, attention-grabbing disobedience. However, people have a moral duty to disobey in daily life as well.

I was not familiar at all with the topic of Dr. Flanigan’s paper, but it was very informative. Initially, I was surprised because the only arguments on prescription use that I have been exposed to are in regard to the opioid crisis. She provides many compelling points like the DIC perspective, epistemic authority and bodily autonomy. The idea of deferring to the patient’s judgment about treatment options was something I have never considered, and while I imagine I would personally have some insecurities and doubts if I had the final say in choosing my medicine, it is a strong argument overall. She addresses the counter arguments of dangerous drugs and addiction, which are topics I would like to read more about. I worry that even a rational person could be told the risks and benefits of a drug, then still make a decision that is bad for their health because of their biases or unwillingness to change their mind. However, doctors have biases too so perhaps this is already the case. I cannot say whether I agree or disagree with Flanigan’s argument, but it is a topic that I would like to follow up on.