Comments about ‘The institution trumps the individual’

I'm still in the Twilight Zone, but thanks DN for printing such an excellent article.

It's not just government, but universities, religions, corporations and other institutions that place themselves above the individual. Institutional interests become more important than all else, and this is wrong. Institutions are supposed to facilitate the needs of people, not the other way around. I know some don't like to hear it, but Christ talk about the one. What a lesson that has been lost, even by churches that profess to follow those teachings.

I totally agree with Mr. Florez in this instance. Our nation, our world, and our quality of life has become subservient to the larger structures surrounding us.

No matter how involved we become with government functions, it's currently almost impossible to bring the interests of individuals to the fore. Currently, in my city, the best interests of over 100,000 individual residents may be set aside in order to serve the interests of a handful of powerbrokers seeking to benefit themselves. I see this happening all around us. Very sad.

That said, there is a remedy. Speak up, become and stay involved, and never give up hope. With enough determination and massive numbers of individuals, things can and will improve.

I have a few personal practices that seem to work. When I get a call on an automated system. I hang up. When I make a call to an auto asnwer system, I listen to the options and take the one that after a wait, get me a live person.

If Mr. Florez didn't have the big corporate voice of the Deseret News to amplify his ideas, would anyone even read Mr. Florez's thoughts?

Before "knocking" every establishment, "establishments that people have voted for with their pocketbooks which made those establishments "large", perhaps Mr. Florez should thank the Deseret News CORPORATION for letting him express his ideas.

The common man shops at Wal-Mart.

The common man buys books at Barnes and Noble.

The common man watches movies made by Universal.

The common man drives a car made by Ford or GM or Chysler.

The common man drinks milk provided by a corporation.

Many common men in Utah attend a church whose business activities are run by "The Corporation of the President".

Corporations are run by people. They are owned by people. Their business policies and practices are decided by people. Corporations are not "evil". Some people are "evil". Some people take advantage of others. People have been defrauded by a "one-man" garage owner, or a "one-man" butcher shop, or a "one-man" legal office, or a "one-man" computer shop. Size does not make a business evil.