Modern Gadfly

gad·fly
a person who stimulates or annoys especially by persistent criticism

It took me a while to figure out other people in our culture and society today that would fit into this definition just as well, if not better than Socrates. It was difficult because as we all know, Socrates was the epitome of a gadfly; never taking anything for its face value. I finally concluded that Ralph Nader was a gadfly of modern times.
Ralph Nader has been involved in politics, law, and even activism. He has even been able to gain so much publicity off his activism that he has followers called “Nader’s Raiders”. He has just about questioned everything from the ecology’s state to car safety to humans rights. He seems to disregard authority and the beliefs that the system should go by, instead he questions it and tries to come up with ways in which we can improve the system.
Nader was the only one who seemed to inquire on minutia that many others seemed to overlook. While many people took increasing car accidents as normal, Nader questioned it. He spoke up against car manufacturers such as Chevrolet, stating how unsafe their cars were and the amount of lives they were taking. Nobody else even came close to questioning the cause as much as Nader did but by the end Nader had convinced manufacturers about the need for safety belts and stronger windshields. This in a sense, is a parallel to how Socrates was able to win over his opponents into realizing that they had no idea as to what they were saying.
Nader was able to touch onto several if not many other subjects in his activism. He questioned how safe and clean the environment really was during a time in which no one else seemed to care or notice about the pressing issue at hand. All this persistence in his beliefs led him to become a presidential candidate four times for the Green Party. Although he did not win these elections, his activism and determination has left a legacy just the way Socrates’ questioning and philosophy did.