Dual Vision

I bet the professor is sitting in his trench coat and fedora reveling in the readings that we are being assigned each week. Just Kidding.

As we dwell deeper into the class the structure and layout of the class is evident. This week we focused on a civil society and where and how it is derived. The main premise behind this weeks readings were to see how different groups of people saw civilization. From their many different perspectives we learn some things about ourselves. Our culture appears to be one of Greco-Roman heritage. The ideas that were presented seemed to agree with our way of life. I did my posting on civilians leading the military. We in the military see this quite often now. With the demands and financial constraints of the military, the military is outsourcing shore duty jobs to civilians because overall it is cheaper. The leaders of the military are civilians and are appointed by the president.

We are affected by the way they lead. They are not held to the same laws and standards that military personnel are held to. This was the one topic that affected me the most because it hits home. The presidential election this year will provide us with a new civilian in charge. A Senator who was a prisoner of war and a freshman Senator who is a lawyer by trade. I respect both of their records but they are not intune with the demands of todays military. We have Sailors, Soldiers, Airman and Marines fighting side-by-side on the ground because our military is stretched thin and we want to help our fellow servicemembers get the job done.

This class is put into succession so you can see how the society was created and how the laws and common western values fall in line. The sequencing is superb and should be required in all institutions of higher learning. The context makes you think and provides the opportunity to see things from other perspectives.

Week 2

Wow, what a week. This week was one of those weeks that had you scratching your head saying hmm. There were two stories that I think would cause a lot of controversy: The AntiChrist and A Postmodern Feminist Approach. The first story talked about how religion made people weak. The second story talked about the freeedom of sexual expression. Both of these stories have the potential to be very controversial. Overall the theme for the week was differentiating perception from reality. Many people have their own reality but the truth is the truth. Overall this class is a lot more interesting than I thought it would be. Truth be told, I like it (at least, this week). The correspondence on the message board is very good but I think can be elevated a bit with a little controversy.

First Week in Class

By far this is the hardest class that I have taken at Bellevue University. These are my last three classes and I am ready to finish my bachelors degree. I am taking this class because it is a degree requirement. I am not sure what to expect in the following weeks but I am sure that it will involve a lot of corresponding with my classmates. I think the university requires this class to heighten the awareness of issues and traditions in the western world. Some of the stories that were read this week were really enlightening but a common theme was that they apply to situations today and they call for reform of those situations. I am in the military and traditions are a big part of the military. Crossing the equator, crossing the date line, getting your sea legs are all traditions and rites of passage that a civilian may feel uncomfortable with but are parts of military service. I think my views are unique in the fact that I tell it like it is. I use book knowledge but I use common sense first and that is what guides me. Ths course is going to be interesting and I look forward to the next 10 weeks with all my classmates.