Joseph Flora, a university professor, once included Shane in a course he conducted on American literature. He found the student’s aversion to the character of Shane interesting, and rationalized it with this statement: “At century’s end, in post-Vietnam America, believing in Shane’s kind of heroism and selflessness is hard, as is believing in a characterContinue reading “You Can’t Run Away Forever: Confronting a Dark Past (Part 2 of 2)”
Tag Archives: Academic
You Can’t Run Away Forever: Confronting a Dark Past (Part 1 of 2)
Former president Lyndon B. Johnson once said, “We can draw lessons from the past, but we cannot live in it;” he would certainly know something about regretting the past. Among his many acts as President, he is remembered by most for escalating American involvement in the Vietnam War, from 16,000 American soldiers in 1963 toContinue reading “You Can’t Run Away Forever: Confronting a Dark Past (Part 1 of 2)”
Casting a Ballot with a Clear Conscience (Part 2 of 2)
However, no one said that being a sovereign voter would be easy. Indeed, when looking at the media, in reference to politics at least, it seems impossible to make a decision that is uninfluenced by other’s when one’s only resources are biased information. Left-leaning newspapers, right wing talk shows, radical blogs – in politics, everyoneContinue reading “Casting a Ballot with a Clear Conscience (Part 2 of 2)”
Casting a Ballot with a Clear Conscience (Part 1 of 2)
Most people have seen or been a target of programs attempting to promote voter turnout. “Rock the Vote”, one of the better known voter turnout organizations, attempts to encourage the younger generation to register and cast their ballots for presidential elections. According to their website, rockthevote.com, more than 1.2 million young people used the RockContinue reading “Casting a Ballot with a Clear Conscience (Part 1 of 2)”
Experience and Actuality: Voltaire’s Criticism of Armchair Philosophers (Part 3 of 3)
Yet, after putting the full hypocrisy of humanity on display, after chastising the armchair philosophers of his time, Voltaire offers a path of hope to those who wish, much like Candide does, to find a way to go through this life and find enlightenment. At the end of Candide, the ramshackle group of wanderers haveContinue reading “Experience and Actuality: Voltaire’s Criticism of Armchair Philosophers (Part 3 of 3)”