Why I Choose Political Science

People often ask me why I want to major in political science. They know I love to write, and so usually assume I am going to be an English major. I do love to write; it’s a part of me that will never fade, but there is another desire that is close to my heart, and this is a desire for justice. I see injustice all over the world, but nothing frustrates me more than seeing injustice and corruption in America.

America is the home of the brave, but also of honor, liberty, truth and justice. I believe that all five of those intrinsically American ideals are in danger, and I feel strongly called to take action personally. I am an ardent patriot and I think it is the duty of Americans not only to take what America can give, but to uphold her values with our own lives. It is a crime to murder, steal and cheat. I believe it is also a crime not to confront those offenses. However, the biggest crime of all is to allow an innocent person to be convicted or repressed, whether by a fellow citizen or even the government.

Acquiring a degree in political science would prepare me not only to fight injustice, but to quell the corruption I see developing in our government. America is a strong, beautiful nation founded on strong, beautiful principles. However, every day I see more of those founding principles violated or ignored. Government officials find ways to circumvent the system of checks and balances; they take more unapproved power every day. I believe this is not only an unjust use of power, but a demonstration of a lack of integrity.

America is headed in a direction that is not brave, honorable, free, true or just. The question I ask myself is “What can I do?” I go back to the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, looking at the founding principles of America. So many virtues that were once upheld strongly have fallen. I believe it is the duty of the people to look at their God-given rights, at the principles the country was founded on, and take action. America can only do so much without the help of her citizens. Action must be taken to restore integrity to our country, and to save her people from the injustices that mount daily. That is why I chose to major in political science.

~Kendra Logan

I Remember.

I was seven. I was in my kitchen with Lizzy and Matt, my little siblings. We were doing homeschool. We were doing handwriting.

The phone rang. My mom answered. Her expression turned startled and frightened. That got our attention.

"Who is it, Momma?"

"Momma, what's wrong?"

She didn't answer us. She went into the living room.

We were seven and five years old. Our attention spans were short. She left the room, we forgot about it.

Then we heard the TV go on in the living room.

Hey, no fair. If Mom gets to watch TV during school time, so do we.

We almost leapt up and went into the living room, but my mom came out seconds later and went to my dad's study. What was up?

She returned with my dad seconds later. They went back into the living room. I heard my mom saying something about "My mom called...she told me..."

More muffled voices. Matt and Lizzy and I exchanged glances. What was up?

My mom poked her head in the doorway. "Hey, guys? We want you to see this."

TV DURING SCHOOL? Oh yes. We ran into the living room.

It was news on TV. News? News was boring. But why was this such a big deal?

Towers. We saw towers. Towering building, towering smoke. Plans. Fire. Crumbling.

"Some people flew planes into the Twin Towers," my mom explained. I'd never seen her look like that before. Like she was trying hard to be calm. Like she was holding in a great sadness. "Lots of people work there. Lots of people have died."

Matt, Lizzy and I watched.

"Why?" I asked.

I don't remember what she said.

"Go get some blank paper and draw a picture," she suggested to us. "Draw what you see."

I drew a building with debris flying. I remember being very detailed about it. I could feel this was important. I remember being careful to draw on cords on the blinds of the windows.

Lizzy drew the building too. She drew fire and stick people.

Matt drew the building. He drew debris he drew...raindrops?

Momma: "Matt, what are those?"

Matt: "Those are God's tears."

~Kendra

>insert title here<

A science professor begins his school year with a lecture to the students,'Let me explain the problem science has with religion.' The atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of his new students to stand.

'You're a Christian, aren't you, son?'

'Yes sir,' the student says.

'So you believe in God?'

'Absolutely.'

'Is God good?'

'Sure! God's good.'

'Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?'

'Yes.'

'Are you good or evil?

'The Bible says I'm evil.'

The professor grins knowingly.'Aha! The Bible!' He considers for a moment.'Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help him? Would you try?'

'Yes sir, I would.'

'So you're good...!'

'I wouldn't say that.'

'But why not say that? You'd help a sick and maimed person if you could. Most of us would if we could. But God doesn't.'

The student does not answer, so the professor continues.'He doesn't, does he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer, even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Hmmm? Can you answer that one?'

The student remains silent.

'No, you can't, can you?' the professor says. He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax.

'Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?'

'Er...yes,' the student says.

'Is Satan good?'

The student doesn't hesitate on this one.'No.'

'Then where does Satan come from?'

The student falters.'From God'

'That's right. God made Satan, didn't he? Tell me, son. Is there evil in this world?'

'Yes, sir.'

'Evil's everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything, correct?'

'Yes.'

'So who created evil?' The professor continued,'If God created everything, then God created evil, since evil exists, and according to the principle that our works define who we are, then God is evil.'

Again, the student has no answer.'Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things, do they exist in this world?'

The student squirms on his feet.'Yes.'

'So who created them?'

The student does not answer again, so the professor repeats his question.'Who created them?' There is still no answer. Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace in front of the classroom. The class is mesmerized.'Tell me,' he continues onto another student.'Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?'

The student's voice betrays him and cracks.'Yes, professor, I do.'

The old man stops pacing.'Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?'

'No sir. I've never seen Him.'

'Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?'

'No, sir, I have not.'

'Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your Jesus? Have you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or God for that matter?'

'No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't.'

'Yet you still believe in him?'

'Yes.'

'According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?'

'Nothing,' the student replies.'I only have my faith.'

'Yes, faith,' the professor repeats.'And that is the problem science has with God. There is no evidence, only faith.'

The student stands quietly for a moment, before asking a question of His own.'Professor, is there such thing as heat?'

'Yes,' the professor replies.'There's heat.'

'And is there such a thing as cold?'

'Yes, son, there's cold too.'

'No sir, there isn't.'

The professor turns to face the student, obviously interested. The room suddenly becomes very quiet. The student begins to explain.'You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, unlimited heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We can hit up to 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold; otherwise we would be able to go colder than the lowest -458 degrees.'

'Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-458 F) is the total absence of heat. You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.'

Silence across the room. A pen drops somewhere in the classroom, sounding like a hammer.

'What about darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?'

'Yes,' the professor replies without hesitation.'What is night if it isn't darkness?'

'You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something; it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light, but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word.'

'In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?'

The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This will be a good semester.'So what point are you making, young man?'

'Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with, and so your conclusion must also be flawed.'

The professor's face cannot hide his surprise this time.'Flawed? Can you explain how?'

'You are working on the premise of duality,' the student explains.'You argue that there is life and then there's death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought.'

'It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, just the absence of it.'

'Now tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?'

'If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do.'

'Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?'

The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he realizes where the argument is going. A very good semester, indeed.

'Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a preacher?'

The class is in uproar. The student remains silent until the commotion has subsided.

'To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, let me give you an example of what I mean.'

The student looks around the room.'Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor's brain?' The class breaks out into laughter.

'Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain, felt the professor's brain, touched or smelt the professor's brain? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, with all due respect, sir.'

'So if science says you have no brain, how can we trust your lectures, sir?'

Now the room is silent. The professor just stares at the student, his face unreadable.

Finally, after what seems an eternity, the old man answers.'I guess you'll have to take them on faith.'

'Now, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists with life,' the student continues.'Now, sir, is there such a thing as evil?'

Now uncertain, the professor responds,'Of course, there is. We see it everyday. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil.'

To this the student replied,'Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light.'

The professor smiles and nods at his student. Albert Einstien.

You

I'm studying DNA and genes in biology this week; you know, what makes you, you. Your DNA controls your physical characteristics almost entirely. You can lift weights or something to get stronger, of course, but there's actually a limit to how far you can go. Your DNA determines that limit.

But what about our thoughts and personalities? I've been told that I "act just like my mom" sometimes, but is that because of my DNA, or my mom's influence on me throughout my life? Hmm.

Peoples' personalities are (obviously) very different. I can't figure some people out, and other I understand perfectly. Some people love the color purple, and others (like me) find it a horrible color for whatever reason (sorry, purple-lovers :)). Some love to read, others don't. Some think Obama is the best thing since remote controls, others think it wouldn't hurt him to be a little less like one.

I have often wondered what makes us who we are. DNA to some extent, parental influence to some, God shaping us to some as well, but who are WE?

What is YOU?

I don't mean what do you like. I don't mean when you go shopping and see a cute jacket that is "so you". I mean what are you. Where is the "you" in your body? What makes you, YOU?

If I cut off your finger, is that finger "you"?

Well, yes and no...It's PART of you, but it's not really YOU...

Okay, so you aren't in your finger.

I tend to think people are in their heads. But it's not as if you could dissect someone's brain and find a little piece inside that's "them".

So...what makes us who we are?

It's our minds, yes. Our thoughts. But what are thoughts? Just electric impulses in our brains? How do little electric impulses tell us right and wrong, what to like, how to act? How do little electric impulses make us love to read, or write, or go horseback riding, or paint? How do little electric impulses tell us to be scared, happy, sad, or excited? How do little electric impulses make us love and hate?

Maybe we'll never really know what thoughts are. Maybe people DO know and I just don't yet :) But it's really kind of interesting, isn't it? What separates "you" from "your body"? What are thoughts?

Just something to think about ;)