Hauerwas Blog on September 11th

     Hauerwas’s reading on September 11th was different that I expected. I found it interesting that Hauerwas believed in order to be a Christian you had to also be a Pacifist. That being a Christian meant that you automatically had to be against war, because God does not promote violence. This is true, but many Christians today are supportive of the war because of the certain circumstances we are in, and what happened on the day of September 11th. Many Christians are even fighting in the war, risking their lives for our freedom. I was really surprised by the fact that Hauerwas said he did not take part in the “Star Spangled Banner.” He feels that we should not be singing to our country, but instead to God and God alone. This is a point I have never thought of in singing that song. 

     Hauerwas also believed that America could not make an identity for itself without war. He felt that Americans thrived off of war and used it as a way to make a name for itself, that they had no concept of the real effects of it. He saw no other point in this war. He felt  that this war could become the “never-ending war,” giving the country a lasting identity. There are two of the reasons that I found Hauerwas reading to be interesting and insightful. His approach to September 11th was completely different than what I would have thought of.

Thoughts on Klein's China read

     Reading Klein’s piece on “China’s All-Seeing Eye” was every interesting to me. I knew that China was a communist country and that it was very strict and watched what the people did, but I was not aware of the extent to which they watched society. The people are constantly being monitored, whether it is under radio, Internet use, or cameras set up in work places and all over the city. I found it very interesting that Klein would talk to people at U.S. companies that were supporting these tests, about the new face recognition monitoring programs being tested. The people at these companies would try to deny that they were assisting in the conducting of such things, or that what they were doing was wrong to begin with or an invasion of privacy. The most surprising thing to me was that the process of searching and watching individuals is spreading to places beyond China. The “fly clear” technology is being offered to any traveler. It is being marketed as “an easier way to travel” because you would no longer need to bring your passport and other forms of identification. This may be easier, but many people may not be aware that by getting one of these cards, they are sacrificing their identity. Now anyone can trace them and find them. Our privacy is becoming more and more violated and we are losing the benefits of freedom. Technology can be good and helpful; however it can be corrupted and used in ways to undermine some of our basic freedoms and privileges. Klein also reminds us that we must remain constantly diligent in protecting the freedoms that we have all fought so hard to obtain. 

Double Consciousness

     The term double consciousness can be used with superhero studies in the way that many of the characters or “superheroes” have identities that are divided into several, different aspects. Many of the superheroes we have learned about so far have lived two lives, that of the everyday citizen and that of a superhero fighting evil and saving the world. By reading the essay by W.E.B. Du Bois and learning about double consciousness we can see other examples of this idea played out in history. We are able to see that this concept of having two different identities is not just something that is seen in the movies, it is real. Just like the black people had to endure the times of racial discrimination and slavery, superheroes had to endure the backlash of society and threats from their enemies. If they had not kept their “superhero” identities undercover they would have been exposed and could have become a target for their enemies. Likewise, the black people were discriminated against by society, the superheroes at times were discriminated against as well, not because of the color of their skin, but because they were “different” than everyone else.  However, in the end the superheroes would always come out on top and change society’s view of them. To an extent the African Americans were able to do the same, after much perseverance they are now accepted by society more than they ever could have imagined a generation ago. These are the reasons double consciousness relates to the study of superheroes.   

The Cave

      I think it would be better living outside the cave. Being in a cave all of your life is very limiting, once you see what the outside world has to offer. I feel that once someone goes out of the cave and sees the beauty in the rest of the world: the sun, trees, grass, real animals and people, it is not longer an illusion, but a reality. The prisoners living inside the cave are limited to thinking that the shadows they see casted upon the walls are reality. However, going outside the cave, the idea of the shadows being reality soon becomes an illusion. The reality is outside of the cave. Although living inside the cave can protect one from the elements of the outdoors, going outside of the cave is much more rewarding. Once one sees what going outside of the cave has to offer, no one will be content returning to their old lives of staring at shadows on a wall. The shadows casted are not identifiable with the true reality of what is outside of the cave. If a prisoner inside the cave saw an animal, they may not be able to recognize it outside of the cave, in its true form. For these reasons I feel that life outside of the cave would be better.