Think about or answer any one of the following questions this week:
How do you define nation?
What does language have to do with national identity?
What is the role of schools in inculcating national values?
Should nations require national service(military or civilian)?
U.S. Army recruiters were caught signing up future soldiers at a high school in Tijuana. How do you feel about that?
U.S. Army recruiters were caught signing up future soldiers at a high school in Tijuana. How do you feel about that?
ReplyDeleteI think it is great that the army recruits anyone. The army would be a great opportunity for many high school graduates in Tijuana because opportunity in Tijuana may come as a wage less than the United States Army. The Army has many benefits such as healthcare, education, and steady work for many people. I am sure those recruits may be going straight to the war zones other people may not want to visit but if the people signing up understand what they are in for then I believe it is a positive for the defense of our nations. War (or conflicts as defined by our nation) is never something people want to engage in but provides security and jobs for our nation (and others) as well. I think the army represents the importance of diversity and that it should not matter what country one hails from as long as they agree with what they are working towards. The army already engages in recruiting in other nations and the building up of defenses of those countries so they have an opportunity to defend themselves. Some may see this as outsourcing our army but I see it as including more people who want to join what the army stands for. Ensuring world security is now the United States military slogan, whether you agree with it or not. The United States has taken on the responsibility of policing the world and recruiting other countries and civilians from those countries will help accomplish that goal. War (or conflicts) may not be something you agree with but nonetheless will always be present with the human condition.
I believe that yes, the amy should be diverse because we live in a diverse nation, society, and communities. Although, recruiters should not be in other countries recruiting. If they want to hire people who are from other countries wait until they are legally her in the United States.
DeleteI mostly disagree with any army recruiting from other countries. Yes they offer jobs and benefits, but how can you ask a person from another country to die for your own? That just sounds ridiculous, especially since this occurred frequently during WWII. The French enlisted the help of many africans but refused to pay them after the war was over. How can other countries just take the leaders at their word when they do not have citizenship or rights to back them up?
DeleteAnd if we are using the US as an example, that seriously sounds like we're making a world police force.
I agree with Michelle. It is interesting that the Army is keen to accept Mexican residents into the military so they can risk their lives for OUR country, but on the same token the US won't as easily accept them as citizens. Immigrants have to jump through hoops to become a citizen and take tests that the majority of the US would not pass, yet if they want to carry a gun and possibly die for the US they can receive benefits that the US Army has to offer. I disagree with the U.S. recruiting in Tijuana.
DeleteIt is hard for many people to become a citizen in the United States from a different country and the military provides a pathway to naturalized resident status; they can then apply to become a citizen after about three years. So I think if they are supportive of the United States, want to become part of the United States, and want a pathway to become a citizen then by all means let them. Perhaps we have to agree to disagree on this subject.
DeleteHow do you define nation?
ReplyDeleteI define a nation as having a population of people that are living somewhere that has some sort of governing body. The governing body could be a mayor, a president, a king, etc. A nation could also be a population of people who have a common language. For example, in the country of France the common language is French. A nation doesn't necessarily have to be defined based on countries. It can be a community that upholds common interests. For example, if you live in a community that has a race that is predominately in that community, then that could be considered a nation. A population can be predominately one race or have mixed race to be defined as a nation. The term nation goes way back to the French Revolution; to define what a population is with a certain amount of people with common interests. For a community to be considered a nation, it would have to have some sort of governed body. For example, the United States has the president, vice president, the senate, and the house of representatives as the governed body. There are many ways to define nation, not just based on country to country.
Hmm. I agree with your definition of a nation completely. I thought about this for a little bit after reading what you wrote and it makes sense. Without a governing body, like a mayor or various others like you stated, it should just be named as a community. But a nation definitely requires some sort of government presence.
DeleteWhat does language have to do with national identity?
ReplyDeleteThe language a person speaks has many meanings and implications behind it. When a person speaks a certain language they are not only showing people their race, but also acknowledging that they have are from a certain culture with traditions and practices that belong to that language. These practices and customs are those embedded in them by the culture that speaks that language. Language is therefore a part of a person’s identity, and many people of one nation make up the identity of the nation. However, there are people who learn many languages, so this case cannot always apply to people. Essentially, when there is a heavy use of a certain language in a nation, the nation is likely to be populated by people that come from the origins of the language spoken. Therefore, language may make up the nations identity or heavily influence it.
The U.S. army recruiters that were caught signing up soldiers in Tijuana is absolutely outrageous. I cannot believe that U.S. soldiers would have the guts to recruit people from another country that is not their own when there are so many potential men and women soldiers in this country who are well capable of serving. For me, it is a disgrace that the U.S. would do such a thing, not only because their actions are implying that U.S. citizens are not willing to fight for their own country, which implies cowardly behavior, but also because they are recruiting soldiers from Mexico, the same people that they restrict passage to America and legal status.
Yes I agree. Having to have a certain language shows an appreciation of where a person came from.
DeleteI agree as well. Having a certain language shows the type of culture a person comes from. Also how diverse a person can be by having a certain language that he or she uses in everyday life.
DeleteI agree with you Diana, the borders of America are restricted to keep immigrants out, yet they are willing to hire them to fight for our country. Where is the integrity, morals, and honesty that America preaches they were built on.
ReplyDeleteHow do you define a nation?
ReplyDeleteThe term nation is usually defined as a large group of people that come from the same descent, culture, and language that are governed by an independent government. The term country can be used interchangeably with nation as well. Yet, i think that the term nation is changing in that it doesn't necessarily have to be a group of people that are from the same descent, culture, or language. For example, the United States of America is a nation, but not a nation of people of the same descent, culture, or language. The U.S. is a nation that is inhabited by a diverse number of people and cultures.
I agree! I think America, in an important way, changed the concept of nation to become sort of a melting pot of different cultures from different descents that have the same values. It's pretty neat that though we all come from different places, Americans are probably the most united as a people because of the freedom we all have and a sense of compassion for our fellow-man.
DeleteYes, America has definitely shown how a nation can be made up of various cultures living in unison and not just a region made up of people who are very similar in background. I like that about the United States because it allows a greater sense of belonging and a chance to learn about others not just through pictures or books, but by actually being able to experience other peoples cultures firsthand.
DeleteThe downside of having such a diverse country is that ideologies clash and that's were problems tend to rise. Then again that's what keeps this country running. People with different cultures bring their perspective into a country that could possibly benefit the U.S. for the better
DeleteI have always thought of a nation as a place where people are united in common goals, values, and a respect for each other and for others. Because I associate the word nation with America, as “one nation under God”, I feel that a nation should be a place of freedom and safety. A nation is a country where the common belief is one where everyone may possess dreams and a hope for a future, no matter their background. However, I also believe that in a nation, in order to protect these beliefs and values, laws must be placed to order to urge people to live by them. Citizenship is required in order to enjoy the freedom found in America, but the process for citizenship should be fair and just. In a nation, people’s actions should be a result of love and concern for others, not entitlement or racism. As part of a nation, citizens should recognize their own backgrounds and the roots of the nation itself in order to have understanding and compassion for the lives of all people. Instead of acting cruel, ashamed, entitled, or rude, all people should show love for their fellow-man if not simply because we all share a common goal-a life of freedom and of happiness and of safety. Furthermore, in a nation such as America, the concern and care for others should not stop at the country’s borders, but go beyond them to influence the way we act toward other countries and their people. The word “nation” has a sense of strength to it, and when a country is a nation, one of its strengths is that it has a more profound understanding of its own responsibility for bettering the world.
ReplyDeleteI don't like the idea of a nation having a mandatory national service. The idea of being forced into potentially going to war is, in my opinion, wrong and unfair. The country is basically restricting new adults from having much of a choice in what they should do after high school. They risk a lot of things, and while risking your own life to protect your country is an honorable thing to do, it should be up to the individual to decide if they want to protect their country or not. People who have the passion to protect their country would make the best soldiers. People who are mad at the government for making it mandatory will likely make poor soldiers. That would not work out well in war at all. However there are exceptions to my opinion on this issue...Finland, for example, has national services as mandatory for, I believe, 2-4 years. While I'd normally dislike this, Finland has almost zero conflict with the rest of the world and goes about their lives without bugging anybody. So there is far less at risk here. But with a country like America? That is just asking for a ridiculous amount of political drama in this country. Everybody wants equality, freedom, and the right to express whatever they want, so I can not see something like this going well with the public. It's not good for general morale and it will cause a hell of a backlash against the government. If there was a serious world war happening and our troops were dwindling by the thousands, I would say that a mandatory selective service would make sense. But as things are standing now? Certainly not.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you are saying Michael. I feel that people can choose to go to war if they want to. People should do what they want to do and not what they have to do.
DeleteAgreed. I believe in everybody having a choice in what they do so I would not want this to happen here :)
DeleteI completely agree, I think it should be the person's decision to join the military and should not be forced upon anyone. If it was... people would go crazy!
DeleteI agree. I think the most difficult thing would be the uncertainty after high school and the fact that you life would be basically on hold for a few years.
DeleteSchools always inculcate national values in their students. In fact, most of the inculcating starts on the very first day of school, possibly within the first hour. The new kindergarten class is taught the pledge of allegiance over the announcements or it is led by the teacher. Students are told to face the flag and to place their right hand over their heart. I remember my kindergarten teacher pointing to the words on the wall as we said them, and even practicing reciting the pledge a few times with the class. The first day after school I was confused and even scared by the words I was saying, so much that I asked my mom what it meant and why I had to say it. After she explained to me that every country recites a pledge and how it was mostly a cheer for Americans, I asked her why I could not say the Nigerian pledge. She told me that she would happily teach me the Nigerian pledge later but to say the American one in class along with my classmates since I am an American too. So for the rest of grade school I stood and recited the pledge with everyone with a smile of my face and never questioned it. Schools also teach students different national songs and have the students sing them; for example, “America the Beautiful” and the national anthem “O Say Can You See” are taught to most children in elementary school. Values are also indoctrinated in the information taught in the classroom through different subjects like history. History book greatly differ from country to country to a point in which it is almost comical. It comes down to the basic ‘he said she said’ age old story and most citizens only hears their country’s version.
ReplyDeleteMy mother is a first grade teacher, and I heard her explaining the fourth of July to her students today when I was volunteering in her class. They had read a book about it and one of the kids loudly exclaimed: "It's when we shoot off fireworks!". It was really neat to hear her ask different kids why we set off fireworks and what the reason behind the holiday was. Some students didn't really know, and I realized then that, though my parents had taught me about our country, some kids will only learn through school and their teachers. I agree that schools should always teach kids national values. If not in school, where will they learn them?
Deleteawww! those kids sounds adorable. when I was younger I had no idea what the 4th of July represented either. Of course they taught us in school later though.
DeleteU.S. Army recruiters were caught signing up future soldiers at a high school in Tijuana. How do you feel about that?
ReplyDeleteI do not know much about this story, but I think that that US army should only be recruiting citizens in the United States. I believe that it might cause anger between the two countries. If they have an agreement or understanding with Mexico, then maybe it would be okay. They should have some respect and ask for permission to do that. What questions me is that I thought undocumented immigrants could not be in the army. I wonder what they are offering to have them sign up to their army. I know they are really desperate to recruit anyone because I remember in high school, recruiters would always try to have me to sign up and try to offer me many benefits that I did not think was possible. I also believe if they recruit Tijuana high school students, they should first do the right steps to become a legal residence to know if they are serious about joining the army.
yes, i agree with you. army recruiters should only ask people who are US citizens because we never know what is going to happen in the future if this actually happens.
DeleteSince the US recruiters got caught, I wonder if they will still try to recruit outside of the US.
DeleteYeah, I think they should only be recruiting U.S. citizens as well. I can see how being recruited could help some individuals in the sense that they'd be actively involved in something that could teach them certain skills and potentially provide a source of income that may not be available to them in the place that they come from, but I feel like people should have other motivations aside from the latter mentioned reasons in order to join the military.
DeleteArmy recruiters should never go outside of United States to recruit an army to build. It will be a shame to ask them to defend someone else country. Sure they offer numerous benefits when they get out of the service, but that is only IF they get out alive. I don’t really know how it would work since they will not be a US citizen. What if the person who joined the army didn’t make it alive, are the family going to get the benefits or they are just going to slip it away like it never happened? Is the family going to move to US and get their citizenship? How in the world are they going to honor him if he’s not a US citizen. I am pretty sure this are just going to be few questions that will arise if this thing really happens. But we never know. What if it is already happening since most high school students here rather go to school to get an education. The benefits sounds really amusing, but I would be scared of what will going to happen throughout those years. The promises that the recruiters say to the families may or may not happen because they are noncitizens. If this will actually happen, it will not only affect the American citizens, but also the people from Tijuana. Having an army to defend our country is an honor to those who serve, but recruiters should think twice before asking a noncitizen to join.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Romalyn. All those questions popped up in my head as well.
DeleteI believe language identifies us as who we are as a culture. I believe language can unite countries together such as Latin America. Many Latin Americans belong to a Hispanic culture. Mexico, El Salvador, Venezuela, Chile, Guatemala, Costa Rica and many more countries share the same language, Spanish. I believe most Spanish speaking countries share many things in common and I say that because of what I have seen on T.V, such as novelas, competition shows, and daytime shows. I see Mexicans working alongside with Venezuelans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, and many more. There are even few actresses from Europe that speak Spanish and consider Mexico as their second home because they live and work in Mexico. Latin America is formed of independent countries but I like to consider them as very united because of the language and culture. Brazil is a country found in Latin America but they do not speak Spanish. I think this is a barrier for surrounding Latin countries to share and communicate their ideas and thoughts. In Europe, most of the countries speak its own language. I believe it sets as a barrier to communicate among each other.
ReplyDeleteI am Mexican-American, I was born and raised here. I went to school here and learned the English language. I feel I belong more in U.S than Mexico. I wouldn’t want to live in Mexico; my home is here in the U.S. Even though I speak Spanish, I mostly speak English. My sisters speak Spanish but we don’t speak Spanish to each other only to our family members. Because I know the English language I have made connections here and to its people.
I agree with you that language unite countries together. I love the fact that Spanish is a language for many countries, just like the English language. In high school, I picked up some Spanish (well, maybe just flower terms and colors) while I was working at Conroy's flowers because the florist did not speak English. It actually brought us closer because we could communicate with each other.
DeleteGreat point, I also agree that language unites countires togther. I can see it with all the Latin American countries you mentioned. I also was born and raised here and speak spanish. It is much easier to communicate with my siblings using English. Plus growing up we always thought we could get away with saying words in English but my parents caught on real fast.
DeleteWhat is the role of schools in inculcating national values?
ReplyDeleteAmerican schools take an active role in inculcating national values into the students. As the values change and (hopefully) evolve the type of curriculum we see in schools changes too. Values are mostly caught and not taught. Students, young or old, who admire and respect their teachers will naturally emulate the teachers behaviors and attitudes. What are our current national values being taught in public schools? At the college level, multiculturalism is a key component of our education. My field of study is CAFS (child, adolescent, family studies) and multiculturalism is in every class I have taken. This is a value that is being taught to future teachers so that it will be a priority in individual classrooms.
If we look into the American classroom children are learning by example and exposure. How does my teacher treat my classmate that has a learning disability? How does my teacher treat my classmates that have a different skin color or gender? These are national values that make a much larger impact on students then reciting the Pledge of Allegiance or singing the National Anthem. One key point that the Tortilla Curtain pointed out to me, was that we only truly know our own personal values when they are tested. If as a teacher I avoid the student that comes from poverty, even unintentionally, my students will notice. Although it may seem a simple room, a classroom holds a great deal of opportunity to shape the minds and values of its students and our future generations.
You have a great point Jessica, students take notice of the small things. What we think might not impact them could impact them greatly if not today then later on in their life.
DeleteI see your point, we live in a world that is so diverse. It is important for every student to feel comfortable and safe at their school. I think their is a big problem with bullying at schools. No one should be treated unfairly by anyone just because they are different. Students need to be kind to one another and teachers need to intervene when they see inappropriate behavior or language.
DeleteTeachers should treat each student with kindness and respect. As teachers they can influence other students.
Yes, a classroom can produce a potential group of students full of knowledge and with great values.
Just as my peers have shared, I also believe that schools have a huge role in teaching national values. Growing up I cannot remember not ever saying the pledge of allegiance every day before class started. Even till this day I go for observations in the classroom and children have to get up. I have seen also observed children that resisted. Then after having a talk with the teacher about why it’s important for him/her to stand up they understand why they have to do it. The teacher is making sure to instill the national value of the pledge of allegiance. I believe schools instill national values to students because they can educate them with facts that occurred in history and even have fun field trips to museums. It is a lot easier and fun for students to learn in the classroom and outside the classroom. Students can make sense of it a lot better and parents can aide that by answering questions and discover the world we live in. Students love to learn and schools can use that to teach them national values that they otherwise might not always be receiving at home.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you but I have a question that you don't have to answer. Do you think what children are taught in schools is accurate. I think that history is taught very cleanly in the earlier years and that's appropriate, but I feel that history,shouldn't be taught until children are at an older age. It's gory but I think some details shouldn't be simplified and cleaned the way they are. When I got into my Jr. year of high school I was completely surprised by the difference of what I learned in previous years.
DeleteAccording to dictionary.com, a nation is "a large body of people, associated with a particular territory, that is sufficiently conscious of its unity to seek or to possess a government peculiarly its own". To me, a nation is all of those things, but the part about unity is what strikes me the most. When 9/11 happened, I was in the 4th grade. Technically I knew what was going on, that the United States was attacked by terrorists and that a lot of people died. What I didn't realize at the time was that our nation was so broken by what had happened that we united so closely. No matter what part of the country we lived in, everyone felt affected by this attack and came together as a nation to support and lift up each other during a crazy time. In my community, everyone had an American flag hanging outside. It showed me the true meaning of being part of a nation. The unity that we have as people is a unique trait of a nation that separates one nation from another. Although I like Canadian people, I do not feel the same unity or comradeship as a I do with someone from the United States. I feel proud to be part of a nation.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree and your example of 9/11 does show how everyone in the United States came together as one in a difficult time. Although it happened in New York, everyone in the country was affected in some way.
DeleteI define nation as an area containing a fairly large group of people, who share common interests. Some common interests include language, culture, and history. These elements are what make up a nation for a reason. Alliances between nations are found because of common interests. Whenever nations have conflicts its usually because they differ in a lot of areas. It is mostly due to language barriers, or cultural values. In America there is a lot of diversity within our nation. We have people living that come from just about every culture around the world. Our nation is made up of people from just about every spoken language. People tend to identify with people based on language, looks, and common interests. People of course are not able to communicate with others if they do not speak the same language. In our nation we speak mostly English. Spanish comes second. Because there are a lot of people whose first language is not English, it is good to know multiple languages if you want to be able to communicate with different cultures. People often times associate English with white people, but this is not always the case. There are white people who speak German, or French, or Spanish and all different types of languages. People also assume that all Hispanic people speak Spanish but this is not always the case either. A lot of barriers within our nation that prevent us from becoming more united unfortunately have a lot to do with race. Some People think that different races cannot be united because of their cultural background. People should look at the each individual as they meet them. They should not label a race as a whole according to one individual within that race. Doing this will unite a nation more, and help people to develop more interracial relationships.
ReplyDeleteKnowing different languages would be very useful. I speak 2 languages Spanish and English. And it's great, I wish I spoke another language maybe Mandarin, Italian.. it would be pretty interesting.
DeleteI think it is pretty cool when I go to L.A or a Chinese Buffet, they sometimes speak to me in Spanish, asking if I want soda. I don't know how fluently they might speak it but I think it is pretty neat that they speak Mandarin, English, and some Spanish.
To me national identity is referring to where an individual believes she or he is from. Where a person feels home is. Language is an incredibly powerful tool that allows individuals to interact with one another. Language is correlated to national identity in the sense that you associate language with your identity. Language is part of your life, of who you are, and where you come from. Language in my opinion plays a large role in how you identify yourself. It is through language that you communicate with other individuals, and depending what language, it determines which individuals you interact with. The way a person speaks whether it’s an accent or body language, it gives away to where the person is from geographically or racially wise.
ReplyDeleteI think language is a strong part of identity too. I also agree that people should identify where they're from themselves as well. Too bad it's more complicated than that... There are so many obstacles. I'm agreeing I'm just complaining on the true difficulty of something that sounds simple and true.
DeleteI agree on what Chelsea is saying. language yes has to do with national identity, but it could be considered stereotypical as well saying that only Mexicans speak Spanish and white people speak English.
DeleteShould nations require national service (military or civilian)?
ReplyDeleteI do not think it would be a good idea for nations to require national service. I do not agree with war, I wish that there were never any reason for it and that there was more peace. I am thankful for those who have fought and continue to fight for our country, but I do not think that I would be able to do what they do. Choosing to join the military is a personal decision and should not be forced upon anyone. If someone was forced into serving I can only imagine what horrible things could happen, like protests and riots. It may even cause people to turn against the government, more than they already have. A majority of people do not like when the government tells individuals to do things. For example, setting the drinking age at twenty one (people younger than twenty one drink), require people to pay taxes (not everyone pays their taxes), and the possibility of banning firearms (people are going crazy over it). If there was a draft to happen during another war, I feel that people may do anything in their power so he or she would not have to go, even if it meant injuring themselves, or worse.
Yup I agree. The impact of something as mandatory as serving the army would result in A LOT of people doing ridiculous things just to get out of going. Leaving the country, hurting themselves, and multiple riots around the country would only hurt us more than help us. If history is anything to go by, back when there was a draft for the service there was people doing those exact things. So yeah, I agree with your points and I hope we don't ever have to deal with mandatory national service :)
DeleteLanguage, along the lines of national identity from a direct approach, can be that if you speak the native language then you associate yourself as a member of the nation. People often feel that a certain language reflects loyalty to certain countries. During the super bowl there was a commercial in which the American national anthem was sung in multiple languages. This cause a wide range of anger from its viewers. When I heard it for the first time it honestly surprised me too. I thought, why would they not use the nation’s language to represent the nation in this song? It really caught me off guard. This helped me understand the hearts of everyone else that was so upset. After a while I thought about it and realized I was wrong. America is praised for its multiculturalism, so why should it matter about the anthem being represented by other languages. Even though I came to this realization, not everyone sees this idea. A language can define a country. When someone of speaks another language they’re automatically categorized as a foreigner. I had a friend who spoke fluent French. Although when I first met him, he spoke fluent English, when I visited him in his home, he spoke to his parents in French. I asked him if he was raised in France, but he told me that he was not. His use of language made me question his national identity. Even though I already knew him as a person, the moment he switched languages I felt that he identified himself with another nation.
ReplyDeletethat is why America is so great, because we are comprised of various different cultures and that is what makes this nation unique!
DeleteShould nations require national service (military or civilian)?
ReplyDeleteI believe that it should be optional for an individual to decide if they would like to be a part of national service. I understand that there might be a lack of national service positions being filled at some point in time and that nations would need those positions to be filled, but I don’t think that forcing someone to do something they don’t want to do is the way to approach the situation. The selected individual might not be motivated to perform their tasks in an adequate manner and would then affect the nation. Rather than forcing someone to do a job they don’t want to do, these individuals should be educated about the tasks they would be expected to perform if they decided to join, then the individuals can weigh the pros and cons, which would lead to their final decisions or whether or not to participate in national service.
I agree, forcing someone to do a certain job would not be beneficial to that person or the nation.
DeleteForcing someone into military service would be the equivalents of having a militia of minutemen
DeleteI agree with you. In my experience, if someone is forced to do something they don't want to do, the outcome is almost always a subpar product. It would be scary to have people running the military that were doing their jobs half-heartedly.
DeleteShould nations require national service(military or civilian)?
ReplyDeleteI think that it is so awesome when people serve our country. It is such an act of sacrifice. I think that in America it is such a beautiful thing that we don’t have to be required to serve in the military. Our country is based around freedom and I feel like if we are forced, then it makes me think of a dictatorship type of government. I think that if we were ever in a situation where we desperately needed military help and stuff like we did back in World War II, then a draft would be appropriate. I think that unfortunately serving in the military is not for everyone. I know that I would not do well serving our country in the military. I respect the fact that we have a choice here in the United States. I respect even more all the men and women who so willing serve and defend our freedom everyday. I think that each nation should be able to choose whether or not they want to make serving in the military a national requirement. When you volunteer for something, I personally think that you are able to take more pride in what you are doing vs. you being forced to do something that you don’t necessarily want to do. I would take so much more pride and enjoyment in serving my country if I got to volunteer. I guess I am just a stubborn person though! ☺
Austin, I would agree with you completely. I would not want someone defending my freedom by force. The career requires self-sacrifice, much like a police officer or fireman.
DeleteSelf-sacrifice is such an honorable thing to give, especially your country. I really respect everyone who keeps up free and protects us from the cruelness of the world.
DeleteHere is something to think about though...what if America ever got to a point where they did not have enough volunteers, and they needed to recruit elsewhere?
DeleteWhat is the role of schools in inculcating national values?
ReplyDeleteIn the early years of our lives, we were either at home or at school. School is the place where a child goes to gain knowledge and start to build up their own persona and viewpoints. Simply by learning the pledge of allegiance in kindergarten, that sense of national pride is planted ever so discretely. The more courses you take during your school years, the more you start to feel united with your fellow peers, especially on certain issues such as immigration reform, whether or not there should be capital punishment, etc. The celebration of national holidays that land throughout the school year, such as President’s Day, Memorial Day, and Veteran’s Day aren’t only a day off from school, but also convey the message that we the United States are a proud nation that commemorate those who have served their country proudly.
Language plays a very important role in forming a nation's identity. Having one language spoken across an entire nation, especially one as large as the United States, is vital. It allows people to freely move to any part of the country without having to learn a completely new language. It also gives the citizens some common ground; people on the west coast can relate to people on the east coast. Having a common national language also allows for easier communication, especially for people who must travel to other states for business. In religious studies of India, I learned that India’s national language is Hindi, but each state has its own official language. Languages can vary state to state, creating a barrier between the states and the people. Having varying languages can make it difficult to relate to people from another state, which is why some people in India have a state-identity-mentality rather than a national identity view. I see language as one of the factors that can help a nation be successful.
ReplyDeleteAjaypal, I enjoyed your example of India. I never realized how diverse the population of India was until I had two preschoolers from opposite ends of the country. As a nation, its wise to see what has worked and what has not in other countries. As globalization continues, I wonder how distinct our national borders will remain.
DeleteU.S. Army recruiters were caught signing up future soldiers at a high school in Tijuana. How do you feel about that?
ReplyDeleteI have mixed feeling about this topic. On the one hand, I can see the strategy in recruiting people with the temptation of citizenship they might not otherwise get. The U.S. military could benefit tremendously from the addition of people who are so highly motivated by the promise of one day becoming an American citizen. As the so-called "melting pot", we would only be adding to our cultural diversity. Not to mention the mental capital that could be gained. That being said, I can also see how unfair it is to ask others to fight for something that isn't theirs. After reading the prompt, I got the distinct feeling that these recruiters were actively preying on a specific group of people rather than attempting to help them plan for their future. If military recruiters are having a difficult time persuading Americans to join, then new incentives need to be added. As a nation, we absolutely do not have the right to ask others to risk their lives for us if we are not willing to do the same.
I agree that it would be adding to our cultural diversity, but in that sense, I think that we worry about other people and what is best for them that sometimes our nation forgets about helping out our people. I think that it is important that our own people join the military. Being apart of the military builds a sense of morale and pride. There really should be no extra incentive because we more of an incentive could we need than our freedom?!
DeleteThe language we speak plays a huge role in how it defines the people of that particular nation; it is also part of the national identity. The English language is a language that we identify with the United States. Living in the United States a place where English is the most commonly used language define the people of this nation. I am proud to be part of a language that is dominant across the world. Language is part of who we are. Language defines are character and our culture. If we were in Mexico the same would apply. The Spanish language defines the nation to be one that speaks Spanish. It therefore, becomes part of the people of that country thus, their identity and the national identity. You will know what country you are in by the language they speak. In some instances there are countries that learn several languages, for China they learn to read and write both Chinese and English. Even though, this particular country speaks both languages Chinese is definitely the language that defines them as a country and people of China. The United States has many immigrants and the importance to speak English is crucial. The same is if I were to go to Mexico, learning Spanish would be essential to succeed and become part of the national identity and culture.
ReplyDeleteI really like what you say about language playing a part in the national identity. I feel like it provides a sense of unity among the nations that the language is represented in. I think that diversity is good, but sometimes it can create a huge barrier. A barrier of communication can make things rather difficult sometimes. Language is such a cool thing, but it is unfortunate that language takes so long to learn and master. Like you, I am proud to be apart of such a dominant language.
DeleteSchools play the greatest role when in comes to inculcating national values. Children have the most malleable minds so in order to have affective influence in the minds of the citizens, the government has to start early on. Just as the news and the media has censorship abilities in showing us what they want us to see, so do school curriculums with what we want our children to learn, especially about events in history. Also many schools run as a token economy which teaches children early on to do things for a reward rather than to better themselves or to do things even when the reward isn't apparent. Also kids learn early on to have national pride when they are taught to say the pledge their allegiance to the flag and when they learn songs like "star spangled banner".
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