Final Thoughts
Well, it's time for my final journal entry. Admittedly, I didn't enter as many entries as I should have, but that doesn't mean I didn't learn anything or, more importantly, apply what I've learned to what's going on around me. I think this class has opened my eyes to the inequalities in the way law is applied to society and the manner in which law is created in the first place.
The theories I've seemed to have adopted are many. One in particular deals with the idea that crime is thought out and rationalized, taking into consideration a potential criminal's characteristics, personal experiences, "values", and of course the chances of getting caught - rational choice theory. I think everyone has the choice of whether or not to commit a crime, and most of the time, I believe it is thought out and rationalized. Opportunity theory probably ties into the rational choice of a potential criminal.
I could be here for days on end writing about different crime theories and how I believe or don’t believe certain ones (I guess that's why we were to post an entry per week), but I'm not going to.
I'm going to go out on a limb and write about a specific issue which was talked about in class several times, but which I didn't feel comfortable joining in on. This issue involved questioning of President Bush's war on terrorism policy and his decision to enter into war with Iraq, specifically. Being a proud member of the United States Army, I kept my "military bearing" and stayed out of the class debates involving military efforts. Not participating in the class discussion ate away at me for much of the semester; it still does.
As a member of the US Armed Forces, you are taught, or socialized, that it is not acceptable to speak critically about the Commander in Chief, or any superior for that matter. So, when the President's war policy became a topic of class discussion, the only thing I could think or feel was that my freedom of speech was no longer a privilege. I felt as though I was caught up in this sort of functionalism in which my "place" had been clearly defined in serving the purpose of a higher order.
I felt suppressed from sharing my thoughts with the class, and began to question whether giving up rights that are supposed to be guaranteed, is worth it all. Of course, after some thought, I concluded that it was. Right or wrong, I made the decision to sacrifice certain rights, and volunteered to fight for this country. In the process, I have also volunteered to and lead fellow soldiers in this fight, if and when need be, in order for others to enjoy the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution.
So, I ask myself, did I learn from this class? Did I think about how certain theories apply to the life I, and everyone else is living? My answer to these questions is as straightforward as can be. Yes, yes I have. I guess the real question should be whether I've learned too much.
The theories I've seemed to have adopted are many. One in particular deals with the idea that crime is thought out and rationalized, taking into consideration a potential criminal's characteristics, personal experiences, "values", and of course the chances of getting caught - rational choice theory. I think everyone has the choice of whether or not to commit a crime, and most of the time, I believe it is thought out and rationalized. Opportunity theory probably ties into the rational choice of a potential criminal.
I could be here for days on end writing about different crime theories and how I believe or don’t believe certain ones (I guess that's why we were to post an entry per week), but I'm not going to.
I'm going to go out on a limb and write about a specific issue which was talked about in class several times, but which I didn't feel comfortable joining in on. This issue involved questioning of President Bush's war on terrorism policy and his decision to enter into war with Iraq, specifically. Being a proud member of the United States Army, I kept my "military bearing" and stayed out of the class debates involving military efforts. Not participating in the class discussion ate away at me for much of the semester; it still does.
As a member of the US Armed Forces, you are taught, or socialized, that it is not acceptable to speak critically about the Commander in Chief, or any superior for that matter. So, when the President's war policy became a topic of class discussion, the only thing I could think or feel was that my freedom of speech was no longer a privilege. I felt as though I was caught up in this sort of functionalism in which my "place" had been clearly defined in serving the purpose of a higher order.
I felt suppressed from sharing my thoughts with the class, and began to question whether giving up rights that are supposed to be guaranteed, is worth it all. Of course, after some thought, I concluded that it was. Right or wrong, I made the decision to sacrifice certain rights, and volunteered to fight for this country. In the process, I have also volunteered to and lead fellow soldiers in this fight, if and when need be, in order for others to enjoy the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution.
So, I ask myself, did I learn from this class? Did I think about how certain theories apply to the life I, and everyone else is living? My answer to these questions is as straightforward as can be. Yes, yes I have. I guess the real question should be whether I've learned too much.
