things that are on my mind...

Reed Cowan... www.digitalcommons.usu.edu/mediasociety/1

I attended this presentation of "8:A Mormon Proposition" and was amazed at the amount of knowledge and strength Reed Cowan has surrounding such a controversial issue. Regardless of your personal feelings on the matter, he displayed an amount of respect for those who blatently disapprove of him and his life choices. I watched this posting today per an e-mail from one of my profesors (Ted Pease), and my feelings on the matter washed over me as if I was back in that room. The anger and saddness I feel for those who are so closed minded to not be able to have this conversation runs rampant in my mind. Whether your personal feelings are agree, disagree, or still figuring it out-mutual respect and a willingness to open communications are crucial.

International Security...

What is the first thing you think of when you hear this title? Personally, I thought of current events, and the struggle world leaders have today in defining what international security is, and how that choice affects their policy making decisons. Unfortunately for me, the Brits seem to think otherwise. The class that I was most excited for has turned out to be an advanced political theory class, and as week two is now coming to a close, I have dwindling hope that any sort of current events or decisons will be addressed at all in this class. Will this class ultimately make me more informed about political theory (my least favorite topic in the discipline)? Yes, it will force me to do so; however, my hopes of learning about a British mentality on current security issues from my colleagues in a classroom setting is diminishing.