http://www.uu.edu/dept/politicalscience/news.cfm from the political science department at Union Univeristy Copyright 2012 Union University Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:20:30 CST http://www.uu.edu/images/Crest_Horizontal-300.jpg http://www.uu.edu/dept/politicalscience/news.cfm Drs. Hunter Baker and Micah Watson were the speakers February 6th for the opening night of the Media, Politics and Democracy Town & Gown lecture series sponsored by the Center for Media, Faith, and Culture. Dr. Baker's address, "Falling Apart: Observations on the Current State of Media, Culture, and Politics," offered an incisive and humorous look at how the media has changed from the days of Walter Cronkite and four television stations to today's seemingly infinite number of media outlets. He encouraged the audience to take their duties as citizens more seriously by becoming better informed about political affairs. Dr. Watson pursued a similar theme in his talk, "Ezekiel Bulver and Modern Media & Politics." Dr. Watson described the various interests and incentives that journalists, politicians, and the general public have and how these relationships impact our civic discourse. He concluded with some good citizenship tools for our civic toolboxes. http://www.uu.edu/dept/politicalscience/news.cfm?ID=301 http://www.uu.edu/dept/politicalscience/news.cfm?ID=301 webmaster@uu.edu (Department of Political Science at Union University) Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 CST The Department of Political Science congratulates Joel Wellum and Samuel Wiggin for graduating this past Saturday. Joel, a native of Louisville, KY, will work at the Heritage Foundation starting in January and then hopes to attend graduate school. While at Union, Joel ran cross-country for four years, attended the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, was Vice PResident of Pi SIgma Alpha, and a Senator in the Student Government Association among other things. Samuel Wiggin, of Fayetteville, TN, will be taking graduate classes in Political Science starting at the University of Alabama at Huntsville this Spring while working to be a Department of Corrections officer. While at Union, Samuel was the founding president of Phi Theta Kappa Alumni Association, the community college honor society, and an officer in the Union University Transfer Society. Samuel was also very involved in service activities such as Day of Remembrance and RIFA and was an active member of Englewood Baptist Church. http://www.uu.edu/dept/politicalscience/news.cfm?ID=296 http://www.uu.edu/dept/politicalscience/news.cfm?ID=296 webmaster@uu.edu (Department of Political Science at Union University) Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CST On Nov. 30, Larry Cox, a former vice president with the Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board, addressed the topic of Islam and the Arab Spring at Union University.  Cox now serves as senior director of the WinShape Foundation in Mount Berry, Ga., after serving with the IMB for 23 years in various leadership roles. <br /&rt;  <br /&rt; “The 2011 ‘Arab Spring’ is an ongoing process of political and social change among the countries and peoples of the Middle East,” Cox said. “What are the potential ramifications of these changes for the kingdom (of God)? Many assume that this process will culminate in democracy, which in turn will lead to increased opportunities for evangelicals.  However, the constraints may be more cultural than political, and kingdom growth may depend more on social and religious changes than on political reform.”<br /&rt;  <br /&rt; Cox’s son Jeremy, who lived and worked in the Middle East, North Africa and Europe as an international development consultant and director for the past 13 years, joined him for the event. Jeremy is currently a doctoral student in international relations at the University of Mississippi. http://www.uu.edu/dept/politicalscience/news.cfm?ID=297 http://www.uu.edu/dept/politicalscience/news.cfm?ID=297 webmaster@uu.edu (Department of Political Science at Union University) Sat, 03 Dec 2011 00:00:00 CST Delegates from Union University to the 42nd General Assembly of the Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature earned the Best Delegation award for their role in the proceedings Nov. 17-20 at the State Capitol in Nashville. TISL is a statewide organization formed in 1966 to give college students a voice in state government. The nonpartisan organization convenes a General Assembly each year, held in the Tennessee General Assembly’s chambers, for students to introduce debate and vote on legislation about state issues. Seventeen Union University students participated in the event. The Best Delegation designation is given to the group that distinguishes itself by being active during debates, presenting good bills and overall involvement in the proceedings. At the end of the session, the members of the executive council select the recipient of the Best Delegation from among the 40 colleges and universities represented at the assembly. Union has won the Best Delegation award three years in a row, and four times in the last five years. “We were involved in every area of TISL, from the House, to the Senate, to the lobbying program, to the Supreme Court,” said Karl Magnuson, president of Union’s Student Government Association and leader of Union’s TISL delegation. “It’s a big deal to us that such a small school could have gotten this three years in a row. Union is really respected.” Union junior Shelly Ezell served as speaker pro tem of the House of Representatives for this year’s meeting, while Magnuson was the House’s chief clerk. Union freshman Michael Adkisson was elected speaker pro tem of the Senate for next year’s meeting after staging a successful write-in campaign. Junior Kirby Lewis was chosen this summer as a Supreme Court justice for next year’s General Assembly, and will serve as the court’s chief justice. This article was originally written by Tim Ellsworth, Union University Director of News and Media Relations http://www.uu.edu/dept/politicalscience/news.cfm?ID=292 http://www.uu.edu/dept/politicalscience/news.cfm?ID=292 webmaster@uu.edu (Department of Political Science at Union University) Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:00:00 CST <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"&rt;On Thursday October 27 the Center for Politics & Religion hosted a lecture given by Dr. Peter Lawler of Berry College. Dr. Lawler’s address, “The Road to Serfdom Doesn’t Lead to Serfdom,” took aim at the ills of a particular sort of individualism that the great French thinker Alexis de Tocqueville warned about in his Democracy in America. He argued that cnotrary to many progressivism has lost as individualism has triumphed. He said that Big Government saw its heydey in the 1960s and that no one thinks that it works anymore. Plus, Medicare and Social Security are financially unstable and will eventually be replaced. In personal issues, individualism has won, as seen in abortion and gay rights decisions. as people believe that they have the right to live their life as they want.  Lawler characterized many of modernity’s advances as both good and bad, though he warned that the combination of prolonged life expectancy along with a decrease in the birth rate is leading to a demographic crisis and a serious crunch for social security. His advice was for everyone in the audience to “start having babies” and smoke more.</span&rt; http://www.uu.edu/dept/politicalscience/news.cfm?ID=287 http://www.uu.edu/dept/politicalscience/news.cfm?ID=287 webmaster@uu.edu (Department of Political Science at Union University) Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CST Yesterday, Sean Evans, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science, spoke to the Bicentennial Exchange Club at their weekly meeting. In his talk on the presidential race, he noted that most voters were not pleased with their choices but that GOP voters were basically stuck with the current crop of candidates because it is too late for anyone else to jump in the race. In assessing the chances fof the candidates, he believes the race will come down to a Perry-Romney race for several reasons. First, several candidates pass the "smell test" of whether we can see them as president. Herman Cain's background as a CEO and talk radio show host is not the resume of someone who voters perceive as "presidential." Congresswoman Michelle Bachman also has this problem because of the lack of a legislative record while Congressman Ron Paul is too extreme. Of the candidates remaining, Santorum and Huntsman are substantive and experienced but has limited appeal. Gingrich is credible but lacks discipline and is character-challenged. That basically leaves Romney and Perry. Plus, Perry has the money to create an organization and run ads that the other conservatives do not. By default, Perry, as a ten year Governor of Texas, is the conservative choice when Republicans want to nominate a conservative. Finally, the campaign schedule favors the conservative because Iowa and Nevada are caucus states which favors the conservative while South Carolina is a conservative state. If Perry, as the credible conservative wins three out of four races, then he should have the momentum to wrap up the nomination quickly. However, Romney does have some things going for him. He has an existing organization in each of the early states from four years ago. Nevada has a large Mormon population which may help him. And South Carolina Jim DeMint, a tea party favorite, is likely to endorse Romney again. Getting the GOP nomination is highly valued this year because the economy is unlikely to improve and Obama remains unpopular. The GOP nominee, whether Romney or Perry, should be the favorite next November.   http://www.uu.edu/dept/politicalscience/news.cfm?ID=285 http://www.uu.edu/dept/politicalscience/news.cfm?ID=285 webmaster@uu.edu (Department of Political Science at Union University) Wed, 19 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CST  In an age when Western civilization is facing acute challenges, Tony Blair said westerners must continue to hold strongly to their beliefs in freedom, democracy, the rule of law and equality. “These values are what make our nations great,” Blair said Oct. 3 at Union University’s 14th annual Scholarship Banquet. “It sustains them now and will sustain them in the future. They are the things that make our way of life worth standing up for and worth believing in.” Blair, who served as Great Britain’s prime minister from 1997-2007, was the keynote speaker for the annual event, which drew about 2,000 people to the Carl Perkins Civic Center and raised about $500,000 for student scholarships. In his first visit to Tennessee, Blair listed some of the challenges facing the United States and Europe – issues such as financial crises, job insecurity, technological change, security, radical Islam and the rise of China. “The 20th century definitely belonged to us,” Blair said. “But will the 21st century belong to someone else? Are we in the West, you in the United States, like an empire whose glory is fading?” Blair said Western culture is not in decline but is suffering from a temporary lack of self-belief and self-confidence that need to be recovered. He stressed the importance of credible deficit reduction plans, de-regulation of businesses and the value of education in creating a healthy, financially sound society. “The best modern form of welfare today is high-quality education,” Blair said. “It’s the best long-term economic policy. It’s the best social policy. It’s the best policy for individual fulfillment. … I really do believe that education is the thing that unlocks the future for us.” Blair cited the education that takes place at Union University and the institution’s commitment to service inspired by faith as an example of what’s right with American values and beliefs. “You are driven to do this because you believe in the power of education inspired by faith to do good in the world, and that’s what it’s about,” he said. “It’s not just about increasing our material prosperity … It’s also about saying, ‘There is something in the way of life that we have that is based on a profound belief in God’s purpose and fulfilling God’s purpose through the work that we do.’” In his opening remarks, Blair praised Union University President David S. Dockery. “Even on the short acquaintance that I’ve had with the president of the university, David Dockery, I have to say that he’s one of the more remarkable people that I’ve met,” Blair said. “Sixteen years he’s been leading this university. Sixteen years at the top, and he’s still popular. I had about 10 years, actually, and they were quite ready to get rid of me at the end, but he’s still going strong. “When I think at what he’s done with this university with your help, I think it’s a remarkable tribute to him, but it’s also a remarkable tribute to the way God’s power is able to work in a human being.” Blair told about a conversation he had with his 11-year-old son just before he left home for his trip to Jackson. His son was sitting at the kitchen table and asked Blair where he was going. “America,” Blair told him. “Not Washington again,” his son said. Blair told him he was actually going to a place called Jackson, Tenn. “Dad, I think you may be about to see the real America,” his son said. Since the end of his tenure, Blair has continued to be active in public life, especially relating to the Middle East. Blair currently serves as the Quartet Representative for the United States, United Nations, Russia and European Union, working with the Palestinians to prepare for statehood as part of the international community’s effort to secure peace. He founded the Tony Blair Faith Foundation to promote respect and understanding between the major religions and makes the case for faith as a force for good in the modern world. Blair also continues to advocate for Africa, and his Africa Governance Initiative delivers projects in Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Liberia. The annual Scholarship Banquet has become one of the premier events in West Tennessee each year, and is Union’s primary fund raising event for its student scholarship fund. Previous speakers have included George H.W. Bush, Margaret Thatcher, Condoleezza Rice, Mikhail Gorbachev, Laura Bush, Rudolph Giuliani and Colin Powell, among others. All told, Union’s Scholarship Banquets have generated more than $5 million for student scholarships. Prior to Blair’s address, Dockery announced a $10 million matching gift to Union University from the Bill and Carol Latimer Foundation for construction of a new library on campus. <hr /&rt; University Press Release by Director of News and Media Relations Tim Ellsworth on October 4 http://www.uu.edu/dept/politicalscience/news.cfm?ID=281 http://www.uu.edu/dept/politicalscience/news.cfm?ID=281 webmaster@uu.edu (Department of Political Science at Union University) Tue, 04 Oct 2011 00:00:00 CST Hunter Baker analyzed last night's Google/Fox News GOP presidential Debate again for National Review on-line. You can find all the comments from NR's experts "http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/278128/sunshine-state-spar-nro-symposium"&rt;here but Dr. Baker's are below: <span class="Apple-style-span"&rt;Rick Perry achieved his frontrunner status because he is the governor of Texas. Today, that position resembles what being governor of California was for Republicans decades ago. </span&rt; <span class="Apple-style-span"&rt;He has now had three debates to show us whether he deserves to be the lead dog. While he showed improvement in his second effort, this third attempt made little or no progress. He does not demonstrate the ease necessary for public engagement with Barack Obama.   </span&rt;   <p class="MsoNormal"&rt;<span class="Apple-style-span"&rt;Mitt Romney has the primary virtue of potentially being inoffensive enough to keep the focus on the failures of Barack Obama. He is smooth and comfortable. If he can survive the nominating process, he could win the general. But his inspiration level for the base is low.</span&rt; <p class="MsoNormal"&rt;<span class="Apple-style-span"&rt;Newt Gingrich breaks your heart because he comes off as very intelligent, witty, and creative. But you just know he can’t get over the demonization he has endured (some of it deserved).  </span&rt; <p class="MsoNormal"&rt;<span class="Apple-style-span"&rt;Jon Huntsman has everything going for him but wisdom. He can’t avoid the bait dangled by the Left on issues such as evolution and global warming. But he has the ideas, the brains, and the experience.  </span&rt; <p class="MsoNormal"&rt;<span class="Apple-style-span"&rt;Michele Bachmann has receded into full-time Perry-attack mode.  </span&rt; <p class="MsoNormal"&rt;<span class="Apple-style-span"&rt;Rick Santorum has wisely decoupled from her and is establishing himself. You wonder what he might have been able to do when he was still a senator and more viable as a politician.</span&rt; <p class="MsoNormal"&rt;<span class="Apple-style-span"&rt;Herman Cain has the intangible qualities of a good candidate. I don’t know whether he is ready for prime time on foreign policy, but he engenders incredible good will and natural affection. He also has ideas. He is especially good on Social Security.</span&rt; <p class="MsoNormal"&rt;<span class="Apple-style-span"&rt;Ron Paul is Ron Paul. A libertarian cannot win. But he is paving the way for a bigger future for his son, Rand. In a low-consensus society, libertarianism is not a terrible bet.</span&rt; <p class="MsoNormal"&rt;<span class="Apple-style-span"&rt;We could say something similar of Gary Johnson, who one-upped Paul with his hilarious line about the next-door neighbor’s dog and shovel-ready jobs.</span&rt; http://www.uu.edu/dept/politicalscience/news.cfm?ID=278 http://www.uu.edu/dept/politicalscience/news.cfm?ID=278 webmaster@uu.edu (Department of Political Science at Union University) Fri, 23 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CST This past weekend, Union University hosted a conference on the King James Bible to celebrate its 400th anniversary. As part of the conference, faculty from various disciplines spoke on how the KJV has affected their discipline. On Friday afternoon, Hunter Baker spoke about <span style="font-size: small"&rt;how the <span style="font-family: Arial"&rt;Reformation led to the creation of the Bible in vernacular languages. By putting the Bible in the vernacular, power was redistributed away from church elites to the people. Moreover, the availability of the Bible in the vernacular proved to be the decisive stimulus in causing people to learn how to read. This was important for politics because widespread knowledge of the Bible makes it into something like an informal super-Constitution which people can refer to and use to hold rulers to account. </span&rt;<span style="font-family: Arial"&rt;While the King James Bible is the king of the vernacular Bibles, it is somewhat ironic that a Bible with that name should have had democratizing influence.  Finally, Baker argues that we are losing the cultural unity that the King James  gave us.  There are two major threats as a result.  We are using language to manipulate and obfuscate rather than to reveal truth.  We are breaking up into smaller and smaller sub-communities incapable of communicating with each other.</span&rt;</span&rt; <span style="font-size: small"&rt;On Saturday morning, Micah Watson<span style="font-family: Arial"&rt; <span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"&rt;compared the political and biblical views of King James I of England and John Locke. James defended a version of the “divine right of kings” view and held that God granted kings their authority and only God could hold them accountable. That said, James also heavily emphasized the duty a king had to rule for the good of his people and not merely for his own private interest. James used several biblical passages to defend his view. Locke on the other hand believed that God gave certain rights and powers to individuals who could then authorize a king or other government to rule. Hence Locke’s notion of “consent of the governed” which ground legitimate government. Locke also relied on scripture to make his case. </span&rt;</span&rt;</span&rt; http://www.uu.edu/dept/politicalscience/news.cfm?ID=277 http://www.uu.edu/dept/politicalscience/news.cfm?ID=277 webmaster@uu.edu (Department of Political Science at Union University) Thu, 22 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CST Last night, Peter Irons, Emeritus Professor of Political Science at the University of California at San Diego, gave a lecture entitled "First Commandment v First Amendment: What Does the Constitution Say?" for Constitution Day. Irons argued that the appropriate relationship between church and state is for the state not to support religion. Irons argued that one of the early religious groups discriminated against in the early days of our nation were Baptists and it is for this reason that Baptists have historically in favor of separation of church and state. The main reason separation is important is that we need to protect minority religions from the majority to protect freedom of conscience. In the remainder of his lecture, Irons traced the history of establishment clause jurisprudence, how Baptists were many times the ones who opposed religious displays and sued for their removal, and  the costs involved for those who go against the majority's will. Irons has written or edited 12 books and has won several awards from the American Bar Association. He has also been an active civil rights attorney having gotten Fred Korematsu, of US v Korematsu fame, felony overturned for refusing to go to an internment camp after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Prof. Irons also spoke in two other classes that day. Union was able to bring in such a well qualified speaker due to the connections of one of Union's long time trustees, Judge Tommy Moore, of Dresden. http://www.uu.edu/dept/politicalscience/news.cfm?ID=276 http://www.uu.edu/dept/politicalscience/news.cfm?ID=276 webmaster@uu.edu (Department of Political Science at Union University) Tue, 20 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CST National Review, the premier conservative journal, asked Hunter Baker, Associate Professor of Political Science, to analyze the Tea Party Republican Debate on CNN last night. His comments, below, were included with other conservatives such as Mona Charen, nationally syndicated columnist, Hadley Arkes of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, and Marvin Olasky, editor of World magazine, among others.  For full coverage, click "http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/277000/tea-your-debate-nro-symposium"&rt;here. <strong&rt;<font size="2"&rt;<font color="#666666"&rt;<span class="article_subhead"&rt;HUNTER BAKER</span&rt;<br /&rt; </font&rt;</font&rt;</strong&rt;Hopes were high for Rick Perry going into his first debate. By almost any measure, he underperformed. John Harris staggered him with a question about climate change. The word on Perry is that he learns. He proved the scouting report is true. The governor performed dramatically better this time around. At almost every point he was more comfortable, had a sense of humor, and seemed less brittle. His only real error was extending the discussion about his decision to require HPV vaccinations in Texas. He started out right by simply admitting a mistake, but he couldn’t stop explaining himself. It was a self-inflicted minor wound. Bachmann gamely dogged Perry’s steps, trying to take back the position she had before he entered the race. She had some success but undercut herself by adamantly insisting that no state government can constitutionally require citizens to <a id="KonaLink3" class="kLink" href="http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/277000/tea-your-debate-nro-symposium#" jquery1315937446581="3" style="position: static; text-decoration: underline !important"&rt;<font color="#216221" style="position: static; font-family: Times New Roman, Times, Serif; color: #216221 !important; font-weight: 400"&rt;<span class="kLink" style="position: relative; font-family: Times New Roman, Times, Serif; color: #216221 !important; font-weight: 400"&rt;purchase </span&rt;<span class="kLink" style="position: relative; font-family: Times New Roman, Times, Serif; color: #216221 !important; font-weight: 400"&rt;insurance</span&rt;</font&rt;, a point which is clearly incorrect. Huntsman regressed. His attempts at humor were awkward and flat. He found a nice theme about domestic nation building, but it was too late to make much noise. It’s a little tough to watch Mitt Romney. His front-runner status was short-lived. He clearly needed Perry to stumble so he could pounce, but that moment didn’t arrive. If Perry continues to warm to the task, a former one-term Massachusetts governor probably can’t beat him.   http://www.uu.edu/dept/politicalscience/news.cfm?ID=275 http://www.uu.edu/dept/politicalscience/news.cfm?ID=275 webmaster@uu.edu (Department of Political Science at Union University) Tue, 13 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CST <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"&rt;<font size="3"&rt;<font face="Calibri"&rt;Last night, the Department hosted a discussion on the impact of 9-11 on the U.S. and the world. Dr. Ryan led off the discussion talking about how 9-11 affected international politics. First, we are safer. No matter what your view of certain government policies, the undeniable fact is that we are safer. Second, Afghanistan was a necessary operation. We have succeeded to a large degree in eliminating or scattering al-Qaeda which significantly limits its ability to launch large scale attacks. However, we would have better served to have done more during the early years in Afghanistan and then exited. Third, Iraq was not a necessary operation and was not related to 9-11. We would have better served to focus our interests elsewhere. Fourth, the Iraqi invasion hurt our relationships with some Western European states, and getting bogged down in Iraq encouraged our potential competitors/enemies. Finally, the opportunity costs of the Iraqi invasion include not being able to focus on Iran, a country with an undeniable WMD program. <o:p&rt;</o:p&rt;</font&rt;</font&rt; <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"&rt;<o:p&rt;<font size="3" face="Calibri"&rt; </font&rt;</o:p&rt; <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"&rt;<font size="3"&rt;<font face="Calibri"&rt;After that, Dr. Evans discussed how 9-11 affected American politics. Dr. Evans said that part of the tragedy of 9-11 and its aftermath is how we, as a nation, reacted. Even though political discourse has become even more uncivil the past thirty years, 9-11 and its aftermath increased it even more. Due to the stakes involved regarding life, death, and personal rights, people began to see opponents not just as wrong on policy but morally flawed. The opposition to various policies, thus, led to an increase in character attacks on political personalities. Unfortunately, the character attacks has coincided with a tendency of people to interact with others like them and listen to media that reinforces what they already believe. While the unity of 9-11 was certain to fade, Dr. Evans hoped the unity would help our political climate. <o:p&rt;</o:p&rt;</font&rt;</font&rt; <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"&rt;<o:p&rt;<font size="3" face="Calibri"&rt; </font&rt;</o:p&rt; <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"&rt;<font size="3"&rt;<font face="Calibri"&rt;Second, Dr. Evans thought that President Bush missed a great opportunity to call the nation to something greater. He dedicated the military and government to promoting democracy abroad and defending the homeland and deservedly so. But the President did not ask anything of us as people. 9-11 was a great opportunity to call Americans to put aside their individualism and focus on something big for the nation like pushing energy independence. </font&rt;</font&rt; <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"&rt;  <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"&rt;<font size="3"&rt;<font face="Calibri"&rt;<o:p&rt;</o:p&rt;</font&rt;</font&rt; <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"&rt;<o:p&rt;</o:p&rt;<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"&rt;Dr. Watson followed Dr. Evans and made three basic points. First, 9/11 reminded us that while we can disagree about the proper scope and reach of government, its most fundamental purpose is to ensure that citizens do not have to choose between burning alive and jumping forty stories to their deaths. Security is not the most important thing, but it is a pre-condition that makes everything else possible. Second, given his first point, 9/11 reminded us of just how successful our government and society is in that worrying about getting killed is a relatively rare concern for everyday Americans compared to other times and places. Third, the fading of memory of 9/11 is somewhat sad, but healthy and good. We wouldn't want to relive the days after 9/11 in perpetuity. But how we remember those events and the lives lost is important, and parallels the importance of our remembering Christ's death and resurrection. </span&rt; <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"&rt;  <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"&rt;<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"&rt;Dr. Baker concluded the discussion making three points. First, <span style="font-size: 11pt"&rt;September 11 caused us to revisit the question of just war versus total war.  While much has been made of the United States’ various missteps, use of waterboarding, etc., it is impressive to observe just how much our country has stayed its hand in response.  The attacks were aimed at the central nervous system of the U.S.  Another nation with similar power might have responded with much less restraint. </span&rt;</span&rt; <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"&rt;  <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"&rt;<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"&rt;<span style="font-size: 11pt"&rt;Second, t</span&rt;<span style="font-size: 11pt"&rt;he success of the 9-11 attacks demonstrated the vulnerabilities of a free and open society such as ours.  I remember thinking at the time that we would probably endure radical revisions of our freedoms in the wake of such a devastating series of strikes.  Much to our credit, we have managed to avoid additional attacks while maintaining our traditional rights and privileges.   </span&rt;</span&rt; <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"&rt;  <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"&rt;<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"&rt;<span style="font-size: 11pt"&rt;Third, w</span&rt;<span style="font-size: 11pt"&rt;e continue to suffer damage from September 11.  Unity evaporated and was replaced by an ever more contentious and polarizing brand of politics.  It should be noted, however, that even a complete regime change here in the United States in 2006 and 2008 did not result in much change in foreign policy, which is probably what motivated voters the most. </span&rt;</span&rt; <p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"&rt;  http://www.uu.edu/dept/politicalscience/news.cfm?ID=274 http://www.uu.edu/dept/politicalscience/news.cfm?ID=274 webmaster@uu.edu (Department of Political Science at Union University) Fri, 09 Sep 2011 00:00:00 CST Dr. Sean Evans and his wife Dr. Sharon Evans led a GO Trip to China this summer. The Drs. Evans led four students to work with a local contact in a city outside Beijing. As part of the cultural exchance, the group met with Chinese students, developed relationships, and told them about the West and the U.S. and learned more about China. The group also had opportunities to tell many of the people they interacted with about Christ. The Drs. Evans were very proud of the students for their stamina over the long trip and their courage in telling others about Christ. At the end of the trip, the group visited the Forbidden City in Beijing, the Great Wall, and various Olympic venues like the Bird's Nest and the Cube. http://www.uu.edu/dept/politicalscience/news.cfm?ID=273 http://www.uu.edu/dept/politicalscience/news.cfm?ID=273 webmaster@uu.edu (Department of Political Science at Union University) Fri, 10 Jun 2011 00:00:00 CST The Department congratulates its Spring 2011 graduates: <strong&rt;Amber Lovelady </strong&rt;of Brentwood, TN will work this summer for Catholic Charities before spending a year long internship with The Fellowship Foundation which runs the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. Amber is one of a few students chosen each year to engage in a year long discipleship program to prepare Christians for working in politics. The program provides each student with a mentor in Washington from the political world while also providing service opportunities for participants. Participants also spend three weeks overseas serving the underprivileged as part of the program. <strong&rt;Ashley Pirtle </strong&rt;of Trezevant, TN is working as the Public Relations and Marketing VISTA for Gateway Homeless Coalition in Morehead, KY. <strong&rt;Ericka King </strong&rt;of Ramer, TN is working as a product/account manager for Belle Maison Decor, Inc. In this capacity, she finds and orders merchandise for the store. <strong&rt;Kayla Hudson</strong&rt; of Gleason, TN is working on her M.A. in Education at Union University while serving as a graduate assistant for Union's Lady Bulldog basketball team. Kayla was a four year starter at Union and leads Union in assists over her career. <strong&rt;JJ Lafitte </strong&rt;of Franklin, TN graduated from the ROTC program at Union and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. For the past year, JJ served as the commander of the Union brigade. He is now waiting to begin his training as a helicopter pilot for the Army. <strong&rt;Ian Joyner </strong&rt;of Jackson, TN completed ROTC training and ws commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army reserves. He works and manages a local computer store. <strong&rt;Lauren Laster </strong&rt;of Olive Branch, MS is working for Senator Roger Wicker's (R-MS) Washington, D.C. <strong&rt;David Haney </strong&rt;of Collierville, TN is working in Campus Safety and Security at Union and hopes to join the police in the near future. <strong&rt; Kyle Huguely </strong&rt;of Memphis is working in security positions as he prepares to work for the police.<strong&rt; </strong&rt; <strong&rt;Laura Grossberndt </strong&rt;of Waterbury, CT is looking at several graduate progams. The Department is proud of everything that these students accomplished and wish them the best as they begin their careers.     http://www.uu.edu/dept/politicalscience/news.cfm?ID=272 http://www.uu.edu/dept/politicalscience/news.cfm?ID=272 webmaster@uu.edu (Department of Political Science at Union University) Wed, 25 May 2011 00:00:00 CST Matt Kuchem, a 2010 political science graduate and TIgrett Award winner, will attend Indiana University this fall to pursue his PhD. Matt had a 4.0 while double majoring in Political Science and Broadcasting. During his time, Matt received an undergraduate research grant to work on a survey of evangelical college students with Drs. Evans and Watson. He was very active in campus organizations and as one of the anchors of Jackson 24-7. After leaving Union, Matt worked on Capitol Hill and the Heritage Foundation. Matt will attend Indiana on a full scholarship and will study political theory. We congratulate Matt on his achievements. http://www.uu.edu/dept/politicalscience/news.cfm?ID=261 http://www.uu.edu/dept/politicalscience/news.cfm?ID=261 webmaster@uu.edu (Department of Political Science at Union University) Sat, 30 Apr 2011 00:00:00 CST