Personal Identity In Society

Already while reading this book I felt closer and more understanding of the, because I too left college in the fear that if I didn’t join now, I would never have another chance to serve my country.

No matter how much a person desires to live according to their personal autonomy, he or she will never escape the influence of societal forces. Explicitly or subtlety, these forces shape our individuality. One intriguing manner that these societal forces manifests itself in is our name. As Ruth Graham writes, “It’s becoming increasingly clear today that names carry a wealth of information about the world around us, the family we arrived in, the moment we were born—and that they mark us as part of cultural currents bigger than we realize.” Names alone provide evidence that individuals are made by interactions with social institutions and groups. Ultimately, the inescapable nature of society’s influence demands individuals to ponder how much personal autonomy is actually autonomous and to what extent does the pursuit of personal autonomy lead to a life of emptiness and vanity.

The next slide that he presented layed out all the issues that are commonly associated with the joining the military. Mckinnely uses negative words such as “Inconsistency, PTSD, Emotional, Children, Violence, Problems, Detachment” to really deliver the message to his audience that the military lifestyle has serious implications on themselves and their loves ones. Mckinnely’s intended purpose for doing this for his audience to be aware of the tough obstacles of military life and for them to rethink their decision to join the

No matter how bothersome it was when my parents got on my back for not saying “Yes ma'am” or “No sir,” I now realize they were teaching me responsibility, integrity, respect, and leadership.When I pinned my mother's rank of Master Sergeant to her shoulder it instilled a sense of pride in my family. We earned that insignia alongside her through all of our sacrifices over the years. My inclination towards engineering and flying is reflective of the dedication and pride my family has set before me. Between my mother who would arrive home late due to her six-hour commute and my cousin who depended on my family while his parents served in Afghanistan, I learned what it meant to be selfless. These members of my family, these role models, show me every day what it means to put service before self. These are the footsteps I aspire to follow

Since I was young, it wasn’t a firefighter or an astronaut that I dreamed of becoming, it was a member of the United States military. As I matured, only one branch held my attention: the Army. I’ve wanted to give back to this country that has given so much to me with just three words - life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, the inalienable rights. I want to give back and do so as a representative of the most highly acclaimed service academy, to be a part of the tradition of excellence that has shaped our country.

On June 17th, 1968, Tim O’Brien received a conscription informing him he will be joining the army to fight in the Vietnam War. Tims physiological state immediately destabilizes which makes him question every little thing in his life. He told himself he wasn’t ready to go to war, to risk his life, to kill someone and have that guilt for the rest of his life. “I was above it” he told himself, wondering why someone down the street with less potential could’ve just went instead. When Tim feels this sort of distraught, he doesn’t necessarily think of the societal pressures that could come if he doesn’t go, but instead puts pressure on society for not choosing another person. Instead of swallowing the pill and pack for Vietnam, he puts blame on everybody else for his drawback and hopes for a way out. O’Brien holds himself to a high standard and thinks society does the same, so it does not affect him what consequences there would be if he did find a way to get out of war, or so he thought.

The United States Armed Forces are only for the rough and tough. I learned about the military through commercials on television, my family members who veterans, and recruiters walking are thought my neighborhood and at school when I was a child. “Join the most powerful military in the world,” said a military poster I had seen walking home from work one day and the “Be All That You Can Be” Army commercials played while I was watching television. I believed that if I was rough and tough enough to join the military then I could do anything I put my mind to. It became a challenge and I decided to take on the challenge.

The military has always been a part of my family’s life. My grandfather was in the army along with his son and my grandmothers other son’s. I also have many cousins who are still in and one who worked at the Pentagon. My uncles use to always tell us stories about their military service and how much they learned. Most of my cousins that joined only joined because of these stories and the lavish lifestyles they have seen my uncles live. Unlike them, I wasn’t drawn in by the stories my uncles told me, or the war letters from my deceased grandfather. For some reason it was my mothers dream for me; probably because its always something she wanted to do but was afraid, a fantasy I wasn’t quite ready to live in for her or them.

Did you know that the Military is not just individuals serving our country? The Military protects our country, and gives us freedom and opportunities in life. Being in America is an honor. Americans are able to do endless of things in their short lives.

Like a moth to the flame, I have always been drawn to the military. It appeals to me in many ways, but most prominently in the role of the military to protect individual’s freedom. As a US history major, my dad always regaled me with stories of the American Revolution and Civil War. The courage and passion shown by countless historical figures to preserve freedom amazed me growing up and set the stage for my ambitions with the military.

It was a simmering San Antonio morning as my mother started to get ready, to watch me graduate and receive my diploma. I could tell that to her, this was the next step to follow the family tradition and enlist in the armed forces. Today, however, was the day I told her I could no longer be convinced that going to the military, instead of seeking a higher education, was the best thing for me. I knew I had to be honest and truthful with her in what I wanted for myself and my future.

“We all slowly joined the military one by one expect Pig. I dropped out of high school to join the militarized zone in Korea at the age of 17 and lied and said I was 18. My reason for joining the war was to get away. I noticed I could not be home anymore or I would self-destruct like so many had. People in Baltimore had changed, all the people I admired, I did not want to be trapped and become who they had become.” What did you do in the military? “I was a drill sergeant; I prepare men for war.” What part do you remember most about the military? It was a heck of an experience, I meet so many people, and was able to travel. When we were not on duty we would explore different parts of the country, it was a beautiful place.” What did you do after Korea? I joined the police force in Baltimore, it did not last long because my soon to be wife did not want me to worry about

I was born in a very small coal mining town in East Tennessee. Labor jobs were just the way it was. I performed very well in high school and earned honors, service club officer positions, and JROTC cadet battalion commander. My parents divorced by the time my brother and I entered school. We never received the coaching or guidance to continue school into college. Military service is common in small town American and with my uncle's influence, that is what I did. Here too, I performed very well and held elite positions outside my normal duties. Family issues influenced me to depart from the planned career of military service. Being involved in the type of special operations I was made me a pretty high strung and super motivated civilian laborer

Sexual relationships and gender are important aspects of life that help form social relationships and an individual’s personal identity. Despite many of the benefits that being able to express one’s sexuality and gender can provide, both aspects of life come with various misconceptions. For example, “We know what causes sexual orientation” is a statement that is not true since scientists do not have an exact cause or evidence to support a cause for sexual preference (American Psychological Association, 2010). Sexual orientation is the gender preferences an individual has when choosing a sexual partner such as an individual identifying themselves as bisexual, homosexual or heterosexual (King, 2016). There has been research that has identified possible factors that may play a role in determining the sexual orientation of an individual such as cultural and biological factors (American Psychological Association, 2010). Additionally, with the discovery of possibilities for sexual orientation there has also been research that has found aspects of person’s life that have no impact on sexual orientation such as how parents reared their children (King, 2016).

I picked the image Soldiers Holding Society by Mickey Curtis for my visual reflection. This picture speaks to me on how our veterans and current soldiers fight for our freedom and to defend our country. The photo shows this by depicting soldiers holding up a piece of ground with another group of soldiers on the perimeter facing outward. Some of the soldiers on the inside are shouldering the burden of the land. Others are helping them by standing on the bodies of their dead comrades and reaching upward to help hold the territory up. The soldiers on the outside are firing towards an unseen enemy. The entire area that the soldiers are in is awash with blood. A couple on the land are overlooking idyllic scenery with prosperous homes in