Marine Corps Foundation Scholarship Essay That Might Not Be Turned In On Time For The Deadline

Being reared in a cult religion made my childhood painful and isolated. Some hallmarks of our belief system included the concept of political neutrality, requiring refusal to salute the flag, serve in the military, or honor our loved ones with military funerals. As cult members, we were also forbidden to vote or to campaign or politic in any form. Being the only children in our community who never saluted a flag made us objects of chronic scorn and derision, and later, as teen-agers, rebelling against the religion of our family made us outcasts at home and at church. Choosing to attend college was deeply frowned upon. At one point, my father actually refused to fill out the FAFSA, but my mother obliged him to change his mind, something I will always be grateful to her for doing.

One of the saddest aspects of my upbringing is that despite the fact that all recent family patriarchs served our country honorably in war and peace, their legacy is dishonored because of my family's inability to openly take pride in their military accomplishments. I believe that most of my father's and grandfathers' military documents and medals have been rotting in closets for years, instead of being proudly displayed on walls or in museums where they belong, because of my family's fear of being "marked" as prideful or "worldly" by fellow cult members. Not until I was an adult did I glimpse the numerous medals and papers documenting my step-grandfather's enormous sacrifices in the Korean War as a Marine Corps Sergeant. Additionally, I never saw a picture of my grandfather, who served as a World War II Navy ship mechanic, until I requested family history information for a college history project.

As a result of that college history coursework, the Memorial Day holiday, which meant little to me for many years, has a deeper, personal dimension. As a Social Science major, I often reflect on the enduring, tragic effects of World War II on my family. I also wonder if they will ever realize that the extreme hardships endured by my step-grandfather, Charles Crockett, in Korea, were far-reaching and meaningful.

Pursuing higher education and leaving behind the brainwashing that allowed my family to deny Grandpa Crockett the military funeral he should have had, enables me to think and act to help the planet and the people who inhabit it. It helps me to stop judging humanity as hopeless, and to see that waiting for God to fix our messes is perhaps childish at best, and certainly irresponsible at worst. It enables me to promote peace, to honor the peacekeeping efforts of the military, to honor those who question the military, to wholly embrace that paradox, and to accept the paradox that our religious freedom can sometimes result in a mental imprisonment that I am free of, so that I may proudly proclaim myself the daughter of a Marine, regardless of my father's false shame in it.


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Signed by me, 1 April 2009

Acceptance By UNC

Momentary interuption of the blogswarm:

Well, after months of waiting and hoping and finally giving up, I have received an acceptance letter from UNC-Chapel Hill! I am so happy I could cry!

Separation Of Church And State

I have procrastinated writing this little bit about why I think separation of church and state is so important; and if I am to participate, it must be done in an impromptu, stream-of-consciousness fashion, so please forgive any lack of organization.
I am at the moment conceiving of a "what if" scenario regarding NO SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE, WHEREBY THE STATE IS AMERICA AND THE CHURCH IS RUN BY JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES. "What!" you say. "That would never happen!"
Well, maybe a state run by the Catholics . . . perhaps that's a bit more conceivable? Or perhaps a state run by the Baptists? Or the Unitarians? Which would you prefer? Perhaps a state run by Muslim Law would work for some of you? Ahh . . . how do we decide which religion? Christian? But what about all the Jews? And what about the undecided and the agnostics and atheists? How shall they be represented and treated in a society that operates from a position of exclusionary ideals based on membership and status within one particular religious organization? Not well, would be my gander.
Now without any further commentary, I think that any sane, democratic person can easily comprehend why we simply cannot operate a democracy in which religion determines how the infrastructure and bureaucracy operates because religions tend to be totalitarian in their idealism, however sincere they may be, and will by their very nature exclude participation by those who disagree with their paradigms or particular world views, and that would not a democracy make, now would it?
Perhaps I'll return to add more, or perhaps others will add to my thoughts in the comments area. Comments that are civil and well-thought are appreciated.

B.A.T. Blog Against Theocracy Easter Weekend

I'm very excited about this opportunity to rant for separation of church and state . . . off to desktop to do a little writing, finally!