User:Penta
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I should probably describe myself here.
I'm John Penta, a 20-something college student. Originally, I'm from Monmouth County, New Jersey, but I go to school at the University of Scranton in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
Currently, I'm majoring in political science; Thus, you'll probably see me wandering related articles on WP, as well as anything else that catches my eye.
My political views on controversial topics, so all sides know what they're running up against:
- Domestic US Politics: I'm utterly independent. As of Jun 2004, have been turned off by both sides for different reasons, and feel none really represents me. Also, because I'm partially blind and have other disabilities, my views on many "social" issues are...idiosyncratic.
- Arab-Israeli Conflict: I attempt to maintain a semblance of objectivity, but find myself leaning towards the Israelis if pressed. Partially, this is political socialization at work; Though I'm Catholic from birth, the area I live in has a not-insubstantial Jewish population. It's hard not to see the TV, and put the faces of friends or neighbors on random residents of Tel Aviv. Otherwise, it's simply strategic: While the idea of a Palestinian state seems OK, the practical matter is that nobody in the region seems to actually want it to happen; Perhaps for good reason, as it takes away a significant safety valve for many countries in the region. At the same time, I'm unsure the former British Mandate of Palestine can really be shared in any peaceful way. Perhaps, as John Wayne used to say, "This town ain't big enough for the two of us, pardner." Well, if that's how it has to be...I'll be sad to see the conflict and bloodshed, but that's how history and fate tend to produce resolutions, as predictably as the winds. One side loses, and is either scattered or dies, and the other side wins. As far as the history goes, I'm a fan of documentation. Don't just TELL me something, SHOW ME.
- Iraq: No points to the White House for utterly failing to plan, but this was a just war. As it is...We're there. It is, so to speak, America's 21st Century version of the "White Man's Burden", as Kipling put it (rather condescendingly, but the phrase seems the only one to work). We have a job to do: Fix Iraq.
Let's quit whining and bickering, shut up, and do it.
OK, enough ranting.
My other favorites are mental health and disability (I've personal connections to both), military science (and anything under that, just cuz I'm a geek), history (my other considered major), and...whatever else I feel knowledgable (or am stupid enough to think I have a clue) about on any given day.
Email address provided upon request. (I'm hoping there's a sort of Private Message function on Wiki?)