I received my Ph.D. in German Literature from Princeton University in 1979. Then I taught at Vanderbilt University, BYU, and Utah Valley State College. At Utah Valley University, I directed the Program in Integrated Studies for its initial 13 years and was also Chair of the Department of Humanities and Philosophy for three years. My publications include a book on Freemasonry and the German Novel, three co-authored books with Zarko Radakovic (REPETITIONS and VAMPIRES & A REASONABLE DICTIONARY, WE: ON FRIENDSHIP, published in Serbo-Croatian in Belgrade and in English with Punctum Books and Elik Press), a book with Sam Rushforth (WILD RIDES AND WILDFLOWERS, Torrey House Press), a "fraternal meditation" called IMMORTAL FOR QUITE SOME TIME (University of Utah Press), a book of essays published while fighting for academic freedom at BYU: DWELLING IN THE PROMISED LAND AS A STRANGER, and translations of three books by Austrian author Peter Handke, of an exhibition catalogue called "The German Army and Genocide," and, with Dan Fairbanks, of Gregor Mendel's important paper on hybridity in peas. More importantly, my children are in the process of creating good lives for themselves. I share my life with UVU historian Lyn Bennett, with whom I have written a cultural history of barbed wire -- THE PERFECT FENCE (Texas A&M University Press). Some publications at http://works.bepress.com/scott_abbott/
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4 thoughts on “Walls”
You’re post was an enjoyable read. I find it interesting that you mentioned the Berlin Wall as a comparison to all other walls. If you know your history, the Berlin Wall was separating the country Germany itself and the East side was keeping people in. No one was permitted to leave or enter, no matter the circumstances. Not to mention those, on that side, controlled by the Soviet Union were basically forced to live a life without freedom. How does that compare to walls that merely enforce borders? I have been hearing a lot about the Berlin Wall being a comparison to the wall Trump wants to build, which I feel was an inspiration for your post, but how does it really compare? Is the only real similarity that the fact it is a wall? Could you compare the Great Wall of China, which was intended as a way to protect China from northern invaders, to other walls as well including Trump’s? I liked your second to last question, “So what are these walls really about?” I agree that we all need to figure it out.
Thank you for your response. I was comparing the Berlin Wall and the wall Trump wants to build not by their purposes but by the ramifications of taking them down. Just as there was peace when the Berlin Wall was destroyed would there be a similar reaction to the destruction of this wall/policy? I do not know the answer to that question but allows critical thinking about this issue. Thanks for taking the time to read through and think about my post.
I really liked reading this post. It is short and powerful. I like how it has an open-ended meaning of whether it is good or bad. You did well at addressing both sides of the issues and whether or not the wall will be beneficial or not. To some degree, I feel like the wall won’t keep people from immigrating. It’s kind of like the second amendment and how many people think we need to eliminate gun control. However, if that happened, it would take guns out of the hands of the innocent and into the hands of those who really shouldn’t have them. I think there are always ways to get around something and I feel like if a wall is built, people will still find a way around it.
I’m also with Kade on this one. I really enjoyed this poem. It was gripping and it was thought-provoking.
I think that because people are of different cultures they have the varying definitions of what walls are meant for.
Someone in China might say it was to protect what they had, some in Germany was to enforce communistic values and inflict punishment; North Korea would be the same way. It’s all about the motives behind the wall.
Borderlands 
You’re post was an enjoyable read. I find it interesting that you mentioned the Berlin Wall as a comparison to all other walls. If you know your history, the Berlin Wall was separating the country Germany itself and the East side was keeping people in. No one was permitted to leave or enter, no matter the circumstances. Not to mention those, on that side, controlled by the Soviet Union were basically forced to live a life without freedom. How does that compare to walls that merely enforce borders? I have been hearing a lot about the Berlin Wall being a comparison to the wall Trump wants to build, which I feel was an inspiration for your post, but how does it really compare? Is the only real similarity that the fact it is a wall? Could you compare the Great Wall of China, which was intended as a way to protect China from northern invaders, to other walls as well including Trump’s? I liked your second to last question, “So what are these walls really about?” I agree that we all need to figure it out.
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Thank you for your response. I was comparing the Berlin Wall and the wall Trump wants to build not by their purposes but by the ramifications of taking them down. Just as there was peace when the Berlin Wall was destroyed would there be a similar reaction to the destruction of this wall/policy? I do not know the answer to that question but allows critical thinking about this issue. Thanks for taking the time to read through and think about my post.
LikeLike
I really liked reading this post. It is short and powerful. I like how it has an open-ended meaning of whether it is good or bad. You did well at addressing both sides of the issues and whether or not the wall will be beneficial or not. To some degree, I feel like the wall won’t keep people from immigrating. It’s kind of like the second amendment and how many people think we need to eliminate gun control. However, if that happened, it would take guns out of the hands of the innocent and into the hands of those who really shouldn’t have them. I think there are always ways to get around something and I feel like if a wall is built, people will still find a way around it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m also with Kade on this one. I really enjoyed this poem. It was gripping and it was thought-provoking.
I think that because people are of different cultures they have the varying definitions of what walls are meant for.
Someone in China might say it was to protect what they had, some in Germany was to enforce communistic values and inflict punishment; North Korea would be the same way. It’s all about the motives behind the wall.
LikeLiked by 1 person