So Im sharing this article because Ive been sitting on it for about two weeks now since it was shared with me. Along with the article Im posting in the comments they seem to say something about our culture at large that has largely gotten lost in the coverage of all the Ferguson hype and should be addressed. Not to drag up old ghosts but I feel like theyve been sitting on my chest and I have to breathe a bit. What is often forgotten in the subtext of the story of Michael Brown and the history of racially charged America is that over the years, many times the issues typically or traditionally seen as racially motivated can be further broken down into issues of ideology regarding social and economic class warfare and systematic segregation of the less privileged. This is often classified as racism because often those effected by these issues are those living in areas affected by things such as white flight and socioeconomic reform that strips already low income communities of opportunities for positive growth. Unfortunately many of these areas are largely minority based due to the long history of urban planning and civil engineering favoring the few instead of the masses. This exacerbates the already existing issues of mistrust in government, big business and the wealthy because it is statistically proven that they are not subject to the same regulations, consequences and stipulations as the less fortunate. I bring this up as a way to ask people to look at the big picture. If we examine the two sides of every story and see that there is often more that lies beneath the surface we may be able to achieve resolution to the multitude of concerns that plague us as a society and will continue to without large scale reform to issues such as the educational system, employment practices, distribution of wealth and access to health care, just to name a few. Issues like this go beyond Ferguson and into the very sinews of our history and communities in every corner of the nation. I know I may sound like a broken record, but the reason I say this now is not as a woe is me tale, but as a call to action. In our own backyards and in our own way we can all play a role. It doesnt necessarily mean being on the front lines but it may mean approaching your daily tasks with a new mindset or goal. It may mean simply taking notice of the opportunities around you to make the small difference in hopes of effecting something larger or taking a step away from our own selves to see the whole. I cant say that Im always the most positive figure on the issue of equality in society. Though I can say that I have reason to be hopeful and aware that perception is not always reality.
Posted on: Tue, 02 Sep 2014 03:40:16 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015