As I have said before, I am not a reader. However, after reading some of the selections for Eng 222 and 223 I have found that many stories, poems and books were inspired by slavery. Who would have thought that such cruel and horrible acts would be an inspiration for so many writers? While some feel that the "modern age" has ruined America, I think that there are a lot of minority groups, most of all African Americans, that feel differently. It's unfathomable to me that at one time, a person was treated like an animal simply because they had darker skin. What's even worse is that someone could actually be this cruel and sleep at night; not just one person, MANY people.
So that brings up my next question.... what has happened in the past that made society take a step back and look at the way they were treating people? I realize that there were several people throughout history that helped this shift in behavior, including Sojourner Truth and Martin Luther King Jr, but there has been a seriously dramatic change in the way that society views people of different races. I, for one, am very glad that we no longer treat people the way that slaves were treated many years ago and reading stories about this makes me sick to my stomach. I can say that I am proud to be an American and hope that this country continues to move forward in the treatment of all human beings!
I would like to agree with you in this regard, but unfortunately that isn't the case. It might not be as open as in the past (even as recently as the Nazis in World War II), but there are still occasions of people being treated poorly based on their skin, their tribe, sex and so on. Also consider the ramification of such treatment is still being felt to the current generations (not being able to trace your genealogy, fewer educational opportunities based on the school district, and so on). I'm still waiting for Star Trek society...;)
ReplyDeleteI actually had the opposite interpretation when reading the stories dealing with race, which is that these stories are still so relevant, because there is still so much injustice and racism in America. The thing is that today, if you aren't a minority race, you don't even recognize racism, because it has no effect on you, besides hopefully making you disgusted with the way human beings are being treated. Racism is institutionalized today as it was in the past, and while it may not be acceptable to beat a black man in the streets or in a jail cell anymore, that doesn't mean that they have the same opportunities at all. Minorities make less money, have less educational and employment opportunity, and are far more likely to go to jail or prison than a white person would be for the same offense. I hope that one day racism can be wiped out and people will all be treated equally, but I wouldn't hold my breath that it will happen one day soon.
ReplyDeleteI agree with all of you actually. There has been a dramatic shift in the way society has treated minorities, but I also believe there is much more work that needs to be done. I can say as a mother that I teach my children that people and families come in all different sizes, shapes, and colors. This is easier for me to look at from all sides because my children's Grand parents are a minority. They are a same sex couple who have been together for 30+ years. I think that the improvements should be made by the way we teach our children. We should all be teaching the younger generation that you should love people no matter what color their skin is or the lifestyle in which they choose to live. As an American I am proud of the steps we have taken, but there is so much more that needs to be done.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing to me that we still have these issues even though all of this work has been done to try to improve tolerance. The problem with racism is that it seems to be so well hidden from white America that when something bad does happen, we may be outraged, but we believe that these are isolated events. There is so much intolerance left in the world. It isn't even just an issue based on skin color. Women still make less than a man does, and people are out protesting against the rights of same-sex couples. It amazes me that we still live in a world filled with so much hate and contempt for people we don't even know. People are people. I hope someday that everyone can realize that.
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