Social Conscience

I recently completed a graduate level course. I was shocked by the ignorance I encountered, particularly the righteousness of one of my classmates. Any graduate level class involves a great deal of discussion and give and take. Argument, after all, is a learning experience.

One classmate struck me as particularly argumentative, and, frankly, ignorant.

This classmate seemed very sure of themselves; rolling their eyes and presenting a book review in a contrived lesson that they felt was particularly effective, but wasn’t. I decided to Google this person.

I was shocked at the results. This person had a blog; the last post was in 2006. They also had a web page for their students, last updated in 2005. There was also an article where this person was quoted at an anti Bush rally.

“I am an activist for social injustice.” The quote was attributed to a person on a bike to which was attached a depiction of Bush hung in effigy. I was initially appalled at the blatant use of the propagandistic use of “us against them.” The statement implied that those that were not “activists against social injustice” were therefore activists for social injustice.

I am not an activist against social injustice, but that does not mean that I am for it. In fact, I am committed to preventing it by educating those who are subjected to it. But, the question is, if we are to hold ourselves out as examples, and I am not doing that, how committed are we if we can afford to live in Manhattan, own a bike and can afford to build an effigy to hang on the front of our bikes?

Wouldn’t it be more productive if our “activists” worked to educate the public to social injustices and identifying those? Wouldn’t it be more productive to go door to door to register voters? Wouldn’t it be more productive to work in a soup kitchen? Wouldn’t it be more productive donate our bikes?

I would warn my readers, both of you, to be wary of those who present themselves as activists. I would also admonish you to help more by giving of your time – help Habitat for Humanity, volunteer to help cook at the soup kitchen, but, remember, charity starts at home. Make sure that your kids are fed, loved and educated first!