In need of dialogue (because I'm Hamlet)
I feel disoriented and wrong-headed about everything I think or say nowadays. But what’s more dismaying is my inability to reconcile reality, this yes-or-no, literally black-or-white mentality with my lovely heather grey view of the world. I feel embarrassed to be so out of touch, and so unable to articulately state my case. I can't find a common ground for my idealism and the facts of life I'm being confronted with now. I stand firm in feeling that optimism and idealism are the basis of change, and progress.
But what needs to progress? What needs to change? What can change?
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This generation of Americans should not be held directly accountable for its forebear’s inhumane mistakes, in both races. If people keep holding on to prior grievances that they haven’t even directly lived, then there will be no progress. That it happened cannot be ignored, but it cannot be so constantly referred to and relied upon if there is any hope of moving beyond it. That is simply maintaining it, and reinforcing it.
But white people screwed black people over. It sucked. It continues to suck, through self-segregation on both parts...
Affirmative action had a place initially. If communities are in disrepair now, it is not for a lack of initial opportunity to previous generations.
But there is a difference in mandated equality and sincere acceptance. Acceptance in many cases still has not occurred, but you cannot lump every interaction and relationship together. But can you draw conclusions from singular incidents?
Overall, cumulative results are more telling than singular events or people. One Muslim extremist is not all Muslims.
But individuals compose that whole.
(I just don't know what to think anymore. College is so thoughtful, and patient. The world isn't.)
But what needs to progress? What needs to change? What can change?
________________________________________________________________
This generation of Americans should not be held directly accountable for its forebear’s inhumane mistakes, in both races. If people keep holding on to prior grievances that they haven’t even directly lived, then there will be no progress. That it happened cannot be ignored, but it cannot be so constantly referred to and relied upon if there is any hope of moving beyond it. That is simply maintaining it, and reinforcing it.
But white people screwed black people over. It sucked. It continues to suck, through self-segregation on both parts...
Affirmative action had a place initially. If communities are in disrepair now, it is not for a lack of initial opportunity to previous generations.
But there is a difference in mandated equality and sincere acceptance. Acceptance in many cases still has not occurred, but you cannot lump every interaction and relationship together. But can you draw conclusions from singular incidents?
Overall, cumulative results are more telling than singular events or people. One Muslim extremist is not all Muslims.
But individuals compose that whole.
(I just don't know what to think anymore. College is so thoughtful, and patient. The world isn't.)