Our latest in class film revealed explosive tension within a Northern Montana community and truly made me question the nation in which we live. Here in California I feel sheltered to many of the racial and social tension experienced in other environments around the United States. One thought that stuck with me throughout the day connects our right as a citizen to the freedom of speech with a climate of fear and discrimination- are we free where hate exists?
The actions and choices of others are outside each of our personal control, however we do have the power to react independently. We can control our own behavior. This fact doesn't change with geography; however it is essential to acknowledge that we often lose the ability to choose the environment or community in which we live. Often people are deeply rooted to the community due to economic needs such as career stability or family ties. I find it problematic that there are people who feel unsafe inside their community but are unfortunately unable to escape. In such a circumstance, where the climate of fear and hate reign- is anyone truly free?
One Native American family choose to leave the community because of extreme racism in the classroom and local government. Although they each possessed the right to speak their mind, their freedom of speech did not solve their very real problems. The parents did not wish to raise their daughter in a town where hate speech was not only common but embedded within the town's very infrastructure. Many choose not to accept hate speech and stood up, spoke out and were quickly intimidated and threatened. This damaging cycle serves no reasonable purpose or objective. How then, can this community progress when the communication lacks ethical responsibility or accountability by its members. Change must be made and my last question remains...HOW?
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3 comments:
Check out my blog.. yours sort of inspired my post!
You ask such a great question regarding hate speech and a community's ability to cope with it or take a stand to change it: how? Even change that appears to occur suddenly within an individual or community often is a long time in the making.
Often, too, it is a fine line between standing up for oneself and giving in to one's own anger and perpetuating the cycle of anger.
Thank you for another thought-provoking, empathetic post.
What an excellent post. I am very impressed. You do a wonderful job with begging the question. See you in class.
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