Are we or are we not responsible for that which we do not choose (i.e., race, gender, class)? Having grown up as a privilaged, middle class, American I have to wonder....can I really be condemned or applauded for the life I was born into? If we are unaware of the consequences of our actions, should we be persecuted or instead be exposed to new truths?
I refuse to feel guilty for being given an opportunity for an education just because it is not an equal opportunity. I not only value my education but strive towards a day when truth in education is available to all. This is critical for social awareness, social justice, and change. Rather than feeling ashamed that we have taken more than our share, more than many members of the working class will ever afford, can we not use our experiences to educate others, to spread knowledge, to lift the oppressed and to take part in a revolution? A higher education is not to be used as a tool to separate the elite from the rest, it is to be used to create community by uniting all of it's members.
Posted by jen at June 25, 2004 09:23 PM