Post Comments about our class discussion (10/07/08)
As a continuation to our class discussion, please feel free to further elaborate on ideas about how we can improve our community, state, country, etc... Remember, do not limit yourself. Every idea is a good idea.
In addition, please feel free to share additional experiences that illustrate events that depicted clear human rights violations and made you feel powerless.
I had a group of friends who wanted to rent a house out in Carrboro. When they met with the landlord to discuss renting the property the landlord informed them they were looking for women tenants only. Since my friends were male they were unable to rent the property. The landlord's reasoning behind not renting to men was that they would not take care of the "carpets, hardwood floors, and appliances" (the house was relatively new). I was frustrated for my friends because they really liked the property and it was close to the boathouse where they have practice every day. It was wrong of the landlord to assume that because they were men they would not take care of their house. This may not be an instance of discrimination because being white males of privilege they were simply being denied one house to live in. However, it is always frustrating when people are prejudice and have preconceived notions about a person without any prior knowledge. It turns out these are 4 of the most SUPER clean people I know, men and women included. This landlord missed out on having some great tenants.
I have a group of friends up in Boone that lived in a house in a residential neighborhood. It was brought to their attention that there was an ordinance that 3 unrelated people cannot live together under one roof in certain zoning areas. However, these guys had never caused any issues with their neighbors. Someone decided that because they were college kids, they would throw parties and disrupt the neighborhood. Now one of them has until Oct 15 to find a new place to live because their neighbor did not have patience or the respect to bring the issue to them before reporting them to the town.
It really disappoints me how inconsiderate how some people can be and how quick they are to jump to conclusions about a person without ever speaking to them.
I come from a very poor area of western North Carolina. Our high school has one of the highest drop out rates in the state and for the ones who do graduate, very few continue to institutions of higher education.
This is not necessarily because the students have no motivation or that they're not "smart enough"--much of what affects their educational opportunities is their economic status.
Many people in my high school class, primarily males, were forced to drop out because they had to enter the workforce to help support their families. For the ones who could finish, there was no real possibility for them to go to college because they don't have the funds or resources to obtain them.
I feel that if our high school and educational system had had better outreach programs (meaning better funding and consoling) that had exposed these students to scholarships and resources to help them facilitate a pathway in and beyond high school, many of them would have been able to continue with their education. I feel that this is a lack of support leads to students dropping out of high school whether they want to or have to.
I too come from a relatively poor area of North Carolina. The majority of students from my high school came from families with low to middle socio/economic positions. Those that came from the lower end of this stratified system usually have parents who did not attend college or who did not finish high school. Education is not seen as a priority; money is...not lots of it, but just enough to sustain your family for one more week at a time.
I see it as a great injustice that these kids are looked down upon because they have to help fight poverty that exists within their family. They are intelligent and capable of doing great things with their life but society has given up on them and as a result they have given up on themselves.
My comment is more along the lines of the human rights city conversation. At one point we were asked what we thought was impossible to get done as opposed to what we wanted to get done and it made me think about the system changes that were being presented. I think we have to remember how long it takes for an issue to take precedent in government, especially if we consider the federal government. I do not think it is impossible to pass ideas like universal education and healthcare, but we have to remember, until politicians have answers for how and where the money will come from, change will continue to be incremental. However, I think we need to keep pushing for these system changes to become a "human rights city." It will be easier to do within the Chapel Hill/Carrboro government because it is smaller, but it will still be incremental. These system changes will keep the city from just holding the title of "human rights city" and actually making the changes necessary to meet the ideals held in being a "human rights city."
I have worked with victims of domestic violence. These women have to deal not only with the issues of domestic violence but they also experience economic, trasportation, and housing problems. There were also women for whom language barrier was also a problem. I heard women say that they would rather stay with their abuser than leave because that would mean taking themselves and their children to a homeless shelter. Some did not have jobs or had such low paying jobs that it would be impossible for them to make it on their own. It was very sad to see how disadvantaged the victims were and in so many ways.
I think that we still have a long way to go before we can call ourselves a human rights city when there are people in our communities that have to deal with issues like these every day. We need to make sure that affordable housing is available for everyone and that people have jobs with reasonable wages. We also need to be better able to provide for victims of domestic violence.
I believe that the best way that we can improve our community, state, country is through educational programming on human rights. Edmonton Canada already has a Human Rights Project which consists of an education committee, justice committee and human rights facilitators. These committees are responsible for educating citizens on human rights issues, the justice system and holding workshops for organizations. Through programming we could establish understanding of why human rights are imperative and then form a common goal of ensuring these rights for all citizens.
I just want to agree whole-heartedly with those who posted about low-income students, and domestic violence survivors as well. I also want to suggest that a lot of social problems are exacerbated by communications problems. There are lots of opportunities for assistance, but it is difficult to ensure that the information gets to the targeted group. For instance, I feel like a lot of social welfare programs are distributed in a "backwards" manner for this reason. People who are working, attending school, and raising children do not have the time to sit in lobbies, working through the bureaucracy to find out who they need to talk to and what is out there. I think this applies to the groups discussed here. Students trying to do well in school while facing very real pressures outside of school, such as having to work many hours, having to help care for siblings, and the constant stress of economic insecurity, will not be able to avail themselves of resources as easily as those more free to focus solely on their education. Women caught in violent relationships need to be targeted directly also, but both to give and recieve information. We need to know what will get them out, in order to get the children out, and they need to know that there is ,in fact, a safety net out there once they make the leap. I think all 3 of the posts on these subjects really highlight that as a society we are dropping the ball on effective communication, and therefore not using the resources we do have efficiently. Sarah R
Here's notes from our group brainstorm-- thank you Michae, Arthur, and everyone in the class for contributing to this inspiring list! _________________________ HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES PERTINENT TO CHAPEL HILL/CARRBORO COMMUNITIES: - Tensions b/w University/town communities - Youth incarceration - Migrant rights/immigration - Language barriers - Environmental sustainability (and the bridge between elite environmentalism and community work) - Hunger - Living wage - Economic inequality - Working conditions - Access to education - Environmental racism - Access to healthcare - Racial tension - Gendered violence - Gang violence - Class tension - Employment opportunities - Family violence - Limited transportation - Homelessness - Refugees - Segregation - Gentrification - Police profiling - Abuse of police power
SUGGESTIONS FOR HOW TO CREATE CHANGE: - Concert to support HR - Community Festival-- cultural events for education through celebration - Focus: taking one HR ata atime for concerted effort -Restructuring funding for public schools - Create and organization or forum to hear grievances - Elementary education: values education based on HR discourse and activism - Pre-school for all - Challenge privatization - Teaching tolerance - Safe spaces for discussing community issues - Fighting discriminatory laws - Teach a culture of challenge to patriarchy, racism, capitalism - Alternative HR-based economy - Reforming the media - Accountability - Create equal parenting systems - Reform criminal justice system/ challenging the rhetoric of punishment
I want to second the great synthesis and affirmation that Sarah just gave regarding the stories of low-income students and survivors of violence.
That said, I also want to invoke the "culture of challenge" that some of us suggested was necessary for a HR city in our last class discussion. I feel the need to challenge the idea that the stories of inconvniene experienced by University students with regard to housing represent Human Rights violations.
I agree that it's unfortunate that someone might be pre-judged by a potential landlord, and if there was a larger pattern of discrimination that seriously impeded the ability of these students to find housing I think it would approach the status of Human Rights abuse-- but isolated instances of inconvenience are not abuses of basic human rights!
I want to press our class to look at the power dynamics and systematic oppressions at work in our society as we think about the role of human rights in our community, and avoid stretching the concept of violation/abuse to the point of promiscuou meaninglessness.
That said, I agree with the idea that communication and mutual respect (which were clearly absent in these two cases)are necessary for a community of caring and a basis for a Human Rights social order. I don't want to say that these stories have nothing to do with human rights (clearly there are leassons to be extrapolated), but I think it's important to understand that there is a qualitative difference between victimization and inconvenience. - rachel
I think the solutions we raised in class last week are a great starting point, and I am hopeful that when Chapel Hill/Carrboro becomes a human rights city, we can begin to implement these changes.
Most importantly, I think we need to begin to develop educational programs about human rights and integrate the topic into conversations involving policy makers and community leaders. We can't begin to see change until people in these roles are in support and agreement with our human rights initiatives.
I met a women was a widow, immigrant and mother who spoke little English and expressed her frustrations with not being able to receive health care for her son. Seeing as she was living here in Chapel Hill, a place that is world-renowned for our medical innovations, i found it extremely frustrating that she was unable to receive help, especially for her young son who most likely needed the access to health care (checkups, shots etc) the most. I informed her of some of our state health programs for kids and hoped that she understood me enough to seek out this information. I felt helpless and also frustrated that she had no idea out the options out there that exist for her and her family simply because no one has taken the initiative to inform her of her options. I know this is a common occurrence for many Americans and something that would reduced with the implementation of a human rights bill and by making health care a right instead of a privilege for our citizens. -Jessica Anders
Many times human rights are violated because no one speaks out against them. As a community it is important that we are not silent about injustices which we witness. That is the first step to helping the human rights cause.
I think our country does a wonderful job ensuring everyone's human rights and have not seen a violation.
The only area I would suggest improvement in is for single parents. They are expected to work outside the home and provide full childcare. The government should provide additional income proportionate to the family's needs and set up reduced price child care for these parents.
Housing and race-related issues happen on campus as well. I know of a situation where a group of 3 girls planned to live on campus together, one of whom has an hispanic heritage. Before then, one of the roommates, unsure about housing, expressed concern over the "potluck" system saying that she didn't know what she would do if she were assigned a minority student because she couldn't or wouldn't live with them. The third roommate asked why and brought up the fact that their other roommate was hispanic. Her response was: well, she's half white.
At what point does race make a difference - when does that become a deal-breaker to some, or when is it okay?
I really enjoyed our discussion in class this day. It was very uplifting to see that we, as students, have so many new and innovative ideas to address the problem of unequal human rights in this country. And, I think that the idea that we need to begin in the schools particularly with young children (like preschool age) was an excellent idea. Because prejudices are things that people LEARN, they are not things we are born with. So the idea of teaching children to be inclusive and respectful of people and cultures different from theirs would be wonderful. In addition, they should be taught to challenge the norms around them if they feel that not right or unfair. If this happens, the next generation will be better prepared to face challenges related to human rights and they will mostly like have the desire to do more to protect the human rights of everyone around them.
I agree with Katie when she stresses the need for comprehensive education. Take capitalism, for example. I don't remember being taught about capitalism in grade school; pretty much everything I know I've either read about in college or heard from my parents or the media. It wasn't until I got to college that I even began to question capitalism and its inherently competitive nature:
Who wins? Who loses? What values does capitalism entail that might (without intention) be sociologically harmful? What links does capitalism have with other "isms" like racism, sexism, heterosexism, classism, imperialism, patriotism, and others???
My most frustrating moment regarding human rights issues like the ones we discussed in class came from a friend of mine a few years ago. Although he was a friend, he would constantly tease me about being Mexican, even though I am not. He would say things like "why don't you go back to your country before I call immigration on you" or "get out of here you illegal." I know that he was a friend and that he was trying to be funny, but I don't think issues like these make good jokes. First, it shows how ignorant some people can be when it comes to stereotyping the Hispanic community. My last name is Hernandez, so automatically people assume I am a native Spanish speaker and am from Mexico. However, there about 20 other countries that speak Spanish in the world and to assume that Hispanic is equivalent to Mexican is a very ignorant assumption.
This was definitely one of our best class discussions so far this year. Everyone had such great ideas, now we need to get out there and change things! One national issue that I am passionate about is early education. I think there should be "universal" early childhood education. I learned about this in a family and societies class and what it basically means is that all children would be able to attend QUALITY preschools for an affordable price. This would insure that children of all classes would be able to get equal education. It has been proven that the most important years for learning in a child's life are during preschool. Single mothers in the lower class aren't able to afford the same quality preschool as families in the middle and upper classes. Thus, the lower class children begin kindergarten with a huge disadvantage to their wealthier peers.
There was a handicapped, homeless black man that use to roam campus when I was a sophomore. I called him the "hugger." He use to be everywhere--at alpine, the Top of Lenoir, Yogurt Pump, all over Franklin and in the Libraries. He was harmless. He had some sort of mental handicap that led him to hug everyone and speak to you as if you were his best friend.
One night i was in the UL and he showed up. It was annoying when he was there when you were trying to study but he never lingered- he would never stay with one person for more than a few minutes. However, someone called the cops and they came and took him from the library. I haven't seen him since. I think it's sad that there did not seem to be other opportunities for him. He needed help- not b e arrested.
Going back to what Daniel said, I think a closer examination of capitalism could be useful. Capitalism has become synonymous with democracy and America. Some people believe that the inequalities in capitalism are justified because the people who work hard will prosper and those at the bottom are lazy. This may partially stem from the American ideal of individualism. But like Daniel said there are a lot of “ism” that can impede a hard working individual’s climb up the capitalism ladder. Until there is true equal opportunity to succeed in America, I feel we would benefit from more open dialogue about all aspects of capitalism.
I also come from a community in which there are a lot of low-income families that do not get the same opportunities as a lot of the middle to upper class students received. This is very noticeable in our graduation rates at my high-school. I remember my freshman year, our class consisted of over 360 people, but on graduation, that number had dropped to 262. State Treasurer Richard Moore graduated from my high school, and recently he was campaigning for Democratic candidate for governor, which he unfortunately lost. However, during one of his debates with Bev Purdue, he was talking about reforming education and mentioned that our former high school had one of the highest drop out rates in the state. Equal education is key to helping human rights.
Some of the main problems plaguing the state of North Carolina involve the high rate of high school dropouts. This problem is critical to the development and overall economic progression of the state in general. There needs to be cost-effective programs that increase accountability and help lower these dropout rates. From a high school that experienced a large portion of drop outs, I saw first hand that these drop outs will only go on to live a poverty stricken life. Also, human rights education needs to be implemented into basic education in order to increase the awareness of issues in people’s local communities and also present throughout the world. Increasing human rights awareness is an imperative first-step in making actual policy and real life change in the world. I enjoyed hearing the various stories and experiences of my peers, they offered great insight into many of the problems that sometime can go unnoticed in society.
I think that our discussion in class brought about awareness to the ways in which we affected by human rights issues each day. It was very helpful to discuss the question from the midterm and then hear students real life experiences with human rights issues. I was particularly pushed to think about ways in which we as a class and as the UNC community can work together to find solutions for these human rights issues because as Professor Blau's book states- we are part of a common table and it will require each of us working together and realizing the ways in which we affected one another.
I think the work we are doing in the communitty through this class is a perfect example of how to combat feelings of helplessness. We are truly being the change we wish to see in the world. True, there are many times when we feel helpless to stop human rights violations. But, by standing together we have the power to make a difference. Maybe it won't be big or dramatic at first, but we're part of a social movement that is growing and expanding. Working together we can overcome injustice in the world. -Kathryn Wilson
25 comments:
I had a group of friends who wanted to rent a house out in Carrboro. When they met with the landlord to discuss renting the property the landlord informed them they were looking for women tenants only. Since my friends were male they were unable to rent the property. The landlord's reasoning behind not renting to men was that they would not take care of the "carpets, hardwood floors, and appliances" (the house was relatively new). I was frustrated for my friends because they really liked the property and it was close to the boathouse where they have practice every day. It was wrong of the landlord to assume that because they were men they would not take care of their house. This may not be an instance of discrimination because being white males of privilege they were simply being denied one house to live in. However, it is always frustrating when people are prejudice and have preconceived notions about a person without any prior knowledge. It turns out these are 4 of the most SUPER clean people I know, men and women included. This landlord missed out on having some great tenants.
Kate Lowe
I have a group of friends up in Boone that lived in a house in a residential neighborhood. It was brought to their attention that there was an ordinance that 3 unrelated people cannot live together under one roof in certain zoning areas. However, these guys had never caused any issues with their neighbors. Someone decided that because they were college kids, they would throw parties and disrupt the neighborhood. Now one of them has until Oct 15 to find a new place to live because their neighbor did not have patience or the respect to bring the issue to them before reporting them to the town.
It really disappoints me how inconsiderate how some people can be and how quick they are to jump to conclusions about a person without ever speaking to them.
-Lauren P.
I come from a very poor area of western North Carolina. Our high school has one of the highest drop out rates in the state and for the ones who do graduate, very few continue to institutions of higher education.
This is not necessarily because the students have no motivation or that they're not "smart enough"--much of what affects their educational opportunities is their economic status.
Many people in my high school class, primarily males, were forced to drop out because they had to enter the workforce to help support their families. For the ones who could finish, there was no real possibility for them to go to college because they don't have the funds or resources to obtain them.
I feel that if our high school and educational system had had better outreach programs (meaning better funding and consoling) that had exposed these students to scholarships and resources to help them facilitate a pathway in and beyond high school, many of them would have been able to continue with their education. I feel that this is a lack of support leads to students dropping out of high school whether they want to or have to.
Ariel Wilson
I too come from a relatively poor area of North Carolina. The majority of students from my high school came from families with low to middle socio/economic positions. Those that came from the lower end of this stratified system usually have parents who did not attend college or who did not finish high school. Education is not seen as a priority; money is...not lots of it, but just enough to sustain your family for one more week at a time.
I see it as a great injustice that these kids are looked down upon because they have to help fight poverty that exists within their family. They are intelligent and capable of doing great things with their life but society has given up on them and as a result they have given up on themselves.
--Samantha Epps
My comment is more along the lines of the human rights city conversation. At one point we were asked what we thought was impossible to get done as opposed to what we wanted to get done and it made me think about the system changes that were being presented. I think we have to remember how long it takes for an issue to take precedent in government, especially if we consider the federal government. I do not think it is impossible to pass ideas like universal education and healthcare, but we have to remember, until politicians have answers for how and where the money will come from, change will continue to be incremental. However, I think we need to keep pushing for these system changes to become a "human rights city." It will be easier to do within the Chapel Hill/Carrboro government because it is smaller, but it will still be incremental. These system changes will keep the city from just holding the title of "human rights city" and actually making the changes necessary to meet the ideals held in being a "human rights city."
Callan Blough
I have worked with victims of domestic violence. These women have to deal not only with the issues of domestic violence but they also experience economic, trasportation, and housing problems. There were also women for whom language barrier was also a problem. I heard women say that they would rather stay with their abuser than leave because that would mean taking themselves and their children to a homeless shelter. Some did not have jobs or had such low paying jobs that it would be impossible for them to make it on their own. It was very sad to see how disadvantaged the victims were and in so many ways.
I think that we still have a long way to go before we can call ourselves a human rights city when there are people in our communities that have to deal with issues like these every day. We need to make sure that affordable housing is available for everyone and that people have jobs with reasonable wages. We also need to be better able to provide for victims of domestic violence.
-Laura Gonzalez
I believe that the best way that we can improve our community, state, country is through educational programming on human rights. Edmonton Canada already has a Human Rights Project which consists of an education committee, justice committee and human rights facilitators. These committees are responsible for educating citizens on human rights issues, the justice system and holding workshops for organizations. Through programming we could establish understanding of why human rights are imperative and then form a common goal of ensuring these rights for all citizens.
Kara Murphy
I just want to agree whole-heartedly with those who posted about low-income students, and domestic violence survivors as well. I also want to suggest that a lot of social problems are exacerbated by communications problems. There are lots of opportunities for assistance, but it is difficult to ensure that the information gets to the targeted group. For instance, I feel like a lot of social welfare programs are distributed in a "backwards" manner for this reason. People who are working, attending school, and raising children do not have the time to sit in lobbies, working through the bureaucracy to find out who they need to talk to and what is out there. I think this applies to the groups discussed here. Students trying to do well in school while facing very real pressures outside of school, such as having to work many hours, having to help care for siblings, and the constant stress of economic insecurity, will not be able to avail themselves of resources as easily as those more free to focus solely on their education. Women caught in violent relationships need to be targeted directly also, but both to give and recieve information. We need to know what will get them out, in order to get the children out, and they need to know that there is ,in fact, a safety net out there once they make the leap. I think all 3 of the posts on these subjects really highlight that as a society we are dropping the ball on effective communication, and therefore not using the resources we do have efficiently.
Sarah R
Here's notes from our group brainstorm-- thank you Michae, Arthur, and everyone in the class for contributing to this inspiring list!
_________________________
HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES PERTINENT TO CHAPEL HILL/CARRBORO COMMUNITIES:
- Tensions b/w University/town communities
- Youth incarceration
- Migrant rights/immigration
- Language barriers
- Environmental sustainability (and the bridge between elite environmentalism and community work)
- Hunger
- Living wage
- Economic inequality
- Working conditions
- Access to education
- Environmental racism
- Access to healthcare
- Racial tension
- Gendered violence
- Gang violence
- Class tension
- Employment opportunities
- Family violence
- Limited transportation
- Homelessness
- Refugees
- Segregation
- Gentrification
- Police profiling
- Abuse of police power
SUGGESTIONS FOR HOW TO CREATE CHANGE:
- Concert to support HR
- Community Festival-- cultural events for education through celebration
- Focus: taking one HR ata atime for concerted effort
-Restructuring funding for public schools
- Create and organization or forum to hear grievances
- Elementary education: values education based on HR discourse and activism
- Pre-school for all
- Challenge privatization
- Teaching tolerance
- Safe spaces for discussing community issues
- Fighting discriminatory laws
- Teach a culture of challenge to patriarchy, racism, capitalism
- Alternative HR-based economy
- Reforming the media
- Accountability
- Create equal parenting systems
- Reform criminal justice system/ challenging the rhetoric of punishment
I want to second the great synthesis and affirmation that Sarah just gave regarding the stories of low-income students and survivors of violence.
That said, I also want to invoke the "culture of challenge" that some of us suggested was necessary for a HR city in our last class discussion. I feel the need to challenge the idea that the stories of inconvniene experienced by University students with regard to housing represent Human Rights violations.
I agree that it's unfortunate that someone might be pre-judged by a potential landlord, and if there was a larger pattern of discrimination that seriously impeded the ability of these students to find housing I think it would approach the status of Human Rights abuse-- but isolated instances of inconvenience are not abuses of basic human rights!
I want to press our class to look at the power dynamics and systematic oppressions at work in our society as we think about the role of human rights in our community, and avoid stretching the concept of violation/abuse to the point of promiscuou meaninglessness.
That said, I agree with the idea that communication and mutual respect (which were clearly absent in these two cases)are necessary for a community of caring and a basis for a Human Rights social order. I don't want to say that these stories have nothing to do with human rights (clearly there are leassons to be extrapolated), but I think it's important to understand that there is a qualitative difference between victimization and inconvenience.
- rachel
I think the solutions we raised in class last week are a great starting point, and I am hopeful that when Chapel Hill/Carrboro becomes a human rights city, we can begin to implement these changes.
Most importantly, I think we need to begin to develop educational programs about human rights and integrate the topic into conversations involving policy makers and community leaders. We can't begin to see change until people in these roles are in support and agreement with our human rights initiatives.
--Kathryn Blackmar
I met a women was a widow, immigrant and mother who spoke little English and expressed her frustrations with not being able to receive health care for her son. Seeing as she was living here in Chapel Hill, a place that is world-renowned for our medical innovations, i found it extremely frustrating that she was unable to receive help, especially for her young son who most likely needed the access to health care (checkups, shots etc) the most. I informed her of some of our state health programs for kids and hoped that she understood me enough to seek out this information. I felt helpless and also frustrated that she had no idea out the options out there that exist for her and her family simply because no one has taken the initiative to inform her of her options. I know this is a common occurrence for many Americans and something that would reduced with the implementation of a human rights bill and by making health care a right instead of a privilege for our citizens.
-Jessica Anders
Many times human rights are violated because no one speaks out against them. As a community it is important that we are not silent about injustices which we witness. That is the first step to helping the human rights cause.
I think our country does a wonderful job ensuring everyone's human rights and have not seen a violation.
The only area I would suggest improvement in is for single parents. They are expected to work outside the home and provide full childcare. The government should provide additional income proportionate to the family's needs and set up reduced price child care for these parents.
Housing and race-related issues happen on campus as well. I know of a situation where a group of 3 girls planned to live on campus together, one of whom has an hispanic heritage. Before then, one of the roommates, unsure about housing, expressed concern over the "potluck" system saying that she didn't know what she would do if she were assigned a minority student because she couldn't or wouldn't live with them. The third roommate asked why and brought up the fact that their other roommate was hispanic. Her response was: well, she's half white.
At what point does race make a difference - when does that become a deal-breaker to some, or when is it okay?
I really enjoyed our discussion in class this day. It was very uplifting to see that we, as students, have so many new and innovative ideas to address the problem of unequal human rights in this country. And, I think that the idea that we need to begin in the schools particularly with young children (like preschool age) was an excellent idea. Because prejudices are things that people LEARN, they are not things we are born with. So the idea of teaching children to be inclusive and respectful of people and cultures different from theirs would be wonderful. In addition, they should be taught to challenge the norms around them if they feel that not right or unfair. If this happens, the next generation will be better prepared to face challenges related to human rights and they will mostly like have the desire to do more to protect the human rights of everyone around them.
Lauren Daaku
I agree with Katie when she stresses the need for comprehensive education. Take capitalism, for example. I don't remember being taught about capitalism in grade school; pretty much everything I know I've either read about in college or heard from my parents or the media. It wasn't until I got to college that I even began to question capitalism and its inherently competitive nature:
Who wins? Who loses? What values does capitalism entail that might (without intention) be sociologically harmful? What links does capitalism have with other "isms" like racism, sexism, heterosexism, classism, imperialism, patriotism, and others???
Daniel Hall
My most frustrating moment regarding human rights issues like the ones we discussed in class came from a friend of mine a few years ago. Although he was a friend, he would constantly tease me about being Mexican, even though I am not. He would say things like "why don't you go back to your country before I call immigration on you" or "get out of here you illegal." I know that he was a friend and that he was trying to be funny, but I don't think issues like these make good jokes. First, it shows how ignorant some people can be when it comes to stereotyping the Hispanic community. My last name is Hernandez, so automatically people assume I am a native Spanish speaker and am from Mexico. However, there about 20 other countries that speak Spanish in the world and to assume that Hispanic is equivalent to Mexican is a very ignorant assumption.
This was definitely one of our best class discussions so far this year. Everyone had such great ideas, now we need to get out there and change things! One national issue that I am passionate about is early education. I think there should be "universal" early childhood education. I learned about this in a family and societies class and what it basically means is that all children would be able to attend QUALITY preschools for an affordable price. This would insure that children of all classes would be able to get equal education. It has been proven that the most important years for learning in a child's life are during preschool. Single mothers in the lower class aren't able to afford the same quality preschool as families in the middle and upper classes. Thus, the lower class children begin kindergarten with a huge disadvantage to their wealthier peers.
There was a handicapped, homeless black man that use to roam campus when I was a sophomore. I called him the "hugger." He use to be everywhere--at alpine, the Top of Lenoir, Yogurt Pump, all over Franklin and in the Libraries. He was harmless. He had some sort of mental handicap that led him to hug everyone and speak to you as if you were his best friend.
One night i was in the UL and he showed up. It was annoying when he was there when you were trying to study but he never lingered- he would never stay with one person for more than a few minutes. However, someone called the cops and they came and took him from the library. I haven't seen him since. I think it's sad that there did not seem to be other opportunities for him. He needed help- not b e arrested.
molly moyer
Going back to what Daniel said, I think a closer examination of capitalism could be useful. Capitalism has become synonymous with democracy and America. Some people believe that the inequalities in capitalism are justified because the people who work hard will prosper and those at the bottom are lazy. This may partially stem from the American ideal of individualism. But like Daniel said there are a lot of “ism” that can impede a hard working individual’s climb up the capitalism ladder. Until there is true equal opportunity to succeed in America, I feel we would benefit from more open dialogue about all aspects of capitalism.
Angela D
I also come from a community in which there are a lot of low-income families that do not get the same opportunities as a lot of the middle to upper class students received. This is very noticeable in our graduation rates at my high-school. I remember my freshman year, our class consisted of over 360 people, but on graduation, that number had dropped to 262. State Treasurer Richard Moore graduated from my high school, and recently he was campaigning for Democratic candidate for governor, which he unfortunately lost. However, during one of his debates with Bev Purdue, he was talking about reforming education and mentioned that our former high school had one of the highest drop out rates in the state. Equal education is key to helping human rights.
Some of the main problems plaguing the state of North Carolina involve the high rate of high school dropouts. This problem is critical to the development and overall economic progression of the state in general. There needs to be cost-effective programs that increase accountability and help lower these dropout rates. From a high school that experienced a large portion of drop outs, I saw first hand that these drop outs will only go on to live a poverty stricken life. Also, human rights education needs to be implemented into basic education in order to increase the awareness of issues in people’s local communities and also present throughout the world. Increasing human rights awareness is an imperative first-step in making actual policy and real life change in the world. I enjoyed hearing the various stories and experiences of my peers, they offered great insight into many of the problems that sometime can go unnoticed in society.
I think that our discussion in class brought about awareness to the ways in which we affected by human rights issues each day. It was very helpful to discuss the question from the midterm and then hear students real life experiences with human rights issues. I was particularly pushed to think about ways in which we as a class and as the UNC community can work together to find solutions for these human rights issues because as Professor Blau's book states- we are part of a common table and it will require each of us working together and realizing the ways in which we affected one another.
I think the work we are doing in the communitty through this class is a perfect example of how to combat feelings of helplessness. We are truly being the change we wish to see in the world. True, there are many times when we feel helpless to stop human rights violations. But, by standing together we have the power to make a difference. Maybe it won't be big or dramatic at first, but we're part of a social movement that is growing and expanding. Working together we can overcome injustice in the world.
-Kathryn Wilson
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