Monday, October 19, 2009

Taking Point #5: Kahne and Westheimer

#1: "As is commonly the case, with new policy inititives, however, more attention has been focused on moving forward than asking where we are headed."

I could not agree more to this statement. Endless campaigns talk of "moving forward". While I will agree that its about time we abandon this recession on the side of the road, I highly think the better question for us to ask ourselves is really, "where the heck are we going?". Are we really going to take on the challenge of moving foward with no direction nor any inititive to where exactly we want to head? Metaphorically speaking, we are in a car saying, lets get out of here for the future. A good question to accompany that, would be "do we have an actual destination, or are we simply going to just drive until we run out of gas and are stranded?"


#2: "In contrast, much of the current discussion regarding service learning emphasizes charity, not change."

I'm not sure as to whether or not I agree with this. While charity is without doubt a driving force here, charity is moreso than not set forth to stop a negative attribute and to "make change" happen to those in need of charity. Can you really have change without charity? Doesn't each one reflect the other? I, for one, am not entirely sure I agree with this. The way I see it, they are reflections of one another.


#3: "One of the students wrote, "I was scared because my mom had told me it was a bad neighborhood and to be careful."

One of the biggest problems in any teenager's view of life right now, are their stereotypical parents. With nearly three generations still around to spread their early learned 1940's-70's prejudices, parents, grandparents, aunts/uncles, etc. are all "spreading thier word" as a result of the things they "think they know" because of the stereotypes they are refusing to unlearn. My dad, for one, is a great guy who has been trying to drop stereotypes for a long time. However, upon instinct, will tell me that there's an area that is a "bad neighborhood", even though he has never been there. He is living off of the stereotype that has been in such an area for decades. Parents are larger-than-life role models for their children. Regardless, while they are often their child's hero, they can also be thier own worst enemy. Their involuntary comments, gestures and slang can and will inadvertedly be passed on, if nothing is done to stop this. Children will grow up not in their own personal fears, but rather in the shadows of their parent's stereotypes.

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