Friday, February 10, 2012
Sit Ins
Growing up in the 1970's we knew one thing for sure, that the U.S.S.R. was our enemies. The government said so, every T.V. show said so, even in the Olympics they were our greatest rival. A young, white male from Greensboro, N.C. was interviewed of what he thoughts were of the black Americans sitting in the segregated white lunch counters. His reply was, "Well, it's just not the things we're used to down here. I mean, they came in and they sit down, and we're not used to them sitting down beside us, because I wasn't raised with them, I never have lived with them, and I'm not going to start now." Without condoning his views I can see how his values can be askew. Yes we should not be lemmings led to jump off of a cliff and be able to think for ourselves, but one can see how outside factors can influence a persons ideals. It was ideals like these, that there was a need for change. What struck me most is how a few kids from a local college ignited a fire that was picked up by the entire country. One does not have to be a great leader, with a great name, to make changes in this country, just a nameless college student who sat at a lunch counter.
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I hated how they used the group term "them" in such a demeaning manner. It just wasn't right. Those college students were so brave to risk getting beaten, or arrested because of sitting at those counters, and that's something you could easily look up to them for. They truely did a lot of good work.
ReplyDeleteYeah I noticed that they kept referring to "them" and t struck me funny as well. It still amazes me that one person who sits at a lunch counter was all it took to spark the need for change. What strength it must have taken to not answer when being called names, spit on, beaten and anything else that they might have done. This just goes to show that anyone, even college students, can make a change and all voices have the same power, it is how we use them that differentiate us as people.
ReplyDeleteThis interview and a few others like that sounded ridiculous. They sound ignorant referring to the the group as "them" and how they just could not accept that the students didn't sit where they were "supposed to."
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