Well,
Last night when looking at The American Dream at Groton I felt like someone had entered my twilight zone. Jo Vega and I, like many others, I am sure, have lived and experienced this sadness and questioning that naturally occurs when we move from one plane in life to another. I blended in until I opened my mouth, then everyone knew I didn't belong. She couldn't blend in because of the color of her skin. The student trying to question and understand Jo's artwork and feelings, just didn't get it. He will never experience this removal from his heritage unless he participates in a situation much like John Howard Griffin's American Classic "Black Like Me."

That guy was typical of the priveliged. He believes that everyone has problems and that only the strongest overcome them. Peiople like this guy have no room inside their soul for empathy. He needs to walk in someone else's shoes.

I dont know if I would link him into a category of the privegled. He truly will never be able to understand exactly how she felt, but that is not really his fault. I could never imagine what is was like in New Orleans the days leading up to and the months that followed Katrina. No matter how many shows I watch or articles I read, I could never imagine what it was like. This does not make me a bad person, just means that I can not wrap my brain around how those felt. Hopefully, as he matures, he can better articulate his feelings with resorting to crude comments to hurt the feelings of others, but he can never experience life from her point of view no matter how hard he tried.

I agree, Steph. I'm hoping that this class will open eyes for many when it comes to social class. The problems of the elite in our society do not compare to those in poverty. It's easier to say " we all have problems...get over it" than it is to try to help each other. Granted, the guy you were talking about was young and naive(sp?), his viewpoint is shared all too often with more experienced politicians with similar backgrounds...many of whom probably attended Groton. The authors of the books we are reading didn't necessarily "live it" personally, but they did allow themselves to be placed in the shoes of the impoverished and thus were able to feel it... and were outraged!