Talking Point #10

What Can We Do? Allan G. Johnson

Premise:

-problems
-solutions
-privilege
-awareness
-saying the words
-violence
-society
-listening
-leading
-difference

Johnson argues that everything thing that we do, no matter how small or how few people take part in it, to raise awareness about issues of power and privilege will help illiminate the problem. People need to say the words and recognize the issue before anything can be done.

Evidence:

1. "You say the little efforts that i make will do no good; they will never prevailto tip the hovering scalewhere Justice hangs in the balance.I don't think I ever thought they would.But I am prejudiced beyond debateIn favor of my right to choose which sideshall feel the stubborn ounces of my weight"
-Johnson is saying that every ounce of effort a person puts into an issue, no matter how small, will have an a positive affect.

2. "Once we can see and talk about what’s going on, we can analyze how it works as a system. We can identify points of leverage where change can begin.”
-Once we recognize the problem, we will be able to look into it deeper and change it.

3. “You don’t have to do anything dramatic or earth-shaking to help change happen. As powerful as systems of privilege are, they cannot stand the strain of lots of people doing something about it, beginning with the simplest act of naming the system out loud.”
-We need to talk about the problems out loud, rather than ignoring them, or nothing will be accomplished.

Comments:
I think that I have matured in my thoughts from the beginning of the year when we read the first Johnson piece until now. I feel that I am trying my hardest to do what Johnson wants us to do, recognize the issues at hand. Little things such as talking about what I learned in class with my friends and family, or reaching out to people that I never would have before are helping to address the issues of privilege of power in our society. In the beginning of the year, these issues were not even a thought in my mind, and like many others, I chose to ignore them. I thought that it would take a miracle to stop all the issues that we have in our society, so I mine as well continue with my life. Now I realize that fixing the problem is not about having huge protests and getting millions of people to agree, it is about talking about the issue and "saying the words." Although I am not perfect, I truely am trying to say the words in my daily life.