Glimmer of Hope in Political Unrest!
Michael Friant Ms. Blank English 111 D10 September 6th, 2018
In Margaret Renkl’s “What Is America To Me” article in the New York Times, she describes her experience volunteering in an English learners classroom during the Syria refugee crisis. Renkl also describes the political climate in Nashville, Tennessee, during this time. As the children in the article found common ground with the refugees, she urges us to try to find common ground with those whom we differ with. Over all the article is hopeful, sad, and political.
The article is hopeful because of the camaraderie displayed. In the article, Renkl says the teenagers in the classroom would be eager to help their fellow classmates when they didn’t understand something despite of differences in ethnicities. In my own life, Miracle League, which is basically a place for people with and without disabilities to come together to play baseball, has been a place of camaraderie and hope. Friendships, acquaintances, and connections have been formed because certain individuals saw beyond my disability and got to know me as a person.
The article is sad because of the animosity displayed. In the piece, Ms. Renkl recounts the actions of a man throwing a soda can at an older sister of a student and yelling terrorist. How despicable!! Who in their right mind would do such a thing?? This makes me pause and ask if this action was based off of a previous personal experience or was it merely based off of the heated political rhetoric of the day. Even in today’s political, social, and religious climate, there is so much animosity towards people with different perspectives and beliefs. We, as a society, should be able to differentiate between the political/religious beliefs of an individual and the person. We should judge people off of the content of their character and not their political, social, or religious beliefs or affiliations.
The article is also political because it talks about the actions of the states. In her piece, she describes the actions taken by the state of Tennessee along with 14 other states showing their support of travel band appointed by President Trump. While legal and controlled immigration is important, the public support of such a religious based ban by the states reinforces the heated rhetoric of the day. Immigration policies should be enforced on an individual basis by whether or not the individual has the proper legal documentation and not on the basis of a prominent practiced religion of a country. After all, America was founded on religious liberty and is often called the melting pot of cultural and philosophical ideas.
Everyone ought to be more open minded. We should be open minded when encountering people of different ethnicities, religious affliliation, sexual orientation, etc. We, as a nation, should be enforcing and supporting laws which are fair and inclusive to all nationalities, ethnicities etc. The differences in each one of us are what make us unique and which enable us to learn from one another. Each of us, like the teenagers in the English learning class, has the choice to focus on the petty differences which only divide us or look for those commonalities to unite us. As each of is more open minded, we will begin to see beautiful human beings of all sectors of our lives and just possibly become friends with people whom you have not dreamed of.