Allyson and I watched "Freedom Writers" yesterday afternoon (yes, when we should have been doing something more productive) and it really made me sit back and evaluate myself.
For those of you that don't know, this movie tells the story of a high school teacher in Long Beach, California who worked with low achieving students, many of whom were members of racially based gangs. The brief view of their life stories in this movie made me realize what an incredibly blessed life I have had. I think I deal with stress all the time, but at least I have family that loves me, a home to live in, food for every meal, money to pay my bills - and I don't fear for my life 24 hours a day. I also have incredible opportunities, simply because I am free, white, and an American.
Allyson and I had to stop about twenty minutes into the movie as people came home and it was time to feed them all. We left off at the part where a girl in the class is telling the teacher how she hates all white people (she's Hispanic - what I personally have always considered "white!") She hates them indiscriminately because of the opportunities and power they have just because they are "white."
As I thought about this for the next hour, I felt so much guilt. Not because I don't think these children ultimately have the same opportunities I do (as they more than "proved" by the end of the movie,) but because I used to drive by these same kids and their world every time we went to Long Beach to take sailing lessons - without knowing any of this was going on. Here we were in our giant motorhome or our nice van, taking a long weekend to go sailing on the ocean, while this whole world of violence, hunger, fear, and abuse was happening around us simultaneously. Talk about "ugly Americans" abroad - I felt like one in my own country!
No, I don't think it's my responsibility or even "ability" to save the world. I know I don't have it in me to do even what this teacher, Erin Gruwell, did for one group of children. But it IS my responsibility to be AWARE of it - to CARE about it -to do what I can about SOMETHING, not to just blithely go about my life thinking everyone is as happy and content as I am. Isn't it?? I don't know. Surely something to think about...
I highly recommend this movie to everyone.
1 comment:
Linda - I LOVED this movie! Brad & I saw it in the theater. I was so inspired by what this teacher did for her students. She gave up everything for them so that they could have a future & break out of the ugly situations they lived with every day. I didn't take it to heart as much as you did, but after reading your post, I probably should have, and you right, it is definitely something to think about.
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