I attended the forum on Saturday, February 3rd. As students, we were asked to think about certain aspects of our identity such as cultural heritage, race, sex, religion, class, and personal beliefs. I discovered that I felt un-American because I’m not interested in the idea of being ridiculously rich. My nationality is Irish, Swedish, English, and German. I’m female, but I don’t believe people should define themselves based on their gender. I’m poor, don’t own a car, hate the mall, and can’t afford suburbia, nor would I want to. I realized that I was feeling cynical and bitter about the capitalistic values that lie within this country. I don’t truly base my identity on the aforementioned descriptions, however, I was reflecting on “American” ways of life that make me feel sick. We are destroying our planet more and more every single moment. Our president would rather go to war over greed, instead of truly protecting his people, and they supported him. The City Council in my own hometown has passed an ordinance that forbids people, especially the homeless, to sit, stand, or rest on sidewalks within 6 feet of buildings. How is it fair to make it illegal for people to be homeless? They don’t have many places to go, they are tired of being treated like shit, they are starving, and they are not protected from violence. The ordinance only makes it harder on them. It creates a cycle that makes it even more difficult than it already is for them to find a place they can call home. So our government decides to basically force them to leave. Is there only room for people who have jobs, homes, and their mental health? Is the government saying that everyone else can fuck off? If that’s the case, then I feel ashamed to be a citizen in this country. I believe in a society where everyone is treated with kindness, and I am tired of people being mistreated and fed lies by their government. We are all of the same blood, all humans striving to survive on the same planet. I hope this country gets a wake up call. Instead of defining ourselves by monotonous labels of class, race, gender, etcetera, we need to nurture who we really are, what we can do to make our living situations better, how we can care about our differences and strive to understand, not judge, one another. Today, I would describe my identity differently compared to how I did on February 3rd. I would say that I am someone who wants to make a difference in the world around her, someone who sees what hatred can do and has felt the pain of those who are struggling. I am someone who will never forget the importance of having an awareness of the truth about the country I live in. I will stand up against ignorance, so that not only can I open my eyes, but also the eyes of those around me.
