Talking Points #10

"What Can We Do?"

BY: Allan G. Johnson

In this part of the book, Allan Johnson argues that we need to be part of the solution in changing patterns of exclusion, rejection, privilege, harassment, discrimination, and violence. We need to stop being te neutral party.

1.) "The problem of privilege and oppression is deep and wide, and to work with it we have to be able to see it clearly so that we can talk about it in useful ways. To do that, we have to reclaim some difficult language that names what's going on, language that has been so misused and maligned that it generates more heatthanlight. We can'tjuststopusingwords like racism, sexism, and privilege, however, because these are tools that focus our awareness on the problem and all the forms it takes. Once we can see and talk about what's going on, we can analyze how it works as a system. We can identity points of leverage where change can begin."

Johnson is saying that we need to stop being so offended by words, and start realizing what is real. This is a huge problem in our country. If you are white you are white, if you are black you are black. It is out of individual control what race, or gender you are. We need to use our words no matter how hurtful society as portrayed them to be.

2.) "The greatest challenge when we first become aware of a critical perspective on the world is simply to hang on to it. Every system's paths of least resistance invariably lead away from critical awareness of how the system works. In some ways, it's harder and more important to pay attention to systems of privilege than it is to people's behavior and the paths of least resistance that shape it."

We need to stop finding ways to not hurt people, and start finding ways to fix the actual problem at hand. If we just temporarily dissolve a problem, the problem will arise later on with greater force. You can see this all throughout history.

3.) "In similar ways, the fear of being called gay is enough to make men conform to masculine stereotypes that don't reflect who they really are and to go along with an oppressive gender system they may not believe in. And because homosexuals all come from families, parents and siblings may also pay a huge emotional price for the effects of prejudice, discrimination, and persecution directed at their loved ones."

This is not what Johnson means by using your words. He does not want us to persecute people because they are different, but he wants us to be able to have everybody comfortable with diversity. This sounds like a longshot because everyone is different, but if we can all have respect for one another, then that is a start.

I thought that this article was just a continuation from Johnsons last article. I felt like the same points were in here. It just felt like a repeat. Although I do enjoy the points that he makes and the way he brings them out. He really knows how to move you and make you fired up. This article was easy to read, but long and tedious. This artcile again relates to the other Johnson article that we read.

I really feel fired up when reading Johnson, does this happen for anyone else?