Learning Reflection: week 9

Learning Reflection: Week 9

I have always told myself that I could never be guilty of perpetuating an evil such as slavery. Summer ’09 semester I took History 121. The course covered pre- Christopher Columbus to Lincoln and the succession. I was sure that this class had solidified the fact that I would never have been able to own slaves or be as cruel to any human being as some were back then. Dr. Brandon is always having us look at situations in a different light and with a new perspective. He said, “It is more difficult for us to see the evils in our own time which are incompatible with the things we hold to be true as Americans.” I used to be very selfish and territorial of “my country.” I used to feel like this was my country and everyone else didn’t belong here. Somewhere I went terribly wrong and somehow I felt like this was more my country then an individual who immigrated here.

“America culture and the literature we're reading is built on the shared belief that "We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the persuit of happiness." -Dr. Brandon. Everyone has that right. Now I realize how evil I was being. My son’s father is here in this country illegally so I feel different now than I did back then. This country is for ALL people seeking opportunity and liberty. If owning slaves was considered the norm back then, maybe I would have owned slaves. I am not as ignorant now and I can honestly say there is a possibility I might have. This is a big step for me to see the issue from an entirely different perspective and be able to even entertain the idea.