- While reading Educating the ‘Good’ Citizen, the middle section on the first page where the author quotes what Bill Bennet, Paulo Freire, Albert Shanker, and George Bush wrote regarding teaching ‘good citizenship’ in schools I had a somewhat visceral reaction. Not so much to Paulo Freire’s statement regarding political determination against oppression and Shanker’s statement about respect for human beings… but definitely to Bennett’s and Bush’s. As a reminder, Bennet said, “A democracy depends on schools that help to foster a kind of character which respects the law and… respects the value of the individual.” Bush wanted veterans to visit schools and teach “lessons of liberty” in which the veterans taught “the ideals of democracy and freedom that American servicemen have defended for over two centuries.” These last two made me cringe.I may be going a little off topic here but, I have a son in first grade at public school which is why I had such a reaction to these. Especially in these political times, I’ve been fairly vigilant about explaining things that happen in the world and why we go on marches and make phone calls to state representatives, etc. I’ve also begun explaining why I’m going to Berlin on this study abroad trip and why I’ve been learning Arabic. I am concerned about the history that will be taught in schools ten or twenty years from now. When he came home asking why they say the pledge of allegiance at school, my first response was “I didn’t know they were still doing that!!” and my second response was, “I don’t have an answer for you, I don’t agree with it.” So I then told him he didn’t have to do it – to not make a scene about it, but to just sit quietly while his classmates did. I repeatedly tell him it’s a good idea to question everything, even if it’s coming from me, and if it ever feels wrong to him, I will always have his back if he chooses to not participate, etc. (I also stressed that he can’t just say that “not feeling like it” isn’t a good reason, he needs to be able to articulate why something feels wrong or goes against what he believes.)I guess, in a very long-winded way, this sums up part of what I think it means to be a “good” citizen – to question, think critically, and to just THINK. I think it has more to do with character and humanity than it does about “following laws” and “ideals of freedom”. (There’s a part where one student likened democracy to behaving “like Cattle…”. After I was done cringing, I laughed.) Are schools essential for democracy? I guess in some ways… but only if they’re teaching critical thinking and I very much agree with the section that talks about teaching personal responsibility. (I think, upon thinking critically and taking personal responsibility, the right “rules” get followed naturally. Some rules need to be broken to push democracy forward.) Beyond that, I don’t think there’s one right way to be a ‘good citizen’ – I think there’s room for many aspects and all aspects contribute in some way.
- What We Don’t Talk About When We Don’t Talk About Service brought to mind a class I took a couple quarters ago called “Sympathy for the Devil”. There was a particular philosopher (I’m at a loss to remember who, but I think it was Kant?) who spoke about empathy/sympathy in this way: If we see someone drowning, it causes us distress. If we choose to help that person, it’s not to help them but to relieve our own distress. Again, maybe a little off-topic but not entirely – this brought up our conversation last week with Willy. I think much of what he said spoke to many things in this article and I greatly appreciated his acknowledgement that service and volunteerism is never really 100% altruistic. In this reading, the author brought up two scenarios: One, that working in a soup kitchen may be uncomfortable/demeaning for the parties involved (the server and the served) but that ultimately, there is a service provided and the served’s hunger is appeased. Two, there could be no positive external outcome but both parties involved could part ways feeling some internal “benefit” (feeling loved, enjoying getting a free meal and feeling “holy” or like you’ve done something good.) I struggle with this second scenario because it feels a bit like the old “is it better to do the right thing for the wrong reasons or the wrong thing for the right reasons” question. I’ve always been planted firmly on the side of wrong thing for right reasons being better. Though in this case, I don’t think we can discount the benefit of someone in need being able to have an experience that leaves them with good feelings (and nothing else.) I think that good feelings and experiences are immensely valuable. In any case, I think before approaching anything of this sort (a service oriented action), people should be thinking of these things ahead of time.
- I really appreciate that this piece brought up the complexities of doing Service, particularly the part about inequality where he says:
Here is an exaggerated pass at the relation between inequality and service: I serve you because I want to; I choose to. You receive my service because you have to; you need it. I live in the realm of freedom; you live in the realm of necessity. Serving you, I confirm my relative superiority. Being served, you confirm your inferiority. By my apparent act of humility, I raise myself up. ‘The happiness,’ as Nietzsche write, ‘of slight superiority,’ only we don’t say so.
Again, I think this goes back to our conversation with Willy last week – I heard several questions (my own included) that spoke to awareness of our position of privilege and being somewhat uncomfortable with it. I pass the same guy (Robert) selling the “Real Change” paper outside my local PCC very often and when I have cash on me, I usually buy one. I’ve had moments of feeling like I was being condescending, wanting to help and buy this paper that, in all honestly, I’ve never really read through. But I want to “help.” I thought it was strange, on my part, to have these concerns but I think this piece explained it fairly well.