A Class Divided

I thought the “A Class Divided” video was so crazy. I just loved how involved the young, third grade students were. It is so baffling to think that in third grade, children understand when they are being discriminated against. They know that it isn’t right or fair for a person with blue eyes to be better than them, or a person with brown eyes to be better than them. They are probably about eight years old, and they immediately know when they are being treated unfairly. I think this was a great experience for the children and definitely helped them further understand what discrimination is. Most of all, I find it shocking how quickly cooperative, thoughtful children could turn into hateful, vicious, discriminating third graders. The children went along with what the teacher told them, even though it wasn’t right, and even the next day, when the roles were reversed, they still played their part. I think that in this scenario, the teacher can be compared to society. When society sets certain expectations, beliefs, and statuses about or for people, the people feel the need to go along with them, and in this case the people are the children. No matter it is right or wrong, the majority of people abide by what society says.

When society attacks one group of people in a certain way, it requires others to fight back and fight for what is right. Just like with discrimination between races, people have worked hard to prove that all people are equal. The goal is for people to be color blind, or race blind. It is to not see color and just see people. It is reassuring that today, we have gotten to a certain point where most people have equal chances and opportunities that are not affected by their race. I think that it really is possible to not see color. It definitely is a worthwhile goal to strive toward. I think that it is possible for people to acknowledge differences without making judgments, and by doing so the color line will start to blur and not be as distinct as it has been in the past or is still today. Someday, maybe equality for all people really will exist, no matter what their skin color may happen to be.

Skin color, eye color, no matter what feature it may happen to be, really is a silly thing to make a judgment call on or discriminate against. People are people, each with thoughts and feelings, and when people truly realize, that in reality, everyone is so much like them, maybe they will be more accepting. Race is something you are born with. You can’t choose to be a certain color. You have no control over it. There is no reason for the color of your skin to, in any way, shape, or form, dictate any part of your life. Every person has the right to the pursuit of happiness and a wonderful life unaffected by race.