I would consider myself mildly informed about current events. I try to watch the news and listen to NPR when I think about it (usually after days of being in the dark on current events and noticing that there was a major earthquake, bombing, hurricane, etc.). I rarely take the time to dig into issues despite being interested in them. That is why I chose "Racial Profiling in Arizona" the topic for my assignment.
Last year when I heard about SB 1070, I was shocked. I couldn't believe that people could feel this way about "illegal aliens" and that they felt so strongly that they wanted to take drastic measures. I also didn't know about the offensive nature of the term "alien" because I hadn't taken the time to explore the deeper meaning of the word.
But, this is the problem. I was the problem. People who just turn the TV on when there is a major event and then turn it off after they've listened to the 20 second overview are the problem. We all need to look into what is actually going on behind major events. Who or what is responsible? Where is the money in this situation? Or, who has the power? Who is being pushed away or discarded in order for this to succeed or because this occurred?
And most importantly: How can I inform others of what I've learned?
Because of this assignment, I am now outraged by what is going on in Arizona and what is spreading like wild fire throughout the country. It only makes me more outraged because now I realize how much I don't know. But I'm not going to let my outrage turn into defeat. I am going to continue researching and sharing about this topic as well as digging into the issues. It's important to me, but most of all, it's important because I have the power to help.
