Mitchell Hayutt, Period 5, 1/13/2021, Day B

                                       Socio-political Consciousness

What are your thoughts and feelings about issues of inequity, oppression, and/or power?

I think that the issues of inequity, oppression, and power have been quite prevalent in the recent years, especially with the ongoing political debates and the global pandemic. Firstly, I want to state that I am somebody who prefers to stay out of politics and have no strong opinions on it. I believe that any extremists are the ones causing drama and chaos, no matter what side of the political scale they lie on. Moving on, I believe that equality is something that we should continue to strive for rather than equity. Although the idea of equity is sometimes beneficial in promoting racial and social fairness, I generally believe that the ideal community is one full of equal opportunity no matter what the origin. This is known as equality, where everyone, no matter their race, gender, or religion, is given the same opportunity rather than helping those who struggle. Then, it is up to the individuals to decide how hard they work and whether or not they take advantage of their opportunities. Of course, it is still important to help those who struggle, but I believe that if we can achieve a state of equality, then everybody will have the chance to become a better version of themselves. At that point, the people who are left struggling are there not because of their race or gender, but because of how they chose to use their opportunity. I think that by implementing this complete equality rather than equity, we can lessen the oppression in our society because people of all origins and cultures will have the chance to succeed and climb the social ladder.

How do you reflect critically on your own beliefs, assumptions, values, and experiences, and how these can influence your perception of self and others?

Personally, I try to put all beliefs aside when I initially meet somebody new and learn more about them. In today’s world, there are way too many people who will socially distance themselves from people just because of their contrasting political or social beliefs. Because of this, I try to be aware of the people around me and choose selectively who to share my true ideas with. However, I do often listen to and read articles that people share even when they contrast with my opinions. I think that this is a fair way to reflect critically in my own beliefs, because I know many people completely avoid opposing media and don’t even take their opinions into account. I think that this is a terrible trait because it leaves you with a completely biased opinion. I like to take in all of the information I can get and analyze it to understand what makes sense and what doesn’t. This is a trait of mine that I believe is rare but helpful, because it helps me formulate an opinion that takes many ideas into account and is unbiased. Additionally, it helps me in situations where I meet new people whose political opinions I am not yet aware of, because I understand both sides of the debates and will not allow my political ideas to give myself a bad impression.