Reading Response 1: SCWAAMP, Power, Privilege, and, Difference

To begin this post, I'd like to point out that SCWAAMP ties directly into the readings and video lecture topics. Standing for: Straightness, Christianity, Whiteness, American-ness, Able-bodiedness, Maleness, and Property Ownership, the acronym can help lead into the readings by establishing talking points that are frequently discussed by Johnson throughout his lecture. 

In both the readings and the lecture. Dr. Johnson points out that the ideas of racism, classism, sexism, etc., aren't something that we should place blame on. Pointing the finger is what takes us as individuals off the hook. For example, he talks about white privilege in his lecture, and how if one person does something bad related to that idea, it makes it easy for all of us "non-biased, good white people" to say that it's not our fault. 

Within the first three paragraphs of his writing he states, "All of us are part of the problem. There is no way to avoid that as long as we live in the world. But we could also make ourselves part of the solution if only we knew how" (Johnson vii). There is some profound logic to this, and it can even go as far as entertaining the philosophical concepts known as deep and shallow ecology. Deep ecology focuses on the bigger picture, rather than just what is happening in one's own bubble. Shallow ecology focuses on the opposite. You can think of these in simple terms: deep meaning eco-centric or Earth centered, and shallow being anthropocentric or human centered.

With this knowledge, it is now easy to explore the bigger issues as hand, some being those previously mentioned, but there are also others that fall into the picture; global pollution, poaching, and overpopulation can be seen as some of the bigger problems.

Staying on topic, this isn't to say that being straight, white, male, having property, etc., is a bad thing, because it's not. What is important is knowing your limits and when to take a step back to observe your surroundings. If something seems bad to you, then there is a good chance that the feeling is mutual for those around you. It's our job as individuals, and as future educators, to be able to find the line that separates us (humans) and help each other cross over it. 

The above mentioned helps me to say this: we need to do better. Not one race or class of person, but everyone. We are all to blame for the shortcomings of our society, albiet some more than others certainly, but as a whole, we are all in charge of fixing the mess that we have created.