Yeah, it's true, I've been meaning to update this hunk-a hunk-a burnin' love for a while now. It's just that every time I get the motivation, I think about it so much that by the time I sit down to get to the ol' typin', I got's nothin' to say.
I came to the realization a while back that people who think themselves to be highly educated, or more in the know than others.... more scholarly, perhaps, make a habit of telling you things you already know, and making it sound like it is the most amazing shit in the world. First incident of proof: the prof of my "Racism Class." (Note: Racism Class is the delightful moniker we have given any class intended to broaden our minds culturally which only closes them up) For me, it is Teaching in a Diverse Society.
One Thursday, as my eyes clawed the minute hand, begging and pleading it to move closer to 2:20, my prof proclaimed that he was about to impart to us a noble, worldly truth so amazing, so convoluted that it changed his life when he managed to wrap his mind about it. Any one of us who managed to understand the fantastic truth he was about to relate would then be lightyears ahead of every other undergrad at this institution.
Now: the life altering realization: In societies, the upper classes puts forth what is known as a hegemony. This is the upper classes trying to mandate what the lower classes should watch, enjoy, listen to, wear, behave, and interact with others. Ok, so far, whatever, he's got to be setting up for this point right? He's gotta start somewhere. I give him the benefit of the doubt. Next: the lower classes will often rebel against these hegemonies and provide what he affectionately dubs "counter-hegemonies." They say, "Why should I do that? I'm gonna completely go against that and do everything my own way!"
That's it.
His big, mind-blowing, all-encompassing, truth.
The people on top want the people on bottom to do what the people on top say. The people on bottom don't like this very much, and try to fight it.
Example the Second: We had the representatives of a certain religion come to the university about two weeks ago. It was as a part of a series of discussions known as Religication. Religion + Education = Religication. Woo! 'We are a religion based on the belief that every human has the same basic rights. We believe that humans are spiritual, that's what makes us a religion. We help people.' Not a direct quote, but a paraphrase of what their hour long talk came down to. They are essentially an enormous service project group that tacks "man is spiritual" and can thereby call itself a religion. They say that anyone can practice, even practicing members of other religions, such as Catholicism. One man claimed that the help they give to people fulfilled him. He claimed he couldn't do that with Catholicism. This new religion made him whole and helped him to be a better man. I'm all for people connecting with the Divine Spark, or whatever, in their own way, but I just wonder if they realize that the other religions help and serve the less fortunate as well.
The entire talk ended up being about how you should want to help other people. Preaching the best way to help them. As with my prof, I found myself wondering what gave these people the right to try to preach to me things that I already know? They think they are so amazing and wonderful with their religion. They are the only religion to help people, to do any good.
If taking a club, tacking "man is a spiritual animal" on the end makes it a religion, then I am a religion.
What is it about people with that shitty little piece of paper that makes them think they can take a bunch of bullshit, wrap it up in tinfoil, and try to feed it to students as though they are providing knowledge and education? This sort of thing only furthers my detestation of the American Educational System. When I get my piece of paper, I'm gonna fix things. You watch.
End Rant.
