FINDING HOPE IN CHANGE

NANCY ROSSIGNOL
PRIDE STAFF WRITER

The way people joined to speak out in Egypt during recent events is a good example of how change can come about. “The people of Egypt have spoken, their voices have been heard, and Egypt will never be the same,” President Obama said in his address to the nation on Feb. 11.

Technology and communication also played a key role in creating change for the Egyptian people, which should serve as a reminder of the importance of freedom of speech, a privilege we have in America. The United States Constitution, under the First Amendment, affords us with the right to peaceably assemble, to petition the government with grievances, the freedom to practice a religion of our choice, freedom of speech, and freedom of press. The Egyptian people have not yet fully attained these freedoms.

However, change can also come about in more subtle ways. Changes occur throughout our lives, some by choice, and some by force or circumstance. We learn as we go, and we change as we learn. “Plants are shaped by cultivation and men by education . . . ” (Jean Jacques Rousseau, Emile, “On Philosophy of Education”).

As a community of learners, educators, and contributors to the educational process, remaining open to new ideas and opinions is part of the whole experience, or at least it should be if we want to learn anything. We may not necessarily agree with everyone’s opinion or idea, but we can listen, take it all in, evaluate, and then form our own opinion. As a result, we will have gained a great deal more knowledge than we started with.

Sometimes, we might feel like other people are trying to force their ideas on us. Even in Egypt, the United States received criticism for the way the country reacted to the situation. People are naturally resistant to change and new ideas. We are comfortable with what we know and understand. Disagreements and conflicts of opinion make us uncomfortable, and sometimes we get offended. Often times it is not the opinion which offends us so much as the words’ methods of delivery.

When I was young, my mother would repeat the old adage, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” I never did get that saying because words do hurt. Name-calling does hurt. It can hurt more deeply than a rock in the eye or a slap in the face.

Photo courtesy of davegralund.com