Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Stepping Outside the Box

By: Robert Rodgers

I will be the first to admit that I have lived a sheltered life. I have been privileged to grow up in an upper-middle class suburb where both of my parents have good jobs. I attended a private school and received an excellent education. I am fortunate to say that my life has been pretty good. In Paul Loeb’s Soul of a Citizen, Loeb mentions many inspirational stories where citizens have acted on the behalf of some injustice or problem in their community. For example, Loeb talks about one neighbor acting when another neighbor died because of sub-standard housing. The actions of this inspirational woman led to renovations and improvements in the community, paid for by the state. Citizens act on causes they feel a personal connection or responsibility to. One of the reasons that I feel I have not engaged in a community cause is because I have yet to be inspired by one. Whose fault is that? Well, really it’s my own fault. Living where I do, sub-standard housing, although it exists, is not a problem I see everyday. Rarely do I step outside “my little box” and see the real problems that are present everyday in this country.

Thinking back, I can recall one particular instance when my neighborhood did unite and take a stand against an issue. However, I was only 12 at the time and I was not actively involved. I know age is not an excuse, but at that age I was more concerned with video games and sports than civic engagement. A businessman that owned a large property of land adjacent to the neighborhood had agreed to let a communications company build a cell tower on his property. Many neighbors were outraged, protesting the potential health effects associated with a large cell tower being built in close proximity to the neighborhood. I remember my parents, along with most of the other neighbors, attending a civic board meeting to protest the construction of the cell tower. Because of the strong support that gathered, the plan for the cell tower was rejected. I think this is a great example of how the neighborhood I live in came together for something we felt strongly about. While I am still waiting for my inspiration, I now know that I will be ready.

I feel that it is very important that we, as a community, tackle problems we feel strongly about. I think that one of the most important aspects of helping others is not a quick, temporary fix, but trying to get to the root of the problems. For example, if someone is homeless, we can give them a place to live, but we must now begin to ask why they were homeless. To truly fix a problem, we need to work to solve the why. In the case of poverty, temporary fixes are nice, but the overall problem will never be solved unless we ask why the poverty is there in the first place. Asking the why and then working to solve it is the first step in making the world a better place for everyone to live. I have been largely absent in civic engagement issues and I feel that this has hurt my community. I do feel a sense of responsibility to those that are less fortunate than myself, and I should act on that responsibility. Fortunately, I feel that there is still time left for me to make a difference, and hopefully I will soon come across an opportunity that truly inspires me to act.

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