The Power of Fear and Influence
CR #5
What? “Now, what I have been trying to suggest in all this is that the only useful definition of the word “majority” does not refer to numbers, and it does not refer to power. It refers to influence”(Baldwin, 216). The key difference between the Majority and the Minority is the ability to influence the masses. In this country, the dominant culture represents an ideology of what the American dream is suppose to be. We are conditioned to from birth to accept the norms that have been created by the dominant culture. Once a person starts to move or navigate differently than the norm, one starts to pose a threat to that culture. I believe that the current climate of this country is an example of that. We have “executive orders” that focus on banning people from coming to this county and deporting undocumented individuals who are currently here. Is this a direct response to the browning of this country? Does the diverse populations that would be most effected by this ban pose a treat to the current dominant culture of country? I believe that many people including our president believe so.
The fear that Baldwin discusses in his article is the fear of losing status. “One cannot afford to lose status on this peculiar ladder, for the prevailing notion of American life seems to involve a kind of rung-by-rung ascension to some hideously desirable state” (Baldwin, 218). We live in a country that is built upon being a melting pot but unfortunately there is a large portion of this country that does not see value in this.
So What? In Farmer’s story, he illustrates the issues that Baldwin brings up by giving real life examples of people who lives were changed by the influence of people who were in power. The story of the young lady gives details about a women looking to find a better life and coerced into short-lived relationship by one of the soldiers in her country. His power and influence led her to a more devastating life than she had expected. The story of the young man who life was taken from him by officers is an even more dramatic example of the use of power. It seemed as if the government of Haiti feared that young man’s influence; so they silenced him. “In Haiti, AIDS and political violence are two leading causes of death among young adults” (Farmer, 40).
Now What? Fear is catalyst that is currently fueling the unrest in this country. Followers of Trump fear us who support diversity, community action and social change. They fear that their lives are being affected negatively because of number of people who have come here from various countries to try to make a life in the states. People from other countries fear what may happen to them and their loved ones.
Fear is affecting the community that I am working with because there is a great concentration of undocumented individuals who live in that community. There is a lot of fear, uncertainty and doubt. While doing my service learning with Canal Alliance, there was a ray of sunshine through these dark times. While volunteering as an aide for the ESL course, there was a number of moments that evening that took away of the fear of everything that is going on in the country. There were moments of laughter and enjoyment felt by the entire classroom. Moments like that brought the class together; it was during those moments that one could see there is positive things still happening and one could feel connected to the community by being present. We must find our power and use our influence to rid our communities of the present fear.
