Washington 1 Jamari Washington 1/12/21 English 103 Rodriguez Every Man’s Business America has always fawned over the righteous hero, swooping in to save the poor trampled masses with a swift kick of justice and a smile. It has been a staple of American media as long as America has had media. How ironic then, that Americans fight the real-life equivalent tooth and nail any time it shows up. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr fought as hard as one possibly can without raising a single fist to simply not be considered inferior to the white people he shared a country with. He was duly imprisoned for his words and actions. Writing from his jail cell, he states, “We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be claimed by the oppressed. (298)” It is instilled in every American that the fight for justice is never over, and it must be fought. However, how does America react when they themselves are the oppressive evil being fought against? Exactly the same as any man whose great power over someone is being eroded. Men in power will resort to great depths of immorality over righteousness to maintain their power. This can be seen this all over the world, time and time again throughout history, with every governmental purge, civilian massacre, and peaceful protest turned violent. Systematic oppression is not something unique to racial minorities, however. Women have always been seen as less wise, less powerful, and less capable than men. They have even had to fight for their right to knowledge in many areas of the world. Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz presents a quote from the Apostle Paul and her thoughts on it: “’Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak’…’The aged Washington 2 women likewise, that they be in behavior as becometh holiness(112).’” Here she makes a case for women being just as capable of good with knowledge as men, and also claims that knowledge in the hands of men is as dangerous as the same held by women. One may ask, why is it the role of the oppressed to fight for his own freedom? Why can the oppressor not simply concede his power for the betterment of mankind? In many cases, the oppressors truly believe themselves to be superior. This superiority gives just cause for others to be placed under the heel of those seemingly superior beings. With phrases such as “St. Paul says that women should not teach (Cruz, 87),” and “your first name becomes ‘nigger,’ your middle name becomes ‘boy’ (however old you are) and your last name becomes ‘John’ (King, 298-299)," we can see clearly the systematic dehumanization of lesser groups. Once comfortably in a position of power over another person or group of people, it becomes difficult to let go, even with evidence contrary to the perceived “superiority” that empowered the oppression in the first place. Sor Juana Ines De La Cruz puts this into words beautifully, claiming, “It is less intolerable for pride to hear rebukes than for envy to see miracles (107).” The oppressors wish to retain their seats so badly that they will perform great mental gymnastics and continue to see their counterparts as inferior. Even as “negroes” were enslaved under the guise of being savages, many free men of African descent were writing wonderful works of poetry, inventing devices that eased the lives of slave and master alike, and escaping bondage by outwitting their “superior” masters. For a long time though, none of this evidence meant anything more than miracles can happen. Thus, one must fight for their own freedom and force the blind to see. It should be examined closely why exactly men despise power being taken away from them. It is detestable for one who was once so high on the social ladder to be suddenly placed next to, or God forbid, below another so inferior to himself. However, as Dr. King puts, Washington 3 “ Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever. The yearning for freedom eventually manifests itself', and that is what has happened to the American Negro. Something within has reminded him of his birthright of freedom, and something without has reminded him that it can be gained (303).” It is inevitable that the lower classes shall rise up to take what is theirs. Be it theirs by right of being born human, or theirs by right of the labor performed in its making. Black people have seen fit to take their place in society as essential builders of the foundation upon which this nation rests. Women have seen the fruits of their literal labor go on and lead the world without their consideration and naturally desire a part of it. By denying a seat in society to these vital groups, the country and the world at large does a great disservice to well over half of its inhabitants. One must imagine how it must feel to be invalidated by the very society they contribute to and live in. All throughout history it has been the norm that certain people have a set place in society and any thought to change one’s seat is met with violence and derision. Women have long had to fight for the right to be simply considered as often as men. People of color have been seen as inferior by right of genealogy as long as others have known of their existence. The esteemed poet Sor Juana had such a thirst for knowledge at a very young age, that she intended to lie in an effort to trick an elder woman into teaching her. Why should knowledge be denied to one so eager to learn? She says of her tutelage, “I remember at this time, my appetite being what is usual at that age, I abstained from eating cheese because I had heard it made people stupid, and my desire to learn was stronger in me than the desire to eat, despite this being so powerful in children (96).” A child so hungry for books that they disregard their physical hunger is a special child indeed. Washington 4 By what right does one person have privilege over another? Past societies have answered by right of skin color, or beauty, or physical strength, or intelligence. The list can go on for ages. And yet, even as they are shown the error of their thinking many have held on to their false beliefs. People of color, once thought to be too simple of mind to comprehend the written word, have written letters of unmatched eloquence. Women from all over the world have made great strides in the advancement of arts, sciences, and technology that have changed our world forever. Even more egregious, men of power often strip away from other people the very things that would equalize the two in the eyes of the world. “You occupy the same place whether favored or disdained, complaining if women are cruel and mocking them if they love (Cruz, Redondilla 92).” This stanza makes clear the catch-22 in dealing with men who have a sense of superiority. Often, they have the same living situation, work a similar job, and live in the same area. Yet they still demean and dehumanize others by taking away from others their very human qualities. A woman who does not respect the man’s place in the world is called numerous names not permitted in polite company, and Black people “uppity” or any number of foul words. The world is constantly in a state of flux. As old people die, new ones are born. Even as some are growing old, others are becoming adults and beginning to shape the world. Systems put in place by the people going out are seen as archaic, having no place in our new world. On and on it goes, with the new replacing the old in every way. While we should always acknowledge the past, we can accept it as gone and forge a new path of inclusion, acceptance, and unity that former generations turned away from. Many men and women have had similar thoughts to Dr. King and Sor Juana but were brushed aside, their thoughts as discarded as their humanity and rights. Dr King even mentions that a white Christian man expected equal rights to be a thing eventually, and thus King himself should stop pursuing it! He responds,” Such an Washington 5 attitude stems from a tragic misconception of time, from the strangely irrational notion that there is something in the very flow of time that will inevitably cure all ills. Actually, time itself is neutral; it can be used either destructively or constructively. (302)” Everyone has a right to bring about the changes needed in the world, and it is the duty of everyone to fight constantly for these changes, lest the world push back all progress forever. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle said it best in his timeless quote, it is every man’s business to see justice done. Washington 6 Works Cited de Santa Cruz, Manuel Fernandez. “A Letter from Sor Filotea to Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz.” Moore, pp. 86-90. King, Jr., Martin Luther. “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” Contemporary & Classic Arguments: A Portable Anthology. 2nd ed., edited by Sylvan Barnet and Hugo Bedau, Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2014, pp. 293-310. Moore, Anna, editor. Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz: Selected Works. Translated by Edith Grossman, Norton, 2016. “Redondilla 92.” Moore, pp. 20-22. “Response of the Poet to the Very Eminent Sor Filotea de la Cruz.” Moore, pp. 90-125.
