A STORY WORTH REPEATING

I spoke with my dad on the phone last night. His voice was as an anchor that seemed to pull me through the receiver. He told me about an article he read twenty some years ago. As soon as he began, I knew I head heard it before. But it’s a good story and deserves a second telling.

The article was written by a professor who taught at an undisclosed liberal arts college, a progressive school. The author had been discussing global inequalities with his students; inequalities in economics, trade, and military strength. In an effort to make the issues more real and more human, he invited a South African student into his classroom to talk about growing up with apartheid. In a seamless crescendo, the professor cut a bitter pill for his students to swallow: Is the comfort and privilege enjoyed by people in developed countries built on the backs and necks others? I think about this question, and I wonder what would young America’s economy look like if it weren’t for slavery? What would America’s current economy look like if it weren’t for sweatshops in the Philippines? The author’s students nodded their heads in acknowledgement, some of them even furrowed their brows, but when asked if they would give up their cars, their designer clothes or their bourgeoisie lifestyles, they all balked.

At this point, the professor took out a gun. It was a toy gun, but like a many toy guns, it looked very real. He picked out one of his students, shoved the gun in his hand and said while pointing at the South African student, “Why don’t you just shoot him in the head then?”

The class was speechless. Disgusted, the professor walked out of class.