Being thankful.

So I was having lunch after class today with Emily Dobler and I believe I uncovered the truth behind my argument in class today and exactly why I got so upset.

I think part of what bothered me today in class is that our discussion was focused around criticizing the "system," and I was upset that people weren't more appreciative. This relates directly to the point I made in class today about Frederick Douglass and Thoreau. Frederick Douglass had nothing--and while Thoreau complained about paying taxes and being a part of consumer society, Frederick would have done anything to be taxed (recognizing him as a citizen of the United States) or be a part if consumer society (rather than a product of it). There situations are, in my mind, incomparable.

I sympathize for those who feel the weight of financial burden, but at least we get to go to school. America has public education and established and accessible (through loan for many) universities. Every day we wake up to clean water, food to eat, and a roof over our head. The majority of our world doesn't have these privileges. Consider, for example, my last blog post about sex slaves and the human trafficking industry. In some countries, abductions and rape happen every day. I can't even fathom living in a place where that was the norm.

I am not suggesting that our system is perfect, believe me--I know it's not. I was just startled by the amount of people who couldn't identify with my concern that we as a class we're being entirely too pessimistic. After all, we have it so good! I am also not attempting to come off as righteous or moral, but I did think it was important to explain why exactly I got so upset by our conversation.

Now that I think of it, this could be the source of my criticism for the transcendentalists. Yes, I've been hard on Thoreau, and this is because I understand him to be pompous and ungrateful. Our country's infrastructure and consumer society is what raised the funds for Thoreau's education. Whether he like it or not, his opinion is a product of his education, his education is a product of university and schooling, and his schooling is a product of living in a country where the economy is strong enough to support academic exploration.