The author Marian Wright Edelman talks about the role of adults
in believing and supporting a “positive vision” of “our children and nation.”
Ms. Edelman focuses on exposing the unfortunate poverty, violence, and growing
income gap that exist in our world today. She not only points the finger at the
very few, immensely rich and powerful who do very little or nothing to solve
these problems, but she also calls out those of us who may not be as wealthy or
politically influential, yet realize the problems and still do nothing to help.
Those of us that are closer to the line between middle and lower class; those of
us that are closer to streets filled with poverty and those homeless. Those of
us that see the problem clearer and understand better a need for change and
help yet feel helplessly overpowered by the wealthymen and political leaders.
However she concludes “we must wear down our powerful leaders through
persistent witnesses all over America
until they hear and do right by our children” (p.41)
She aims the message at us, the message to support our
children because our children are the hope and answer to the problems. Our
children have the hope to dream of a world we no longer have faith in, our
children have the purity in their minds of not knowing or feeling racism; and
if we support them, they may have the courage to carry out dreams of
morality and equality. Ms. Edelman discusses how we are responsible and how we
should stand up for our children. Throughout her message she highlights the
significant impact each and every one of has on our world and our youth, and
not for a moment should we doubt that we do not. She adds that we should “Let
God use us, unworthy, weak, and inadequate as we are. God used a stutterer,
Moses, as a spokesperson to Pharaoh” (p.43)
Ms. Edelman stresses our responsibility to support, but
illuminates the importance of community commitment in our youth. As I read the
first-years outcomes handout and Ms. Edelman’s hope of our youth, I found the
parallelism of RA’s to freshmen as adults to children. Our responsibility as RA’s
is to believe and support a positive vision of freshmen just as adults should do
of our youth. The first-year outcome handout points out that each freshman
should “demand respect, courtesy and civility in one’s dealings with others”
and “understand the responsibilities that come with adulthood.” First-year
students should be respectful and civil but demand fairness and kindness as
well and understand their responsibilities to their community just as Ms.
Edelman explained that adults should expect the same community commitment from
the youth.
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