Reflective essay
As I first laid my eyes on the historical painting, “The Problem We All Live With,” the derogatory word plastered beside the dark-skinned girl was written faintly yet rung loud in my head. I immediately understood its historical significance. However, the political cartoon in which I was then met with, did not give me the same level of relevance. As I analyzed the historical painting as well as the context behind its message, I came to understand the importance of it during a time of racial disputes. The little dark-skinned girl named Ruby Bridges was a pivotal factor in the integrating of two races. The political cartoon, however, was not exactly on the same pedestal as the painting. I could smell the ignorance behind its execution as it left a distasteful feeling in my mouth. This political cartoon was about a woman named Betsy DeVos, a conservative with a bad reputation on the left wing. Glenn McCoy, an American cartoonist, portrayed her in the same light as Ruby Bridges. He explained how he wanted to open up a dialogue on hateful protesters.
As I began to research more on Betsy DeVos and why she carried such a bad reputation, I began to wonder if she was ever given a chance to prove herself, as she was always met with hostility. She is known for using her wealth to secure a position in the educational system. She was viewed as unqualified and was subjected to a lot of hate. This made me wonder if I was allowing my judgment to be clouded by people who harbor strong beliefs. However, as I began to search more on DeVos, I discovered certain decisions she made that sprouted my suspicions of her. Her lack of support for victims of sexual assault as well as stripping the protection for people of color and transgenderism, clashes with my morals and beliefs. This proves to me how she doesn’t grasp the struggles of minorities. How she doesn’t have the right mentality needed to shift the educational system into a brighter direction.
Glenn McCoy stance was one of ignorance and mindlessness. The historical painting captured an immoral act of protesting that a group of people did not deserve. Betsy DeVos, on the other hand, is a controversial individual that is justifiably protested against. To ignore the causes of both events is to ignore the idea of right and wrong. Every cause has a reaction, yes. However, we need to acknowledge the reactions in which are rational and those that are simply irrational. Ruby Bridges did not deserve to be harassed and threatened the way she was. She was an innocent child who did nothing wrong. DeVos is a grown, privileged woman who needs to understand the roots of her privilege and how the system she works in, benefits some more than others. In order to have a fair and just system, we need to formulate the right arguments through compassion and understanding.
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