Johnson Chap 6: "What It All Has to Do with Us"

I think that the point Johnson is trying to get across in this article is that to change the way we look and interpret difference, privelage and power we would have to address the problem. He says that often people feel it is too "risky" to openly speak about these issues making them virtually unchangable. As the article goes onto the next page Johnson starts to talk about individuals. He is completely right when he talks about how our society encourages us to think of number one (ourselves), and that we are looking down a narrow hallway and see a distorted view of our reality. Because of this distortion we see everything bad in the world as someone elses fault, making people feel personally attacked by issues or the victim which is why we stray away from talking about the problems. Again Johnson says that we see everything bad that happens in the world as someone elses fault, does that mean that good can only come from us? And that instead of a whole, we are blamed individually for what might be a group decision? Personally I dont think we should be so hard on ourselves, think of it like jury duty at the end there can only be one decision from the whole group, but what if it turns out to be the wrong one? then who is to blame? People who are outspoken and say what they feel when they feel it are looked at as loud and just that outspoken, but if more people were like that we might get to even a conclusion about issues surrounding our country. Johnson continues in the article talking about the path of least resistance. It is pretty self explanitory, for example, if all your friends want McDonalds and you want Burger King, chances are you are going to eat McDonalds in the end, but for speaking up and saying "hey I want Burger King" you put yourself out there for criticism and might not even speak up to the fact you want Burger King not McDonalds because of that. This part of the article makes so much sense to me, I see it everyday, and I am sure anyone who looks would too. Of course, Johnson address bigger issues such as homosexuals, different races, classes and any sort of difference we dont find a social norm in our society, as possibilities for being put under the microscope of criticism. No one that I know wants to wake up and besides their school work, jobs and other stressors in their lives wants to be criticized for being themselves, who they are and what they know to be right. The last section of this article pretty much describes what it is like to be involved in our society today. Johnson compares it to the game Monopoly which I like because buisnesses are trying to do just what the game does. The last person wins, they have all the money, properties and rights to brag about their accomplishments. Isnt that suppost to be a part of the "American Dream"? money, properties, bragging rights, which leads to privelage and other perks. On page 85 Johnson says "thats how the game is set up to work as a system" think about it in non Monopoly terms, he is right, our society is a game and in this game the nice are usually the first to go and the ruthless are left standing, with everything. Pretty much we have some people who do all the talking and then others who listen and agree despite what they really think, this is why our society is not going to change because who is willing to speak up and be the one ridiculed against? Overall I liked this article, it was easy to understand and read. It also seemed more casual it did not bombard me with big words or sentences I had to wait to understand until the next line. I also like the idea of this article and its content, it makes a lot of sense.