Question

7/22/2018

Litany Esguerra

Title: Question

My busy, busy week consisted of exposure to a lot of viewpoints related to my work on the sub-minimum wage and sheltered workshop issue. I was invited to attend many events during the week, particularly to a panel of people working on the issue on all sides. I’m not sure why, but my initial thought when I got to the meeting was that I was sitting “in the belly of the beast.” It seems like an odd thought to me now, but then, I was seeing the very people representing the organizations for and against the issue of sheltered workshops. One must be well versed in the terminology related to the issue, or it can get confusing what each person really is trying to convey. Often, ideas about “choice,” “opportunity,” and “person-centered” have very differing connotations to each organization. I’m glad I spent most of this summer trying to understand a lot of the information that has helped shaped my viewpoint on the issue. On the surface, it doesn’t seem as complicated of an issue as it seems to be, but it still is, and continues to be.

The reading from Strength to Love by Martin Luther King Jr. has helped me clarify what it means to learn from others on this issue. He states that one must have a tough mind to question the meaning of norms in comparison to the truth. There is so much false information presented to recognize and consistently question. I recognize through this idea how an austere mind is imperative for social justice. If we aren’t knowledgeable on the work or critically thinking about it, then we might be fighting for something wrong entirely. To question information being presented to us, such as at the panel presentation I was at, is to question how our beliefs relate or do not relate to it.

I also like the explanation of Dr. King Jr.’s idea of a “creative synthesis,” which is to combine a tough mind with tenderheartedness. Choice, opportunity, and person-centeredness are usually positive words. But I believe that the people who have misconstrued these words only do it to benefit themselves and their companies, and fail to recognize inherent compassion and humanity towards the people affected. This is where the idea of “creative synthesis” really comes to play: we have to work with strength of mind and belief but be driven by compassion so that we may pursue justice.

This week demonstrated how this work -or any work related to social justice- is exhausting. I found myself staying in late at work, reading about the issue or writing up something related to it. Coming home, then, is so relaxing to spend with the other EYAs. My mind can find respite in the company of others, away from all of the outside frustrations. As I enter the last week, I know I will miss working on this issue and the community here. It can often be exhausting, but it’s definitely worth it.