Allen Vasilyev, Period 2, 1/4/23

Allen Vasilyev, Period 2, 1/4/2023

Modern Mythology 2023

Socio-political Consciousness

To be completely fair, I can’t say that I’ve experienced the true horrors of inequity, oppression, or abuse of power firsthand. I am not a person of color; I come from a family that is not financially struggling; and I have never had to sacrifice my dignity just to get by. In a world where hundreds of millions are stuck in poverty and where certain groups and peoples are neglected merely for expressing who they are, I never understood why I should have a social advantage over others due to something that is not of personal choice.

My family is entirely of Ukrainian descent. A majority of my ancestors still reside in their country of origin, despite the fact that my mother fled from oppression decades ago in search of a promising future. It has been an incredibly challenging year for my family, particularly due to the war that broke out early last year. It was a situation that was beyond me; I could not comprehend the gravity of what was going on, and I experienced a lot of confusion in the early stages of the invasion. I had thought that the term “war” was a tragic event of the past, one that would not directly affect me or my loved ones in our enlightened modern society. I've never felt so helpless and vulnerable as I did when my 7-year-old cousin described the horrific scenes that kept playing back in her eyes: tens of thousands of people crammed into one another in the subway; running through the city she called home as explosions continued to rain down above her; leaving her parents behind as she traveled with her sister and elderly grandmother to a country she's never been to. Despite never having experienced oppression firsthand, the agony that I witnessed through my cousins and ancestors has awakened me to the fact that oppression IS indeed ongoing, and it DOES widely exist in a world that appears peaceful in my hemisphere.

The events of this past year have drastically shifted my perception of oppression, inequity, and power. They have made me consider my own privilege and the ways in which privileged power structures can exacerbate injustice. I have developed a deeper understanding and appreciation for the experiences of those who have been abused by power, and I strive to put myself in their shoes before making any judgments.

I recognize that regardless of our skin color, culture, heritage, or upbringing, we are all HUMANS. Humans deserve peace of mind, a voice to express ourselves freely, and a sense of safety that we can rely on. The selfish and savage intentions of the world's most powerful nations disgust me, but analyzing and reflecting on them has allowed me to develop empathy and become a closer ally to oppressed groups.

It is important for all of us to acknowledge our own privileges and use them to stand in solidarity with such marginalized groups. We must work towards creating a society where all individuals have the opportunity to live with grandeur and reach their full potential, and where issues of inequity and injustice are addressed and resolved. It is only through this collective action that we can create a more just and equitable world for all.