South Bend Tribune, IN
May 1 2005

We must take care not to set stage for oppression
MICHIANA POINT OF VIEW

By MATTHEW R. ERDEL

Erdel

Throughout history, what if the oppressed had merely accepted their
lot? What if, despite intuitive doubts about the justness of their
servitude, they viewed their misfortunes as inevitable and
unchangeable?

Or, from another perspective, what if the privileged felt no
indignation about subjecting others?

What if, although in a position to question immoral and inhumane
practices, those in power lacked the vision to help the
underprivileged?

What if the great heroes of humanity, whether aligned with the
oppressed or the empowered, had lacked the vision to demand change —
to demand freedom and justice for the exploited?

What if Frederick Douglass had not overcome his master’s prohibition
against learning to read? What if Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had seen
no need to press for change or had failed to dream?

What if Mahatma Gandhi had found the military might of Imperial
British India too overwhelming to challenge by stubborn, peaceful
protests? What if Mother Theresa had decided that the untouchables of
India were beneath her dignity?

Would such a world where evil had gone unchallenged be bearable?

Thankfully, there have been individuals who have had the vision to
challenge inhumane practices. Over the centuries, reformers have
ushered in important social and legal changes.

Though many cruelties have been challenged, there are still serious
injustices. That is why vision matters: as long as there is evil in
the world, we still need people with the vision to demand justice.

Through the instruction of my parents, maturing in my Christian
faith, and my own convictions drawn from experiences, I have
developed a world view founded on several indispensable principles.
One of these principles is the essential equality of all human beings
before God; neither race nor ethnicity nor class nor capacity can
detract from a person’s intrinsic self-worth.

While the inherent dignity of each person may seem like an obvious
principle, millions find a way to hold on to their prejudices.

Adolf Hitler understood this. He fueled and manipulated people’s
prejudices, and he knew he could get away with it — he had seen the
Turks do it decades earlier when they embarked upon a genocidal
slaughter of the Armenians without suffering serious consequences.

Thankfully, oppression does not always appear on such a grand scale,
but it is still important to have the vision to recognize and
challenge the everyday inequalities. Like most oppressive actions,
both the Armenian genocide and the Holocaust were founded on
generations of prejudice. This is also true for the oppression of
Africans, Native Americans and other indigenous peoples during the
age of European imperialism and beyond. We must be careful to guard
against our own prejudices lest we lay the groundwork for future
oppression. My challenge is to maintain the vision I have, and to
seek ways to overcome evil with good.

On most days, my battles for what is good and right are very small.
Someday, I may be ready to do more.

Matthew Erdel is a senior at Penn High School. This is his winning
essay in a scholarship contest sponsored this spring by the South
Bend Human Rights Commission.