The 2011 CNN clip above, featuring Reverend Nelson Johnson, includes disturbing images from the 1979 Greensboro Massacre.
According to Soni, the Indian workers "had faith in America's institutions--more than most Americans" did (168).
Later, Soni reports that the Klansman and Nazis who shot and killed five peaceful, unarmed protestors in Greensboro, North Carolina in 1979 (look at the endnotes at the back of the book if you want to learn more about the massacre).
Do you think Americans don't have as much faith in the nation's institutions because Americans know so much more about U.S. history than citizens of other nations do?
Or do you think distrust of institutions is common among Americans whether they are well-informed or not?
I believe the distrust of institutions is common among Americans whether they are well-informed or not. Informed Americans distrust institutions in the same way the founding fathers did. America formed systems of checks and balances to limit the power of institutions we distrust. Uninformed people distrust institutions because of the stories they hear. Many uninformed people are easily persuaded by prejudices fed to them by more informed people with stronger opinions. Throughout the book, the Indians are not informed resulting in false hope.
ReplyDeleteI believe that distrust of of institutions is not necessarily a matter of being well-informed or not for most Americans but rather a matter of political beliefs. Left-leaning people tend to trust government institutions more while right-leaning the opposite. But it is likely that most Americans trust their own institutions less than other countries, but that could just be because of our culture. Compared to countries like in Europe or Asia, American's value individual freedoms and independence more highly. Like Ethan Nowell mentioned, is is one of the values that the country and its constitution was founded on. Is is true that learning about certain events, however, like the Greensboro shooting can cause Americans to trust the government less.
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DeleteRicardo Charqueno
Distrust of institutions is common among Americans, mainly due to a history of well-documented abuses and exploitative practices. Historical examples, such as the oppressive conditions in company-owned mining towns and the unethical treatment of patients in sanitariums, have contributed to a deep-seated distrust of institutions. This distrust persists regardless of how much one knows about U.S. history, as these stories are widely shared and ingrained in the collective consciousness.
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