Born on Third Base

 
My best friend will be in town this weekend from New York City, so I wanted to get my post up a little early!

I appreciate how Collins deconstructs the idea of “deservedness” by explaining how we all benefit from public investments. One great example he gives is about the GI Bill that allowed veterans to come back to stability by providing funds for education and housing. The 1944 GI Bill allowed middle class veterans to quickly get back on their feet. These people became stable and successful, and could pass that security to their children. Today’s republicans and democrats alike praise President FDR for signing this bill and saving the post-war economy. Yet conservatives today cringe at similar programs, like universal health care. Collins’ point is that we all, regardless of status, benefit from public investments. And to say that we haven’t is just privilege blinding us. Collins writes, “We look at our subsidy as deserved. But the other person’s subsidy is welfare or wasteful or a handout.” I love what he writes on page 59, “Privilege is like a wind at my back, propelling me forward. Of course, I’m pedaling so I can claim some credit for my forward motion. But the wind makes an enormous difference. And here I thought it was all about me!”

I've really enjoyed reading this book. I’m almost done and the whole thing is marked up! I’ve even recommended it to a few friends. For a long time, I've observed many of this book’s concepts in my daily life, but haven't been able to put into words how they impact our communities. I feel like Born on Third Base has given me perspective, helped me understand systematic inequality, and grounded me.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Random Post

The USC Student Alumni Society puts on a great weekend of events every spring called SCuppers. Any student can sign up to attend a free dinner with a few prestigious alumni. My best friend Jess works with the alumni association to coordinate over 60 dinner events with 180 alumni and nearly 800 students. SCuppers is a cool opportunity for students to sit down with successful alumni and connect over some good food Some alumni host these events at their homes or at restaurants around LA. Tonight my roommate and I went to one and I wanted to share my experience! Our dinner was hosted at Morton Fig (which is on campus) and there were roughly 12 students and 3 alumni. All 3 alumni are on the USC Board of Governors. Annie Occhipinti was the host and travels the world representing USC. Another man, whose name I forget, met his wife on freshmen move in day in 1981. After 5 years of being "friend zoned" by her, they got married and their son is now a 3rd generation Trojan. He worked ...
Read more

Random Post 2

I've never been to Europe before, but my parents, sister, and I are going in May right after graduation. My family is Armenian and my dad really wants my sister and I to go to Armenia with him while our schedules are still simple enough to do so. This is actually a very special year for us to travel to Armenia as the country is celebrating 100 years of independence. I actually have a few Armenian friends from USC who are also traveling to Armenia to celebrate too!  During World War 1, nearly 1.5 million Armenians were killed in the Armenian Genocide under the Ottoman Empire. In 1918 the Armenian people were declared a sovereign people for the first time since 1375. I'm really excited to go to Armenia with my family and friends and learn more about the war, culture, and of course eat some good food.  We are also going to London and Paris and I am meeting up with some sorority sisters in Italy at the end. If you have been to any of these places and have recommendations ...
Read more

World Post 3

Teaching Towards Tomorrow An organization that aims to recruit and aid the teachers of tomorrow in order to improve education in traditionally disadvantaged schools. Teaching is a tough job, and many people know they want to be teachers from a young age. The best teachers often end up in private schools, which is great for private schools. But youth in other communities need that kind of talent and attention too. So how can we get the talented teachers we are looking for into the teaching profession? Here's a few things Teaching Towards Tomorrow will strive for: Promoting the teaching profession to advanced high school students  Encourage future teachers to go to the best Universities, regardless of the price tag Help teachers finance or refinance student loans  Advocate for teaching salaries, stipends, etc.  Promote continued learning and educational programs Keep teachers passionate about helping tomorrow's leaders Many people would love to teach but are afra...
Read more