A Difference of Opinion

The scene is a basement classroom in the education department of Elmhurst College. An English 315 class is discussing the book "Monster," in small groups. The premise of the discussion is a view of the guilt of Steve (the main character of the novel.) To offer a brief summary of the story, it is entirely about a young African American's brush with the criminal justice system. Supposedly, he was the "lookout" during a robbery in which the store owner died. He and another boy were arrested in connection with the crime. Two others involved in the crime were also arrested but served as witnesses for the prosecution.

I have found for the most part that any discussion concerning the criminal justice system tends to be volatile. The criminal justice system must be one of the most hated---and yet one of the most talked about systems in our society. During class discussion of this book, I expected nothing less than the strong opinions of my classmates, which may be why I never expected to find myself so blindsided by the comment a classmate made. As I said, during the discussion, as we discussed whether or not Steve's not guilty verdict was justified, a classmate blurted out, "The entire criminal justice system is corrupt anyway."

"The entire criminal justice system is corrupt anyway." I'll state it one more time for emphasis. To some, the statement is not so important and easily ignored. To most, it is seen as a merely an observation about a system that is not always portrayed well. It is a statement that generally 80% of the population would make. I don't fall in with that 80%. Instead, I fall in with the minority. The comment was enough to make my stomach drop in both disbelief and disgust. After all, how does a well-educated, seemingly intelligent individual make such a blanket generalization that condemns not only part of, but an entire system?

My first response was to blurt out, "Watch what you say." It was not the most mature of responses to what I viewed as an immature comment. What came out was only, "Watch---" and then a disturbed silence on my part. The other girl asked in what I perceived as a annoyed tone, "What? What did she say?" while all I did was stare at the page of my notebook while feeling my face burn from forehead to chin to the very tips of my ears.

I stopped because I felt I interpreted correctly that my involunary and instinctive defense of the criminal justice system would be not welcome in such a place. Although my experience with the criminal justice does not really qualify as academic, I do have an extensive knowledge of it through personal means. My husband has served in varying degrees of law enforcement for nearly ten years. He served two years as a guard in the department of corrections, which included serving on a tactical unit. Shortly after his 21st birthday, he moved into his position as a patrol officer for our small rural town. After serving five years in that capacity, he moved onto become a police officer for a considerably "rougher" town fifteen miles south of us.

Looking back, had I explained all of this to the girl, I might have clarified my stance on what she said without increasing the tension. But my contact zone, as it was---an adult student in class with students who are at most in their midtwenties---my contact zone was severely stressed and it pushed me farther away from where I wanted to be in the discussion. Before that, I had always felt on an even keel with my classmates, regardless of the age difference. I felt we had much in common, hence a common "contact zone." Were we not education majors, with a good majority of the class seeking degrees in the same field as myself? Not as many members of the class were English majors, but a class composed of students studying adolescent literature share many things in common, regardless of background. That had always been my position---until my classmate opened her mouth.

Now I'm forced to ponder. How many adult students with a major in English and secondary education are there? Of those, how many are "married into the blue wall" as it's commonly referred to? When I ask, "How many of you know what it feels like to be married to someone who straps on a bullet proof vest everyday to go to work" know what I mean?

I'm afraid the answer is no one, which makes me feel alienated beyond words. How did I come to be at a college where so much cynicism exists in regard to individuals who perform a public service? Is that not what educators do? If public services and those who serve in its sector are subject to such criticism and ridicule, why on Earth do students become involved in the education field?