Cattle Drive

As I dove into Anthem, I found myself awe-stricken by the occurrences deemed illegal, and as I read the name of the main character, I continually let the pronunciation of the words Equality Seven – Two Thousand; Five Hundred Twenty-One fully sink into my consciousness. I sat quietly as the conformists that encompass me constantly reiterate their ignorance and lacking acceptance for non-conformists. I noticed posters plastered on walls throughout the halls of the institution known as a high school – we have all been institutionalized – and all I saw was bias for conformity and branding. I saw ads selling temporary tattoos supporting school pride, reminders of school spirit days endorsing the uniform colored dress of each class, and I heard a request for artistic ideas for a Chugiak High School flag. The colors separate the ages and demonstrate superiority and inferiority between classes and faculty, while also grouping the individuals into a few large masses, devoid of all individuality and choice as the masses are all compressed into a previously determined, dictated activity (i.e. pep assemblies). The word spirit is repeated so strongly yet it seams to be the spirit of the many as one collective spirit and brain rather than a beautiful collage of many strong individual spirits. The tattoos are still an unsure symbol in my mind. Since we are students at the hands of adults, they seam nearly to be the yellow Star of David or pink triangles of concentration camps — the seal upon the arms of Jews and homosexuals to easily identify them as inferior or threatening. Then I consider the strict physical requirements and daily brainwashing and I am unsure whether they are creating a deceived slave race or raising a mindless army of driven cattle.

More recently, Fahrenheit 451 further confirmed that school districts seam to be replacing the importance of academic achievement with the want to tire the little children down enough to keep the 2000+ bodies from realizing they have the strength and numbers to create change for the better if they would only awake from their public-school slumber and become self-aware. I don’t miss those days and I know why those of you still suffering the 6 some-odd hours of glorified babysitting can’t wait to break free. There is no personal freedom or individuality in high school, and what is noticed as such isn’t real. Just sit back quietly and bide your time. Study hard and make it into a college that accepts everyone for who they are. MCAD is wonderful in this respect. Few, if any, were normal in high school, and as such, it’s a beautiful teeming growth of diversity, each organism allowed to be itself while growing off the power and creativity of the atmosphere.

Just keep in mind — you are probably an indigo child. Your spirit is young, yet wise beyond its years, and we will one day bring about great things. One day.

By Crystal Nichols in Culture, Philosophy, Psychology on April 2, 2001