I Got The Power

In class today, I was handed the red lightsaber.

At first I didn't want it. I felt like by having it I was supposed to fulfill some sort of PTJ role, which I was definitely not prepared enough to do. Even when I had something to say at the beginning, I didn't because I felt like it wouldn't be intelligent enough to match my role as holder of the red-lightsaber-of-authority. After a while, though, I said a few things, and I started to enjoy the power that I had. I felt like because I had the power to say what I wanted when I wanted, it mattered more.
I also felt like it was sort of my responsibility to make sure Fiona got to talk occasionally, so when I realized that she had been raising her hand for a while without getting to speak, I started glancing over every now and then so that if she wasn't getting a chance to talk enough I could call on her.

I never really felt like I was marginalized in class - when I don't talk, it's because I either don't have anything to say, or because I don't want to say it because I don't like talking in class and someone else would probably say it better. But when I was handed the authority to say what I wanted when I wanted, suddenly my opinions seemed more legitimate to me, and I felt like I had the right to say them. I wonder if it is similar for marginalized populations - maybe they don't always feel like they want to say something, but when their opinions matter, then they might realize that they do have legitimate opinions. I mean, I'm sure its not that way in a lot of cases, but that might be a factor contributing to the silence of some groups of people.

Also, about the point that Elle brought up about the people in The Moral Underground, I believe that if a group of people has the option to speak up and try to change their situation, they should do so, even if it would make things worse in the short term. Because if it makes things better in the long term, that's a better option than doing nothing at all.