Dr. Susan Bodnar, a clinical psychologist teaching at Columbia University Teachers College, posted an article titled "Don't forget where you came from" at CNN's online: In America: You define America. What defines you?
Dr. Bodnar's article kicked off very interesting comments discussing why our country is experiencing significant social division among the have-wannabes, the semi-haves and the never-will-haves.
Many stories posted in comments reflect the division between those who earned college degrees and those who have not, but it seems much of this division is driven by talk shows calling educated people "elite" as if it's a dirty word. Comments suggested those who left poverty behind by getting a college education have experienced considerable angst reconciling their educated upwardly-mobile lives with family and friends left behind.
Pursuit of a higher education used to be seen as good for the country. Higher education was the Holy Grail that immigrants worked so hard for their children to have, so when did it become something bad for the country & why???
The discussion has inspired Dr. Bodnar to delve further into the sensitive issue of who we really are as Americans - what divides us and what unites us. Stay tuned for more later!
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