Come Together

I really liked the story Loeb told about the community in Brooklyn that came together because of the concern they had for their children. The book describes a community divided by groups, or cliques such as the United Jewish Organization (UJO) and El Puente, an organization comprised of Puerto Ricans and Dominicans. These two groups are described as having a long history of fights and mistrust over a multitude of issues - from housing to police protection. I found inspiring the way the group "came together for the health of their children" and fought to reduce the amount of toxic waste emissions being produced and polluting their neighborhoods. The efforts of these two very different groups putting their differences aside for a common goal yielded in further community involvement (the Italian, Poles, and other groups also joined in) and eventually the incinerator which was producing these toxic emissions was ended. This is what I think Loeb meant by "The more we listen to those whose experiences and perspectives are unfamiliar, we realize what draws us together." These different groups had unique experiences and thoughts to bring to the table, making their connections with one another and their argument against their common cause even stronger. The quote I thought put all this together was: "In our common air we have found our common ground."

The same concept that different people can come together for once goal is demonstrated in SLICE. Each individual in this class hold to different core values, beliefs and come from different backgrounds. We are all so different, but all so similar. The 30+ diverse people in this class share the common goal to better our community. Some of the people in my team are polar opposites, but can put their differences aside and come together to tutor a refugee. But more than just in SLICE, I think I am often in a situation were I'm expected to work with people who are very different from me... As I said, everyone is very different. But with that one common goal, that being changing the world or getting an "A" in calculus, we are drawn together for our greater purpose. Also, through uniting with those who lead different lives than us or share different ideas, we can learn from each other. I don't know all the answers. No one does. But sharing of knowledge, skills or abilities promotes growth.