to start class today i said "everyone please stand up." they promptly did so. then i asked them why they were standing. they (of course) responded "because you told us to." then i announced the topic for the day: CONFORMITY. after they took their seats i showed them horrifying pictures and told stories about the holocaust. and my lai. and jonestown.
i got choked up when i started talking about jonestown. i said "they killed the babies and children first." i could feel the end of the sentence get caught in my throat. my eyes instantly welled up. i thought "holy crap! i might start crying!" it's true that i can be a bit of a sweet-weepy-pete on occasion, but i've never cried in front of a class. so i stopped and took a breath. then i stood there silently while they looked at the image that was projected on a large screen ...
(it was the little baby wedged in there that got to me the most)
i knew when i prepared this lecture last night that the loving thing to do would be to send a clear message about what happens when we blindly follow authority. it happens to regular people. not madmen. or trolls. or psycho-killers. regular people will hurt, maim, and destroy others and even themselves when placed under extreme social pressure. i felt a duty to teach, and a duty to warn. so i did.
but man... those images do linger.... no wonder i have a headache.
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