OPINION FROM A STUDENT
Andy Lara
The Politics of Ash Wednesday On March 1st, on Main St. and Slauson, I saw the sidewalks outside a church swarming with people. But there was no celebrity signing autographs, or TVs on sale. The church was providing its subscribers with a tiny cross made of ash, which the recipients were then encouraged to wear all day long, as they went throughout their activities. I saw the ash on the foreheads of people at the bank, at the grocery store, at the gym. And none of the people acted like anything was wrong: they were proud to let everyone know that they knew they were worthless in the larger scheme of things; they were happy to be the ground on which empires were built; they were unembarrassed to be the humble masses waiting to be levelled. And I wonder if it could all very well be only a scheme. I wonder why people flock in droves to receive this annual reminder that they are worthless dirt (is dirt really worthless, though)? And why do they not flock in such large numbers to the public libraries, where they can access helpful materials and resources, and learn about opportunities that may improve their lives in a more immediate, direct way. I did not very much like seeing people with this stain on their forehead, for I value people, and I recognize their worth and importance and understand they are more than “just dirt or dust.” I wonder if such obedience to a religion that perpetually reminds a person of their insignificance is actually beneficial to one’s health? I wonder if this kind of attitude towards life, one of low self-esteem, and relinquishing of responsibility is actually good for the commonwealth? It seems that while the poor, uneducated masses store up their treasures in heaven, the greedy elites in power grab at all they can, through cutting funding and support for organizations that help the less fortunate, through lifting regulations that keep business owners somewhat accountable to their employees, or the environment, or whatever else . If people already believe they are insignificant, forgettable, and disposable, then when policy, laws, or ordinances are enacted (or conversely, regulations lifted) they accept their fate, throw their arms up in the air, and roll with the punches. I wonder if it can be argued that, in the U.S. (and in South LA), religion is a government subset, which serves to discipline, domesticate, and train citizens to not question, dispute, or revolt. Could the large numbers of submissive or disinterested or disillusioned citizens (the devoted products of religions) be the reason for the republican monopoly of our current government, which ironically is rooted on the beliefs of religion? Oh the scheming. Oh the irony. Oh the humanity.
