Moroccan/ American dialog

Today we had a discussion session with some students from the big Moroccan university in Rabat. The discussion was based around “Moroccan perceptions of the US election.” So many many things were brought up, but I mostly wanted to write to say how interesting it was! First of all, we don’t really have any type of discussion in this program—that’s something it really lacks although overall it’s really been an amazing program. I guess I’m just used to a) being a sociology major and b) going to a college that THRIVES off dialogggg. So it was really refreshing simply to have a classroom discussion on any topic. And because that topic was something of a lot of substance, importance and that is just plain dynamic, thus interesting, it made it all the better.
So in our SIT group, we are firstly 90% female, and secondly 99.9% liberal (one guy claims to be socially liberal yet fiscally conservative) so that doesn’t really give any room for debate because we all pretty much agree! Haha I sometimes find myself playing devil’s advocate on things that I don’t agree with simply to heat things up!! I’m apparently addicted to debate—something Kansas left me with I supposeJ.
Although, the discussion we had today wasn’t necessarily in disagreement, it was just really interesting to hear the Moroccan perspective. First of all, they know more about what’s going on and what the candidates are really about than a LOT of Americans, but they are also a unique group of educated young Moroccans of a new, more progressive generation. So they didn’t necessarily represent the average Moroccan, just like we don’t represent the average American. But nonetheless, it was nice not only to have a real discussion on the election but to hear what they had to say and the questions they had for us as Americans.
One of the most interesting points brought up was the fact that none of them vote in their own domestic elections because they technically live in a monarchy and, understandably, find no meaning behind their individual vote. Granted, it’s a pretty progressive monarchy in the midst of flirting with democratization, the king still has grand authority over practically everything. So, in the end, what I really brought away from that discussion was how important even the act of voting is. Even in the US, many people, including myself, really question the importance behind my one miniscule vote in the general election. BUT talking about US history and the progress that has come from Barrack Obama even being up there as a front runner proves that standing up to something, to anything, IS meaningful and absolutely has an impact. We would not be hearing his name today had it not been for civil right movements generations ago. I think we too often dwell on the NOW and the short term effects of things. There is this idea that whoever the next president is will be considered a failure no matter what because they are being put into an office with already so many issues that it’s impossible to make them go away in just 4 years if even in 8. BUT, again, that’s if we look at the short term—which inevitably, in 4 years that is what we’ll be forced to do. But ya know, the reason I voted for Barack Obama, (in the state of Florida I will proudly add), is simply because even if he is unable to pull us out of this economic crisis, or worse, I’m still positive the attitude and hope he has inspired in young people and people of color all over the country will have a continuously positive effect way past his or my time. If anything, he’s truly an inspiration and honestly, if that’s all he is that’s still more than most human beings can say they’ve accomplished. Simply by him running, I personally am less pissed off at “politics” and there seems to actually be a reason to why we have a president again. I think too often inspiration and positive reinforcement is overlooked and underestimated. I believe the quote from Tuesday’s with Morrie is something along the lines of: “a teacher affects inerity: he can never tell where his influence stops."
So that was me thinking critically for the semester! Enjoy!