Sheep Anyone?

My students are reading Animal Farm right now and starting to assess which animal represents them politically. Boxer is the workhorse that just continually does his job and thinks the answer to all the problems that start to occur on the farm is.... work harder and don't question authority. Benjamin is the donkey that is educated but indifferent feeling that his voice doesn't matter anyway and won't change anything. The pigs run everything and believe they're entitled to everything and the world owes them everything because they're the political leaders so automatically they are right. Within the pigs are two parties which causes friction and as they all purport a desire to do what is best for the "whole society" their actions are contradictory as they plot and plan against the other party while proclaiming they are all on the same side. The sheep just blindly follow as their parents have for generations and repeat whatever the pigs tell them to even if it's obviously not right. Molly is the pretty little horse that cares more about her looks and sugar cubes than politics or what is right or wrong. As long as she's happy... that's all that matters.

Now as you look through these characters, I'm sure you can think of people who fit each of these profiles. This book isn't about American government however, it's about the Russian Revolution. Orwell used this satirical piece to reveal the downfalls of a government that we had espoused to be an ally only to later find out about the atrocities that were being committed in that country. As we vote, as we study out the facts, I pray that we are not as sheep lead blindly by one party, and that we are not selfish like Molly, or complacent like Benjamin. I hope that we work hard like Boxer, but don't let people walk all over our profession or us. Mostly though, I hope that we don't become so caught up in party line that we forget that we a ONE country with a goal to make all people happy and an intellectual belief that shows more respect than ignorance, more tolerance than prejudice, and more compassion than competition. I hope we keep an open mind and an open heart and remember that we are all God's children and we are all striving toward the good of our society. Otherwise, we make mockery of democracy and our Constitution.