Power Placement
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"This is it," Layla said to herself as she took a deep breath. She was standing in front of the board dressed in her best green sweater and brown corduroys. Looking back she scanned the crow for familiar faces, her mother was sitting as close as she could, dead center. A couple of rows farther back were Will, Warren and the rest of their group. Looking away from his Conversation with Zack, Will gave her a crooked grin.
Layla turned back the the board, she was already the third person to present. Because of Principal Powers information she new two out of the seven members would vote for her not mater what, they'd been trying to change this for years. There were also three people that would almost always vote against it, she HAD to win the vote of the other two.
"In the 1951 Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court ruling stated that 'separate but equal' was impossible. By labeling one group as the superior and one as the inferior makes what we are doing the same type of segregation that was in our schools."
Looking around Layla saw a board member give her a nod and an encouraging smile.
"Recently, I was told I belong in hero class, because of my abilities. But I believe we need to rethink this structure. The idea that I should be in hero class isn't because of my merit, nor is it because of how hard I've worked towards a goal, it is merely an accident of birth."
She took a deep breath before continuing.
"Whether we are deemed to be hero material or we are thought to be a side kick, there really should be no difference. Accidents shouldn't make on person better than another, and that is not the situation. David Berube once said that in order to kill someone you must think of them as less than human. Once we are able to think of our fellow people as less than human, we can justify every epoch and evil there is, from slavery to genocide, dehumanization is evils' most powerful weapon."
She flipped a few of her note cards to get the right one.
"If we let our children get the idea implanted when they're young that they're never good enough or bright enough, then we have to ask, as educators what kind of message is received? Professor Agamben has written a book called Homo Sacer, or the sacred man. In it he describes a state of exception. In this state the homo sacer can be killed at any time, but he cannot be sacrificed for any reason, because he is not worth it. That is the life of a side kick, their lives are dictated by someone else, they are reduced down to a bare life where they exist not for themselves, but for a source that is out of their control. That is why I refuse to be apart of a flawed system, and I urge you to reconsider the current higerarchy.
Layla stepped back and smiled, "Thank you."
The members of the board looked at each other, finally the director spoke, "That board would like a short recess to discuss the issue, please return within the next half hour."
As Layla walked towards the exit, countless people patted her on the back and shook her hand, telling her what a great job she did. As she reached the front lawn of the school Will caught up with her, he picked her up, hugged her tight and whispered in her ear, "You, are so amazing."
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So I think this is my second to last chapter, but I'm leaving next week, for a trip, I'll try to finish this story before I leave though, but if I don't, it'll be one of the first things I do when I come back!
