Title : The Middle Found Their Voices in 2011

By: Anand Giridharadas

Published : December 30, 2011 Accessed: January 1, 2012

The year 2011 has seen more change than one could see in ten. For the year was of the middle classes fighting for change. In countries like India, Egypt, Libya, the middle class left their own work, worries and fought to better the world. Better the world where they hope to live in peace. The middle class blamed themselves for being silent for many years. For complaining about the government, but never taking any action to change that government. They complained about the poor getting poorer and the richer becoming richer, however, this would not stay this way for long. Some one had to speak out. And that some one was not just one person but a whole class the middle class. In the past year these middle class people took action, they set out to change the world. In India with the help of Anna Hazare, India too took opportunity to fight against corruption.

We always talk about if we want change well then we have to create it. We can't always sit there complaining. If we really are frustrated of how something is being done, well then do something about it. The middle class all over the world has done. They have tried the technique where one sits and hopes that something happens. But they too realized that's not how it works. For something to change someone's has to do something. I watched a movie about 3 years back named A Wednesday. In this movie the main, who happens to be a middle class man is on a mission. He talks to the police and makes a deal. He wants the police to set the dangerous terrorist free. At the end of the movie we realize that the intensions of this common man was not just to release them but to kill the terrorist. He was sick of living under threat, living under fear. When he saw that the government isn't going to do anything about it. He did something about it. Though it maybe an extreme example. The point is clear, if you want change to take place, don't just sit there complaining, do something about it.

Vocab

Secede

Or rather they seceded from secession.

To withdraw from an organization

Origin: latin se which means without

Through out this battle of freedom, the middle class did not secede from their goal.

Undeterred

Undeterred, he continued to protest after the regime’s fall

To discourage or restrain from acting or preceding

Origin: Latin deterrere which means prevent

The teacher undeterred the students from shouting loudly during a formal assembly.

Dissent

In democracies like India, dissent is far less novel.

To differ in sentiment or opinion, especially from the majority

Origin: Middle french dissentir

The little duck dissented from the rest of the other ducks on where their next destination maybe.