No Law Will Change the World

The assignment says, "Write about what you'd do if you were the President. How would you change the world?"

The student writes, "There is no law that will change the world. We only have hope."

There is no law that will change the world. We only have hope.

I couldn't read his writing. The rewrite was to improve his spelling. Having left my children in Japanese school for five years I have a bit of guilt about their spelling, writing, and reading. I get the +2/4, but still, bonus of +5 for getting that the world isn't cured by laws in second grade.

One might argue that I'm harboring an anarchist, but that would be over looking his spot-on comprehension of humanity. Laws tend to preserve a path of justice that we come to or legislate after a cultural reconciliation with a bitter fight. First, the dream of the better world, then the refusal to yield to the corrosive norm or existing way because we hope that the world is better than what we are experiencing, and then, someday, the laws catch up.

I read that Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat because she was tired. I bet she also expected better of the world, that it should care about people more than rules. I suppose that's why I liked that my kid thought hope was more powerful than a law even if he were the president.

The assignment says, "Write about what you'd do if you were the President. How would you change the world?"

The student writes, "There is no law that will change the world. We only have hope."

There is no law that will change the world. We only have hope.

I couldn't read his writing. The rewrite was to improve his spelling. Having left my children in Japanese school for five years I have a bit of guilt about their spelling, writing, and reading. I get the +2/4, but still, bonus of +5 for getting that the world isn't cured by laws in second grade.

One might argue that I'm harboring an anarchist, but that would be over looking his spot-on comprehension of humanity. Laws tend to preserve a path of justice that we come to or legislate after a cultural reconciliation with a bitter fight. First, the dream of the better world, then the refusal to yield to the corrosive norm or existing way because we hope that the world is better than what we are experiencing, and then, someday, the laws catch up.

I read that Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat because she was tired. I bet she also expected better of the world, that it should care about people more than rules. I suppose that's why I liked that my kid thought hope was more powerful than a law even if he were the president.