Omaha Community Paper
Samantha Novak
Dr. Todd Richardson
Perspectives on U.S. American Culture
February 19, 2012
Essay One: Community
When I think of community, I think of a much larger concept. It becomes a large mess of interests, values, and sub-categories, which make it impossible to digest the large capacity the word community holds. Community is a mess and yet manages to maintain its wholeness and withhold larger amounts of diversity. Individuals in a community can be different ages, ethnicities, or come from different backgrounds, and incomes. The concept of being apart of a community goes beyond thinking and acting, as individuals bond over common beliefs about shared interests and life. I also see the importance of individual rights in the sense that we do have a duty towards change and individuality by making sure our society or government does not suppress it, and that is the beauty in the face of America. On the contrary, I see that face has become dull and I see community as lost because people have began to put up more walls. It becomes a hard thing to identify because it doesn’t seem existent. Pondering the titles of these communities becomes even more bizarre because I don’t feel as though I identify myself a “member” of these communities, but perhaps as a small and average piece of these large concepts. Although there is this lack of presence, I do feel there are responsibilities I fulfill towards these communities and I recognize the role it plays in my individuality. As a born citizen of Omaha, I feel obliged to identify myself as an Omahan. I have been born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, and have not had the abilities to travel as much as I would like, which may put a damper on the repetitiveness of my city, but also has developed permanent strings tightly wound to the roots of my identity. I have developed a passion and love for my city and they way it has influenced the person I am and the person I will become. It has made me humble and
Dr. Todd Richardson
Perspectives on U.S. American Culture
February 19, 2012
Essay One: Community
When I think of community, I think of a much larger concept. It becomes a large mess of interests, values, and sub-categories, which make it impossible to digest the large capacity the word community holds. Community is a mess and yet manages to maintain its wholeness and withhold larger amounts of diversity. Individuals in a community can be different ages, ethnicities, or come from different backgrounds, and incomes. The concept of being apart of a community goes beyond thinking and acting, as individuals bond over common beliefs about shared interests and life. I also see the importance of individual rights in the sense that we do have a duty towards change and individuality by making sure our society or government does not suppress it, and that is the beauty in the face of America. On the contrary, I see that face has become dull and I see community as lost because people have began to put up more walls. It becomes a hard thing to identify because it doesn’t seem existent. Pondering the titles of these communities becomes even more bizarre because I don’t feel as though I identify myself a “member” of these communities, but perhaps as a small and average piece of these large concepts. Although there is this lack of presence, I do feel there are responsibilities I fulfill towards these communities and I recognize the role it plays in my individuality. As a born citizen of Omaha, I feel obliged to identify myself as an Omahan. I have been born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, and have not had the abilities to travel as much as I would like, which may put a damper on the repetitiveness of my city, but also has developed permanent strings tightly wound to the roots of my identity. I have developed a passion and love for my city and they way it has influenced the person I am and the person I will become. It has made me humble and