Gated Rights

    As part on an english assignment, I was required to research gated communities by following several links and listening to podcasts on the topic. Upon finishing my research I was prompted to formulate an opinion on my stance for or against gated communities and incorporate outside links. Here is my opinion: 

"Foster segregation and increase a sense of exclusion" (Aranda 1). Really? I am not referring to a 1960's southern U.S. grade school, but rather to gated 21st century communities. The idea of surrounding yourself completely with people who look and act like you is horrifying. Even more troubling is the exclusion of certain groups of people from the community. Aside from lulling its members into a false sense of security, the benefits offered by gated communities are scarce. 

    Easily ignored by proponents of gated communities, the main ideas encouraged are sinister: "exclusion, division, [and] hate" (Boyle 220). From the vantage point of an interracial youth gated communities seem exceedingly polarizing. What type of gated community would I reside in if I fit into the economic bracket of the community but not the racial one? This predicament fails to even scratch the surface of the dishonorable practice of gating communities. 

    According to one source, certain people have bestowed the power upon themselves to determine who can and cannot live around them, or even travel on their roads. At some point a line must be drawn between the interest to live in a safe exclusive neighborhood and flagrant segregation. As America enters a trying time of economic strife and international turbulence, one component is integral to her success: unity.