Unseen Reaction

First of all, the title Unseen may be slightly inaccurate, as some students that The Unseen mentions are in fact seen, but people choose to look the other way. It's not necessarily that they aren't seen; it's just that people don't understand them so they either ignore the so-called Unseen altogether or at least make a conscious effort to make it known to them that they don't want anything to do with them. However, either way, there is a problem.

Second of all, whether or not the author of the article believes himself to be a member of this group has no bearing on how accurate or well written the article is. Anyone who says otherwise is not looking at the article objectively. This manner of examining the article is unprofessional and should be reconsidered by the people who use it.

One of the responses to The Unseen mentioned that it had stirred up some controversy, and controversy is not necessarily a good thing. A fair point to mention is that controversy is not something to fear but to welcome. If people are never forced to face issues that make them uncomfortable, the world will never improve. Also, without the desire of the people who start these controversies to get their concerns out in the open, no one will ever know there's a problem, as trivial as it may be. It takes courage to bring up a controversial point, and the author of the article should be applauded, not ridiculed. Tearing down someone who is willing to reexamine a way of life is simply the coward's way of not admitting something's wrong.

Another point mentioned in a reaction to the article states, "If you try your best in everything you do, your efforts will reflect that and you will get numerous offers at college scholarships and acceptance letters from some of the finest institutions in the country." This completely sidesteps the point. The Unseen is not talking about college admissions offices. It is describing the interaction, or lack thereof, between students and their peers. In a teenager's mind, sometimes all of the scholarships and awards in the world cannot replace a simple compliment from a member of his or her class.

The argument that the article is contradictory in that it states that the Unseen aren't all that different from their fellow teenagers can be disputed also. The author of this particular reaction to the article explains that The Unseen talks about how different these people are. It also states that the majority of teenagers spend more time on music and such than on social studies homework while the Unseen are the opposite. Well, he/she forgot to mention that there are many people that are considered the cream of the crop and are still recognized by their peers as students worthy of their praise and friendship. There are popular honors students, and one does not have to give up Brittany Spears or Eminem to know the fifty states and their capitals. Also, this writer would be remiss in not pointing out that the article was, in fact, written to try to change the current treatment of the Unseen and not to put them down so if one of the stereotypes fits a particular person, it is not in fact an insult to the person it to which it applies.

Another writer criticizes the article by saying that it is the fault of the Unseen that they are in the position that they are. This opinion seems to be displayed simply to get attention, seeing as the author of this complaint spends the second half of his/her response to announce his/her return to Shoemaker Village. One simply does not tear down someone else's work and then pat him/herself on the back for his/her own. The author of The Unseen can be somewhat overconfident in his own intelligence, but the visitors of the Shoemaker website are not supposed to be investigating the author. They are supposed to be examining the issue that The Unseen presents. To get back on track and respond to this response, not everyone can change the position they have been forced into. Whether a person is ignored or harassed, the result is the same. Once a student body has singled out any individual for ridicule or exile, and the members of the student body have made up their minds to keep this individual in that position, no amount of change on the part of that individual is going to change their minds. All the Unseen can do is hold their heads high, knowing that they are as good as anyone else and hope that someday someone will notice them sitting alone at the lunch table or holding a single ticket to the school dance, and they will no longer be alone.