The Wall

“All in all, you're just another brick in the wall” - Pink Floyd, Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2

Many are familiar with this song (and know that line refers to a teacher), but how many have truly analyzed its meaning? What else constitutes the wall besides the teacher? First, we must know why this teacher is a brick in the wall.

"We don't need no thought control"

The teacher has used an authoritative position to control the children. Consequentially, a brick is a policy or person using authority to conform others to a belief system. This occurs when a dominant group believes they hold the right belief and other beliefs hold no merit. Therefore, other beliefs are ignored, persecuted, or both. Various bricks include state or religion run newspapers and schools, repealed free speech, knowledge limited to elites, centralized police force, exile or excommunication, and globally intervening military.

The wall would be their collective efforts – symbolically separating people from open knowledge and free choice. Over many times and places the wall has been raised by states, religions, or both. For example, the Protestant Reformation, Counter-Reformation, Red Scare, Berlin Wall, Cold War, and War on Terror are walls.

Dismantled repeatedly and constructed repeatedly, the Dismantlers and Constructors are constantly in conflict. Fighting for freedom despite personal peril, Dismantlers proclaim open knowledge and free choice causing the wall to fracture and resulting in precious freedom for all.

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