Let’s talk about majorities and minorities for a minute. Do
you ever feel like being in the majority isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be?
That being a white, middle class, Mormon in Utah isn’t always peaches and
cream? Sometimes I feel like the freedom of speech law only applies to the minorities
in our society. They can say whatever they want, but if the average middle
class white man speaks out they get called a racist or a bigot. Let the
minorities shout out their beliefs from the rooftops, but the majority better
zip their lips.
But it’s more than just freedom of speech. Can you imagine
for just a moment what would happen if someone suggested that we have a white
history month? Or an entire parade dedicated to straight people? These things
are not two way streets. And what if we said things like “White Pride” and
“Straight Pride”? How is this different from “Black Pride” and “Gay Pride”? But
somehow, it is. It is very different. Because in our society, the majority is
so worried about being “politically correct” and not offending anyone, that
somehow the same rules do not apply to the people who we are trying so hard to
not offend.
And let’s go one step further. The rules that apply to the
majority do not apply to the minority. Here are a few examples of what I am
talking about.
-#1: When I was in the ninth grade I broke my knee jumping
hurdles in gym class. My gym teacher yelled at me to stop crying and being such
a baby. She also made me crawl on my butt, dragging my broken knee, across the
wet and muddy soccer field so I would be out of everyone’s way. My doctor told
me that if they had called an ambulance and not moved me, I may not have had to
have surgery on my knee. We had every reason to sue the school, but we knew
that their defense would be “You’re just doing this because the gym teacher is
a lesbian”, and we knew we could never win that battle in court.
#2: We went to a supposedly family friendly restaurant for
dinner one time. In the booth next to us were two women who were making out- to
put things nicely. But it wasn’t just kissing. There were limbs flailing about,
inappropriate noises being made, and petting of the most intense kind. It was
quite the spectacle. When someone close by complained to the manager about
this, the manager simply said, “We can’t afford a lawsuit against the LGBT
community”. Um… what?! If this was a man and a woman doing this, you know for
sure they would have been asked to leave. Double standard!
#3: At the library we can help patrons with computers to a
certain extent, which means we can help them with the basics. We don’t have
enough time or staff however to sit down and do everything for them. We just
have too many people to serve. Well one day I was trying to help a Latino women
print off some documents but after I helped her I had to go help some other
patrons who were waiting at the desk. She eventually got mad at me for not
sitting down at her computer, designing her entire project (which would have
taken at least an hour) and then printing it out for her. When I told her I
could only help her print it out but that she needed to design the layout
herself she got mad and said, “You just don’t want to help me because I am
Latino”. I don’t care If you are blue with purple polka dots, I simply cannot
do what you are asking, and you would be better off going to a copy center
where that is in their job description.
And maybe this is just me, but do you ever feel like the minorities
look down on YOU because your race/ethnicity enslaved/tortured/ridiculed/etc
THEIR race/ethnicity? It’s like come on. I didn’t make you work in my corn
field, take you to a concentration camp, or make you live on a reservation. And
I am sorry that that happened to those people but here’s the thing: #1: I wasn’t
there, and #2: Neither were you! So… do
we have to live with the mistakes of previous generations forever? Because last
time I checked there were evil people of all races, ethnicities, and cultures.
Lastly, let us talk about labels. I hate labels: white people, black people, gay people,
straight people, religious people, and atheist people. Want to know what I
notice about all of those labels? They
are all people. Say Whaaaaat? Imagine that. All of them are people. Human
beings who feel love and hate and anger and generosity, who have families and
hopes and dreams, and who are all (for the most part) doing the best that they
can in a cold and cynical world.
So what is my solution to the whole majority vs: minority
battle you ask? It’s pretty simple really. Let’s forget the past, forget who
wronged who because we weren’t there. Let’s be able to speak our minds about
our thoughts, beliefs, and feelings without fear of causing offense, because it’s
our uniqueness that makes us special. Let’s drop the labels and see each other for
our similarities rather than our differences. And let’s build each other up
rather than tearing each other down. What a thought right? It will never happen
right? Well, YOU can make it happen. And one person changing themselves is one
step closer to changing the world, just saying.
