busyConversely, consider all the allegations that queer people want "special privileges." No, they don't. They just want access to the baseline: ordinary things like getting married, adopting a child, being able to visit someone in the hospital, filing a joint tax return. Now if they said, "Queer people should get first choice of children available for adoption, THAT would be a privilege.
A healthy society has a pretty smooth functionality most of the time. Its members are able to carry out ordinary activities without interference. Following the rules will lead to success for most people, and it's an option open to everyone. Failing out of a healthy society requires a lot of dedicated screwing up and refusing the helpful options available; you can still do it, but not many people do. And because most people's needs are pretty well met, there is a lot less incentive to stomp down other people in attempt to prop yourself up.
America doesn't have a healthy society. Our baseline is ... fishnet. If you're a straight white educated employed Christian man, you can generally get through life without people trying to screw you over because they find some aspect of your life displeasing. If you're queer, a person of color, don't have a college degree, can't get a job, follow some other (or no) religion, are other than male, are very young or old, are unconventional in some way -- then society frequently considers it okay to deprive you of basic courtesies, interfere with your happiness and/or survival, infringe on your rights, ruin your life, and then blame you for the mess that results. That's stupid and destructive and it needs to stop. It's not just about this group or that group. It's not about privileges or special snowflakes.
It is about treating every human being with respect and providing everyone a chance to make meaningful contributions in exchange for getting their basic needs (and preferably some of their desires) met. That's the baseline. Be decent to each other. Get the job done.
July 28 2010, 01:30:51 UTC 10 years ago
We have a vibrant gay community, a large Islamic community, an even larger Jewish community, and many blacks and Hispanics.
It was only travelling elsewhere that I saw blatant examples of differences in how races, genders and orientations are treated that shocked and amazed me. I then started really looking at interactions in my home town more closely, and saw it was here, too.
I have made it part of my role as a teacher to ensure that within my classroom, EVERYONE is treated with respect, not only by me as a teacher, but enforcing polite discourse amongst my students as well.
Thoughts
July 28 2010, 01:37:28 UTC 10 years ago
That's good to hear. I think that it would help to study places with high diversity and high tolerance. If we can learn what practices or traits encourage that, then we can duplicate them elsewhere. No place is perfect, but we can still work in that direction.
>>I have made it part of my role as a teacher to ensure that within my classroom, EVERYONE is treated with respect, not only by me as a teacher, but enforcing polite discourse amongst my students as well.<<
Good for you!