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, 18:29:53 UTC 10 years ago
OR... perhaps the PTB (God or whoever) would see to it that people got what they give, then maybe, just maybe, people would change...
Naw... wishful thinking on my part. :(
Well...
July 28 2010, 20:45:43 UTC 10 years ago
People have free will; it's up to them whether they choose to be decent or wicked. Most are a mix. Pushing hard towards the positive end is a LOT of work. But it does have very substantial results -- Buddhist monks, for instance, pray every day focused on universal compassion, and after some years that produces documentable brain changes.
>>OR... perhaps the PTB (God or whoever) would see to it that people got what they give, then maybe, just maybe, people would change...<<
The Law of Returns is valid. It just isn't always fast. Whatever you do nudges your life in that direction. Other influences may sometimes overwhelm your efforts, but the odds are that if you treat people decently then more good things will come into your life than would if you treat people horribly.