Not all (fill in the blank) believe (fill in the blank), are (fill in the blank), and behave by (fill in the blank).
Maybe 2016 will be a better year. Sadly, we are at a point in our nation where people ascribe all sorts of beliefs and behaviors to all members of various groups. Whether the grouping be ethnicity, race, religious, gender, economic, political, age, employment, locality, or some other in the nearly endless list of possibilities, folks rush to (usually) directly associate all members of a group with the characteristics, beliefs, and actions evidenced by one (or an incredibly small proportion) of that group.
Saying all white males are racist because some white males belonged/belong to the KKK is pure nonsense. It is no less offensive than saying all black youths are thugs and murderers because some black youths have rioted, looted, and killed each other.
The intensity of the language and attacks are growing. Perhaps folks are being incited by those with personal agendas or others with deep rooted and unreasonable prejudices. But whatever the cause, the evil language and attacks are escalating, leading to increasing tensions in nearly every segment of society. The media, conservative and liberal, relish in beating their drums to stoke the intensity.
Absolutely, there are disreputable, villainous, and even evil people. But they are not so because of some identifying characteristic or grouping. They are simply disreputable, villainous, or evil individuals. Period. They are not disreputable, villainous, or evil because they are white, black, brown, Jewish, Muslim, male, female, straight, gay, tall, short, democrat, republican, old, young, poor, middle-class, wealthy, educated, employed, unemployed, or any other group. The inability to separate and recognize people as individuals is very troubling. One example is blaming the actions of a group from decades or centuries ago and then demanding recompense today for those actions of yesteryear.
Stated differently, people in contemporary America demand action not for injuries they have individually and personally suffered, but for injuries suffered by others decades or centuries ago. This is similar to the ethnic hatred dominating many parts of Europe and the Middle East. Centuries old hatred that impedes progress towards peace. Centuries old dogma unbent by today's reality.
Maybe in 2016 our nation can stem, then reverse this trend. While possible, I sense it will not occur, in large part because of the national political machinations. Both major political parties demonize their opponents. Candidates likewise, uttering outlandish comment after outlandish comment. Thus feeding into divisive identity generalities that have no basis in fact. The politicians seek to garner support from the unsettled and dissatisfied electorate by ascribing beliefs and behaviors to everyone in an identifiable group based on the actions of a few from within that group. Shameful political grandstanding!
The only reason this is happening is because the people are unhappy with the course of current events. They are unhappy with their current situation. And too many people are telling them other group(s) is/are the reason(s) for their unhappiness. If the majority of the nation was happy, the purveyors of the divisive rhetoric would not find a fertile environment into which to plant these seeds of discontent. The talk show hosts, political pundits, and social commentators would have no audiences. The opinion writers would gain no traction with outlandish assertions. Elected officials and aspirants could not mount election campaigns based on negativity and demagoguery.
Perhaps then there would be no protests in our streets and on our campuses. Perhaps the labor force participation rate would be more than 62.5%. Perhaps more than 57.5% of eligible voters would exercise their franchise. Perhaps there wouldn't be more than 400 murders per year in Chicago. Maybe the middle class would be expanding, rather than declining. Perhaps wages would rise.
Perhaps, but not likely, because too many influential people are counting on you to feel like a victim and blame identifiable groups.
But we can hope, because not all (fill in the blank) believe (fill in the blank), are (fill in the blank), and behave by (fill in the blank).
Stated differently, people in contemporary America demand action not for injuries they have individually and personally suffered, but for injuries suffered by others decades or centuries ago. This is similar to the ethnic hatred dominating many parts of Europe and the Middle East. Centuries old hatred that impedes progress towards peace. Centuries old dogma unbent by today's reality.
Maybe in 2016 our nation can stem, then reverse this trend. While possible, I sense it will not occur, in large part because of the national political machinations. Both major political parties demonize their opponents. Candidates likewise, uttering outlandish comment after outlandish comment. Thus feeding into divisive identity generalities that have no basis in fact. The politicians seek to garner support from the unsettled and dissatisfied electorate by ascribing beliefs and behaviors to everyone in an identifiable group based on the actions of a few from within that group. Shameful political grandstanding!
The only reason this is happening is because the people are unhappy with the course of current events. They are unhappy with their current situation. And too many people are telling them other group(s) is/are the reason(s) for their unhappiness. If the majority of the nation was happy, the purveyors of the divisive rhetoric would not find a fertile environment into which to plant these seeds of discontent. The talk show hosts, political pundits, and social commentators would have no audiences. The opinion writers would gain no traction with outlandish assertions. Elected officials and aspirants could not mount election campaigns based on negativity and demagoguery.
Perhaps then there would be no protests in our streets and on our campuses. Perhaps the labor force participation rate would be more than 62.5%. Perhaps more than 57.5% of eligible voters would exercise their franchise. Perhaps there wouldn't be more than 400 murders per year in Chicago. Maybe the middle class would be expanding, rather than declining. Perhaps wages would rise.
Perhaps, but not likely, because too many influential people are counting on you to feel like a victim and blame identifiable groups.
But we can hope, because not all (fill in the blank) believe (fill in the blank), are (fill in the blank), and behave by (fill in the blank).
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