Society's Ignorances

As someone who tries to stay regularly involved in activism within the "community," I still find it infuriating when society at-large behaves so blatantly ignorantly while the world sits by idly and watches it unfold around them. There is that whole thing that I have about being a bystander, and doing or saying nothing while wrongs go on unchecked literally under our noses.



This past week has seen a wealth of ignorance, while we - neighbors and supposedly equal citizens - have sat and watched, seemingly helpless. What exactly is going to have to happen in our city, in our state, in our country for god's sake, that will make us finally wake up and take a stand and do whatever needs to be done for change to happen? What is that event going to be?? The Holocaust in Europe wasn't really enough for those citizens to ALL band together and take a stand. It was only when camps were liberated that the bystanders were forced to look at the devastation that had been occurring right under their noses. The KKK is still alive and well and roaming free in their ignorance all over the United States. Pbfttt. United States. Really?? Are we? Hell no we're not! Everyone is so busy with their platforms - conservative or liberal. Red state or blue state. Republican or Democrat. Bush lover, Obama hater. For same-sex marriage, against same-sex marriage. Pro-healthcare reform, anti-healthcare reform. Tea party or coffee party. Holy crap - it gets tiring, huh?



Right now in Texas, state school board of education members are deciding upon the contents of curriculum for textbooks that will not only be distributed throughout the state, but the rest of the country as well. For the NEXT TEN YEARS. They are currently arguing the merits of the Social Studies curriculum. Decisions are split, but conservatives seem to be winning the early votes. These are folks that have decided that current curriculum is "too liberal," and wish to take significant pieces of history out. They are wanting to take things out about prominent minority leaders, while putting in their beliefs that America was founded on the Christian religion. They seem to have misplaced the fact: America was founded on FREEDOM OF RELIGION. And yes, there is a difference. One of the most prominent and self-proclaimed Christian conservatives on the board has pointed out numerous times that women need to remember that when they, as a minority, won the right to vote, it was because the majority - MEN - gave it to them. No lie - the dude said it on the news just yesterday. They have already decided that the word "Capitalism" will be removed, and they will allow "Free Enterprise" instead. Since when is Capitalism a liberal thing?? It is sad, and while I thought that America was the most advanced in all of its freedoms and liberties, I am finding that we are swiftly advancing towards practices seen in other, less "free" countries. One of my friends from high school shared with me that while her family currently lives in Kuwait, her children are not taught any U.S. History in school and thus she has to supplement it during the summertime. But even worse, she shared how much of the ministry's agenda is dominant in the curriculum, and how she has to teach her children to be able to distinguish between agenda and truth. And once upon a time, I would have said that these practices would never happen here - no way. But given the huge ordeal that is currently underway in Austin, Texas to revise the history that children across the country will be taught for the next ten years, it seems to be a frightening possibility.



This week in Mississippi a high school cancelled their junior/senior prom because a senior girl wanted to bring her sophomore girlfriend as her date. Yes, really. Rather than let her bring the date of her choice - which is a brave enough step in rural Mississippi to begin with - the superintendent and school board opted to just cancel the whole thing. Now, I have to give kudos to the young lady, who decided to continue to stand up for her rights and against discrimination, and with the help of the ACLU is bringing a lawsuit against the school district. But in 2010, she SHOULD NOT HAVE TO! It is appalling. And even worse, as the news spread across the country, on the television and radio and internet, the horrible, hateful, homophobic comments have been flowing more than ever. It is disgusting. Now people are saying that she has "ruined other people's senior year." But many of us that are also in the LGBT community have posed the questions: What if she had wanted to take a black guy to the prom? Weren't mixed race couples illegal in Mississippi at one time? What if she had wanted to take her best friend, and they bought their tickets as a couple to save money? What if she had wanted to take her guy cousin because she just didn't want to go alone? There are a number of scenarios that could have happened that they might have had a problem with, but would have known that it would have been discriminatory to prohibit. So how come in THIS case it was okay to discriminate? It is simple. THEY don't like it - the school board and superintendent. THEY aren't comfortable with it. THEY don't "believe" in gay/lesbian relationships (whatever the hell THAT means - it's not a freaking religion; there's nothing to "believe" in!). THEY believe that the students will be uncomfortable with two girls being there together and dancing together. Whatever. The chaperones will be the ones uncomfortable with it - the students probably don't give a crap. And if there ARE students who will be there and don't want to see it, they can dance themselves to an opposite corner of the dance floor or dance their way out the door! I mean, if these two girls are comfortable enough with themselves and who they are as people, as women, then bravo. If someone else is uncomfortable with them, then it is their own problem and perhaps need to do some soul searching about their own biases and prejudices.



I know this is long, but these are the things that anger me. I have known this kind of prejudice, and it isn't fun, isn't pretty, and is very hurtful. Society is so busy fighting over any and every thing, just to keep things in an uproar it seems. Things that don't affect them or their lives still seem to be on the forefront every day of every week. And alot of the controversies that are fought so hard against so many are done with a lot of ignorance and very little genuine knowlege. I saw an old friend today, that I have known for years and years, but I haven't seen him in a couple of years or so. He's a good old boy, very conservative Southern business owner. Sure we haven't ever agreed politically, but we have always put it aside and agreed to disagree. When I told him today that I married my wife last year, his response was, "yeah but you're not really allowed to be married, right?" I said, "Well not here, but yeah, we really got married in Connecticut." He laughed and said, "Oh hell, then you're not really married! Not REALLY." I said, "No, we really are - my marriage license is just as legal as yours. It's just that most states don't recognize it yet." But his mind was made up that since it isn't legal HERE, then we're not really married at all. See what I mean? It was simply ignorance about the issues, and he wasn't ready or willing to hear what I had to say and gain some actual knowledge about it.



I have to keep reminding myself: Attitude is a choice. Every day, it is our choice. The actions of others do not decide how WE will react to them - only WE choose how to do that.