What in the Hell is Wrong With Us?

Bah! Let’s face it. Everyone has a bit of racism, sexism, ageism, classism, ableism, etc. in them. I know I do. I’m not proud of it, but it’s true. I’m a product of my environment. And no… I’m not talking about my parents. They rock. I’m talking about our society. And I’m not even just talking about American society. The entire world is fucked up.

If you grew up with white friends in a white neighborhood watching white television shows like me, you can’t tell me you don’t get at least a little bit nervous when you see someone with darker skin walking towards you on the street. You may know it is not logical or correct or nice, but you will think it. Imagine a white person walking towards you vs a Mexican person walking towards you. Go ahead and tell me it doesn’t make a difference and that you are color blind, but you are a fucking liar. I’m sure that you probably know and truly believe that Mexicans are not more dangerous than white people, but I’m talking about a gut instinct. An irrational and subconscious feeling. Our society and culture promote division.

Do you think Obama’s citizenship would be questioned so rigorously if he was white? Do you think that illegal immigration would be such a big deal if Mexicans were white? The media tells us to focus on the color of our skin. From a young age, we are taught that our race defines us. It may not be direct, but it’s there, and it affects everyone.

And women! Women are still treated much worse than men. Their pay is still lower, they are shown as being weaker, and violence against them is still extremely disproportional. Sexism is extremely prevalent, but sometimes it’s hard to see. For example, chivalry is, in most cases, a form of sexism. Sure, it’s nice to do things for someone you care about, but think about the core reason for holding a door open, or pulling their chairs in and out for them, or insisting that you lift something heavy. These actions started, and continue, because women are viewed as being the weaker sex. I’m not saying you should stop doing nice things for the women in your life, I just wish people would analyze why they do what they do.

I could go on forever, but I guess what I’m frustrated about is the lack of attention paid to these issues. The fact that some people even asked the question of if we are living in a “post racial” American after Obama won is infuriating. The answer is no. We are not. If Hillary won, it would not mean we are living in a “post gender” society. Both of those things would be nice, but they are no where near happening.

You know what though… maybe I’m wrong. Maybe it’s not as bad as I think it is. I can’t see how it isn’t, but I could just be blinded by my liberal bias. If you think I’m completely off base and wrong, please… let me know.

tl;dr The world sucks and I don’t like it.

Related posts:

1. Hell yeah!
2. What is Wrong With These People???
3. Wayne Coyne is Fucking Sexy as Hell
4. Glenn Beck is a Terrible Person
5. Planning Our Finances and a Racist Arizonan