Impossible?

 

      A few weeks ago I watched the funeral of John Lewis. I went on to read the last article that he had written. I watched the movie John Lewis: Good Trouble. It was inspiring and hopeful. It made me wish that I lived back in those times where people joined together and got things done. What must it have been like to have the belief that you and other people could change things? Make things better. More fair. What would it be like to know that you could help make life better for everyone?

   I would like to feel like that. Right now I think that it is impossible.

   I'm not normally a pessimistic person, but I can't help it. Nothing I see in human behaviour is leading me to believe that it is possible for a group to get together and effect change. I'm looking at the groups of people of colour who are demonstrating and asking to be treated with dignity and to have equal rights and equal opportunities. They are right. They should have that. They shouldn't have to wonder if they will survive an encounter with law enforcement. They shouldn't have to wonder if their skin colour was the reason they didn't get hired. They shouldn't have to struggle to vote in an election and wonder if their vote will matter.

  How can we treat those of different races kindly if we can't be respectful or kind to those of our own?  Recently a young man that I know posted something about those making unfair disparaging remarks about Millennials. Hard on the heels of this post was someone who posted a disparaging remark about boomers and that they have screwed up the economy. Clearly older people are not worthy of respect.

  There is a lot of name calling going on too. My "favourite" insult is "libtard". It's a hybrid of liberal and retard. It is the worst insult I've ever heard. To me it means that anyone who is not conservative politically is mentally deficient. As someone who spent part of her life in specials education classes, I take serious offense to this. Clearly, those who are in the opposite  political party as you do not deserve respect.

   The worst part of this is that our leaders, the ones who should be setting an example, are the ones leading the way in our lack of civility. It's embarrassing. I wonder what those outside of this country think of our leaders trading insults on Twitter and in speeches and public remarks.

  Women are still harassed on the job and in other places. If a woman complains about this many times she is "being too sensitive" or is not believed. If a woman is assaulted, there are those who think she was "asking for it" due to dress or manners. Throw like a girl, run like a girl and act like a girl are all considered insults. Women who have authority and power are routinely mocked especially certain women in politics. I guess women do not deserve respect.

  I could go on. I could talk about people who are overweight being shamed. I could talk about those who don't fit what our current culture considers beautiful being mocked. I could talk about those who are concerned about school shootings and think gun control is a way to stop the shootings being insulted by those who disagree. I could talk about those who practice a religious faith being told that they are stupid for believing in fairy tales. It seems that if someone don't look, act, or dress like others do then they are not worthy of respect. If they wear a mask or are worried about climate change, then they aren't worthy of respect.

  Do you see where I'm going here? We've got to stop this self destructive thing we are in. We've got to start treating everyone around us as fellow humans and worthy of respect and opportunity. We need to start at home with those around us. If we continue then things will not get better and our children and grandchildren will have to deal with the mess we have made.