by Laura

Back in the 50s people of ‘other’ color, creed, or orientation had assigned roles: behind the white man. He was the dominant class, the bread winner, the father; his wife was the bread maker, with his 2.5 kids and white picket fence. Everyone else in the world was ‘also pictured’. They were the charity cases, the people in need, the ones ‘we helped’.

And then time progressed and all people pushed under the rug started to make noise. Changes were poking out the cracks. The others started to matter. They had thoughts, ideas, hearts, mind, and souls with brilliant ideas and innovations. They were ‘allowed’ to participate in life.

With forced participation required, in came overly involved helicopter parents to make sure everyone was special. Every wall had a participation trophy and gold stars were given for breathing.

But recently the original patriarchs have started to clamor their own light doesn’t shine as brightly when all the other kids have flashlights glowing too. They are forced to work together, blend, and (gasp) compete with those ‘others’. It has been pointed out to them America was letting in too many illegals, foreigners, non-English speakers. Their own ideas and values were being muted by “things” that originally existed under the rug.

There is a man in the current cycle rallying to get them back in their place and make ‘us’ great again. It’s like he’s starting a whisper campaign to unite behind the true American: a white man. And the old patriarchs are lapping it up. My theory is they don’t feel special anymore. They don’t like the competition. They don’t like that someone else thought of ‘it’ first.

I believe there are many, many flaws with this theory. One is the undercurrent of materialism and power granted to the individuals who believe that money is a better marker of a man than character. You see peace is not profitable.

Rather than make your children share the toy, buy them each one; rather than allow innovation, wait for someone else to do it and copy it; if it turns out you’re in over your head, bail and leave it to someone else; rather than work together because we all actually live here, build really big walls and hang a sign that says “NOT FOR YOU”.

All of this borborygmus is not healthy. A deviant is going to find a way to be a deviant even with your big tough sign. Instead of judging your neighbor for their sin, pay attention to your own; stop complaining or causing physical harm to someone who doesn’t believe the same as you, you know they have the same rights you do. It is okay if only your mother thinks you are special. You can be a million other things to the world. Make what little time you have contribute to the positive. Don’t be such a skid mark on the world; pee in your own stall, wash your hands, and move on.