SecretMethod70

I posted this little rant in response to a thread over in Tilted Living and liked it so much that I also made this thread to discuss this specific topic and made it into a journal entry as well....


I'm not a bigot, I don't hate any particular race or sexual orientation or anything like that, and one of the reasons I liked the school I chose to go to was that it was diverse and I wanted to be surrounded by more than just the "white kids" I've been around all my life in the suburbs. However, I am not ashamed to admit that I've actually grown LESS tolerant at college because of the fact that everyone insists on shoving why they are different down your throat - and I've seen evidence of the same situation at PLENTY of other universities.

I'm a firm believer in the principle that if you don't want to be viewed as different, YOU - along with others - need to stop making an issue out of being different. Thanks to feminazis, I can hardly stand to hear anyone opine about women's rights. I'm simply too sick of hearing about it 24/7. Thanks to a small handful of homosexuals (and proponents for their rights) who like to turn everything into an issue concerning my "white, heterosexist" ways, I can hardly stand to listen to people complain about gay rights because I'm already so worn out from hearing the over-the-top ones speak rediculously constantly. Thanks to PETA and other similar organizations, I can hardly stand to listen to anyone speak about animal rights or why we shouldn't eat meat. Instead, I'm worn out by the psychos who insist on telling my future children how their "mommy kills animals."

I eat meat and I probably always will. I enjoy the taste of it and I see nothing morally wrong with killing an animal and eating it just like every other carnivorous and omnivorous animal on the planet. One of my roommates is a vegan - and it doesn't bother me. He lives his life the way he chooses and lets me live mine the way I choose. Still, by the time we might have a conversation about why he chooses to live the way he does, my brain is already worn out from all the other crap that's spewed from the mouths of those special interest groups who need to remind me of their existance every single day that I just want to live my life for 5 minutes without someone challenging my ideals.

I am straight and I will not change. And I am not insecure with myself because I won't have sex with a man. Just because I am straight and won't even try having sex with a man does not mean I am sexist (towards sexual orientation) and it does not mean that I don't have respect for those who may choose differently. Not everyone in the world is or should be gay.

I am white and I am a skin color too. Just like my black fellow citizens. Just because I'm white it does not mean that I am automatically more priviledged and not understanding of a black person's "situation." Just because I'm white, it does not mean I'm racist. And if there were scholarships that said "only Whites need apply" then, yes, there WOULD be outrage.

Challenging ideals is good in moderation, but the environment at most colleges and universities across the country is not one which challenges ideals at all. It's one that breeds hate towards those who are vocal about their ideals because of a small handful of people who insist on shoving it down your throat every single hour of every single day of every single week of the year.

And they wonder why they're getting less and less respect instead of more.

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Le temps détruit tout

"Musicians are the carriers and communicators of spirit in the most immediate sense." - Kurt Elling

sailor

I completly agree with you. I see the same things on my campus. Thats fine, we are all different, but dammit, quit trying to get me to change--I live my life the way I want to, and Im not going to change it because of a bunch of people standing around holding signs. Bringing attention to themselves in this way only serves to hurt whatever cause it is they are serving. It is sort of like the stereotypical evangelistic priest--I am a Christian, but it angers me to see nutsoid preachers standing in the quad spewing that we are all going to hell because we drink (or have sex, or, or, or), and should therefore become christians. He is doing nothing but harming the cause he believes he is serving, driving away people with his senseless banter.

/rant

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"Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws."
--Plato

OFKU0

Race issues are at the top of the pack in this context. Being critical in a factually objective way when warranted is often seen as intolerant toward those who are the subject.

Anti-Black,anti-Semitism, anti- Muslim, anti-Islam, anti-Asian the list goes on. Not that some instances do not occur, but often most instances are blown out of proportion. Why? For a foot up on everyone else in the never ending pursuit of international victimhood. Everybody and their brother are victims.

Interesting also, the more a certain group unnecessarily and wrongly screams foul for political or monetary gain, the more apathy that is bestowed onto them. And them the circle is complete since the poor and disadvantaged so-called victims have proven that people are indifferent toward them, not because they are the victim or because they have a legitimate claim,but because they are idiots.

Tell them to shut up, stop whining and grow some pride and you are a racist. Ignore them, or as some groups will say, become 'silent racists' and guess what, you are still vilified as such. Hmmm,...pride,.. that's the word of the day!

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" In Canada, you can tell the most blatant lie in a calm voice, and people will believe you over someone who's a little passionate about the truth." David Warren, Western Standard.

lurkette

It's been a while since I was on campus, but when I was, the "identity politics" groups were fairly inoccuous - they were a place for people who were "different" in some way to be with other people like them, and to raise awareness of their culture and/or cause. They weren't really trying to change anybody's opinions, or to stake out "victim" status, just make themselves known. I learned a lot about other people's cultures and opinions, and I didn't feel shamed or vilified in any way. Maybe things are different now, or maybe there are different issues on different campuses, but I wonder what people are reacting to that is causing such a huge backlash against minorities. How are they trying to change you?

I think most people don't realize how difficult it can be to be different in this society. You walk a fine line between assimilation and acceptance - how do you keep your identity and your culture and the things you value, without being marginalized or discriminated against, and blend them into the things you value about American culture? Most people don't want anything more than tolerance and acceptance from the mainstream, to be who they are an have it be okay, and I don't think that's so much to ask, especially in a country that has such little awareness of or appreciation for other cultures as it is.

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"If ten million people believe a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing."

- Anatole France

Sapper

While I understand your point - perhaps it is a tad too poignant.

.. that said, I too am tired of people pushing their lifestyle on me

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rm -f /bin/laden

lurkette

Can you explain what you mean by "pushing their lifestyle on me"? This is the part I don't get...what is it that campus groups or minorities in general do that is interpreted as "pushing their lifestyle" on people?

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"If ten million people believe a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing."

- Anatole France

Sapper

Pretty cut and dry to me really ... pushing something on someone is to tell them what you think and how you think they should live - without even asking their opinion or stand-point.

I am talking about the SIGs who will actually walk up to you and start harassing you about eating meat, buying anything made from animals, the ones who think you should give all your money to aid-groups in South America for housing, and so on ...

Hell, I even get people trying to pawn off their nationality from time to time ... that just makes me laugh though.

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rm -f /bin/laden

phoenix1002

I don't think this is something only present on campuses-you encounter people with agendas everywhere. You just have to tune out the ones who have left reason behind, and pay attention to those who are more rational in their arguments.

My personal favorite is when people insist that my college is diverse... there are about 3000 people, its in upstate new york, and its primarily upper middle class white people from the northeast, with a few from california and florida. We have a decent number of asians and some blacks and hispanics, but i have quite a few classes where every student in the room is white. That's not diversity. Its a little scary that people think it is...

I think ignorance is more of an issue, whether its ignorance caused by one's beliefs, like what secretmethod is talking about, or ignorance due to lack of life experience. I'm not sure where I'm going with this now... if I figure it out, I'll come back, but I hope you get the gist of what I'm trying to say.

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I'd rather be climbing...

I approach college much like a recovering alcoholic--one day at a time...

synic213

"...especially in a country that has such little awareness of or appreciation for other cultures as it is."

This made me cringe. In all the countries I've visited, the USA is one of the most open and accepting places in the world. Very few places in the world can SIG's so openly express their beliefs (right or wrong) and not be persecuted in one way or another.

lurkette

Yes, but this is also the country that arrested Sikhs in the aftermath of 9/11, thinking they were Arabs; and the same country whose President couldn't name the leaders of some pretty well-known countries in Africa and Eastern Europe; and the same country that regularly proposes deporting a host of illegal immigrants from Central and South America.

We can be a very tolerant and accepting country, but we have a way to go. We're a lot more isolated from other cultures than a lot of European countries, which can make us both more ignorant and more accepting at the same time.

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"If ten million people believe a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing."

- Anatole France