I grew up opposing racism, because I was born in a country that had not come to grips with its own issues about race.
I have been blessed with daughters and granddaughters and wanting the best for them, I speak out against sexism.
As I have gotten older, and seen people of the baby boom generation pushed to the sides in the name of progress, I have become sensitive to agism.
Various isms are used to divide, desensitize and compartmentalize people. Some people bank on the premise that if you are not part of a group under attack or subject to ridicule, you will not care about such things or might even join in.I thought long and hard about what I could write about the bumper sticker campaign that attempts to twist the "N-word" in a free-speech protected statement against President Obama's reelection effort.
It has already been labeled racist, but I think it is just a symptom of a broader backlash of bigotry being embraced for political reasons.
There are some who would harness the collective anger of individuals who have somehow convinced themselves that a coalition of formerly underprivileged or disadvantaged classes are out to take away their rights.
The bumper sticker flap from March 15 triggered some interesting comments, particularly as some people I know tried to get others to at least admit the bumper sticker, the idea behind it and the language used as racist. They included two responses from the same guy, whom I know is a broadcaster in Texas:
"Ever since 2004, the prevailing sick reasoning is that it's some kind of crime to be a conservative. And we "allow" it by not fighting back." He also said "The thing that bothers me most is this constant barrage from the Left that conservatives are "racist". And yet, I've never seen a more racist person than Al Sharpton. No one calls him on it. He gets the proverbial free pass from the MSM."
I am not clear about the motivation for this feeling of "persecution" as it was put to me. But I have heard it before. It strikes me that this unapologetic conservative is willing to defend the promotion of various isms, by what he perceives as acceptance of isms by the so-called mainstream media and by inference a broader society hell-bent on destroying conservatism.
Could that be just excuse to buy into bigotry? It's funny that just a few decades after America laughed at the outdated bigotry of Archie Bunker and George Jefferson on popular TV sitcoms, we now have the far less funny nastiness of Talk Radio.
The things heard daily on the air provide the angry with outlets to buy into bigotry they that don't get much anymore.
Most people don't go around using words like "honey, baby or sweetie" on the job because they are considered sexist. Uttering various ethnic, or racial labels that were once commonly heard on the streets of most cities can carry perilous consequences. It is considered tasteless to refer to the physically or mentally challenged as "cripples" or "retards" today.
There are now sections in a lot of school systems "codes of student conduct" that make use of many of these terms grounds for discipline.
At many jobs there are policies in place that recognize that such language can create an uncomfortable work environment. People who say them or display them are likely to hear from the boss, the human resources department, or attorneys representing an offended party pretty quickly.
Discouragement of use of the "N-word" is something something some of us have worked for in recent years. These days, we are seeing a backlash from those who likely once used such terms without consequence.
Some smirk smugly through their denials of racism, sexism and xenophobic commentaries.
No matter how often they smile and say "I am not a racist," or "I am not a sexist," or "I am not an agist," the realities of their words, and the tolerance and acceptance of the sentiments means they may be a bigot.
The question is, who will they dislike next, and is that something most of us want to easily accept?
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