Who Can Minority Groups Depend Upon for Support
It’s Not What You Think
Today, the 47th President was inaugurated. In his acceptance speech, he promised that from this day forward, there would only be two genders. He also promised that illegal immigrants would be rounded up and deported — two top goals on his agenda, in addition to renaming the Gulf of Mexico. Such big ideas.
So, here we are, rolling out the big guns.
Unfortunately, none of these goals has anything to do with improving the lives of Americans. The first group will be forced to endure even more persecution, and they’re such a tiny group of individuals that it will literally have zero impact on the lives of the general population. The other group is much larger, but is largely a group we are very dependent upon when it comes to our food supply and other menial tasks that keep a country running smoothly.
Lots of people are going to be hurt.
Real flesh-and-blood humans with hopes and dreams of living a better life will be terrorized and persecuted, and no one will benefit from these unjust and inhumane endeavors.
No one.
This morning, the price of gas had gone up, and groceries were still expensive. I noticed because they were supposed to go down on day one. So, as his followers cheer for their almighty one’s agenda, their joy is only based on a plan to hurt those who are lower on the pecking order.
Here’s something that threw me for a loop the other day.
I responded to a Facebook post made by a young man that I’ve known for some time. He’s a DACA recipient and has expressed a lot of concern about how Trump’s plans might affect him and his wife. He was brought to the United States when he was a year old. He’s a hard worker and an entrepreneur who pays his taxes and also pays into Social Security but will never qualify for it. He’s urging the community during these trying times to support one another.
His message is one of love.
I immediately responded to his post by telling him that I’m here for him and his wife. I went on to say that I have a good friend who is transgender and has been feeling the same grim feelings of trepidation that he and his wife are experiencing. He did not respond. However, another Hispanic man gave me a laughing emoji. I quickly reprimanded him. There is nothing funny about individuals being singled out for persecution, I wrote. I waited a bit longer to see if my friend would support me. Still nothing. So I typed, “John, are you going to address the laughing emoji?”
Crickets!
Once again proving that unity is simply not something that humans tend to be able to easily achieve. I mean, there’s a pecking order that supersedes human kindness. No one apparently wants to be on the bottom, so when they cry out for justice, they mean justice for their group — not for the other groups. My friend wants justice for DACA recipients but isn’t particularly bothered by the fact that transgender rights are being taken away, too.
Needless to say, I was in a grand funk for the next 24 hours.
I wrote an article the other day called “It’s the 99% Not the 1%.” Our inability to unite against the oligarchs who are running this country is the single most important reason why the masses suffer. What would happen if immigrants and the LGBTQ community worked together? Why isn’t that possible? Even better, what would happen if women joined them? All three groups are losing their protections and consequently their rights to a better life — the same life that everyone desires. But instead, we stay divided and hate one another rather than unite and love one another.
What is wrong with humanity? Why do people love to hurt one another? I am aware of so many people who literally are unable to feel a smidgeon of empathy for someone who is suffering. Social injustices can be remedied, but so few seem to care.
I dread the next four years because I’ve been observing human nature since I was a little girl.
I haven’t been able to make sense of what I’ve seen. There is no rhyme or reason to the way we behave. Lots of people will be hurt. I don’t know if I have the intestinal fortitude to standby and watch my neighbors, even family members, morally disintegrate before my very eyes. Yes, I have family members who voted for the party that wants to hurt people. I’m tired. I’m old. I’m losing hope in humanity.
Is this all there is?
Teresa is an author and professional myth buster. You can find her books on Amazon.
