"They said they wanted to be treated equally, and now that they are why are they still complaining?"
"There's a Black president, there can't still be racism in America."
"Poor people in America are just lazy, they aren't willing to work hard for the American Dream"
Quotes sound familiar? They should. Although paraphrased, they represent many of the thoughts and beliefs held today towards people of color, women, and the citizens living in poverty. Racism, sexism, and class-ism are not as blatant as they were before. People have found new ways be politically correct without being truly offensive. Politicians also find creative ways to insult the economic conditions of Americans struggling to make ends meet (cough Newt Gingrich) and get away with it because there are people within their party who actually agree but are too afraid to voice their opinions. Those living check to check do not typically have the time to voice their opinions and when the occupy movement attempted to do just that--their opinions were immediately degraded and undermined by the media. Is it truly class war fare when it can never be a fair fight between the rich and the poor? Racism has infiltrated its way through various institutions-- finding ways to keep minorities segregated in under-performing school districts with limited resources and means for educational advancement in their communities. The health of women across the nation is under constant attack by men who wouldn't otherwise know any better about what is right and safe for women's health especially for those who are unable to afford healthcare. Cancer screenings, Planned Parenthood services, basic prenatal care--all being defunded, all essential to a women's health, essential to the health of women of color who still have some of the highest infant mortality rates in the country. Where are we going to stand in 2012? Behind the people who could care less about the majority, the 99%? Behind the party blocking well needed tax cuts for the struggling and disappearing middle class?
We can either progress, regress, or remain stagnant. We've been stagnant for awhile, but now it just seems to be a line of regression into a dark period where politicians, who supposedly are suppose to make decisions based on the well-being of their citizens are instead making them based on money. Regressing into a dark period where leaders see their own people drowning into an economic abyss of debts, credit cards, and student loans and turn the other cheek to appease those who oppose aiding those less fortunate. Regressing into a dark period where men are in control of making what THEY consider to be the best decisions regarding the health of women based on their misinformed opinions, religion, and debunked research. We need to do better. The year 2012 needs to be a our year of change or it truly will be the end. Not like the Hollywood 2012 end of the world perception, but a bleak, dismal hopeless end of our reign as a strong (superpower) developed nation. We claim to be the best, so we should start acting like it.
Links!
Reproductive health care and Women of Color
Minorities and the 2012 election
Gingrich has it wrong about the poor
War on Women in 2012
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