Dear straight white men,
If something happens in the world relating to gender, sexuality or race identity that you feel you need to defend yourself against…don’t. I’ll be the first to say that I have a hard time understanding a lot of the injustice in the world. I sometimes find myself confused about why certain repressed groups/individuals do some of the things they do. Then I realize that the privileges society has automatically given me at birth might not allow me to fully understand, so I check those at the door.
If you find yourself in the same situation I find myself in from time to time, here are five “easy” steps to becoming a better citizen of the world:
1. STFU and soak it all in.
2. Reach out and educate yourself through conversation and research.
3. Go home and think about it, go to work and think about it, go play sports and think about it, go to the movies and think about it, go walk your dog and…(that’s right) THINK ABOUT IT!
4. Accept that this movement isn’t against you, nor “for you.”
5. Be an ally.
You can be offended that you were sent to the back at a concert, that you don’t have a parade, or that you were yelled at for wearing a “meninist” shirt, but always ask yourself why you feel that way and why it made others feel another. It’s about respect, mindfulness, love and equality.
My challenge to you is to always ask yourself, “How can my actions and thoughts be mindful of others while staying true to myself?”…and if you can’t, you still have a lot of thinking to do. —An Ally
This article appears in Oct 26 – Nov 1, 2017.
Nice post. I fear ignorance fueled anger and resentment are drowning out reason and mindfulness at the moment. But, that might be a phenomenon of social media and getting our news from online sources and the comment sections.
“If something happens in the world relating to gender, sexuality or race identity that you feel you need to defend yourself againstdon’t.”
.. oh, shut the fuck up
EVERYBODY is fucking offended, outraged, pointing fingers and butthurt these days. Everyone’s evil and are just waiting in the wings to offend…this victimhood shit is getting REALLY fucking old.
Time to grow a set, OP. You’ve been brainwashed by those claiming the moral high ground. The professional victims think their rights trump mine- they don’t.
This post was written from a mindset of someone who is questioning what theyve been taught by society. Maybe our reactions to situations has more to do with us and our pre conceived notions of whats right.
Questioning and searching for a greater truth and understanding towards people other than ourselves takes empathy.
If thats not important to you as a person than perhaps you could grow a set…then you could hang them on your trucks rear bumper 🙂