A gent by the name of Charles Caleb Colton once said, "The greatest friend of truth is time, her greatest enemy is prejudice and her constant companion humility."
I had planned to save this post for next week as I was taking a break from the heavy social issues (and what a glorious vacation it was) but recent events--not the least of which was a discussion on an online forum (I really need to stop trying to save the world)--have prompted me to make this post.
Often when we look at examples of hatred, bigotry and ignorance, we look to the right-wingers and for good reason. By in large, they are usually the most vocal about their prejudices and they have no qualms taking action to oppress those who are different from them.
Unfortunately the fallacy that is often made by liberals is that we believe that because our politics lean to the left and/or we're minorities ourselves, that we're incapable of commiting the sins of racism, sexism, homophobia or any other form of bigotry that we frequently call conservatives on.
Joseph Stalin reminded us that tyrranical fascism isn't exclusive to Christian and Islamic religious zealots.
Geraldine Ferrarro reminded us that it is possible for both a feminist and a Democrat to make ignorant statements regarding a black man.
Isaiah Washington reminded us that is possible for a black man to make hateful remarks regarding a homosexual.
And the GLBT community........
It breaks my heart each and every time I see a transgendered or an HIV+ member of the community forced to suffer the indignity of being treated like pariahs, not by homophobic straights but by hateful gays.
It breaks my heart each and every time I see a bisexual brother or sister get attacked by bigoted gays who can't wrap their head around the notion that it is possible to find beauty and be attracted to both genders. Or perhaps it's bitterness for said bigoted and resentful gays because in their eyes, being gay is a choice for bisexuals.
And I'm not even going to get started on the rampant racism in the GLBT community.
I have a friend who is a Wiccan. An amazing soul she's been a constant source of warmth, love support and wisdom for this Catholic boy and I thank God/the Goddess/the universe/whomever for placing this beautiful woman in my life. However she is constantly attacked and harassed for her beliefs by Evangelicals and atheist extremists alike. Belief systems notwithstanding the two radical groups have far more in common than either may care to confess. Talk about an unholy alliance.
And that same Wiccan is partnered with a gay male. The two have a very loving and supportive relationship. However the two are still met with rebuke from both the Evangelicals and bigoted gays.
The irony behind these examples is that one would think that seeing as they know a thing or two about prejudice, minorities would be the last group of people to commit such atrocities but often that isn't the case. Like the ultra-conservative white upperclass, many liberals fall victim to their hubris believing that their myopic and often irrational way of thinking/lifestyle should be the universal standard and anyone failing to meet that standard is inferior and deserving of being denied their basic rights.
It's not enough to be "right" about an argument, philosophy or have the right politics, the right level of education, etc. We have to be better as human beings. That means being steadfast in maintaing and evolving our morals and ethics.
Whether it's racism, sexism, homophobia, or classism, bigotry and prejudice are just the symptoms of a bigger problem; humanity's innate and irrational fear and hatred of anything that's different from us.
Whether it's McCarthyism, the Salem Witch Trials, the Trail of Tears, the Holocaust, slavery, gay vs. straight, white vs. black, Christian vs. atheist, man vs. woman, Democrat vs. Republican, the labels may change but at the core it's this: "
I am part of X, you are part of Y, and anyone who is part of X has enough sense to know that Y is stupid... simply because it isn't X."If humility is the constant companion of truth then pride is the constant companion to prejudice (hmmm, pride and prejudice, that should be the title of a book). And when we embrace pride and prejudice we forsake truth and humility. And when we're too prideful to see our faults, flaws and fallacies in our way of thinking or see alternative views from an alternative perspective or entertain (not necessarily agree but simply entertain) other viewpoints with an open mind and an open heart...well we all know what pride comes before.
Ultimately when we start thinking that we're infallible or immune to the same irrational sins that our conservative peers commit, simply because we vote Democrat or have a couple of token minority friends or are minorities ourselves; when we don't challenge ourselves to progress morally, ethically as well as intellectually, then we risk becoming the oppressors, the very monsters that we purport to be against.
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