Identity politics
It seems to be the trend now that everyone is group. We are all now defined by what we are instead of who we are. Gone is the dream of one world. Martin Luther Kings vision up in smoke. You are the race, gender, sexual orientation or religion first and a person second. I should not complain. I cannot complain, as a straight WASP apparently I am privileged. The winner of identity lottery As I sit here worrying how to make it through the month I pity the poor bastards who lost. "But you don't know what its like to be a ..... and suffer the abuse and fear." True I am not in your group but I have been abused, attacked and afraid. Now I`m not saying that we all face the same problems or diminish anyone's suffering. Yes there are things in society that need to get better for disadvantaged groups but to define yourself and others by that group is bigotry and prejudice. Worst still is to say that just because you are part of that group then you speak for all of that grouping. If I say "I like or don't like that" and you disagree. Just because your in a different group does not make me a race/sex/homophobist. It just means that we differ. Plus there is a supreme arrogance to speak for other people. "I am offended by that remark and I am a .....Therefore that is offensive to all ......" Worst still is the offence taken on other groups behalf. To say that the Washington Redskins is racist by name is as ludicrous to say the same about the Dallas Cowboys.
Now there is the party line aspect. If the received wisdom is A, and anyone says B, Then they are ist unless they belong to that group then they are traitors. An extreme case of this was in France recently. A porn star called Brigitte Lahaie said that it is possible for a woman to enjoy rape. As you can imagine the condemnation this remark received was huge. Womens groups and the me too movement forced an apology. But I ask myself why she had to apologise? She did not say all, most, a significant number or do, she said "some" and "possible". Just as its possible for me to win the lottery. Before you cry "No its not" I do know one woman who did once, so therefore it is. That should not diminish anyone's suffering. I had all my harmonicas stolen at a festival. It did me a favour as it forced me to upgrade. That does not mean that all theft is good or even acceptable in any conditions. Okay its not like rape but the principle is the same.
Its about time that we start to say "This is what I am. Not who I am" and treat people less as their label and more as a person. Just because one person is a jerk does not mean that all "those people" are jerks. You might as well lump Hitler in with Gandhi, There were both hetro males..