Upside Down

2/1/2014

It probably wasn't until after college that I finally started to pay attention and learn the difference between conservative and liberal, republican and democrat, right wing and left wing, red state and blue state.  Over time I came to understand that the views I had always held seem to align most closely with the right wing conservative world view.  One way I taught myself to remember it is the right is right and left is wrong.  Being born and raised in the Georgia in the 70’s and 80’s, my views (not surprisingly) matched those around me.  Like many people, I just sorta assumed that the whole world held the same values as I did.  This included a Christian worldview that taught right and wrong and to love others and treat them with respect.  I was taught that homosexuality was wrong, but that we should hate the sin and love the sinner.  I was taught the 10 commandments and told they still apply today.  I was taught that Jesus and God were one in the same and all prayers were said in Jesus’ name.  I was taught that the Bible was the inerrant word of God and that earth was around 6,000 years old. Period.  None of these concepts were questioned.  They were just understood.  Although I was Southern Baptist, I knew the Methodists across the street were a little different, but still ok.  Jews were almost ok, but they really missed out on not recognizing Jesus as the Messiah.  I never gave much thought to Muslims, Hindus, Ba’hai, or any one else.  If I did think of any other religion (or ,gasp, Atheist), it was that they were very confused and just plain wrong.  Without Jesus, they were going to Hell.  My beliefs were held by just about everyone around me.  I did not know anyone that strayed from that central line of thought.  Speaking of non-diversity, mine was a pretty monochromatic community.  Almost everyone was white.  There were blacks but we never interacted very much.  I never thought ill of them.  I didn’t hate them.  I just never dealt with them much.  As far as Mexicans, Indians, or other races, there were none to be found.  I say all of the above to say that I have spent a good portion of my life being in the majority.  

I have to say that being in the majority is rather nice.  Your traditions, views, and values are just accepted and never really challenged.  Being in the majority racially, it really makes an impression on you on those rare occasions when you went somewhere and, gasp, you were the only white person there.  It happened so rarely, that when it did happen, it was hard not to notice.  It was not so much a cause for concern, but just something to notice.  

That was over 30 years ago.  Since then, the tables have turned.  I am now in the minority.  If not racially, then at least ideologically.  My workplace has people from a wide range of backgrounds, most notably India...many of whom are Hindu’s.  I have no real complaints about the ethnic and racial changes I have seen take place.  My real regret is the loss of prominence of my worldview.  My vice president at my job is openly gay and has spoken about it publicly in diversity panels that are held at my workplace.  Manger scenes are no longer allowed in many public places.  ‘Merry Christmas’ has been replaced with ‘Happy Holidays’.  Prayer is not allowed at schools (thanks in large part to a case started by a student in my county while I was in high school - a case that went to the U.S. Supreme Court).  Gay Marriage is considered a Civil Right.  It is offensive to express views that in any way suggest that Jesus is the Messiah, the son of God and the one and only way to salvation.  It is also equally offensive to suggest there is anything wrong with homosexuality or Gay Marriage.  

As you may have discerned, I still hold to the values I was taught at an early age.  Some other time I may speak to why I believe these values still have merit, but for now I am focusing on their loss of prominence.  One of the prevailing views is that we are to be tolerant of others.  Somehow this has come to mean that we are to accept all views as equal (even when they are contradictory).  Well, almost all views.  Today’s society would say that the views that I hold to are those of an intolerant, ignorant, hateful, racist, homophobic redneck who refuses to change.  Society is grateful that those such as myself are growing smaller in number and, with any luck, will soon just die off with old age.  I don’t hate anyone and am certainly not racist nor homophobic (nor ignorant...but I might be a little redneck).  I am very disturbed, however, with the way my ilk are commonly portrayed.  Watching main stream TV has become troubling to me, not just because of the violence and lack of morals, but more specifically the way the religious are shown.  It is almost never in a positive light.  If it is not a money hungry crooked televangelist, then it is either parents that abuse their kids in the name of religion, a misguided youth who hears troubling things from God, or a sweet old grandmother who clings to an outdated set of traditions and beliefs.  It is never seen has normal or mainstream to go to church on Sunday and have a mostly functional family.  I am not just bemoaning the evils of TV, but rather the reversal of “the norm” as portrayed by TV, the media, and society at large.

While I don’t expect us to return to the days of “The Andy Griffith Show” or “Leave it to Beaver”, it certainly would not bother me if we did.  I mainly just wanted to say that I am now starting to understand how blacks, gays, and atheists have felt for years.   I am learning what it is like to be guarded with my speech and to be careful what I say to whom.  I am seeing more and more what is like to be the minority.  Mainly, I am just longing for the days when things were right side up.

* post script - I wrote all of the above in Feb 2014. I would like to add two additional points.
1) It is without doubt that even in the 70's and 80's in my little southern town I was surrounded by diversity of all kind and did not know it. Being in the majority meant that I was blissfully unaware of the minorities that were around me.
2) While I do indeed miss being a majority and I believe that in most cases the majority should rule, I would never support any kind of abuse or hatred of the minority - which I must say is completely different from supporting and promoting every minority viewpoint that comes along. It is in fact possible to love and respect those of different stripes without marching behind their flag.