This photo was taken in 1930; 88 years ago. Think about that for a second. There were cars, men wore ties, and women wore dresses. The average family wanted a good home, a happy life, and enough money to retire and travel. Technology was starting to bloom in a radical new way, and you were told as a youngin’ to respect your elders. Not unlike today, right?
Obviously there is a glaring difference between 1930 and 2018, nad it can be seen in this photo. My point is that these white people if you remove the men in the tree could be mistaken for average folks from days gone by.
Our Divide
In the last few months I have engaged in debate with those who would not serve the LGBT community in their restaurant, a guy who thinks black people are only valid if put in an arena for our entertainment, and a woman who believes there shouldn’t be equal pay for women; but instead to balance the scales women should now be paid more.
Their narrow thinking always brings me back to the above picture. I look at it often as a reminder. When I reflect upon that guy with the mustache pointing with some level of pride at the humans hanging from that tree, I’m reminded that we live in a generation of disgusting people … but at least most aren’t that disgusting.
I mean, think about it. That crowd turned out to watch black people die. Not only did they watch, but some of these people actively hung these men. Could you imagine that happening today? The White Supremacists of the 21st century walk around with tiki torches and cry on YouTube. I guess that’s what we call progress, and progress is often seen as a Liberal agenda.
Yes, it would seem that the men in the trees murdered someone, but they were lynched for raping a white woman; a charge she later admitted to lying about in court. So, perhaps they did murder someone, and for that they deserve to be jailed and forced to do work no free person would ever want to do—pay their debt to society. However, they were tried and executed in the court of public opinion. There hang Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith. For the full story go here.
The Problem with Isms & Phobias in 2018
These people in this picture are racist. You don’t see any pics snapped of white people hanging from a tree with a bunch of white people gawking from this era. That’s what makes them racist. Whether racism, sexism, agism, homophobia or any other title that precludes a certain group of people in 2018; those people are wrong and if you want to prove it to them, show this picture.
You see, this line of thinking starts with someone believing that a person who lives or looks differently is beneath them. If that were actually true then instead of just sitting there and complaining, why aren’t they lynching those people? Is it because they’re more civilized than their parents or grandparents? Not possible. They’re still thinking like them. So what stops the guy who wouldn’t serve a gay man in his restaurant from taking his hate this far?
Well, that’s the progressive side of things; the so-called Liberal agenda. But is it progressive for all these narrow minded people to sit there behind their computers and complain day-in and day-out about the people they have problems with? I guess it once was, but now the real problems are largely solved and the progressive backlash is taking place.
Liberalism
When Martin Luther King, Jr. fought for civil rights, he fought for equality. Now there are degrees of success, but ultimately his mission was for a black people to be treated the same as white people. That is largely accomplished, while not completely. George Ives, and later Henry Gerber fought for the same treatment of gays. Susan B. Anthony and Alice Paul are just a couple of the women that fought for the rights of the sex opposite to mine. Again, they fought for equal treatment. Now, of course the world isn’t perfect for any of these groups but equality is key to the agenda, and it should be expected.
Since these larger tasks have been accomplished, “Liberals” have been left without purpose in many regards, and this is causing a huge divide. No longer are the fights for equal rights, but now it’s about definition and changing societal structures.
Technically, many would be offended that I used the term LGBT in this blog, because the new accurate term is LGBTQQIP2SAA. Yep, that’s a thing, and it will evolve to become longer in the next couple of years. Before I continue, I should say that I have no problem with anyone doing anything they like as long as it doesn’t negatively harm anyone else. So, if you want to believe you’re a woman stuck in a man’s body, then you do you. However, trying to convince the world that gender and sex are social constructs rather than biological imperatives is where the Liberal movement goes too far. If you want me to call you a boy, fine … no problem. But, if you want me to believe in theories that have no evidence such as biology is societal, the earth is flat, or that contrails are real, that’s where you lose me, and when you trivialize your mission.
It’s a shame too, because we’ve come so far and have many important issues to worry about; climate change, famine, mental health, education, waste management, breaking borders so war mongers can’t win … the list is lengthy.
Labels aren’t important, and forcing beliefs without scientific proof is divisive and narrow. If the “Liberals” would just stop and think about this picture for a second, they could maybe focus in on the real problems. We’ve taken human rights and turned them into debates about political correctness.
Again, I support you to live your life the way you see fit as long as you don’t infringe on others and create victims. If gender truly is a social construct then prove it like the biological basis was proven. The very nature of science is that it is meant to be continually challenged. So go! Challenge! People accept male and female biology because intelligent people did their due diligence and proved their theory. It’s not just a “movement” on the internet without study.
Science says black people are people so they are to be treated as such. Science says there’s a gay gene so it’s a human construct and should be treated as such. Women are in many ways superior to men, but at the very least equals so they should be treated as such.
Conclusion
And that’s where these wars amongst groups should stop; equal treatment. Labels really don’t matter. The ultimate goal should not be black man, white man, woman, LGBTQQIP2SAA, or any other designation. The goal should be human … when it was, that’s how this picture became a sick relic of a time in humanity not even your racist uncle would be a part of today.
Now please, really look at that picture. If you can look at that and wish to be a part of it, you have a mental illness and it’s time to seek help, just the same if you believe you’re Transabled, you also need to seek help. It’s okay to seek help, and in fact the stigma around professional help has faded quite a bit. Your goal should not be to hold anyone down or force people to believe in the unproven. Your goal should be to live your life in an inclusive manner and prove your theories. That’s REAL progress!