Misplaced Pride and Discrimination

Today I am going to talk about a major cause of division among people in our current social and political climate. It is misplaced and selfish pride. Misplaced because too many take pride in abnormality, immorality and downright stupidity. Selfish because those who take pride in such things deny those who do not share their values the right to take pride in the opposite. Tolerance only goes one way with such narcissistic people and intolerance is the enemy of liberty and harmony.

“Intolerance is the most socially acceptable form of egotism, for it permits us to assume superiority without personal boasting.” Sydney J. Harris

Where is the socially acceptable place for pride today? Consider the adjectives placed in front of that noun. Gay pride, black pride, trans pride, hispanic pride, immigrant pride. There are parades to celebrate such pride, protests to force the embrace of such pride, legislation to protect such pride and media to extol such pride. What is unacceptable? White pride or heterosexual pride. Today people of european decent who assert their sex and gender are the same are supposed to be eternally ashamed and continually contrite as if every white heterosexual male is a slave owning, gay beating nazi rapist. And if they are not one now, every one of them secretly wishes they were. Consider that a group of white men marching with a rainbow flag is a courageous expression of identity but a group of white men marching with an American flag is a neo-nazi gang of white supremacists.

The minorities who loudly proclaim their identity and decry stereotypes have no trouble lumping all white heterosexuals together as the privileged and oppressive class. White heterosexuality becomes a bleach stain that can never be erased. That stain requires more than tolerance, more than gleeful acceptance. It demands an earnest confession of the superiority of the minority identity. In addition, this ascendant position demands privilege and tribute. Listen carefully, any time any man or woman claims preeminence and entitlement over another liberty and tranquility are crucified anew.

Every one of us has an ancestry and no ancestry is devoid of stain or absent achievement. Neither blood nor history confers inherent inferiority or superiority on any man or woman. A society founded on liberty requires tolerance and respect for individuals and their choices as long as those choices do not infringe on the rights of others or confer upon them an obligation. Tolerance and respect are not he same as acceptance, however. The idea that a man can become “woman of the year” or lawbreaking should be excused because of race is ridiculous to most. The flip side of freedom is responsibility. One must accept the consequences of one's choices. If you choose to be a woman when your genitalia tell a different story, that is your choice, but don't expect accolades from all. Your choices do not negate another's freedom of association.

“Freedom of association include the freedom not to associate.” Ayn Rand

America was moving toward a true melting pot until recently. Real discrimination was becoming rare, minorities had reached the highest levels of achievement and even the bizarre was tolerated, or even accepted. But now we are balkanized, suspicious of those not in our group, trying to use the power of the state to confer privilege. Political and entertainment leaders are separating us for their own ends, pitting us against one another, telling us we are continually offended and placing blame for our misfortunes on those not of our group. Only we can retire from this game. If we choose to embrace our similarities instead of emphasizing our differences, if we measure one another by character and become blind to color, if we seek liberty and show respect for one another we can finally realize a society worthy of our humanity.