It was recently suggested to me by one of my Facebook friends that I as a White Christian Male Heterosexual, “ sit the f*** down and shut up for a change.” Now she tried to make it nice with the obligatory smiley emoticon, but she was serious in her collectivist goals, and that those of us that met her description should quit running for office since we have had centuries to get 'it' right, but instead have, “failed extremely bad bad bad.”
In particular she seemed to be annoyed with my ideals of personal property rights, rewarding individual achievement, and personal responsibility. Apparently to her the self made man is to be scorned. She claims to be centrist leaning Democrat, but then espouses the teachings and writings of either outright socialists or anarchists. Of course no specific examples of anything we have gotten wrong were given, just that we have, “failed bad bad bad.”
So, I got to thinking about our failures in the areas she did mention that her people would improve. Primarily improving the economic plight through the use of co-ops and local economies, and improving human dignity and rights in ways not specified, and thought of all the ways we White Christian Heterosexual Males have, “failed extremely bad bad bad.” Things like:
- Our life expectancy is longer than at any other time in known history.
- Our 'poor' typically have the problem of obesity rather than malnutrition. Multiple televisions, and often multiple cars. Frequently living a life style that in the 3rd world would be considered wealthy.
- It was a White christian male Republican president that ended slavery.
- Sen. William Fessenden & Rep. Thaddeus Stevens both White Republican (presumably) Christian Heterosexuals wrote and rammed through the 14th amendment.
- Come to think of it much more recently it was White Christian male Republicans that voted for the civil rights act in the 1960s when Democrats were against it.
- Our life expectancy is longer than at any other time in known history.
- Our 'poor' typically have the problem of obesity rather than malnutrition. Multiple televisions, and often multiple cars. Frequently living a life style that in the 3rd world would be considered wealthy.
- It was a White christian male Republican president that ended slavery.
- Sen. William Fessenden & Rep. Thaddeus Stevens both White Republican (presumably) Christian Heterosexuals wrote and rammed through the 14th amendment.
- Come to think of it much more recently it was White Christian male Republicans that voted for the civil rights act in the 1960s when Democrats were against it.
That's just a short list that I came up with off the top of my head. Feel free to add any more in the comments if you'd like. So while I've left some stuff out, and America is still a work in progress just as all history is a work in progress, all in all the last 250 years has been just that: PROGRESS. Progress in technology that makes our lives more comfortable, safe, and healthy. And, progress in freedom for all races and religions. While we may not have gotten to utopia yet right now we're doing pretty well, and moving along the right path. So, NO, I don't think this particular White Christian Heterosexual Male will sit back and shut up just now. But, thank you for asking.
Instead I think I'll continue what I'm doing, and urging the parts of the world that aren't doing as well as the United States is to emulate the United States, rather than allow the third world to drag the United States down in both the standard of living and personal freedom areas. Indeed, I will if needed fight to the death to stop that downward slide.
Instead I think I'll continue what I'm doing, and urging the parts of the world that aren't doing as well as the United States is to emulate the United States, rather than allow the third world to drag the United States down in both the standard of living and personal freedom areas. Indeed, I will if needed fight to the death to stop that downward slide.
