The everlasting Power of Constructs
We, as a nation, spend more time, money and energy fighting; either to sustain constructs or to de-construct them.
If you think/belive in sexism, racism, gender as real fixtures of definitive aspects of American culture-you are part of those seeking to sustain those constructs.
Race is neither a biological trait, physical, genetic nor inherited trait. Rather was/is the fabrication of colonizers to deem indigenous and enslaved people as inferior. Supported by debunked science, bastardation of Christian Bible verses, laws, Jim Crow and institutions to deem one ‘race’ inferior to another; therefore unworthy or deserving of human or civil rights.
Likewise, sexism-to deem one sex inheritly inferior, incapable, than another and used as justification to supress-is constructed not on science but on social standing, interpretation of Christian Bible verses, ideals of “head of household”, hunter vs gatherer, laws governing women’s bodies (while men may do as they wish theirs), pay inequality ect.
Always found it interesting the sex that can procreate and birth life is somehow less than in contrast to the insignificant contributions of the other sex. Fun fact: pre-colonized nations of Africa were matriarchs; the royal bloodline was traced through the Queen not the king-until… well you know.
Gender is a social construct created by culture to dictate how each sex is to operate within its society. male, female and hermaphrodites are sexes. Gender is not. We assimilate and expect “boys” to be tough, not cry love blue and wage earners; while “girls are to be fragile, pink-loving, boy-dependant,” princesses waiting for prince-charming to rescue them.
Do you think enslaved Africans asked to called nigger or black? Do you think women asked to be characterized as “sensitive”, “emotional” and “weak”? Do you think women asked to be confined to skirts/dresses while men wore pants?
Absolutely not! Yet 2016 battled to sustain or deconstruct those ideals.“ Blacks (men in particularly) are more prone to violence and they are responsible for their murder at the hands of law enforcement.
Does a female candidate “have the stamina” to be president. Overly scrutinized on her health condition while her male opponent is significantly older. Numerous references to the female candidate being a “grandmother” while no mention of the male candidates’ grandchildren.
PC (Politic Correctness) was not created for white men to learn not use derogatory, offensive, insulting language to refer to others. It was never a censor of free speech. It was/is an attempt of the margalinized to inform and dictate how they self-identify. You don’t know what to say because the vocabulary and vernacular you created was devoid of those whom you attempted to label.
If that mere attempt of others to reclaim their name, their place and self-identification is cumbersome and censoring to you, then you have missed the point. And when you welcome “political incorrectness’ that is coded language to say,” I want to dictate to you what I think is appropriate.“
Equality is a novel concept, one United States has yet to fully embrace. As long as people are fighting for civil, human rights, governance of their own bodies, fighting for the freedom to express themselves as they are (and not as others tell them to be), demanding to receive equal pay for equal work… There is no equality.
The only thing we have succeeded is creating another false construct of equal rights for all usually preached and heralded from the oppressors to the oppressed.
Hint: if you belong or benefit from these constructs, it is not your place to say and decide when we are in a post-anything.
As long as my brothers and sisters are not free, none of us are free.
janainaart
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