Get Educated

Warning: Serious post containing a wealth of opinions ahead! If you want debatably funny material, look at my older posts. I understand I risk losing what little audience I ever had a chance of getting by talking about a sensitive subjects like homophobia and politics but who ever said being honest was easy?

Homophobia. Why is this form of discrimination tolerated in our society and even espoused by our lawmakers? That was a stupid question; it's because people are ignorant and generally idiotic. If they grew up in small, conservative town or in a time when homophobia was the norm, then somehow they convince themselves it's alright to openly express disgust or discomfort with gay people, to oppose same-sex marriage laws.

And one of the worst parts? These people cannot coherently defend their views against criticism. It's an epidemic gripping our country that citizens can neither follow nor form sound arguments, that debates among them quickly reduce to irrational and angry squabbles. In a democratic republic, which is what America is, by the way, the people elect representatives who will—surprise!—represent the interests and beliefs of his/her constituency. If the people cannot tell their heads from their asses, much less distinguish between sound arguments for policies that will benefit the whole country from self-interested, bigoted blustering, then where are we headed? 

I don't like reading fatalistic articles describing how the next, amoral generation will destroy the world, how politicians are all corrupt, and how America is populated solely by obese hyperconsumers who know nothing of their own government. But there's a difference between being overly critical and constructively disappointed. America: step up to the plate. Let's pull our heads out of our collective ass and start thinking with some common sense.

Let me give you a short philosophical lesson, one I think everyone could benefit from learning. It's called the Original Position. A political philosopher named John Rawls described an idealized scenario that would allow people to make decisions befitting a free and just society. It's easy: just step behind an imaginary curtain he called the Veil of Ignorance.

If I could gather 10 politicians in a room and put them behind the Veil of Ignorance, they would not know what race, gender, age, class, occupation, sexuality, or religion they were. They would simply be human beings. And if, while they were safely behind the Veil, I asked them to decide who should be allowed to marry, do you know what would happen? Rawls says, and I agree, that they would all answer, "everyone", because the ignorance of one's own position leads one to choose principles that benefit everyone.

The Original Position is clearly a thought-experiment; we cannot blind politicians or citizens to their own natures (or statuses in society), but we have to just stop and think: wouldn't it be great? Isn't that ideal?

Well, why the hell can't we try? We can. It's called the Golden Rule. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. If I were homosexual, I would not want to be made to feel that my nature were unnatural, wrong, or that it made me less deserving of rights than anyone else. But do you know what? nobody gives a shit about what I have to say. And that's okay. We can't hear everyone's voice, but the problem is that even if Arianna Huffington had written this (in a more professional tone, of course), it wouldn't change a damn thing.

And that's human nature for you. If we grew up hearing that elephants are pink, we'll swear that elephants are pink until we're blue in the face, no matter how many grey elephants go marching by.

Sorry to be on a soapbox, but sometimes a diatribe is the only way to dissipate righteous anger. Back to regular programming soon!