Metoo Matters
It's a strange time to be alive. On the one hand, we're seeing a lot of true villains exposed for the way they treat others, particularly women and minorities. On the other hand, there is a weirdly pervasive sensitivity that could make us hesitant to interact with a lot of people for fear of making a mistake.
But that's a good thing.
In the wake of the #metoo movement I have been closely examining my behavior toward women to ensure that nothing I do or say makes them uncomfortable. It can be eye-opening to realize that anything I have done might have seemed inappropriate to someone, regardless of my intentions. But it's a necessary process.
Similarly, there has been a tremendous amount of news about African Americans having the police called on them for activities that are absolutely normal. Shopping, waiting for a friend, and even sleeping are somehow a threat to white people? Not to mention all the shootings of unarmed black men. Now, because I live in a very white state, and having moved here from a very white state, I don't have a ton of interaction with minorities on a daily basis. But I hope I never make a snap judgement about someone based on their skin color or overall appearance.
(Side note: Allison is great about this. She did some coloring pages at church a while back, and in the photo of a family she gave some of the children dark skin. She has done similar things a few times, recognizing that we are all God's children and should be treated equally. I really think she views everyone the same way. Can I take credit for that? I'm totally taking credit for it.)
Anyway, so there is a question of whether we are truly getting too politically correct in society, or too sensitive. After much thought I have decided that this is necessary in order to bring our overall behavior up to some basic level of decency. Kind of like in driver's ed when you are overly cautious until you really learn all the rules and can function as a non-threatening driver.
It's a weird learning curve, but it's necessary. With practice, in time we will all be able to treat one another with respect without having to give it conscious thought. In the meantime, let the self-examination continue.
But that's a good thing.
In the wake of the #metoo movement I have been closely examining my behavior toward women to ensure that nothing I do or say makes them uncomfortable. It can be eye-opening to realize that anything I have done might have seemed inappropriate to someone, regardless of my intentions. But it's a necessary process.
Similarly, there has been a tremendous amount of news about African Americans having the police called on them for activities that are absolutely normal. Shopping, waiting for a friend, and even sleeping are somehow a threat to white people? Not to mention all the shootings of unarmed black men. Now, because I live in a very white state, and having moved here from a very white state, I don't have a ton of interaction with minorities on a daily basis. But I hope I never make a snap judgement about someone based on their skin color or overall appearance.
(Side note: Allison is great about this. She did some coloring pages at church a while back, and in the photo of a family she gave some of the children dark skin. She has done similar things a few times, recognizing that we are all God's children and should be treated equally. I really think she views everyone the same way. Can I take credit for that? I'm totally taking credit for it.)
Anyway, so there is a question of whether we are truly getting too politically correct in society, or too sensitive. After much thought I have decided that this is necessary in order to bring our overall behavior up to some basic level of decency. Kind of like in driver's ed when you are overly cautious until you really learn all the rules and can function as a non-threatening driver.
It's a weird learning curve, but it's necessary. With practice, in time we will all be able to treat one another with respect without having to give it conscious thought. In the meantime, let the self-examination continue.
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