BY SHARON MARTIN
What does politically correct mean, anyway?
I support Black Lives Matter. It has nothing to do with political correctness. My support acknowledges the systemic racism in our country.
Racism isn’t dead. Obama isn’t responsible for it. And white, straight males have always mattered, especially if they were born lucky, with land, looks, or money.
No one is promoting white guilt, unless, of course, you realize you should feel guilty for marching in, say, a Ku Klux Klan rally or for calling the police because a black delivery person had the nerve to come into your white neighborhood.
Then there’s the idea that the far left is as violent as the far right. There is no justification for violence, but are conservatives OK with bullies? How do they feel about folks who don’t fight back? Aren’t they the ones who passed Stand Your Ground laws and insisted that we all have the right to be armed?
How about the idiotic idea that you can’t be both liberal and Christian? Or that one must be a Christian to be a good American?
Public Policy Polling asked Trump supporters, “What religious group do you think faces the most discrimination in America?” More than half said Christians, followed by Muslims at 22% and Jews at 12%. They also believe that whites are the most discriminated against racial group.
No political correctness here, just a plate of bull and a side of denial.
Racism exists. We all have biases.
For example, it irritates me when a person answers my “How are you today?” with, “Blessed.” I know it is irrational, but I think, God blessed you, but he sure bailed on that poor dude in the medical helicopter that just flew over.
Luck plays an outsized role in our state of being.
If you are white, the son of a banker and a homemaker, do you have opportunities that the son of a single mother earning minimum wage doesn’t?
Do girls have the same opportunities as boys, all else being equal?
What if you’re the only child of color in your classroom?
What if your mother speaks Spanish, is in a wheelchair, and is addicted to painkillers?
How do you do homework if your electricity is regularly turned off for non-payment?
What if you end up in detention at least once or twice a week because you’re hungry or can’t concentrate in a class of 30 kids?
Our constitution promises justice to people of all faiths, cultures, and skin tones. Speaking out against broken promises isn’t left or right. It isn’t politically correct. It is just the right thing to do.
– Sharon Martin lives in Oilton, OK and is a regular contributor to The Oklahoma Observer
