Nobody Gets a Free Pass

Every generation we seem to have the exact same civil rights battles over again for a new group of marginalized people.

Whether it is the Native Americans, People of Color, Jewish people, Interracial couples, Women, Muslims, Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Queer/Transsexual/Asexual people, Atheists, or some other group of people; we are constantly fighting repeatedly to allow them to vote, marry, and be able to enjoy the same civil rights as those in power.

As soon as one group successfully obtains any sense of equality, the attention turns to another.

Even the language used to fight the battles against them is the same.  Substitute the words “Jewish People” for “Muslims” and today’s anti-Muslim rhetoric is exactly the same as that used to oppress the Jewish people half a century ago.   Substitute the words “Interracial Marriage” for “Same Sex Marriage,” and the today’s rhetoric is the same as that used half a century ago.

The terminology used by Trump and his supporters against Mexican immigrants is exactly the same used to fight the end of Black segregation.

So what do we have to do to reach the point where we can say once and for all:

All people deserve human decency, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, skin color, sexuality, gender, or any other arbitrary criteria that can be created to attempt to marginalize and oppress any of them.

All citizens are entitled to all Constitutional rights of citizenship regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, skin color, sexuality, gender, or any other arbitrary criteria that can be created to attempt to marginalize and oppress any of them.

A person demanding equality with the laws of the society is not asking anyone to give up anything thing they already have, except unfair advantage and privilege.

No one wants White people, Christians, or men to be treated worse, we just want everyone else to be treated equally as well.

When anyone is being mistreated based on these arbitrary criteria it is up to us, each and every one of us to step up and put an end to it.   Any abuse of racist or misogynistic abuse or religious oppression that we allow to go unchallenged is one we have not only permitted but condoned and enabled to continue.