Struggling with Reality; Part Four "Tattoos"

First I would like to apologize for my absence of blogs from Saturday - Monday. But now on to the real point I am here today. A tattoo. A tattoo is something that is permanent, we all know this. I am not here to argue the point of getting a tattoo, or not. But to discuss the attitude towards tattoos and the stereotypes surrounding them. I myself have four tattoos, I got them all legally and paid for them in full. I didn't get them done without my mothers permission at an age were I would need it, I had my moms permission fully and that was that. Like I said I have four, and I love them all. One is a little distorted from a surgery but that is all.

I want to bring to everyone's attention that people with tattoos are not always bad. A lot of bad people do have tattoos and get tattoos, but just because someone has one doesn't mean they are a bad person. A lot of people in my family have tattoos and they aren't bad people. I don't think I am a bad person and I have tattoos. Also a lot of people always say that you will never get a job with a visible tattoo. Of course this is true in some cases. There are going to be jobs that will not take you if you have tattoos that are visible, and that may offend people.  Also there are jobs that just have a policy about tattoo's because you may be constantly meeting with people. I have a job and I have a visible tattoo on my wrist. My boss frankly forgets about it, and when she does notice it she finds it cute. 

I am asking that people ignore the stereotypes about tattoos, because simply you don't know who has a tattoo and who doesn't. Your doctor may have numerous tattoos that you don't see because of his clothing and white jacket, your child's teacher may have tattoos, and they are teaching your children fundamentals that are necessary for their everyday life. Just because those people have tattoos doesn't mean they are going to have a bad influence on your children. Some police officers have tattoos, what are you going to say about them? That they are a dirty cop? This is not true. The police officers may get tattoos but that does not change how they perform their duty. Our military men and women have tattoos. They are not bad people, they protect our country and allow us to maintain our rights and our freedoms. 

I personally have had a bout of arguments about how I will conduct my wedding. Two beautiful women in my bridal party have tattoos, one of them just got a beautiful new one that it is a shame it will not show in the dress. But I will not have them covered up, the symbols, words and pictures are who they are and what they are and that is why I wanted them to be with me on my wedding day. I will not be covering mine intentionally so why should they. 

I guess the point I am getting at in today's edition is that just because tattoos can give a person a negative connotation, do not believe it unless you have met the person and gotten to know them. Do not let a form of art become something that is shameful. The profession of body art has come a long way and it has gotten more beautiful as time goes on. Take a step back and think about your assumptions when you think that a person with tattoos is going no where in life, because that is not true at all. Look around you when you are in a public place and ask yourself, how many people in the room with me have a tattoo, or multiple tattoos, and then ask yourself if they are someone you would assume is a bad person. You don't judge a book by its cover so do not judge a person by their choice in body art. 

Tip of the Day: Think about your actions, what you consider to be disgraceful now may have been something you do or have done in the past.
Quote of the Day: "It takes too much energy to be against something unless it's really important." - Madeleine L'Engle.

Tschuss

Struggling with Reality; Part Three "Retarded"

Words. Things in the English language that people seem to use incorrectly. The word that brings me to this conclusion is the word "retarded". People misuse this term daily and unfortunately they may not understand what they are doing and or saying. "Oh that's retarded.", "This is retarded." "You are being a retard." These phrases are phrases we hear day in an day out and unfortunately no on really thinks otherwise. There are a select few people in each group of friends that are against this word but their argument to end its usage in their group of friends is frivolous. I myself have used this term before in a way that suggests a different meaning of the word and I have taken the time to weed it out of my vocabulary - save for today. Lets look at the word "retarded" and see its true definition.

Retarded (Adj); slow or limited in intellectual or emotional development or academic progress (Websters Dictionary.)

Looking at this word I see a person that is just like anyone else, they may need a little more stimulation to get going, but they are just fine. No where in that definition do I see the word stupid. When you are using phrases like those previously mentioned, you are basically saying something is stupid or dumb. This is using the term as a derogatory and degrading word. There for when using the term that way it means you are calling anyone with a mental disability, or emotional disability stupid and dumb. Now some people hesitate to even say the word "retarded" even when talking literally about someone who may have a disability. It is not fully wrong to use the term, just so long as you are using it correctly.

I know plenty of people that hate when the term is used, and I cannot blame them. Some people have a family member who has a cognitive disability, learning disability, or anything that falls near those categories and they hate it when people use the word incorrectly. I myself have no known family member who falls under the category, at least that I know of, but I would like to go on the record and say that even if a family member did it would mean that I don't love them the same. They still are the same people, they just need some help time to time. After joining Alpha Xi Delta and doing philanthropy events for Autism Awareness, I have learned so much about how people hate the word, and they just want everyone to stop using it. There is no reason for someone to use the word "retarded" unless using it in the proper way. And when I say the proper way I don't mean by calling someone with a disability retarded because that is not okay either.

Using a technical term is better than using the word retarded. Using that word inappropriately just hurts others feelings and doesn't help anyone. Please be considerate, and if someone asks you not to use that word around them do as they ask. If you are a person that uses that word a lot take the time to think about how much you use it, and do you offend others that you say it around. You may be hurting others and not necessarily know it. So please be considerate of others and think about how you use specific words around others.

Tip of The Day: Always be aware of your surroundings you never know who is going to see you, hear you, or turn away from you because of what you do and say. Be knowledgeable.
Quote of The Day: "Pick battles big enough to matter, small enough to win." - Jonathan Kozol

Struggling with Reality; Part two "Race"

Throughout this semester I have been reading numerous articles and a book about racism, and they have enlightened my knowledge of racial structure, and racialism. Now I could sit here and write out a whole argument on how I feel about racist people and their comments. But alas this is not a blog for argument, it is a series of opinionated/educated information.

*Caution; if you feel the need to argue with my points please before commenting make sure you have the evidence to back up your claims. 

Just the other day for my sociology class (race and ethnic minorities) we were assigned to read The World Is A Ghetto by Howard Winant. Winant is an author of many articles regarding the structure of race and the racial inequality. At first glance I thought this book would be about the "ghetto's" of the United States, but after reading up to Part two of this book I have found that to be untrue. Winant talks about everywhere, he mainly focuses on South Africa, Brazil and a touch of the United States. After reading what I have, I have found out that there is a lot more than meets the eye when it comes to the abolition of slavery. Yes we have had a bout with slavery here in the United States, we all learn about it in school (some schools choose to ignore a lot of the aspects, that is depending on your location in the United States; Particularly those that are surrounded by Arian Nation.) and we come to find that it was a big deal. Now I want to stop you all before you come to the conclusion that slavery is in fact over. It has not. Maybe it has in the United States - at least to a point- but it has not in other countries. Take South Africa for instance. Many people assume that South Africa doesn't really have slavery problems because that is where "they" come from, but to the contrary slavery is a massive issue in South Africa. It has become a massive issue even though the term "slavery" is out dated, and outlawed from being used as an adjective for a person working for you. Now in South Africa - as Winant states in Chapter 5 -  they have moved to means of Peonage (the working of one person to pay off a debt to another),  and coercion to work. The thought that if your production level doesn't make the top your family is killed, and you are too. Now off of my small tangent about slavery, back to the means of Race. What is the idea of race, and why is it even a social category?

Race (noun); A class or kind of people unified by shared interests, habits, and characteristics. (Websters Dictionary.)

Just for the sake of my time lets look at the meaning of Racism to compare. 

Racism (noun); A belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race. (Websters Dictionary.)

Now that we know the meaning of race and racism lets look at the differences. Race is identifying that person with another based on their shared interests, habits and characteristics. Sadly due to our racialized structure of the world this also means we are placing people in stereotypes as well as making everything about race. The idea of just because you are say Italian and you have black hair and are interest is cooking you are going to be an Italian chef, unfortunately this person would fall under the category of "white", and people of other nationalities would fall under the "other" (this concept is taken from the Eduardo Bonilla-Silva 1997 and 1999 articles). Now look at the definition of racism. Basically with racism we are saying that (excuse the cliche but it fits best) just because that person is black they must be great at football. This is saying that because of the color of their skin they must be good at that, or they must be a thief or a murderer.  This is not true! Just because of the color of someones skin doesn't mean they have some problem or are better at something than someone else of another skin color. Just because President Barrack Obama is black doesn't mean he cannot be a President like many white men before him. Yeah he hasn't done the greatest, but there are many other WHITE male presidents who have done the same if not worse... Hello The Great Depression, and not helping the people. 

Okay I am done with that tangent. Presidency is not what I am arguing it was just a  good example. You cannot assume someones traits because of their color, or their abilities. That is being racist. But we all do it, I do it and I am not proud, and I am trying to get better at it but sometimes it is just want we as American's have been taught in schools. 

This brings me to the ideology of "Color-Blindness". I don't mean the genetic trait of being unable to see colors, but the Color-Blind Ideology. 

Color-Blind (Adj); not influences by differences of race. (Websters Dictionary.)

This my friends is another issue. Many of us have heard Steven Colbert's comment that he isn't racist, he doesn't see color. This is a hot button topic with a lot of sociologist and social work people. The color blind ideology is the thought of ignoring all color, all ethnicity, and all physical traces of race. Some of us think this is a good way of thinking about the racial problems, and I will admit that I thought this way too until I was taking my Sociology 230 class last spring. Admitting that you follow the colorblind ideology in the manner of ignoring race's and seeing people as people is also another form of racism. It isn't necessarily the discriminatory or prejudicial type of racism, but it is offensive to those of color, and those with different ethnicities because you are still ignoring their culture, their life, their person themselves. It is rather ironic that a person can try so hard to not be racist and see no color but in fact they are becoming racist against that persons, or group of people's characteristics, the part that makes them human, and the part that makes them who they are. 

It is better to understand race, and racism and that our country was rooted in racism and embrace that it was part of our history and know that we can change for the better, than it is to ignore that it ever happened. Racism to me is unacceptable, I know that I am a white lower class female and I have more privelages than a black man or woman that may even have a higher class status that I do just because of my skin color, and I find it sickening. It makes me mad when people stand there and say that "they" are taking all of our opportunities, but in fact the people who say that are not taking advantage of those opportunities leaving the spot open for someone else, it shouldn't matter what the color of your skin is, everyone should be able to get a good education, and the chance at getting a good job and owning a home. The idea of old money and new money is that blacks and native american's have new money. And their money isn't rooted into the country where they know they have clout. It is just another way to keep them down. 

Ok although I have kept my ranting about racism and racial comments to a minimum - I think - and more educational than opinionated. I must make the point. If you are going to sit there and say things like "I have nothing against blacks but I hate how they do this.", or "one day I want to own a plantation house, it has to have lots of trees and greenery so I know that no one saw the slave owners beating their slaves, I'll just know.", or "the black guy has the ball he will surely make a touch down." YOU ARE RACIST!!! When you say things like that you are flat out racist. The worst part about it is that you are the one that is proud enough to say it and have people hear it and you are okay with it. I may have gone to high school in an area that was extremely engulfed in white supremacy but I will never tolerate that kind of behavior, not around me. If you want to bash the color of ones skin bash your own. If you are white and make comments like that and feel the need to be racist be racists against the whites who took over Africa and took their resources and trafficed their people, be racist against whites who are all for taking care of themselves and taking things from others, be racist against the white people who still believe it is okay to call someone stupid because of the color of their skin. Do not be racist against those who have no control over what they have been through, and their families, and ancestors before them. Our country has a problem with race, and you are not helping. 

Keep in mind that one of the reasons Hitler killed the Jews was because he was a fan of how we treated the people in our country. 

If you are racist go ahead and be racist, I have a lot of family that is racist and I still love them, and I don't think differently about them, I just will not entertain an argument of race by agreeing with them. But I will not tolerate someone arguing with me about race that hasn't taken the time to look at articles written by sociologists who study people. Sorry about my tangent and if you feel differently towards me now that I have expressed my feelings on race and my knowledge of the history behind it then I am sorry for that too. But keep in mind that this series piece was not to attack anyone, but to merely cover a topic that I have been learning about, and show that I am getting an education.

Tip of the Day: Brush up on some inspiring poetry or listen to an inspiring song before work or homework, or any task during your day, it might make your day a little bit easier. 

Quote of the Day: "The thing I hate about an argument is that is always interrupts a discussion." - G.K. Chesteron

Until Tomorrow,

Tschuss.