remove the chains already!
In today's day and age, it amazes me the way that we all interact with one another. The way we talk, dress, treat elders, treat children, etc. And frankly, it's disturbing how this day and age works.
Take case in point: my roommate and I went to Six Flags because she had won two free passes and wanted to use them. Well, it was fun, yet there was a distinct type of attitude for those individuals who came to the park as well. While yes, there were nasty fathers screaming at security for waiting 10 minutes to get on a ride (they had a flash pass, which for extra dinero gets them pretty much to the front of the line of every ride) and parents in general just not wanting to abide by the rules while the rest of us waited for their overly-dramatic performances, it was trying to get food that really stunned me.
Since the lines for any of the restaurants or main eateries were jammed, we decided to just grab something from the hot dog stand. Now mind you, there was still a line, but it wasn't nearly as bad. So armed with our money and a little more patience, we waited for those in front of us to order their food. Mind you, had no problem with it, because they had about 10 people total, so it was a large order. When I got up there, I noticed a woman standing next to me holding money. She had come up after those women, I guess expecting to order right after me. My friend and I looked at each other in disbelief that people could do this. After I got my order, she decided to bark her order out to the vendor........with there being a considerable line of people who have been waiting behind me. So right after I got my food, I let the vendor know who was next and went in search of a bench to sit and eat.
My roomie came over a couple minutes later, letting me know that the woman decided to bark her order out again, giving my roomie a dirty look in the process. When the vendor told her she could only help one person at a time, my roomie paid for her food and was given somewhat of a death glare. Now here's the part that may be offensive to some but needs to be said. The woman was black. I've found this to be the case with quite a few people who are black. There are absolutely sweet as pie individuals like my neighbors. And then there are individuals like that woman, who assumes that just because her ancestors were oppressed by people with my skin color that I must let her go ahead of me.
You know how I feel about this? If you wanted to be treated equally in this country, get on line like the rest of us. I will not give special treatment to anyone just because they are a different race or ethnicity than me. You want to be American? You wait like everyone else, you go through the process. Nothing gets handed to you on a silver platter, nor should one expect it. I sure as hell don't.
It's a form of racism still. But the trend has changed from white people dishing it out to white people now being the recipient more and more. I find people telling me I don't understand things and that's ok, but my god when you decide not to talk to me because you're scared of liking a white girl, what the hell? It disgusts me. It truly does. It bothers me to be stereotyped into the category of typical white person. And what disgusts me more is when different ethnicities then segregate themselves with groups and organizations.
For all of you who went to Marymount, you know what I'm talking about here. Groups like BSU and Latinas Unidas. It's great that they show pride for their roots, because I think that's how it should be. Yet if there were a White Student Union, that would be racist. So where does the line get drawn? When is enough enough and people finally just acknowledging that in this day and age if we want to be treated equally we need to not try to distinguish ourselves in a "woe is me" fashion. When is everyone going to get off the boat, remove the proverbial chains and shackles from generations past and understand that times have changed?
Yes, I know I can't stop racism and that it can exist anywhere. But what's the point of it? What? What do you accomplish by showing that you're still ignorant and didn't learn the lessons of our ancestors? And why must I be held accountable for something that occurred before my great-grandparents were a gleam in their parent's eyes?
I just don't understand the world sometimes.
~Jenn~
Take case in point: my roommate and I went to Six Flags because she had won two free passes and wanted to use them. Well, it was fun, yet there was a distinct type of attitude for those individuals who came to the park as well. While yes, there were nasty fathers screaming at security for waiting 10 minutes to get on a ride (they had a flash pass, which for extra dinero gets them pretty much to the front of the line of every ride) and parents in general just not wanting to abide by the rules while the rest of us waited for their overly-dramatic performances, it was trying to get food that really stunned me.
Since the lines for any of the restaurants or main eateries were jammed, we decided to just grab something from the hot dog stand. Now mind you, there was still a line, but it wasn't nearly as bad. So armed with our money and a little more patience, we waited for those in front of us to order their food. Mind you, had no problem with it, because they had about 10 people total, so it was a large order. When I got up there, I noticed a woman standing next to me holding money. She had come up after those women, I guess expecting to order right after me. My friend and I looked at each other in disbelief that people could do this. After I got my order, she decided to bark her order out to the vendor........with there being a considerable line of people who have been waiting behind me. So right after I got my food, I let the vendor know who was next and went in search of a bench to sit and eat.
My roomie came over a couple minutes later, letting me know that the woman decided to bark her order out again, giving my roomie a dirty look in the process. When the vendor told her she could only help one person at a time, my roomie paid for her food and was given somewhat of a death glare. Now here's the part that may be offensive to some but needs to be said. The woman was black. I've found this to be the case with quite a few people who are black. There are absolutely sweet as pie individuals like my neighbors. And then there are individuals like that woman, who assumes that just because her ancestors were oppressed by people with my skin color that I must let her go ahead of me.
You know how I feel about this? If you wanted to be treated equally in this country, get on line like the rest of us. I will not give special treatment to anyone just because they are a different race or ethnicity than me. You want to be American? You wait like everyone else, you go through the process. Nothing gets handed to you on a silver platter, nor should one expect it. I sure as hell don't.
It's a form of racism still. But the trend has changed from white people dishing it out to white people now being the recipient more and more. I find people telling me I don't understand things and that's ok, but my god when you decide not to talk to me because you're scared of liking a white girl, what the hell? It disgusts me. It truly does. It bothers me to be stereotyped into the category of typical white person. And what disgusts me more is when different ethnicities then segregate themselves with groups and organizations.
For all of you who went to Marymount, you know what I'm talking about here. Groups like BSU and Latinas Unidas. It's great that they show pride for their roots, because I think that's how it should be. Yet if there were a White Student Union, that would be racist. So where does the line get drawn? When is enough enough and people finally just acknowledging that in this day and age if we want to be treated equally we need to not try to distinguish ourselves in a "woe is me" fashion. When is everyone going to get off the boat, remove the proverbial chains and shackles from generations past and understand that times have changed?
Yes, I know I can't stop racism and that it can exist anywhere. But what's the point of it? What? What do you accomplish by showing that you're still ignorant and didn't learn the lessons of our ancestors? And why must I be held accountable for something that occurred before my great-grandparents were a gleam in their parent's eyes?
I just don't understand the world sometimes.
~Jenn~