Race, Gender and Sexuality...Is there anything else to talk about?

One thing about human beings will never change:  Our constant need to feel better than those people.  By that, I mean anyone different from us.  Nothing makes this point more obvious than the constant media barrage of stories about equality that merely succeed in creating more of a divide between people of all kinds.

Here's what is happening as a result of the incessant "news" stories about inequality:  We are all figuring out that no matter who we are, we are screwed.

Women, for instance, are screwed because we don't get equal pay as men for doing the same work.  We are objectified and victimized by men.  We are judged harshly for our choices concerning education, family and work.  Women are too fat, too skinny, not stylish enough, not sexually adventurous enough.  We are bitches or sluts or prudes.  We are gold diggers or  Welfare leeches.  The list goes on and on, and who is pointing out all these things to us that make us feel like crap about our place in the world?  Check your Facebook news feed and you'll get the answer to that question.

I realize that there are activists out there who honestly want to help create a world where everyone's worth is considered equal.  I applaud their efforts and encourage them to keep pursuing their passion.  We all need a purpose in life, and if yours is working your ass off on behalf of a certain group that is considered underprivileged, bless you.

What I'm referring to though, is the never-ending over-discussed and occasionally exaggerated media flood of articles, nightly news stories and internet "feel good" or "Shame on you" blurbs that constantly remind us, women, African Americans, immigrants, gays, etc...that we should feel angry and put down by the society in which we live.

Somewhere along the way divisiveness has become the norm, and acceptance has become an anomaly.  It seems like all we hear about is how we should be more accepting of others as fellow human beings, regardless of our differences, but at the same time, statistics are being crammed in our heads about the disparities between people of different races, genders, sexual orientations and economic status.  With our media constantly focusing on our differences, pointing them out to us and encouraging our wrath about how unfairly we are treated, it is no wonder hate, fear and intolerance take over, leaving people to  feel more animosity towards one another.  We are being convinced, one Upworthy video at a time, that everyone else is out to keep us down.

I'm certainly not saying that intolerance doesn't exist.  It absolutely does, it always has and it most likely always will because we are all human.  We all have our own personal belief systems that act as our moral compasses, guiding us towards what we feel is right or wrong.  The problem comes when we try to hand our compasses over to everyone else and make them follow our path, instead of giving them the freedom to follow their own.  The only way to conquer division is to stop perpetuating it by labeling one another as minorities, homosexuals, heterosexuals, blacks, whites, hispanics, heathens, bitches, whores, lazy, unintelligent, unworthy and classically, the Privileged American White Male.

"So I'm just a person like everyone else?  Oppression bubble: bursted.

We flock to stories of what we have come to believe are the rare acts of kindness and acceptance as if those things are the exception to society's norms.  However, every day in America people of all walks of life, with differing beliefs, lifestyles, genders and colors get up and go to work driving ambulances, working in hospitals, caring for the elderly, looking out for the welfare of children, helping the homeless, feeding the hungry and smiling at strangers who might be very different from them.  The act of acceptance and the feeling of equality doesn't come from knowing everyone's differences or even from celebrating those differences.  It comes from seeing people as what they are:  People.

So instead of so many stories about our "rights" and shameful memes about how unfairly some people treat others, lets hear more about how we can learn to treat one another with kindness.  Instead of judgmental tirades about who is wrong and who is right, lets hear more about who is making a positive difference in the world.

I, being a woman and considered a minority, am not interested in hearing more about why my body image is distorted by Hollywood.  I don't want to read more articles in women's magazines about how I need to keep my age a secret so I can still snag a man.  I don't want to be reminded that to some men, I am nothing more than an object--like an old couch they can use and then toss out on the curb when they're ready for a new one.  Likewise, I'll venture a guess that there are many gay people who don't feel great about being constantly reminded that their version of love and companionship is frowned upon by lots of folks.  There is something about all of us that isn't widely accepted in today's world, but constant reminders of our differences, placed in a negative light only serve to create more frustration, division and unrest within all of us.

Let's face it, we are, above all else human.  It seems to me, if we all strive to remember that and focus on what is the same about us all, equal treatment of everyone would become a more natural and less talked about phenomenon.

 And we'd have a lot fewer angry videos popping up on our Facebook pages.

Here's to being human.  Enjoy who you are, and respect the humanity of others.