Rough Draft: Thoughts on “they”
September 12th, 2009 Edit
I do not separate the world into sectors of belief. I do not sector the world into monotheists and polytheists, into the believers of the three big monotheisms, and the rest. I do not see the world as separated by religion, language or political ideology. I do not see a capitalist world vs. a communist world. I do not see a free world vs. a totalitarian world.
I see a world in which its people segregate themselves from the rest. Claim to be better than the rest. Claim to be different than the rest.
This separatism, of which I partake, takes away the human designation from most of its denizens. I do not partake by separating “human” from “beings.” I separate the world into human beings I believe I can trust and everybody else.
When the human is taken away from human being, we’re left with being. A being is a mammal, is a reptile, is a bird, is a invertebrate, is a fish. Grouping half the population, the majority of the population or everyone who does not believe in the small, specified set of beliefs in which one believes into the “being” category leaves the door open to Pandora.
This stripping of human from human beings is the status quo and one that needs to be change.
We hear it in the diction of politicians from all stripes. We hear it from the poor and from the rich, from the oppressed and the oppressors. We hear it from the down trodden and the triumphant.
“They,” the diction declares, holding its shoulders straight against the backdrop of a flag, arms held tightly across the chest, head held high. Sometimes in the background, strapped across diction’s back, often cradled is a rifle. Other times, an animal sits besides diction, exuding trust.
But this “they” we speak of is not the white devil. It is not the Indians, the Chinese, the Communists, the Pig-Dogs. The “they” is an attempt to dehumanize a portion of the population. To make the trotting over of that portion acceptable and deserved.
But this “they” leads humans down the wrong road. It leads to voluntary and involuntary segregation. It is the buttocks placed firmly on the little ice hill down the street.
Sometimes the bottom of the ice hill is Indian casinos. Sometimes the bottom is internment camps for American citizens of Japanese ancestry. Sometimes the bottom is a war. In all cases it starts with “they.”
Rationalizations are found every day for using “they.” “They” kill babies, “they” believe in a different god,, “they” eat meat, “they” hug trees, “they” want to raise my taxes, “They’re” dumb and know not what “they” do.
But the use of “they” poisons our minds and our dialogues. Instead of sitting down once a week, once a month, once a year and having a conversation or dinner with the “they,” we picket. We write angry letters to the editor. We call our congressman and demand “their” rights be limited.
I suggest we take a collective deep breath. We as a stand-in for Humanity, for the people in our community, for the people we disagree with. We shake the other person’s hand. And we invite him and his family and his group to dinner.
We say, do you have any special things you can’t or won’t eat? Anything we should know?
Good, we say. Then, next Saturday, in the park. Yes, that’s right, everyone should bring a dish. We’ve got the table settings covered and the pagoda’s already reserved.
What’s that? Oh, yes, that’s a good thing to remind everyone, we say. We’re all human and we have plenty of constructive things to talk about other than that which we protest each other for.
And we meet in the park, and have lunch or dinner or brunch. And the children play together, the adolescents sulk or wreak mayhem and the adults chat and figure out that “they” doesn’t exist. These people are humans too. It’s incredible. I know.
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