Mary Dejevsky: A mean streak in the US mainstream Filed in Politics on Aug.25, 2009
Mountainsage agrees with Dejevsky that America does have a bit of a mean streak. I must say, I tend to agree also. But, I also think there is a large and growing number of Americans who are working to develop self-insight and awareness, and who want to be fair and decent.
I just thought this was interesting to consider, and it also reminded me of the way people who haven't taken the time to learn a single thing about Hillary, will criticize her and declare their dislike for her - with no apparent reason.
It’s never pleasant to be criticized and most of us have a knee jerk reaction of becoming defensive and attacking the messenger of the criticism, but sometimes outsiders can see things more clearly than an insider . The first point I would agree with the article author about is the United States being to the right on the political scale. America has a big, wide puritanical streak to match it’s authoritarian streak. Unfortunately, too many like it that way and fight any effort to change. America’s attitudes often remind me of a child defiantly declaring, “Mom, I want to do it myself.” And almost equally as often I’ve reminded of the rebellious teenager who refuses to learn from anyone else’s lessons and declares “You can’t tell me what to do.” The point I most had to think about was - For there is a mean and merciless streak in mainstream US attitudes, which tolerates much more in the way of inequality, deprivation and suffering than is acceptable here, while incorporating a large and often sanctimonious quotient of blame. I think there is a lot of truth to Ms. Dejevsky’s statement. Just think back to how many times you’ve either said, or heard said, that poor people are just lazy. How many times have the less intellectually gifted in our society who suffer death as a result of attempting something less than intelligent are just discounted as deserving a Darwin award? Their death is mocked because of their stupidity – little compassion is shown for the fact they may be suffering from a condition that effects their ability to make good decisions. We’ve heard how women who get pregnant out of wedlock deserve to suffer and even women who are raped were asking for it. There also seems to be a prevailing attitude of “I have mine, so screw everyone else.” We’ve seen many Americans declare how they pulled themselves up by their bootstraps but I doubt they recognized the hand up they actually got. We’re also a nation of nosy people…..always worrying about someone else’s morality, often not taking time to question our own. We have a large population who sees the world in terms of black and white and they get to decide which is which. We see a nation that uses religion to preach hate as evidenced by hatemonger, God Hates Fags Fred Phelps of Westboro Baptist Church. We recently saw a doctor killed by someone who thought they were God, judge, jury and executioner and many people on the right praised the action. And according to a new study from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, those who attend church at least weekly are more prone to say that torture is justifiable. Who would Jesus torture could become the new mantra for the evangelicals. http://mountainsageblog.com/2009/08/25/mary-dejevsky-a-mean-streak-in-the-us-mainstream/
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It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union.... Men, their rights and nothing more; women, their rights and nothing less. ~Susan B. Anthony
There is a mean steak in people but its part of being human there is just as much positive then negative but it seems people only concertrate on the mean things.
I prefer to live in this country where we have the right to be mean, as the article says.
I prefer it to Islam, where women are killed for letting somebody see their eyes.
I prefer it to countries that tell people what to do, when to do it, and how often.
I prefer it to countries with a national religion.
I have been called racist so many times for not supporting that fool that the word means little to me now. I prefer freedom, I do not prefer hate, but what I see going on in this government is worse. This administration split the country and defined hate with no real meaning, but "to disagree is hate".
-- Edited by shadow on Wednesday 26th of August 2009 05:33:20 PM
