**Raising Minorities also Raises the Majority

Some folks have accepted a norm of short term thinking that enables them to rationalize intolerance and discrimination. We like to think of ourselves as living in the “Best Nation” in the world. How do we define best nation, is it economic opportunity, human rights, health care for all, education, lowest mortality rate, a free and open press, and quality of life? Unfortunately we do not rank at the top of the list for all these important criteria, and the one issue I am going to focus on today is human rights. A subset of human rights is equal opportunity for all based on race, nationality, religious belief or none, gender, and sexual orientation. I believe, based on historical data that creating an environment of tolerance, equal opportunity, and inclusion benefits everyone from an economic, emotional, spiritual, and sociological perspective.
I am a relatively well educated white male heterosexual non-observant agnostic Jew, who has been able to make his way successfully into the economic and societal fabric of this country. Warren Buffet would probably say that I am a member of the “Lucky Sperm Club”. I really do not have a first-hand experience of what it would be like to be a, “Gay-Black-Muslim-Transgender-Women”. I am citing a fictitious example of what I believe to be one of the most severely perceived under classes in our present society. With the exception of lineage, intelligence, physical, or emotional disabilities it would be ideal for all peoples on earth to have equal opportunities. It is easy for me to be smug, confident, and insulated from the pain of discrimination, rejection, and feeling less than.
Afro-Americans for hundreds of years were a consummate example of what happens to unfortunate people when we fail to give them due respect, equal educational, housing, and employment opportunities. In addition, through the slavery model we have destabilized their family units and ingrained them with a sense of deteriorated self esteem. It is very easy for us to say, “Why don’t you just get over your past and get with the program”? That statement is a very simplistic and insensitive cop-out, realizing that everyone is affected differently by their experience, perception, and family culture.
Contrasting the northern states against the southern states, where there was a disparity in integration, and educational opportunity, the north advanced more rapidly, and the south took a much longer time to advance as a society. With education came many more technological, financial, and mercantile opportunities. Be it not for the mainly agrarian plantation type slave culture embraced by the south, in the long term with the exception of a few wealthy plantation owners, the southern states would have advanced much rapidly than they had.
Women for millennia have been treated as chattels, not allowed to vote, hold most jobs, and were denied educational opportunities in most cultures. Now in modern cultures most of oppression of human has been eliminated, even though there are still remnants of some insecure chauvinistic males making snide remarks about women even today. As a result of empowering women we have doubled the amount of people in our society who have developed intellect, useful skills, and creative energy to offer our society. The argument that women should be home just making babies is a totally fallacious argument for a modern society. Many women do not have the passion to birth, raise, and parent children, so who wants someone in a society that will be a poor parent. On the corollary there are many men who have the passion and nurturing skills to make better parents than women. Maybe someday with technology, men will be capable of breast feeding.
Another example of how we would gain more as society economically and emotionally is the acceptance of openly gay military personnel. It is estimated that approximately 12,000 admitted gay military personnel have been dismissed from military service due to their unaccepted sexual orientation. The estimated cost of the DADT policy is upwards of over $500 million factoring in training costs and early departures. Many of these gay military departures were bright talented highly trained enlisted people and officers who brought real skill values to the military service. Twenty Two members of NATO allow service of openly gay military members. Most fire departments in our cities have openly accepted gay firefighters. These firefighters live in communal sleeping and bathroom facilities without any issues. The problem is not gays in the military, it is fearful ignorant people in the military who bring everyone else down. If we have talented people who happen to be gay, why would we rationally exclude them from making a positive contribution to military service.
Same Sex Marriage, or “Prop 8” is another issue that to says to gay people, you pay taxes, you contribute to society equally with heterosexual people, and more or less you have the same relationship issues that straight couples have. “But you are less than”, so therefore you must settle for “Separate but Equal”; meaning domestic partnerships. “Separate but Equal” was knocked down by the court in Brown v. Board of Education. Denying gays to marry was just adjudicated to be in violation of the Constitution, and the issue of defining who can marry should have never put to a vote in the first place, but that’s politics. To date there is not one piece of bonifide evidence that shows that gay marriage has destroyed, or threatened anyone’s traditional marriage. It is estimated that California will gain approximately $400 million going to its hospitality, travel, gift, and other industries from gay marriages. California will also gain approximately $65 million in taxes from these transactions.
Ignorance, fear, and backward cultural and religious family values are not acceptable, or logical reasons for perpetuating intolerance. People who hold these views are also an unfortunate minority who hold down the advancement and betterment of society. Making laws barring intolerance and discrimination are only an intellectual first step. The final cure is to enable and encourage people to experience diversity, teach tolerance in our schools and places of worship, and encourage progressive thinking children to enlighten their fearful ignorant parents and adult friends. On the surface, the principles of majority rule and the protection of individual and minority rights would seem contradictory. In fact, however, these principles are twin pillars holding up the very foundation of what we mean by democratic government. When we give everyone the best educational and employment experiences, fair housing choices, equal relationship choices, and remove fearful and hateful attitudes from our psyche, than we can only be the most successful society where everyone becomes a winner.
Harvey is a Benicia businessman. You may visit Harvey’s Blog and leave comments at: http://harveysrantsraves.blogspot.com/