How We Are Lacking (And How We May Not Be)

Rosa Parks is a worthy reference point to see the changes in America since her famous bus ride.  She is one of the pivoting points of our history on rights, nearly taking down a whole bus system to get her point across.  But her legend has been lost in the crappy translator that is time.  We remember falsities, making assumptions based on previous knowledge that has nothing to do with the matter.  We remember an old lady, spunky but unintentionally starting a beautiful ruckus, not a determined woman who’s plan went viral.  We need to remember she wasn’t alone.  We need to teach the next generation that unity matters, and that nothing is accidental.  Maybe we should also remember she hit the bus owners in the wallet for her change, seems like a nice motive on their end. 

Sometimes, society learns the wrong lessons from the more epic portions of our history.  We get most of it right, in theory; we’ve only commit so many acts of human injustice since The Holocaust.  We should have learned from Rosa Parks that standing up for yourself is how change happens.  We should have known after Plessey v. Ferguson that integration is messy but necessary.  We already know that women, and gays, and those of a different skin tone are just as human.  And we should know by now that giving humans human rights is like a band aid, it will only hurt more the longer one dwells. 

Nevertheless, today, we still struggle with true equality.  This is only natural, humanity’s eyes have only recently opened to the unfairness we cause, and we are yet to fully awaken.  Some days, change seems inevitable, like history really is history and all is fair in the world.  And some times the best we can do is wait for the hate-tainted parts of society to die off, whether literally or metaphorically.  We know that numbers matter; we know words and actions and perpetuating a hate-free ideology is what matters.  But we still forget, because not everyone is a part of this yet – not everyone can be part of a discriminated group (or knows one who is) and feel the need to take action.  Not everyone cares.