Equal rights? For some
To the Times: Those who fought long and hard in the 1960’s and 1970’s for equal rights would never have imagined how far the pendulum has swung in the other direction. Equal rights has “morphed” into promoting the “say and do anything you want” for some and absolutely the opposite for the rest of us.
Case in point (and I can name hundreds): The Starbucks fiasco, which should never have been even a “blip” on the radar of this country, turned into a chestthumping occasion to champion the “right” to do what? Not have to follow a rule that a corporation has set up re how the operation is to be run? It is a rule that all of us have to follow if we want to do business at a Starbucks; if one is not ordering anything one cannot be hanging out there. Plain and simple. Starbucks is not a bus stop or a park bench and as a privately owned company it can set rules that are conducive to doing a successful business. Starbucks does not accept government funding and is not a public school or a library. If one does not like the rule do not go inside!
If I were to go in Starbucks the rule would apply to me and I would be asked to leave; if I did not the police would be called and I would be removed and that is how it should be; again if it were “me.” There would be no protesting outside and across the country. There would be no newscasters broadcasting it to the world. There would be no apology from the police, the mayor, etc., the CEO would not fly in to pat my ruffled feathers and close down the entire company for the afternoon for “sensitivity training.”
Our do-gooders in this country keep trying because of some misguided notion, that we have to go overboard every day to make up for the “historically downtrodden minorities” who are still carrying the battle cry of being downtrodden. What about other minorities in our country? Example: Greece was enslaved by Turkey for hundreds of years and yet do not feel that Turkey “owes them” for all eternity.
The rule at Starabucks is for all (in actuality it is only for those like myself) the “un-historically downtrodden.” However, all of us, unless one is an American Indian, have come from a background of persecution in some way, shape or form. Where are the equal rights here? We have to follow “rules” but if others have a timeframe of being “persecuted” more recently, rules can be ignored because the battle cry will go out screaming “discrimination!” Therefore there are no equal rights when some have to follow the “rules” and others can “pick and choose” what suits them today!
It was a complete disgrace that Roseanne Barr was canceled for making a remark about Obama’s employee. In this country our major achievement by our founding fathers was freedom of speech. A remark from Roseanne caused a next-day cancellation. Where was her freedom of speech? A talk show “no-talent” host made a filthy remark about our president’s daughter that same week and where were our equal rights do-gooders then? If it were about Obama’s daughter there would be rioting in the streets over that remark.
Equal rights? Freedom of Speech? Only for some. It boils down to it is OK to slander and defame if someone looks as if they are “privileged” and the likes of myself are in no way, shape or form privileged.
We follow all the rules, pay all the right taxes, carry all the right insurances, get an education, worked since we were 15, did everything right in life and where did this get us? Discriminated against because we “look privileged.”
Where are my rights? Yes, and our lives matter too.. Those who fought for equality years ago would be turning in their graves if they could see what a fiasco this has become.