As a society, we have victimized ourselves to the point that
we are no longer responsible for our words or actions. We have invented excuses
for every criminal, immoral, and irresponsible action imaginable. We have
placed the blame for every offensive action-not at the feet of the offender-but
squarely in the hands of society itself. As a result, programs, hashtag
campaigns, and awareness drives are implemented to combat these contrary and unproductive
behaviors, all to no meaningful effect.
The inherent purpose of taking action is to affect change or
provide tangible support. However, the most we have accomplished is to have
further victimized ourselves, on the low end, and self satisfyingly assuage
ourselves from the guilt of not actually making any definitive headway. Words are
tools that, when properly used, have the power to ignite the passionate fires
of change. Yet, we build straw fortresses with our words, and then fail to
comprehend why they fail to fulfill their half-assed intended purposes. People will
fight, conquer, congregate, and build nations on the foundation of a single
word. Yet, we construct edifices, worthy to be listed as wonders of the world,
with our words, only to have them blown aside by the winds of reality and
practical application. We shoot words, like bullets, from our keyboards onto
social media, with the intention of striking down the vile enemies of social justice.
Facebook and Twitter warriors stand tall on an internet battleground, only to
be pounded down by the hammering blows of real life. We use words whose
meanings we don’t truly know to speak about things we know nothing about in
order to cause an effect that doesn’t come.
No, instead of using words to bolster us in our fights for
fairness and equality, and to clearly define the moral and social right we use
them to justify our failures, not only to ourselves but to society. We have
turned irresponsibility in to a “right.” We have turned criminal behavior into
the fault of one race, perpetuated against another. We have turned decidedly
immoral, inappropriate, and inadvisable behavior into a perfectly reasonable
choice. To exemplify our hypocrisy, we selectively ardently defend and justify
the resulting social consequences as the result of someone’s skin color, sex,
and/or financial standing.
A poor black man, even just a black man, is not to
be held accountable for his criminal behavior simply because of his skin color,
even though he willfully chose to engage in such activities. Despite his own
personal choice to act in a criminal manner, he is inherently innocent on the
basis of his blackness. Yet, a white man, even a poor white man, should bear
the full burden of his actions because he chose to act as such and should know
better. Any man who exhibits loud, inappropriate, and/or vulgar behavior is
decried as an oppressive and misogynistic chauvinist based solely on his male
genitalia, whereas a woman who exhibits the same behavior is lauded and praised
for her strength of character. A criminal black man is simply a product of the
system of the white man and therefore cannot be held accountable. A woman is
oppressed in every aspect of her life because she doesn’t have a penis. An unruly
child simply suffers from one of a hundred different disorders instead of
needing to learn patience and self-control.
The black community should
automatically receive that which has not been earned, based solely on the basis
of being black, while white people should perpetually suffer the guilt and indignity
of having been born white and be burdened with guilt for actions they did not
do. Everyone has the right to do and say as they please, as long as everyone
else agrees with it. An offense is considered such, not because it truly caused
harm, pain, or anguish, but simply because an individual did not like or agree
with the offending word or action. Failure is not the effect of one not meeting
the standard. Rather, failure is the fault of the entire body for not making it
easier. After all, everyone gets a trophy, right?
Difficulty and adversity no longer teach willpower,
persistence, dedication, or independent thought. No, they are vile and
contemptible enemies, and as such, have no place in our society. We no longer
teach the merits of learning to overcome or to be self-sufficient. If we are
not making it easier, then we are the reason for failure, regardless of any
individual’s choice. The individual is no longer responsible for his choices. We
have mandated that society assume responsibility for his every thought and
action, failure and success.
We cannot, and will not, strengthen and produce a prosperous
and diverse society by absolving the individual of his responsibility to
himself, his community, and his nation. In doing so, we effectively cripple the
individual by presenting him with the tools of free will and choice, neglecting
to teach him how to most effectively use those tools, and then wondering why he
failed. Just as we cannot, and do not, punish an entire company for the failure
of one employee, we cannot punish an entire race or nation for the failures of
the individual. While the state and the community certainly have a
responsibility to its citizens and residents, the individual does not just have
rights, he also has responsibilities. Absolving the individual of his
responsibility is the quickest and surest way to destroy the prosperity of the
community and state. By removing responsibility from the individual and placing
it in the hands of society, we effectively tear apart the foundation of a well-structured
and prosperous society-a population comprised of individuals with fortitude and
strength of character.
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