October 16th is finally here. That means it’s time to talk about inequality for Blog Action Day – at least, that means it’s time to do so here, along with the rest of the world participating in this event.
You know, we shouldn’t only be leaving discussions about inequality to special days or seasons of the world. Inequality exists 365 days a year. Race relations over the past year make blatantly clear just how inequality still affects us each and every day – regardless of whether we’re thinking about it or not.
The thing is, a lot of people would rather not think about it. They’d rather sip wine (or martinis, or beer, or coffee) and not think about the backs that were in the sun during the grape harvest, the children injured while picking cocoa beans, the reason Fair Trade groups exist. And frankly, isn’t that a lot easier than thinking about the fact that while you’re drinking your $100 bottle of Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon, there is a family who would do anything to have an extra $100 for healthy food?
This isn’t to make people feel guilty, but rather, to get them thinking. Sometimes, we get angry when we think about inequality. Sometimes, we’re the dominant class, sometimes we’re not. Disparities between individuals are emotional circumstances – especially when those disparities are due to circumstances of birth like race, class, gender, sexual preference, place of birth, etc.
Everyone has his or her own circumstances. When you walk down the street and you see a transient, there are circumstances that have led to his crouching in the doorway. Perhaps they are circumstances of choice – a drug addiction, alcoholism, debt – or perhaps they are not – abuse, mental illness, divorce.
Think about the way inequalities have affected your life. In what ways may you have benefitted due to someone else’s misfortune?
Perhaps it’s time to make a list of causes to become involved with. I’d suggest thinking hard about what you can do to help eradicate radical inequality in your community. At my blog, Activism My Way, I will be listing some organizations you can get involved with, if you like. The blog over there focuses upon how you can get involved with a variety of causes.
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