Call it the Rebel in me, the need to root for the Underdog or whatever.
So here's the Dill, Pickle.
On nearly every hike or at any social function or public venue, I hear at least one and sometimes multiple discussions that go along the lines of one or more of the following:
- Some minority (I'm not even gonna name race, creed or origin) is being beat down or oppressed or suppressed by the government or law enforcement or some legislation or you name it.
- The government is conspiring against illegal immigrants, minorities or poor, uneducated, disadvantaged people.
- Women and Gay People are being denigrated by our President and targeted by new legislation from the current administration.
- We are picking fights with all the nations of the World because we're the Biggest Bully on the World Block.
- I'm gonna die in 5 years unless I spend 3x my normal grocery budget on Organic, Non-GMO, grass fed blah blah blah food.
- I could keep going on this list but this should piss off quite a few people as it is so I guess I'll stop right there.
I normally begin with qualifications, conditions and disclaimers when I write a controversial piece like this but decided I'd change the order a little bit this time.
But as for qualifications, conditions and disclaimers, all I can say is that as far as I'm concerned and knowing me better than anybody else in this world, I am the least prejudiced, unbiased Deep East Texas Redneck I know. Everybody begins at the same place with me and I believe that, for all intents and purposes, we all have the same shot at success in this challenge we call Life.
I have espoused that perspective and viewpoint to many people on many occasions on the other side of the fence and have been shot at and missed and shit at and hit on nearly every occasion.
Basically, the premise from those leaving a blood trail of opinion, is that most minorities don't have the same opportunity at success because of the environment they are brought up in and because the world (the system) doesn't treat them the same or is engineered to defeat their attempts to rise from the bottom of life's totem pole.
And here's my experience.
I grew up just about as poor as you can be. We didn't miss any meals but that's only because my dad was working 2 - 3 jobs at a time from can see to can't see and my mom was working and all the kids were out working at a very early age.
I started mowing yards for money when I was 7 and working in a commercial environment up to 30 hours a week (an auto parts store) when I was 10. I started painting and house washing when I was 12 and worked 40 - 60 hours per week every summer from 12 - 15 and part time during the year. I worked full time from 16 - 22 through 2 years of high school and 4 years of college.
My parents didn't provide financial assistance other than room and board for college. I bought my own car, paid for my own insurance and gas and my own college tuition and books. I went to Lamar University in Beaumont because that was the closest, cheapest college I could find. I was given a $250 / year scholarship to begin with but I had to maintain a 3.5 GPA or above every semester to keep it. And I did for 4 years.
Nobody told me to go to college. I did that on my own.
I grew up with Blacks and Hispanics and went to school with them and we were all treated the same.
In college, the ethnic diversity was even greater - every class I was in was mixed with Asians, Middle Eastern students, Blacks, Hispanics and Whites - we all studied together and endured the challenges of a Chemical Engineering curriculum and nobody ever put anybody else down. The faculty at Lamar University treated us all the same.
When I went to work in industry and lived in the Freeport / Lake Jackson / Clute Tx area, the ethnic diversity was the same and again, I NEVER (and I Never use the word "Never") saw one example or situation where supervision or anybody including law enforcement or any government entity took advantage or mistreated someone because of their color, race or national or religious origins.
And we're talking the Deep South - south of Houston Tx.
The Bottom Line is I worked my way out of a very poor upbringing as a result of my own efforts and took advantage of cheap, higher education that was available to everyone in the community.
And I never saw all this terrible oppression of minorities that all the Bleeding Hearts here in Santa Fe tell me about.
And I never saw Women, Gay People or Minorities being held back in the work place. If anything, they were given way more opportunity or required to perform at a lower level than their "Majority" counterparts because all the companies I worked for had to keep a certain proportion of them on the payroll whether their performance was good or not.
Actually, as far as I what I've seen and experienced, in the work places I've been in, the White Male is the most disadvantaged person there.
As far as the illegal immigrants go, I'll tell you what I tell everybody else. Where I come from, if it wasn't for the non-Green Card Hispanics, most labor-related services (which is basically anything and everything) would cost twice as much as it does. A $50 lawn mowing job would be $100 if a white man did it and a $4000 roof would cost $10000 so don't call me prejudiced. Hell - if they're here and they need health care, give it to them. Most of the illegal immigrants I came in contact with were the hardest working, nicest, most honest people I know. They're just trying to make a living and live their lives so leave them the fuck alone.
As far as Trump goes, I think he's used to saying and doing whatever he wants in private life and that kinda extended over into his first few months as President so he pissed a lot of people off and got a lot of bad press. In the end analysis, the President can only fuck up so much shit until the whole checks and balances thing comes into play. How his aggression on the World Stage will play out, I have no idea but I will say that I get the feeling that the rest of the World does know and understand there's a new Sheriff in town and he's not afraid to say Bullshit and pull the trigger on the bad guys. Does that make me a Trump supporter? Not really - I'm kinda on the fence with Trump. Let's just see how it plays out.
And for all you died in the wool Whole Foods / Whole Paycheck Organic food drum beaters, all I can say is the Proof is in the Paleo. I don't have any fact-based opinion to debunk the whole "Organic foods" movement but I'm beginning to look into it because in my gut, which is where it really counts, I get the feeling that it's just another way to charge you twice for the same nutrition. Here's a source I'm beginning to read that may shed some light on the other side of the Organic / GMO coin.
www.thefarmbabe.com
In the meantime, I'll take my body and general health stats over 90% of the Vegans I've come in contact with.
In the meantime, I'll take my body and general health stats over 90% of the Vegans I've come in contact with.
So there ya go, there's my rebuttal to all the Bleeding Heart Liberals of the World of which I'm thinking 90% of them must live in Santa Fe!!
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