[Calliope]: 216.Contests.This is Life

On Discrimination

Entry for the This is Life Writing Contest

  Throughout my life I’ve moved around a lot. This exposed me to a variety of different areas as well as an assortment of views. Still, no matter where I am, there are distinct similarities. It doesn’t matter what shape the horizon takes, you can still look up and see a blue sky, clouds, the sun, stars and the moon. If you look towards the ground you still see blades of grass and moist soil. You will still notice insects scurrying about their deeds, so why, if we all grow up with similar surroundings, do we hold such drastically different views? Are they affected by the slight environmental differences?
  For example, I lived in Manitoba for several years and people there interact kindly, friendly and even lovingly with Natives. Here in Alberta it’s rare to hear anything good said about Aboriginals. Perhaps it’s all the sloughs out in Manitoba. Maybe the smell distorts people’s true feelings and tricks them into liking Natives. We all know this isn’t true of course. It’s obvious that having grown up close to reserves and going to school with Natives that I am lucky enough to be blessed with a liberal mind and understanding. It is only when I moved to other places that the true level of discrimination against Natives and other view points began to hit home.
  I relocated back to Alberta in 2005. I had grown up in this province until I was 11 and moved to Manitoba. Still, I spent what I classify as my influential years in an area that is completely different in many ways. Technology is farther behind in Manitoba. People are more friendly and trusting, and present day discriminations have yet to affect much of the population. After basing my views on this sort of community a person could say that I experienced a culture shock of sorts when I arrived back in Alberta. I had set this province on a podium when I was younger. The foothills, the mountains, the rivers, in my memory it was all viewed through the eyes of a child and children tend not to notice political undercurrents. If only views really were the result of natures blessings.
  I have now been in Alberta for 15 months and am subject to a fair amount of ridicule because of my opposing opinions. I live in quite a religious town that is the epitome of conservative. So many of the teens my age have been sheltered throughout their lives and I don’t hesitate at all when saying they don’t have their own views. Instead, when they voice an opinion, it is only their parents speaking. They will sit in class and take potshots at different races using degrading terms and there is very little a person like me can do other than ask them not to talk that way around me and to point out some key facts. Having grown up with Natives I feel comfortable around them and can easily relate to many of them (it’s not hard, they are people like everyone else), so when the topic turns to “Indian Bashing” I feel obliged to stand up for the friends I left behind. I will ask these sheltered conservatives “How many Natives do you know?” From the mature ones I will get a reply of silence as they contemplate what I’ve made them think of. From the immature I generally get a response along the lines of “Who wants to know an Indian?” It becomes more and more obvious each time I ask someone this that people in this area consider themselves to be far superior compared to others.
  I have found that my foot in mouth ailment has some negative effects here as well. So what if my first week here I said Stephen Harper is an ass for bashing homosexuals and that I fully support gay marriage? If people here are going to judge and hate me on a simple and honest statement then it’s their loss. I can’t truthfully say that I haven’t said and done things just to get a reaction from these coddled peers though. It’s almost a heaven for the argumentative side of me to get going on equality and evolution with my classmates. There’s no end to their naivety and, in many, narrow mindedness. While amusing however, much of the time I end up frustrated. How can people be so blind to others and their feelings? Why do I feel like I’m in the wrong simply because I’m the minority when it comes to accepting these people? It is all so unjust and unfair and it makes me wonder how discouraged the victims actually are.

© Angie O'Connor