A comment in response to the following post by Kate: Political by default
Hmmm… this kind of wraps up a whole lot of how I see the world into one.
First the political. Small p-political. Not the partisan get me the vote political, but the “the personal is political” stance that one must take in order to see social justice/action actually effect change. I do believe we need to stand up and speak out, but this must be based upon taking a reflective look at the self and our values, not outward expectations that you “should” participate.
Kate’s example of being a woman automatically opting you into feminism can be applied in so many aspects of society. If you are black, aboriginal, wheelchair-bound, etc. it’s often expected that you must “represent”. Yet, FOR INSTANCE, the feminist perspective does not always take into account the perspective of the aboriginal woman who *may* put the collective community ahead of her personal value…
Sadly some of us get cornered into groups because of our appearances. It can be seen (in most cases) that we are women, black, or wheelchair-bound. But what if our identity rests more with aspects that cannot be seen (or are even counter to what can)? Just as example, and certainly not limited to the following: these can be underlying medical conditions (i.e. Diabetes), past experiences (i.e. abuse), or simply parts of our personality that are outside of the “norm”.
What Kate’s post reminds me of, is the importance of ALWAYS remembering that everyone we meet has their own story. And that our assumptions only serve to discount that.
About Trish
