There is a big difference between giving up your seat willingly or being told you have no right to a chair. We use the terms marginalized and underserved to express the deplorable treatment of entire populations. They are such innocuous and unemotional words to describe horrific actions. Kind of like using the word harvest to report killing animals.
I have run into these words a great deal of late as I deal with publishers and agents. I have never thought myself marginalized. Though as a girl and young woman growing up when I did, many opportunities were not available to me. I just thought I was a failure or worthless. I didn’t know it was all girls being treated that way, I was convinced it was my shortcomings.
Competitive sports were not an option. Instead, in high school the girls were offered something called GAA, girls athletic association. One day a week after school the entire female population of the school got to use the gym. We thought we were so lucky. Looking back, not so much.
My experiences continued in college and my working life. Women still needed to be told their place and men were happy to tell them. But that is nothing compared to the other prejudice and bigotry that was being perpetrated on so many people. I think we need to stop covering up those perverse behaviors with such gentle words.
People can see the actions as simple and harmless, but the destruction of spirit and soul last not just a lifetime but are passed on for generations. Making reparations is valueless if we are still perpetrating the crimes.
Sorry, just needed to rant a bit.
May you never ever feel you are less.
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