America: Home of Religious Freedom... as long as you aren't Muslim

Hey America, your hypocrisy is showing!  People always talk about how America is a place for freedom.  Freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of religion.  Seems to me, however, that a lot of Americans think that it's the home of religious freedom if you are Christian.  

First let's talk about separation of church and state.  Kids don't pray at school anymore (where they probably REALLY need to be praying) but no one felt like "In God We Trust" should be removed from the money.  Yet religion becomes political when it's convenient!  One big religion topic that is political is President Obama's religious affiliation.  Polls say half of the country thinks he's Muslim.  *Insert "what the fuck" face here.*  First of all, does it matter? Secondly, that's a personal issue.  Maybe he's Muslim, maybe he's Christian.  Let him be what he is.  

The next issue is the mosque that is proposed near ground zero.  Yes, 9/11 was horrible.  No, we shouldn't forget.  But we also should not blame an entire religion for what some radicals did.  If we did that, then think about slavery and the holocaust... in that case Christians would all take the blame for what a few of their own did.  Not right.  One bad apple may spoil the bunch, but we aren't apples! We are human beings.  My problem is that a lot of people don't even realize that this mosque is already near ground zero.  It's been there for almost 30 years.  They are in a different building now but in the same general area.  Did anyone protest their continued existence in their location?  Probably not.  I bet if you polled every racist, homophobic, anti-Semitic, Latino hating, Muslim hating jackass in the country, they are mostly Christian.  Probably a few atheists but I doubt it.  So you are supposed to be "Christ-like" and show people his love so that they can give their life to you, but if you are an example of Christianity, a lot of people would probably just rather go to hell!  

And last but not least, the icing on the cake that made the shit hit the fan.  "Reverend" Terry Jones of Gainesville, FL planned to burn 20 copies of the Qur'an in honor of 9/11, and I guess to protest the mosque being near ground zero.  Are you kidding me?  Is this a bad movie? (And to tie in to the hypocrisy theme, you know there'd be trouble if Muslims in another country were burning the Holy Bible!) Lots of countries already hate us.  There are terrorists just itching for a reason to blow us up.  Are the right for wanting to do so? Not really.  But they are radicals, you cannot reason with them.  So while we still have troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, while we are about to remember the 9th anniversary of our worst terrorist attack, you want to bring negative attention to us?  I read somewhere that this is the one guy who was able to unite President Obama, President Clinton, Sarah Palin, and a couple of other people.  They all think this is a BAD idea, and that this guy is basically pointing a giant neon sign at our country that says "blow this up."  Earlier today I saw an article that he'd decided not to do it.  Best news I'd heard all day.  But all good things must come to an end.  Now he's claiming that he only said he wouldn't do it because he assumed that there was a deal between him and those wanting to build the mosque in NY.  He doesn't burn the Qurans, they build their mosque elsewhere.  *insert another "what the fuck" face here*  So now that he realized that there was no deal, he's rethinking his decision to "cease fire."  (Click here to read the article on CNN.com)  At this point, I am about ready to head to Walmart to get some duct tape, rope, and twillight movies on DVD, then drive to FL, tape this guy up, and force him to watch that shit until Sunday evening.  Maybe then we can avoid any more terrorist attacks that were planned as a retaliation to his foolishness.  If he does go on with this foolish idea of is, all I have to say is Jesus be a bomb shelter, because we will need one.  

Diversity Seminar Wrap Up: They Just Don't Get It

On the last day of our diversity seminar, things got a little more real.  I'm going to name names here.  Folks in my class like Emily, Anna and Stephanie W. said things to make me know that they "get it."  Especially Anna.  She always speaks eloquently and says things in a way that are funny but true.  These three plus a few others in my class make me feel REALLY comfortable.  A lot of times at various events, I am the only black girl there.  Eb may be working or just not in attendance for whatever reason.  When I'm with this select few, being the only black girl doesn't even matter because I feel comfortable and I don't feel like when they are away from me they use derogatory terms about me or people of color- I can't say that for all of my school mates.  But I digress.

We talked a lot about veterinarians being fair.  no matter the color of someone's skin, what they are wearing, or how they may seem to you, you offer them your best!  If 3 puppies come in with parvo, why do they get different estimates?  If the disease is generally treated by taking steps x, y, z, offer that to each person.  If someone can't afford it, let them make the choice to do less, but always give the options.  I saw this first hand this summer.  One vet didn't want to see you if you were black, had lots of tattoos, or just didn't "look" like you had money!  Meanwhile, a client of ours who had enough money that he could get a new jag after a "fender bender" wouldn't do shit for his animals on a routine basis.  I saw the guy a few times over the summer and he always bitched and complained.  I also watched this doctor try to "tell on people" for being racist when she was the one giving treatment plans based on how folks looked.  She even mentioned a tattoo-to-tooth ratio and how people with lots of tattoos were less likely to want to spend money.  I thought she was an idiot (and an incompetent veterinarian but that's another story).

We talked a lot about people of different socioeconomic status and how they care for their pets or really how some can't care for them.  One guy (one of the minorities in the room actually) asked why these people even have pets-and kids.  I felt like I talked a lot more that second day.  I had to remind him that a few years ago things were different.  Our economy has taken a dive these last few years.  Someone who may have been making $100,000 a few years ago may be barely making it today.  Do they give up their pets and kids because they fell on hard times?  I went through the very same thing myself.

There were various comments off and on that made me want to slap someone.  One guy seemed to have a bag of ignorance from which he pulled his comments.  All in all? I feel the Symposium was great although I know my classmates don't think so.  They just do not get it!  I heard SEVERAL people complaining about how you "won't change people in 2 days."  That is the proof that they don't get it!  The seminar wasn't developed to change them.  Several of my classmates are probably racist, and no amount of time will change that.  The point of this seminar was to bring awareness.  To know that there is a lack of diversity in veterinary medicine and to get everyone thinking about why it is important and what they can do to change it.  There are still older vets who won't hire women even though we are the majority in the profession now, there are people who won't offer people who look a certain way all of the treatment options, and there are still people who are just bigoted idiots.  We can make a difference but only if we see that there is a need.