My six weeks away from America, should have been a break from America, yet this country is obsessed with America and its current president. If you have a Canadian as one of your friends on Facebook I guarantee, you have at least one post a week minimum, about Trump. Why are Canadians so obsessed with Trump? They have their own issues. Google crime in Toronto and you realize Chicago has a sister city in Canada.
The problem is we all like to preach and not practice. By focusing on others’ deemed weaknesses we fill better about ourselves. The Canadians I have met all want to talk about the American problems. I am here the last six weeks amazed at all the problems which no one seems to complain about. As I am not an expert, I will not discuss the issues here. I am not going to presume I know enough about this place to be able to give them advice. That would be hypocritical of me and be emulating them. This isn’t about the issues, but about the idea of people who don’t walk in my shoes telling me about my life.
IN America politicians and media celebrities like to constantly use their pulpit to lecture those who they don’t empathize with. It makes them feel good to be environmental, caring, and humanists. However they aren’t. They are more selfish than the truth tellers who show their racist, fascist and homophobic ways. It has become so ingrained in our culture, we now have to have names for it . When a man does this its called mansplaining. I don’t know if there is a term for when a woman tells you stuff she doesn’t know about? The point is we need to take a few moments before we start pontificating. We must access the situation. We must try to imagine walking in the others shoes before we go giving advice or criticizing them. The brown in me is not exempt. i may be the biggest offender.
My old adage about surrounding yourself with people who have different views is even more important. In America and in Canada, the people only listen to the views of those they agree with. They only watch shows which reinforce their views. They only to consider their view. The idea there maybe merit in the other sides position is sacrilegious to them. I am not proclaiming wrong is right. I for one am very firm on right is right. The point of this whole endeavor has been to point out to both sides, they are not absolutes. Now it seems every conversation I have is with people who want me to agree with them. If you don’t, then they get mad because apparently we don’t allow that anymore. As someone who like discussion, and exploring new ideas its very uncomfortable when people are not wanting a conversation but confirmation. In my new environment I have kept my mouth shut and just listened. In the culture of new terminology, I am calling this conver-mation. When one person engages another in a conversation to get confirmation of their beliefs, views and self worth.
Source: ItsTheBrownInMe