Observations From the Spectrum

Many people I think wish for things without thinking what would be the long-term affect especially in relationship to worst case scenarios. Racists are like this. They think they want a world in which everyone is like them, but in truth, they just have clearly not thought it through.

After one of the hardest periods of my life, I found myself in a village on Bali in Indonesia called Balian. It is about two hours north of Kuta, the center of Balinese Tourism.

I had just gotten out of the water with my buddy Ashley and we were, if memory serves, drinking a beer watching sunset.

It was one of those picturesque moments in life. Setting sun. Curling waves. Light breeze. Blue skies. Ocean view only interrupted by palm and coconut trees.

Ashley looked to his left and said, “Man. All those fuckers down there don’t know what they are missing. They don’t know what beauty is.”

I laughed at him and responded, “No, No, No, No. They are doing what makes them happy. Plus you and I just got out of the water surfing perfect waves with only you and me in the water. Would you want all of them up here?”

“Good on ya. You’re right. Wasn’t thinking of it like that.”

To me, his thought was to build a homogeneous society in which someone’s definition of fun and joy and happiness defines others. I think this line of thinking would ruin the definer’s joy. They would suddenly find their favorite spots overrun with others who were just following suit.

I think racism is the same. I don’t understand it. I get why some people don’t get along with or like others. I certainly don’t like everyone. But I don’t want everyone to be like me or, truth be told, the joys that I find in life would be busier and maybe would cost or push me out of participation.

Racism is a lie. It’s only purpose is to drive hate or enable one person to kill another person. I would define this as murder. Either path then only creates a divide.

Imagine this with me for a minute.

“I hate you. You Irish Italian Catholic French German Jew.”

“I am sorry for being me. What can I do to make it better?”

One answer is to die making the person not only a racist but someone who wishes death on others for being different.

The other option? Let’s explore.

“To be more like me of course.”

“OK. What does that entail?”

“Drive a truck. Hunt deer. Go to MLS games. Go to church on Sunday.”

“Ok. I can do that.”

The next week the racist arrives at church like usual but there is no place to park. They go to the game warden to buy their hunting license only to find them sold out and the same goes for the MLS games they want to watch.

“Fuck! That’s not what I meant.  I mean I want you to go home to your country of origin.”

“Oh, sorry. Ok. I’d be glad to but I am. I was born in America.”

“YOu know what I mean. Go back to your ethnic country of origin.”

“Oh. Got it. Ok. Is there a fund that can help me get there? Are you willing to pay?”

“Fuck you.”

“I thought we were discussing me going back to my ethnic country of origin. Not sex. Now, I am confused.”

So what’s the true endgame of homogeneity? Selling products and lifestyles is all. The more people that buy into something, the more money goes to those at the top.  The car company and church would be happy. MLS would reap the benefits but what benefit do we have as the local or everyday person in more people being the same? Crowds and more people to get in our way.

Imagine if the world was how Adolf Hitler wanted it. All blue eyed and blond and German speaking. All three would be boring. There would be nothing special about being a blue eyed blond German. It would be all that there is. There would be no stand outs. There would be no one special. Just all plain run of the mill same like waves off into the horizon on a sunny day. They are beautiful at first, but if you are not riding them, even the person who appreciates nature the most would tire of their repetitive beauty. It’s why we search out the Red Robin or the Blue Jay. They stand out against the everyday. 

We need this. It’s what we all use to define our own personal definition of the pursuit of happiness. It would probably be easier for all parties involved to just stop trying to define others in your image.

I don’t want the places I go to find solace to be overrun with people. I don’t think anyone does, even the person who defines themselves by hating others doesn’t want all people to be like them. They like how their identity is defined in opposition to others instead of in unison. For them too, it is what makes them unique.

• All works at Observations from the Spectrum written by Dylan Netter
• Observationsfromthespectrum.org
• OFTS.blog 
• On? a third point of view – book of Essays
• Marinehippie.com podcast w/ Docstodden.com – dialogue exploring politics and musings of life 
• Horizoncoaching.org – English Tutor and Guide