I made the choice to have 4 children. When I go shopping, I really appreciate when there’s a family bathroom for people like me. But I’m not offended when there’s not. I prefer the changing table be in a stall and not out in the middle of the restroom. When I was nursing, I loved an area to breastfeed comfortably and privately. But when there’s not, I make due. I don’t think I’ve ever made it through a grocery run without someone shaking their head at me, asking if all those kids are really mine. I just smile proudly. I’m not going to boycott or send hateful letters or cry hurt feelings. I’m not even going to call it an injustice on facebook. I don’t expect everyone else to understand, agree or cater to my desires because of a lifestyle choice I’ve made.
I wish more Americans felt this way. It grieves my heart that this is what America has come to. That old adage about the squeaky wheel getting the grease is the truth. Wrap your brains around this…we can sue a restaurant because our coffee is too hot or because we’ve become obese eating too much of their food….and win. We can pull a gun on a police officer…and somehow emerge a victim. We can decide we like a house, squat on it, and the owners cannot legally kick us out after a period of time. We can watch a show called “Blackish”….but a show called “Whiteish” or “Brownish” would certainly be called racist. We can choose not to work…and get paid to do it. A people group that makes up .3% of the population can decide they’re uncomfortable…and we change bathroom rights for the other 99.7%.
The beautiful thing about America’s foundation, was that it brought lots of people groups together. Did they do it all right? Absolutely not. Did they commit atrocities in their voyage to freedom? Without a doubt. They did then what they knew how to do. I’d like to say, we know better now so we do better, but I can’t. All we do is divide into smaller and smaller segments: Republicans, Democrats, Independents, conservatives, black people, white people, immigrants, straight, homosexual, transgender, rich, poor, middle-class, working, not working….
Everyone is drawing lines in the sand and bickering and fighting over tiny details. It wasn’t so many generations ago, our forefathers were fighting for freedom and equality and religion….not one religion, but the freedom to choose. Now, we shun and guilt-trip and threaten violence on anyone who disagrees with us or our choices. The reason we love America, the reason we’re ‘Merica Smokers, and the reason I call my blog Mama ‘Merica is because we love what this great country was founded on. Thousands of lives have been sacrificed so that we can have our own opinions – even strong ones. With that, I guess they assumed we’d be mature enough to respect others even if they were different. They assumed we could be nice, or at least civil, even if we disagree with our fellow Americans. They assumed we, the people, would handle our day to day affairs with some degree of common sense and not rely on the government to micromanage.
While other countries are fighting for hungry children and girls being sold as sex slaves, and villages being burned or daily explosions, here we are fighting over things like bathrooms. I’m disappointed in us, America. Without any of the afformentioned people groups, America would not be what it is today. But we should operate as Americans….not solely as any of those smaller groups with whom we identify. I have a unique situation, and there are many things that would make my life easier or happier. But I do not expect everyone else who is not like me, to understand or operate in my favor. Having to sometimes “make due” does not qualify as injustice. Logistically, we cannot cater to every person, people group or opinion. We are chasing our tales. We’ve got it so good over here, we’ve forgotten what real oppression is. This is why we have lost our reputation as the greatest country in the world. We all need to put on our big girl panties, quit being so easily offended, and work together to make her great again.
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