Marginalization and Micro Aggression

Some might say the United States is nearing an end and I might be one to agree unless or until certain conditions change. There is a lot of talk these days about marginalization. What is marginalization? Marginalization is the process whereby something or someone is pushed to the edge of a group and accorded lesser importance. This is predominantly a social phenomenon by which a minority or sub-group is excluded, and their needs or desires get ignored.

Add to marginalization all of the Micro Aggression we must deal with. Micro aggression is a term coined by psychiatrist and Harvard University, professor Chester M. Pierce, in 1970 to describe insults and dismissals he regularly witnessed non-black Americans inflict on black Americans. Let me just say that since the 70s marginalization and micro aggression are no longer limited to America’s black community.

Professor Pierce, a black American, collected empirical data on other black Americans. Synonyms for empirical are experiential, experimental, observed, pragmatic, practical, realistic, and first hand. Sub- synonyms of those synonyms include new, untried, trial, investigational, tentative, perceived, witnessed, detected, hardheaded, logical, sensible, and matter-of-fact. In other words, subjective rather than objective.

We point the finger at someone or something else trying to attach blame anywhere but upon ourselves. We do this all the time and with self-justification. No longer do we take responsibility and accept the fruits of our labors. We see evidence of this every day and all over the place. In order to satisfy our specific need for political correctness and to minimize our own shortcomings while not exploiting those of others, we quickly raise our backs every time someone finds reason to scorn. Gone are the days when we could accept positive reinforcement through criticism and here are the days of micro aggression of the marginalized.

To help us understand the above, let us refer to the list below. I found a document called 10 Most Absurd Things Banned On Politically Correct College Campuses and reduced our list from the original for our purposes herein. Let us take number ii as an example. I must say, it looks like the marginalized has, at the very least, whatever trait it takes to know one’s own embarrassment over ignorance because the “students of color” do not like to have their shortcomings, as related to either spelling or grammar, pointed out. New question, in this case is a student of color the same as a black American, can a student of color be Latino or Asian or naturalized or any other American status be a student of color? Is an “olive “skinned person a person of color?

• The National Union of Students Women’s Campaign, a feminist college student group in Britain, announced in March 2015 clapping will no longer be allowed. Instead, in its place, you are allowed to use “jazz” hands. This is a way to create a more inclusive atmosphere.

• UCLA no longer makes spelling and grammar corrections because this micro-aggression of the marginalized creates a hostile campus climate for the students of color.

• At the University of New Hampshire, the word homosexual had been replace by the words same gender loving, elderly was replaced with people of advanced age. And the word healthy was replaced with non-disabled individual. Do not worry, the silly trend only lasted two years because the president of the school was troubled by many things.

• A student at Framingham State University in Massachusetts filed a report to the Bias Incident Response Team this spring, claiming the campus had overtly disrespected Latino and Mexican Culture.

• Journalism professors at Leeds Trinity University in the UK have been instructed not to use certain words in case they frighten sensitive students. Words like “don’t” and “do” and not to use words typed IN ALL CAPS and to be explicit in all inexplicitness.

• UCLA no longer makes spelling and grammar corrections because this micro-aggression of the marginalized creates a hostile campus climate for the students of color.

• At the University of New Hampshire, the word homosexual had been replace by the words same gender loving, elderly was replaced with people of advanced age. And the word healthy was replaced with non-disabled individual. Do not worry, the silly trend only lasted two years because the president of the school was troubled by many things.

• A student at Framingham State University in Massachusetts filed a report to the Bias Incident Response Team this spring, claiming the campus had overtly disrespected Latino and Mexican Culture.

• Learn how to spell and how to use proper grammar and articulate well and use proper punctuation. No one will try to correct you again. Only about 1% of the people you talk with are going to know anything about spelling, grammar, and punctuation and practically no one will ever challenge another that perceptibly possesses great spelling and grammar and punctuation skills. I know 1% sounds like a ridiculously low number but I kept it low because I think not withstanding marginalization; you are unwise if you cannot spell.

• You no longer belong to that group others call marginalized. Moreover, from this point on I suggest you try to put as much distance between yourself and those considered to be marginalized as possible. (We are all known by our associations.)

• In 1626 the Dutch bought Manhattan Island for 60 guilders, approximately $24.00 U.S. currency in those days, about $951.08 in modern day currency. The Dutch bought Manhattan Island from the Indians. No one seems to know what Indians; we just know that Manhattan was bought from the Indians.

• Beginning in 1915, ethnic Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire were rounded up, deported, and executed. We estimate as a result between 1915 and 1923 more than 1 million ethnic Armenians, Assyrians, and Greeks died of massacres, forced deportation marches, and deaths due to diseases in the prison camps.

• After coming to power in 1933 Germany’s Nazi party effected through persecution, murder, and genocide aimed at ethnically cleansing Germany. This resulted in six million dead Jews and five million dead Slavs, Roma, disabled, Jehovah’s witnesses, homosexuals, and political and religious dissidents.

• Pol Pot (1925-1998) and his communist Khmer Rouge movement led Cambodia from 1975 to 1979. During that time, about 1.5 million Cambodians out of a total population of 7 to 8 million died of starvation, execution, disease or overwork.

• On June 24, 1763, William Trent, a local trader [to Williamsburg VA], recorded in his journal that two Indian chiefs had visited the fort [Fort Pitt], urging the British to abandon the fight, but the British refused. Instead, when the Indians were ready to leave, Trent wrote: "Out of our regard for them, we gave them two Blankets and an Handkerchief out of the Small Pox Hospital. I hope it will have the desired effect." This was arguably the first time germ warfare was used in the United States.

If you feel you fall into a category that might get you labeled marginalized and are therefore micro aggressed, and if you are embarrassed, graded, or critiqued because you cannot spell and you cannot punctuate properly because you lack grammar skills; perhaps you should take the next two steps.

Since we are defining words here while also trying to come up with solutions, there is one more word I would like to talk about; passé. No longer fashionable; out of date. When used in a sentence miniskirts are passé. I hope that during my twilight years no one remembers me for something I accomplished nearly 50 years before; that would be so passé.

The blacks are not the only people on this planet ever oppressed.

I do not see the fairness in talking about marginalization and micro aggression without ending with a definition of an enabler. An enabler is a person or thing that makes something possible. A person who encourages or enables negative or self-destructive behavior in another.

Stop enabling marginalization and micro aggression.