I can’t stand you people. Well at least that phrase is one I can’t stand. This is one of my biggest pet peeves. It’s not just the words but the feelings beneath it. I know if people really thought about what they were saying when they uttered those words they would take a minute and think about it… at least I hope they would.
When you think..You people or Those People, what comes to mind? Blacks, Gays, Arabs, drug addicts, alcoholics, Democrats, Republicans…. the list goes on and on and is personalized for every individual. Whoever your “those people” are for you look at your spirit and ask yourself why? Why what?
Why do you think those people are so different from you?
It’s so easy to discount people, their values, customs, lifestyles when you distance yourself from them. I worked as a supervisor at a drug rehabilitation center and some of the nurses had a problem with people who were addicted to drugs. What were they doing working there? I have no idea, but there was some animosity. Why couldn’t they get their lives together why are still on drugs? I’m not advocating drug usage or giving excuses but when I talked to the nurses most of whom I knew were on diets and had been for years I asked a question. How many times have you started a diet in the morning and had a cupcake in your mouth by noon. Is it the same thing? Well one is illegal and the other one isn’t but they are both about self-control.
There have been several times I’ve heard someone ask another person who is different from them in some way “What do ____ people feel about …?” How can one person possibly answer the question about everyone in their population. If you ask questions like this, think about it. How would one person be able to answer a question like that, and how small-minded a person would be to think that they should be able to?
The constitution starts off with “We the people…” and although they didn’t really mean all genders, nationalities, etc. when it was written, it’s a good way to think. So next time you have an inkling to think about those people think about how you’re the same instead of how you’re different. This was my small rant and I’m glad I put it out there. We’re all just everyday people trying to make it, let’s try to understand how others live even if we don’t agree. There is nothing wrong with asking questions but run the question through your head first. How would you feel if someone asked the same question of you? Ask unto others… the way you’d like it asked unto you. Ok so that last sentence was modified a bit for this post, but you get the point 🙂 Happy Writing.
Leela Lou Dahlin 