A short rant...

This is just a short rant, inspired by my dear friends who have lost their jobs or been harassed at work; and by a few conversations I've overheard or been involved in over the past few weeks.

Hi there! I am an American-born, English-speaking heterosexual male of European descent. I'm between the age of 25 and 50. Though I'm an atheist, I am often mistaken for (or assumed to be) a member of the dominant religious group here in Utah, a fact that works to my advantage more often than my detriment. Though I'm a hugely flaming liberal and am happy to let someone know it in conversation, at a rally, or in a voting booth; I may not be readily identified as such in my daily life walking down the street.

Do you know what I'm sick of? American-born, English-speaking, Christian heterosexual males of European descent complaining about how hard life is these days for American-born, English-speaking, Christian heterosexual males of European descent in the United States of A-freaking-merica.

Guess what: Compared to nearly the entire rest of the world, my life is cake. I encounter challenges in my life just like everyone. Sometime those challenges can really put me to the test. Sometimes those challenges are the result of something totally out of my own control. But I guarantee you that every last one of those characteristics above means that I encounter far fewer challenges (on average) than those who posses other characteristics instead.

I have experienced some discrimination because of my atheism. After all, we are the least trusted group in America. But I'm lucky: I can just blend in when I need to by not getting into religious discussions with coworkers. (This is also the reason I'm pseudonymous at my blog. It's pretty easy to find out who I am, were one interested in doing so. I'm pretty sure my first and last name have appeared -- separately -- in various posts here... But I don't want a potential employer to plug my name into Google and go "Oh my god gosh! He's a heathen!") Now whether I should have to hide that fact about myself is a different issue.

I am absolutely tired of people who have the privileges of geography, heredity, sexuality, language and religion in our society complaining that some "Mexican" took their job, or aghast that their new boss is a woman. I'm sick of hearing about my female friends being treated as sex objects because they happen to have boobs, or hearing little jokes about how someone must have slept their way to the top. I get furious when I hear that my friend's company laid off every last one of their non-Mormon workers (including my friend) and retained all of the Mormon ones. When I hear you say that you're glad your company laid off "that faggot," because you "don't need people like that" working with you, then guess what? I'm going to think you're a horrific asshole.

That is all.