By Tim Young
Clash Daily Guest Contributor
As a White Christian Republican Straight Man, what’s left for me to be blamed or need to apologize for?
It just seems that every couple of weeks, I get blamed for another atrocity or negative part of history that occurred because someone of the same skin color or sex was involved. And every single time that happens, there’s a viral article on the Internet with a group of pasty white liberal nerds lining up to sell themselves out in one way or another and take the blame for what’s happened.
I must have missed out on all these advantages that I supposedly have as well. Growing up in Baltimore in a socio-economically disadvantaged neighborhood did me no favors. I watched as my father was frequently out of work as a kid and our family never rolled around in cash and the finer things in life. I had struggles growing up as everyone does, probably even worse than most, but since I don’t fit the trendy demographic for a hashtag this week or I’m the wrong color, I don’t get any sympathy.
And certainly I can’t complain that even though I’m regarded as an expert in political marketing, I was asked to replace myself with a woman from my company after being confirmed for over a month to speak at a Political Marketing conference in Washington, DC a few months ago… “We are really looking to add more female voices to the program right now. Aren’t there any qualified women on your team who might do this?”
I guess the difference between myself and the folks leading these hashtag campaigns isn’t the demographic stuff as much as a little thing I have instilled in me called ‘personal responsibility. Apparently I’m also not alone… women think the same way!
A female friend of mine on Facebook, who’s pretty liberal I might add, started a riot amongst her fellow progressives by posting the following statement the other day:
Dear # YESALLWOMEN campaign,
While I appreciate your spirit, I’m no one’s victim. I’m no one’s fool. I don’t need to play the girl card to get what I want. Despite what articles all over the internet this week will tell you, I’m not harassed at work. I’m not harassed when I walk down the street. I’m not viewed as weak or subordinate by my husband or my brother or my father. No one ever in my life has told me I can’t do something because of my gender. I’ve never been passed over for a raise or promotion at work because I’m a woman. If a man is making me uncomfortable, I don’t quietly take it and wait for the incident to be over, I let him know and remove myself from the situation. I don’t need anyone to fight my battles for me – not the government, not the internet, not social media and certainly not a useless fucking hashtag. If I fight and lose, it’s because of who I am as a human, not as a female human.
Is this every woman’s experience? Of course not. But I’m only a victim if I allow myself to be one.
She also takes personal responsibility for herself… but that was greeted with the ugliest of responses, including but not limited to other women calling her dense and stupid… and why? Because she took a stand for herself and wouldn’t be looped into a society of victims.
It must be a wonderful life to live when you can blame everyone else for your problems. I’m not saying that some people’s experiences aren’t worse than others, but at the end of the day, it’s how we deal with them that define who we are. I for one, don’t publicly complain about terrible things that happen to me… it’s a waste of my time. It’s a waste of everyone else’s time as well.
And what good would it do? I’m not in the right demographic to get sympathy from the sympathizers on the left anyway. There will never be a hashtag campaign to help my needy cause.
The worst part about this #YesAllWomen campaign is that it’s American focused. I haven’t seen a single progressive hashtag that with the horrible treatment of women in the middle east or in Muslim cultures. While this hashtag’s initial message is devolving from being used by women to bring awareness of rape and violence to now that one time they believe they got passed up for a job for a man; there’s an entire religious culture in the world that encourages violence and forces women to be covered head to toe while men can wear whatever they want…
And let’s face it… a hashtag ain’t savin’ nobody…. Even if it’s accompanied by a sad duck face from the First Lady.
At the end of the day, the progressives who preach equality in the world are doing nothing more than separating us. Why? Because it’s so much easier to blame someone else than take personal responsibility.
And no, I’m never going to apologize for being me.
Known as the Republican Jon Stewart and the Young Rush Limbaugh, Young has been a guest on Fox News Channel’s ‘Red Eye,’ Huffington Post Live, RT’s The Alyona Show and dozens of syndicated radio shows.
A respected journalist and pundit, sharing his opinion on politics to millions of people every month. His writing has been featured on the cover of HuffingtonPost.com, Washingtonian Magazine, Patch.com, Voice of Baltimore and other major publications. In 2011, he was Young Member Chair of the National Press Club, representing all media under the age of 35.
