Diversity of a Perception

Uncle Bubba overheard one of them diner conversations where the public at large is a pseudo expert on any issue. This one happened to be on recognizing diversity within our American culture. The alpha demagogue of this discourse was a confident man of African ethnicity and among the several participants was a slender, middle aged, Caucasian man. The primary alpha orator shared his experiences in the service and how often he felt like he didn’t fit in because of the stereotypes associated with his ethnicity and skin color. He shared his opinions on the experiences of different races. He was obviously bothered by a lifetime of feeling like he never quite fit in. He expounded about America being a melting pot and how we should celebrate our human diversity. Someone brought up Dr. Martin Luther King Day and Black history month; they discussed how often non-black people complained about such things. Alpha man shared how he struggled with this all his life, finally settling in his mind that everyday is the White Man's celebration day. That’s when his Caucasian counterpart piped up and apologetically stated that there were no white men worth celebrating. OK, this is the comment that got Uncle Bubba’s goat.
“Like it our not,” he thought, “you white apologist; this country was founded and built by many great ethnically diverse white men with the help of many ethnically diverse, multicultural Americans.”
You see, in Bubbie’s view, this is the problem with forced celebrating of diversity in a society; it is distorted by one’s perception. Uncle Bubba can sympathize with the alpha man of African ethnicity in his lifelong confliction of racially motivated repression, but he can’t experience it. The same holds true for the alpha man; he cannot know what it is like to be a Caucasian man in America. All have trials, all have troubles; we have more in common than differences. So celebrating diversity in America must include everyone, even the Whites. Uncle Bubba finished his black coffee and swung his leg off of the stool to head for his truck. As he passed the group he smiled and asked,
“Which do y’all want most, recognition of diversity or equality; cause y’all can’t have both.”
The men looked blankly at him as he paused, tipped his cap and walked out to his old pickup.