Tuesday, January 05, 2010

unfairness



Nothing, absolutely nothing burns my ass more than unfairness.  It is deceitful, immoral, inhuman, unethical, disrespectful, underhanded, and just plain rude.  When I hear of a situation someone has found themselves in that is clearly unfair and are having a tough time trying to rectify it, I can feel my rankled nerves fire up.  Push that button in me, and seriously watch out because no one, I mean NO ONE should be treated unfairly.

In my world, unfairness revolves around castrated systems.........made up of bureaucratic tapeworms that devour living, breathing human beings and spits out faceless cut outs whose forms fit certain policy garb.  One dimensionally shaped the same, void of feeling, and emptied of any unique story that may make them an exception to a rule, faceless cut outs are much easier to contend with than the real deal. Prejudged even before the person can open their mouth.  Prejudged even before there is a face to face meeting.....if one is even arranged, and if it is arranged, the balance of power is always, always TILTED, weighed down by rules and regulation ammunition, and preconceived myths.

Unfairness reeks of injustice.  It distorts perceptions by slapping judgemental labels on the nearest victim. Empathy is laughed at. There's no room for empathy.  It's for sissies.  But you know what?  Systems can't be unfair without human beings manipulating it right?  Systems are driven by living breathing humans who bleed too...... sadly,  humans who are afraid to deviate from the fear mongering policy manual.  Is that it?  Afraid to listen, afraid to help, afraid of reprimands if they risk stepping out of the assembly line?  Perhaps it just comes down to the fear of FEELINGS??

We all have biases.  Mine is focused on unfair practises. I have no time for them. I will fight them. I will go to bat for anyone I believe is getting the shaft, who needs someone to be their designated hitter. No problem.  However, my emotions often get the best of me because of how much I am triggered by unfairness venom.   Most of the time, I don't care.  I can figure it out after the wrong has been righted............ or at least we've given it our best shot. 

Yes, I can see the big picture when it comes to the overarching reasoning behind needing structure, guidelines, rules, laws.  And Yes, I can sometimes/barely work within a system if I have some respect for it.  I'm not a pushover though I have advocated in the past for people who turned out to be frauds.  But, I do react too quickly sometimes when I see a Samson and Goliath scenario playing out. 

Today, unfairness poisoned the air all around me.  It festered and laughed hideously while jousting with a firepoker. It pissed me off!  As much as I have learned how to manipulate unprincipled actions into submission, I do know how to play the game, how to stretch the sides of a policy, how to talk nicely and even bomb it with love. Sometimes though, I slip up and let my anger lead the way.  Today, I let it rip!  On purpose.  Because I could. I punched the lights out on unfairness.  Tomorrow round two.  Bring it ON.  I'm not finished.


Yes, today was a good day.  I got an emotionally charged cerebral workout while teaching someone how to stand up for their rights.  Empowerment should never be overruled by a human driven system made for cut outs.

9 comments:

heather kathleen said...

oh sister, you just said a mouthful and i am so FEELING this post. damn am i ever....

thank you for standing up and speaking up....i needed to read this and to feel it.

irish heather....

Anonymous said...

It's nice to see this kind of empowerment under control. I'd love to be there someday.

Oh, and I LOVE that graphic on the bottom!!!

Anonymous said...

Go Dana;
I have had some unfairness in my own life recently, it sucks.

Mavis

OldLady Of The Hills said...

You tell them, Dana! GREAT POST! And as they say: Don't let The Bastards Get You Down!

I am so with you about unfairness!!!!

Savannah said...

Of all the many things that can trigger a cataclysmic effect on me, injustice is right at the top of the heap.

As I was reading this I could feel my heart beating faster and my feathers were bristling with indignation (well ok I don't have feathers but you get my point).

I hate confrontation at any time other than in this very situation and then I say bring it on.

I hope you and the person you're batting for whup their asses Dana and I for one will be cheering from the bleachers.

LL Cool Joe said...

Good for you!! Too often we play it safe and don't say a thing when we really should.

carmilevy said...

The very fact that you rail against it and refuse to give in is all I need to retain my own hope for the future.

Over the past year and then some, I've felt a deepening well of unfairness building around me, and I've often wondered how the hell I'm going to climb out of it. Yet as 2010 dawns, I sense the tide is turning. Your attitude is all the evidence I need.

Needless to say, it's good to have friends who get it, and from whom I can draw such inspiration. Thanks, Dana!

awareness said...

Irish Heather... I was standing up and speaking out before I could stop myself this time. It's what used to get me into trouble in my other job. but in this one? I'm the advocate. LOVE that. It stirs the Irishness in me.

Jen... I find it easier sometimes to be empowered on behalf of another than for myself. The graphic? Its a version of the original Banksy drawing. It's my son's favourite. :)

Mavis.... lets talk! Call me at work and we'll meet at the diner? We've got alot of catching up to do.

Naomi, it looks like it worked. I heard today that their may be a new "accomodation" for the situation I was referring to. I'll know by the beginning of next week if the "system" can accomodate. However, today? I heard about two others who need a designated hitter. So, I think I may busy helping out with a few battles in the days to come. so much fearmongering is used that often people are afraid to even ask for help. I'm glad they are coming forward now....it's the first step in helping them learn to find their own voice.

Gypsy.... Confrontation for the most part I'm comfortable with, but I have to be very careful because I have a temper. If I get too flooded emotionally, I can make a bigger mess of things. I've learned that the hard way.
There are a few situations that are on the burner right now, and all of them need a different approach. What I try to do more than anything is ensure that the person who needs some assistance remains in the driver's seat. No good learning comes from me taking it on and fighting the battle, which is what my impulsive self tends to do.

awareness said...

Joey.... I guess it comes down to figuring out which hills to fight over. If it is true unfairness, I am willing to stick my neck out. Over the years, I've been burned on occasion, but for the most part, it has helped. I try not to burn bridges. I try to be as diplomatic as I can, when I can. One of the key ways of getting what you want is to ask the person who is being unfair for help. If you can get them to move into a place of empathy, then you can make change.

Carmi. We live in a self centred politically manipulative world. Spin and strategic communication, complete with fear mongering tactics and power posing is all around us. I'm not a cynic by nature, and maybe that's a good thing because I truly believe that people are people underneath the systems and crap they have to work and live in. Most are so fearful of rocking the boat or being politically incorrect that they paralyze themselves. If you can figure out a way of getting under their skin, and usually that isn't raging on like I did yesterday, they will soften.
the tide is turning.... change is in the air. I just wish we had some leaders out there who we could rally behind. Maybe its time for new political parties. Maybe its time for a groundswelling revolution? Power to the people. Get rid of the bullshit eh?? :)
ps. Would love to be able to write more editorially let me tell you. One day!!!