Entitlement

            I want to preface this blog post by saying I’m not a homophobe, nor a racist, nor misogynistic. I think the gay marriage movement is hands down one of the best social reforms of the 21^st century. I think women are (on average) harder working and more creative than men. I think everyone should have access to equal opportunities, and if that means giving some a boost then so be it. In other words, I don’t have an issue with anyone because of how they were born or for anything else they have no choice over. With that being said, here is my problem with our generation.

            The main problem with our generation is we are extremely entitled. If anything goes slightly wrong, we need everyone to stop what they’re doing and adjust their ways so we don’t feel a little uncomfortable. The first major issue with this I remember having was fifth grade field day. Originally, parents would cook hot dogs and hamburgers for the kids who would quickly eat them and then return to playing with their friends. The town eventually said the parents needed a permit to be cooking food for the kids, so the school switched to pizza. This went on for several years, until one parent was concerned that her child would feel left out because they are lactose intolerant, and cannot eat pizza. Instead of packing a lunch for their child, perhaps packing something special like candy or a favorite type of sandwich, the parent demanded that the school stop serving pizza. Not only was pizza by far the easiest lunch for the school to provide, it was cheap and a favorite of the kids. Because one kid felt a little uncomfortable, everyone had to have everything changed to suit his needs. A hundred unhappy kids to make one kid feel a little les uncomfortable, does that seem like a fair trade? Will the kid remember what he had to eat a few years down the line? No, he’ll remember having fun with his friends, which is the whole point of field day. In the long run, the change will make no difference to him, but made a difference to all of his classmates and every student who will pass through the school in the future.

            Another example of this in recent history was the graduation gown issue at the high school last year. I’m not going to pretend like I have a grasp of what it’s like to be transgender or pangender, but I don’t think the entire gown color tradition needed to be upset because of one unhappy student. Would it really have been that big of a deal for them to pick one color and wear it for the day? If so, could they not have worn a different color or gotten a gown with both colors on it? Much like the previous situation, hundreds of kids that year and thousands in the future had their lives disrupted to make one kid less uncomfortable. I’m not saying the student should just sit there and be uncomfortable, but there are many solutions available that do not require changing everything for everyone.

            As you can see, the clear issue is one person changing something that inconveniences hundreds more because they feel uncomfortable with something. Quite frankly, if something makes me uncomfortable, I tackle it head on. To me that is an opportunity for growth. I understand not everyone thinks like that, and I accept that. I cannot understand how they can rationalize changing something for so many other people when, in reality, there are many other solutions that would not affect others while still (to varying degrees) quell their discomfort. If we proceed into adulthood still weighing our own comfort over everyone else’s lives, we are going to have a very difficult time functioning as a country both within ourselves and with other countries.

            What do you think?