God Bless the United States...Now Vote for Me!

Well here we are again, blogworld! It's been a while, but I am just bored enough at work and in life to write a post again. This one was inspired by a blog post by Steven Stroud, which can be found here: http://stevenmstroud.blogspot.com/. Allow me to dive right in...

So if you've been watching the national conventions lately, like I have, or following the presidential campaigns in any capacity, you have probably noticed the God language that works its way into nearly every speech. Or, perhaps you are so used to hearing it that you don't notice; you have become habituated to it and may only notice if it is omitted. The Republicans love to tote their belief in God or their Christian values as justification for legalized discrimination, as well as for why you should trust them. But even the Democrats can't finish a convention speech without the token, "God bless you all, and God bless the United States of America!" Without condemning those who are religious and who believe in God, this is what I want to know: What does God have to do with politics, and why do we let politicians assume that all their constituents are religious or theistic?

Self-disclosure: I do not subscribe to any religion and I consider myself a theoretical agnostic and practical atheist. Does that mean I'm a heathen? Does that mean I don't deserve political representatives who acknowledge my values? Does that render me virtually invisible when it comes to anything on a national scale that matters? And an even bigger question might be, how can we believe in the separation of Church and State, while we allow Christian-based values of marriage to make the cut on presidential platforms and while we question the integrity of any leader who doesn't reference God or faith?

Every time I hear politicians, or any leader for that matter, reference God and religious faith, as if it is the guiding belief of everyone they seek to represent, I feel resentment. I am reminded of the fact that, despite being part of a rising demographic in this country and in this world, as a non-theistic person, I am marginal. Sure, there are plenty of people in my daily life who either support me in this identity or are simply indifferent to it, so then why can't I expect this on a public scale? We do not have to discriminate against religious folks in order to actualize our supposed belief in a secular government. I have no desire to impose my nonreligious, nontheistic beliefs on others, so why should I constantly face this imposition? I refuse to give my vote to someone simply because they claim to believe in God and be a "man of faith," and regardless of your personal beliefs, I hope you feel the same. I also refuse to give into God language as the norm for political and governmental rhetoric, and I hope all of you who are like-minded will stand up to it whenever possible.

Thanks for reading!

Identity Politics in Higher Ed.

Instead of going into an elaborate intro about how long of a hiatus I have taken from blogging (for pretty legit reasons, I might add), I'm just going to jump into the topic I want to discuss: trends in higher education to create programming that's seemingly exclusive to one identity group. Examples of this are socials and events specifically for LGBTQ folks or, as in an email I received today, a graduation celebration for students of color. I need to preface any further comment about these with a statement that I fully understand that historical marginalization of these groups creates a need for such specialized programming to exist, especially as it fosters connections that might not otherwise be made between peers who share that identity. Trust me, I get that.

I guess what concerns me about such campus-sponsored programming is the effect it ultimately has on integrating students with differing social identities. I'm sure the benefits of having LGBTQ- and students-of-color-focused groups on campus are myriad, and I in no way advocate their dissolution. However, I feel that a priority of higher education should not only be to provide support for historically underrepresented students, but also to forge connections and relationships between students who might not otherwise develop them. When I consistently see emails from the multicultural affairs office on campus, featuring events and socials for "students of color," with no mention of white students or others who might not identify as students of color, it makes me wonder if they are truly multicultural. Are they supporting the need of students' of color to connect with one another and feel like part of a community on campus? For many, probably yes. Are they serving the purpose of integrating students of color and White students on campus? With such seemingly exclusive language, I'm not confident that they are. To be fair, I have typically found that LGBTQ-focused programming is more inclusive, at least in its rhetoric, of both LGBTQ students AND their allies. However, there are likely many identity-centered student groups that do not seek social integration, whether out of well-meaning obliviousness or simply not caring to do so.

Now, I don't want this to be mistaken as a "poor White people" or "poor hetero people" rant; I'm not interested in indulging in a defense of the over-privilege that folks of these identities have enjoyed. However, I am genuinely committed to breaking down social barriers that are based solely on identity politics. True, being female, being gay, or being a person of color has major salience in defining one's perspectives and life experiences. However, at what point are we going to take a stand and say, "Let's change that--TOGETHER, not separately"? How much are we fighting sexism when we have a "women's center" on campus that does not address the needs of men in crisis or transgender students? How much are we fighting racism when we have "offices of multicultural affairs" that do not address the fact that white people, too, embody diverse ethnic identities? Though it may be completely unintended, I think these have the effect of further segregating students, based on the identity categories they fall into. Isn't there a way we can address issues of power, privilege, and oppression without excluding anyone? I think choosing language carefully is a great start. For example, perhaps instead of being called "women's centers," something along the lines of a "gender equity center" might be more inclusive. Perhaps the "queers and allies" rhetoric can continue, in order to bring folks of differing sexual orientations together. And maybe, multicultural programs that seek to target students of color should explicitly remain open to "students of all racial/ethnic identities." Language really does matter.

With various forms of social prejudice and discrimination still very present today, I think there is a solid place for identity-based programs on college campuses; in fact, I have been part of some of them as a student, and I am committed to them on a professional level, as well. However, I really think that some schools need to re-evaluate how they are both supporting these special student populations and simultaneously fostering an inclusive and integrated campus community. I think this approach is progressive and ethically sound, and I think it is the wave of the future in higher education!