Being Woke
This thread was always going to be a fun one!
What always comes across to me is actually how poor we are at listening to each other. All of us. I absolutely include myself at times.
There are those that think the woke generation are just young upstarts with a liberal agenda. Then there are those that deem themselves to be woke who view everyone else as ignorant and bigoted.
The reality is probably that the vast majority of people actually inhabit the same middle ground but many of those just won’t listen sufficiently to realise.
ExAscoteer has given a good example with the shouty ‘don't you dare’ statement. We don’t always have to get angry with people to make our point.
This thread is about the Air Force (I assume we mean the RAF). Whilst you may encounter girls in the outside world who are being given the wrong message is that really still true in the RAF?
Ironically enough I once (2005) rebuked an ATC officer for telling two female cadets (they were on a station visit to Coltishall) under her charge that the RAF doesn’t encourage girls to be pilots. The VR(T) Officer was a female Flt Lt. Go figure.
I don’t doubt that there are many examples out there of bad apples who treat people poorly. But that is true from both sides of the fence.
As ES says we are seeing the effect of a long overdue rebalancing where we are addressing unfairness for the good of everyone. But we need to be damn careful we don’t turn it in to one of those movie sequel/remakes where we keep the same script but just change the players.
I am very moderate in my views and have mellowed significantly over time. I guess that’s what parenthood does for you and certainly what having children of both sexes does for you.
Just as I don’t agree that women, for example, should be unfairly treated I also don’t think a white male should be unfairly treated.
Whilst I am happy to be a part of the current changes taking place it would be a damn shame if my ‘white male privilege’ status was thrown back at me to the extent that I then became militant.
How long until we have men chaining themselves to the gates of Downlng Street or throwing themselves under race horses?!
I am trying to keep it fairly light-hearted but I won’t be surprised if this thread spirals into an unpleasant place to be. Unless we can step back and try to understand other viewpoints instead of feeling big and strong for shouting at someone.
BV